Nurturing the independent-thinking practitioner: using threshold concepts to transform undergraduate learning

This article explores the experience of employing the theory of threshold concepts to curricular re-design to transform students' learning experiences. As part of our annual review in 2011, programme team members raised the concern that some graduates from our vocational-type degree programme – BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families – did not appear to develop the links between 'theory' and 'practice' as effectively as other graduates. Reflection on the three-year old degree programme, designed to provide a foundation for those wishing to move into, or study further, in areas such as family support and social work, revealed two areas for further consideration. First, the programme's modular format appeared to encourage students to view aspects of their studies as unconnected. Secondly, its original design had been premised on a series of 'need to know' areas of policy, theory and practice which had been added to over time, with little taken out. In short, the curriculum appeared to have become both 'stuffed' and fragmented and did not appear to provide the ideal platform from which to engage students in the development of the knowledge, skills and understanding for future professional practice. Using the theory of threshold concepts as our starting point, we were able to identify key themes, ideas and activities that we perceived to be central to nurturing and developing independent and employable practitioners. The following article recounts our journey towards curriculum change, detailing how programme threshold concepts were identified and how these were subsequently applied in curriculum re-design

The cationic region of Rhes mediates its interactions with specific Gβ subunits

Ras homologue enriched in striatum (Rhes) is a small monomeric G protein which functions in a variety of cellular processes, including attenuation of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)signalling. There have been many studies into the effects of Rhes, but there is no molecular information about how Rhes might bring about these effects. Rhes shares striking sequence homology to AGS1 (activator of G protein signalling 1) and we considered whether the two proteins function in similar ways. AGS1 binds to the Gβ1 subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins and we have used yeast two-hybrid studies to show that Rhes binds selectively to Gβ1, Gβ2 and Gβ3 subunits. Binding to the Gβ subunits involves the cationic regions of AGS1 and Rhes, and we used Rhes-AGS1 chimeras to show that their different cationic regions determine the Gβ-specificity of the interactions. Possible implications of this interaction for the activity of Rhes are discussed

Descartes’ Imagination: Unifying Mind and Body in Sensory Representation

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role that the imagination plays in the later philosophy of René Descartes. The thesis will look at two related questions: (i) the status of the imagination as a mode of thought dependent on the body; (ii) the role of the imagination in object-perception. Throughout, the traditional view of Descartes as a Cartesian Dualist is rejected and a more holistic approach is taken towards the relationship between mind and body, in which Descartes’ claims that the two make up a “substantial union” are taken seriously. Part One deals with the relationship between mind and body. I argue that Cartesian Dualism cannot account for the faculties of sensation and imagination, because they have a corporeal basis. However, the ‘union of mind and body’, Descartes’ device for explaining their interaction, can. I end Part One by identifying a problem with the paradigm case of mind-body interaction, object-perception. To determine the object of an idea there needs to be a mechanism to marry the two ingredients of perception: the innate ideas of geometry in the intellect, and ‘adventitious’ ideas of the object delivered by the senses. Otherwise we have no explanation for how the essentially ‘inward-looking’ intellect can apply its ideas to the essentially passive sensations. Part Two focuses on the imagination and the question of object-perception raised in Part One. I argue against the largely-held view in the secondary literature that, with the advent of the cogito, the imagination’s cognitive profile declined sharply. I argue that, in fact, the corporeal basis of the imagination places it beautifully to bridge the gap in object-perception, and that this is part of its role in all Descartes’ discussions on the topic. The other, related, role of the imagination is to conjure fictions and hypotheses, suiting it for scientific and epistemological endeavours. The fact that the imagination is not tied to what is present to the senses, even though it receives its original content from them, means that it can manipulate ideas of corporeal things; including the innate notions of extension, shape and motion so key to gaining a clear and distinct idea of matter

From combatant to casualty :challenging conceptions of children's political agency in Colombia

PhD ThesisThis project aims to advance understandings of children as political agents. Children are emerging as complex political actors in global conflicts. Their ambiguous roles on the battlefield pose important questions about their positioning in post-conflict society, particularly through mechanisms of transitional justice. Despite this, there is a lack of scholarly engagement with the question of the political agency of children in post-conflict societies. Of particular concern is how social constructs of “children” and “childhood” prevent those who are under 18 from receiving the support they need to be viewed as legitimate political actors. Child actors are thus not acknowledged in their own terms. Rather their roles as actors are framed through the conceptualisation and context of an adult world that is not designed to, nor has made space for, understanding their political agency. Due to a lack of self-determination and self-definition, a disabling combination, children have been left vulnerable to exploitation and ultimately a denial of political agency. Instead, children exist within a narrow framework defined by cultural and social expectations that prohibit them from partaking in activities considered ʻadult.ʼ When war causes the child to act outside of familiar social frameworks, they become misunderstood, misrepresented, and ultimately marginalised. This thesis examines the overarching international approach towards the child actor through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It investigates the way the UNCRC creates a prescriptive understanding of children and childhood, drawn from a European history of ideas. The thesis identifies three pairs of themes that position the child’s identity: citizenship and agency, innocence and immaturity, education and labour. The case of Colombia is then used to assess the impact of framing the child in this way. By examining the role of children in an environment of conflict and transition to post-conflict, the thesis investigates the international discourse on the child. The context of conflict and postconflict enables an analysis of the roles that children assume that appear contrary to the identity outlined within the UNCRC. This tension between the international discourse on the child and the framework of Colombian discourse affects the security of children in vulnerable positions. The thesis concludes by contesting dominating discourses on children within the international arena and explores the positive implications of positioning the child with greater political agency

