bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Note on the Solution of Very Basic Vibrations Problems Obtained from a Generalised Situation
Authors: Laura P. A. A. , Rossit C. A. , Bambill D. V. , Vera S. A.
Published: February 2013

Two forced vibrations problems are fundamental from academic and technological viewpoints; the suddenly applied constant-value force, and the situation where a sinusoidally varying excitation acts on the system. It is shown that both problems are particular cases of a more general excitation. The resonance stage is studied in detail.
The Work–Energy Theorem and the First Law of Thermodynamics
Authors: Mínguez José María
Published: February 2013

This paper presents the first law of thermodynamics, and shows what thermodynamics adds to the work—energy theorem from mechanics. This may help students to understand the contents of the law itself and the significance of both the heat transfer and the internal energy of a system.
Integration of a Fin Experiment into the Undergraduate Heat Transfer Laboratory
Authors: Abu-Mulaweh H. I.
Published: February 2013

A fin experimental apparatus was designed, developed and constructed for the undergraduate heat transfer laboratory at Purdue University at Fort Wayne. This paper presents a fin experiment that can be integrated into the undergraduate heat transfer laboratory. The objective of this experiment is to enhance the understanding of the transfer of thermal energy by undergraduate mechanical engineering students. This experiment exposes the students to several important concepts in heat transfer, such as one-dimensional, steady-state heat transfer by conduction and fin efficiency. In this type of experiment, the students get the opportunity to compare the measured temperature profiles in the fin to both analytical and numerical solutions. The experimental apparatus required to carry out this experiment is simple and inexpensive.
An Alternative Shear Formula in Non-Principal Coordinates
Authors: Hartsuijker C. , Askes H. , Gutiérrez M. A.
Published: February 2013

An alternative formula is presented to compute shear stresses in non-principal coordinates of arbitrary cross-sections for linear elastic, prismatic beams. In contrast to the formula traditionally used in textbooks for non-principal coordinates, the new formula avoids lengthy computations with the first and second moments of area. The trade-off is that the normal stresses must be computed before the shear stresses; however, since in practical situations both normal stresses and shear stresses need to be known, this is not considered a general disadvantage of the proposed formula. Whereas the traditional formula takes different formats for principal and non-principal coordinates, the new formula is valid in any coordinate system. Thus, simplicity is gained.
Design and Manufacture of Screw Threads
Authors: Ntoko Nzumbe-Mesape
Published: February 2013

It is shown that the profile of a screw thread, a helix, is also the trajectory of a particle of constant axial speed in a rotating coordinate system. Similitude between the motion of the particle and that of the tip of the cutting tool on a cylindrical blank rotated by the chuck of a lathe provides the basis for obtaining cutting speeds from the equation of a helix. The M20 bolt is used as an example.
‘New Lamps for Old!’ A Method to Rejuvenate Old Robots through the Use of a Simple Set of Microcontroller-Based Control Boards to Replace Outdated Control Systems
Authors: Brunn P. , Labib A. W.
Published: February 2013

The paper describes the design, development, testing and use of a microcontroller- and PC-based control system which was used to repair and enhance an ASEA IRB6 welding robot in the authors' laboratory. The principles described could be applied to any robot of similar age and to provide a low-cost route to revitalise any working robot hardware that is limited by an outdated control system. The proposed approach addresses a problem within many manufacturing systems operating in industry.
The Manchester Mechanics' Institute and the Free Library of Books
Authors: Johnson W.
Published: February 2013

Historical notes about, the origin and development of some of the Mechanics' Institutes in Scotland and England after 1823/24 and in the USA, and the establishment of a free public library of books in Manchester in 1851, are described, as are some of the principal individuals involved. It is proposed that the mathematician James Stirling made small contributions to both innovations.
Demonstration of Different Beam Models by Simple Experiment
Authors: Khutia Anujit , Majumder Utsa , Neogy Sumanta , Nandi Arghya
Published: February 2013

Experimental validation of various beam models is presented. The validation could form part of a course in strength of materials, mechanical vibration and finite element analysis of structures. Natural frequency is used as the key parameter. Such a presentation will also acquaint students with the various instruments used in a dynamics laboratory. However, it suggests that the finite element method, as well as other analytical or numerical tools, merely model the original structure and so reminds students of the importance of experiments.
Ice Calorimeter Thermal Design Project
Authors: Mullisen R. S.
Published: February 2013

A thermal engineering design project requiring the design, construction, and operation of a calorimeter that determines the enthalpy of fusion for water was assigned to a class of third-year mechanical engineering students in the fall of 2002. Working in groups, the students produced ice calorimeters of two different designs: one design used an electric heater and the other design involved mixing ice with water or aluminum. The 18 student groups plus the author produced 112 data points with a mean enthalpy of fusion value of 324.1 kJ/kg, which is 2.8% lower than the published value.
On the Consistent Use of Sign Convention in Thermodynamics
Authors: Boettner Daisie D. , Bailey Margaret B. , Arnas A. Özer
Published: February 2013

