Cartoon planet : micro-reflection through digital cartoons – a case study on teaching and learning with young people

Young learners of today tend to show little enthusiasm for formal schooling. This does not necessarily mean pupils are not interested in learning or developing new skills and competences. In fact, the opposite often happens in the informal settings they belong to. Finding ways of transferring pupil’s informal learning into the school setting is therefore important. This paper gives a brief overview on the development of informal learning activities to encourage young people’s active reflection on their informally acquired competencies through the use of web technologies. The researchers also explore the role of the teacher, and the need of a participatory learning environment in a less formal classroom. Reflections on the experiences and recommendations are also provided

Is There a Beijing Consensus on International Macroeconomic Policy

Some commentators have claimed that there is a growing Beijing Consensus among emerging and developing economies concerning the merits of ChinaÕs economic policies. Within an analytical framework provided by the well known international trilemma, this paper investigates the empirical evidence concerning this claim with specific reference to the adoption of international macroeconomic policies. We document ChinaÕs high degree of exchange rate stability and monetary independence and low degree of financial openness. We then find that there are substantial differences between what China does and what is done in other emerging and developing economies. While we discover some regional and inter-temporal variations, there seems to be little or no support for the existence of a Beijing Consensus on international macroeconomic pol- icy. The proximity of ChinaÕs policies to those in the rest of the developing world may increase in the future; but this is may reflect changes in China rather than elsewhere.Trilemma, China

Trilemma Stability and International Macroeconomic Archetypes in Developing Economies

In this paper, we examine the stability of international macroeconomic policies of developing countries in the post-Bretton Woods period. We use the simple geometry of the classic, open-economy trilemma to construct a new, univariate measure of inter- national macroeconomic policy stability, and to characterize international macroeconomic arrangements in terms of their semblance to definitive policy archetypes; and, we use the trilemma constraint to provide a new gauge of monetary sovereignty. Using these measures, we find that the greatest international macroeconomic stability among developing economies exists where there are capital controls and limited exchange rate flexibility. The least stable policies occur in the economies with flexible exchange rates and open financial markets. We also find that official holdings of foreign exchange re- serves seem to be weakly linked to greater policy stability, and their link is further weakened where financial markets are open.Trilemma, Foreign Exchange Rate Regimes, International Reserves, Financial Openness, Fear of Floating, Monetary Sovereignty

Reproduction in a changing ocean :the effects of ocean acidification and other environmental stressors on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the Polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus

PhD ThesisAtmospheric CO enrichment is a key factor contributing to global climate 2 change. Major consequences of climate change include increasing sea surface temperature and decreasing seawater pH (ocean acidification) – both of which are predicted to lead to an increase in ocean hypoxic events. Early ontogenetic stages of invertebrates have shown sensitivity to these environmental changes. Previous research has focused on short-term exposure to these environmental factors; however, the long- term and multi-generational effects of ocean acidification on organismal reproduction and development have received little attention. The aim of this thesis is to address this shortcoming for reproduction and early embryonic development of the economically- and ecologically-important sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus (Lamark, 1816) and the reef-forming invasive polychaete, Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923). Fertilisation success and early embryogenesis of P. lividus were negatively impacted under conditions of increased pCO, at ambient temperature and ambient 2 +2°C after 12 months exposure. Sperm motility – determined by computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) – showed a significant increase in average swimming speed measured as curvilinear velocity (VCL) at increased pCO levels after 6 months but by 2 12 months VCL values had decreased. There was no overall significant effect of pCO 2 on VCL but there was a significant reduction in fertilisation success under hypoxic conditions. Increasing pCO levels appeared to buffer the effects of hypoxia, however, 2 with significantly lower fertilisation success observed only under hypoxic conditions at ambient pCO. Multi-generational experiments examined the effects of increased pCO on 2 F.enigmaticus. Both percentage sperm motility and sperm VCL were similar between experimental treatments, but there was a significant difference between generations 0 and 2. In contrast, fertilisation success was negatively affected by both pH and generation, with a significant reduction seen with pH at all generations and a significant reduction seen between generation 0 and generation 2. Oocyte diameter was also significantly affected by pH and generation, with a significant increase in egg diameter seen at generation 1 in all pH treatments except pH 7.95, which shows a significant increase and generation 2, which suggests differing levels of maternal investment. This research suggests that in the long term, ocean acidification, temperature and hypoxia may seriously impact the reproduction and development of two important marine invertebrate species. This research highlights the need for further long-term investigation involving multiple stressors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term effects arising from changing oceanic chemistry.Natural Environment Research Counci