Social deprivation and widening participation: the continuing power of local cultures

This paper considers social deprivation and widening participation in a South Yorkshire community. It examines why young adults living within a working class community choose not to enter higher education. It discusses the expectations, motivations and aspirations of these young adults, whilst focusing on the impact of local, cultural, social and economic factors

Individual choices? Complex attitudes to debt and its continuing influence on HE participation decisions

This paper explores why a group of young adults with level 3 qualifications, living within traditionally working-class communities, choose not to participate in HE and the influence that finance has on such decisions. There has been a great deal written about debt and debt aversion and the question of whether debt plays an important role in individuals’ choices when deciding whether to attend university. There appears to be equivocal evidence of the impact of debt on HE participation decisions. The costs of participation and financial concerns have been considered by many researchers including Callender (2003) and Watts (2006). This paper discusses how a general fear of debt, in conjunction with an expectation that the costs associated with HE participation should lead to a guaranteed job, influences decision making. It indicates complex attitudes towards debt and a particular set of beliefs and values that relate to the financing of HE. In considering attitudes to debt, this paper also examines the influence of intergenerational learning, in shaping attitudes to debt. In influencing decision making, the importance of ongoing, multigenerational exchanges, across life courses, located in places and expressed through practices is considered (Mannion, Adey and Lynch 2010; Manion, 2012). The research proposes that any ‘strategies of actions’ devised by the young adults were about making money and not owing money and that, at times, the amount of debt appeared to be inconsequential; being in debt was just not the accepted way of doing things. Significantly, evidence suggests that students from working-class backgrounds are more likely to be averse to being in debt and reluctant to accept the debt attached to being a student. Moreover, indebtedness is viewed as a major risk by many working-class young adults and their families. In spite of the perceived value of HE, many young working-class adults consider participation in HE in terms of risks, costs and benefits (Callender, 2003). However, in conjunction with a general fear of debt linked to the young adults attitudes towards the costs and benefits of HE, subtle and hidden disadvantages that moved beyond the question of whether they should participate in HE are also discussed. This research indicates that debt alone was not the main consideration; HE was a guaranteed cost, without a guaranteed benefit. Unless there was a guaranteed extrinsic reward, specifically employment related, there was no motivation to participate in HE. Findings are drawn from a set of semi-structured interviews with 36 young adults and adapts a Bourdieuian framework. This paper considers the subjective points of view of the young adults, with respect to their non-participation, pertaining to debt. It also pays attention to factors which appeared to have shaped and moulded decisions and in doing so, emphasises the complex correlations between individuals and structures (Herzberg, 2006). A particularly complex attitude to debt was highlighted. Not incurring debt appeared to be a cultural rule, particularly when there was no guaranteed financial and employment related benefit to participation. This paper argues that similar outlooks, backgrounds, interests, lifestyles and opportunities resulted in the adoption of shared practices, common patterns of reactions and accepted ways of doing things when it came to debt. This paper enhances our understanding of the complex, yet subtle influence of debt and how this influence young adults choice not to participate in HE

Web conferencing and blended learning: Using webinars as a bridge between formative and summative assessment on a part-time BA programme

This paper pays attention to the web-conferencing tool Adobe Connect (AC) and how it can be used in education. It explains how the redesign and redevelopment of the BA Education and Professional Development (BA EPD) impacted upon, and influenced an experimental teaching session using AC. The paper discusses AC and explains how it was used as a bridge between formative and summative assessment and the paper outlines the implications of using AC as a bridge and offers conclusions and recommendations for future developments

Vibrant and engaging online social learning: an innovative response to threatened part-time study in Higher Education

Austerity measures and increased tuition fees place heightened pressures on universities to provide sustainable, cost effective, high quality provision. This paper analyses how a team of staff in a School of Education at a UK University are leading collaborative work with partner colleges, to deliver a model that ameliorates the financial pressures, whilst developing high quality student-centred engagement for part-time students. When face-to-face teaching sessions were significantly reduced, an online academic social network for tutors and students was introduced to encourage collaboration, peer support and ‘coffee room’ discussion. Feedback from participants through focus groups and surveys confirmed a social support network as important for engagement and was perceived as supporting achievement, even by those who were reluctant to join the network. Recommendations include: more time face-to-face at the beginning of the course, more online tutor presence and scaffolded activities to build confidence in using an academic social network

Grasshopper control in Missouri forage crops and pastures (1993)

