660 research outputs found
Preliminary Canopy Removal Experiments in Algal Dominated Communities Low on the Shore and in the Shallow Subtidal on the Isle of Man
The algal dominated communities immediately above and below the low-water spring level on a moderately exposed Manx shore were investigated by canopy removal experiments. Fucus serratus, Laminaria digitata and L. hyperborea were removed. Competition was shown to be important in determining the zonation of L. digitata and the distribution along the wave exposure gradient of other species such as Alaria esculenta, Desmarestia aculeata and D. viridis, and L. saccharina. Many species of algal epiphytes were early colonizers of canopy removal areas suggesting that competition from canopy algae usually restricts them to an epiphytic habit. The results indicate that interactions between macrophytes are much more important than grazing in structuring these communities
Becoming a teacher: conceptual and practice development in the learning and skills sector
Drawing on a mixed-methods study of in-service learning and skills sector (LSS) trainees, comprising beginning- and end-of-year surveys and six longitudinal case studies together with literature on traineesâ development in the LSS, schools and higher education sectors, conceptual and practice development continua are proposed. Conceptions become more multi-dimensional and increasingly link teaching and learning whilst initial concern with the practicalities of teaching is followed by recognition of learnersâ needs. Next, greater emphasis is placed on learner autonomy and catering for individualsâ needs and finally assessment and evaluation is used systematically to shape practice. The continua offer an understanding of the subtleties and complexities of trainee development allowing
for different starting and end points and accommodating varied work contexts. I argue that this provides a more adequate basis for the development of initial teacher education (ITE) than the prescriptive approach embedded within recent LSS ITE policy reforms
In-service Initial Teacher Education in the Learning and Skills Sector in England: Integrating Course and Workplace Learning
The aim of the paper is to advance understanding of in-service learning and skills sector trainee teachersâ learning and propose ways of improving their learning. A conceptual framework is developed by extending Billettâs (International Journal of Educational Research 47:232â240, 2008) conceptualisation of workplace learning, as a relationally interdependent process between the opportunities workplaces afford for activities and interactions and how individuals engage with these, to a third base of participation, the affordances of the initial teacher education course. Hager and Hodkinsonâs (British Educational Research Journal 35:619â638, 2009) metaphor of âlearning as becomingâ is used to conceptualise the ways trainees reconstruct learning in a continuous transactional process of boundary crossing between course and workplace. The findings of six longitudinal case studies of traineesâ development, and evidence from other studies, illustrate the complex interrelationships between LSS workplace affordances, course affordances and trainee characteristics and the ways in which trainees reconstruct learning in each setting. The experience of teaching and interacting with learners, interactions with colleagues, and access to workplace resources and training are important workplace affordances for learning. However, some trainees have limited access to these affordances. Teaching observations, course activities and experiences as a learner are significant course affordances. Traineesâ beliefs, prior experiences and dispositions vary and significantly influence their engagement with course and workplace affordances. It is proposed that better integration of course and workplace learning through guided participation in an intentional workplace curriculum and attention to the ways trainees choose to engage with this, together with the use of practical theorising has the potential to improve trainee learning
Evaluations of land cover risk factors for canine leptospirosis: 94 cases (2002â2009)
Associations of land cover/land use variables and the presence of dogs in urban vs. rural address locations were evaluated retrospectively as potential risk factors for canine leptospirosis in Kansas and Nebraska using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The sample included 94 dogs positive for leptospirosis predominantly based on a positive polymerase chain reaction test for leptospires in urine, isolation of leptospires on urine culture, a single reciprocal serum titer of 12,800 or greater, or a four-fold rise in reciprocal serum titers over a 2â4 weeks period; and 185 dogs negative for leptospirosis based on a negative polymerase chain reaction test and reciprocal serum titers less than 400. Land cover features from 2001 National Land Cover Dataset and 2001 Kansas Gap Analysis Program datasets around geocoded addresses of case/control locations were extracted using 2500 m buffers, and the presence of dogsâ address locations within urban vs. rural areas were estimated in GIS. Multivariate logistic models were used to determine the risk of different land cover
variables and address locations to dogs. Medium intensity urban areas (OR = 1.805, 95%
C.I. = 1.396, 2.334), urban areas in general (OR = 2.021, 95% C.I. = 1.360, 3.003), and having urban address locations (OR = 3.732, 95% C.I. = 1.935, 7.196 entire study region), were significant risk factors for canine leptospirosis. Dogs regardless of age, sex and breed that live in urban areas are at higher risk of leptospirosis and vaccination should be considered
Sodium and Potassium Ion Selective Conjugated Polymers for Optical Ion Detection in Solution and Solid State
EPSRC. Grant Number: EP/G037515/1; EC FP7 Project SC2. Grant Number: 610115; EC FP7 Project ArtESun. Grant Number: 604397; EC FP7 POLYMED. Grant Number: 61253
Didactical use of a remote lab: a qualitative reflection of a teacher
This work describes the teacher reflections about a didactical
implementation using a remote laboratory and their impact on his
practice. These reflections are analyzed from three different
perspectives: how the literature review influenced the design of
the didactical implementation (namely the first); how his
reflection upon his practice influenced its modifications; how his
research activity impacted and affected his teaching practices in
the subsequent implementations and guided the modifications
made. The remote lab was introduced in a Physics Course in an
Engineering degree and was intended to be a learning space where
students had the opportunity to practice before the lab class,
supporting the development of experimental competences,
fundamental in an engineer profile. After the first implementation
in 2016/17 academic year it has undergone two subsequent
editions with adjustments and modifications.
Some features previously reported in literature such as: teacherâs
experience with VISIR, the importance of an introductory activity
and defining VISIR tasks objectives, were corroborated by the
teacher during his practice and research. Others, such as the
difficulty some students have in understanding the difference
between simulation and remote labs appeared directly from his
practice and were pursued in his research in order to deeply
understand its implications
To grade or not to grade: balancing formative and summative assessment in post-16 teacher trainee observations
The issue of whether trainee teachers in the post-16 sector should have their classroom practice graded has been debated for a number of years. The case for training courses retaining an emphasis on written and verbal âdevelopmentalâ feedback at the expense of âjudgementsâ appears to be lost. This article is set within the context of an ever-growing culture of performativity in English further education colleges, where grading is regarded as an essential requirement to ensure high quality teaching. Tensions are explored between stakeholders who call for graded observations of traineesâ classroom performance (e.g. Ofsted and FEC quality assurance managers), and classroom-based trainers and researchers who argue that grading is too judgemental and compromises the formative and developmental progress of trainees. The rationale for trainee teachers to have their classroom practice graded is contrasted with evidence that highlights the negative results of grading. This article reports findings from the evaluation of an innovative, alternative strategy that addresses Ofstedâs central requirement for trainees to know âwhere they areâ in their development by offering a middle way between grading and not grading traineesâ classroom performance
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