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My thesis explores an actor centred approach to gain a holistic understanding of how actors manoeuvre within a complex web of meanings that makes up the cultural policy field. The project explores the value of interpretative policy analysis to understand public cultural policy making and analyses the community of
cultural policy actors and how they relate to each other within the political sphere.
In 2014, North-Rhine Westphalia became the first federal state in Germany to pass a Law on the Support and Promotion of Culture (German: "Kulturfördergesetz"). The case is peculiar as some political actors celebrate the law as the first of its kind, while others dispute its legal value. This raises questions about factors that
encouraged the emergence and development of this policy at this time and place.
The thesis traces the idea for a Law on the Support and Promotion of Culture and tells the story of how it was formed and eventually passed by the parliament of North-Rhine Westphalia. It pays attention to how the policy issue(s) were framed over time, as well as whose voices were heard during the participatory process. Further the thesis examines how actors understand policy terms and how the multiplicity of meanings shapes the field. The project explores the community of cultural policy actors and how they relate to other actors in the political sphere.
The research project tests an interpretative, multiple-method approach by applying it to a single in-depth case study to understand how 'culture' was turned into policy. By using multiple approaches to the same subject, I identify different
dimensions of the policy making process and gain insights into how 'culture'
functions as a public policy field in Germany. I argue that focusing on meanings and taking into account the ambiguity of 'culture' in the policy sphere can provide a better and a more realistic understanding of cultural policy making overall.
Direct absorption/storage solar collectors (DASSC) using composite phase change materials (CPCM) have attracted great attention in the solar energy field for the advantages of less heat exchange processes and high heat storage density. However, the low thermal conductivity of the CPCM has greatly restricted the thermal performance of the DASSC. This study aims to improve the photo-thermal conversion efficiency (PTCE) of DASSC using light transmission and thermal conduction enhancing methods within a new developed CPCM. Firstly, paraffin/expanded graphite CPCM is developed for direct solar absorption, conversion and storage. Secondly, both light transmission and thermal conduction enhancing methods have been investigated to improve the charging rate and PTCE of the solar collector. The paraffin/expanded graphite CPCM exhibits high absorbance in the visible light region with higher radiation energy, which is 3.03 times that of pure paraffin. At low irradiation intensity (400 W/m2), thermal conduction enhancing method performs better than light transmission enhancing method, in which the charging rate are increased by 15.64 % and 13.24 % compared to the non-enhanced collector, respectively. However, with irradiation intensity increase, such as 1000 W/m2, the light transmission enhancing method has a slightly better effect than the thermal conduction enhancing method, which increase the PTCE by 8.29 % and 8.25 %, respectively. This research introduces a new view to think about the method for improving the efficiency of DASSC.
The traditional grading system in higher education has long been scrutinized for its potential to perpetuate inequality and hinder the pursuit of social justice (Link & Guskey, 2019). This nano-presentation explores the transformative concept of ungrading as a means to promote equity in higher education. Ungrading challenges the conventional assessment norms by emphasizing personalized and holistic approaches to evaluating student learning (Crogman et al., 2023).
This presentation delves into Bloom's (1976) theoretical framework supporting ungrading, drawing connections between its implementation and the overarching goal of fostering equitable educational environments. By moving away from rigid grading structures, ungrading seeks to provide students with the space and freedom to engage deeply with course material, promoting a more inclusive and student-centred learning experience.
The presentation will address the potential impact of ungrading on marginalized and underrepresented student populations, considering the ways in which this innovative approach may mitigate existing disparities in academic achievement. The presentation will examine how ungrading aligns with the principles of social justice, offering a pathway to dismantle systemic barriers that hinder educational access and success.
Furthermore, the presentation will explore the role of instructors in implementing ungrading strategies, examining the challenges and benefits associated with this pedagogical shift. Insights will be shared regarding the cultivation of a supportive learning environment that encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and a sense of agency among students, ultimately contributing to a more equitable higher education landscape.
This nano-presentation advocates for a paradigm shift in the assessment practices of higher education institutions, emphasizing the potential of ungrading to create more inclusive and just learning environments. The insights presented aim to stimulate further discussion and exploration of alternative assessment methods that prioritize equity, diversity, and social justice in the pursuit of academic excellence.
Auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) is a terrestrial radio emission excited by the same accelerated electrons which excite auroral emissions. Although it is well correlated with auroral and geomagnetic activity, the coupling timescales between AKR and different magnetospheric or ionospheric regions have yet to be determined. Estimation of these coupling timescales is non-trivial as a result of complex, non-linear processes which rarely occur in isolation. In this study, the mutual information between AKR intensity and different geomagnetic indices is used to assess the correlation between variables. Indices are shifted to different temporal lags relative to AKR intensity, and the lag at which the variables have the most shared information is found. This lag is interpreted as the coupling timescale. The AKR source region receives the effects of a shared driver before the auroral ionosphere. Conversely, the polar ionosphere reacts to a shared driver before the AKR source region. Bow shock interplanetary magnetic field BZ is excited about 1 h before AKR enhancements. This work provides quantitatively determined temporal context to the coupling timelines at Earth. The results suggest that there is a sequence of excitation following the onset of a shared driver: first, the polar ionosphere feels the effects, followed by the AKR source region and then the auroral ionosphere.
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Envelope publications at warwick dot ac dot uk
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