Design, Development and Evaluation of VirtualAlps 2.0: A Semantic Web Based Virtual Field Guide for teaching Level 6 Geoscience

This paper draws on experiences of designing, developing, using and evaluating a semantic web-based Virtual Field Guide (VFG), VirtualAlps 2.0, for teaching geosciences. The paper briefly reviews the previous use of VFGs to support students’ learning by fieldwork, highlighting some benefits. VFGs are considered to supplement real fieldwork, but not to become a substitute for it. We then outline the design considerations, development and staff and student evaluation of the Virtual Alps 2.0 VFG developed for level 6 undergraduates. The design and development of Virtual Alps 2.0 was undertaken by experts who were part of the Ensemble Project at Liverpool John Moores University. This paper describes the development of a pilot VFG which employs ‘linked data’ and ‘semantic web’ approaches to allow students to access diverse web-based resources, to explore the relations between them, and to then draw on these in the course of more authentic assessment activities than has hitherto been the case. The new assessment for which the VFG was developed, required students to assess the social, environmental and economic costs and benefits of a proposed hydro-electric reservoir in a Swiss Alpine Valley. The VFG provided students with real environmental data, maps, photographs, video and links to relevant research papers which students used to make interpretations and draw their conclusions about the feasibility of such a scheme. Their answers were then subjected to analysis and students’ work from the assessment task based on VirtualAlps 2.0 demonstrated a wider range of skills (performing calculations, drawing graphs & diagrams themselves, creating more tabulations and making more opinions/decisions) than in a traditional essay which had been the assessment task set in previous years. This study shows the potential to use specifically designed interactive ‘Web 2.0' innovations to enhance students’ decision making skills in an assessment which we argue prepares them better for employment. Geoscience and the world of employment for geoscientists is in a state of flux at present, and the ability to work using linked data and semantic web approaches is now an important skill for graduates to be able to offer

Faecal Coliform Levels in Mountain Streams of Winter Recreation Zones in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

This study aims to establish the spatial distribution of stream water faecal coliform (FC) concentrations in specific winter recreation areas in the Northern Corries of the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland. A total of 207 water samples were collected from 10 sites during two winter seasons (2007–2008 and 2008–2009) and analysed by Colilert® 24 for the presence of FC, specifically Escherichia coli (E. coli). E. coli was not detected at Sites 1–7, above 635 m. Sites 8, 9 and 10 (below 635 m) had positive detection rates for E. coli, these being 32%, 35% and 31%, respectively. Results provide important data on the level of faecal bacteria in selected Scottish mountain streams, whilst also providing comparative benchmark data for similar studies proposed in other UK upland recreational hotspots

A new factor in UK students’ university attainment: The relative age effect reversal?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study relative age effects (RAEs) in a selected sample of university students. The majority of education systems across the globe adopt age-related cut-off points for eligibility. This strategy has received criticism for (dis)advantaging those older children born closer to the “cut-off” date for entry into an academic year and for promoting the existence of RAEs. To date, there are only two studies which have examined the relative age phenomenon in a university setting specifically. Design/methodology/approach – Data of student records from the years 2006-2009 were analysed. Specifically this included date of birth, The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) entry points, gender, grade point averages and final year degree classification. Findings – Analysis of data collected from 460 university students revealed a significant RAE reversal. Specifically, relatively younger students achieved significantly higher first-class honours degrees than relatively older students (p < 0.01). Research limitations/implications – Limitations include the following: the sample was modest and restricted to only 460 students located within one of the universities five faculties. Recent RAE studies in education have recruited thousands of students; therefore, these findings may not be totally representative of the broader UK university population. Originality/value – This is only the second UK-based study to examine RAEs from a university perspective. The findings highlight an interesting and new insight into the RAE phenomenon and one that warrants further scientific attention

