Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'University of Aston at Birmingham'

This thesis is a three part investigation into the methodological assumptions employed by professionals undertaking profiles of `community'. It is based on a case study of Newtown South Aston in Birmingham, an area awarded City Challenge funding in 1992. Part one addresses theoretical issues. It looks at the methodological framework of community theorising and argues that there is a paradigmatic crisis in the study and definition of community. Part two then summarises much of the documentary evidence collected and analysed in the course of this research.I t asks the key question-: "What assumptions are made in order to produce accounts of community?". These assumption are identified as is the type of evidence used to describe the area. It is suggested that the content of documents relating to Newtown South Aston were directly influenced the regeneration programme. The significant `source' document is identified and is subjected to a rhetorical analysis. It is concluded that the organisations working in Newtown South Aston are playing a rhetorical game, using core assumptions and ideas about `what community is' and `what community development' is in order to gain funding. The thesis then turns its attention to answering the question-: "What might the implications of these assumptions be? ". Using Winstanley's Stakeholder Power Matrix, the rhetoric of empowerment in the `source' document is put to the test. It is concluded that rhetoric is not matched in reality. It is proposed that in fact there is a `short-circuiting' of the theory and understanding of `community'. Part two concludes that the paradigmatic crisis in the theoretical literature is being matched in `real life'. The final part of this thesis presents a new paradigmatic framework for the understanding of community. Using the argument presented in Alan Macfarlane's "The Origins Of English Individualism" it is suggested that the concept of community has been misunderstood by many contemporary sociologists. It is concluded that the concept of community must be revisited in light of this argument. Finally attention is turned to identifying the relevance this thesis has for the information profession.

This thesis explores the football fan rivalry between the fans of Aston Villa and Birmingham City. Football fan rivalries are unique and complex, with each one being underpinned by various social, historical and/or cultural factors. Therefore, each rivalry should be studied in-depth in order to understand the underlying factors that shape oppositions and social identities. This rivalry has previously received no academic attention, despite these two being the main clubs in Birmingham, England’s second largest city, with a long history of intra-city rivalry since the first fixture between the two in 1879. The constructivist approach adopted perceived people’s knowledge, opinions, interpretations and experiences as meaningful properties of social reality and, thus, this study aimed to gather data from those who actually experience the rivalry – the fans. An ethnographic study was undertaken in order to elicit rich, qualitative data and to gain a deep and reality congruent insight into the complex factors that underpin the rivalry. Participant observation was conducted at matches involving Aston Villa and Birmingham City. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fans of the two clubs, with data being subjected to coding and a thematic analysis. Informed by a cultural studies framework that focused on the centrality of power, the analysis identified three central themes underpinning the rivalry. The first theme was the constant struggle between the fan groups over territory. Fans placed great value on being perceived to control certain areas, or even the whole city, in order to gain power (territorial capital) and become the dominant identity. This is particularly significant as a detailed exploration of territory has previously been absent from football rivalry literature. Secondly, tensions were based on the historical footballing success of Aston Villa, and on Birmingham City’s relative lack of success. Villa fans were perceived as the dominant group as the success of the team afforded them high levels of (sub)cultural capital. Thirdly, the contestation over power was informed by the perceived socio-economic status of each fan group, with Villa fans being perceived as more middle-class and Blues fans more working-class. These complex factors are continually contested and under negotiation, with the passion and intensity of the rivalry enduring as both fan groups battle for dominance. In addition to exploring this particular rivalry for the first time, this study has contributed to the limited but growing literature on rivalries, providing a clear methodological and theoretical framework for future research in this area, which was previously lacking.

The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the uptake of new mobile technologies and how they are utilized by staff and students in dental education. A questionnaire was distributed to students at the University of Birmingham, Dental School. Follow up one-to-one interviews were conducted. Tutors were interviewed to understand their attitude and understanding towards the use of electronic/mobile technologies. It is apparent that smartphones are more convenient for students to learn and as a resource to advice patients on their clinic. They are using them on the go in preference to any other device and use the support of mobile tools such as phone apps. Emails are used by students for more formal messages and Instant Messaging and social networking sites are used for shorter messages. Students thought that changes were necessary in the way that they communicate and research their studies. There is an all-embracing use, by both tutors and students of mobile learning tools. Learners wish to embed tools such as Instant Messaging in their learning areas but not without the approval of their respected tutors. Institutions should be aware of such changes and look to adapt their learning practices to mobile technologies.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Aston University’s undergraduate classes on the symptoms and history element of eye examinations reflected the habits of optometrists working in multiple practice, the destination of most optometry graduates. Data abstraction was carried out on a single free text field within electronic eye examination records taken from a major community multiple practice. Company policy required optometrists to enter symptoms and history in this field. The feasibility of carrying out Bayesian searches on free text fields was investigated. Electronic searches were carried out to identify 163 text items linked to 11 classes of presenting symptoms in 51,944 records. Likelihood ratios were calculated for all text item/presenting symptom combinations in a training dataset of 1075 manually classified records. These likelihood ratios were applied to naïve Bayesian searches for presenting symptoms in the training dataset. Post-test probability threshold values were adjusted to match known and estimated prevalence for each symptom presentation type. These adjusted threshold values resulted in diagnostic accuracy of between 83 and 99% (depending on the presenting symptom class). The same likelihood ratios and adjusted threshold values were applied to larger scale naïve Bayesian searches in order to estimate the prevalence of each presenting symptom class in all 51,944 records. This part of the study showed that similar Bayesian searches on the more complex and numerous elements of complete symptoms and history free text fields would not have been feasible. This being the case, detailed manual searches through 224 free text fields to determine how often optometrists asked 105 symptom and history test items taught at Aston University. Asking rates varied from 0 to 88%. The proportion of expected questions asked in individual records (conformity) tended to be higher for eye examinations that were routine (no presenting symptoms: 95% confidence limits 41 to 51%) compared to those with presenting symptoms (the means for which ranged from 25 to 34%). Optometrists tended to ask database-style questions (mean asking rates varied from 33 to 40% depending on the presenting symptom) more often than problem-orientated style questions (mean asking rates varied from 22 to 33% depending on the presenting symptoms). Decision tree analyses were used to explore the data in more depth and showed statistically significant regional variations in conformity. In summary, typical practice did not reflect what was taught at Aston University. Optometrists tended not to vary the questions asked according to the presenting symptoms. It was anticipated that these findings would be of interest to optometry schools and members of legal teams involved with fitness to practice disputes.

LITERATURE REVIEW What do we know about working through foster carers? A review of psychologically based consultancy and training approaches in the UK. RESEARCH PAPER ‘Against the Odds’ : Foster carers’ perceptions of family, commitment and belonging in successful placements. The thesis comprises three sections. The first is a Literature Review covering UK published studies over the past twenty years on psychologically based interventions for foster carers. With increased recognition of the crucial role that foster carers play in promoting the psychological well-being and mental health of children in care, there has been a corresponding proliferation of consultation and training programmes aimed at assisting carers with this task. The Review examines the effectiveness of these, with pointers for further research in this area. The second section describes a qualitative study related to unexpected positive outcome in foster care. The specific aim is the exploration of perceptions of ‘family’, ‘commitment’ and ‘belonging’ in foster carers who are providing a placement for a young person who has succeeded with them ‘against the odds’. The study employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify common themes in the carers’ accounts and the findings are presented in the Results section of the paper, followed by discussion and personal reflection on the enquiry process. The implications of what these ‘successful’ carers reveal are considered with a view to the training and support of foster carers generally. References for each of the first and second papers are included after each respectively. The third section consists of Appendices, including a Public Domain briefing paper, quality estimations of the research studies reviewed and tabulated summaries of each article. The participant information and consent relating to the Empirical paper are also included in the third Section, as well as the Interview schedule and examples of two stages in data analysis.

This thesis investigates Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in German undergraduate programmes in the UK. At its core is a study of how one German department integrates the teaching of language and content in its undergraduate programmes and how instructors and students experience this approach. This micro-context is embedded in the wider macro-context of UK Higher Education and subject to outside forces - be they political, economic, socio-cultural - whose effects will manifest in more or less obvious ways. Data was collected via an online survey of Heads of German at British universities to determine the status quo of CLIL in UK Higher Education and to investigate how certain institutional parameters determine the introduction of CLIL in Higher Education. This project employs a mixed-method case study approach and is based on student questionnaires and semi-structured interview with German teaching staff. The study brings to light a number of significant aspects. For example, contrary to popular belief, content provision in the L2 is rather common at British universities, which is currently not reflected in the research. Student data indicates that German students perceive clear advantages in the university’s approach to CLIL. They consider German-taught content classes challenging yet beneficial for their language development. Staff interviews have yielded intriguing information about perceived advantages and disadvantages of CLIL, about its implications for classroom practice, and about instructors’ attitude towards teacher training, which echo findings from similar investigations in European contexts. Finally, the results of the macro-analysis and the case study are compared and contrasted with findings from European research on ICLHE/CLIL to determine differences and similarities with the British context, a set of recommendations is made regarding CLIL practice at the case study institution, and some implications these indings may have for the future of CLIL in British higher education are discussed.

