Saturn S-2 Automatic Software System /SASS/

SATURN S-2 Automatic Software System /SASS/ was designed and implemented to aid SATURN S-2 program development and to increase the overall operating efficiency within the S-2 data laboratory. This program is written in FORTRAN 2 for SDS 920 computers

Facilitating Institutional Curriculum Change in Higher Education

This paper discusses the strategies and processes used within one Higher Education institution to support curriculum design and, change the culture around this activity. The paper provides a brief discussion of two institution wide projects related to curriculum design that have been taking place over the last few years and have been used to support this area of development. The discussion will then identify some of the issues around terminology and barriers to staff engaging in curriculum design as well as processes that had been used by staff and then move to discussing the strategies used to support this activity. Throughout the paper there will also be reference to comments gained from peers during the workshop that took place at the Eighteenth International Conference on Learning in Mauritius in July 2011

Developing a community to disseminate good practice

This paper discusses the development, implementation and evaluation of a fellowship scheme to create a community of practice for enhancing learning and teaching set up in February 2010. The decision to use a community of practice approach is outlined along with how the initial scheme and members were chosen. There is then some discussion of a survey undertaken with the first group of fellows and how they would like the scheme to operate, what they feel they have to offer and what they would like to gain from the scheme. There is discussion of the activities undertaken to date and some of those proposed for the future. Further evaluation of the scheme is proposed at the end of the first year with both existing and new fellows

Fourier-Hermite spectral representation for the Vlasov-Poisson system in the weakly collisional limit

We study Landau damping in the 1+1D Vlasov-Poisson system using a Fourier-Hermite spectral representation. We describe the propagation of free energy in phase space using forwards and backwards propagating Hermite modes recently developed for gyrokinetics [Schekochihin et al. (2014)]. The change in the electric field corresponds to the net Hermite flux via a free energy evolution equation. In linear Landau damping, decay in the electric field corresponds to forward propagating Hermite modes; in nonlinear damping, the initial decay is followed by a growth phase characterised by the generation of backwards propagating Hermite modes by the nonlinear term. The free energy content of the backwards propagating modes increases exponentially until balancing that of the forward propagating modes. Thereafter there is no systematic net Hermite flux, so the electric field cannot decay and the nonlinearity effectively suppresses Landau damping. These simulations are performed using the fully-spectral 5D gyrokinetics code SpectroGK [Parker et al. 2014], modified to solve the 1+1D Vlasov-Poisson system. This captures Landau damping via an iterated L\'enard-Bernstein collision operator or via Hou-Li filtering in velocity space. Therefore the code is applicable even in regimes where phase-mixing and filamentation are dominant.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figure

On the frequency of planetary systems around G-dwarfs

We determine the fraction of G-dwarf stars that could host stable planetary systems based on the observed properties of binaries in the Galactic field, and in various postulated primordial binary populations, which assume that the primordial binary fraction is higher than that in the field. We first consider the frequency of Solar System analogues - planetary systems that form either around a single G-dwarf star, or a binary containing a G-dwarf where the binary separation exceeds 100-300au. If the primordial binary fraction and period distribution is similar to that in the field, then up to 63 per cent of G-dwarf systems could potentially host a Solar System analogue. However, if the primordial binary fraction is higher, the fraction of G-dwarf systems that could host a planetary system like our own is lowered to 38 per cent. We extend our analysis to consider the fraction of G-dwarf systems (both single and binary) that can host either circumprimary planets (orbiting the primary star of the binary) or circumbinary planets (orbiting both stars in the binary) for fiducial planetary separations between 1 - 100au. Depending on the assumed binary population, in the circumprimary case between 65 and 95 per cent of systems can host a planet at 1au, decreasing to between 20 and 65 per cent of systems that can host a planet at 100au. In the circumbinary case, between 5 and 59 per cent of systems can host a planet at 1au, increasing to between 34 and 75 per cent of systems that can host a planet at 100au. Our results suggest that the assumed binary fraction is the key parameter in determining the fraction of potentially stable planetary systems in G-dwarf systems and that using the present-day value may lead to significant overestimates if the binary fraction was initially higher.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Reflexive Learning and Performative Failure

In this paper we emphasize the importance of context for student learning. Based on reflective logs and interview data, we explore how students learn outside of the classroom as they undertake an experiential dissertation project. We identify three different forms of reflexive learning and critique, all triggered by some form of performative failure; scholarly critique, engaged critique and engaged action. Drawing on Butler’s theory of performativity we illustrate how reflexivity is not purely the action of any individual student, rather it is a practice that is co-created within a certain context. As such, we contest individualistic understandings of reflexivity and encourage a careful consideration of the places students and managers are encouraged to be reflexive

Lessons in curriculum design and institutional change

Curriculum design and development can be undertaken either as a small or larger scale activity but is often within one or two faculty or school areas. Two projects that the presenters are involved in have been institution wide activities. This has meant that the scale of the projects is large but also diverse and leading to the need for change of both practice and culture. One of the projects which is funded by JISC on curriculum design has been focused on exploring the values and principles staff use when developing their curriculum and the models or frameworks used to support the development. This has been to identify if there are several approaches used within the institution or some key areas that all use. There has also been a desire to explore how staff would like this process to be undertaken and what support could be provided. The other project has been to undertake a review of our virtual learning environment and using stakeholder views and requirements introduce a new strategic learning environment (SLE). The project has then examined the development of using this SLE over the first year and through pilots has looked at how staff have found this change and what support they have required. Through both these projects there has been some pitfalls, challenges and opportunities which the presenters believe can provide some lessons for others. Some of pitfalls, challenges and opportunities were expected but others could not have been predicted. Sharing these lessons will enable some tips to be given on how to avoid some of the issues that occurred for us. During the presentation there will be an opportunity for the audience to consider how the lessons and tips may be useful to them but also to ask us questions

Providing written feedback that students will value and read

This article outlines a study undertaken at City University London, involving 51 teaching staff (lecturers or other colleagues with a teaching or facilitation role at the University), who were all undertaking a staff-development module focused on learning, teaching and assessment issues (entitled Learning, Teaching and Assessment). Although all participants of the study were staff, they are referred to as students, as they were students of this module. The study examined whether, having undertaken a module which addressed assessment and provision of good quality feedback, these students applied the advice they received into practice when asked to self-assess and provide feedback on an essay they wrote for the module. Data for the study was collected from analysing the aforementioned self-assessment which students provided for themselves. The findings demonstrated that most had some retention of good practice principles from the day, such as providing feedback that related to the criteria, giving positive comments and outlining areas to develop. However, they provided noticeably less advice on how to develop their assessments according to the different criteria, and, despite being advised to write comments in the second person, many wrote their self-feedback as if it were for a third party. Recommendations from this study include: that there needs to be further consideration of how to emphasise the importance of writing feedback in a personalised style; and that there is a need to ensure that sufficient advice is given to students on how to develop their future assessments

Model checking probabilistic and stochastic extensions of the pi-calculus

We present an implementation of model checking for probabilistic and stochastic extensions of the pi-calculus, a process algebra which supports modelling of concurrency and mobility. Formal verification techniques for such extensions have clear applications in several domains, including mobile ad-hoc network protocols, probabilistic security protocols and biological pathways. Despite this, no implementation of automated verification exists. Building upon the pi-calculus model checker MMC, we first show an automated procedure for constructing the underlying semantic model of a probabilistic or stochastic pi-calculus process. This can then be verified using existing probabilistic model checkers such as PRISM. Secondly, we demonstrate how for processes of a specific structure a more efficient, compositional approach is applicable, which uses our extension of MMC on each parallel component of the system and then translates the results into a high-level modular description for the PRISM tool. The feasibility of our techniques is demonstrated through a number of case studies from the pi-calculus literature

The role of forensic geoscience in wildlife crime detection

The increase in both automation and precision in the analysis of geological materials has had significant impact upon forensic investigations in the last 10 years. There is however, a fundamental philosophical difference between forensic and geological enquiry. This paper presents the results of forensic geoscientific investigations of three cases of wildlife crime. Two cases involve the analysis of soils recovered after incidents of illegal badger baiting in the United Kingdom. The third case involves the illegal importation of Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae) into the United Kingdom from the Mediterranean. All three cases utilise the analysis of soils by a variety of physical, chemical and biological techniques. These involve mineral and grain size analyses, cation and anion compositions, pH, organic content and pollen analysis.The independent analysis undertaken by specialists in each of these three main fields conclude firstly, that there is a significant similarity between sediments taken at the crime site at both badger setts and with sediments recovered from various spades, shovels and clothing belonging to suspects and secondly, that the soils analysed associated with the removal of the falcon eggs in the Mediterranean contained characteristics similar in many respects to the soils of the breeding areas of E eleonorae on the cliffs of Mallorca. The use of these independent techniques in wildlife crime detection has great potential given the ubiquitous nature of soils and sediments found in association with wildlife sites. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved