UK Centre for Materials Education
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Are You Ready for the Challenge?
The second international steeluniversity.org challenge will be held in November. Initiated in 2005, the competition is aimed at university students and young employees in the steel industry. The event will run for 24 hours from 12 noon GMT on Wednesday 8 November to 12 noon on Thursday 9 November. During this time registered participants will be challenged to make a batch of steel using the Electric Arc Furnace simulation and then refine it using the Secondary Steelmaking simulation in order to produce a cast of the correct composition.
Researching concrete fractures
Researchers will begin studying the cooling stage of building fires early next year to determine why steel and concrete connections continue to fracture after the flames have been extinguished.
Materials Library presents...
A series of four performative investigations staged by the interdisciplinary Materials Library group, highlighting the science and materiality behind some of the works of art in Tate Modern’s re-hung collection. Taking each gallery space in turn as provocation for investigation, this is your chance to have a tactile encounter with the stuff of art.
6th Nov Materials Library Presents: Material Gesture
13th Nov Materials Library Presents: Poetry Dream
20th Nov Materials Library Presents: States of Flux
27th Nov Materials Library Presents: Idea Object
Visit the website for more details.
Sewing the seeds of green innovation
Technology transfer company Imperial Innovations has announced a new £2m fund to invest in early stage UK companies which aim to develop clean or alternative energy technologies.
Ultra-narrow wires show enhanced superconductivity
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered an unusual phenomenon in which ultra-narrow wires show enhanced superconductivity when exposed to strong magnetic fields.
The Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training Released
The Annual Report of the Nuffield Review of the education and training of 14-19 year olds reports that there is too much ‘policy busyness’, and that the unprecedented amount of policy initiatives (national targets, new qualifications, short-term funding and new regulations) is unlikely to produce significant improvements to the education and training system as a whole. It also recommends that a full assessment of the impact, cost, and the problems associated with introducing such a large number of initiatives should be carried out.
Minister orders GCSE exam rethink
Schools Minister Lord Adonis said he wanted a debate within the education community on the use of IGCSEs. International GCSEs involve less coursework and some consider them to be more challenging and better preparation for A-levels than traditional GCSEs reports the BBC.
New publication from the Alliance for Global Sustainability
The Alliance for Global Sustainability has recently produced its 2006 report on the extent that sustainability is embedded in European engineering education. It is the first progress report since the Declaration of Barcelona (2004), that being the definitive consensus on Engineering Education for Sustainable Development (EESD).
The report is supported by statements on EESD by leaders in industry, that lay down the requirements of industry for the next generation of engineers.
Business leaders call for science degrees to be free
Employers today called on the government to abolish university tuition fees for science subjects to encourage more students to pursue careers in information technology.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said more needed to be done to make science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) courses more attractive to undergraduates if the UK is to create its own home grown IT workforce and compete effectively with the developing and cheaper economies in India and China.
Spintronic organic molecule success
Researchers at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology have made the first confirmed "spintronic" device incorporating organic molecules.
CDIO: An introductory Workshop in Bristol, 31st October 2006
The Workshop will introduce and explain the CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) approach to engineering education. This has been developed by an international group, which currently consists of engineering schools from 23 leading universities worldwide. The main aims of the CDIO approach are to better prepare students for careers as professional engineers, motivate and inspire students, and also provide a logical basis for designing engineering programmes.
The Workshop venue will be the Burwalls Centre for Continuing Education (www.bris.ac.uk/burwalls/) which is an excellent location known for its exceptional views of both Bristol and the Clifton Suspension Bridge. A nominal fee of £35 will be charged in order to cover costs.
October Newsletter - Yorks and Humber Education for Sustainable Development
The ESD Forum for Yorkshire and the Humber brings you useful information and news in sustainable development that is happening both regionally and nationally.
Action to tackle 'science deserts'
Urgent checks to ensure regions are not turning into "science deserts" because of the closure of university chemistry and physics departments are to be made by higher education funding chiefs.
The drive to concentrate research in fewer universities is putting extra strain on undergraduate courses in parts of England even though interest in maths and chemistry degrees seems to be rising after years of recruitment problems.
But physics and engineering are still struggling despite the huge expansion in student numbers generally.
Bill Rammell, the higher education minister, has made it clear that the government will not direct universities to keep science courses on offer. The government and science bodies instead yesterday announced £18m worth of initiatives to stoke further demand from school pupils, especially young women and those from Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Caribbean communities.
The Institute of Physics is also launching integrated science degrees at London South Bank University and East Anglia, Leicester and Surrey universities, designed to attract students who do not have both physics and maths A levels.
QAA publishes revised code of practice
Updated editions of three sections of the 'Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education' are now available. The revised sections are 6, 7 and 10.
The UK Honours Degree : Provision of Information - consultation
Universites UK and GuildHE have issued a consultation document on the UK
Honours degree and the provision of information in higher education. The
deadline for responses is 3 November 2006.
This second consultation invites further views on the honours degree
classification system and provision of information. It is expected that
many stakeholders - across the UK and beyond - will have an interest in the issues raised. Higher education institutions, student bodies, employer groups and other stakeholders are invited to address the issues contained in this paper.
Engineers : what can your academic library do for you?
This web page for new academic staff in engineering acts as a practical guide to making the most of the resources and services on offer in the academic library. It looks at the role of the Subject Librarian (also known as a Liaison or Academic Librarian)and how the engineering academic can work with the engineering subject librarian to enhance teaching and research. The guide includes hyperlinks to a sample of specialist engineering information sources.
SCORE
The Royal Society, has set up an umbrella group, Score to look at the falling uptake in the sciences subject. Score is made up of societies and teachers, and will advise the government on science education. They will be engaging with the teaching profession and key players in the science and science education fields including, SETNET, the Science Learning Centres, the research community, the engineering community, science-based industry, the British Association and charities.
Tackling Plagiarism,Collusion and Cheating in HE - a one day conference for senior management.
A one-day conference on "Tackling Plagiarism,Collusion and Cheating in HE: Changing Cultures and Sharing Good Practice" has been organised by Universities UK, SCOP and JISC, to be held at Woburn House Conference Centre, Universities UK, London on 17th October, starting at 9.30am.
The conference will be of interest to Vice-Chancellors, Principals, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Academic Registrars, academics, senior managers and decision makers in HE.
The conference will offer the opportunity for senior management in the the sector to take a proactive stance, to share good practice and to discuss the possibility of a co-ordinated, sector-wide approach, looking at institution-wide processes, policies and practices that must be in place to deal with these issues within a consistent and fair system.
To view the conference programme and to book a place, please go to:
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/events/
Launch of the Education for Sustainability Discussion Network
Following the recent Workshop 'Sustainability in HE - overcoming the barriers', organised by the Built Environment CETL (C-SCAIPE) and held at Kingston University, it was agreed that a discussion network would be established for the sharing of resources to introduce sustainability into the curriculum.
The network has been launched by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges. The Association was formed in 1996, with the aim of raising the profile of environmental management and facilitate improvement of environmental performance in member institutions.
For further information on the discussion network, please contact the Chair, Arran Stibbe, or visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/eauc-esd.html if you wish to join the network.
Student Employability Profiles launched
In September, together with the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE), the Higher Education Academy is launching a series of Student Employability Profiles for all degree programmes, which will help academic staff, employers and students to understand better the skills developed through the study of a particular subject.
These are available to download from the website - look out for the page on Engineering which is based on the new benchmark statements issued by the QAA based on UK-SPEC.
Cornell demo new organic semiconductor
Researchers at Cornell University have demonstrated a new type of organic semiconductor device that shows electroluminescence and acts as a photovoltaic cell.
High salaries, high turnover for women in Engineering
Women have received higher salary increases than men for the tenth successive year and are more likely to be given a bonus. However, growing pay packets are failing to stem the tide of female resignations in the engineering sector.
Capturing good practice in the integration of sustainability on courses
As you may know, the Higher Education Academy is exploring education for sustainable development so as to assist those institutions and academic colleagues who want to make it part of their teaching provision.
Building on the initial findings of previous research, principally the Dawe et al. report, the Higher Education Academy would like to take the integration of sustainability further and has commissioned Forum for the Future, the UK’s leading sustainable development charity, to carry out a baseline study with the aim of identifying existing good practice across all subjects. The end result of this research will be a summary of the findings which will then be distilled into a web-based good practice resource for lecturers and HEI’s wanting to develop sustainability literacy within their curricula.
The Academy would really value finding out if and how you/colleagues incorporate sustainability into your courses and is looking to capture the type of curriculum material and teaching approaches you have developed. The Academy is also interested in understanding any barriers to or opportunities for, embedding sustainability into your courses. A short questionnaire has been designed to aid capture.
If you have any questions please contact sdsurvey@forumforthefuture.org.uk, Simon Smith (S.G.Smith@leeds.ac.uk) or Heather Witham (h.witham@bristol.ac.uk. Please return the questionnaire to Forum by 29 September.
University catches 237 student cheats who trawl the Internet
One of Britain's newest universities has found more than 200 students guilty of cheating after it launched a crackdown on what university officials admit is one of the biggest problems they face.
Students told: turn up or face expulsion
Thousands of undergraduate students are being forced to sign good behaviour contracts with their universities and warned they could be expelled if they breach regulations, reports the Guardian.
Launch of the New EAUC "Education for Sustainability" Advisory Group
The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC, With a membership of 200 Further and Higher Education institutions, is leading the way in integrating sustainability and environmental management into the business management of colleges and universities in the UK and further afield.)
From September, the EAUC Curriculum Sub-Group will be re-launched as the EAUC Education for Sustainability Advisory Group. The new advisory group will be based around a new ESD jiscmail and have a dedicated part of the new EAUC website with bibliographies, articles and resources. Currently, a mission statement and action plan for the group is being developed, and all contributions about the way ahead for the group are welcome.
To join the ESD jiscmail email info@eauc.org.uk.
The group will be chaired by Arran Stibbe of the University of Gloucestershire, whose experience includes convening the Language & Ecology Scientific Commission and founding the Language & Ecology Research Forum. Following on from a PhD in sociolinguistics and MSc in human ecology, Arran’s research focuses on ways to introduce education for sustainability across the curriculum through critical awareness pedagogies.
Establishment of Labs21 UK - part of HEEPI
Labs21 UK has been established to support more sustainable design and operation of laboratories in Britain. It draws, with permission, on the experience and materials of the Labs21 initiative in the USA. It is being facilitated by HEEPI - Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement, which is a project funded under the Leadership, Governance and Management initiative of the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The project is based at, and led by, the University of Bradford.
[see http://www.heepi.org.uk/ for details of HEEPI and its activities]
Labs21 UK is being launched with three exciting events, each featuring a speaker from the US initiative:
Sept 18 - Conference on High Performance Buildings, University of Glasgow, featuring the Cardiovascular and Biomedical Research Centre and other Award-winning laboratories.
Sept 20 - Designing Sustainable Laboratories, a one day, 'hands on', specialist training course at the University of Leeds.
Sept 22 - Creating Sustainable Laboratories, a workshop at Imperial College, in Central London.
Details of each, and other events from HEEPI can be found at their website.
Stephen Hawking Advertises for Assistant
One of the world's leading scientists is advertising for an assistant. Cambridge University Professor Stephen Hawking wants a graduate student to help him prepare lectures and assist with scientific papers.
New 14 - 19 Manufacturing Diploma - have your say!
Work is just beginning on the specialist diploma in Manufacturing. The driving partner for all specialist diplomas are the Sector Skills Councils as they are seen as representing industry. The Sector Skills Councils' diploma partnership responsible for the development of the specialist diploma in Manufacturing is looking for the views of academics to advise on how the diploma can be designed to meet the needs of higher education entry. The Engineering Subject Centre would like to collate your responses to their questionnaire.
New interactive mathematics support sheets now available
Building on a previously funded Mini-Project, PDF Support Materials for
Engineering, the project co-ordinators from the University of Plymouth have produced four new interactive packages , which will be of especial use to students in the field of communications and electronic engineering
including: Electrical Sources and Units, Electrical Amplifier Models and Gain, Further Boolean Algebra and Phasors. This software is freely available to any student with access to the internet. The packages provide immediate feedback to students and help them with their learning. The full range of these packages (including those produced by the previous project to support algebra) and some instructions can be obtained from the Mathematics Support Materials website at Plymouth.
150 Learning Objects contributed to Jorum by ReSET
The ReSET project is rejuvenating legacy computer based resources for engineering. The project is creating modular learning objects based on the following resources: EDEC, CALGroup, HELM and MATTER.
ReSET have recently uploaded 150 learning objects to Jorum (national learning object repository www.jorum.ac.uk) covering the subject areas of Electronic Engineering and Data Communications. More electronics content will follow, as well as mathematics and material science content.
As with all material downloaded from Jorum, these Learning Objects can be used free of charge by UK FE and HE staff for non-profit educational purposes. The service is Athens authenticated, so as long as your institution has registered with the Jorum (225 have) and you have an Athens log in (or can get one from your library) the content will be available to you.
Email Lisa Rogers mthljr@macs.hw.ac.uk for more information or visit the website.