In thermodynamics, various sign conventions are used for energy transfers in the form of heat and work. Regardless of the sign convention introduced, thermodynamics texts subsequently abandon their established conventions in favor of magnitudes or absolute values. This article illustrates the importance of consistent use of a sign convention throughout a text and applies it to power-producing and power-consuming engineering devices. Additionally, using a selected sign convention, a substantive proof is presented showing why the ratio of energy added/rejected in the form of heat equals the ratio of the absolute temperatures of the energy source/sink, respectively.
On the Maximum Efficiency of Realistic Heat Engines
Authors: Miranda E. N.
Published: February 2013

In 1975 Curzon and Ahlborn ( Am. J. Phys; vol. 43, p. 22) studied a heat engine with thermal losses and derived an expression for its efficiency that described the performance of actual heat machines better than the traditional result due to Carnot. In their original derivation, time appears explicitly and this is disappointing in the framework of classical thermodynamics. In this note a derivation of the maximum efficiency of a heat engine with thermal losses is given without any explicit reference to time.
Experimental Apparatus for Measurements of Two-Phase Slug Flow Pressure Drop in a T-Junction
Authors: Al-Halhouli A. T. , Abu-Mulaweh H. I. , Hammad M. , Alhusein M. , Shannak B.
Published: February 2013

An experimental test loop system was designed, developed, and constructed to study the two-phase flow field in the undergraduate fluid mechanics laboratory. The purpose of this experimental apparatus is to measure the pressure drop of a two-phase mixture in a tee-junction. This paper describes a fluid mechanics experiment designed for undergraduate students to examine the pressure differences through a T-junction of an air–water mixture in slug two-phase flow regime with equal-sided diameters. This can be carried out at different inlet qualities and extraction rates. Sample results are presented.
Special Phenomena of Nonlinear Systems in Structural Dynamics
Authors: Ostermann Dirk
Published: February 2013

In modern structural design, more and more nonlinear computation methods are used. In the past, it was possible to consider nonlinearities using analytical solutions only with great effort and only for very few cases. Today, with powerful computers and modern finite element codes, these nonlinear analyses are no longer a problem. For the assessment of the results of such a computation, however, the software user must have a certain mechanical background, in order to understand the behavior of the structure being examined. Especially in structural dynamics, some special phenomena arise with nonlinear systems that are not predicted from linear theory. Some of these phenomena are presented here in relation to a simple example, Duffing's oscillator (a mass–spring system).
On Amplitude Build-up at Resonance
Authors: Stephen N. G.
Published: February 2013

A spring–mass oscillator will have infinite amplitude if excited at its natural frequency, although it takes infinite time for this to build up. When damping is present, the forced response is finite; expressions for both the time taken and the number of forced cycles for this to build up from dormant initial conditions are derived. It is shown that the time taken is independent of the forcing frequency, and hence the final amplitude, while the number of cycles is proportional to the forcing frequency.
Introducing Differential Kinematics to Mechanical Engineering Students
Authors: Sultan Ibrahim A.
Published: February 2013

Differential kinematics offers a simplified alternative to closed-form input–output equations needed to study the geometrical behaviour of linkages. For most linkages, these closed-form equations are either too messy or not possible to obtain, a fact that sometimes reflects negatively on how mechanical engineering students perceive the subject of mechanism analysis. On the other hand, differential models can easily be utilised in numerical methods designed to encourage these students to tackle even more difficult problems than currently being considered in academic programmes. In this paper, an approach is presented to facilitate this process. The mathematical procedure is based on the use of matrices referred to as kinematic Jacobians. The determinants of these matrices offer invaluable insights into the linkage mobility. These matrices are explained and used in a practice numerical example.
An Easily Understandable Introduction of Surface Tension to Engineering Students
Authors: Zhang Junfeng
Published: February 2013

Surface tension is an important concept in fluid mechanics. However, a convincing demonstration of the existence of surface tension is absent in textbooks. To fill such a gap, this paper presents a clear, convenient and easily understandable method to introduce surface tension to engineering students. This method also fits the students' knowledge background well.
Fault Diagnosis for a Booster Pump Unit
Authors: Kumar B. Raghu , Ramana K. V. , Rao K. Mallikharjuna
Published: February 2013