The Special Collections of the Cadbury Research Library at the University of Birmingham hold seven early Qur’ānic pieces on parchment and papyrus dating from the seventh century. Alphonse Mingana purchased them from the antiquarian dealer von Scherling in 1936. Through investigation of the private correspondence of Mingana and archival documents, this research provides new information about the origin and history of the fragments, whose reception has been influenced by the European cultural context at the beginning of the twentieth century, in contrast with the public image proposed in catalogues, official documents and previous studies. Furthermore, this research is an attempt to initiate an alternative perspective in analysing and editing the physical objects and texts of early Qur’ānic manuscripts by applying digital philology, thus using XML-encoded expressions to transcribe all of the richness of manuscripts in reconstructing the history of their transmission. This perspective interprets the process of the making of the manuscript text and the context in which the manuscript was written, thus editing its mobile and multi-layered text, differently from previous examples of the edition of early Qur’ānic manuscripts.

INTRODUÇÃO A mobilidade é um componente importante da funcionalidade, necessária para realização das atividades de vida diária. O questionário The University of Alabama at Birminghan Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment (LSA) avalia a mobilidade através dos espaços que o idoso ocupa, a frequência e independência com que se desloca. O LSA é um dos poucos instrumentos que avalia a mobilidade sob o aspecto da participação e é composto por cinco questões simples e de fácil aplicação. Além disso, a avaliação pode ser realizada presencialmente ou à distância, como por exemplo, através de contato telefônico. Já existem versões do LSA validadas para utilização em outros países e, na ausência de uma versão validada em português brasileiro do LSA, faz-se necessária a adaptação transcultural e análise das propriedades de medida desta versão, para incrementar as opções de avaliação da mobilidade de idosos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi adaptar transculturalmente para o português brasileiro o instrumento LSA e testar as propriedades de medida desta versão. MÉTODOS Este estudo de adaptação transcultural e clinimetria foi realizado em duas fases. Fase I - adaptação transcultural e validade de conteúdo: foi realizada a adaptação transcultural do questionário e suas instruções de aplicação. O pré-teste das instruções e do questionário foi realizado com 10 profissionais, e o pré-teste do questionário foi realizado com 30 idosos da comunidade. Fase II - análise das propriedades de medida (reprodutibilidade, validade de construto e interpretabilidade): foram incluídos 80 idosos da comunidade. Inicialmente foi aplicado o LSA em português brasileiro e foi colocado um acelerômetro na cintura do participante. Após sete dias, o acelerômetro foi retirado e o questionário foi reaplicado. A reprodutibilidade foi analisada através do teste alpha de Cronbach (consistência interna), Coeficientes de Correlação Intraclasse (CCI) e intervalo de confiança de 95% (IC95%) (confiabilidade), e erro padrão da medida (erro de medida). A validade de construto foi analisada através da correlação de Pearson entre os escores do LSA e acelerometria (tempo em atividades sedentárias e tempo em atividades moderadas e vigorosas). A interpretabilidade foi analisada através de histograma, cálculo da diferença mínima detectável (DMD) e determinação de efeitos piso e teto. RESULTADOS Foi obtida a versão em português brasileiro do questionário LSA e suas instruções de aplicação. Essa versão atendeu aos critérios adotados neste trabalho para validade de conteúdo. A consistência interna apresentou alpha de Cronbach de 0,92 e confiabilidade com CCI de 0,97 (IC95% 0,95 a 0,98). O erro padrão da medida foi calculado em 4,12 pontos (3%). O escore do LSA apresentou correlação negativa com o tempo em atividades sedentárias (R = -0,63; p < 0,001) e correlação positiva com o tempo em atividades moderadas e vigorosas (R = 0,49; p < 0,001), a DMD foi de 0,36 pontos, e não houve efeitos piso e teto. CONCLUSÃO A versão em português brasileiro do LSA reproduz a versão original com reprodutibilidade, validade e interpretabilidade adequadas. Recomendamos, portanto, a utilização desta versão para avaliação da mobilidade dos espaços de vida dos idosos brasileiros<br>BACKGROUND Mobility is an important component of functionality, necessary for performance of activities of daily living. The questionnaire The University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment (LSA) evaluates mobility from the spaces that older adults go, the frequency and independence that the person moves through these spaces. The LSA is one among only few instruments that evaluate mobility in the context of participation, and it consists of five simple and quick questions. In addition, the questionnaire may be applied in person or by telephone. There are already validated versions of the LSA for use in other countries and, in the absence of a validated version of the LSA in Brazilian Portuguese, it is necessary to adapt cross-culturally and to analyze the measurement properties of the adapted version, in order to increase the options for mobility evaluation of older adults. The purpose of this study was to adapt cross-culturally the LSA into Brazilian Portuguese, and to analyze its measurement properties. METHODS This cross-cultural adaptation and clinimetric study was conducted in two phases. Phase I - cross-cultural adaptation and analysis of content validity: we performed a cross-cultural adaption of the questionnaire and its instructions for application. The adapted version was pretested with 10 professionals and 30 community-dwelling older adults. Phase II - analysis of measurement properties (reliability, construct validity and interpretability): we included 80 community-dwelling older adults. Initially, the adapted LSA was applied; and we put an accelerometer on the participant\'s waist. After seven days, the accelerometer was removed and the questionnaire was reapplied. Reliability was analyzed by the Cronbach\'s alpha (internal consistency), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) (reproducibility), and standard error of measurement (measurement error). The construct validity was analyzed by Pearson\'s correlation between the scores of LSA and accelerometry data (time in sedentary activities and time in moderate and vigorous activities). Interpretability was analyzed by histograms, minimal detectable change (MDC), and determination of floor and ceiling effects. RESULTS We obtained a Brazilian Portuguese version of the LSA and its instructions for application. This version met the criteria for content validity adopted in this study. Internal consistency (Cronbach\'s alpha) was 0.92 and reproducibility (ICC) was 0.97 (95%CI 0.95 to 0.98). The standard error of measurement was calculated in 4.12 points (3%). The LSA score showed negative correlation with sedentary activities (R = -0.63; p < 0.001), and positive correlation with moderate to vigorous activities (R = 0.49; p < 0.001), the MDC was 0.36 points, and we observed no floor or ceiling effects. CONCLUSION The Brazilian Portuguese version of the LSA reproduces the original version with adequate reliability, validity and interpretability. We therefore recommend the use of this version to evaluate life-space mobility of Brazilian older adults