HEFCE seeks views on its approach to equality
HEFCE has set out its approach to promoting equality in a new Single Equality Scheme, and is seeking comments from all those that might be directly affected.
The scheme explains how HEFCE plans to meet its statutory duties to promote equality in three areas - race, disability and gender. It also addresses other areas of equality, such as religion and belief, age, and sexual orientation.
Acting Chief Executive Steve Egan said: 'This scheme is intended to respond to the spirit as well as the letter of the law. It aims to integrate equality and fair treatment issues into our core priorities and functions - both as an employer and as a major funder of higher education.'
Comments should be sent to the Council by Tuesday 31 October 2006. Responses can be made online, as well as by e-mail or post. The final version of the scheme, incorporating input from the consultation, will be published in December 2006.
UKCME to Review Student Learning Experience in Materials...
The Higher Education Academy is launching a series of year-long Subject Reviews to inform future developments central to the student learning experience within disciplines.
UKCME to Review Student Learning Experience in Materials...
The Higher Education Academy is launching a series of year-long Subject Reviews to inform future developments central to the student learning experience within disciplines.
Survey - Capturing Good Practice in the Integration of Sustainability on Courses
Invitation to participate in a survey on Education for Sustainable Development.
Deadline approaches to find Britain’s best young female engineer
The UK’s most talented female engineers have only until September 15 to enter the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) are urging women to enter the awards, not only to seek recognition for their achievements, but also to gain the career advancement and networking opportunities that winning such a coveted award provides.
The awards are open to women under the age of 30 with an appropriate engineering qualification such as an HNC, HND or a degree. Candidates must also be able to demonstrate their practical experience, which is considered of equal value to academic achievement. The judges are looking not only for candidates with exceptional skills and experience but also those that have the ability to be a great ambassador for the profession and a role model for the next generation of engineers.
Maths genius declines top prize
Grigory Perelman, the Russian who seems to have solved one of the hardest problems in mathematics, has declined one of the top prizes in maths.
The Fields Medals are among the most important prizes for mathematics, and Perelman was to have picked up the award at a ceremony in Madrid.
CBI warns of science slump
The CBI this week warned that too many young people are turning their back on science and technology because of faults in the education system....
Royal Society Innovation Awards
The Royal Society is committed to supporting and recognising innovative science through a range of funding schemes and awards.
The Brian Mercer Feasibility Award provides up to £30,000 to enable researchers to test the technical or economic feasibility of commercialising an aspect of their research in the built environment, nanotecnology or electrotechnology.
The Brian Mercer Innovation Award provides up to £250,000 to enable researchers to investigate and develop an already proven concept or prototype through to the creation of a near market product for commercial exploitation.
The Mullard Award recognises the outstanding scientific achievements of an individual and their contribution to the national prosperity of the UK. This annual medal and prize consists of silver gilt medal, a prize of £2000 and a travel/conference grant of up to £1500. Self nominations are considered.
Closing dates:
Brain Mercer Feasibility Award - 16 October 2006
Brian Mercer Award for Innovation - 11 September 2006
Mullard Award - 16 October 2006
For full details please see the Royal Society website.
Israeli plastics sector hit by conflict
Israel’s plastics and petrochemicals sector has been hit by the fighting on the country’s northern borders. Shipments through the key port of Haifa have been severely interrupted and production at the Carmel olefins and polyolefins site, in the city, has been suspended for safety reasons. Haifa is the main port for exports from the country’s industry which is increasingly active in the European markets including the UK. Carmel is a significant exporter of polymer although rising domestic demand has reduced export availability.
Curriculum Innovation for Diversity
This one day conference is being organised in association with the University of York. This conference will offer academics from different discipline areas a space to share both innovative and practical approaches to the embedding of equality and diversity in curricula for the enhancement of the student learning experience. 12th September 2006.
HESA performance indicators published
This year's PIs, which are based on data from 2003-04 and 2004-05, show
small improvements in some areas, and a lack of progress in others. The
proportion of full-time first degree students who receive the Disabled
Students Allowance has risen for the third year running, from 2.6% in 2002-03 to 3.6%in 2004-05. There has also been a small rise
(around 1%) in mature students from neighbourhoods with low rates of
participation in higher education. But there has been a slight fall in the percentage of young entrants coming from state schools, from 86.8%
to 86.7%.
The non-continuation indicators ('drop-out rates') have increased slightly since last year: the percentage projected to leave with no
qualifications is 14.9% for those starting in 2003-04, compared with
14.4% for 2002-03 starters. However, since 1999 the number of
students starting full-time degrees in UK HE has increased by over 10% from 284,000 to 319,000, while the projected non-completion rate of
14.9% for 2003-04 starters compares with 15.85 for 1999-2000
starters.
The full text and tables of performance indicators in higher education
in the UK 2004-05 are on the HESA website.
Higher Education Academy Scottish newsletter published
The third issue of the Academy Newsletter for Scotland has been
published. It can be downloaded from the website at
Journal of Risk and Reliability - first issue now available
Professional Engineering Publishing is pleased to announce that the first issue of the Journal of Risk and Reliability has just been published and is now available on the journals.pepublishing.com web site at
Higher Education Academy's Education for Sustainable Development small grants
Our congratulations to Andy Young at Sheffield Hallam who has been awarded one of the Higher Education Academy's Small Grants for the embedding of sustainable development into their teaching curriculum. The Academy's ESD Planning Group made 12 awards in total, from a competitive selection of 26 applications from 17 Subject Centres.
In outline, the grant will enable the group to develop a problem-based sustainable development learning tool for engineering students. The students, working in teams, will design effective micro-generation systems capable of delivering a prescribed level of heating, lighting, and electrical power in a domestic building, while minimising the carbon footprint, given typical UK solar load and ambient conditions.
The team which develops the most efficient systems will be rewarded by having their design made and installed in an eco-house (1:20 scale). This will be used in teaching to illustrate the operation of the various engineering systems, providing a benchmark and inspiration for future cohorts, with the challenge of improving last year's design.
The Group has aspirations of this challenge developing into a national competition among UK engineering student groups. Further information and progress reports will appear on the Engineering Subject Centre's website.
Online discussion forum - interdisciplinary programmes
The Academy's established Working Group in Interdisciplinarity recently held their second international conference: "Disciplines in Dialogue" at the University of Birmingham. The Group have a JISCMail listing for regular news circulars, and have also formed an online discussion forum.
The following url will take you to this forum, where you will firstly need to register with a username and password. Any further queries can be made to John Canning (J.Canning@SOTON.AC.UK), Academic Coordinator (Area Studies), Modern Languages, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, Tel +44 (0)23 8059 4814, Fax +44 (0)23 8059 4815 in his role as Manager of the Interdisciplinarity Group.
ICEE 2007 International Conference on Engineering Education
We are pleased to announce and invite you to participate in the ICEE 2007, the International Conference on Engineering Education of 2007. ICEE 2007 will be hosted by the University of Coimbra, Portugal, from the 3rd to the 7th of September 2007.
Graduate Employability - Employer Responsibility: Higher Education Academy national online survey
The Higher Education Academy invites you to submit your views regarding sustainable development within university education through the completion of an online survey. The aim of the research is to find evidence of the impact of employer's ethical, social and environmental responsibility on the graduate job market, the career choices made by students about employers who are socially and environmentally responsible, the gaps between the values, culture and competencies of new graduate recruits and the requirements of employers, and the feasibility of bridging any gaps through university education. The Academy would be grateful for your input via the survey which is being run on their behalf by StudentForce for Sustainability.
Conference on Safety, Security and Sustainability
Engineers must play a crucial role in our future, and sustainability is key to that role, agreed delegates at a London conference. Jean Leston reports for the Engineer online.
Four-wave mix photonic microchips
Cornell University researchers have created a broadband light amplifier on a silicon chip, a breakthrough in the quest to create photonic microchips.
Engineering Subject Centre launches new webpage to access "CDIO" resources
The CDIO™ movement, which is changing the face of engineering education, is rapidly gathering momentum.
CDIO™ stands for Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate. A consortium of 23 Universities across the world, led by MIT, are committed to setting their engineering programmes in the CDIO™ context.
Queen's University Belfast and The University of Liverpool are leading the UK and Ireland regional group of members, who meet regularly to share their ideas and experiences of active learning, design and build projects, first year experiences and many other aspects of the CDIO™ standards.
Essentially the collaborators are joining together to improve engineering education to complement the work of many national bodies such as the Royal Academy of Engineering, the EPC and the Engineering Council.
Any engineering department or school that want to find out more, or wish to join in with the activities of the UK and Ireland group are welcome.
Engineering Subject Centre launches webpage for supporting new academic staff
The purpose of this page is to provide information and support primarily for members of teaching staff in engineering who are new to lecturing and teaching in Higher Education. It is intended to also provide information and support for established staff who are seeking accredition under the Academy's Professional Standards Framework, and for those who are undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCert) with their institution.
Academy's new approach to recognising commitment to teaching and learning
Over the past few months the Higher Education Academy has been developing a new approach to recognising individual commitment to teaching and the student learning experience. Following an extensive consultation (there were 2845 responses), the Academy believes that the new model will be more inclusive and attractive to a wider range of staff. It also hopes that higher education institutions will increasingly take account of recognised status in their own reward and recognition strategies. The Academy envisages that all current Registered Practitioners will automatically be transferred to Fellowship status.
Invitation to complete Digital Curation Centre on-line survey
JISC and EPSRC have funded the establishment of a Digital Curation Centre (DCC) to support curation activities within UK institutions that create, store, manage and/or preserve digital data. For more information on the DCC, please see http://www.dcc.ac.uk.
To evaluate the level of current curation activity and the DCC's effectiveness in raising awareness regarding digital curation issues, they
would like to invite you to complete their on-line survey. Whatever your role in the life-cycle of digital information - from researchers to
archivists to data re-users - they would like to hear from you. The survey will take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete and as a small token of their appreciation, they are offering one lucky entrant the chance to win an iPod nano (competition rules apply).
The results of this survey, together with the results of focus groups and one-to-one interviews will help them to determine how they might better serve the digital curation, preservation, and eScience communities.
To complete the on-line survey (by 28 July), please go to:
Student loans service simplified
The student loans service is being improved for 2009-10
A-level students in England will be able to apply for a student loan and grants at the same time as applying for a place at university.
Students applying for university in 2009-10 will access an integrated service, where applications for courses and finances will be co-managed.
Durham academic claims A-level F in 1986 would be a C now
Many A-level candidates who got an F failure grade 20 years ago would now be awarded a pass at grade C it was alleged last week from Durham academic Dr Robert Coe.
Dr Coe has analysed figures for 600,000 students for a monitoring project.
Postgraduate pedagogic research studentships
The Engineering Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (engCETL) at Loughborough University is pleased to be able to offer two postgraduate pedagogic research studentships, commencing between October 2006 and January 2007. The studentships are offered in the following areas: the impact of industrial sponsorship on students, academia and industry, the use of simulation to enhance the aeronautical engineering curriculum, development of a web-based telelaboratory for process control education, an appraisal of the benefits of project-based learning in engineering design. Please visit the website for further information and to download an application form.
How higher education can play role in upskilling the workforce
A report on work-based learning by the Higher Education Academy was launched at a national conference on 13 June, at which Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell was a keynote speaker.
'Internet Detective' - free online tutorial
Free online tutorial designed to help students develop the critical thinking required for their Internet research. The tutorial offers practical advice on evaluating the quality of websites and highlights the need for care when selecting online information sources to inform university or college work.
New international journal
A new, international, peer-reviewed, open access eJournal, entitled
International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (IJ-SoTL) will be published by the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, Georgia, USA) with the inaugural issue scheduled for January 2007.
PhD studentship at Queen's University, Ontario
Applications are invited for a PhD studentship working on problem solving in science and engineering at the Queen's University in Ontario, Canada.
HEFCE circular letters 06/2006 - employer engagement in learning at HE level
This letter invites institutions to contribute to the development of
HEFCE's policy on employer engagement, especially if they have suggestions about an innovative approach that could be tested in pilot form at the institution. There is no deadline, but HEFCE would welcome early informal contact.
R&D reports - Towards a strategy for workplace learning (Report to HEFCE by CHERI and KPMG)
This report was commissioned in January 2005 to inform the development
of HEFCE's policy on support for workplace learning and employer engagement. It is a national study which was undertaken alongside a regional report on the workplace learning in the North East, which is shortly to be published on HEFCE's web-site. The term 'workplace learning' is used in both studies as a broad definition to encompass work-based and experiential learning as well as 'traditional' instruction-led learning undertaken at the workplace.
The national study aimed to identify the nature, purposes and outcomes
of workplace learning; to examine the emerging changes in higher education which might impact on workplace learning, and identify structural issues that enable or inhibit workplace learning as well as future opportunities for its development.
Materials and Engineering centres included in the Perx cross-repository search tool
Perx is a pilot subject-based cross-repository search tool. The project aims to provide a convienient way for academics to access engineering related resources from multiple databases. Perx regularly harvests the Centres' joint pedagogic resources to ensure all references are up to date.
Online Survey: Graduate Employability - Employer Responsibility
The Higher Education Academy has contracted StudentForce for Sustainability to conduct a UK wide survey to find evidence of the impact of employer's ethical, social and environmental responsibility on the graduate job market.