Condition monitoring and diagnostic engineering is a course that is well recognized by academics. It is offered to students across the globe who want exposure to instrumentation, data acquisition and processing. This paper introduces the technique of condition monitoring to budding engineers, from its conception to the present state of development, through a case study. An experimental investigation is highlighted in which the vibration condition of booster pump unit is monitored; the unit is a part of boiler feed pump train of a large thermal power plant. The booster pump is driven by a 3500 kW, 1440 rpm motor. The motor, along with the booster pump, is supported by four bearings. Tri-axial measurements were made at the bearing supports for 12 months. Root mean square values of displacement and velocity were measured along the horizontal, vertical and axial directions. The experimental data are plotted on a time domain for graphical analysis. Based on the experimental data, faults are diagnosed using ISO standards and causes are predicted. It is observed that the front and rear bearings of the booster pump experienced excess vibration. The work is concluded by way of suggesting remedial measures to ensure the vibration intensity at the said points falls within safe limits.
Error Analysis and Correction in the Slab Method for Determining Forming Forces
Authors: Foster A. D. , Copeland T. J. , Cox C. J. , Hall P. W. , Watkins M. A. , Wright R. , Lin J.
Published: February 2013

The accuracy of the traditional slab method, a well established method to calculate forming forces for simple metal forming operations, is investigated for the upset forging of a cylindrical billet. Axisymmetric finite elements modelling is used to confirm the mathematical slab result and simulate the real forging operation, in which the effects of billet barrelling are considered. The predicted pressure distribution and forming forces are used to compare the methods for a number of forming conditions. The effects of friction and deformation level on the errors in the slab method results are rationalised. A correction equation is proposed to bring results for the slab method closer to those found when considering barrelling. The research was carried out by a group of final-year mechanical engineering students under the guidance of an academic lecturer and a PhD student.
On the Energy Theorems of Elastic Pin-Jointed Frames
Authors: Sands C. M. , Chandler H. W.
Published: February 2013

This paper shows, using only elementary mathematics, that, for a pin-jointed structure with non-linear elastic members, the classical minimum principles can be derived from one fundamental inequality. This is constructed from: (1) Young's inequality, which is applied to the force–extension law, which has been expanded to include terms for thermal expansion or lack of fit; (2) the principle of virtual work, which is first demonstrated using a compact version of an existing proof. The method clearly shows why the theorems of minimum total potential energy and minimum complementary energy are extremum principles and not just stationary ones. The energy theorems of Castigliano and Engesser are also derived from the same inequality. The case of Hookean behaviour is particularly simple, as Young's inequality reduces to the sum of the squares of the error in satisfying the force–extension law. The stiffness method for linear elastic pin-jointed frames is established without the need to use rotation matrices to generate the set of equations for the full frame. Matlab code for the analysis of a three-dimensional pin-jointed frame is included in an appendix.
A Wind Tunnel as a Senior/Capstone Design Project: Laboratory Enhancement and Assessment of Student Learning
Authors: Leake Christopher S. , Jacobitz Frank G. , Malicky David M. , McGarry M.
Published: February 2013

Senior-level engineering students spend their final year designing and constructing challenging engineering-based capstone design projects in groups of two or more. The main objective of the senior design project is to give students first-hand knowledge of how the engineering design process works in a simulated industrial environment. Specifically, it is meant to familiarize students with the key objectives of senior design: design, construction, and testing. In addition to satisfying the learning objectives of senior design, a wind tunnel was constructed to enhance the fluid mechanics laboratory. The completion of the wind tunnel satisfied the two major goals of the project: completion of the senior design course objectives, and laboratory enhancement. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the students learning the fundamentals of design, construction, and testing, student surveys were completed and reported.
Design and Prototype Development of a Customizable Training System for Teaching Fluid Power Technologies
Authors: Cziulik Carlos , Salamon Celso
Published: February 2013

Hydraulics technology has been used to provide functional solutions to several demands of modern society (e.g. powered steering, rocket and airplane controls, machine tools). Additionally, it is almost impossible to find any industrial product that, during its manufacturing phase, has not been subject to an intervention of a hydraulic mechanism or solution. It is therefore surprising that universities and technical colleges have largely dealt with hydraulics issues employing resources and techniques that do not reflect this industrial scenario. To bridge this gap between academia and industry (by improving professionals' basic preparation in hydraulics topics), this paper presents an alternative approach to hydraulics, based on the design and prototype development of a system that allowed students to reproduce different processes. The proposed solution contained a main device and several tools for mapping different manufacturing processes. These elements formed a complete framework which was flexible, modular and expandable, and could translate the behaviour, performance and parameters of the hydraulic technology applied. A prototype which encapsulated aspects of the proposed design replicated the processes of forging, deep pressing and extruding. A preliminary assessment of the prototype, via a design checklist and controlled experiments, was conducted with students and professionals from industry. The results indicated that the proposed approach had great potential to improve the teaching and learning of hydraulics topics.
A Matlab Toolbox for Teaching Modern System Identification Methods for Industrial Process Control
Authors: Burn Kevin , Maerte Loïc , Cox Chris
Published: February 2013

