PIC electronics for design and technology

It is easy to take the pace of technological change for granted. One hundred years ago I might have been producing this article on one of the first typewriters and writing about the opportunities for teaching electricity in schools. Today w.e have new materials and resources to inspire our youngsters. This article describes a development which could revolutionise the teaching of electronics. While schools have been grappling with the National Curriculum and design and technology education has been fighting for its identity, the electronics industry has been experiencing an invisible revolution. The art of microelectronic miniaturisation has reached a level where the brain of the computer can be packaged in a single IC chip. These super chips have become known as PIC chips, a name coined by one leading chip manufacturer, Microchip Technology Ltd, which calls its range Peripheral Interface Controllers. PIC chips have been manufactured since the 1980s and are hidden in products such as TVs, videos, cars, washing machines, microwave ovens and mobile telephones

Questions concerning the introduction of micro-controller technology and creativity in D&T project work?

Our culture is underpinned by electronics technology and yet the number of students given the opportunity to study electronic technological concepts and apply these in design and make activities in secondary education is pitifully low. At the heart of the difficulties lie the inherent conceptual demands of electronics for both teachers and students. This paper explores new approaches to electronics education with exciting opportunities for creative work through a case study of two students on the Primary BEd Teacher training course at The Nottingham Trent University engaged in their final year D&T projects. One student used conventional electronics and the other a micro-controller approach. Both projects demonstrated exceptional outcomes but the approaches showed marked differences, which shed light on the difficulties of using electronics for D&T project work and the significance of knowledge, which can either help or hinder metacognitive processes

Evaluation of the Welsh School-based Counselling Strategy : Final Report

The Welsh Government's School-based Counselling Strategy (the Strategy), implemented from April 2008 in secondary schools across Wales and a pilot selection of primary schools, was evaluated. A range of research tools were used, including desk research, analysis of client outcomes, qualitative interviews and surveys of key stakeholders' views. Implementation of the Strategy and its counselling services was generally perceived as successful by all stakeholders, including counselling clients, with evidence that all key recommendations for its development were implemented. Across six terms, 11,043 episodes of counselling were attended. Participation in counselling was associated with large reductions in psychological distress; with levels of improvement that, on average, were somewhat greater than those found in previous evaluations of UK school-based counselling. Key recommendations are that permanent funding mechanisms should be established to embed counselling in the Welsh secondary school sector, with consideration given to its roll-out into primary schools. Service managers and schools should also look to ensuring equal opportunities of participation in school-based counselling from all sectors of the community, that adequate accommodation is available in schools for the delivery of counselling, and that a system of regular outcome monitoring is established

Learner-centred Accessibility for Interoperable Web-based Educational Systems

This paper describes the need for an information model and specifications that support a new strategy for delivering accessible computer-based resources to learners based on their specific needs and preferences in the circumstances in which they are operating. The strategy augments the universal accessibility of resources model to enable systems to focus on individual learners and their particular accessibility needs and preferences. A set of specifications known as the AccessForAll specifications is proposed

Social transport collaborative solutions: developing a social/community transport infrastructure for change funded projects and associated activity around reshaping care for older people (RCOP).

