title: Designing, measuring and modelling a small-scale coil and stimulation circuit for transcranial magnetic stimulation

authors: Khokhar, Farah Adeebah

abstract: In Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) rapid electromagnetic (EM) fields are applied to the brain, via an external current-carrying coil. This technique has been tried for many neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease and major depression. The fundamental effects of TMS are poorly understood so there is a need to carry out invasive measurements on mice to gain deep understanding about the underlying principles of TMS. However, we require smaller coils than used for a human, equivalent to the size of the mouse brain. Based on established physics principles we designed and built a cylindrical coil consisting of 50 turns of 0.2 mm diameter copper wire around a 4 mm diameter soft ferrite core. We built a simple electronic circuit to discharge a capacitor through this coil. With an applied voltage of 45 V, we measured the magnetic flux density (B-field) with a Hall probe as 338 mT and induced electric field with a wire loop as 10 – 15 V/m. The temperature increased by 31°C after 1200 pulses at 5 Hz. We modelled the coil using MATLAB which gave similar B-field and E field results of around 500 mT and 8 V/m respectively. Although this coil performs better than previously constructed mouse coils, the EM fields are still considerably lower than those of typical human coil of 2 T and 250 V/m. This now allows us to stimulate mouse brains with higher B-fields and E-fields than in previous experiments.

text: Designing, measuring and modelling a small-scale coil and stimulation circuit for transcranial magnetic stimulation In Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) rapid electromagnetic (EM) fields are applied to the brain, via an external current-carrying coil. This technique has been tried for many neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease and major depression. The fundamental effects of TMS are poorly understood so there is a need to carry out invasive measurements on mice to gain deep understanding about the underlying principles of TMS. However, we require smaller coils than used for a human, equivalent to the size of the mouse brain. Based on established physics principles we designed and built a cylindrical coil consisting of 50 turns of 0.2 mm diameter copper wire around a 4 mm diameter soft ferrite core. We built a simple electronic circuit to discharge a capacitor through this coil. With an applied voltage of 45 V, we measured the magnetic flux density (B-field) with a Hall probe as 338 mT and induced electric field with a wire loop as 10 – 15 V/m. The temperature increased by 31°C after 1200 pulses at 5 Hz. We modelled the coil using MATLAB which gave similar B-field and E field results of around 500 mT and 8 V/m respectively. Although this coil performs better than previously constructed mouse coils, the EM fields are still considerably lower than those of typical human coil of 2 T and 250 V/m. This now allows us to stimulate mouse brains with higher B-fields and E-fields than in previous experiments.

year: 2018

title: The Nature of Conversation of Primary Students in Technology Education: Implications for Teaching and Learning

authors: Fox-Turnbull, Wendy

subjects: Technology Education

abstract: Classroom conversations are core to establishing successful learning for students. This research explored the nature of conversation in technology education in the primary classroom and the implications for teaching and learning. Over a year, two units of work in technology were taught in two primary classrooms. Most data was gathered in Round 2 during the implementation of the second unit titled ‘Props for the School Production’. It used qualitative methodology and an ethnographic approach using participant observations, Stimulated Recall interviews with autophotography, semi-structured interviews with participants and their teachers, and students’ work samples, to develop a rich description of classroom conversation in technology. 
Initial data identified four significant stages of learning within the second technology unit; these included Stage 1 Character and Function, Stage 2 Planning, Stage 3 Mock-up and Stage 4 Construction. Four over-arching elements of conversation, each with various sub elements, were identified as flowing through the classroom conversations. These were Funds of Knowledge, Making Connections and Links, Management of Learning, and Technology Knowledge and Skills. These elements describe the sources and the purpose of conversation. For example, conversations identified as Funds of Knowledge showed students brought knowledge and or skills learned from home and their community to their technology learning. In Making Connections and Links, students implemented knowledge from school based learning. Management of Learning included classroom conversations initiated by both teachers and students, which enhanced or managed students’ learning in some way. In the fourth element, technological knowledge and skills learned were evidenced. 
Further analysis of the elements identified three over-arching themes of conversations. The first, ‘Deployment’, describes knowledge and skills brought by students to their technological practice and included the elements Funds of Knowledge and Making Connections and Links. The second, ‘Conduit’, described techniques and strategies used by teachers and students to maximise learning opportunities acting as a conduit between other knowledge and technological knowledge, and was mainly situated within the Management of Learning element. The third theme, ‘Knowledge’, showed the exact nature of technology learning obtained by the students though the bringing together of the first two themes, rather like a set of interconnected cogs.
The study makes a significant contribution to understanding how students learn in technology education. It develops current understanding of the nature of talk and the role it plays in learning technology. It also presents new findings on the Funds of Knowledge students bring to technology and it challenges existing findings on students’ ability to transfer knowledge from one domain to other. Finally, it identifies a gap in existing research into students’ abilities to investigate and select appropriate materials for intermediate and final outcomes.

text: The Nature of Conversation of Primary Students in Technology Education: Implications for Teaching and Learning Classroom conversations are core to establishing successful learning for students. This research explored the nature of conversation in technology education in the primary classroom and the implications for teaching and learning. Over a year, two units of work in technology were taught in two primary classrooms. Most data was gathered in Round 2 during the implementation of the second unit titled ‘Props for the School Production’. It used qualitative methodology and an ethnographic approach using participant observations, Stimulated Recall interviews with autophotography, semi-structured interviews with participants and their teachers, and students’ work samples, to develop a rich description of classroom conversation in technology. 
Initial data identified four significant stages of learning within the second technology unit; these included Stage 1 Character and Function, Stage 2 Planning, Stage 3 Mock-up and Stage 4 Construction. Four over-arching elements of conversation, each with various sub elements, were identified as flowing through the classroom conversations. These were Funds of Knowledge, Making Connections and Links, Management of Learning, and Technology Knowledge and Skills. These elements describe the sources and the purpose of conversation. For example, conversations identified as Funds of Knowledge showed students brought knowledge and or skills learned from home and their community to their technology learning. In Making Connections and Links, students implemented knowledge from school based learning. Management of Learning included classroom conversations initiated by both teachers and students, which enhanced or managed students’ learning in some way. In the fourth element, technological knowledge and skills learned were evidenced. 
Further analysis of the elements identified three over-arching themes of conversations. The first, ‘Deployment’, describes knowledge and skills brought by students to their technological practice and included the elements Funds of Knowledge and Making Connections and Links. The second, ‘Conduit’, described techniques and strategies used by teachers and students to maximise learning opportunities acting as a conduit between other knowledge and technological knowledge, and was mainly situated within the Management of Learning element. The third theme, ‘Knowledge’, showed the exact nature of technology learning obtained by the students though the bringing together of the first two themes, rather like a set of interconnected cogs.
The study makes a significant contribution to understanding how students learn in technology education. It develops current understanding of the nature of talk and the role it plays in learning technology. It also presents new findings on the Funds of Knowledge students bring to technology and it challenges existing findings on students’ ability to transfer knowledge from one domain to other. Finally, it identifies a gap in existing research into students’ abilities to investigate and select appropriate materials for intermediate and final outcomes.

year: 2013

title: Still standing, still here, still dancing.

authors: Clendon-Tau, Iwa

subjects: first person narrative

abstract: A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experiences on teaching-learning process and her insights on language, culture and learning.

text: Still standing, still here, still dancing. A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experiences on teaching-learning process and her insights on language, culture and learning.

year: 2002