Efficient syntheses of climate relevant isoprene nitrates and (1R,5S)-(−)-myrtenol nitrate

Here we report the chemoselective synthesis of several important, climate relevant isoprene nitrates using silver nitrate to mediate a ’halide for nitrate’ substitution. Employing readily available starting materials, reagents and Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons chemistry the synthesis of easily separable, synthetically versatile ‘key building blocks’ (E)- and (Z)-3-methyl-4-chlorobut-2-en-1-ol as well as (E)- and (Z)-1-((2-methyl-4-bromobut-2-enyloxy)methyl)-4-methoxybenzene has been achieved using cheap, ’off the shelf’ materials. Exploiting their reactivity we have studied their ability to undergo an ‘allylic halide for allylic nitrate’ substitution reaction which we demonstrate generates (E)- and (Z)-3-methyl-4-hydroxybut-2-enyl nitrate, and (E)- and (Z)-2-methyl-4-hydroxybut-2-enyl nitrates (‘isoprene nitrates’) in 66–80% overall yields. Using NOESY experiments the elucidation of the carbon–carbon double bond configuration within the purified isoprene nitrates has been established. Further exemplifying our ‘halide for nitrate’ substitution chemistry we outline the straightforward transformation of (1R,2S)-(−)-myrtenol bromide into the previously unknown monoterpene nitrate (1R,2S)-(−)-myrtenol nitrate

Le statut de la désinstitutionnalisation en Grande-Bretagne

Pour expliquer le statut actuel de la désinstitutionnalisation1 et du développement des soins communautaires, on examine dans quelle mesure ces soins peuvent ou pourraient assumer les fonctions de l'asile. Ces fonctions incluent celles qui sont manifestes ou explicites, et celles qui sont latentes ou non intentionnelles mais implicites (Bachrach, 1976). La pertinence toujours actuelle de ces deux types de fonctions exerce une influence importante sur le processus de fermeture des asiles et sur le développement des soins communautaires. Il s'ensuit des délais dans les fermetures d'asiles et une transinstitutionnalisation, ou transfert de certains patients depuis l'asile vers d'autres institutions, ce qui, en concentrant les dépenses dans les hôpitaux, étouffe le développement des soins communautaires.The aim of this article is to explain the current status of deinstitutionalisation and of community care development by studying the extent to which community care can or should take over the functions of the asylum. These functions include those that are manifest, or explicit, and those that are latent, or unintended but implicit (Bachrach 1976). The continuing relevance of both sets of functions is argued to be exerting a powerful influence on the processes of asylum closure and community care development. The results include delayed asylum closures and transinstitutionnalisation, the shift of some patients from asylums to other institutions, which stifle the development of community care by concentrating spending in hospitals

Communicative Breakdown in Conversation: Arguments for a Corpus-based Analysis

Scholars from various different disciplines have argued that the study of communicative breakdown in everyday verbal exchange provides valuable evidence of how human interactive endeavour is accomplished, since the nature of such accomplishment is not amenable to direct investigation. However, to our knowledge, there has been no systematic programme of research to consider the nature of this evidence nor indeed any attempt, other than on an ad hoc basis, to identify the structural criteria and types of interaction that can occur because of some failure to communicate successfully. By discussing what such a programme might involve with reference to the study of one particular type of breakdown, namely 'misunderstanding', this paper aims to illustrate the potentially rich contribution that a study of this kind can make in developing an appropriately evidenced analysis of communicative events in general

Is practice placement capacity helping the NHS to recruit healthcare professionals?

YesPractice placements are a fundamental aspect of preparing students for working in the NHS and will influence where, and in what specialities, students work. Additionally, NHS leaders now consider the issues of recruitment and retention of NHS staff to be as serious as concerns over funding. NHS Providers have outlined the issues although there appears to be little, or no, consideration in terms of plans required for the most immediate future workforce. It is hypothesised that there is link between student healthcare placement capacity and workforce gaps. The policy of increasing training places and of funding practice placements may have a positive effect on practice placement provision and if so contribute to increasing the NHS workforce, but without further detail this impact remains unknown. Along with most aspects of service delivery, planning practice placements using the best available evidence will ensure that the impact on service delivery is minimised while maximising the experience for the next generation of NHS employees

ACCESS TO STUDY SKILLS

The project aimed to provide some web-based and multiple format study skills resources for dyslexic students on distance learning courses. Research has shown that students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia prefer information to be presented in a multi-sensory way (Mortimore, 2003), and this project aimed to transfer text-based study skills leaflets into a series of Adobe Presenter presentations and podcasts that would be available on Blackboard and the University intranet. The presentations draw on colour, animation and voice to present the study skills information in a way that will appeal to a range of learning styles.It is hoped that these resources will be of particular benefit to dyslexic students who are studying at a distance and who might therefore struggle to attend one-to-one study skills sessions in the AccessAbility Centre. The resources may have a wider appeal to other groups of students who find it difficult to attend face-to-face meetings due to work or childcare commitments