Alienation, Agency and Authenticity: a Synthesis of Practice and Effects in Student Engagement.

In recent years a number of authors have undertaken extensive reviews of the international research literature to investigate student engagement in higher education. This paper presents the findings of a study that undertook a project to synthesise the qualitative research literature systematically, through the use of qualitative research synthesis. The concepts and themes that have recurred across the student engagement literature which are discussed in terms of four themed approaches to student engagement. c The challenges and opportunities of using the methodology are presented along with providing a number of recommendations for further research regarding integrated approaches to student engagement

Flourescent, online monitoring of PLGA degradation for regenerative medicine applications

Degradable polymers such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) are frequently chosen for tissue engineering, due to their ease of production, controllable degradation rates and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Within tissue engineering it is essential that the degradation profile of such biomaterials is understood and measured both in vitro and in vivo. The majority of techniques currently undertaken to study degradation are however destructive, leading to an over reliance on end point analysis. This study therefore defines a method of fluorescently tagging PLGA, via the addition of reactive amine groups and subsequent isothiocyanate reactions, with the purpose of monitoring degradation profiles through non-destructive techniques. The amine grafting and fluorescent labelling of the PLGA was confirmed using both X-ray photospectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography. The modification of the PLGA also had no significant effect on molecular weight or the hydrophilicity of the polymer. Both the release of fluorescent by-products and the changes in fluorescence retention within the modified PLGA were observed to be highly correlated to the changes in physical weight. This paper therefore demonstrates a novel method for the online and non-destructive monitoring of polymer degradation through the incorporation of a fluorescent marker, which can decrease the reliance on end point analysis and reduce the number of samples required both in vitro and in vivo

Electropolishing of re-melted SLM stainless steel 316L parts using deep eutectic solvents: 3x3 full factorial design

The authors acknowledge the significant support provided by researchers from the Materials Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester (Dr Harris, Robert C., Dr Juma, Jamil ‎ and particularly Karl S. Ryder, Professor of Physical Chemistry). The affiliation of co-author A.A.Al-Barzinjy at time of submission of the article and duration of the experimental work, was the Materials Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester. The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.This three-level three-factor full factorial study describes the effects of electropolishing using deep eutectic solvents on the surface roughness of re-melted 316L stainless steel samples produced by the selective laser melting (SLM) powder bed fusion additive manufacturing method. An improvement in the surface finish of re-melted stainless steel 316L parts was achieved by optimizing the processing parameters for a relatively environmentally friendly electropolishing process using a Choline Chloride ionic electrolyte. The results show that further improvement of the response value-average surface roughness (Ra) can be obtained by electropolishing after re-melting to yield a 75% improvement compared to the as-built Ra. The best Ra value was less than 0.5 lm, obtained with a potential of 4 V, maintained for 30 min at 40 C. Electropolishing has been shown to be effective at removing the residual oxide film formed during the remelting process. The material dissolution during the process is not homogenous and is directed preferentially toward the iron and nickel, leaving the surface rich in chromium with potentially enhanced properties. The re-melted and polished surface of the samples gave an approximately 20% improvement in fatigue life at low stresses (approximately 570 MPa). The results of the study demonstrate that a combination of re-melting and electropolishing provides a flexible method for surface texture improvement which is capable of delivering a significant improvement in surface finish while holding the dimensional accuracy of parts within an acceptable range

Carnival of invention

© 2019, Institut für Qualitative Forschung,Internationale Akademie Berlin gGmbH. All rights reserved. In this report we present a reflection on the Collaborative Poetics Network’s first “Carnival of Invention” which was held on 15th June 2018 at the University of Brighton, England. Collaborative poetics is an arts-based research method that brings together expertise from artists, academics, and community participants, to share knowledge and promote social change through engaging and accessible ways. On the day of the Carnival over 40 contributors from around the world came to participate in a series of workshops, presentations, installations and displays. In this article we outline the themes addressed on the day and the media utilized in these interactive and experiential sessions. We argue that this event supported the benefits of arts-based research in developing, analyzing, and communicating rich data sets. Finally, we provide evaluation and reflections from the event (including in haiku, a traditional Japanese form of poetry), in an attempt to creatively capture the events of the day

Implementing the model of human occupation across a mental health occupational therapy service: communities of practice and a participatory change process

The implementation of evidence-based change in practice settings is complex and far reaching, but only limited research has been undertaken in this area. This participatory action research study investigated the implementation of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) across a mental health occupational therapy service. Method: The study involved preparatory workshops and 12 months of team-based, monthly group reflective supervision sessions, facilitated by a colleague from academia, with follow-up contact for a further 12 months. Findings: The main findings emphasise the importance of developing a critical learning space, or 'community of practice', and identify that barriers to theory implementation can be overcome by collective effort with a shared dialectic. The successful development of a community of practice required the careful consideration of a number of interconnected influences, including those of self, peer and facilitator, and contextual and theoretical relationships. Conclusion: The study concluded that the community of practice was central in supporting the effective implementation of MOHO and its associated assessment tools. A key output of the study is a Participatory Change Process, which illustrates the key steps undertaken and interrelated factors affecting theory uptake. The process requires further testing, but has potential to guide theory implementation in other settings. © The College of Occupational Therapists Ltd