Many complex processes can be successfully controlled using two- or three-term (PI or PID) controllers. However, the task of selecting individual controller gains (tuning) can be time consuming and expensive. An important aspect of tuning is the determination of a mathematical model that captures the dynamics of the process. This is known as system identification, which can be achieved in various ways using either step response or relay feedback tests. This paper describes a Matlab toolbox that is currently being developed to facilitate the teaching of modern approaches to system identification and controller design found in the control research literature. When used in undergraduate teaching, it serves the dual purpose of making the techniques more accessible to students, and of providing challenging project work in the field of control engineering. To demonstrate the toolbox, a recently implemented algorithm is described, together with details of its implementation within the Matlab/Simulink environment. Its effectiveness is then demonstrated by comparing it with a classical approach. Suggestions are also made as to how the software may be used for teaching purposes, and ongoing and future developments are described.
Simple Rig for Measuring Radiation Heat Fluxes from a Jet Fire
Authors: Cumber Peter S. , Murray Joanna
Published: February 2013

This paper presents an experimental rig for measuring the incident radiation heat flux distribution surrounding a jet fire. The methodology uses a line of surface thermocouples attached to a steel bar. The thermocouples measure the temperature time history of the steel bar in response to an imposed incident heat flux. The theoretical basis of the methodology is an energy balance for any point on the steel bar. The energy balance is formulated as a lumped capacitance model. All of the assumptions in the theory are shown to be valid and the accuracy of the experimental methodology is demonstrated. Finally the educational value of the rig is discussed with an indication of how it can be used to enhance the educational experience of an undergraduate engineer taking an advanced heat transfer module.
Design and Development of a High-Temperature Geothermal Heat Pump
Authors: Abu-Mulaweh H. I.
Published: February 2013

A high-temperature geothermal-based heat pump prototype was designed and developed by a mechanical engineering capstone senior design team. It had to deliver water at a temperature above 140° F (60° C) using currently available technologies. Other requirements/specifications included: 3 ton (30 000 BTU/h, 8.8 kW) heating capacity; a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2 or more; saturated evaporator temperature of 25° F (-4° C); saturated condenser temperature of 120° F (49° C); and a maximum system operating pressure of 600 psia (4136 kPa), in order to meet safety standards. The heat pump was designed around the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle. This paper provides details about the design and development of the heat pump prototype, as well as the testing and validation of the unit.
Free Vibration Studies of Classical Beams/Rods with Lumped Masses at Boundaries Using an Approach Based on Wave Vibration
Authors: Mei C.
Published: February 2013

Vibrations in beams/rods with lumped masses at boundaries are normally not covered in introductory vibration textbooks. An effort is made here to formulate a concise and systematic approach to the study of the relatively complex vibration problems pertaining to such structures. An exact analytical solution is obtained for bending, torsional, and longitudinal vibration analysis based on a wave vibration approach. The reflection matrices corresponding to bending, torsional, and longitudinal incident vibration waves at the end mass are derived from classical vibration theories; these are then assembled with propagation matrices and reflection matrices at classical boundaries to form a systematic approach to the analysis of free vibration. Numerical examples are presented, comparisons with results available in the literature are made and good agreements are reached.
Detection of Higher Harmonics in a Slider Crank Mechanism of Variable Obliquity Ratio and its Use in the Determination of Displacement Transmissibility
Authors: Jha Devesh Kumar , Das Santanu , Nandi A. , Neogy S.
Published: February 2013

The present paper deals with the design and manufacture of a slider crank mechanism with a variable obliquity ratio. It uses a double eccentric to serve this purpose. The slider crank mechanism can be operated at various speeds and different obliquity ratios. An accelerometer attached to the slider helps obtain its acceleration. The presence of higher harmonics is detected using fast Fourier transforms. The experimentally obtained values are compared with standard theoretical results. Further, a cantilever can be fixed to the slider under displacement excitation. Accelerations measured at the root and tip of the cantilever are used to calculate displacement transmissibility. The experimentally obtained values are compared with those obtained using finite elements. It is expected that such an approach will boost the interest of the students as it bridges theory with experimental work, which is so vital for engineering education.
Remote Control and Influence: Technocultural Capital as a Species of Cultural Capital
Authors: O'Keeffe Margaret
Published: February 2013