Discharge and suspended sediment dynamics in an Indian Himalayan river system

A pure, clean and reliable water supply is of paramount importance in India where meeting the requirements of a rising population is one of the big challenges of the 21st century. Climate change in the Indian subcontinent, identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2013) as the region with the highest level of climate instability, is of major concern (Immerzeel et al., 2010; Morton, 2011). In 2010 the floods in the Indus basin were the worst in history (Hobley et al., 2012). Two thousand people died in Pakistan and in the high-altitude desert of Ladakh, intense rain and floods centred around Leh, washed away homes and villages and killed 200 people. At present, 10 % of the earth’s land-mass is covered with snow. Of this total area, 84.16 % is in the Antarctic, 13.9 % in Greenland, 0.77 % in the Himalaya, 0.51 % in North America, 0.37 % in Africa, 0.15 % in South America, and 0.06 % in Europe. Outside the Polar Regions, the Himalaya has the maximum concentration of glaciers – 9.04 % of its area. An additional 30-to-40 % is covered with snow. The glaciers of the Himalaya are the Third Pole (Dyhrenfurth, 2011). They feed the giant rivers of Asia, support half of humanity and can have a significant influence on regional water availability (Immerzeel et al., 2009). Recent studies have confirmed the important role of high mountain areas of the world as sources of freshwater for the population living in the adjacent lowlands (eg. Bandyopadhyay et al., 1997; Viviroli &Weingartner, 2004; Barnett et al., 2005; Viviroli et al., 2007; Thayyen & Gergan, 2010) Despite the hydrological importance of glaciers for the adjoining lowlands, data on the glaciers of the Himalaya, Karakorum, and Hindu Kush ranges are sparse and inconsistent. There is a lack of long-term series and field investigations, especially for glaciers at higher altitudes (Armstrong, 2010; Schmidt & Nüsser, 2012)

Impact of Climate Change on Land, Water and Ecosystem Quality in Polar and Mountainous Regions: Gaps in our knowledge

Nowhere are the effects of climate change more visible than in polar and mountainous regions. To initiate the Interregional Technical Co-operation Project INT/5/153 (2014-18) on Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Land-Water-Ecosystem Quality in Polar and Mountainous Regions (funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency and supported by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture), we built a database containing 769 of the most significant journal papers on the effects of climate change in polar and mountainous regions between 2000-2014 (up until the Fifth IPCC Assessment). Using the number of paper citations per year (CPY) we derive the top fifty most cited journal papers published in the 15-year period. Analysis of the focus of these ‘top fifty’ papers is compared to the IPCC Fifth Assessment (AR5) Report (IPCC, 2013) and the full database. Five categories emerged, and by combining the number of papers in each category with the average CPY for the category, research on the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems (E) in polar and mountainous regions dominated, research on the impact on water resources (W) was second, the impact on people’s livelihood (P) third, with ice and snow (I) fourth and landscape (L) fifth. Landscape (L), in our view, appears to be under researched and is presumably included in the IPCC Terrestrial Ecosystems category. We propose that policy makers should note this under-representation of high impact research into landscape processes (erosion and deposition processes), which needs to be addressed in future. Key words: citation analysis; literature review; climate change impacts; polar regions; mountainous regions; livelihood adaptation; soil-water-ecosystem qualit

E-Portfolio Development and Implementation in Malaysian Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET): A Mixed Methods Analysis of Stakeholders' and Students' perceptions

In line with the global increase in the use of E-portfolio technologies in learning organizations, their potential use in Malaysia is promising, especially in the growing areas of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET). In order to understand and evaluate the potential of E-portfolios in these education areas, the initial view of the parties related to the Skills Training Program, a sub-program in TVET should be taken into consideration. Since such an electronic learning system has never previously been deployed in any public or private training institutions in Malaysia, there is a need to ensure that it has the support of the parties concerned. Thus, the key questions for this study were to investigate whether the E-portfolio is: (1) suitable for implementation in the Malaysia Skills Training Education Program, and (2) easy, efficient and effective for students to use. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods where data collection included E-mail based interviews with several officers in Malaysia and a survey of perceptions of E-portfolio Skills Training Students from the Kuantan District of Pahang, Malaysia. The results showed that most participants agreed that the E-portfolio is well suited to be implemented as an evaluation method or value-added to improve the IT skills of the students depending on their level of training course. Although some trainees/students warned that this system needs lots of things to be considered such as facilities, technical and emotional support as well as a sensible process, most agreed that this system should be introduced in their training institutions. Similarly, the interviewees also highlighted constraints that should be considered before execution to ensure that this system will be effectively installed and completely functional to benefit trainees, instructors as well as for the Training Institutions themselves

Exploring Factors Influencing Outcomes of a Five-Week Youth Expedition in The Himalayas Using The Sail Training Programme Self-Assessment Toolkit

Much evidence to link youth expeditions and gap years with a range of outcome benefits for participants exists, but to date, there have been relatively few insights into what exactly brings about these reported outcomes. A modified version of the Sail Training Voyage Toolkit (2011) was used to evaluate outcomes of a five-week British Exploring Society youth expedition in the Himalayas. Data generated from 22 participants completing the modified Sail Training Voyage Feedback Form at the end of their expedition were complemented by data from 16 interviews conducted during weeks one, three and five of the expedition. Key factors identified by the participants which had influenced their learning were: (1) Other Young Explorers, (2) being involved in making decisions and having choices, (3) having time to learn at their own pace; time to get comfortable with people; being able to talk with other people (to make connections); (4) group leaders, and (5) wild camping. Data from 16 interviews supported these outcomes, while the physical challenges (of climbing peaks) and cultural interaction with local people were highly valued aspects of the expedition. Participants were more aware of risks and more confident about safety issues and taking risks after the expedition. These important outcomes may be transferred to future expeditions, higher education or employment. Personal development and training organisations should consider these findings

An Assessment of the Hydration Status of Recreational Endurance Athletes during Mountain Marathon Events.

