Using a student mentorship scheme to develop and raise academic attainment

This practice paper describes and evaluates a mentorship scheme used with undergraduate students on the sports rehabilitation programme at Middlesex University. The scheme commonly called MUSCLE (Middlesex University Sport- Student Centred Learning Experience) was developed to engage students across all levels of the programme in assuming responsibility for, and ownership of, their own learning and grade attainment profiles. In the context of this paper, student mentoring comprised graduate, third, and second year undergraduate students mentoring first, second and third year students respectively. MUSCLE mentoring groups addressed issues such as induction, examination and academic writing skills, and study techniques. The scheme was implemented in October 2007, following consultation with the academic staff and student engagement task force groups at the University. An integrated qualitative (using focus groups to gather experiences of mentors and mentees) and quantitative (using pre and post mentoring academic grade profiles) approach employing multi variant ANOVA analyses of preliminary data revealed that students achieved, on average, two grade bands higher in their final summative assessments when compared with students not enrolled on the scheme. The greatest impact on student grade attainment was evident in year one of study with a diminished but significant impact in years two and three. Male mentees achieve higher grades compared with their female counterparts. There were no significant differences between male and female non mentored students. Mentors and mentees reported feelings of self-empowerment and support, as a result of the scheme

The Sociological Implications of Henry Schaefer-Simmern’s Theory and Research Leading Toward an Integral Theory of Art Education

Henry Schaefer-Simmern was fully aware of the sociological implications of his work. His theory of visual, artistic conceiving stated that people possess an inherent ability to transform their perceptions into holistic (gestalt) formations expressed as works of art. They have this ability in varying degrees regardless of differences of sex, race, chronological age (above the motor scribble age), lQ (above 47), socio-economic status, creed, and geographic location. He believed that society should encourage the development and expression of this ability and that those of its members who are artistically active (whether children, adolescents, or adults) can uplift and transform society for the better. He saw the dehumanizing affects of industrialization. He deplored the visual pollution which appears in portions of cities and towns in the U.S.A. Yet he noted the efforts made to bring visual art into communities by such means as the WPA Art Project, and efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u27s Extension Service. He guided students to be aware not only of the gestalt art forming ability within them, but also of the arts of societies past and present. Schaefer- Simmern\u27s art education includes the handicapped and non-handicapped in the schools, and also people throughout the community. He reconciled opposites in art education: creative self-expression and cognitive-systems (neo-academic) while going beyond them to point a way toward an integral art education for society and for each individual member of that society

Toward an Energy Policy

The lack of a national policy on fuels and energy at a time of concern about the future supply and demand for energy and the environmental effects of creating energy is examined. Alternatives to present practices in generating and utilizing power are considered along with suggestions for measuring the energy cost of technological progress

Review of the SoTL a Guide for Scientists, Engineers and Mathematicians

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Problems of Pollution: Benefits, Risks and Regulations

The growing concern of the scientific community and informed segments of the public about the proliferation of untested nuclear power plants demands further evaluation of their environmental impact before irrevocable decisions are mode. This paper considers the problem of low-level radioactive wastes controllable at the source. A brief background is given of the governmental agencies concerned with radiation monitoring and protection. The underlying philosophy behind radiation protection and the guidelines for putting this philosophy into practice are considered. The risk implicit in these guidelines is assessed in terms of the expected increased incidence of specific injuries to human populations

Discharge of Radioactive and Thermal Wastes

A combination of several economic factors, together with growing concern about air pollution associated with conventional, fossil-fuel electric generating facilities, hos contributed to the increase in size and number of nuclear-powered plants. Although these nuclear plants are clean from the standpoint of conventional air pollutants, they must dispose of thermal and radioactive wastes. This paper outlines the sources and quantities of these wastes, based on technical data for the boiling-water reactor proposed for Monticello, Minnesota

The LATDYN user's manual

The LATDYN User's Manual presents the capabilities and instructions for the LATDYN (Large Angle Transient DYNamics) computer program. The LATDYN program is a tool for analyzing the controlled or uncontrolled dynamic transient behavior of interconnected deformable multi-body systems which can undergo large angular motions of each body relative other bodies. The program accommodates large structural deformation as well as large rigid body rotations and is applicable, but not limited to, the following areas: (1) development of large flexible space structures; (2) slewing of large space structure components; (3) mechanisms with rigid or elastic components; and (4) robotic manipulations of beam members. Presently the program is limited to two dimensional problems, but in many cases, three dimensional problems can be exactly or approximately reduced to two dimensions. The program uses convected finite elements to affect the large angular motions involved in the analysis. General geometry is permitted. Detailed user input and output specifications are provided and discussed with example runstreams. To date, LATDYN has been configured for CDC/NOS and DEC VAX/VMS machines. All coding is in ANSII-77 FORTRAN. Detailed instructions regarding interfaces with particular computer operating systems and file structures are provided