Adapting Bourdieu's theory of capitals, the concept of technocultural capital is introduced to study interactions with, and relationships to, technology. The concept is employed in the study of mass media use and consumption in the context of the family. Pronounced gender and generational differences in the levels of technocultural capital were identified. An understanding of these differences and how they emerge is crucial, as technocultural capital is a valuable and powerful concept for understanding interactions, not only within the family setting, but also in other contexts such as education and work, where it can impact on educational and career choices and social mobility.
Experiencing Difference: Cultural Alienation of the Hong Kong Chinese Children in Northern Ireland
Authors: Feng-Bing Monica
Published: February 2013

The present paper focuses on secondary school children from Hong Kong Chinese families living in Northern Ireland, UK, and maps out their trans-cultural experiences by examining the discursive ways in which they construct their cultural Self and cultural Other. Here Bourdieu's concept of habitus is employed in conjunction with Chinese moral values in order to understand the ethnic Chinese minority children's creative constructions of trans-cultural identity, cultural perceptions and attitudes. In conclusion, implications for culturally grounded understanding of trans-cultural experience in light of habitus are discussed.
Private Health Insurance as a Technology of Solidarity? The Myth of ‘Community’ in Irish Healthcare Policy
Authors: McDonnell Orla , O'Donovan Orla
Published: February 2013

In Ireland, private health insurance (PHI) has long been lauded in state discourses as a fair system and, more recently, the PHI regime has been represented as embodying a unique cultural heritage founded on social commitments to community and intergenerational solidarity. Based on an analysis of Irish parliamentary (Dáil Éireann) debates between 1956 and 2007, this paper shows how the myth that PHI in Ireland serves as a ‘technology of solidarity’ is constructed and sustained by specific rhetorical strategies deployed around the meaning of ‘community’. We argue that this myth has far-reaching consequences for how ‘solidarity’ is imagined, particularly given the pervasive pull of neo-liberal rationalities over the governance of healthcare.
Critical Discourse in the Media: The Liminality of Ireland's Celtic Tiger
Authors: Boland Tom
Published: February 2013

Rather than the preserve of the theorist, critique is a pervasive modern phenomenon requiring interpretation and analysis. In particular, this article pursues the relationship between liminal transitions and critical discourse, arguing that the former provokes the latter, and that critique makes transition almost interminable. Following Keohane and Kuhling (2004, 2007), the Celtic Tiger is thematised as ‘liminality’, a suspension of order, which incites and diffuses critical reflection on the ‘taken for granted’. This wider social process is tracked by an analysis of a corpus of media texts published between 1997 and 2007, from widely divergent social and political positions. ‘Critical discourse’ then emerges as a series of interrelated tropes; disfigurement, cynicism, influence and unmasking.
A Comparative Analysis of Pro-Traveller and Pro-Unemployed Mobilisations
Authors: Royall Frédéric
Published: February 2013

Organisations that defend the interests of marginalised and disadvantaged people such as Travellers and the unemployed are inherently different from other types of organisations because, typically, their constituents find it far more difficult to overcome political, social, psychological, and economic obstacles before they can mobilise. These organisations normally compensate for the situation by availing of favourable political and discursive opportunities and by entering into alliances with more powerful allies. This article investigates the ways that pro-Traveller and pro-unemployed organisations in Ireland helped their constituents to mobilise in defence of their interests and it seeks to account for the different dynamics that ensued.
Theodicy Sociologised: Suffering Smart in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Fuller Steve
Published: February 2013

Theodicy is the branch of theology traditionally concerned with justifying palpable injustices in the world that are presumably the product of a just deity. The classical sociologists appreciated theodicy's relevance in terms of different social attitudes towards human suffering: is it to be tolerated, minimised, redressed or somehow transcended? Each answer implies a different view about the place of humanity in some larger cosmic order. In modern political theory, the question is normally specified in terms of the problem of distributive justice. However, the re-negotiation of the boundary between biology and sociology in the early twenty-first century is forcing a re-engagement with theodicy in its original broad sense, especially as we are increasingly asked to set resource distribution policies that bind across generations of humans and non-humans alike. In this context, as humans acquire an increasingly ‘godlike’ perspective on the normative order, suffering may come to be seen in more strictly instrumental terms – indeed, as itself a resource that might be recycled to produce good in the long term. Thus, we may be entering an era of ‘moral entrepreneurship’.
Circuits of Aversion: The Transnational Mediation of Multicultural Crisis
Authors: Titley Gavan
Published: February 2013

