Enhancing first year management students’ engagement: an action research project to explore the use of the Essay Feedback Checklist (EFC)

Feedback represents one of the key factors that affect student learning. A question is raised here as to what extent engaging students with feedback and considering their voices as partners in the assessment process can improve their confidence and therefore their learning. The objective of this action research was to support the introduction of the Essay Feedback Checklist (EFC) to first year management students at a British University. This research examined the use of EFC as an interactive two-way communication tool between tutors and students. The research also aimed to help management students to be more aware of the assessment criteria thus to be more engaged in feedback. Data was collected from students and tutors before and after the use of the EFC in order to highlight their perspectives regarding the effective use of the tool. The research's findings argued that students found the EFC useful to support engagement with the feedback and in improving their confidence through receiving quality feedback to develop their work further. Tutors and students claimed that the EFC created an interactive environment in providing feedback and it helped to open a dialogue about it, but they also highlighted some drawbacks

Conformational risk factors of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs.

Extremely brachycephalic, or short-muzzled, dog breeds such as pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs are prone to the conformation-related respiratory disorder-brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Affected dogs present with a wide range of clinical signs from snoring and exercise intolerance, to life-threatening events such as syncope. In this study, conformational risk factors for BOAS that could potentially aid in breeding away from BOAS were sought. Six hundred and four pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs were included in the study. Soft tape measurements of the head and body were used and the inter-observer reproducibility was evaluated. Breed-specific models were developed to assess the associations between the conformational factors and BOAS status based on functional grading. The models were further validated by means of a BOAS index, which is an objective measurement of respiratory function using whole-body barometric plethysmography. The final models have good predictive power for discriminating BOAS (-) and BOAS (+) phenotypes indicated by the area under the curve values of >80% on the receiver operating curves. When other factors were controlled, stenotic nostrils were associated with BOAS in all three breeds; pugs and bulldogs with higher body condition scores (BCS) had a higher risk of developing BOAS. Among the standardized conformational measurements (i.e. craniofacial ratio (CFR), eye width ratio (EWR), skull index (SI), neck girth ratio (NGR), and neck length ratio (NLR)), for pugs EWR and SI, for French bulldogs NGR and NLR, and for bulldogs SI and NGR showed significant associations with BOAS status. However, the NGR in bulldogs was the only significant predictor that also had satisfactory inter-observer reproducibility. A NGR higher than 0.71 in male bulldogs was predictive of BOAS with approximately 70% sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, stenotic nostrils, BCS, and NGR were found to be valid, easily applicable predictors for BOAS (+)

The Ecology of Inclusive Education

Globally, student populations in government-run schools are becoming increasingly diverse (see Gonski, 2011; Rashid & Tikly, 2010; Voltz, Sims & Nelson, 2010). Simultaneously, students are being excluded from schools, or placed into segregated educational settings in increasing numbers. Both the social and economic costs of disengagement and exclusion from, and inequalities within, education systems have been well documented (see OECD, 2010; Snow & Powell, 2012; Wilkinson & Pickett, 2010). The causes of these issues are complex and many sit beyond the boundaries of the school fence. Despite this, governments place much of the responsibility for delivering an equitable education with schools (Wrigley, Thomson & Lingard, 2012). While this may, in many ways, seem an impossible task, “just because schools can’t do everything doesn’t mean they cannot achieve something” (Thomson, Lingard & Wrigley, 2012, p. 20). Thomson et al . (2012) maintain schools’ efforts towards equity can only be enacted through change reform , with an equitable redistribution of resources, and through recognition and valuing of difference. This task is challenging as schools work in tightly controlled education systems with high levels of accountability and expectations for continued improvement. However, the consequences of not providing an equitable education system are far reaching (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2010). So, the question no longer is should a quality education be provided to all, but rather, how this change reform can be enacted (Jackson, 2008).Joanna Anderson, Christopher Boyle, Joanne Deppele

基于环境参数模型的定电压MPPT控制算法研究

根据光伏电池模型和最大功率跟踪（MPPT）原理,提出了一种基于环境参数的最大功率工作点（MPP）电压模型,改进了固定电压跟踪法。该方法实现简单,可以快速稳定地找到MPP,解决了光伏电池跟踪效率和跟踪控制精度难以兼得的矛盾。实验证明,光伏电池环境参数模型演算合理,改进的固定电压跟踪法能快速准确地跟踪MPP,避免了扰动观察法带来的MPP附近振荡问题