Measuring constructive alignment: an alignment metric to guide good practice

We present a computational model that represents and computes the level to which an educational design is constructively aligned. The model is able to provide ‘alignment metrics’ for both holistic and individual aspects of a programme or module design. A systemic and structural perspective of teaching and learning underpins the design of the computational model whereby Bloom’s taxonomy is used as a basis for categorising the core components of a teaching system and some basic principles of generative linguistics are borrowed for representing alignment structures and relationships. The degree of alignment is computed using Set theory and linear algebra. The model presented forms the main processing framework of a software tool currently being developed to facilitate teachers to systematically and consistently produce constructively aligned programmes of teaching and learning. It is envisaged that the model will have broad appeal as it allows the quality of educational designs to be measured and works on the principle of ‘practice techniques’ and ‘learning elicited’ as opposed to content

Unfamiliar Objects in Familiar Spaces: The Public Response to Art-in-Architecture

Examines the public response to a sample of 41 public art projects funded through the federal government's Art-In-Architecture program and attempts to illuminate the factors that lead to official or organized conflict

Artful Living: Examining the Relationship Between Artistic Practice and Subjective Wellbeing Across Three National Surveys

Over the past few decades, elected officials and policy leaders have increasingly focused on "quality of life issues," seeking ways to not only create jobs and grow the economy but also to help people both strengthen family and community life and advance health and happiness. The arts have a role to play in this new agenda. In 2011, the National Endowment for the Arts collaborated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to host a convening examining the relationship between the arts and wellbeing. From that meeting emerged an interagency task force involving 13 federal agencies and departments with the goal to encourage more research on how the arts help people develop their full potential at all stages of life. Rocco Landesman helped frame the new initiative when he remarked, "How do the arts help build us as a people and as individuals? We share a fundamental mission -- how to improve the quality of life. The arts are central to human development".This report represents an initial exploration of the thesis that the arts are essential to a high quality of life. Using three national datasets, we examine the correlation between artistic practice and wellbeing among a representative national sample of adults, a sample of undergraduate seniors, and a sample of former arts graduates. Overall, we find strong support that artistic practice is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction, a more positive self image, less anxiety about change, a more tolerant and open approach to diverse others, and, in some cases, less focus on materialistic values and the acquisition of goods

Creative Assets and the Changing Economy

This paper evaluates recent claims that art and culture have become more valuable assets in the new economy. Based on conversations with several prominent cultural economists, the author argues that advocates and scholars should be more cautious in their attempts to draw out the implications of the changing economy on culture. Rather than spend time calculating the impact or size of the “creative economy,” the author argues that we should direct our analytical and policy energies toward better understanding how creative work and institutions are changing and what might be done to foster a more robust, creative and diverse cultural life.

Automated software quality visualisation using fuzzy logic techniques

In the past decade there has been a concerted effort by the software industry to improve the quality of its products. This has led to the inception of various techniques with which to control and measure the process involved in software development. Methods like the Capability Maturity Model have introduced processes and strategies that require measurement in the form of software metrics. With the ever increasing number of software metrics being introduced by capability based processes, software development organisations are finding it more difficult to understand and interpret metric scores. This is particularly problematic for senior management and project managers where analysis of the actual data is not feasible. This paper proposes a method with which to visually represent metric scores so that managers can easily see how their organisation is performing relative to quality goals set for each type of metric. Acting primarily as a proof of concept and prototype, we suggest ways in which real customer needs can be translated into a feasible technical solution. The solution itself visualises metric scores in the form of a tree structure and utilises Fuzzy Logic techniques, XGMML, Web Services and the .NET Framework. Future work is proposed to extend the system from the prototype stage and to overcome a problem with the masking of poor scores

Cryptic Species: A Mismatch between Genetics and Morphology in Millepora

Millepore morphology is highly variable and shows signs of phenotypic plasticity. Two species of Millepora are present around the islands of the Bahamas: one exhibiting a strong, blade-like structure, Millepora complanata, and the other having a delicate branch-like structure, Millepora alcicornis. The phylogenetic relationship of these corals has been under considerable debate for many years. The existence of a range of intermediate growth forms exhibiting characteristics of both recognized species has led to the re-examination of this species complex. Several methods were employed to examine the taxonomic relationship including ecological abundance surveys, morphological thin-section analysis, and sequencing of rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Abundance surveys showed a demarcation of growth forms by depth at two sites but an intermingling of growth forms at a third site. Morphometric analysis resulted in discrimination between M. alcicornis, M. complanata and the intermediate growth forms. However, rDNA sequence differences revealed the presence of two distinct clades, each containing members of the two currently recognized species as well as intermediate growth forms. The sequence analysis suggests the presence of two, phenotypically plastic cryptic species. Although limited in scope, our results indicate that caution should be exercised when describing species based on morphology alone and that multiple characters, including genetic information, should be used when describing species relationships

The Measure of Meetings: Forums, Deliberation, and Cultural Policy

This research seeks to answer the question: “Do meetings matter for advancing cultural policy?” The question is approached theoretically and comparatively by examining the broader literature on policy making, as well specific case studies of meetings in other fields, in order to draw lessons and implications for arts and culture; discursively and ethnographically, by attending the annual meetings of arts service associations and recording and interpreting how people at these meetings talked about problems and policy; and empirically, by looking at a sample of conference program books over ten years and coding and analyzing what issues were discussed and who was invited to discuss them. We also studied, in detail, what a random sample of 40 participants say they learned at a particular annual convention and what policy-relevant actions they took as a result of having attended the meeting. Overall, we find that meetings are not currently effective tools for advancing policy in the cultural sector, with some notable exceptions. In arts and culture, where resources are modest, where the policy community is fragmented, where problems are poorly defined, where there is no central authority or government agency, and where issues have low salience for the general public, welltimed and carefully orchestrated meetings can perhaps play an even more important role than they do in other fields.

Regenerable metallic oxide systems for removal of carbon dioxide: A concept

Design concepts for portable canisters for removal of carbon dioxide are described. One is screen pack configuration consisting of brazed rectangular canister with four metal oxide packs inserted. Other is radial flow canister with perforated central tube. Methods of production and operating principles are presented

Phosphonium chloride for thermal storage

Development of systems for storage of thermal energy is discussed. Application of phosphonium chloride for heat storage through reversible dissociation is described. Chemical, physical, and thermodynamic properties of phosphonium chloride are analyzed and dangers in using phosphonium chloride are explained

Solid amine compounds as sorbents for carbon dioxide: A concept

Solid amine compounds were examined as possible absorbents for removal of carbon dioxide in life support systems of type which may be employed in high altitude aircraft, spacecraft, or submarines. Many solid amine compounds release absorbed carbon dioxide when heated in vacuum, therefore, when properly packaged spent amine compounds can be readily regenerated and put back into service