title: Towards a TCT-inspired electronics concept inventory

authors: Scott, Jonathan B.

subjects: threshold concepts

abstract: This study reports on the initial work on the use of Threshold Concept Theory (TCT) to develop a threshold-concept inventory – a catalogue of the important concepts that underlie electronics and electrical engineering (EE) – and an assessment tool – to investigate the depth of student understanding of threshold and related concepts, independent of students’ numerical ability and knowledge mimicry in the first-year course in electrical engineering. This is both challenging and important for several reasons: there is a known issue with student retention (Tsividis, 1998; 2009); the discipline is relatively hard for students because it concerns invisible phenomena; and finally it is one that demands deep understanding from the very start (Scott, Harlow, Peter, and Cowie, 2010). Although the focus of this research was on electronic circuits, findings regarding teaching and learning of threshold concepts (TCs) will inform lecturers in three other disciplines who are part of our project on threshold concepts.

text: Towards a TCT-inspired electronics concept inventory This study reports on the initial work on the use of Threshold Concept Theory (TCT) to develop a threshold-concept inventory – a catalogue of the important concepts that underlie electronics and electrical engineering (EE) – and an assessment tool – to investigate the depth of student understanding of threshold and related concepts, independent of students’ numerical ability and knowledge mimicry in the first-year course in electrical engineering. This is both challenging and important for several reasons: there is a known issue with student retention (Tsividis, 1998; 2009); the discipline is relatively hard for students because it concerns invisible phenomena; and finally it is one that demands deep understanding from the very start (Scott, Harlow, Peter, and Cowie, 2010). Although the focus of this research was on electronic circuits, findings regarding teaching and learning of threshold concepts (TCs) will inform lecturers in three other disciplines who are part of our project on threshold concepts.

year: 2014

title: Evaluating web mapping applications for visualising demographic diversity

authors: McHardie, Tristan James

subjects: Demography diversity

abstract: The use of maps on the World Wide Web is revolutionising how people access information. These web maps harness text, audio, video, animation, graphics and, most importantly, user interaction to improve the communication and interpretation of geographic phenomena. In this interactive and dynamic environment, web application developers have the opportunity to allow map readers to also be map producers; users can be enabled to query and analyse data and then assemble maps and other visualisations themselves, enhancing their understanding of the data and its geospatial relationships. This thesis focuses on what factors are important for the design of web mapping applications that provide visualisations of demographic diversity. Demographic information is inherently geospatial, making maps the ideal tool for visualising population statistics and their spatial relationships. An outcome of this research is a set of guidelines for reviewing web mapping applications that portray demographic diversity information. This thesis also provides an insight into the current standard for web mapping of demographic information and identifies the potential for improvement. A review of the literature, as well as a reflexive implementation, are the principal methods used to develop these guidelines. The essential components include the needs of demographers, and principles of cartography and human-computer interaction, as well as a consideration of open source and proprietary software. Five prominent, national demographic web mapping applications (two Australian, and one from New Zealand, the United States of America, and Canada) are used to develop these guidelines, as well as providing an insight into the current standard. The main conclusion of this research is that the guidelines developed provide a worthwhile structure but need to be kept broad. Also, there needs to be more emphasis on user data upload facilities, which is important for demographers, and cartographic communication needs to be given higher priority.

text: Evaluating web mapping applications for visualising demographic diversity The use of maps on the World Wide Web is revolutionising how people access information. These web maps harness text, audio, video, animation, graphics and, most importantly, user interaction to improve the communication and interpretation of geographic phenomena. In this interactive and dynamic environment, web application developers have the opportunity to allow map readers to also be map producers; users can be enabled to query and analyse data and then assemble maps and other visualisations themselves, enhancing their understanding of the data and its geospatial relationships. This thesis focuses on what factors are important for the design of web mapping applications that provide visualisations of demographic diversity. Demographic information is inherently geospatial, making maps the ideal tool for visualising population statistics and their spatial relationships. An outcome of this research is a set of guidelines for reviewing web mapping applications that portray demographic diversity information. This thesis also provides an insight into the current standard for web mapping of demographic information and identifies the potential for improvement. A review of the literature, as well as a reflexive implementation, are the principal methods used to develop these guidelines. The essential components include the needs of demographers, and principles of cartography and human-computer interaction, as well as a consideration of open source and proprietary software. Five prominent, national demographic web mapping applications (two Australian, and one from New Zealand, the United States of America, and Canada) are used to develop these guidelines, as well as providing an insight into the current standard. The main conclusion of this research is that the guidelines developed provide a worthwhile structure but need to be kept broad. Also, there needs to be more emphasis on user data upload facilities, which is important for demographers, and cartographic communication needs to be given higher priority.

year: 2016

title: AMS radiocarbon dating of Rattus Exulans bone from the Kokohuia Site (New Zealand)

authors: Higham, Thomas F.G.

abstract: We AMS radiocarbon dated rat bones (Pacific rat (Rattus exulans)) from the archaeological site of Kokohuia, in Northland, New Zealand. An initial series were up to 1200 years too old, but the reason for the offset remained obscure. We considered dietary foodwebs, post-depositional contamination and taphonomy as possible explanations. None provided robust answers. Finally, we identified a laboratory-related error, in which a small amount of old carbon derived from humectants (glycerin) used to moisten ultrafilters prior to the extraction of bone collagen, had become incorporated in the dated collagen. The glycerin humectant was present in amounts averaging 30-40 mg C per ultrafilter, which ordinarily is too small to significantly affect single dates obtained on bone collagen, but was significant in the case of small rat bones. Redating of bones from identical contexts produced a series of results which were within agreement with the age of the site as determined from other materials, including short-lived identified charcoal, and marine and estuarine shell. These results sound a warning for dating very small bone samples, and emphasise the need to consider all possible contaminants derived from laboratory preparation and chemical processing background. In addition, it emphasises the requirement for utilising standard samples of identical type (eg, bone, charcoal, wood etc) which range from young (1-2 half-lives) to background in age, as well as low and high sample mass, as QA laboratory checks on reproducibility (Bronk Ramsey et al., in press).

text: AMS radiocarbon dating of Rattus Exulans bone from the Kokohuia Site (New Zealand) We AMS radiocarbon dated rat bones (Pacific rat (Rattus exulans)) from the archaeological site of Kokohuia, in Northland, New Zealand. An initial series were up to 1200 years too old, but the reason for the offset remained obscure. We considered dietary foodwebs, post-depositional contamination and taphonomy as possible explanations. None provided robust answers. Finally, we identified a laboratory-related error, in which a small amount of old carbon derived from humectants (glycerin) used to moisten ultrafilters prior to the extraction of bone collagen, had become incorporated in the dated collagen. The glycerin humectant was present in amounts averaging 30-40 mg C per ultrafilter, which ordinarily is too small to significantly affect single dates obtained on bone collagen, but was significant in the case of small rat bones. Redating of bones from identical contexts produced a series of results which were within agreement with the age of the site as determined from other materials, including short-lived identified charcoal, and marine and estuarine shell. These results sound a warning for dating very small bone samples, and emphasise the need to consider all possible contaminants derived from laboratory preparation and chemical processing background. In addition, it emphasises the requirement for utilising standard samples of identical type (eg, bone, charcoal, wood etc) which range from young (1-2 half-lives) to background in age, as well as low and high sample mass, as QA laboratory checks on reproducibility (Bronk Ramsey et al., in press).

year: 2004