A case study exploring developments in non-traditional potential undergraduates’ understandings of chemical language.

This study investigates learning outcomes achieved by Foundation programme (Year 0) students preparing over one academic year to progress to a three year Bachelor’s degree in biological science, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, medicine, pharmacy or physics. The thesis reports the development of a range of teaching activities focussing on students’ chemical language. Knowledge of chemical language is vital to developing student understanding but is an under-researched area. The teaching activities comprise a range of language focused strategies. A unique corpus of student work (Foundation Corpus or FOCUS) from Year 0 to PhD level is developed that is used in a range of corpus linguistics based teaching activities. Other activities include word games, mini-whiteboards, modelling and directed activities related to text. Quantitative data were collected from eighty six students over two years by the development of a unique chemical language diagnostic test (CLDT). The test assesses understanding of a range of chemical language: scientific affixes, fundamental words (such as atom or molecule), acid and bases, kinetic theory, non-technical words, symbolic language and technical words. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from six students over four years by semi-structured interviews. The data consists of explanations of chemical scenarios and is analysed for students’ usage of chemical language. Twenty students undertake an eye tracker task that provides quantitative data on students’ eye movements when reading text. Outcomes indicate strong correlations between initial CLDT score and chemistry examination score at the end of Year 0. This suggests that students scoring poorly on chemical language face more challenges to reach the required grade to pass Year 0 than those with better linguistic skills. Evidence is provided for the existence of “chemical interlanguage” and discusses linguistic demand in multiple dimensions. The study reinforces the need to engage positively with chemical language acquisition, offering strategies for developing this and methods for its assessment

The Class of 81: The effects of early-career unemployment on subsequent unemployment experiences

We examine whether unemployment early in an individual's career influences her later employment prospects. We use six years of the LFS to create pseudo-cohorts and exploit cross-cohort variation in unemployment at school-leaving age to identify this. We find heterogeneous responses: for the unskilled, there is evidence of an enduring adverse effect; for the more skilled, there is a small beneficial effect.Unemployment, scarring, pseudo-cohorts

Experimental validation of the dynamic thermal network approach in modeling buried pipes

The transient behavior of buried pipe systems plays a significant role in many heating and cooling systems, particularly in thermal energy networks and ground heat exchangers. In this study, the dynamic thermal network (DTN) approach’s validity as a response factor method in modeling dynamic conduction heat transfer in a buried pipe system is experimentally validated. A lab-scale representation of a buried pipe system has been excited by step changes in boundary temperatures and heat fluxes measured up to times approaching steady-state conditions. This data is used to derive weighting factors and also evaluate the validity of numerical representations of the buried pipe and to verify that the DTN method can reproduce the heat flux responses. It is demonstrated that the weighting factors required in this method can be derived from both numerical and experimental step-response time series data. The DTN method is found to be both accurate in reproducing the heat fluxes in the validation experiments but also significantly more computationally efficient than a conventional numerical model when simulating long timescale responses in buried pipe systems

Geothermal heat pump system operational data: high frequency monitoring of a large university building

This data was collected as part of a PhD project to analyze the performance of a large-scale non-domestic heat pump installation. The building in question was the Hugh Aston building at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. High frequency data have been collected during the initial three years of operation of the system. This data has been collated to allow seasonal performance factors to be derived and also detailed analysis of heat pump, circulating pump and control system operation. The data set includes minutely ground loop and heating/cooling loop fluid temperatures and flow rates. The data set has been used to validate models and design procedures for vertical borehole ground heat exchanger arrays

Can I have a word please: Strategies to enhance understanding of subject specific language in chemistry by international and non-traditional students

In this paper we discuss the outcomes of our research into effective teaching strategies to enhance understanding of subject specific language by international and non-traditional students. Teaching strategies with an emphasis on improving scientific literacy were trialled over the course of the academic year 2010/11 in foundation level chemistry. The outcomes from this research led to the development of an E-glossary to support the development of subject language understanding. The E-glossary was trialled over the academic year 2011/12. It consists of student generated content (with over 100 contributions) explaining scientific terms and concepts in a variety of ways at an appropriate level for foundation students. The outcomes of this research are considered in relation to the development of scientific literacy and conceptual understanding

Layer guided-acoustic plate mode biosensors for monitoring MHC-peptide interactions

The transduction signals from the immobilisation of a class I heavy chain, HLA-A2, on a layer guided acoustic plate mode device, followed by binding of beta(2)-microglobulin and subsequent selective binding of a target peptide are reported