Education for Sustainable Development - Call for Grant Funding Bids
Call for Grant Funding bids for the Higher Education Academy's ESD project
Microscience 2006 - RMS Learning Zone
From the 27th-29th June the RMS Learning Zone is offering the opportunity to see three different Electron Microscopes from three different manufacturers lined-up side by side and open to the public - for free!
Scottish Quality Enhancement Theme - Integrative Assessment
At the recent meeting of Steering Committee on Integrative Assessment, it was suggested that one helpful way in which the project could assist staff across the centres could be devising questions about assessment that might be included in student evaluation questionnaires.
The group would therefore like to take stock of what questions are currently asked in such questionnaires. If your university or department as a standard evaluation questionnaire regularly used of this kind please send a copy by email to xu.rui@education.ed.ac.uk or by post to:
Rui Xu
Higher & Community Education
School of Education
University of Edinburgh
Paterson's Land
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
EH8 8AQ
Do you create teaching and learning resources?
Do you develop, co-develop or re-purpose resources for use with students, in the classroom or online, in higher or further education anywhere in the world? The JISC-funded CD-LOR and RepoMMan projects would like to invite you to spend 15 minutes completing our survey on your 'personal resource management strategy'. Contributors who include their name and email address will be entered into a prize draw to win a £30 Amazon voucher.
New look Engineering Subject Centre website
The Centre would like to congratulate the all staff on the launch of the new website. Development has occurred frantically behind the scenes for the past two months on the redevelopment. It is hoped that you will enjoy exploring the revitalised website and discover a page or a resource you haven't seen before.
Warning against cut-price degrees
Universities have been urged by the fees regulator not to cut their £3,000-a-year tuition charges at the last minute to try to attract students.
Fusion reactor work gets go-ahead
Seven international parties involved in an experimental nuclear fusion reactor project have initialled a 10bn-euro (£6.8bn) agreement on the plan.
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) will be the most expensive joint scientific project after the International Space Station.
Bosch, The Independent and The Royal Academy of Engineering Launch Writing Award for Young People
Bosch, The Independent newspaper and The Royal Academy of Engineering have joined forces to launch The Independent Bosch Horizons Technology Award, a writing competition for young people with an interest in engineering and technology. They are being asked to put pen to paper in answer to, 'What is your vision of the next technological revolution?'
The competition is aimed at two age groups; 14-18 and 19-24 year olds. The younger group will be asked to submit 500 words and the older category, 750. Competition winners will receive cash prizes; £750 for the winning article in the 14-18s and £1000 for the 19-24 year olds. Their words will also be published in The Independent’s ‘Education and Careers’ supplement. Schools who send in the highest number of entrants will receive book vouchers and Bosch hampers.
University chemistry bid endorsed
A decision to continue offering mainstream chemistry degrees at the University of Sussex was endorsed by the university's council thsi week.
Proposals to drop traditional chemistry degrees, rename the department and cut staff were put forward in March.
But a review led to alternative plans that would allow the university to continue offering chemistry degrees.
Those Girls Can Flirt And Other Queer Things Can Do
A team from The University of Manchester has scooped the University Challenge title for 2006. The Manchester team beat Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in one of the most nail biting finals ever seen on the BBC, eventually triumphing by 160 points to 150. The team included a Materials Science undergrad, Chris Holmes.
e-Tutor of the Year Competition
Teaching and learning can often be rather closed and private experiences - the e-Tutor competition provides an opportunity for the sector to have an insight into new ideas and learn from effective practice. The competition was launched in 2002 in conjunction with the Times Higher Education Supplement and the Higher Education Academy is delighted to be joining forces with the Times Higher Education Supplement once more and Association for Learning Technology to celebrate innovation, good practice and achievement in the field of e-learning.
The competition has grown in importance with the quality and number of entries increasing year on year. To reflect the growing interest there has been in developing tools to support e-learning a separate strand of the competition for e-Tools will be launched. Toshiba will be supporters of this initiative and will be providing a Tablet PC as the first prize for the e-Tools strand. The first prize for the e-Tutoring strand is £1000 and is awarded by the Times Higher Education Supplement.
New chemical engineering education journal now available
IChemE’s (The Institution of Chemical Engineers) new education journal – Education for Chemical Engineers (ECE) is now online, ahead of its official launch later this month. ECE is the official journal of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering: Part D and has a remit to publish education research papers, teaching and learning notes and resource reviews. For more information visit the website or contact Matt Stalker at mstalker@icheme.org
Ministers failing to halt tide of university science closures
The government is failing to stop leading universities shutting down departments crucial to scientific research, according to an influential group of MPs. Members of the Commons science and technology committee said that the government had "no effective lever" to stop departments scrapping expensive science courses because of the internal market created by ministers.
Science degrees threatened - MPs
The future of university science is under threat, with the authorities lacking the "teeth" to save courses, a report by MPs says.
The science and technology select committee called Sussex University's proposal to close its highly rated chemistry department "disappointing".
The MPs found declining interest in chemistry was "without doubt a national concern".
Superglue in the seabed
The strongest glue so far found in nature could have applications in engineering and medicine, according to its discoverers.
Pilot subject-based cross-repository search tool now available
A Pilot service providing subject resource discovery across a variety of digital repositories of interest to the engineering learning and research communities has been released by the PerX Project.
Although the target repositories included in the Pilot are relevant to engineering, the cross-searching methods and interface used, plus the range of repository types included, should be of interest to many as a demonstrator of one method of resource discovery across multiple digital repositories.
Twenty-eight repositories are currently cross-searched by the Pilot.
Last chance to make the first issue of 'Engineering Education'
Journal of the Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre - deadline 28 April 2006.
Call for mini-project proposals - deadline 28 April 2006
The Engineering Subject Centre is pleased to be able to offer funding for development and research Mini-Projects (up to £3500). The aim of this funding opportunity is to enable the sharing and development of good practice and resources in engineering education that will be beneficial to the wider engineering community and to encourage subject-based pedagogic research.
Proposals will be considered under two categories:
1) Development and Implementation of good practice
2) Research and Evaluation that will inform learning and teaching within engineering.
Proposals will be accepted throughout the year with assessment panels meeting 3 times a year. Submissions made before Friday 28 April 2006 will be considered by an assessment panel in May, with successful projects being announced at the beginning of June 2006.
Two-year honours degrees offered
Students in England can do honours degrees in two years, under new "fast track" plans to save time and money.
"Compressed degrees" are being tried at five universities, so students can begin work sooner and with less debt. Staffordshire University, Derby University, Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Northampton and The Medway Partnership in Kent will pilot the fast-track courses from September.
PM launches strategy to make UK leader in international education
Prime Minister Tony Blair has unveiled two five-year initiatives to help secure the UK’s position as a leader in international education:
• The second phase of the Prime Minister’s Initiative for International Education (PMI), which aims to attract an additional 100,000 overseas students to study in the UK and encourage partnerships between universities and colleges in the UK and overseas; and
• The UK-India Education Research Initiative (UKIERI) to improve educational and research links between India and the UK.
Both programmes are backed up with over £27 million in funding over the next two years from Government, the British Council, the education sector and businesses.
Student income and expenditure survey 2004/2005
The Government has published the 2004/05 Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES), measuring the standards of living, levels of debt, savings and spending of over 3,000 students in full-time and part-time education in England and Wales.
The SIES is the most comprehensive survey of its kind, and updates the last survey which was conducted in 1998/99. A smaller SIES was held in 2002/3.
Invitation to tender - survey of student experiences of taught Master programmes
The Higher Education Academy is commissioning a survey of students' experiences of taught Master programmes. The purpose of this survey is to gain feedback from students studying on taught Master programmes in the UK on their experience of their courses.
Academy Exchange published
The Spring edition of the Academy's magazine, focusing on Widening Participation, is now available.
Last chance to make the first issue of 'Engineering Education'
Journal of the Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre - the deadline for submissions for the first issue is 28 April.
Engineering skills shortage is holding back the UK, says new report
Research by the Henley Management College for The Royal Academy of Engineering says that over one third of engineering firms in the UK believe that engineering graduate shortages and skills deficiencies are costing them money through delays in new product development and additional recruitment costs. The study, 'Educating Engineers for the 21st Century: the Industry View', which surveyed over 400 engineering companies located in the UK reveals a pressing need to overhaul undergraduate engineering education.
A New Institution from the IEE and IIE
On 31 March 2006, the IEE and IIE became a new organisation, the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The Institution welcomes involvement from and communication between all sectors of science, engineering and technology. Membership of the Institution places you at the heart of a global community of more than 150,000 engineers and technologists, providing you with a passport to a powerful knowledge network, the opportunity to develop your own expertise and to share ideas with fellow professionals.
Free smart composites workshop
This free event on 25 May in London is the first in a series of workshops and
conferences organised by SMART.mat and the National Composites Network. It will provide an introductory review of a range of smart material technologies and their applications in composites structures.
Road to Commercialization
An updated report card on the barriers to the commercialization of MEMS
and nanotechnology.
Tiny particles may cut cost of central heating
Chris Benfield Science and Technology Correspondent Nanotechnology, the
science of engineering on a microscopic scale, may be on the verge of
achieving something we all understand - cheaper central heating.
Government's 80 million pounds for innovation
Trade and industry secretary Alan Johnson has announced that UK
business is to get 80 million pounds next month to support technology
innovation.
Tanzania banning plastic bags ‘to protect the environment’
According to press reports, Tanzanian vice-president Ali Shein said in a speech on Saturday that human activities such as reckless tree felling, the use of plastic bags and uncontrolled cattle grazing were causing extensive environmental degradation.
Nano scale science in healthcare applications
Nanomed is returning to Newcastle in 2006 and will take place on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th June, focusing on some of the most important current Nanomedicine topics.
Main themes include:
de-generation/anti-ageing clinical techniques
imaging and diagnostics
commercialisation strategies.
UK budget targets science and engineering education
Science, engineering and innovation were targeted in the Government’s budget last week with announcements of more funding for education and an expansion of R&D support. An extra £18m has been earmarked to support teaching in school science. The money is intended to increase the number of science teachers, and the number of young people taking physics, chemistry and maths A-levels and those getting top grades in science GCSEs.
New DfES Sustainable Development Action Plan for 2006-08
The Department for Education and Skills has now published its Sustainable Development Action Plan for 2006-07 and 2007-08. This action plan builds on the achievements and lessons learnt from the first Sustainable Development Action Plan (September 2003). It addresses key actions to be taken during the next two years. It also takes account of guidance produced by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), who will be reviewing all departmental sustainable development action plans.
Higher Education Academy funding a new interdisciplinary sustainability project
This may prove a good opportunity for those of you looking for "real life" material for the classroom or for your own action research. Or perhaps you have students that would be interested in this for their own projects.
The idea is to use Problem-Based Learning to help South Gloucestershire Council determine what would make a market town "sustainable", measure the actual sustainability of a market town (in this pilot case, Thornbury, just north of Bristol), then move the town in that direction. Sustainability in this context refers to economic, environmental, social and transport-related. To find out more visit the web page.
QAA backs foundation degrees
Foundation degrees have received a favourable report from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which sees them as having benefited both students and employers. Foundation Degree Forward (FDF), the organisation set up to support the development of these work-based qualifications, has also been commended for its work, in a report to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
According to the QAA report, foundation degree students have a high rate of progression to honours degree programmes or to relevant employment, and the courses are also providing opportunities to those who would not previously have considered studying at HE level. Employers have benefited owing to their influence over course curriculum and their part in delivering it – and have also expressed their satisfaction with the increased knowledge, skills and confidence that students have acquired.
ETB and UCAS collaborating on recruitment and retention
The Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) is working closely with UCAS to encourage more young people to take science, engineering and technology (SET) degrees. It is also involved in a publishing venture whose purpose is to persuade those who have made this wise choice to stay in the profession once they have graduated. In another initiative, this time in partnership with the LSDA and SEMTA, it is piloting a teacher/lecturer placement scheme with a view to improving engineering and technology careers advice.
ETB and UCAS are currently collaborating with ‘The London Mathematical Society’, the ‘Royal Statistical Society’ and the ‘Institute of Mathematics and its Applications’ to produce a practical guide for careers advisors and schools. This will list every mathematics and engineering degree course in the UK. ETB and its partners will be providing positive role models and information on the many exciting careers that are open to engineering and maths graduates. Entitled ‘Progressions to Mathematics and Engineering’, the directory is due to be published in May.
Also in May will be the publication of the first issue of Technology Horizons’, a new magazine aimed specifically at SET students and new graduates. Content has been developed jointly by ETB’s scenta team and journalists from The Engineer, which is published by Centaur. Along with an accompanying website, the magazine will offer a comprehensive source of news, features, jobs, careers information and statistics, plus access to over 30,000 articles. The website is due to go live at the end of April.
Research informed teaching funding
In England HEFCE have now announced as part of the Teaching Quality Enhancement Funding, special funding for Research Informed Teaching Environments: with funding allocated in inverse proportion to the money institutions receive from research funding. Institutions will have flexibility in how they use this funding.
