Engagement in physical computing for the primary classroom : the BBC Micro:bit experience

Computational thinking is an essential skill for 21st century learners. Despite the fact that many efforts have been made to support and enhance computer science instruction in formal and informal educational settings, it remains a challenge to engage students in algorithmic design and computer programming. Physical computing, that links computer programming with the physical world, promises to increase student motivation and engagement. However, the nature of student engagement in physical computing activities has not been adequately studied. The main aim of this study is to investigate the nature of primary school students engagement in physical computing activities with a popular single-board physical computing device, the BBC Micro:bit. The study uses the constructionism as its theoretical framework and implements a series of project-based physical computing activities with primary school students. Mixed methods design have been employed. Study findings highlight the cognitive, behavioural, emotional and social dimensions of student engagement in physical computing activities using the BBC Micro:bit. High engagement levels in all four dimensions were revealed with the emotional dimension to prevail. The study findings can inform future physical coding activities and pedagogical approaches that foster pupils’ engagement

Sustainable Impact by Design

2021 is the year of COP26, (the 26th Conference of the Parties who signed an agreement to work to prevent climate change back in 1994). To mark this, the University of Strathclyde offered funds to staff that would let them talk to people about their research and how it can limit climate change. The STEM Equals Summer Scheme won funding, and so ten Strathclyde staff members were able to work with diverse young people in Ayr and Girvan over five days of STEM1 activities. This book shows some of the activities we did together, and some of the learning about their planet and sustainability that went on. As you will see in its pages, everyone involved, staff and participants alike, had a lot of fun. We also found out many new things about ourselves, our colleagues, about STEM and about our environment

Protecting and restoring Europe's waters:an analysis of the future development needs of the Water Framework Directive

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a pioneering piece of legislation that aims to protect and enhance aquatic ecosystems and promote sustainable water use across Europe. There is growing concern that the objective of good status, or higher, in all EU waters by 2027 is a long way from being achieved in many countries. Through questionnaire analysis of almost 100 experts, we provide recommendations to enhance WFD monitoring and assessment systems, improve programmes of measures and further integrate with other sectoral policies. Our analysis highlights that there is great potential to enhance assessment schemes through strategic design of monitoring networks and innovation, such as earth observation. New diagnostic tools that use existing WFD monitoring data, but incorporate novel statistical and trait-based approaches could be used more widely to diagnose the cause of deterioration under conditions of multiple pressures and deliver a hierarchy of solutions for more evidence-driven decisions in river basin management. There is also a growing recognition that measures undertaken in river basin management should deliver multiple benefits across sectors, such as reduced flood risk, and there needs to be robust demonstration studies that evaluate these. Continued efforts in ‘mainstreaming’ water policy into other policy sectors is clearly needed to deliver wider success with WFD goals, particularly with agricultural policy. Other key policy areas where a need for stronger integration with water policy was recognised included urban planning (waste water treatment), flooding, climate and energy (hydropower). Having a deadline for attaining the policy objective of good status is important, but even more essential is to have a permanent framework for river basin management that addresses the delays in implementation of measures. This requires a long-term perspective, far beyond the current deadline of 2027

Non-equilibrium phenomena in graphene

Graphene has displayed much promise as an electrical conductor and as a optical material. To date there is a large body of literature dedicated to the equilibrium properties of graphene. In this thesis the properties of graphene out of equilibrium are probed. Through combined optical and transport measurements the behaviour of hot electrons are probed at temperatures over five orders of magnitude from 50mK to 2000K. This wide range of temperatures allows access to the behaviour of quantum corrections at the lowest temperatures to the highest energy phonon modes. From ultrafast femtosecond laser pulses to steady state heating from an electric field the cooling of hot electron populations through coupling to various phonon modes in the graphene and the substrate are explored. Additionally the effect of an electric field on the weak localisation correction to the conductivity was separated from heating effects using applied magnetic fields combined with careful modelling of the heat transport properties of the graphene. Finally the desorption dynamics of oxygen bound to the surface are shown using a combination of transport and two pulse correlation technique using an ultrafast laser. Surprisingly the cooling of hot carriers in graphene at low energies shows substrate surface phonons as an important cooling mechanism, highlighting the importance of substrate choice in future graphene devices. In contrast at the very highest energy scales accessed only by photoexcitation the cooling is shown not to be influenced by the presence of a substrate, but out-of-plane phonon modes increase cooling of the hot optical phonons.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceEPSRCGBUnited Kingdo

Investigating elementary school students' attitudes in makerspace activities through design-based learning

