Changing the role of tutors in distance education with information and communication technologies

The Open University plans to make more extensive use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for distance teaching and learning and for administrative contacts between students, tutors and the University's headquarters. This paper reports on a survey of the Tuition and Counselling (TAC) staff, most of whom work only part‐time for the OU. It established the extent to which TAC staff currently have access to and familiarity with ICTs and their perceived needs for training and other forms of support for its effective use. The paper discusses the possible impact on TAC staff of the greater use of new technologies in their OU work, and the organisational and pedagogic changes that may ensue

Embedding accessibility and usability: considerations for e-learning research and development projects

This paper makes the case that if e‐learning research and development projects are to be successfully adopted in real‐world teaching and learning contexts, then they must effectively address accessibility and usability issues; and that these need to be integrated throughout the project. As such, accessibility and usability issues need to be made explicit in project documentation, along with allocation of appropriate resources and time. We argue that accessibility and usability are intrinsically inter‐linked. An integrated accessibility and usability evaluation methodology that we have developed is presented and discussed. The paper draws on a series of mini‐case studies from e‐learning projects undertaken over the past 10 years at the Open University

Use of the R-group descriptor for alignment-free QSAR

An R-group descriptor characterises the distribution of some atom-based property, such as elemental type or partial atomic charge, at increasing numbers of bonds distant from the point of substitution on a parent ring system. Application of Partial Least Squares (PLS) to datasets for which bioactivity data and R-group descriptor information are available is shown to provide an effective way of generating QSAR models with a high level of predictive ability. The resulting models are competitive with the models produced by established QSAR approaches, are readily interpretable in structural terms, and are shown to be of value in the optimisation of a lead series

Financial performance studies of University Spin-Off companies (USOs) in the West Midlands

Doubts remain over the true success of USOs in the UK, particularly those created outside the elite research universities. This thesis examines the financial performance of USOs generated from universities with a range of research intensities from a single region, the West Midlands, and considers whether observations can be rationalised using the frameworks of signalling and agency theories. While some results are in line with the expectations of the frameworks, others are not and demonstrate the complexity in attempting to explain the data, and the need to consider wider data sets and more explanatory factors. Universities with a strong research pedigree generated the most USOs in line with the theoretical frameworks, with the Russell Group universities dominant in the region. The data relating to survival of USOs is more difficult to rationalise and leads to a tentative conclusion that this is not a useful performance metric. External funding appears to be in line with prior studies e.g. Shane (2004) and the theoretical frameworks in that the total funding obtained by a university is positively correlated to its research strength, although the Russell Group member Warwick shows an exceptionally high level of funding obtained. Finally, the data on exits demonstrates the inability of all universities across the region to generate financially successful exits. In fact, the only financially successful exit was by a USO that had no external funding, demonstrating a lack of commercialisable technology created across the region

Financial performance studies of University Spin-Off companies (USOs) in the West Midlands

Doubts remain over the true success of USOs in the UK, particularly those created outside the elite research universities. This thesis examines the financial performance of USOs generated from universities with a range of research intensities from a single region, the West Midlands, and considers whether observations can be rationalised using the frameworks of signalling and agency theories. While some results are in line with the expectations of the frameworks, others are not and demonstrate the complexity in attempting to explain the data, and the need to consider wider data sets and more explanatory factors. Universities with a strong research pedigree generated the most USOs in line with the theoretical frameworks, with the Russell Group universities dominant in the region. The data relating to survival of USOs is more difficult to rationalise and leads to a tentative conclusion that this is not a useful performance metric. External funding appears to be in line with prior studies e.g. Shane (2004) and the theoretical frameworks in that the total funding obtained by a university is positively correlated to its research strength, although the Russell Group member Warwick shows an exceptionally high level of funding obtained. Finally, the data on exits demonstrates the inability of all universities across the region to generate financially successful exits. In fact, the only financially successful exit was by a USO that had no external funding, demonstrating a lack of commercialisable technology created across the region