Full details including information on institutional allocations are on the HEFCE website.
JISC ITT: A Study Evaluating Bibliographic and Citation Databases in use by the UK HE Community
The JISC invites proposals to undertake a number of evaluations of bibliographic, abstract and indexing and full text databases to assist and inform the licensing decision-making process of the higher education community.
Funding of up to £30,000 including VAT is available for this study and the deadline for submission of proposals is 1.00 pm on 4 May 2006. It is envisaged that the study will commence by the end of May and needs to be completed by September 2006.
Further information including the full Invitation To Tender is available online.
Further Education White Paper
The Government's new White Paper "Further Education: Raising Skills,
Improving Life Chances" was published this week. It includes the Government's response to Foster.
External examiners - panel on collaborative provision programmes
The Higher Education Academy is seeking to convene a panel to discuss the challenges facing external examiners appointed to collaborative provision programmes. They are looking for volunteers to join the panel who have a rich experience of working with collaborative provision, either home or abroad or both. There will likely be a couple of meetings in the coming months at convenient locations and the Academy would meet expenses and pay a modest fee of £100. They will be collaborating with the CVU in this work.
If you are interested please contact Howard Colley directly at howard.colley@heacademy.ac.uk. When replying please give a brief outline of your experience in carrying out EE duties for collaborative provision.
David Eastwood to co-chair national review of research assessment
HEFCE welcomes the Government's continuing strong commitment to research and innovation announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer today. The Government also reaffirmed its commitment to Dual Support funding arrangements for research where HEFCE will continue to provide core funding for research in institutions. This will enable HEIs to pursue 'blue skies' and other research priorities and maintain a high quality research infrastructure which in turn provides the basis for grant applications to other dual support funders.
HEFCE funding award gives boost to physical sciences
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) today announced more than £5m backing for two major initiatives by the learned societies responsible for promoting physics and chemistry. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) will be awarded £3.6m and the Institute of Physics (IOP) £1.8m. The announcement follows an agreement last year that HEFCE would work with a group of organisations to support strategically important and vulnerable subjects.
New call for EMOL case studies
Edina has been funded to commission learning and teaching materials using the film collections of Education Media Online (EMOL). The EMOL service is free to all HE and FE institutions and access is by Athens account. Edina would like to hear from staff interested in writing case studies involving EMOL resources and are offering £500 for each case study. Email Catherine Fleming (catherine.fleming@ed.ac.uk) by 1 May 2006 for further details.
Consultation on the future of the Register of Practitioners
The HEA are consulting on proposals for a new system of national professional recognition for staff who demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching and enhancing learning. Have your say here.
Report of the Materials and Innovation and Growth Team
A review of the recent report published at a launch event organised by and held at the Department of Trade and Industry in London on Weds 8th March 2006.
Working with students with disabilities in Materials Science
We have two new reports in our Disability themed area on Visual Impairment and Dyslexia available for download.
Call for expression of interest in Foundation Year Leader network from Portsmouth and Southampton
Anna Barney
Faculty of Engineering Science and Mathematics
University of Southampton
Colin Gilbert-Wood
Faculty of Technology
University of Portsmouth
"As Foundation Year Leaders in Mathematics/Science/Engineering subjects we are aware that these kinds of courses have some special features in educational terms arising from the diversity of the students they attract. Often best practice for Foundation Years is rather different to that for other years and requires an experienced and specialist approach. We are would like to gauge the level of potential interest in a network for Foundation Year Leaders. At this stage we are concentrating on Foundation Years in the Southern region with a mathematics, science and/or engineering exit route, either with the Level 0 model or those designed exclusively for International students. Our interaction could be minimal, e.g. a web based list of Foundation Year Leaders to allow members to source potential external advisors and examiners, or more extensive, perhaps involving periodic meetings to share good practice."
If you would be interested in joining such a group please email Anna Barney (ab3@soton.ac.uk) indicating the kinds of activities you would find useful.
Special issue of EJEE - call for papers
This special issue on Sustainable Design & Innovation in Engineering Education aims to bring together selected peer-reviewed articles from academia, industry and government organizations interested in research and practice relating to design and innovation education. In particular this special issue aims to showcase best practice and offer strategies for addressing the issues above through educational research and technology, policy, curriculum design, teaching and learning. The journal is seeking contributions that will provide original insight into what engineering design and innovation mean in 2006 in the global and more inclusive context.
Consultation on the future of the Register of Practitioners
The Higher Education Academy is committed to leading, supporting and informing the professional development of staff who teach and support student learning in higher education. It currently maintains a ‘Register of Practitioners’ which provides public recognition of individuals’ expertise and dedication to improving the student learning experience.
Feedback from across the sector suggests that the current model of the Register is no longer appropriate. The Academy is therefore consulting on proposals for a new system of national professional recognition for staff who demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching and enhancing learning. The proposed model incorporates three categories that align with the recently published UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching in higher education. It is intended both to accord professional status to individuals and to provide higher education institutions with a means to recognise and reward teaching and supporting student learning.
The Academy wants to ensure that the new model enjoys wide support both within and outside the HE sector and would therefore welcome your participation and views in an online questionnaire, which should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete.
Polymers a match for silicon semiconductors
Polymer materials can now match the speed and performance of amorphous silicon used in electronics, according to the latest research from a US-UK team.
Congratulations to Catherine Johnson
Winner of our 2006 Materials Student Essay competition. A unanimous decision was reached and a pdf of Catherine's essay may be downloaded using the above link.
Students admit to copying
One in six students admits to copying from friends and one in ten confesses to looking for essays online, the most extensive poll ever conducted on student cheating in universities has revealed.
The UK-wide survey, commissioned by The Times Higher, also found that four in ten students claim to know someone on campus who has passed off someone else's work as their own. The poll of 1,022 undergraduates at 119 institutions was carried out this month by the market research firm Opinionpanel Research.
Call for career advice on science
Students need a better idea of the career opportunities available in the science community, scientists say. The Society of Chemical Industry says young people should have better careers advice and more chance to see what goes on in contemporary industrial science. The SCI says the UK's future economic strength will be weakened unless more pupils and students study sciences.
Nano skins show promise as flexible electronic devices
A team of researchers has developed a new process to make flexible, conducting 'nano skins' for a variety of applications, from electronic paper to sensors for detecting chemical and biological agents.
Shape Memory Polymers Controlled using a Magnetic Field
In a joint project with the German Institute of Polymers in Darmstadt, GKSS
scientists from the Institute of Polymer Research in Teltow near Berlin have
succeeded in developing polymers with a "memory".
Polymer solution to chewing gum litter
A university spin-off company is using polymers to solve the perennial problem of chewing gum litter. The UK government today launched funding for 15 local authorities across England to help them deal with the problem – based on advertising, alternative disposal and enforcement measures such as a £50 fine.
QCA promotes debate about the future of functional skills
QCA aims to promote wide debate about the future of functional skills. This includes talking directly with those involved in and affected by education so that they can understand and record their views. This understanding will inform the development and implementation of functional skills. Stakeholders will be consulted using a wide range of methods. These include consultation events, a web-based functional skills questionnaire, and the opportunity to submit views via the QCA website.
SEMTA, as SSC for mathematics, will be consulting employers across all sectors on these draft function maths standards during March / April. John Harris (Higher Skills/Education Manager) will be pleased to receive any concerns you may have regarding the draft functional maths standards via email to jharris@semta.org.uk
Survey of Engineering and Material Science Resources
We are currently conducting a survey into the usage of nationally funded Engineering and Material Science Resources. (e.g those developed with TLTP, FDTL or other national funding). Do you currently use or have you previously used any of the following Computer Based Learning Resources?EDEC, CALVisual, CALGroup, ECorr, HELM, GeotechniCAL, INTERACT, COMPACT, iDEr, Filter, QUEST, CATEEC, Matter, ECorr, DoITPoMS, Scholar or any other CAL Resource for Engineering or Material Sciences? If so it would be much appreciated if you could complete the following questionnaire via the link. Survey conducted on behalf of ICBL, Engineering Subject Centre & UK Centre for Materials Education.
Liverpool University vice-chancellor attacks plans for a European institute of technology
Liverpool University vice-chancellor, Drummond Bone yesterday attacked plans for a multi-million pound European institute of technology, warning it could result in ‘a costly white elephant’.
ALT-C 2006: the next generation
13th International Conference of the Association for Learning Technology, which will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 5 and 7 September 2006.
Faith Guides for Higher Education
Philosophy and Religious Studies subject centre have published a series of Faith Guides, useful for academics in all disciplines.
Sharp fall in university entries
University applications have fallen for the first time in six years, as higher fees are introduced across England.
Almost 13,000 fewer students have applied for courses starting in September than had applied at this time last year - a fall of 3.4%.
Undergraduates cause tutors despair by being illiterate
The Times Higher is reporting on a leaked report on the increase in the number of freshers, who are entering universities less numerate, literate and knowledgeable.
New students are complaining that they are unable to cope with the inderpendant and self directed style of learning now expected. Students entering university are expecting to be spoon fed after suffering examination burnout.
Information about this subject can also be found on the BBC web site at the following URL http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4694714.stm
JORUM User Service
Further and Higher Education institutions in the UK can now register for the JORUM User Service. JORUM User allows staff from registered institutions to search, browse, preview, download, review, reuse and repurpose resources in JORUM. This free online repository service hosts a range of learning and teaching resources, covering a variety of subject areas and educational levels. The JORUM Website has a comprehensive new section on JORUM User offering support in registering and logging in, as well as a useful selection of support, training and promotional materials.
Research & Evaluation projects call
The Higher Education Academy is funding two separate calls for one-year projects and invite expressions of interest from Institutions. Successful applicants at the first stage will be invited to submit full proposals.
- Call 1: Improving the quality of the student learning experience
The outcomes of these projects will contribute to evidence and understanding to inform a number of specified key issues of HE policy and practice. Projects may aim to develop recommendations for policy or practice directly, or increase conceptual understanding. Maximum funding for each project is £30,000, and no more than 20 projects will be funded. The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is 3 March 2006.
- Call 2: e-Learning research grants
These projects will focus on improving understanding of e-learning as a means of enhancing the students learning experience. Total funding is £150,000, and 3-5 projects will be funded. The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is 24 February 2006.
More information is available on the website.
Sweden first to break dependence on oil
The Swedish government are setting a policy target to break the country's dependence on fossil fuels by the year 2020.
Aimhigher AchieveAbility project consultation
The survey seeks responses to initial research findings, identifying current information collection and dissemination practices for learners with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), within the school, further education (FE) and higher education (HE) sectors and is being carried out by the Higher Education Academy on behalf of the AchieveAbility project.
To take part visit the website.
Nominations now open for National Teaching Fellowship Scheme
Nominations are now open for the Individual Awards strand of the new National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS). The awards are open to all staff involved in supporting the student learning experience in HE in England and Northern Ireland. Visit the NTFS pages of the Academy's website for more information.
Newly published papers on QAA website
QAA has recently published 5 papers in its series Outcomes from institutional audit.They are:
* Student representation and feedback arrangements
* Programme monitoring arrangements
* Assessment of students
* Learning support resources, including virtual learning environments
* Validation and approval of new provision, and its periodic review
Links to these papers can be found on QAAs web site
Higher Education Academy to offer e-learning research grants
The Higher Education Academy has this week announced a call for e-learning research. They are particularly keen to see projects with a subject dimension.
Visit the website for more information or to submit an expression of interest.
Future 'bright' for graduate jobs
The employment outlook for university graduates looks rosy with many firms planning to increase their intake this year, a report suggests.
A survey of 100 firms by Incomes Data Services found the number of graduates hired grew by more than 7% in 2005 and is set to rise by another 6% this year. The biggest areas for growth were in finance and manufacturing.
Muscling in on the real thing
Polymer chemists from Sheffield University claim they have created a system which mimics the flexing of natural muscle.
CaSE try to get a reverse on the downgrading of funding
CaSE today called on the Government to use the opportunity of its latest review to reverse its decision to downgrade the level of funding for science and engineering in the universities.
Celebrating excellence - nominations open for new NTFS
Nominations for the Higher Education Academy's new National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) opened on 18 January 2006. The scheme recognises and rewards excellence in teaching in higher education. It is open to all staff involved in supporting the student learning experience in HE in England and Northern Ireland. This year it has been substantially restructured in response to feedback from the HE sector, which recommended that the individual award should be decoupled from the requirement to carry out a project.
ALT-C 2006: the next generation
5 - 7 September 2006
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
Starts: 9:00 AM, 5 Sep 2006, ends: 5:00 PM, 7 Sep 2006
JISC will again be a major sponsor of the ALT-C 2006 Conference, which will feature the following four themes:
* Next generation learning
* Next generation learners
* Next generation technology
* Next generation providers
University caution on school plan
Universities are adopting a wait and see approach over whether to get involved in setting up their own secondary schools.
The government wants universities to become involved in city academies and the new "trust" status schools proposed in the education White Paper.
Best wishes for the New Year from UKCME
We wish a Happy Christmas to our readers
Congratulations Professor Dickens
We would like to congratulate John Dickens, Director of our sister Centre, Engineering, on the award of a Chair.
