Developing enterprise opportunities from placements to graduate consultancy in lean sustainable design

This paper reports on the adaption of a model for consultancy of using graduates working on a contract basis for Bournemouth University (BU) but within a client organisation, and managed by a member of academic staff. The model is based on BU Design graduates undertaking a 6 month consultancy under the direction of an academic. The adapted model, discussed in this paper, offers consultancy in the area of lean sustainable design, a research specialism of the Sustainable Design Research Centre. The paper discusses the industrial relevance of design education and how design education and design research are strengthening each other with industrial relevance and investigates how to exploit existing relationships with companies who employ undergraduates on placement. It is envisaged that in order for graduates to work effectively as consultants, they will need additional development in the area of sustainable design and lean design. To address this possible shortfall a short continuing professional development (CPD) course is being developed, which will be offered to perspective consultant graduates to provide training to them in appropriate areas. In order to manage the risk associated with using inexperienced graduates to conduct the consultancy work, the projects will be managed by academics as well as providing support, by way of mentoring, to the graduates during the consultancy periods. The paper reports on research undertaken with final year design students to determine the content of this short cours

Estimating future changes in flood risk: case study of the Brisbane River, Australia

Estimates of potential changes to flood risk due to climate change can be of great value but are difficult to estimate for various reasons including uncertain rainfall projections and problems associated with transforming model rainfall values into runoff and inflows at relevant catchment scales. Here we attempt to estimate changes to flood risk for the Brisbane River region of south-east Queensland which has a long history of serious flood events but which now benefits from the mitigating effect of the upstream Wivenhoe Dam. In this specific case study, the existence of good quality long-term records of rainfall, a relatively large number of climate model projections and the fact that the storage levels within the dam can be reasonably simulated as a function of annual rainfall totals provides a basis for estimating possible changes to flood risk. Changes to the risk of more serious floods is assumed to depend on changes to either the magnitude or frequency of extreme rainfall events combined with changes to the amount of water actually stored in the dam. An increase in extreme rainfall events could be offset by lower annual rainfall totals that effectively increase the mitigation capacity of the Dam. We analyse the results from climate models which simulate the effect of increased greenhouse gas emissions and note that they tend to favour an increase in the former and a decrease in the latter. As a consequence, the model results indicate a range of possible outcomes with no clear tendency one way or another. This outcome reflects the fundamental nature of the climate model results for rainfall for this region and will, most likely, dominate all attempts to reduce uncertainty

Organisation development: The argument still stands

After the national transition in 1994, SA was welcomed back into the international political and economic arena. Becoming part of the global community, including emerging economies, has had major implications for the country, including its school system. A previously relatively stable and predictable, if unjust, school system needed radical change. This paper reports on how Organisation Development (OD) as an action research school change strategy was introduced to a school staff. The outcome has been a gradual change in the organisation culture of the school. This includes more collaborative decision-making, open communication, teacher leadership, increased enthusiasm among teachers and an on-going process of incremental school change. We suggest that OD is a feasible change strategy for schools and school systems in emerging contexts of rapid and ongoing change and where schools are expected to take increasing responsibility for themselves

Of Ecosystems and Economies: Re-connecting Economics with Reality

This discussion paper looks at the connections between economies and ecosystems, or more generally biophysical reality. The term "economies" is used, rather than "the economy", because of the prevalent false claim that there is only one type of economic system that is possible. We outline how the ecological crises is linked to the dominant drive for economic growth and the tendency to equate growth with progress and development; common even amongst those apparently critical of the need for continued growth in the materially rich countries. The unreality of mainstream economics is epitomised by the accolades given to those justifying mild reformist policy in response to human induced climate change in order to continue the pursuit of economic growth. We emphasise the structural aspects of economies as emergent from and dependent upon the structure and functioning of both society and ecology (energy and material flows). Finally, that the structure of the global economy must change to avoid social ecological collapse, poses the questions of how that can be achieved and what sort of economics is necessary? We explain the need for: (i) a structural change that addresses the currently dysfunctional relationships between economic, social and ecological systems, and (ii) an economics that is interdisciplinary and realist about its social and natural science relations.Series: SRE - Discussion Paper

An investigation into what feedback students recognise as feedback

The paper reports on a study conducted with final year undergraduates on a product design course, in the UK, to attempt to better understand how they both interpret and respond to feedback on their academic work. The starting point for this study was the relatively poor scores attained for the elements of assessment and feedback in the National Student Survey (NSS) results for this course. The paper draws upon an existing body of literature around assessment and feedback related to the NSS results nationally. Based upon the literature an intervention relating to an element of assessment was made with these students and data collected on the students’ response to this intervention. The results of analyzing this data suggest that while students’ responded positively to some aspects of the intervention it is apparent that students’ still struggle to understand how to deploy the feedback to improve their work. This study is part of a longitudinal study, the next part of which involves a second intervention with the same student cohort that will attempt to ascertain what they would like to receive in terms of feedback

An exploration of progression rates of widening participation students on to an Integrated Master of Engineering

This paper reports on an investigation into the potential to widen participation to Higher Education provided by a flexible learning MEng Engineering. The MEng is part of an integrated programme that provides progression routes from a traditional day release Apprenticeship, through HNC, FdEng at a Further Education College to a flexible learning BEng/MEng at a Higher Education Institution. The programme was originally developed to answer a demand from local industry to upskill the engineering workforce, however, the nature of the provision means that it meets much of the best practice for widening participation. The investigation concludes that while the programme provides an opportunity for mature learners to undertake higher education, it largely provides an alternative pathway through vocational education to higher education qualifications for a white male middle class cohort. It also highlights that entry to apprenticeships that lead to progression opportunities is controlled not by educational institutions but by industry