Since ‘9/11’, commentators, politicians and media discourse in a range of European contexts have increasingly drawn on narratives of the ‘crisis of multiculturalism’ to make sense of a broad range of events and political developments. For all this focus, multiculturalism has rarely amounted to more than a patchwork of initiatives, rhetoric and aspirations in any context, and has been subject to a long and well-documented history of ‘backlash’. Multiculturalism, therefore, can be approached analytically as a mobilising metaphor and discursive assemblage that facilitates and orders debate on questions of race, legitimacy and belonging. This article examines the transnational mediation of ‘multicultural crisis’, and explores the cultural dynamics through which a congruent narrative of a ‘failed experiment’ has been shaped and circulated. It argues that these transnational dynamics have become politically significant in positioning and justifying a politics of integration predicated on visions of core values and ‘ways of life’, and invested in by a complex spectrum of political positions.
Migrant Chaplains: Mediators of Catholic Church Transnationalism or Guests in Nationally Shaped Religious Fields?
Authors: Gray Breda , Lago Ria O'Sullivan
Published: February 2013

Migrant chaplains are key mediators in the Catholic Church's ministry to its mobile flock. In this article we draw on field-work with migrant chaplains in Ireland, scholarship in transnationalism and Bourdieu's concepts of field, habitus and capital to examine the transnational and local relations by which this ministry is shaped. Three themes are addressed: first, how the dispositions or positions of migrant chaplains as visitors or guests are produced in the negotiation of nationally infected religious capital; second, the ways in which migrant chaplains challenge the Catholic Church field as manifest in Ireland via calls for recognition of migrant church religious capital; and third, the ways in which the Catholic Church as a universal church reinstates the logic of the Catholic Church religious field across national differences.
A Tale of Two Cities: ‘Authentic’ Tourism in Belfast
Authors: Leonard Madeleine
Published: February 2013

The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of tour guides in presenting ‘authentic’ versions of the conflict and post-conflict situation in Belfast. The paper is based on how post-conflict Belfast and relationships between Catholics and Protestants are presented by tour operators to tourists visiting the city. The paper is based on eight tours undertaken in 2008 involving twelve tour guides. The paper compares and contrasts the discourses produced by former paramilitary combatants who are now employed as tour guides by Coiste (an organisation that focuses on supporting former political prisoners) with ‘neutral’ tour guides who provide ‘official’ Belfast City Sightseeing tours. Each claim to be giving an ‘authentic’ account of the past and present and the paper will explore the various dimensions of ‘biased authenticity’1 presented.
Society, Space and the Public Realm: Beyond Gated Individualism
Authors: Corcoran Mary P.
Published: February 2013

A feature of late modern society is the economisation and privatisation of social life resulting in a decline in the public realm. Judt has observed that we are drifting toward a society of ‘gated individuals who do not know how to share public space to common advantage’ (2010: 216). Similarly Oldenburg (1989) has expressed concerns about the sustainability of third places – places that occupy the space between the marketplace, workplace and home place – in the modern era. He argues that ‘third places’ are being replaced by ‘non-places’ – places where individuals relate to each other purely in utilitarian terms. Non-places promote civil disaffiliation rather than civil integration. This article argues for an exploration of the ‘spaces of potential’ within the public realm of the city that can help to promote relationships of trust, respect and mutuality. Acknowledging and promoting such ‘spaces of potential’ amounts to a challenge to the privatisation and economisation of social life. Moreover, it creates the possibility of a reinvigorated public sphere and an enhancement of civil integration.
Initiatives and Strategies to Secure Training Opportunities in the German Vocational Education and Training System
Authors: Deissinger Thomas , Hellwig Silke
Published: February 2013

In Germany, the vocational education and training system has traditionally been regarded as stable and efficient and also well esteemed because it produces highly valued and nationally recognised vocational qualifications. The so-called Dual System still attracts the majority of school-leavers with non-academic aspirations or talents. However, in the past few years the Dual System has faced severe problems, and critics argue that it is in a structural crisis owing to failing operating mechanisms. Furthermore, economic factors have contributed to a critical situation in the training market, with a serious lack of training opportunities. On the other hand, the vocational full-time schools as the second major sub-system of vocational education and training in Germany, though clearly in the shadow of the Dual System, provide a mix of opportunities to achieve general or vocational qualifications.

Against this background, vocational training policy and research alike have identified the need for reforms and a more or less substantial change of the system. Currently, four strategies are under discussion and have already been partly undertaken to provide a more reliable supply of training opportunities and to enhance the quality of vocational courses and programmes. Although one focus lies on bridging the gap between the two subs-systems, the nature of the reform debate at least partly shows parallels to reforms in anglophone countries, which seems remarkable as the system in Germany has always been reluctant to reform and less flexible and open compared to other countries.
Working Alongside Older Adults in a Qualitative Participatory Research Project: Issues and Challenges
Authors: Findsen Brian , Carvalho Lucila
Published: February 2013