Hydrogen-powered motorbike
The fuel cell has come of age with the manufacture of the first hydrogen-powered motorbike. Stuart Nathan reports on its development, from brainstorming to production.
University venture capital challenge
A survey of venture capital firms highlights how far university spin-outs lag behind their corporate counterparts when it comes to gaining finance. But, asks Christopher Sell, how can they close the gap?
d3o - new impact-absorbing elastomeric material
d30 lab's revolutionary new technology of the same name is best described as a rate sensitive micro-cellular composite, incorporating ‘intelligent’ molecules. These molecules are free flowing when movement is normal, providing a soft and flexible material. However, when impact occurs, the molecules lock together making the material stiffen, absorbing impact energy. The moment the impact is over, the molecules return to their original free flowing state, with the whole process lasting just 10 milliseconds.
Should we be training pessimists?
In a light-hearted article in November’s MRS Bulletin, Alex King poses this question as it relates to the field of Materials. He argues that scientists are intrinsically optimistic – “let’s see if this works…” while engineers are intrinsically pessimists – “the factor of safety should be at least 2…”. He strengthens the argument by asking “would you want to fly in an aeroplane designed by an optimist?”. Which leaves us with the educational question: Should we be tuning our programmes to educate optimists or pessimists? [MRS Bulletin vol 30 p920, 2005]
Materials Congress
Materials Congress 2006 is in London from 5th-7th April. UKCME hopes to be taking part and showing our services to the sector. David Naylor of IISI will be speaking an about e-learning resource for steels.
Congratulations to Professor Lewis Elton
Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first Times Higher Awards.
A dual technology material could lead to intelligent aircraft structures
A fibre-metal laminate currently under development could herald an era of ‘intelligent’ aircraft structures that need fewer mechanical systems, according to a UK engineering team.
Researchers at Liverpool University are combining two technologies — fibre composites and shape-memory alloys — that could lead to extremely lightweight and responsive aircraft with built-in self-diagnostics and a ‘morphing’ capability.
Scientists harness flea genes to create near-perfect rubber
In a world first, CSIRO scientists have copied nature to produce a near-perfect rubber from resilin, the elastic protein which gives fleas their remarkable jumping ability and helps insects fly.
This important research breakthrough is reported in the latest edition of the respected international journal Nature (13 October 2005).
Resilin has a near-perfect capacity to recover, or 'bounce back', after stress is applied and extraordinary durability, which may have applications in industry and medicine.
steeluniversity.org Challenge
(external link)
Registrations now open
Calls for Education Media Online Case Study Authors
We would like to hear from staff interested in writing case studies. Upto £750 available for each study
An opportunity to learn more about CDIO
(external link)
Embedding Sustainable Development into the Curriculum
This workshop will introduce the results of a recent study into determining what Sustainable Development means to the different disciplines
Survey of Educational Website Design
If you have experience of developing an educational website, please fill in our questionnaire
Linking Teaching and Learning - Centre for Bioscience
Student Essay Competition 2006
Are you a student studying a Materials-based degree or course?
Could you use £250?
Materials Student Representatives’ Weekend
11-13 November 2005
National Student Survey: What Your Students Think of Their Degree Programmes
Results of survey available
What Makes a Good Materials Engineer and How Best to Educate Them
Full report available
Small is beautiful especially when it can earn you £250!
The UK MNT network is offering a prize of £250 to the person who submits the best image that captures any aspect of micro and nanotechnology
Engineering Education Conference 2006
Now closed for submissions
Corus & Armourers and Brasiers' Charitable Partnership Scheme for 2005
The support of education in materials science and technology
Making Personal Development Planning Work
Survey of the Rights and Rewards in Blended Institutional Repositories
Creativity Challenge - A Creative Approach to Problem Solving for Postgraduate Students
'Liquid' magnetic state
A novel material that may demonstrate a highly unusual 'liquid' magnetic state at extremely low temperatures has been discovered by a team of Japanese and US researchers.
Harder than diamond
Physicists in Germany have created a material that is harder than diamond and patented the process they used.
Rubber balls give plastic bounce
Tiny rubbery particles imbedded in plastic matrices could lead to a new generation of materials that deform and recover rather than crack and splinter.
Australian alloy
A new Australian magnesium alloy featuring mirror finish, strength and lightness is exciting interest among manufacturers and designers around the world.
Waste plastic makes steel
An Australian researcher has shown the steel industry that they can use waste plastic bottles to make steel. The plastic replaces coal as a source of carbon in the steel-making process
£25 million to turn ideas into reality
Researchers are being encouraged to turn their ideas into commercially marketable products via £25 million in Government funding launched today through the Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund
Consultation on proposed changes to A levels
The recent White Paper, 14-19 Education and Skills, proposed the introduction of more stretch and challenge to A levels. The QCA is consulting on the following:
- the skills to be assessed through extra stretch and challenge in A levels and how the extra demand might be introduced;
- the skills which might be developed through an extended project and the form that the extended project might take.
QCA will be sending an interim report to DfES in September 2005 on how those changes might be implemented. To help inform this feedback, QCA is consulting with key stakeholders. It will be particularly interesting to determine from end users, such as higher education institutions:
- what skills they would like to see further developed through these initiatives;
- how they might use the outcomes to support them in selection/recruitment.
To take part in the consultation follow the link to complete the questionnaire.
£6 million allocation delivers new ideas on e-learning
Six major projects, which aim to transform aspects of the student experience through e-learning, have been allocated £6 million by the Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education (SFC). The FE and HE projects include the development of materials so that Higher National (HN), modern apprenticeship and degree courses can be delivered in new ways; the use of new approaches to assessment by higher education institutions (HEIs), and FE colleges and HEIs working together to ease the transition between sectors for learners. The projects will be run by several FE Colleges and HEIs until summer 2007, and will test a key conclusion of the SFC joint e-learning report: that e-learning can produce efficiency gains for institutions by replacing existing processes.
Power from wastewater
An environmental engineer at Washington University in St Louis has created a device similar to a hydrogen fuel cell that uses bacteria to treat wastewater and create electricity.
The full story is available via the web link.
Success for All Delivery Plan: Data Evidence - Final Report - June 2005
The Success for All Working Group was set up to inform preparations for the Spending Review 2006 and the Lifelong Learning Directorate’s input to the FE Review and to help with thinking about future direction on developing the FE quality improvement strategy. The Working Group commissioned a series of analyses to address key questions in four areas and obtain:
* A Better Understanding of FEC Provision Mix;
* A Better Understanding of FEC Learners;
* A Reliable Assessment of College Performance; and
* The Key Determinants of College Performance.
This report sets out the main findings of the analytical work programme and can be found at -
Carbon-free plant planned
BP, ConocoPhillips, Shell and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) announced yesterday that they are to commence engineering design of the world's first industrial scale project to generate 'carbon-free' electricity from hydrogen.
The full story is available via the web link.
Higher Education Academy - new publication now available
'Managing Assessment: student and staff perspectives' is a practical tool developed by the Managing Effective Student Assessment (MESA) benchmarking club. It aims to give senior management, staff and educational developers, teachers and support staff insight into assessment issues along with ideas and tools to enable them to improve student learning and reduce the burden on staff.
It is hoped that the case studies will also encourage students to reflect on their experiences of assessment and promote student and staff dialogue about assessment. The pack consists of a set of case studies on assessment-related topics such as plagiarism, students (and staff) under stress, work placements, mature students and overseas students, and looks at each situation from the point of view of both the student and the tutor. There are also suggestions as to how the material could be used in workshops or programmes for new staff.
Motoring on magnesium
A magnesium car engine that weights just 14 kilograms has been retired after completing 65,000 kilometres of trouble-free motoring.
National Teaching Fellowship Scheme at last honour an engineer
Fifty university lecturers and learning support staff were today awarded prestigious National Teaching Fellowships, each worth £50,000, for their inspiring teaching. Included in the fifty was the first engineering academic to ever be awarded with the honour. Mark Russell, from the School of Aerospace, Automotive and Design Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire, was judged on his ability to influence and inspire his students, to inspire his colleagues and to demonstrate a reflective approach to his teaching and to the support of learning. The Engineering Subject Centre would like to congratulate Mark, and all the winners of this year's Fellowships.
HEFCE programme of support for engineering - a strategically important and vulnerable subject
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is bringing together a series of activities to support certain subjects which are regarded as strategically important and vulnerable. The subjects divide into five main areas: science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects); modern languages; area studies and related languages; quantitative social science; and land-based studies.
The Royal Academy of Engineering
Following a conference in April 2005, the National Engineering Programme was developed. A pilot phase of the National Engineering Programme, the London Engineering Project, involving the Royal Academy of Engineering, London South Bank University and 13 other partner organisations will develop methods for increasing and widening participation in engineering in HE in London. It will co-ordinate work on STEM subjects in 15 secondary schools and 35 feeder primary schools; and develop engineering courses in three selected HE institutions. A key concept is prospecting for potential
engineering students by running hands-on STEM activities in schools to
identify pupils with an aptitude for mathematics and logical thinking. £2.85 million has been committed by HEFCE for phase 1 of the project.
Tiny fuel cell hits hi-power band
Engineers have created a propane-burning fuel cell that's almost as small as a watch battery, yet many times higher in power density.
Using Video as a Learning and Teaching Resource
Do you already use video to enhance your teaching and learning activities or would you like to find out more about how this can be done?
If so, you may be interested in attending a workshop held in Manchester on the 26th July by EDINA, which will provide you with an introduction to free video material available from the Education Media OnLine service.
Rutgers scientists make new crystals
Creating crystals
Materials scientists at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, have devised a new technique to make thin, crystal-like materials for electronic devices.
New material becomes water repellent when wet.
A US chemical engineering team has developed a novel material that becomes water repellent when wet
Marie Curie summer school : Knowledge based materials
This year's Summer School will focus on multidisciplinary aspects of materials science associated with single phase materials. Thirty places are fully-funded for young European researchers, and a further ten places are available on a fee-paying basis for participants from around the world.
Engineering the Dis out of Disability: IT - The Universal Enabler. A Lecture by David Livermore
David Livermore has a passion for helping disabled people. His exceptional experience provides him with a unique platform from which to view what can be done to help improve the lives of
several million Britons.
This years theme of the Kelvin lecture is the stark contrast between the vast opportunity created on the one hand by the all-pervasive use of IT, both in terms of employment and lifestyle, and on the other the potential for still greater social exclusion for disabled people, if denied access to this new world. The Lecture will address both aspects of this paradox but with the essential message that technology is now available to make such exclusion totally unnecessary.
The 6.00pm lecture on 10 March 2005 will be followed by dinner in the Riverside Dining Room.
Enhancing the student experience
Annual conference of the Higher Education Academy. For all those interested in any aspect of learning, teaching and the student experience. Themes include: Engaging the curriculum to support higher education; Developing the learning environment; Engaging with higher education policy and practice; The role of excellence and innovation in enhancing learning; Maximising student retention and success. 29 June - 1 July 2005 Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Academy Drops Annual Fee
'You're removing the annual tax on teaching!' said one Registered Practitioner when he heard that the Higher Education Academy is dropping the annual renewal fee for Registered Practitioners.
Continuing registration will be dependant on a practitioners commitment to their own professional development. Removing the annual fee will enable a more inclusive approach to developing the community of registered practitioners and demonstrates the Academy's commitment to support all staff engaged in supporting student learning.
No further payment will be requested from members of the former Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE) who have been transferred onto the Academy Register and who have maintained their registration or those who have newly registered with the Academy.
Workers learn more in the workplace than on training Courses
Despite the emphasis placed on training and qualifications by government, newly published research by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) suggests that these forms of study are not rated so highly as on-the-job learning by employees wanting to improve their performance at work.
The research, Better Learning, Better Performance, was carried out by NIACE in association with researchers from the University of Leicester. It discusses how activities more closely associated with the workplace - such as doing the job, being shown techniques by colleagues, engaging in self-reflection and active observation - can be of more help to employees in raising their performance than attending training courses or acquiring qualifications.
Visiting Professors in Integrated System Design
The Royal Academy of Engineering has announced the opening of applications for "Visiting Professors in Integrated System Design". It is expected that five universities will be sponsored up to a maximum of £20,000 per year to start in October 2005. Initial grants will be for a period of three years, with a possibility of extension for a further two years. The closing date for completed applications will be March 17th 2005.
The Science Learning and Teaching Conference 2005
Call for papers: This conference aims to bring together practioners in the teaching of science in HE to share experiences and identify common challenges. The programme includes keynote lectures, presentations, hands-on workshops, posters and exhibitions.
Transforming teaching with IT
Ruth Kelly, the new Secretary of State for Education and Skills, opened the education technology fair BETT with an overview of how IT should be used to transform teaching and learning. Teachers TV, a new digital channel, goes live on Sky, NTL, Telewest, Homechoice and Freeview on 8 February. The channel is funded by the DfES,is editorially independent and will carry classroom resources, education-related news and information. The DfES has also launched a set of CDs aimed at secondary teachers, with advice on incorporating ICT teaching in other subject classes.