Transport services for health and social care are fragmented and there is a lack of leadership, ownership and monitoring of the services provided. The Scottish Government, Regional Transport Partnerships, councils, NHS boards and the ambulance service are not working together effectively to deliver transport for health and social care or making best use of available resources. (Audit Scotland 2011 p. 4) With an aging population, transport for vulnerable groups is a major concern for the Scottish Government, and it continues to be examined at the highest levels in Scotland. Of particular focus is the need to better co-ordinate and optimise the wide range of transport services provided by public, private and third sector organisations. This is reflected in The Scottish Parliament Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committees report on Community Transport, and its recommendations to the Scottish Government were the subject of a debate in the Chamber of the Scottish Parliament on 30th October 2013. Against this background, the project investigated how to improve transport services which help older people access health and social care in Aberdeen. The availability of transport services, and whether older people are eligible to use them has been identified as a key issue by the third sector and the project has an opportunity to address this challenge. The project is funded by the Change Fund1 and overseen by the Aberdeen Social Transport Working Group, comprising ACVO TSI (Aberdeens Third Sector Interface), Robert Gordon University (RGU), Nestrans2, Scottish Care, Aberdeen City Council, Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus, British Red Cross, Royal Voluntary Service (formerly WRVS) and Co-wheels. The Social Transport Steering Group has responsibility for the management and monitoring of the project and consists of ACVO TSI, Robert Gordon University and Nestrans. Following the inception of the project, a new Programme Manager was appointed to the Health and Transport Action Plan (HTAP)3 1 The Scottish Government established the Change Fund for older peoples services to enable health, social care, housing, Independent and Third sector Partners to implement local plans for making better use of their combined resources to improve outcomes for older people. (Joint Improvement Team 2011 p. 1) This four year fund (2011-2015) has an allocation of £300 million. and has subsequently joined the Aberdeen Social Transport Working Group and the Social Transport Steering Group. As part of the project, a team at Robert Gordon University has conducted research to provide an evidence base upon which to plan and direct future transport improvements. This research aimed to investigate the extent to which the current provision of transport services for health and social care are meeting the needs of older people within Aberdeen City and to make recommendations about how to address unmet demand. The project gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from a range of participants: transport providers and associated organisations; third sector organisations either having a specific role with older people or working more generally in the sector; private care bodies; and other academics. Many of these contacts led to further useful sources of information throughout Scotland and the UK, and identified notable transport projects as far afield as Canada and Australia. REPORT BY INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIETY (IMAGES), ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITY, FOR ABERDEEN COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS (AVCO

Macronutrients for High and Low Injury Risk Collegiate Rodeo Athletes Compared to Recommended Dietary Allowances

Rodeo is a high-intensity, intermittent sport in nature unlike popular American sports. The production of empirical research outlining the physical demands and ideal training methods connected to rodeo and improving performance has not matched the rate of growth the sport of rodeo has experienced. Particularly regarding nutritional recommendations, limited research explains nutrition and its role in injury prevention and the process of recovery in rodeo athletes. PURPOSE: The purpose was to investigate the differences of macronutrients between high risk and low risk of injury in rodeo athletes compared to recommended daily allowances (RDA). METHODS: College rodeo athletes from a mid-size university in the southwest region were recruited to be a part of the study (n=150). Subjects completed a 3-day food record – 2 non-consecutive standard nutritional intake days and 1 unconventional day. Dietary intake records were input into Elizabeth Stewart Hands and Associates (ESHA) Food Processor Nutrition Analysis Software. Low and high-risk categorization was performed across nine college rodeo events. In accordance with previous literature outlying injury percentages (\u3e10 injuries; low-risk year). Subjects that competed in barrel racing, breakaway, and team roping were categorized as low injury risk athletes. Bull riding, saddle bronc, bareback, team roping, goat-tying, and steer wrestling were grouped as high-risk. The RDA macronutrient percentage recommendations (protein 25%, carbohydrates 55%, fats 20%) were utilized as comparative values. A paired sample t-test (p \u3c .05) was used to analyze the average macronutrients intake of rodeo athletes compared to recommended daily allowance (RDA) for high-risk and low-risk rodeo athletes. RESULTS: High-risk athletes’ average macronutrients were significantly different when compared to the RDA (Kcal pCONCLUSION: These data will be able to expose the surpluses and deficiencies of the dietary intake of the collegiate rodeo athletes. Low-risk rodeo athletes experienced overconsumption in fat and under consume the recommended number of kcals, protein and carbohydrates. High-risk athletes’ data showed under consumption in all areas explored. These data suggest for both adjustments should be made to address these deficiencies

The potential for using PIC chips in school control projects

Computers housed in a single IC package (programmable micro-controllers) have been manufactured since the eighties and are used in a variety of products including: remote controllers for TVs and car locks, washing machine and microwave programmers and communication devices. One popular range of programmable micro-controllers called PIC chips have been used by the Nottingham Trent University to explore their potential for Design and Technology education within secondary schools. This paper discusses the rationale and development of electronic control education within the UK and outlines software and hardware developments using PIC chips, which could bring the use of computers embedded in individual projects within the reach of all schools