The current proposal is inspired by the global "maker movement" in education (Halverson & Sheridan, 2014) and it aims to explore primary pupils' learning experiences in digital design and digital manufacturing activities through design-based learning. Maker Movement is as an important and promising development in educational technology (Becker, et al., 2018). It is a constructionism learning approach (Keune & Peppler, 2019) and it has the potential to support active participation in learning, facilitate bildung (deep and sustained learning) and promote skills acquisition, students' agency, collaboration, creativity and innovation (Bevan, 2017; Katterfeldt, Dittert, & Schelhowe, 2015). The Maker Movement is gaining growing interest and can raise key questions in school curricula and educational policies in Europe as well (Rosa, et al., 2017; Howard, Gerosa & Mejuto, 2014). While digital design and digital manufacturing have been extensively used in tertiary education, supporting learning in variety of subjects (anatomy, dentistry, geosciences, chemistry, arts), few studies exist in the context of primary and secondary education (Ford & Minshall, 2019). The current study aims to fill this gap by investigating the impact of digital design, 3D printing and laser cutting activities on primary pupils' motivation and acceptance. Moreover, the study aims to explore how these activities affect students' attitudes toward Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects and careers

The quality of written information for parents regarding the management of a febrile convulsion:a randomized controlled trial

To identify whether providing a new information leaflet for parents regarding the management of a febrile convulsion was more effective in comparison with standard leaflets.  Although information leaflets are frequently recommended within healthcare, their quality is often poor. Furthermore, the evidence regarding the effectiveness of leaflets is inconsistent. Few studies have evaluated the effects of providing leaflets that have been developed to improve their quality. Within the specialty of paediatrics, parents are often unprepared regarding the management of febrile convulsion at home and the provision of supplementary leaflets is recommended, despite limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of this approach. There is also limited evidence regarding whether improving the quality of these leaflets leads to better outcomes, e.g. increasing parents’ behavioural knowledge. Double-blind randomized controlled trial. One hundred and twenty-six parents of children hospitalized due to benign febrile convulsion were recruited (May 2000–February 2002). Seventy-one parents were randomized to receive the standard care (control leaflet) and 55 parents received the intervention (new leaflet). Data were collected from parents on discharge immediately prior to receiving the intervention and 7–14 days following the intervention via telephone interview. Parents who received the new leaflet found this to be more reassuring and easier to understand than parents who received the control leaflet. No differences between groups were identified regarding the primary outcome, i.e. behavioural knowledge and most of the secondary outcomes, e.g. perceived confidence, state anxiety and satisfaction with the leaflet. Although this study provides modest support for the effectiveness of providing high-quality leaflets, further research is required to determine the best methods for optimizing the effectiveness of leaflets provided at hospital discharge. The quality of leaflets may influence some outcomes, e.g. understanding and reassurance with the written information provided; however, additional strategies to inform parents may be necessary

The silicon cycle impacted by past ice sheets.

Globally averaged riverine silicon (Si) concentrations and isotope composition (δ30Si) may be affected by the expansion and retreat of large ice sheets during glacial-interglacial cycles. Here we provide evidence of this based on the δ30Si composition of meltwater runoff from a Greenland Ice Sheet catchment. Glacier runoff has the lightest δ30Si measured in running waters (-0.25 ± 0.12‰), significantly lower than nonglacial rivers (1.25 ± 0.68‰), such that the overall decline in glacial runoff since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) may explain 0.06-0.17‰ of the observed ocean δ30Si rise (0.5-1.0‰). A marine sediment core proximal to Iceland provides further evidence for transient, low-δ30Si meltwater pulses during glacial termination. Diatom Si uptake during the LGM was likely similar to present day due to an expanded Si inventory, which raises the possibility of a feedback between ice sheet expansion, enhanced Si export to the ocean and reduced CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, because of the importance of diatoms in the biological carbon pump

Arts and Craft in Occupational Therapy (Activity Analysis)

Ergoterapie je profese, která se snaží o dosažení co největší soběstačnosti a samostatnosti jedince. Působí ve třech oblastech: soběstačnost, práce a produktivní aktivity a volnočasové činnosti. Historie ergoterapie sahá do 18. století, ale již i v době před naším letopočtem se vědělo o příznivém vlivu smysluplné činnosti v podobě práce či výtvarných a rukodělných činností. V České republice se začátek využití činnosti jako léčebného prostředku připisuje Priessnitzovi. V době komunismu ergoterapie nebyla potřebná a tak novou éru ergoterapie v České republice je možné datovat až od roku 1992. Pro ergoterapeuty je zásadní nástroj léčby činnost, lépe řečeno, smysluplná činnost. O významu činnosti pro ergoterapeuty psal již v roce 1922 AdolfMeyer. Vývoj ergoterapie je spjat s využíváním výtvarných a rukodělných činností. Jejich využívání se v průběhu vývoje společnosti, který ergoterapie reflektuje, snižuje, ale v Čechách je v jejich využívání stále silná tradice. Mezi důležité nástroje ergoterapeuta patří analýza činnosti, která pomáhá za prvé porozumět základní charakteristice jakékoliv činnosti. Za druhé pomáhá porozumět jedinci v co nejširším kontextu. Výsledkem použití analýzy činnosti je zvolení vhodné terapeutické činnosti pro konkrétního klienta, včetně navržení potřebných úprav pomůcek či..