Grasshoppers are relatively large insects, capable of doing considerable damage to many crops. In early summer, grasshoppers normally feed on grasses and weeds in non-crop areas, and later in the season, they move into fields. Grasshopper populations in Missouri are sporadic. In general, damage to crops is most severe in dry years. This publication provides some general information about grasshoppers as well as guidelines for how to control the damage they cause to crops and pastures

Parental influence on HE decision making: The continuing power of local culture

This paper seeks to explore why a group of young adults, with level 3 qualifications, living within traditionally working-class communities in the north of England, choose not to participate in HE and concentrates on the direct and indirect influence that parents have on such decisions

Academic support and its influence on HE participation decisions: The continuing power of local culture

This paper explored why a group of young adults, living within traditionally working-class communities in Northtown, chose not to participate in HE and the influence that academic support has on their decision making. It considers the academic support on offer to the participants, at their place of study, and how the various mechanisms influenced their participation decision. The research indicates a particular complex attitude toward support, with participants appearing to view the academic related support offered by their sixth form as being a vital ingredient for success. This research proposes that the participants seemed to be comforted by the support they receive and that this, as part of an institution’s habitus, (Reay, David and Ball, 2001) influences their decision making

Biophysical Studies of Cell Division Protein Localization Mechanisms in \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/i\u3e

How nanometer-scale proteins position accurately within micron-scale bacteria has intrigued both biologists and physicists alike. A critical process requiring precise protein localization is cell division. In most bacteria, cell division starts with the self-assembly of the FtsZ proteins into filaments that form a ring-like structure encircling the cell at its middle, the Z-ring. The Z-ring is a scaffold for additional proteins that synthesize the lateral cell wall which separates the two daughter cells. If division planes are misplaced relative to bacterial chromosomes, also called nucleoids, daughter cells with incomplete genetic material can be produced. In Escherichia coli, research carried out over the past several decades has determined two independent molecular mechanisms that are involved in the midcell placement of the division plane, the Min system, and the SlmA proteins. By combining quantitative image analysis, fluorescence microscopy, and molecular biology techniques, this work provides evidence for two additional mechanisms that coordinate Z-ring positioning with chromosome segregation in E. coli. The first mechanism revealed itself in cells that had the Min system and the SlmA proteins removed. In these cells, the Z-ring invariably localized at the center of the nucleoid. Formation of Z-ring in this location depended on cell cycle dependent movement of the replication terminus region (Ter) to nucleoid middle, and on ZapA, ZapB, and MatP proteins. The second mechanism was revealed in cells where Z-rings were strongly misplaced relative to chromosomes. Interestingly, most of these cells were still viable. We determined that cells retained their viability because as much as 1/3 of the chromosome moved across the closing division plane in the late stages of cytokinesis. Chromosome repositioning appears to rely on septal cell wall synthesis rather than on DNA translocase activity. Altogether this work demonstrates that E. coli harbors several partially redundant molecular systems, in addition to those known previously, that collectively guarantee accurate and robust placement of both cell division proteins and chromosomes

Social deprivation and widening participation: the continuing power of local culture

This thesis explores why a group of young people with level 3 qualifications, living within traditionally working-class communities, choose not to participate in HE. It discusses their expectations, motivations and aspirations and the social, cultural and personal factors that contribute to their decision making. The findings are drawn from a set of semi-structured interviews with 36 sixth form students. The research adapts a Bourdieuian framework and utilises a three-level methodology. Though the analysis considers the subjective points of view of the participants, with respect to their non-participation, it also pays attention to factors which appeared to have shaped and moulded decisions. Participants’ decisions appeared to be shaped by their place of study, their friends and family and, most importantly, by their parent(s) and this impacted on their aspirations and how motivated they were to participate in HE. The importance of academic-related support is evidenced throughout. It seemed to instil a sense of belonging and solidarity and was motivational. Without a guarantee of similar support, participants were not prepared to participate in HE. A particularly complex attitude to debt was also highlighted. Not incurring debt appeared to be a cultural rule, particularly when there was no guaranteed financial and employment related benefit to participation. This thesis argues that similar outlooks, backgrounds, interests, lifestyles and opportunities resulted in the adoption of shared practices, common patterns of reactions and accepted ways of doing things when it came to HE participation. This thesis helps us to understand why a particular group of young people has not been influenced in the same way as some others by the change in attitude towards HE. More specifically, it enhances our understanding of the complex, yet subtle influences that can lead young people to choose not to participate in HE