Coursework uploads and zero-tolerance deadlines

Clear assessment deadlines and severe penalties for late submission of coursework are a feature of a number of UK universities. This presents a severe challenge for any online upload system. Evidence from a range of different implementations at the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Greenwich over the past few years is examined to assess the impact of a zero-tolerance deadline policy on the way students work and the problems that arise. Suggestions are made on how to minimise any possible negative impact of a zero-tolerance deadline policy on the administration of the system and on staff and students

Failing Students need Big Data and Learning Analytics: Hype or Reality?

This opinion piece evaluates the promise of big data and learning analytics before they reach their peak of expectation, and prior to the trough of disillusionment, with the hope of assisting them up the slope of enlightenment to the plateau of productivity

Managed Learning Environments in Universities: Are they Achievable?

This case study identifies the main aspects of the CMS MLE, and gives details of the benefits it provides. The CMS MLE has ad hoc links to a range of corporate IT systems to ensure current student and course data is used, and provides much added value to School managers, administrators, lecturers and students. It is a key component of the Schools QA systems. It could be seen as a prototype, parts of which could be scaled up and fully integrated into corporate systems to provide an MLE solution for a university. Preliminary discussions have taken place with central services for the University of Greenwich to take this forward and a prototype core system is currently being developed

Panopto with Moodle: Enabling videos and screencasts to be effective assessment tools for all

The widespread availability in universities of modern video recording and management systems integrated into Virtual Learning Environments, such as Panopto with Moodle, now enables all students to easily create and submit their own recordings for assessment, and the platform enables the management of the marking and feedback to be simple and effective. It is time that lecturers embraced this development in order that assessment remains effective and relevant. The ability to create a screencast or video for assessment should be an essential digital literacy skill for all university students

Bridging the gap with intranets

Linking Connected Learning in an Open World to University League Table

In praise of Yellow Pages

An examination of why many students do not see the point of referencing, and why most students find it difficult

On Being Original

This case study evaluates a range of techniques that have been used over the past ten years in a variety of contexts to attempt to address the issue of plagiarism by students in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Greenwich. The importance of plagiarism prevention in ensuring authentic assessment is emphasised, and the barriers to implementing a comprehensive strategy are highlighted

Asymmetric Silver to Oxide Adhesion in Multilayers Deposited on Glass by Sputtering

We have developed a wedge-loaded double-cantilever beam adhesion measurement set-up for thin films deposited on glass by sputtering. The test is described in details. Results on the Glass/sublayer/Ag/ZnO multilayer provide evidence that \SnOd or \TiOd perform better than ZnO as a sublayer. Then however, rupture within the multilayer shifts to the upper Ag/ZnO interface. The latter is shown to be tougher than the lower ZnO/Ag interface, an asymmetry due to non-equilibrium interfacial structures

Multiferroic Properties of Nanocrystalline BaTiO3

Some of the Multiferroics [1] form a rare class of materials that exhibit magnetoelectric coupling arising from the coexistence of ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity, with potential for many technological applications.[2,3] Over the last decade, an active research on multiferroics has resulted in the identification of a few routes that lead to multiferroicity in bulk materials.[4-6] While ferroelectricity in a classic ferroelectric such as BaTiO3 is expected to diminish with the reducing particle size,[7,8] ferromagnetism cannot occur in its bulk form.[9] Here, we use a combination of experiment and first-principles simulations to demonstrate that multiferroic nature emerges in intermediate size nanocrystalline BaTiO3, ferromagnetism arising from the oxygen vacancies at the surface and ferroelectricity from the core. A strong coupling between a surface polar phonon and spin is shown to result in a magnetocapacitance effect observed at room temperature, which can open up possibilities of new electro-magneto-mechanical devices at the nano-scale.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure