Evolutionary tree reconstruction

It is described how Minimum Description Length (MDL) can be applied to the problem of DNA and protein evolutionary tree reconstruction. If there is a set of mutations that transform a common ancestor into a set of the known sequences, and this description is shorter than the information to encode the known sequences directly, then strong evidence for an evolutionary relationship has been found. A heuristic algorithm is described that searches for the simplest tree (smallest MDL) that finds close to optimal trees on the test data. Various ways of extending the MDL theory to more complex evolutionary relationships are discussed

Ethnography, education and on-line research

This paper is an attempt to establish the methodological basis for carrying out ethnographies of online education communities, in particular in the Continuing Professional Development VITAL project co-ordinated by the Faculty of Education and Language Studies at The Open University www.vital.ac.uk/ A much shorter earlier draft version of this paper was given at the Qualitative Research For Web 2.0/3.0: The Next Leap! 25 & 26 March 2010 in Berlin. Organised by Merlien. The arguments and references in this paper are almost all to be found in two books 'one authored and one edited – by Professor Christine Hine of Surrey University, UK (Hine 2000; Hine 2005)

The sex factor : media representations of women and men in Australia

Guest edited and with an introduction by Janine Little, this collection of five scholarly articles deals with the Australian media\u27s representation of women in coverage of some of the most controversial issues in contemporary society. The authors are from the disciplines of sociology, journalism and literary studies, with four from Deakin University and one from Flinders University, Adelaide. This enables the monograph to consider a range of phenomena arising from the way that Australia situates women and men as media subject

Professional Conversations: A Reflective Framework for Collaborative Development

A small team of faculty and faculty developers at the Monterey Institute of International Studies launched a professional development initiative by adapting Edge’s (1992, 2002) framework of cooperative development into a model they labeled the professional conversation. This structured interaction involves a speaker exploring a topic of professional and personal significance through the facilitation of an understander. The details of the model are presented, along with heuristics for practicing the two roles. Assessment data indicate that the struggle to master the model is judged worthwhile for community building, professional development, and, unexpectedly, pedagogical practice

The Rhetoric of an Architectural Presentation to a Client

In a small observational study in two Canadian architectural firms, the authors tracked the interactions (person-to-person, person with non-human sources such as documents) that took place during specific parts of the design process. This pilot study helped us to secure a grant which is currently allowing us to investigate the relationship between designing (in schools of architecture and architectural practice) and semiotic activity (processes of representation and communication). In one firm the development of a preliminary elevation design for a proposed corporate laboratory facility was followed over three continuous days to the point at which it was ready to be presented at an internal team meeting. Some months later, a senior designer, in frequent interaction with other members of the firm, spent a day preparing a Powerpoint presentation in which the elevation would be presented and justified to a committee of the client organisation. We recorded the day's transactions–the main subject of our paper--with fieldnotes, audio recording and the collection of documents. In making the transition from being a concept that circulated amongst the designers to one for external presentation, the design remained unchanged. However–and this is the point of the paper–the invisible ‘semiotic envelope' within which it had its meaning and was readable in a certain way had to undergo radical and arduous reconstruction. The design process had been as much a matter of the collaborative building of an ‘envelope' of relevance criteria, intentions, values and associations as of the conceptual configuration of materials in space. It was in reference to this envelope that the design had a clear logic and meaning for the designers. But, unlike the drawings, sketches and models, the semiotic envelope could not be directly transmitted to the client participants, who would bring their own envelope of expectations and meanings to the meeting. Specific rhetorical strategies had to be devised, therefore, to ensure that the design would be ‘read' correctly. This involved, for instance, a sort of fictional retrospective reconstruction of the design process in terms of choices between alternatives most of which were never actually entertained, and the conjuring up of ‘bad', ‘rejected' solutions for the sake of presenting the design as a desirable solution. It also involved the post-hoc identification of passages from the client's brief which could be cited as if they had directly governed the design process: ‘Look, we're simply following your requirements here.' The construction of a new justificatory envelope was partly informed by knowledge of the values, assumptions and perspectives (Aristotle's pathos) that framed the client committee's perceptions, as revealed at a previous meeting. In the paper we will briefly summarise our findings about the ‘semiotic envelope' that evolved during the earlier design stage, and then deal more fully with the preparation of the presentation, particularly as it addressed issues of glazing and massing. We will draw on transcripts of our audio-recordings and on the slides and other artefacts produced during the day

The reconstruction of primary teachers' identitities

Primary teachers have had to reconstruct their identities in response to the reconstruction of the education system. The holism, humanism and vocationalism of the old Plowden self-identity has been challenged by a new assigned social identity signalled in the assault on child-centred philosophy, the diminution of elementary trust, and changes in the teacher role. These challenges have thrown up new dilemmas for teachers, and represent 'fateful moments' in the careers of their identities. In trying to resolve the dilemmas, teachers have engaged in identity work, characterised mainly by identity talk, and a number of emotional and intellectual strategies. The result has been a partitioning of the old Plowden self-identity, with the 'real self' being largely withheld from the new personal identity and the sense of vocationalism being set to one side. The new personal identity in teaching represents a more instrumental and situational outlook, with the substantial self finding more expression elsewhere. Identity work is still in progress and seems set to continue while teachers have to find ways of relating to two or more competing discourses

Large-scale curriculum redesign where technology plays a central role

VIDEO RECORDINGS: http://goo.gl/bGTaF Materials from the conference held in Birmingham on 21 May 2012. The event was organised by the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) and the Association of Colleges (AoC). Links to all recordings from the day are now available via http://goo.gl/bGTaF. Note that Donald Clarke's session does not contain video except slides

Student staff partnership to create an interdisciplinary science skills course in a research intensive university

This paper reflects upon the development of a multidisciplinary lesson plan aimed at developing science skills for Physics and Astronomy, Geographical and Earth Sciences, and Chemistry students at a research intensive Scottish university. The lesson plan was co-developed with a small group of staff and undergraduate students from these disciplinary areas. The authors discuss the rationale and process for developing the course, drawing upon literature relating to students and staff co-creating curricula in higher education. The authors conclude by offering suggestions for the academic development community about ways in which this kind of collaboration can be supported at local and institutional levels