Changes in hydration status have been shown to have deleterious effects on physiological functioning, physical performance, mental decision making, and subjective sensation of effort. This exploratory study assessed the hydration status of athletes taking part in mountain marathon events and the implications on performance, cognition and well-being markers. Twenty-nine male recreational athletes from the Original Mountain Marathon (OMM) and nineteen from the Longmynd Hike (LH) provided urine samples before, at mid-point (in the OMM) and after the events. Body mass; reaction time tests; and subjective ratings of well-being and effort were also collected/performed at these time points. Post-urine specific gravity (Usg) values [(OMM: 1.023 (range: 1.008 – 1.038) g/ml; LH: 1.024 (range: 1.014 – 1.035) g/ml] were significantly higher than pre-values [(OMM: 1.013 (range: 1.002 – 1.026) g/ml; LH: 1.013 (range: 1.002 – 1.026) g/ml] in both events (p 0.05). There was no association between hydration status and overall performance in the LH, whilst change in Usg from pre- to mid-event was positively associated with performance in the OMM (r = .561, p = 0.004). Whilst no associations were observed between hydration status and reaction time, rate of perceived exertion and subjective ratings of nausea showed positive associations with Usg. These findings suggest that although changes in hydration status of this level may not significantly affect performance, they can impact on participant sensations of effort and well-being

Hydro-meteorological drivers and sources of suspended sediment flux in the proglacial zone of the retreating Castle Creek glacier, Cariboo Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

Glaciers are major agents of erosion that increase sediment load to the downstream fluvial system. The Castle Creek Glacier, British Columbia, Canada, has retreated ~1.0 km in the past 70 years. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and streamflow (Q) were monitored independently at five sites within its pro-glacial zone over a 60 day period from July to September 2011, representing part of the ablation season. Meteorological data were collected from two automatic weather stations proximal to the glacier. The time-series were divided into hydrologic days and the shape and magnitude of the SSC response to hydro-meteorological conditions (‘cold and wet’, ‘hot and dry’, ‘warm and damp’, and ‘storm’) were categorized using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Suspended sediment load (SSL) was computed and summarized for the categories. The distribution of monitoring sites and results of the multivariate statistical analyses describe the temporal and spatial variability of suspended sediment flux and the relative importance of glacial and para-glacial sediment sources in the pro-glacial zone. During the 2011 study period, ~ 60% of the total SSL was derived from the glacial stream and sediment deposits proximal to the terminus of the glacier; during ‘storm’ events, that contribution dropped to ~40% as the contribution from diffuse and point sources of sediment throughout the pro-glacial zone and within the meltwater channels increased. While ‘storm’ events accounted for just 3% of the study period, SSL was ~600% higher than the average over the monitoring period, and ~20% of the total SSL was generated in that time. Determining how hydro-meteorological conditions and sediment sources control sediment fluxes will assist attempts to predict how pro-glacial zones respond to future climate changes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Macronutrient Consumption Prior to, and During, Mountain Marathon Events

Participation in ultra-endurance events such as mountain marathons is increasing, yet analysis of the nutritional intake and requirements of this group of athletes have received relatively little attention. This field study examined athletes’ food intake prior to, and during a mountain marathon event to assess compliance with recommendations and to identify associations with performance. Nineteen male athletes competing in the Longmynd Hike (LH) completed a 7-day food diary in the week prior to the event and a weighed food inventory of all items consumed during the event. Despite reported intentions to increase carbohydrate (CHO) consumption in the week prior to the event, there was no significant change in consumption across the week. The mean daily CHO intake of 4.5 g/kg/d was below that recommended to effectively enhance glycogen stores. CHO and energy consumption prior to the event were positively associated with performance [energy (kJ/kg/d): r = .56, p = 0.03; CHO (g/kg/d): r = .54, p = 0.04]. Energy and CHO consumption during the event were also positively correlated with performance [energy (kJ/kg/h): r = .80, p < 0.001; CHO (g/kg/h): r = .75, p = 0.001)], despite most participants again failing to meet recommendations for intake. Further research is needed to determine reasons for non-compliance with nutritional guidelines and to investigate to what extent type and timing of macronutrient intake during such events impacts on performance