Contemporary debates on institutions: governance, governmentality and power

Institutions, at state and local level, have been perceived as a mechanism of supporting the vulnerable within society. The processes of globalisation within an economic, political and social context have played a fundamental role in institutions. The 'State' that administers institutions has experienced involvement and adjustment by central government's policy of privatisation and deregulation. The aim of this paper is to critically explore the current debates on institutions within British society. We frame the debates within Foucault's notion of 'governmentality', which highlights how government provides governance of 'action at a distance' in order to detract blame from government and its policies and place this blame onto individuals and communities themselves (1978, p. 33)

On Demand: Exploring the Potential of Electronic Feedback on Assessment Performance

This paper presents the findings from an evaluatory pedagogical project that utilised an ethnographic case study approach to examine factors influencing the use of online formative assessment and feedback within an undergraduate programme. The project posed the questions: • What are the effects of introducing online formative assessment and feedback on learning and assessment performance? • How effective is online formative feedback in enhancing student success? The study draws upon data collected from a sample of students (22) who volunteered to participate in the research over a period of one academic year. Data collection tools included: focus group interview, semi-structured questionnaire and student assessment data. The study demonstrates that formative feedback and assessment is beneficial for teaching and learning, and that electronic assessment can offer a more flexible approach that can complement f2f feedback. Online formative feedback in the context of this study had a positive effect upon academic performance and student satisfaction, and demonstrates that students find online formative feedback effective and meaningful. Whilst the small size of the sample influences generalizability, the findings agree with the wealth of literature surrounding formative assessment and the benefits that accrue to students from delivering effective feedback. In addition, evidence from participants in this study is reflected in reports such as the JISC guide: “Effective Assessment in a Digital Age” (2010) and the findings from the EBEAM Project (2012) (Ellis, 201

Self-determined approach to learning: A social science perspective

Over recent years the higher education sector has been encouraged to find different, effective and flexible ways of teaching. This enthusiasm is apparent more than ever before, as the current British Conservative government have produced a white paper on the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The Teaching Excellence Framework intends to measure and improve the quality of teaching and learning within the higher education sector. With this proposed framework being introduced, universities will have to think of new ways of teaching and learning. This paper examines the pedagogical approach to self-determined learning within the dynamic of the tutor and the learner. In the paper, the authors argue for a fundamental rethink of how students learn in the higher education sector. Moreover, the authors call for a greater emphasis on a self-determined approach to learning and the integration of heutagogy, as this approach challenges the pedagogical approach to teaching and learning

Photoreflectance and surface photovoltage spectroscopy of beryllium-doped GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum wells

We present an optical study of beryllium delta-doped GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum well (QW) structures designed for sensing terahertz (THz) radiation. Photoreflectance (PR), surface photovoltage (SPV), and wavelength-modulated differential surface photovoltage (DSPV) spectra were measured in the structures with QW widths ranging from 3 to 20 nm and doping densities from 2×10(10) to 5×10(12) cm(–2) at room temperature. The PR spectra displayed Franz-Keldysh oscillations which enabled an estimation of the electric-field strength of ~20 kV/cm at the sample surface. By analyzing the SPV spectra we have determined that a buried interface rather than the sample surface mainly governs the SPV effect. The DSPV spectra revealed sharp features associated with excitonic interband transitions which energies were found to be in a good agreement with those calculated including the nonparabolicity of the energy bands. The dependence of the exciton linewidth broadening on the well width and the quantum index has shown that an average half monolayer well width fluctuations is mostly predominant broadening mechanism for QWs thinner than 10 nm. The line broadening in lightly doped QWs, thicker than 10 nm, was found to arise from thermal broadening with the contribution from Stark broadening due to random electric fields of the ionized impurities in the structures. We finally consider the possible influence of strong internal electric fields, QW imperfections, and doping level on the operation of THz sensors fabricated using the studied structures. © 2005 American Institute of Physic

Pressure coefficients of Raman modes of carbon nanotubes resolved by chirality: Environmental effect on graphene sheet

Studies of the mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes are hindered by the availability only of ensembles of tubes with a range of diameters. Tunable Raman excitation spectroscopy picks out identifiable tubes. Under high pressure, the radial breathing mode shows a strong environmental effect shown here to be largely independent of the nature of the environment . For the G-mode, the pressure coefficient varies with diameter consistent with the thick-wall tube model. However, results show an unexpectedly strong environmental effect on the pressure coefficients. Reappraisal of data for graphene and graphite gives the G-mode Grueuneisen parameter gamma = 1.34 and the shear deformation parameter beta = 1.34.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review

Promoting good academic practice through the curriculum and project work

This paper outlines a University wide initiative introduced at City University London, the underlying aim of which is to develop good academic practice skills amongst students and discourage them from undertaking plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct. The initiative is organised under three projects, which are being undertaken by a set of eight Educational Development Associates (EDAs) - existing academics acting as ‘change agents’ within their Schools. The paper focuses on the first project that EDAs undertook, that being the Learning Activity Project. This involved EDAs working with staff within their Schools to develop new, formative, programme-specific learning activities, to be undertaken by all students in the first term of their studies, and with the aim of providing students with practice in the study skills that they need to demonstrate in subsequent assessments of that programme. After reviewing relevant literature on academic conduct issues, the main body of the paper provides three case studies, each of which details the development of a learning activity in one of the Schools of the University. These learning activities share a common element, in that they are all delivered using a piece of software called OLIVIA. However, for purposes of this paper, each case study details specific aspects of the relevant learning activity, such that readers are provided with a broad perspective of the experiences of implementation of the project through the lenses of different Schools. The last section of the paper details the evaluative mechanism that is being used for the initiative as a whole

Raman excitation spectroscopy of carbon nanotubes: effects of pressure medium and pressure

Raman excitation and emission spectra for the radial breathing mode (RBM) are reported, together with a preliminary analysis. From the position of the peaks on the two-dimensional plot of excitation resonance energy against Raman shift, the chiral indices (m, n) for each peak are identified. Peaks shift from their positions in air when different pressure media are added - water, hexane, sulphuric acid - and when the nanotubes are unbundled in water with surfactant and sonication. The shift is about 2 - 3 cm-1 in RBM frequency, but unexpectedly large in resonance energy, being spread over up to 100meV for a given peak. This contrasts with the effect of pressure. The shift of the peaks of semiconducting nanotubes in water under pressure is orthogonal to the shift from air to water. This permits the separation of the effects of the pressure medium and the pressure, and will enable the true pressure coefficients of the RBM and the other Raman peaks for each (m, n) to be established unambiguously.Comment: 6 pages, 3 Figures, Proceedings of EHPRG 2011 (Paris

Recognizing and managing a malignant hyperthermia crisis: guidelines from the European Malignant Hyperthermia Group

Survival from a malignant hyperthermia (MH) crisis is highly dependent on early recognition and prompt action. MH crises are very rare and an increasing use of total i.v. anaesthesia is likely to make it even rarer, leading to the potential risk of reduced awareness of MH. In addition, dantrolene, the cornerstone of successful MH treatment, is unavailable in large areas around the world thereby increasing the risk of MH fatalities in these areas. The European Malignant Hyperthermia Group collected and reviewed all guidelines available from the various MH centres in order to provide a consensus document. The guidelines consist of two textboxes: Box 1 on recognizing MH and Box 2 on the treatment of an MH crisi