The development of a novel large area building integrated solar collector for pool heating

Unglazed solar collectors have often been used a means of providing low cost heating to swimming pools. However, these systems are typically polymer style “mats” that are laid on top of a roof, often leading to poor aesthetics due to their lack of integration with the building itself. This study charts the development of a novel large area unglazed building integrated solar pool heating system (BIT), based on long run sheet metal roofing, from its initial conceptualisation through to its implementation. It discusses the design of the building integrated solar collector modules, the assessment of their performance through theoretical modelling and experimental validation. Subsequently, it shows the scaling of laboratory scale testing to a large area array through modelling and discusses the performance of the system in the “as-built” configuration. In doing this, it provides a succinct illustration of the design process for the development of the University of Waikato’s building integrated pool heating system

Complete LibTech 2013 Print Program

PDF of the complete print program from the 2013 Library Technology Conferenc

Library Technology Conference 2015 Print Schedule

PDF of the complete program from the 2015 Library Technology Conference

From Technology National Curriculum statement through to sustaining classroom practice and enhancing student learning: the New Zealand experience

This paper will introduce four key aspects of the implementation of a national technology curriculum. Firstly, we will discuss how the structure of the New Zealand Technology Curriculum (Technology in the New Zealand Curriculum, Ministry of Education, 1995) attempted to reflect the nature of technology and technological practice. The structure of the curriculum in terms of the broad outcomes and technological areas will be highlighted. The curriculum statement provides a framework within which students can develop an understanding of past technologies as well as those being currently developed in their local community, nationally or internationally. Secondly, a discussion of the need for research of appropriate models of teacher development is presented. Thirdly, an example of a classroom resource that fosters school-enterprise links is discussed. Finally, this paper will examine how developing teachers’ formative assessment practices in technology can both sustain classroom practice in technology as well as enhance student learning. Highlighted is the development of both the teachers and students conceptual and procedural technological knowledge base, both, so that classroom practice in technology was more effective and sustainable. The role of research and development in implementation and the way this has informed classroom practice in the New Zealand context, will be highlighted throughout the paper

University accounting and business curricula on sustainability: Perceptions of undergraduate students

The challenge to embed sustainability in the formal curriculum has been troublesome for accounting academics. This study investigates sustainability in the accounting curriculum at a regional university in New Zealand. Sustainability practices are becoming an important issue given that many business activity problems have arisen over the years, unsustainable practices have resulted in societal and environmental damages. There has been an increasing recognition of the need for sustainability teaching in tertiary education. Education plays an important role in equipping graduates with the relevant sustainability skills to make informed decisions towards a more sustainable world. There is a need to examine how students respond to the teaching of sustainability in their courses. This will allow education providers to find out how student perceive sustainability education, and make changes to improve the teaching of sustainability. Literatures have claimed that students have positive attitudes towards sustainability; however, this does not mean that students are familiar with the concept of sustainability. There are business students who seem to perceive the study of sustainability to be less important when compared to other subjects. There still seems to be a shortage of research done on how students perceive sustainability. This paper contributes to the discussion needed to understand what sustainability skills are required by managers and how tertiary education programs in accounting may need to incorporate sustainability. The role of accounting schools in leading and managing change towards sustainability must be further informed

Sustainable Use of Natural Resources In Construction Works: a Case Study of Social Housing.

Optimizing the use of resources in the building process is a current problem and is also highly regarded in the latest European legislation. The problem can be tackled by minimizing waste production, promoting waste recovery and transforming waste into resources. In this work has been experimented the elaboration of a building project, for the social building intended use, which can be realized in all aspects in accordance with current regulations and which uses products containing materials from recycling. It relates to the methodology applied and the results obtained and the difficulties encountered in the development of the project

Sleuths and Spies: the rise of the 'Everywoman' in detective and thriller fiction of the 1920s

The 1920s, frequently referred to as the ‘Roaring Twenties’ or the ‘Jazz Age’, are often associated with opulent lifestyles and the emergence of striking fashion and furniture trends. Themes in the history of women in crime and thriller fiction show, however, that this decade was also a difficult period in the West, one of widespread financial hardship and of living in the shadow of social turmoil: anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories and fear of the foreign dominated the mainstream press as well as popular fiction. It was also a period in which women were working to navigate their way through a society changed forever by the experience of war. This paper examines some of the well-known detective and thriller fiction writers of the 1920s – Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John Buchan and William Le Queux – and shows how their characters chart the sexualisation of women as well as women’s resistance to the prevailing views of the day. Fictional women of this period represent ‘Everywoman’: independent and intelligent and, most importantly, sleuths and spies in their own right

High performance workplaces and skill development: Updating the map of the territory

The impact of High Performance Workplace Systems (HPWS) on workers and unions is a contentious area for debate in the fields of industrial relations and social science in general. Proponents of HPWS claim that one of the benefits for workers is that they enable workers to develop and raise their skill levels. This paper offers a preliminary evaluation of that claim by sketching an updated map of the territory. It concludes that the HPWS literature contains significant weaknesses concerning the definition of skill in explaining what skill development means for workers, individually and collectively

How Should Happiness Guide Policy? Why Gross National Happiness is not opposed to Democracy

Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a political program carries with it the ambition to make a difference to real policy decisions. Whatever the precise understanding of GNH, it was al-ways intended to be more than a purely theoretical concept and to make a direct difference to policy making and, what is more, to actual development paths. Yet, whatever policy recom

The Carmichael vision and training reform: Some insights from across the Tasman

This paper provides insights into aspects of trans--Tasman union influences in the 1980s and early 1990s. In particular, it examines Laurie Carmichael’s influence on New Zealand unions, especially with respect to education and training reforms. The paper traces how his influence grew as the relationship between the AMWU and the NZEU warmed through the 1980s. It also highlights the very major impact Australia Reconstructed had on thinking in New Zealand as unions struggled to respond to neoliberal policies and practices of the Fourth labour Government. The paper finds that the New Zealand reception of Australian ideas reflected, at least in part, the limitations o he left intellectual tradition in New Zealand