A calculated risk

Report of a CELT project on supporting students through innovation and researc

How green in our library?

An environment group has had a presence within Leeds Met Libraries since December 2004. Initially the group chose to look at simple things which could have a positive impact on how we use resources in the workplace. We introduced recycling bins for plastic cups and cans in the staff tearooms, provided dispensers for plastic carrier bags near the self-service machines and arranged training hours for library staff to learn more about environmental issues and to look at their carbon footprint. In May 2006, the group decided to continue their work via an e-mail discussion forum where any issues of environmental concern were raised, with dedicated members of the group continuing to action if appropriate. We found that as time went on, there was an increased interest in environmental matters, so much so that in April 2009 the group reformed, with a new membership and a new title of Green Initiatives Group. The remit of the group is: - To raise awareness of and promote green issues amongst library staff. - To exchange best practice in the university and in the Higher Education library sector. - To build relationships with other ethical organisations working in the Leeds area. One of our aims is to be aware of initiatives taking place in the wider university and to be able to communicate relevant information to library staff about what the university is involved in environmentally. Below is a brief outline of what we have achieved as a group and current projects we are working on

Open textbooks - an untapped opportunity for universities, schools and colleges

The pilot phase of the UK Open Textbook project reached completion in April 2018. This article discusses the project, what open textbooks are, and why they are an untapped opportunity for universities, colleges and schools. The North American models of open textbook creation and uptake (adoption) are designed to help reduce university student financial worries and enhance learning opportunities, and provide much-needed resources for schools (or the K12 system in the US and Canada). The ability to repurpose books leads to innovative and engaging pedagogies including students as co-authors. Yet in the UK, the level of discussion and awareness of the opportunities afforded by open textbooks, and the existence of a small number of UK initiatives, is poor. The aim of the UK Open Textbook project was to raise awareness and host activities to encourage the adoption of open textbooks. The results of the project are discussed, along with the policy, cultural and practice changes required to scale up these approaches. Why should our learners miss out

Feature-based and Model-based Semantics for English, French and German Verb Phrases

This paper considers the relative merits of using features and formal event models to characterise the semantics of English, French and German verb phrases, and con- siders the application of such semantics in machine translation. The feature-based ap- proach represents the semantics in terms of feature systems, which have been widely used in computational linguistics for representing complex syntactic structures. The paper shows how a simple intuitive semantics of verb phrases may be encoded as a feature system, and how this can be used to support modular construction of au- tomatic translation systems through feature look-up tables. This is illustrated by automated translation of English into either French or German. The paper contin- ues to formalise the feature-based approach via a model-based, Montague semantics, which extends previous work on the semantics of English verb phrases. In so doing, repercussions of and to this framework in conducting a contrastive semantic study are considered. The model-based approach also promises to provide support for a more sophisticated approach to translation through logical proof; the paper indicates further work required for the fulfilment of this promise

Using the technology of the confessional as an analytical resource: four analytical stances towards research interviews in discourse analysis

Among the various approaches that have developed from FOUCAULT's work is an Anglophone discourse analysis that has attempted to combine Foucaultian insights with the techniques of Conversation Analysis. An important current methodological issue in this discourse analytical approach is its theoretical preference for "naturally occurring" rather than research interview data. A Foucaultian perspective on the interview as a research instrument, questions the idea of "naturally-occurring discourse". The "technology of the confessional" operates, not only within research interviews, but permeates other interactions as well. Drawing on FOUCAULT does not dismiss the problems of the interview as research instrument rather it shows they cannot be escaped by simply switching to more "natural" interactions. Combining these insights with recent developments within discourse analysis can provide analytical resources for, rather than barriers to, the discourse analysis of research interviews. To aid such an approach, we develop a four-way categorisation of analytical stances towards the research interview in discourse analysis. A demonstration of how a research interview might be subjected to a discourse analysis using elements of this approach is then provided

Preference for Plants in an Office Environment

Plants in the workplace are known to bring a number of benefits including psychological as well as aesthetic and air quality benefits. Therefore, plants can have an impact on overall organisational performance. However, findings of previous studies have rarely been applied in the FM context and yet strategic FM delivery in improving workplace productivity is essential for business survival. The paper explores the importance of interior plants in maintaining the physical and psychological well-being of office occupants utilising a survey of participants’ perceptions of photographs of an office with various levels of planting installed from no plants up to very high levels of planting. The paper provides preliminary results of a longer programme of research into the benefits of plants within the FM context. The work demonstrates that a reasonable level of interior planting in offices is preferred over offices with no plants. These perceived benefits may have a direct impact on overall organisational performance and therefore incorporating elements of nature within building design and management may in future be considered imperative to achieving the desired strategic outcomes of the organisation

A Challenge to All: Raising the Participation and Success of Women and Minorities in Mathematics, Science, and Technlogy

This issue of our journal is the product of a Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition (VMSC) conference titled, Programs That Work and held in March, 2000 on the issues of raising both the levels of success and the levels of participation of women and minorities in mathematics, science, and technology. Traditionally, these two groups have had low rates of participation in these subjects, and we believe this situation can and must be changed. The conference was to Coalition\u27s first direct assault on the problem