The development of young children’s understanding of poetry

This research aims to explore how young children's understanding of poetry develops . The teachers and pupils involved in this study were from a primary school in Middlesbrough. A wide variety of literature on poetry teaching, documentation on the teaching of English and literature relating to educational research was studied to provide background information for the research, highlight research questions and to assist in the design of the research instruments. The research involved the collection of data through questionnaires with teachers and activities with children. One of the major facts that this research highlights is the apparent lack of reasons as to why poetry should be taught. The study concludes that primary teachers still appear to be experiencing difficulties in the teaching of poetry to young children. The aims of poetry teaching have for many years been unclear to teachers and professionals. However, this study has shown that young children both enjoy and have an enthusiasm for poetry. Recent research is beginning to suggest why the teaching of poetry is important and the recent Literacy Strategy appears to have taken this research into account

Oom Bop Bop Good Vibrations: the use of sensory feedback to create motion inhibition

The use of suits that restrict or inhibit joint motion have been used to aid the design of various kinds of products from cars to wheelchairs and kitchen equipment. Their principal aim has been to allow designers and engineers to understand what it is like to use these products as an older person might use them, effectively prematurely ageing the user. Such suits have been highly successful but suffer several limitations in their use. In using mechanical stiffeners on the joints such as the stiffening effect of the suits depends on the strength of the user; weaker users will find their range of motion reduced more than stronger users. This also raises the question of the sensitivity of such suits; in reality motion restriction may be linked to pain and discomfort hence motion restriction is likely to be more psychological and musko-skeletal than current suits provide. Work has been ongoing at SHU to develop a suit that restricts motion by providing sensory feedback to the user. Specialist software was developed which set motion limits to goniometers which in turn would make motors vibrate if those limits were reached. This work outlines the development of this suit and initial applications for which it has been used

Applications of scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy in the infrared

This thesis is split into two broad sections. These are defined by the various applications of scattering-type near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum; the near-infrared (700 - 1000nm) and the mid-infrared (6 - 10um). S-SNOM is a means of imaging surfaces at resolutions well below the diffraction limit - the level of recorded detail does not depend on the wavelength of light (as it does with traditional optical microscopy), but instead on the sharpness of a probe (usually around 10nm), meaning an image resolution approaching a thousandth of a wavelength in the mid-infrared. For the work presented in the near-infrared, the focus lies with the modelling and mapping of various plasmonic resonances supported by metallic nanostructures. These resonances have the ability to "squeeze" light into substantially sub-wavelength volumes which is useful for a variety of applications ranging from cancer treatments to molecular sensing. The mid-infrared section starts with the implementation of a pulsed quantum cascade laser (QCL) as the system's light source. This presents some instrumentation challenges as all s-SNOM imaging to date has been conducted with continuous-wave (CW) lasers. Using a pulsed laser also raises some significant signal-to-noise implications which are quantified and discussed. In terms of the experimental applications of such a setup, the first steps towards ultra-high resolution infrared chemical spectroscopy are made by studying the epithelial cells of an oesophageal biopsy. The thesis concludes with an examination of the major noise sources faced by s-SNOM, and makes a number of recommendations on how their effects can be mitigated.Open Acces

Understanding the roll-on-pilfer-proof process

There is a requirement (within the food packaging industry) for a greater analytical knowledge and more scientific understanding of the ROPP capping process and of the interaction of caps (closures) with the threaded part of the glass container (finish). Threads used within the industry have largely developed empirically from metal thread profiles. An improved understanding is needed so that problems associated with that process can be better understood and solved. Such problems can be manifest in damaged closures, ‘spinners’ and closures that are just too difficult to open. The term ‘spinners’ is used for closures that do not break the pilfer band (a tamper evident safety feature) when twisted. The same term is also used to describe closures that have been turned the wrong way (i.e. clockwise) on opening, stripping the thread whilst not breaking the pilfer band. To combat this problem it is desirable to produce a closure system that has a high torque when twisted in the wrong direction (known as the over torque) whilst maintaining good seal integrity and a low torque for correct opening procedure. A successful feasibility study was carried out to investigate the appropriateness of using finite element techniques to investigate closure systems and gain the required understanding to improve these systems. The follow on project utilised these finite element techniques and experimental testing using a single-head capping machine. The Project focuses on the industry standard glass thread finish called the GF305 that utilises an extra deep, aluminium ROPP closure. The results of this work so far are presented here

Investigating openability of rigid plastic containers with peelable lids : the link between human strength and grip and opening forces

As society ages there is a growing need to understand issues surrounding declining user capabilities. One such area has been accessibility of packaging by older people. To date much of the current research in this area has focused on measuring strength of older people and analysing the force needed to open various pack formats and has largely concentrated on accessibility of jam or sauce jars. However, a survey by 'Yours' magazine indicated that problems with thin film pack forms and peelable packaging was also an issue for older people. Hence the authors undertook a small-scale study to understand the issues surrounding accessing a rigid plastic container with a peelable lid. To that end the authors built a bespoke measuring device to measure container peeling forces, measured finger friction between pack and finger and undertook an observational analysis on 60 users accessing packaging of this type. Results indicated that the force needed to open containers of this type is lower than measured user forces including older people and it is therefore likely that the issues surrounding accessibility of this type of pack format are related to dexterity not strength. However, the authors also showed that this can be affected by context of use in that oily fingers could reduce the friction coefficient between finger and pack such that older people may not have sufficient strength to open packs of this type

