Curriculum and Assessment : A Question of Politics?

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) has been subject to ongoing modifications since its full introduction in 1992. These changes were largely driven by vocal opponents of this educational reform. In this paper we give voice to teachers charged with implementing the curriculum and assessment directives of the VCE. Specifically, we draw on the experiences of close to 500 senior mathematics teachers – through interview and survey data - to consider the impact on them of the evolution of the VCE

Gender norms and relations in an agricultural watershed project in the Parasai-Sindh Watershed, Jhansi/India

Agricultural watershed projects require intertwined technical and social interventions, and accompanying research should aim at blending technical and social sciences (Douthwaite et al. 2001). CGIAR research programs have been designed by centers and partners with such an approach since their first phase from 2010 to 2016; and also in their second phase, 2017 to 2022, this interdisciplinary approach represents their conditions of existence. As many studies have demonstrated, the success of agricultural intervention projects depends on the degree of participatory approach and gendersensitivity in each project stage: planning, design, implementation and monitoring (Leder et al. 2017; Quisumbing et al. 2014). Hence, any intervention project should develop mechanisms trying to avoid the reproduction of gender relations and the exclusion of diverse local knowledge at the community level. Instead, a holistic approach to empower communities with its diverse members should be developed and adjusted continuously. While “participatory” has become a buzzword, it is necessary to demystify respective project stakeholders’ assumptions. As Cleaver (1998: 293) argues, “sectorial bias, instrumental approaches to participation, and an inadequate understanding of social context (...) detract from a truly gendered understanding of water resource management“. Hence it is the role of any intervening organization to understand diverse water needs, and to identify who accesses water and who controls water access. Women are traditionally associated with the domestic use of water, while men are linked to the productive uses of water, whereas several studies have found this division inadequate and far more complex, particularly in the context of primarily male out-migration and the so-called feminization of agriculture. In their study on agrobiodiversity management in Nepals Himalaya, Bhattarai et al. (2015: 129) found that women’s lack of power can be “reinforced by the development organizations’ acceptance of established gender roles that privileges men with new products associated with cash”

Fermion loop simulation of the lattice Gross-Neveu model

We present a numerical simulation of the Gross-Neveu model on the lattice using a new representation in terms of fermion loops. In the loop representation all signs due to Pauli statistics are eliminated completely and the partition function is a sum over closed loops with only positive weights. We demonstrate that the new formulation allows to simulate volumes which are two orders of magnitude larger than those accessible with standard methods

Energy justice in slum rehabilitation housing: An empirical exploration of built environment effects on socio-cultural energy demand

The interaction of energy and buildings institutes a complex socio-technical system that influences the eudemonic well-being of the occupants. Understanding these drivers become even more necessary in impoverished areas where occupants struggle to avail essential energy services. The literature indicates that energy injustice can be addressed through provisioning of comfort, cleanliness, and convenience (3Cs) as critical cultural energy services in low-income areas. This study investigates the socio-architectural influence for slum rehabilitation housing (SRH) on cultural energy services that can promote distributive justice. The methodology adopts an empirical route using data from 200 household surveys from SRH in Mumbai, India, and João Pessoa, Brazil. A model between the 3Cs and socio-architectural elements was established using Firth’s binary logistic regression. The survey results showed that the SRH in Brazil had twice the appliance ownership as compared to the Mumbai SRH. There were distinct energy service preferences in the study areas, despite common poverty burdens. The empirical results showed that the lack of socio-architectural design elements like open spaces, privacy, and walkability in the study areas demanded specific comfort and convenience appliances as a counter-response. A critical policy implication drawn was on the need for socio-architectural inclusive energy planning for distributive justice in poverty. Mitigating rising energy demand through appropriate built environment design of slum rehabilitation housing can contribute to fulfilling the UN’s SDG 7 (clean and affordable energy) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities) goals.</jats:p

Better Jet Clustering Algorithms

We investigate modifications to the $k_\perp$-clustering jet algorithm which preserve the advantages of the original Durham algorithm while reducing non-perturbative corrections and providing better resolution of jet substructure. We find that a simple change in the sequence of clustering (combining smaller-angle pairs first), together with the `freezing' of soft resolved jets, has beneficial effects.Comment: 32 pages, 16 figures, LaTeX2e, uses JHEP.cls (included). Version to be published in JHEP: reference to LUCLUS algorithm added. Program available at http://www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk/theory/webber/camjet

Linear and nonlinear optical characteristics of the Falicov-Kimball model

We calculate the linear and nonlinear optical properties of the Falicov-Kimball model for a mixed-valent system within the self-consistent mean-field approximation. Second-harmonic generation can only occur if the mixed-valent state has a built-in coherence between the itinerant d-electrons and the localized f-holes. By contrast, second-harmonic generation cannot occur for solutions of the model with f-site occupation as a good quantum number. As an experimental test of coherence in mixed-valent compounds we propose a measurement of the dynamic second-order susceptibility.Comment: 4 pages, 2 PostScript figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter

Ferromagnetism in the Periodic Anderson Model - a Modified Alloy Analogy

We introduce a new aproximation scheme for the periodic Anderson model (PAM). The modified alloy approximation represents an optimum alloy approximation for the strong coupling limit, which can be solved within the CPA-formalism. Zero-temperature and finite-temperature phase diagrams are presented for the PAM in the intermediate-valence regime. The diversity of magnetic properties accessible by variation of the system parameters can be studied by means of quasiparticle densities of states: The conduction band couples either ferro- or antiferromagneticaly to the f-levels. A finite hybridization is a necessary precondition for ferromagnetism. However, too strong hybridization generally suppresses ferromagnetism, but can for certain system parameters also lead to a semi-metallic state with unusual magnetic properties. By comparing with the spectral density approximation, the influence of quasiparticle damping can be examined.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figure