This article provides a preliminary analysis of issues and challenges associated with a qualitative participatory research project conducted in Auckland, New Zealand. It traces the history of the development of the project in two selected urban areas which entails an investigation of a full range of learning for older adults – formal, non-formal and informal – to provide a benchmark of data on older adults' lives and linked learning. The issues emerging in this project so far have been primarily methodological, and these are discussed in the context of working alongside older adults as co-researchers. Challenges for the next phases of the project are identified, including prospects for international comparison of findings and themes.
‘For Some Reason, I'm Just Tired’: Women Domestic Workers Persisting in Community-Based Programmes
Authors: Cuban Sondra
Published: February 2013

A study of women migrant domestic workers in the USA and their reasons for participating and persisting in community-based literacy and ESOL programmes is presented. Case studies and themes were developed about the women's experiences of work life and how it connected to their programme participation. The findings revealed that the women had health problems that were related to their work, and they participated in programmes in order to better understand them. The women also experienced considerable isolation at work, and attended their programmes in order to socialise and meet other women like themselves. Additionally, the women wanted to learn how to better negotiate workplace texts, and, eventually, use their new-found knowledge and education to move into other occupations. The article ends with implications for practice and policy.
‘I Might Be Overqualified’: Personal Perspectives and National Survey Findings on Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition in Canada
Authors: Livingstone D. W. , Myers Douglas
Published: February 2013

Interest in prior learning recognition among Canadian adults is estimated on the basis of a large-scale national survey and illustrated by an account of the development of a prior learning assessment centre and the individual experiences of participants. Both the common principles and the distinctive activities that characterise the prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) field are considered. The survey finds widespread interest in PLAR, especially in the employed labour force, and large unmet demand for both adult education courses and PLAR. There are significant demographic differences: younger adults are much more interested in PLAR regardless of their formal educational attainment, as are non-whites and recent immigrants. Those most involved in informal learning activities have the greatest interest in PLAR, most notably young high school dropouts. Policy implications of these findings and experiences for wider application of PLAR are considered. The direct learner voices quoted in the text can be seen and heard in DVD clips at www.wallnetwork.ca and www.placentre.ns.ca .
Charting the Pathways of Lifelong Learning: A Longitudinal Perspective on Formal Study in Adulthood
Authors: Jamieson Anne , Birkbeck Lesley Adshead
Published: February 2013

This article explores the pattern of formal study activities over a period of 11 years for a group of adult learners. It is based on a two-phase study of students who enrolled in 1999 on courses run by the Faculty of Continuing Education at Birkbeck, University of London. Taking a longitudinal perspective, conducted retrospectively for 1994–1999, and prospectively for 2000–2005, it focuses on their study pathways and ‘progression’ over this period, exploring the patterns of participation, and whether these are associated with patterns of study motivations and outcomes. Using quantitative analysis of patterns of over this period, four ‘types' of students were identified: ‘ongoing students’; ‘intermittent students’; ‘resumers' and ‘one-off students’. Certain trends were discernable in terms of the demographic composition of each of these ‘types’, and in terms of study motivation and benefits. However, there was also considerable variability within each of the types, which highlights the extent of diversity among adult learners and the variety of roles played by education in the life course of individuals.
A Comparative Study of Distance Education in Greece and Bulgaria
Authors: Bokova Irina , Soulioti Evangelia V. , Pange Jenny
Published: February 2013

Distance education, unlike traditional education, makes it possible for students to receive instruction independent of place and time. Course materials can be sent via post or e-mail, and students can be located anywhere and rarely, if ever, need to meet their instructors and/or fellow students face to face. This article is an attempt to explore and compare some aspects of distance education in Greece and Bulgaria.
Internationally Educated Female Teachers' Transformative Lifelong Learning Experiences: Rethinking the Immigrant Experience through an Arts-Informed Group Process
Authors: Brigham Susan
Published: February 2013

This article is based on two phases of a five year arts-informed study that involved 24 women who immigrated to Maritime Canada as adults and who were all teachers in their countries of origin. In groups of approximately six, research participants gathered together in workshops held in two teacher training institutions in two Maritime Provinces over a period of several months to critically reflect on teaching and learning, as well as immigration experiences. In the workshops the women, along with two researchers/workshop leaders, one of whom was the author, engaged in writing, story telling, art-making, dialogue, and critical reflection. Drawing on the theory of transformative learning I analyse the research data presented in two vignettes. The workshop practices, methods, and materials engaged the participants in the imaginative domain and in the exploration of multiple modes of knowledge construction and dimensions of identity.
‘It is Only the Instructed and Trained Overlooker and Artisan That Can Successfully Compete against Foreign Skills’: Nineteenth-Century Adult Technical and Vocational Education Offered by the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Institutes and the Foundation of Further Education Curricula
Authors: Walker Martyn
Published: February 2013