Is green a grey area? Sustainability and inclusivity; the ageing population and recycling

There are growing pressures (political, legislative and environmental) to increase material recovery through recycling. There are two basic recycling schemes in the UK; kerbside and bring-site schemes. With current kerbside schemes, when a householder becomes unable, through age, illness or disability, to physically move their waste containers (bins,boxes or bags) onto the pavement for collection, the refuse collection service provider will enter the property premises, take the containers out to the refuse collection vehicle (RCV), empty them before returning them to the starting point. Obviously, with bring sites, people travel to the site and place the recycling in the banks themselves. With an ageing population, increasing numbers of older people are requiring specialist recycling services. These are likely to become more time consuming and costly as household numbers increase. Bring sites have obvious limitations for older people with their limited mobility and reduce strength. To date little or no previous research has been undertaken about barriers to recycling for older people and the implications to waste management providers of an ageing population. This paper describes initial work beginning to assess this problem within Lab4Living at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU).In this positioning paper, we examine literature regarding barriers to recycling and relationships with age. We outline a hypothetical scenario for the impact of the ageing population on future material recovery rates in the UK, present the initial results of a survey and we describe the potential role that design can play to eliminate these barriers and our activities within this area in our project; ‘The Grey Areas of Green Design’

Assisted Services - Physical support or psychological blow?

Work by Yoxall (2010) and Light (2010) showed that the relationship between artefacts and their use is complex; often beyond mere functional and physical use to a wider psychosocial context. Lack of understanding of this psychosocial aspect of product or service use immediately compromises the product or services design and future success. Further, in attempting to alleviate one issue through improved design we may create others. There is then an inherent complexity in the provision of design solutions that could be specific for each design. That the design process is complex and is involved in attempting to provide answers to 'wicked' problems (Rittel and Weber, 1973) is well understood. However, little work has been undertaken investigating the relationship between design solutions (either artefacts or services) and their effect on wellbeing. To that end the authors have undertaken a number of case studies outlining the complexity of design solutions, the unintended consequences and the effects on wellbeing of the individuals studied. Further the authors attempt to develop enhanced design processes to understand the complexity of the design solutions proposed and improve their effectiveness. The development of this understanding has required an interdisciplinary approach and has been a significant factor in arriving at the recognition of the importance of these psychosocial attachments. Hence this work examines these case studies in detail and examines the benefits and issues of interdisciplinary research activity

The 'inclusive engineering' approach: an optimum diameter for ease of opening

Social equality demands a shift in attitude, away from treating older people and people with disabilities as special cases requiring special design solutions, and towards enabling them to have equal access to any product or service through a more inclusive approach to the design of buildings, public spaces and, more recently, products and services. This is not just important for social equality but also for business growth through new products and services and through creating wider potential markets. It is a sad fact of life that as people get older there is a massive decline in their strength and dexterity. Due to the fact that we handle and manipulate so many things throughout our life time, from the tiniest and most dexterous of tasks to heavy manual labour, this decline is very noticeable in our hands. In nearly all the actions that we use our hands for there is some form of grip used in order to hold onto an object before manipulating it. The natural decrease in strength combined with debilitating illness such as arthritis, means that hand grip strength or finger grip strength are very seriously affected. This has a knock on affect of making it much harder to twist things or pinch and pull things. Therefore there is often a measured decrease in torque strength with age caused not so much by a decrease in wrist strength but more often than not by a decrease in grip strength. Consumer packaging is a field in which many people, including young able bodied people, often struggle in relation to openability. Yet it is present in even the most mundane and neccessary of every day tasks such as eating, cleaning teeth, even drinking. Human interation with consumer packaging requires a wide range of hand dexterity and strength and a variety of differing hand actions. This paper looks at just one such set of actions; that used to open bottles and jars. It outlines all the arguments for inclusive design, stressing the importance for both consumers and business. This paper also outlines an engineering design approach for inclusive design that uses real human factors as design limits, resulting in packaging that will be easily opened by all it’s end users without the expensive trial and error approach that has been used up to this point in time. This paper examines the affect of grip strength on the required trorque to open closures and concludes that there is an optimum diameter for ease of opening that will decrease the required strength to open such closures

Inclusive design: making packaging easier to open for all

Social equality demands a shift in attitude, away from treating older people and people with disabilities as special cases requiring special design solutions, and towards enabling them to have equal access to any product or service through a more inclusive approach to the design of buildings, public spaces and, more recently, products and services. This is not just important for social equality but also for business growth through new products and services and through creating wider potential markets. Consumer packaging is a field in which many people, including young able bodied people, often struggle in relation to openability. Until now, the main thrust of inclusive design in the consumer packaging field has been driven by art and design disciplines, focusing on the shape and ergonomics of the packaging or cognitive solutions in order to make them easier to open. This approach does not always work first time and a time consuming, materially expensive trial and error process often ensues. This paper outlines all the arguments for inclusive design, stressing the importance for both consumers and business. This paper also outlines an engineering design approach for inclusive design that uses real human factors as design limits, resulting in packaging that will be easily opened by all it’s end users without the expensive trial and error approach that has been used up to this point in time. The example of the Roll-On-Pilfer-Proof (ROPP) closure system is used in this paper