EPORTFOLIO IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS. USING MAHARA TO ENHANCE REFLECTIVE LEARNING AND MOTIVATION

This paper aims to highlight how the use of a specific ePortfolio tool, Mahara, within a primary school has led students to a different perception of the subjects and the content of the lessons studied. Writings produced by 18 students during the last year of primary school will be investigated in order to show how the use of ePortfolios could support reflection and construction of a personal learning path in 11 years old students. In addition, this research will highlights how the use of ePortfolios could produce an improvement of learning through the stimulation of students\u2019 motivation. The analysis of the activities and comments shows how, starting from a partial reflective attitude, and from the perception of the single lesson as an isolated event, students learn to reflect on their learning pathways, generating views that try to grasp the meaning of the whole learning path and the relationship between their learning and the future development of their student career. Starting from a limited reflecting attitude through which students could only discuss their present time, the improvement of their reflective skills could support them to plan their future. Some features of the tool used, such as its friendly \u201clook and feel\u201d and its structure, similar to that of many social software, have acted as a powerful motivational factor in overcoming difficulties often associated with the use of ePortfolios

Nickel-Ruthenium mixed-metal carbonyl clusters. Syntheses and solid state structures of the two tetrahedral clusters [PPh4][NiRu3(\uf06d3-H)(CO)9(\uf06d-CO)3] and [NEt4]2[NiRu3(CO)9(\uf06d-CO)4].

Redox condensation of [Ru3H(CO)11]- with Ni(CO)4, in tetrahydrofuran solution, under a nitrogen atmosphere, yields the tetranuclear anion [NiRuH(CO)11)-. Subsequent deprotonation with Bu'OK in acetonitrile solution leads to the formation of the related dianion. Both anions have been characterized by spectroscopic techniques, elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. [PPh4][NiRu3H(CO)12] crystallizes in the triclinic space group PI with unit cell dimensionsof a = 11.842(2) \uc5, b = 12.335(3) \uc5, c = 13.3080) \uc5, a = 91.89(2)\ub0, \u3b2 = 93.35(1)\ub0,y = 96.41(2)\ub0, Z = 2, V= 1926.9(7) \uc5'. The NiRu3, metal core of the molecule defines a distorted tetrahedron with nine terminal and three edge bridging carbonyl groups. The hydrido ligand was located by difference Fourier techniques and was found to bridge the NiRu2 basal triangle at a distance of 0.88(6) A from this plane. Selected average distances and angles are: Ru-Ru = 2.839 \uc5, Ru-Ni = 2.640 \uc5, Ru-C, = 1.910 A,Ru-Cb = 2.084 \uc5, Ni-Cb = 2.022 \uc5, Ru-H = 1.77 \uc5, C-0, = 1.135 \uc5, C-Ob = 1.159 \uc5, M-C-O, = 176.3\ub0,M-C--Ob = 139.3\ub0;other distances are: Ni-C1 = l.758(7) \uc5, Ni-H= 1.85(7) \uc5. [NEt4]2[NiRu3(CO)12] crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (no. 62) with unit cell dimensions of a=20.247(5) \uc5, b = 15.038(4)\uc5, c = 12.079(3) \uc5, Z=4, V=3678(2) A'. The molecule contains a tetrahedral NiRu3 core with eight terminal and four edge bridging carbon monoxide groups which bridge the three Ni-Ru and one Ru-Ru bond. Average distances and angles are: Ru -Ru =2.3050A Ru-Ni 2.648 \uc5, Ru-Ct= 1.878 \uc5, Ru-Cb2.045 \uc5, Ni-Cb= 2.055 \uc5, C-Ot= 1.145 \uc5, C-01,=1.157 \uc5, M-C-O,= 176.9\ub0, M-C-Ob = 138.6\ub0; other distance is: Ni-Ct = 1.754(10) \uc5, t = terminal, b = bridging

Bimetallic Iron-Rhodium anionic carbonyl clusters [Fe2Rh(CO)x]- (x= 10 or 11), [FeRh4(CO)15]2-, [Fe2Rh4(CO)16]2- and [FeRh5(CO)16]-.

The syntheses and interconversions of mixed iron-rhodium carbonyl clusters are described; a combination of X-ray analysis and multinuclear n.m.r. measurements allowed the structural characterisation of [FeRh 4(CO)15]2-, [FeRh5(CO) 16]-, and [Fe2Rh4(CO) 16]2-, which can all be obtained from the unstable cluster, [Fe2Rh(CO)x]- (x = 10 or 11)