Workshop: Teaching Mechanics to Scientists and Engineers
Increasing numbers of students embark on Materials courses without the required foundations in mathematics. This workshop will provide advice and resources to help you provide the additional support they demand whilst preserving your valuable time.
JISC ITT: JISC Technology Observatory
The JISC is seeking to establish a Technology Observatory for UK Further and Higher Education. The Observatory will be a resource for both the JISC and its wider community in providing an efficient and cost effective way for the JISC community to keep abreast of developments in emerging technologies and standards and the implications of these developments for policy and strategy.
Deadline for Proposals:14 Feb 2005, 1:00pm
2005 Early Career Fellowships
The Leverhulme Trust is offering approximately 30 fellowships in all subject areas, each tenable for 24 months, from the beginning of the 2005 academic year. The awards are to enable successful canditates to undertake a significant piece of publishable research in a UK higher education institution and are intended to provide career development opportunities.
Nominations are invited for the 2005 iNEER Awards.
Awards are in the form of engraved plaques and will be presented during ceremonies to be held at iCEER-2005 (March 1-5, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan,Taiwan) and/or ICEE-2005 (July 25-29, Silesian University of Technology,Gliwice, Poland.)
Guidelines for nominations, award categories, selection criteria, and
information on past awards are available via the web link.
Inequality of access to higher education by young people is deep and persistent
A ground-breaking study has revealed the extent and scale of the inequality of access to higher education by young people from affluent and poorer areas throughout the country.
Equality 'would double university admissions'
If all areas of the UK sent the same proportion of young people to university as the top 20% of neighbourhoods do now, there would be a million more students entering higher education, the author of a new report told a seminar today. Mark Corver warned that his analysis of 8,000 census wards throughout the country for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) showed there was "deep, broad and persistent inequality" in the participation of young people in higher education.
There had been almost no change between 1994 and 2000 and in fact the numbers going to university from the most advantaged neighbourhoods had risen faster, taking up most of the extra student places, he said.
The report, Young Participation in Higher Education, tracks 18 and 19 year olds in each neighbourhood between 1994 and 2000, revealing sharply-divided cities where children grow up in utterly different circumstances and with differing aspirations. Neighbourhoods where two out of three school leavers go to university exist cheek by jowl with areas where fewer than one in ten enter higher education.
Sir Howard Newby, chief executive of Hefce, said research showed small geographical distances made a big difference to young people in the disadvantaged areas. He said universities should work with further education colleges, which had a more localised reach.
"We need to be delivering higher education to them rather than delivering them to higher education."
International Symposium in Singapore, July 2005
The symposium addresses issues in materials education at all levels, public education and outreach activity. It is accompanied by the 24 technical symposia of the ICMAT conference and a series of lectures by speakers that include four Nobel Laureates.
The Higher Education Academy Annual Conference 2005
The online session proposal facility for the Annual Conference 2005 is now open.
The 2005 Higher Education Academy conference will focus on all aspects of the student experience, including the specific themes of:
· Engaging the curriculum to support higher education.
· Developing the learning environment.
· Engaging with higher education policy and practice.
· The role of excellence and innovation in enhancing learning.
· Maximising student retention and success.
Key dates
Session proposal submissions open: 10 January 2005
Proposal deadline: 25 February 2005
General bookings open: 10 January 2005
General bookings close: 18 May 2005
For more information, online session proposal and booking forms please see the Academy’s web site (http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/conference.htm) or contact the Conference Team (tel. 01904 434238 or email conference@heacademy.ac.uk)
Major OSS Watch conference
Open source software has been one of the great buzzwords in the UK business world last year, and JISC is very aware of the importance of its stakeholders in education keeping abreast of the issues. OSS Watch, the JISC-funded service which provides advice to UK Further and Higher Education community on how open source software can be use and applied by institutions, are now taking bookings for an event in London on 20th January, 2005 Open Source: national frameworks.
Academics welcome research funding boost
Increased funding announced to help universities cover the full costs of their research was warmly welcomed by university heads and scientists.
Research projects: Call for expressions of interest
The Higher Education Academy wishes to support evidence-based approaches to policy and practice and to pursue a scholarly, research-driven agenda to improve the quality of the student experience.
Academy Research Projects are intended to be relatively small-scale and should take the form of pilot or preliminary studies which might lead to applications for funding for larger-scale projects.
Projects must address one (or more) of 13 themes considered by the Academy as being of particular relevance to its aims. The duration of projects will normally be one year. The indicative level of funding is £25,000, although in exceptional circumstances a larger grant may be made available, up to an absolute maximum of £50,000.
ITT: e-Learning Framework and Tools Strand: Toolkits
JISC invites proposals to produce software development kits (known as ELF Toolkits) that enable developers to create applications that ‘Provide Services’ and ‘Consume Services’ as defined within the e-Learning Framework. This is the second call for ELF toolkit development projects and will focus on the services identified in the Learning Domain Services layer of the e-Learning Framework.
A total of £200,000 is available for this work and as a general guideline it is anticipated that most projects will be awarded funding of between £30,000 and £50,000 depending on the extent and complexity of the work involved. The deadline for tenders is 1300 hours on 9 February.
ITT: e-Learning and Pedgagogy Strand: Evaluation of Tools used in 'Designing for Learning'
JISC invites tenders from individuals and teams with suitable expertise to carry out an evaluation study under the e-Learning and Pedagogy strand of the JISC e-Learning Development Programme (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/elearning_pedagogy.html) This study will investigate tools in use by practitioners in UK further, higher and continuing/adult and community education to support the process of ‘designing for learning’.
Up to £60,000 (including VAT and expenses) is available, and may be awarded to a single project covering a range of relevant tools, or to a number of smaller projects looking at specific tools. The deadline for tenders is 1300 hours on 10 February 2005.
FREE online professional development
A unique offer open to academic and support staff involved in the teaching and learning of disabled students in higher education.
The DisabilityCPD project is currently recruiting participants for the next presentation of its online course, which will start on 14 February 2005. The course will last for 10 weeks, with up to 15 hours of online activities phased over this period. The course seeks to encourage participants to share experiences and identify practical ways in which reasonable adjustments can be made to ensure students achieve their full potential. Course participants will each receive a copy of the DisabilityCPD Guide, a comprehensive reference resource, in preparation for the online activities and discussions. No previous experience of online learning is necessary.
Up to 30 places will be available for the course, which will be based on a 'first come, first served' basis. The deadline for applications is Monday 17 January 2005.
The Project Team is interested in obtaining a full evaluation of the course and resources, including the Guide, and will therefore be offering £150 (gross) to participants who complete the final course evaluation.
Apprenticeships more valuable than university degrees
Employers view Apprenticeships as a more valuable qualification than GCSEs, A levels and university degrees according to the latest independent research conducted on behalf of the Learning and Skills Council.
Twenty seven per cent of employers questioned by KRC Research put Apprenticeships at the top of their list for value, with 26 per cent choosing GCSEs, eight per cent A levels and only five per cent opting for university degrees. (Full details available from 'Apprenticeship News Issue 8,Nov. 2004 on the web site below)
Charles Clarke Seeks Protection for Courses of National Strategic Importance
The Higher Education Funding Council has been asked to provide advice on how to protect higher education courses of national strategic importance.
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are listed amongst the strategic subjects – chiefly for maintaining the UK’s excellent science base and ensuring our national productivity.
Chemical breakdown
The news that Exeter University is to axe undergraduate chemistry has shocked the Royal Society of Chemistry and pointed up the crisis in a subject which is essential to the country's economic wellbeing. It is not only Exeter that has dropped chemistry. So has King's College and Queen Mary, both part of the University of London, as well as the University of Kent.
The real problem is that the country is experiencing a crisis in recruitment to almost all science and engineering degrees. Students simply don't want to study these subjects. They are seen as difficult and not as interesting as a humanities programme or a subject such as forensic science.
Green light for Scotland's research pooling plans
Plans to bring together hundreds of researchers in Scotland in physics and chemistry "super departments" will be backed with £37m of funding, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has announced.
Bad spelling and punctuation to be penalised in exams
The head of the Government's exams watchdog is poised to instruct examiners to start penalising poor spelling and grammar in GCSE and A-levels.
UK 'must learn Christmas finance'
The Learndirect agency warns that Shoppers need to improve their maths skills to avoid "crippling" debts from credit deals offered by stores at Christmas, a government agency says.
Major milestone in hydrogen research
searchers at the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and Ceramatec of Salt Lake City are reporting a significant development in their efforts to help the USA advance toward a clean hydrogen economy.
Contingent faculty trends
Bucking the trend in higher education, engineering departments have yet to employ nontenured, contingent faculty in significant numbers, according to an article by Thomas Grose in the November ASEE Prism. An accounting of engineering teaching faculty members shows 10,793 full professors, 5920 associate professors, 4868 assistant professors, and 2129 nontenure-track teaching personnel (full-time equivalent of 1253). Outside the classroom, however, many engineering schools have significant numbers of full-time, nontenured researchers.
Teaching the small stuff
Nanotechnology offers great promise for improving health and cleaning up the environment, and schools are scrambling to figure out how to teach it, according to an article by Corinna Wu in the October ASEE Prism. Ethicists, philosophers, ecologists and economists are providing perspectives on nanotechnology, in addition to the technical base provided by scientists and engineers. So programs currently being developed often include courses in management, science policy and ethics as well as hard-core science classes. Approaches at various universities cover the spectrum from a brand new College of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering at SUNY Albany to a minor in nanotechnology at Penn State.
Women seen as underutilized economic resource
A UK expert sees the low numbers of women in science and engineering as a concern for national economies, according to an article in the November MentorNet News. Nancy Lane, a cell biologist in the UK who directs Cambridge’s Women in Science, Engineering and Technology Initiative, says that it is a great waste not to use 50% of the population – women -- who need to be encouraged to see that they can have interesting careers in SET. Lane stresses the need for gathering data so that employers can benchmark their progress, educating women for the SET workforce, and utilizing the media to raise public awareness of the issue.
Materials that efficiently convert waste heat to electricity
Materials that efficiently convert waste heat to electricity could soon be used to save energy in cars and around the home thanks to researchers at BASF in Germany.
The Science Learning and Teaching Conference 2005
Call for papers: This conference aims to bring together practioners in the teaching of science in HE to share experiences and identify common challenges. The programme includes keynote lectures, presentations, hands-on workshops, posters and exhibitions.
Call for Papers
Contributions are invited for a special issue of the International Journal Of Engineering Education (IJEE). Manuscripts submitted should reflect recent developments in the teaching and learning of areas related to Materials science and engineering.
e-Science in Education - Models for Future Thinking
JISC will host a one day consultation event on Wednesday 20 October at the Royal Society in London to consider the role of e-science within the classroom, identify areas for collaboration and provide feedback on some of the challenges and opportunities for future planning.
Radical reform for school exams
GCSEs and A-levels should evolve over the next decade into a new diploma system, recommends a report from former chief inspector, Mike Tomlinson.
A four-stage diploma has been designed to stretch the most able pupils, while assuring employers that all school leavers have basic skills.
Education Secretary Charles Clarke says the government will respond in a White Paper in the New Year.
SETNET publishes STEM statistics database
SETNET is pleased to announce the publication of a comprehensive database of statistics for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the first of its kind in the UK.
The 2003 National STEM Database contains a specially-created data set, which sets the achievements of SETNET and the SETPOINTs against the national achievement of UK school pupils in STEM examinations.
NTU develop computer fabric properties analyzer
New software developed at Nottingham Trent University enables people to use a computer to examine the properties of different fabrics.
National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship is Launched
The National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) was launched on Monday 13th September by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown. The organisation will be a national focal point for graduate entrepreneurship and will collaborate with bodies across the UK to support and influence students and recent graduates.
Ian Robertson, chief executive of the new Council, said it would focus on graduates starting businesses, but also on understanding, developing and promoting a culture of entrepreneurship in higher education. Chancellor Gordon Brown said: "In this world of open, global competition, it is only by the ingenuity, inventiveness and enterprise of our graduates that we can hope to succeed.
New and Recently Appointed Lecturers Weekend
10-12 Sept 2004, Liverpool. An opportunity for new or recently appointed academic staff to consider aspects of course design, network with peers, and to learn of solutions and support available for learning and teaching from the Higher Education Academy.
Higher Education Academy e-Tutor of the Year 2004 Competition
The Higher Education Academy and the Times Higher Education Supplement have once again joined forces to celebrate innovation, good practice and achievement in the field of e-learning. Closing date for the competition is July 1 2004.
Integrating e-Learning into Materials Education
Liverpool, 23 June. A workshop focusing on the appropriate and effective use of computer based learning, teaching and assessment in undergraduate materials education, emphasising how resources can be integrated to enhance student learning.
Materials Education: 12 Guides for Lecturers Now Available
Originating from the Centre's Thematic Groups programme, these guides examine the full cycle of materials education, from recruiting students to evaluating your teaching practice. The guides are available online and as a printed box set.
Results: Materials Photographic Competition
Following very strong entries in both the Materials Close Up and Materials Concepts categories, the Centre is pleased to announce the winners of its Materials Photographic Competition.
The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme
The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme rewards science, technology, engineering and maths undergraduates with course credit for participating in a project in which they work as teaching assistants and act as role-models in local schools.