Further education colleges in England and Wales have offered government-recognised courses and qualifications which receive public funding and have included technical and vocational courses since their foundation in the early twentieth century. Yet developments in such curricula and qualifications are not new and they can be traced back to the first half of the nineteenth century when working-class adult education was first being offered through the then evolving mechanics' institutes. Historians have argued that nineteenth-century British mechanics' institutes failed to offer working-class adults education and qualifications, instead providing scientific lectures for the professional classes. The assumption has been that it was not until the early twentieth century that technical schools started to offer what is often referred to today as vocational education and training. This article questions these views, using the annual reports of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Institutes between the 1830s and 1880s as evidence. The article highlights how several Yorkshire Union mechanics' institutes, many the forerunners of further education colleges, were responsive to offering curricula and qualifications relevant to British industrialisation and the working classes, a tradition which continues today through post-14 education and training.
‘A Good Job, a Better Paid Job, and a Better Choice of Job’: The Economic Benefits of Higher Education from an Individual Perspective
Authors: Connor Helen
Published: February 2013

The main focus of this article is the economic benefits of higher education (HE) to individuals and how they are perceived by potential HE entrants. It highlights issues relating to just one aspect of the economic benefits of learning, but it is an important one in the current debate on higher education funding systems and also the current aims of Government to widen participation in HE study. It is based on a paper presented to the 4th Scottish Forum on Lifelong Learning 29 January 2001 (slightly revised and updated, but not altered in any major way from the original presentation).
‘It's Our Last Chance’ — A Study of Completion Rates by Age at an English University
Authors: Hatt Sue , Baxter Arthur , Kimberlee Richard
Published: February 2013

Although the UK has one of the highest graduation rates in the world, some groups of students are more likely than others to complete their degree. This article examines the completion rates of mature and younger students on a large undergraduate social science programme at a new university in England in the late 1990s. Drawing on quantitative data and interviews with staff and students, this article compares the reasons why students enter HE, the factors affecting their motivation and attendance and the issues they face if they are to complete the programme. Although younger students have higher rates of completion than ‘matures’, they also account for the majority of the non-completers. Since non-completion is a wasteful process, both groups warrant attention. Students in the younger age groups can find it hard to negotiate the transition to university life and this can lead to non-attendance and the risk of failure. For mature students, the pressures on their time can be acute making it difficult for them to continue if personal circumstances change. As universities have expanded their intake, they need to review their teaching and learning strategies, their assessment regime and their support and guidance systems to ensure that they cater for all groups within a more diverse student body.
Theory, Research and Practice – The Problematic Appearance of ‘Pedagogy’ in Post-Compulsory Education
Authors: Sommerlad Elizabeth
Published: February 2013

This article explores the problematic nature of pedagogy and pedagogic effectiveness in post-compulsory education – the politics of the discourse, the challenges to pedagogic “old-think” by the new learning, and the methodological difficulties of measuring outcomes as attention moves from the theatre of instruction to the setting of application. It takes as its starting point a study commissioned by the UK's Teaching and Learning Research Programme to review and document the evidence base for pedagogic effectiveness in the different field of post-compulosry education. The article unpicks the many different reasons why the scope and framing of this study doomed it to a kind of failure, and why the TLRP's research agenda aroused the passions of many educational researchers outside the mainstream. Concerns centred on TLRP as a manifestation of the new research orthodoxy and its preoccupation with evidence-based research, and the limitations of this orthodoxy in engaging with innovative thinking about new forms of teaching and learning.
Documents of Performance Refreshment Tokens or ‘Wet Money’
Authors: Mayer David
Published: February 2013

Our document section will offer objects and texts which, individually, throw light on theatrical and/or filmic processes or the cultural circumstances in which performance events have taken place. As with any other document, this document and those which follow are open to other readings and further or different interpretations. Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film's documents are those which, in many circumstances, are less likely to be encountered in the course of research. We invite readers to nominate and explicate documents for future issues. We also invite readers to contest identifications or otherwise comment upon the documents which appear in this journal.
Preparation of Rodent Testis Co‐Cultures
Authors: Wegner Susanna , Hong Sungwoo , Yu Xiaozhong , Faustman Elaine M.
Published: February 2013

Male reproductive development is a complex process that is sensitive to disruption by a range of toxicants. There is a great need for in vitro models that can evaluate potential male reproductive toxicants. The current unit presents a protocol for preparation of a three‐dimensional in vitro model of male reproductive development that reduces the number of animals required for evaluation of toxicants. A Matrigel overlay provides a three‐dimensional extracellular matrix that improves cell attachment, viability, and communication, and makes the model more reflective of in vivo environments. Curr. Protoc. Toxicol. 55:16.10.1‐16.10.7. © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.