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T14:16:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiz Alberto Tavares.pdf: 408610 bytes, checksum: 05f9a9d3fd1807fe6b040c1ebd820478 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-10-15<br>Secretaria da Educação do Estado de São Paulo<br>The aim of this paper is to discuss the Scotch James Watt s work in the improvement of the steam engine. This research considered studies of historians from the Nineteenth-Century contemporary with him and historians from the Twentieth-Century who saw him in a more critical way. We also consider the relationship between Watt and his partners at the University of Glasgow and at the Lunar Society, as well as his partnership with Thomas Boulton for the commercialization of the steam engine. Another point of this work is the building of his image as the main inventor of the steam engine<br>Esta dissertação tem por objetivo a abordagem do trabalho do escocês James Watt no aperfeiçoamento da máquina a vapor. Este levantamento foi feito a partir de estudos de historiadores do século XIX contemporâneos a Watt e historiadores do século XX que vêem Watt de forma mais crítica. Abordamos também o relacionamento de Watt com seus parceiros, tanto na Universidade de Glasgow, como na Lunar Society, além de sua parceria com Thomas Boulton estabelecida para a comercialização da máquina. Abordamos também a projeção da sua imagem como principal inventor da máquina a vapor

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004.<br>Printout. Includes abstract. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, together with Still and Aesthetic differences : instrumental and musique concrète traditions. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-50).

碩士<br>臺灣大學<br>心理學研究所<br>98<br>Stroke often accompanies cognitive impairment. Previous studies have found that stroke could cause a variety of cognitive deficits, including language, memory, attention, and executive function. The Birmingham University Cognitive Screen (BUCS) is designed specifically for cognitive evaluation of stroke patients with two important features: vertical alignment of stimuli and inclusion of nonverbal tests. The aim of this research is to develop a Chinese version of BUCS (C-BUCS) and evaluate its applicability in Taiwan’s patient population. Furthermore, we validate Chinese BUCS by examining its construct validity and discriminant validity. We recruited 100 volunteers, with 33 stroke patients and 31 normal controls completing all items, to participate in the study. We examined the construct validity of Chinese BUCS using the comparable subtests in Cognitive Ability Screening Instrument (CASI) and also its latent structure using the exploratory factor analysis. In addition, we conducted discriminant analysis and one-way analysis of variance to investigate whether the C-BUCS can classify sub-groups of participants based on two classification schemes (territory, toast). The results showed that the C-BUCS comprised of five factors, including memory, linguistic ability, attentional bias, executive function, and sustained attention. The correlations with comparable CASI subtests with were all significant. In addition, the results of the discriminant analysis showed that C-BUCS was very sensitive and discriminative, reflecting the cognitive abilities of different sub-groups of participants. C-BUCS appears to be an appropriate assessment tool for clinical evaluation, providing clinicians and researchers an objective indicator to test cognitive abilities of stroke patients.