Conference: Future of Materials Science and Eng Education
5-9 April, 2004, Kona, Hawaii. This conference aims to stimulate the exchange of information and ideas on the future of materials science and engineering. Limited funding to support UK participation in this meeting has been provided by the EPSRC.
The Higher Education Academy and Centres for Excellence
The next 12 months will see significant changes in the provision and funding of support for quality enhancement in learning and teaching. This briefing provides details on these developments and the support we can provide to ensure you benefit from them.
Teaching Development and Implementation Grants Available
These funding schemes are available to help you develop innovative approaches to materials education, or simply try for yourself techniques already adopted elsewhere.
Which Materials Online Resources Do You Use? JISC Questionnaire
Win book tokens up to the value of £50 by completing the JISC Resource Guide for Physical Sciences survey on the use of electronic resources within the physical sciences.
OneStep Services from EEVL: Engineering News and Jobs
EEVL OneStep services provide users with a quick means of monitoring the latest industry news and jobs announcements from top sources in engineering, mathematics and computing, with minimum effort.
Teaching Materials: Student Motivation, Group work and PBL
A one-day regional workshop, 19 November 2003, Belfast. Suitable for anyone who works in the Engineering education sector who wants to make the learning experience for their students more informative, motivating and rewarding.
Job Opportunity with LTSN Engineering
LTSN Engineering require an Academic Co-ordinator to provide support to engineering academics from across the UK in order to promote quality learning and teaching in engineering.
EE2004: Innovation, Good Practice & Research in Eng Educ
The Conference will offer an opportunity to share, disseminate and discuss innovation, and highlight good practice in engineering education. The delegates will also have an opportunity to discuss methods of encouraging students into engineering.
Proposed Funding Changes for Teaching
A recent HEFCE Policy document makes radical proposals for the funding of teaching. If implemented it would result in a rise of 15.7 per cent in the T funding per Materials student but a drop of 7.4 per cent for every Mechanical or Electrical Engineer.
Vacancy: Resource/Project Manager
Responsibilities will include: sourcing, reviewing and cataloguing resources relevant to materials education; implementing projects to develop and disseminate resources relevant to educational practice and HE policy priority themes.
Guides: Accreditation of Prior and Experiental Learning
Accreditation of Prior And Experiential Learning (APEL) enables people of all ages, backgrounds and attitudes to receive formal recognition for skills and knowledge they already possess. Guides for Practitioners and Students are now available
Course: Certificate in Online Education and Training
This accredited professional development course in e-learning from the Institute of Education, University of London, is available from 30 January-8 April 2004 as a 10-week distance course or from 26 April-21 May as a 4-week blended learning course.
Provide Feedback on PSIgate: User Questionnaire
The team at PSIgate (the Physical Sciences Information Gateway) would be very grateful if you could find a few minutes to fill in this questionnaire. Your views on PSIgate will help them to continue to improve the service they provide.
Combating 'Cut and Paste' Plagiarism
The JISC Plagiarism Detection Service is a new tool to help you spot 'cut and paste' plagiarism in your students' work. The software looks for matches between any paper you submit and material available on the internet, or previously submitted papers.
e-Tutor of the Year Competition
The LTSN and the Times Higher Education Supplement have once again joined forces to celebrate innovation, good practice and achievement in the field of e-learning. A prize of £1000 will be offered to the winner and two runners-up will also be named.
Materials Education Bulletin 1
The first in a series of regular bulletins. Includes details of: Advance Notification of Calls for Proposals for Teaching Development and Implementation Projects; Enhancing the Employability of Materials Graduates; Regional Workshop Programme and more.
Workshop: Enhancing the Employability of Materials Graduates
The ability of departments to demonstrate the employability of their graduates is an increasingly important factor in student recruitment. This workshop is aimed at lecturers who wish to learn more about approaches to enhancing graduate employability.
New: Policy and Strategy Developments in Higher Education
This area of the Centre's website highlights news, developments and current issues affecting Materials Education in the UK.
Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Consultation
This document invites higher education institutions to contribute to the development of proposals for Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs).
Featured Resource: DoITPoMS Teaching and Learning Packages
The DoITPoMS TLP Library is a growing collection of self-contained teaching and learning packages (TLPs), each focusing on a topic in materials science commonly met with in undergraduate teaching and learning.
Teaching Materials Using Case Studies: Workshop Report Available
A summary of the Teaching Materials Using Case Studies workshop, hosted at the University of Birmingham on 7 May 2003. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Claire Davis, and formed part of the Thematic Groups series of the UK Centre for Materials Education.
Environmental Materials: Workshop Report Now Available
A summary of the Environmental Materials workshop held at the University of Wales Swansea on 21 May 2003. The workshop was facilitated by Dr Cris Arnold, and formed part of the Thematic Groups series of the UK Centre for Materials Education.
Building the Impossible Airs Again on BBC2
Caroline Baillie, former Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Materials Education, was one of two scientists challenged to re-create engineering feats of the past in this recent four-part series, currently being repeated on Wednesdays at 8pm on BBC2.
Workshop: Teaching Materials Using Problem Based Learning
This workshop will discuss how PBL has been introduced at QMUL into all stages of the curriculum, including advice on how to avoid many of the pitfalls that have been encountered over the last three years.
Workshop: Materials for Engineers
Sheffield Hallam University, 12 June 2003. Are you a Materials lecturer, or Engineering/Technology lecturer? Do you teach Materials to Engineering or Technology students? If so, then this event is for you.
Liverpool To Be European Capital of Culture 2008
It's official. The Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has announced that Liverpool will be European Capital of Culture 2008.
Composites on Tour Mobile Exhibition Returns to the UK
This mobile exhibition is a free interactive experience, which through see and feel displays and demonstrations shows the science behind these amazing materials.
Prince Sparks Row Over Nanotechnology (from The Guardian)
The Prince of Wales, who is to meet leading scientists to discuss concerns about nanotechnology, was warned today against giving credence to "scare stories". The Guardian, 28 April 2003.
Search The Centre's Resources Database From Your Website
The Centre's Database of Learning and Teaching Resources for Materials Science and Engineering can easily be searched from other websites. Find out how, with straightforward instructions and sample code.
Teaching Materials Using Case Studies
Case Studies are an increasingly popular form of teaching and have an important role in developing skills and knowledge in students. This workshop explores the use of the case-based approach in Materials Science related courses.
Workshop: Environmental Materials
This workshop will consider ways to enhance the awareness of undergraduate students to the importance of materials in relation to the environment. We will look at the kind of topics we teach and the way we teach them.
Workshop: New Web-based Resources for Teaching Materials Science
An opportunity to learn about and try out new web-based resources for teaching and learning Materials Science. The workshop will consist of a mix of presentations, demonstrations and hands-on sessions with web-based teaching and learning resources.
Introducing Dr Matt Murphy: New Manager of the Centre
We are pleased to welcome Dr Matt Murphy as our new Centre Manager. Matt joins the Centre in place of Ellen Packham, who we'd like to thank and wish well as she leaves to have a baby.
Materials As Art Photographic Competition
We are looking for images that bring materials science and engineering to life - that help us to look at the world in a novel way. The competition is open to anyone who can produce a stunning, original image illustrating an aspect of materials science.
View New Entries From the Centre's Database of Resources
A dedicated page is now available showing the 15 most recently added or updated items in the Centre's Database of Materials Learning and Teaching Resources.
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster - Materials Issues
A collection of links to sites giving information on materials issues related to the space shuttle Columbia disaster, compiled by the Materials Research Society.
University of Birmingham Metallurgy and Materials Case Studies
This website has been designed to act as a support mechanism for students taking part in University of Birmingham case studies, but also as a means of demonstrating to other institutions how such case studies operate.
Upgraded Database of Resources Goes Live
Following an initial pilot, the Centre's Database of Learning and Teaching Resources has received further development and is now live. Please help us increase the depth and breadth of coverage by suggesting resources you use which aren't currently listed.
Workshop: Surviving the Knowledge-Based Economy
The rate of change in materials science and engineering means that our initial training soon becomes dated. This workshop aims to highlight the skills required for lifelong professional development, and to suggest ways that we can acquire these skills.
Centre Manager Vacancy: Closing Date 31 January 2003
The UK Centre for Materials Education requires a Centre Manager to work in a small team at The University of Liverpool. The Centre supports good practice in learning and teaching in UK HE, in the disciplines related to materials science and engineering.
Material Choices: Taking Responsibility for New Materials
This symposium will bring together materials scientists and engineers to discuss ways forward in developing a social and ethical conscience within undergraduate and research students regarding the development and use of new materials in society.
Information on the Recent BBC2 Series "Building The Impossible"
Caroline Baillie, Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Materials Education, was one of two scientists challenged by the BBC, in this recent four-part series, to re-create a succession of engineering feats from the past.
ILSAP Online Simulation of Secondary Steelmaking
Play the role of plant metallurgist in charge of secondary steelmaking operations. Take charge of a 250 tonne ladle of molten steel and attempt to deliver it to the appropriate caster at the specified time, composition, temperature, cleanness and cost.
Creative University Project Training Course for UK Lecturers
The Creative University Project is offering lecturers the opportunity to attend a 4-day training course about creativity. The course will give an overview of different approaches and techniques and attempt to contextualise these within the HE environment.
Workshop: Teaching and Learning in Materials Chemistry Courses
Do you teach Chemistry to Materials Scientists or Engineers? Do you teach Materials to Chemists? If so, then this workshop is for you. We will look at the issues and opportunities specific to teaching such interdiciplinary courses.
Materials in Art Symposium
This symposium aims to bring together the expertise of artists, designers, materials scientists and engineers in order to encourage the disciplines to work together in enhancing the teaching and learning experience of all of their students.
Foiling the Tomb Raiders: Building the Impossible Friday 20 Dec
As soon as they were built, the magnificent tombs of ancient Egypt were magnets for thieves. Often packed with treasure, nearly every major tomb was robbed - leading the Egyptians to design elaborate underground burial systems to keep the robbers at bay.
Hints for Teaching Materials
These hints are intended to help stimulate your thinking on teaching Materials. Each visit to this page will display a hint chosen at random.
Building The Impossible: The First Airship
Is the team up to the task of engineering a machine capable of lifting them hundreds of feet in the air, without plunging to the ground? Even if they can provide the power to move the airship, the whole project could be scuppered by the British weather.
Teaching Development Grants: Applications Close 30 Jan
Once again the UK Centre for Materials Education is inviting applications for Teaching Development Grants of up to £5000 each, to fund projects which promote teaching development and/or educational research in the disciplines related to materials.
Building The Impossible: The Roman Catapult
The most devastating weapon in the armoury of the Romans was a huge torsion-spring catapult, standing over eight metres high and used to devastating effect during the Seige of Jerusalem in AD70. Can the team recreate one in just two weeks?
Student Reps Weekend Photos Available
The Student Reps Weekend 2002 was held from 15-17 November near Middleton-in-Teesdale. The weekend was attended by students in Materials Departments who have been elected to represent their fellow students at departmental, faculty or university level.
Symposium Report: The Future of Part Time Vocational Education
A half-day symposium was held at Jury's Inn, Birmingham on Thursday 26th September 2002 to consider and discuss the changes taking place in part-time education and training in materials. This report describes the discussions and outcomes of the event.
Name a Famous Materials Person: Win A £20 Book Token
We're looking to collect a list of famous people past and present (pop/film stars, politicians, sportsmen and women, business people, royals, whatever) who have studied or practised materials. Each successful suggestion will win a £20 book token.
Help Evaluate The Centre By Completing A Short Questionnaire
The Centre has now been established for over two years. As with good teaching practice, we have to spend some time evaluating the overall impact of what we do. Please help us do so by completing a short questionnaire, developed by our external evaluator.
Building The Impossible: A New BBC2 Series
Caroline Baillie, Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Materials Education, is one of two scientists challenged by the BBC, in this new four-part series, to re-create a succession of engineering feats from the past.
Modularisation and Sliced Bread - Discussion Point
"Most universities have now put in place a module/semester system. Modularisation must indeed be the best thing since sliced bread. However a few institutions held out against the trend and we are now beginning to see a swing back in the other direction."
Attracting Students into Materials - Discussion Point
What attracts students to study Materials? Clearly with applications dropping it is a question that needs to be answered. A recent workshop on effective school's liaison threw up several ideas as to the influences on a student's choice of degree subject.
Grantholders' Workshop Report Now Available
This annual workshop is an opportunity for all grant holders to get together to share their experiences and discuss their progress. The 2002 workshop was held in September at Sutton Courtney Abbey in Oxfordshire.
Workshop: Improving Teaching and Learning in the Laboratory
As a part of the thematic group series, the Centre is hosting a workshop focussing on improving teaching and learning in the lab. We will look at all aspects of lab classes from thinking about the aims of the class to how to assess it.
Student Representatives' Weekend 2002
Following the success of last years course, the Centre is running a free residential weekend for students in Materials Departments who have been elected to represent their fellow students at departmental, faculty or university level.
Nature Materials Update Now Available On This Website
A new service from the publishers of Nature, Nature Materials Update features the latest news and developments in materials science and nanotechnology. The service is now available through the website of the UK Centre for Materials Education.
