How Often? Towards an Optimum Survey Interval for Mobile Seabeds

This paper offers practical guidelines for any review of survey periodicity for offshore locations. Beginning with a review of the data sources which the hydrographic surveyor is likely to have to hand, the paper proceeds to an extended example (South Sand Head). Turning from the particular to the general, a two-stage operation is suggested for any offshore area : (а) Investigation, using an historical series of hydrographic surveys as primary source, into changes occurring in the past — particularly during the recent past. Changes should be described in quantitative terms wherever possible. (б) An attempt should be made to understand the sedimentary mechanism causing the changes noted in (a) above. When both stages have been completed, the investigator will be ready to make his decision. Throughout, methods of graphical analysis are suggested

Disciplinary Differences in Student Ratings of Teaching Quality

Comparisons of large samples of course and teaching evaluation questionnaire data show consistent disciplinary differences. The current study examined the disciplinary differences in a theoretical model positing the impact of the perceived nature of teaching and learning environment on the development of generic capabilities by testing of (1) whether a common model of good teaching operated across disciplines and (2) the extent of deployment of teaching variables and their impact on learning outcomes. The sample consisted of 3,305 first and third year Chinese undergraduates of a university in Hong Kong, divided into four broad disciplinary groupings. Multiple-group structural equation modelling analysis showed configural invariance of the hypothesised model, suggesting a common model of good teaching across disciplines; and significant differences in the magnitude of structural paths and latent mean values across the four disciplinary groups were obtained reflecting differences between disciplines in the extent to which elements within the teaching and learning environment were brought into play. Possible reasons in terms of the epistemological nature of the disciplines were given to explain for the disciplinary variations. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Characterising a teaching and learning environment capable of motivating student learning

This study investigated facets of the teaching and learning environment which motivate student learning. Interviews were conducted with 36 students from nine representative undergraduate degree programs in Hong Kong. The interviewees were asked to describe teaching approaches and learning activities typical of their program. They were asked about the effect of these on their motivation. Analysis of the transcripts, using a grounded theory approach, revealed that motivation was enhanced through a teaching and learning environment with eight supportive conditions, namely, establishing relevance, establishing interest, allowing choice of courses, learning activities, teaching for understanding, assessment of learning activities, close teacher-student relationships and sense of belonging between classmates. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 01 Dec 201

Characterizing learning environments capable of nurturing generic capabilities in higher education

There has been wide recognition that today's graduates need the type of generic capabilities necessary for lifelong learning. However, the mechanism by which universities can develop these generic skills is not clearly established. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism for their development. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test a hypothesized model of capability development through a suitable learning environment with 1756 undergraduates at a university in Hong Kong. To triangulate against this model and more fully characterize the learning environment, focus group interviews were held with five to six students from three programs with good records of capability development. Analysis of the interview data resulted in a set of categories, describing a learning environment, which were consistent with the SEM model. The learning environment which seemed conducive to capability development aimed for understanding of key concepts through a variety of assessment methods and active engagement in learning activities. Teacher-student relationships were developed through interaction, feedback and assistance. The promotion of peer-student relationships led to a high degree of collaborative learning. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.postprin

Playing with time: Kate Bush’s temporal strategies and resistant time consciousness

This article focuses on two of Kate Bush’s post-Aerial (2005) albums: Director’s Cut (2011) and 50 Words for Snow (2011). In these albums Bush plays with the temporal qualities of recorded music to create the conditions for self-reflexive internal time consciousness to emerge within the listener. I argue that self-reflexive internal time consciousness is a process that enables a listener to gain some understanding that they are embroiled in an act of perception forged via active engagement with recorded music. Bush creates these conditions in two principle ways: In Director’s Cut she disturbs the memory of previous recorded versions that are re-visited on the album so they can be mobilised as new, interpretative-perceptive acts. In 50 Words for Snow she uses duration as a structure to support the construction of extensive perception. Bush plays with time on these albums because her conceptual music relies upon the uninterrupted unfolding of consciousness as it becomes interlaced with her recordings, understood in the Husserlian sense of temporal objects. Implicit to her temporal strategies is a critique of contemporary listening conditions and how they undermine the very forging of the perceptual ac

Understanding academics’ resistance towards (online) student evaluation

Many higher educational institutions and academic staff are still sceptical about the validity and reliability of student evaluation questionnaires, in particular when these evaluations are completed online. One month after a university-wide implementation from paper to online evaluation across 629 modules, (perceived) resistance and ambivalence amongst academic staff were unpacked. A mixed-method study was conducted amongst 104 academics using survey methods and follow-up semi-structured interviews. Despite a successful ‘technical’ transition (i.e. response rate of 60%, similar scores to previous evaluations), more than half of respondents reported a negative experience with this transition. The results indicate that the multidimensional nature of ambivalence towards change and the dual nature of student evaluations can influence the effectiveness of organisational transition processes