The Royal Society Partnership Grants for Schools
Teachers working with practising scientists and engineers can create some fantastic projects for young people at school, giving a taste of science and engineering today, and their relevance for society. Applications close on 18 October 2002.
View New Resources from the RESULTs Project
RESULTs is a web portal for resource exchange and support for users of learning technologies. It provides multiple views to multiple types of resources for multiple types of people. Find out here about new resources added to the RESULTs database.
The Future of Part Time Vocational Education in Materials
Major changes in the structure of vocational education and training are about to affect the availability of courses and qualifications in Materials. This symposium aims to inform and to debate the current situation and the impending changes in the sector.
Workshop: Teaching Development & Materials Awareness Grants
The Centre has funded a total of 24 teaching development and materials awareness projects through its grants scheme. This annual workshop is an opportunity for all grantholders to share their experiences and discuss their progress.
New & Recently Appointed Lecturers' Workshop: More Details
The aim of this 2-day course is to help newly or recently appointed materials lecturers reflect on the most appropriate teaching and assessment approaches for their students, as well as to enable them to meet and network with other new lecturing staff.
Workshop: Assessing Science and Engineering Courses
A difficulty in applied subjects like materials science and engineering is that traditional assessment methods often fail to assess skills development. This workshop will address methods appropriate for both traditional and innovative forms of assessment.
Workshop: Sense of Community
The LTSN has been working hard to create a network of committed individuals for the past two years. Understanding what it is that binds us together is essential to understanding ourselves as a community and not just a network of individuals.
What's New on EEVL
Details of the 15 latest additions to the EEVL internet resource catalogue are now available from this website. EEVL provides access to internet resources in Engineering, Mathematics and Computing and is part of the Resource Discovery Network.
Additional UK Date for Mobile Composites Exhibition
The Mobile Composites Exhibition truck was launched in Bruges, Belgium on 3 June, and will tour the UK from 25 August - 9 September. As well as visiting London, Liverpool and Bristol, the truck will now also stop in Sheffield from 2 - 3 September.
Tutoring Materials Project Launches New Website
A new website has been launched to support the work of Tutoring Materials, a project that provides support for lecturers and tutors to improve methods of tutoring in the subject area of Materials Science and Engineering.
Mobile Composites Exhibition Now on European Tour
The Mobile Composites Exhibition truck was launched in Bruges, Belgium on 3 June, before beginning a tour of northern Europe. In mid July it heads for France and Spain and will tour the UK from 25 August - 9 September.
Peter Goodhew Elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Peter Goodhew, Henry Bell Wortley Professor of Materials Engineering at the University of Liverpool, and Director of the UK Centre for Materials Education, has been elected to Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Evaluation Workshop, 9 August 2002
If you are keen to improve student learning, it is important to consider where change can best be effected. This workshop will explore ways we can evaluate our teaching practice by looking at how we might evaluate the students' learning experience.
Details of the Centre's Thematic Groups
In response to many requests for support on specific aspects of materials education, the Centre is establishing a set of 'Thematic Groups' each focussing on a particular educational theme, or concept, and each led by an expert in that field.
Residential Course for Newly Appointed Materials Lecturers
The aim of this 2-day course is to help newly or recently appointed materials lecturers reflect on the most appropriate teaching and assessment approaches for their students, as well as to enable them to meet and network with other new lecturing staff.
Workshop: Effective Schools Liaison
If you are interested in raising materials awareness within schools, then this workshop is aimed at you. Come along and share your experiences, and find out how to improve the effectiveness of your initiatives.
Enhancing Creative Thinking - Symposium Report Now Available
The Centre hosted a one-day symposium to address the issue of developing innovative and creative science and engineering graduates. Delegates examined some of the approaches used in industry and other disciplines to enhance creative thinking.
Building the Impossible - The First Submarine
Caroline Baillie has been part of a team of scientists and engineers trying to 'build the impossible' for a new TV series, coming soon to the BBC. Part one aired recently on The Learning Channel, and sees the team recreating the first ever submarine.
The Keynote Project One-day Conference
This one-day conference will mark two successful years of the Keynote Project. As well as dissemination of our research findings and presentation of several project outputs, the event will provide a forum for discussion and interchange of ideas.
Newsletter Issue 5 Now Available Online
This Issue Includes: Student Composites Design Competition, The Keynote Project Interactive CD-ROM and Guide, New aluMATTER Web Site Goes Live, DoITPoMS Micrograph Library, Second Round of Grants Awarded, 10 Current Materials Awareness Initiatives
Learning and Teaching Resources Database Now Browsable
Browse options have now been added to the Centre's pilot Database of Learning and Teaching Resources. The new features allow users to view resources according to resource type, educational level of the target audience, and associated keywords and themes.
Enhancing Creative Thinking in Science and Engineering
This collaborative event between the UK Centre for Materials Education and the LTSN Generic Centre will bring together several key thinkers in this area with representatives of the LTSN and the science and engineering community.
EEVL Coordinate Free Book Promotion
7,500 GBP worth of new Engineering, Mathematics and Computing books are being given away free in a joint promotional campaign being run by EEVL. Each entrant will have the chance to win one book of his or her choice from the hundreds being given away.
Details of Teaching Development Grants Awarded
Following the success of the Centre's Teaching Development Grants in 2001, the scheme was repeated in January 2002. The grants again proved very popular and were significantly over subscribed. Details of funded projects are now available.
Details of Materials Awareness Grants Awarded
In 2002 the popular Teaching Development Grant Scheme was expanded to include a dedicated fund for Materials Awareness projects. The results of this round of the funding are now available.
DOITPOMS Micrograph Library Prototype Available
The DOITPOMS Micrograph Library is an online collection of materials micrographs intended for use in teaching and learning, and currently contains 116 images. A prototype with search and browse functions is now available and all feedback is appreciated.
LTSN Physical Sciences News Now Available Here
A feed showing the latest teaching and learning additions to the LTSN Physical Sciences web site is now available. The contents of the feed is also viewable on UK Centre for Materials Education web site.
Discussion Point: Materials Defects and Society
At the simplest level a perfect crystal, is rather like the society we live in, with its particular cultural attitudes. Then, at room temperature, there are inevitably point defects which we can consider as individuals.
Learning and Teaching Resources: Pilot Database Now Available
The Centre has been developing a database of Materials Learning and Teaching Resources, to be made available via this website. A pilot of the searchable database is now available and we're looking for your feedback before launching the finished product.
Vacancy: Science Education Researcher
An education researcher is invited to apply for a post within the UK Centre for Materials Education. The successful applicant will conduct qualitative research into the development of scientific knowledge within Materials Science students.
Forensic Science Swapshop - LTSN Physical Sciences
This swapshop aims to provide the opportunity for staff teaching Forensic Science related courses to share their experiences and resources. Colleagues are invited to attend and to bring examples or details of teaching activities developed in-house.
Knowledge Building: Travelling Facts Online Discussion
A two-week online discussion of knowledge building and travelling facts will begin on 11th February 2002, facilitated by Caroline Baillie and Jill Armstrong. This forum follows the work of delegates at a knowledge development symposium in September 2001.
Composites On Tour Website Goes Live
Composites on Tour aims to raise public awareness about composite materials and their applications. This EU-funded project involves a mobile exhibition, a series of workshops, two design competitions, two exhibitions and an international symposium.
Deadline for Grant Applications Today
Today is the final day for submissions to this round of the Teaching Development and Materials Awareness Grant Schemes. The straightforward application process means there is still time to submit a proposal
Discussion Point: Laugh? I almost learned something
Why do many academics enjoy practising their profession? Surely not because it makes them rich - it must just be fun. Surely the fun should permeate every scientific or engineering activity, including education.
Students' Composites Design Competition and Workshops
A Europe-wide competition for young designers and composite engineers is being organised that requires participants to design and develop a consumer product, utilising composite materials in a novel and exemplary way.
Newsletter Issue 4 Online Now
In this issue of the UK Centre for Materials Education Newsletter: Review of the Student Reps Weekend, Materials Awareness Grants, Update on the Database of Materials Learning and Teaching Resources, Report on the Distance Learning Workshop.
Materials Awareness Grants now available
The Centre has established a new scheme whereby departments or individuals can bid for grants of up to £5000 to help them support initiatives that improve public awareness of materials in the wider community at a national level, especially in schools.
Teaching Development Grants now available
The Teaching Development Grant scheme aims to promote teaching development and/or research into materials education. Following the success of the scheme in 2001, a second round of funding is now available.
Database of Learning and Teaching Resources Coming Soon
Over the last few months, the Centre has been developing a database of Learning and Teaching Resources to be made available via the Centre's website. A pilot of the searchable database will be available shortly and we'll be looking for your feedback.
Knowledge Building: Travelling Facts Symposium Report
A one day symposium related to 'travelling facts' – wherever knowledge passes from one context, culture, language, medium or person to another - examined within the interdisciplinary frameword of the Learning and Teaching Support Network.
Photos and Reviews of the Student Reps Weekend
What do you get if you cross 16 materials reps with a youth hostel in the Pennines and an LTSN Centre? Read the reviews and see the photographs.
A New Network of Development for Engineering Education in the UK
Recent developments in UK Engineering Education are presented, together with a brief underlying philosophy, exploring a networking model to connect enthusiasts and provide support for their developments and innovations.
Workshop: an Introduction to Distance Learning
"Producing and running an open learning course can be a large, complex, expensive task. But the core ideas and practices are very simple." This workshop aims to introduce these core ideas and practices, and will be tailored to meet your needs.
Vacancy: Research Associate, University of Birmingham
Applications are invited for a research associate position to work on learning and teaching approaches in undergraduate materials courses. The post is supported by HEFCE through an Institute of Learning and Teaching fellowship grant.
Name the Greatest Materials Breakthroughs of the Last 30 Years
"This, I believe, is the good news for us: Most of the developments which have made an impact on society were the result of engineering, not new science."
Centre Manager Position Vacant
The UK Centre for Materials Education requires a Centre Manager to join a small team at The University of Liverpool. The Centre supports good learning and teaching practice in Higher Education, in disciplines related to materials science and engineering.
Draft Materials Benchmark Statement
The QAA is conducting a consultation on this draft benchmark statement. The final statement will be published by March 2002. More details on the consultation procedure can be found on the QAA website.
Newsletter Issue 3 Now Available Online
In this issue of the UK Centre for Materials Education Newsletter: Projects Funded by the Centre's Teaching Development Grants, National Developments in Teaching and Learning for Materials Education, 'What is Materials Science?'.
Summary of Materials Topics Taught in Schools
A summary of the materials related topics taught in Science and Design Technology in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales is now available online from the UK Centre for Materials Education.
NOISE: a Campaign to Reach and Inspire 16-19 Year-Olds
NOISE is a new nationwide campaign funded by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council. It aims to change 16-19 year olds' attitudes to science and engineering by making these subjects more relevant and accessible.
Report on the Materials for Engineers Workshop
This report presents a brief summary of a workshop hosted by the UK Centre for Materials Education at the University of Birmingham on 12 June 2001, looking at the issues of teaching materials to engineering students.
Workshop: Systematic Creativity for Innovation
Employers across the world are increasingly concerned that their new employees should be creative. Nowhere does this apply with more force than among employers of science and engineering graduates.
Workshop: Teaching Materials Chemistry
A Royal Society of Chemistry workshop for lecturers, in collaboration with the UK Centre for Materials Education. 13 November 2001, Materials Science & Engineering, University of Liverpool.
Press Release: Quality Assurance in HE
"Students, employers, universities and colleges, professional associations and others are being consulted on the key features of a revised method of quality assurance, for the teaching and learning in higher education that is funded by the HEFCE."
Dr Claire Davis Wins Prestigious Teaching Award
Dr Claire Davis, Senior Lecturer in Metallurgy and Materials Science at the University of Birmingham, has won a prestigious national teaching award, which recognises her as being one of the best higher education lecturers in the country.
Student Learning - Preparing a Bid for Funding
A meeting to bring together lecturers who teach science or engineering students, and who might be interested in formulating a joint proposal to the ESRC Teaching and Learning programme, on a topic related to student learning in their subject areas.
A Response to the Draft Materials Benchmark Statement
The picture presented is of a very traditional degree in materials science. Almost the same list could have been written 30 years ago, and yet enormous changes have taken place, both in technology and in science, that should impact on what we teach.
Case Studies of Good Practice in Learning and Teaching
The UK Centre for Materials Education is collecting examples of teaching, learning and assessment practices in the area of materials education. We have funds to pay you for writing up case studies that would be useful to a wider materials community.
Teaching Development Grants Workshop
This dedicated workshop for grant holders is an opportunity to present progress to date, to discuss projects with colleagues, to obtain input and exchange ideas.
Broadening the Appeal of Engineering
This workshop will address the issue of broadening the appeal of engineering degrees to attract students who would not usually consider a career in this area, despite being very bright and able.
Poster Assessment Workshop
22 January 2002, University of Liverpool. LTSN Information and Computer Sciences, the UK Centre for Materials Education and LTSN Engineering are holding a one day event on good practice in project/poster assessment.