From classrooms to Centres: Mary and David Medd’s contribution to postwar school design in Britain

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-264
Author(s):  
Paula Lacomba Montes ◽  
Alejandro Campos Uribe
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Design Process ◽  
School Design ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Close Collaboration ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Conventional School ◽  
Selection Of

This paper reports on the primary school design processes carried out around the 1940s in the County of Hertfordshire in Great Britain, which later evolved into innovative strategies developed by Mary and David Medd in the Ministry of Education from the late 1950s. The whole process, undertaken during more than three decades, reveals a way of breaking with the traditional spatial conception of a school. The survey of the period covered has allowed an in-depth understanding of how learning spaces could be transformed by challenging the conventional school model of closed rooms, suggesting a new way of understanding learning spaces as a group of Centres rather than classrooms. Historians have thoroughly shown the ample scope of this process, which involved many professionals, fostering a true cross-disciplinary endeavour where the curriculum and the learning spaces were developed in close collaboration. A selection of schools built in the county has been used to typologically analyse how architectural changes began to arise and later flourished at the Ministry of Education. The Medds had indeed a significant role through the development of a design process known as the Built-in variety and the Planning Ingredients. A couple of examples will clarify some of these strategies, revealing how the design of educational space could successfully respond to an active way of learning.

scholarly journals Advances and Computational Tools towards Predictable Design in Biological Engineering

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Pasotti ◽  
Susanna Zucca
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Biological Engineering ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Ribosome Binding Sites ◽  
Intrinsic Complexity ◽  
Selection Of

The design process of complex systems in all the fields of engineering requires a set of quantitatively characterized components and a method to predict the output of systems composed by such elements. This strategy relies on the modularity of the used components or the prediction of their context-dependent behaviour, when parts functioning depends on the specific context. Mathematical models usually support the whole process by guiding the selection of parts and by predicting the output of interconnected systems. Such bottom-up design process cannot be trivially adopted for biological systems engineering, since parts function is hard to predict when components are reused in different contexts. This issue and the intrinsic complexity of living systems limit the capability of synthetic biologists to predict the quantitative behaviour of biological systems. The high potential of synthetic biology strongly depends on the capability of mastering this issue. This review discusses the predictability issues of basic biological parts (promoters, ribosome binding sites, coding sequences, transcriptional terminators, and plasmids) when used to engineer simple and complex gene expression systems inEscherichia coli. A comparison between bottom-up and trial-and-error approaches is performed for all the discussed elements and mathematical models supporting the prediction of parts behaviour are illustrated.

Great Britain and the United States: Two nations divided by an attitude?

English Today ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Carmen Ebner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
The United States ◽  
British English ◽  
Doctoral Thesis ◽  
Linguistic Differences ◽  
The Us ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Similar Search

Having studied attitudes towards usage problems such as the notorious split infinitive or the ubiquitous literally in British English as part of my doctoral thesis, I was intrigued by the sheer lack of scientific studies investigating such attitudes. What was even more intriguing was to discover that the same field and the same usage problems seem to have received a different treatment in the United States of America. While my search for previously conducted usage attitude studies in Great Britain has largely remained fruitless, besides two notable exceptions which I will discuss in detail below (see Section 3), a similar search for American usage attitude studies resulted in a different picture. Considerably more such studies seem to have been conducted in the US than in Great Britain. On top of cultural and linguistic differences between these two nations, it seems as if they also hold different attitudes towards studying attitudes towards usage problems. Now the following question arises: why do we find such contradictory scientific traditions in these two countries? In this paper, I will provide an overview of a selection of American and British usage attitude studies. Taking into account differences between the American and British studies with regard to the number of usage problems studied, the populations surveyed and the methods applied, I will attempt to capture manifestations of two seemingly diverging attitudes towards the study of usage problems. By doing so, I will provide a possible explanation for the lack of attention being paid to usage attitudes in Great Britain.

scholarly journals The quantum mitochondrion and optimal health

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 1101-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair V.W. Nunn ◽  
Geoffrey W. Guy ◽  
Jimmy D. Bell
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Emergent Behaviour ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Optimal Health ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Will Self ◽  
Selection Of

A sufficiently complex set of molecules, if subject to perturbation, will self-organize and show emergent behaviour. If such a system can take on information it will become subject to natural selection. This could explain how self-replicating molecules evolved into life and how intelligence arose. A pivotal step in this evolutionary process was of course the emergence of the eukaryote and the advent of the mitochondrion, which both enhanced energy production per cell and increased the ability to process, store and utilize information. Recent research suggest that from its inception life embraced quantum effects such as ‘tunnelling’ and ‘coherence’ while competition and stressful conditions provided a constant driver for natural selection. We believe that the biphasic adaptive response to stress described by hormesis–a process that captures information to enable adaptability, is central to this whole process. Critically, hormesis could improve mitochondrial quantum efficiency, improving the ATP/ROS ratio, whereas inflammation, which is tightly associated with the aging process, might do the opposite. This all suggests that to achieve optimal health and healthy aging, one has to sufficiently stress the system to ensure peak mitochondrial function, which itself could reflect selection of optimum efficiency at the quantum level.

Automated phase attribute-based picking applied to reflection seismics

Geophysics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. V141-V150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Forte ◽  
Matteo Dossi ◽  
Michele Pipan ◽  
Anna Del Ben
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Phase Method ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
Instantaneous Phase ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Specific Analysis ◽  
Reflection Seismics ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Energy Package

We have applied an attribute-based autopicking algorithm to reflection seismics with the aim of reducing the influence of the user’s subjectivity on the picking results and making the interpretation faster with respect to manual and semiautomated techniques. Our picking procedure uses the cosine of the instantaneous phase to automatically detect and mark as a horizon any recorded event characterized by lateral phase continuity. A patching procedure, which exploits horizon parallelism, can be used to connect consecutive horizons marking the same event but separated by noise-related gaps. The picking process marks all coherent events regardless of their reflection strength; therefore, a large number of independent horizons can be constructed. To facilitate interpretation, horizons marking different phases of the same reflection can be automatically grouped together and specific horizons from each reflection can be selected using different possible methods. In the phase method, the algorithm reconstructs the reflected wavelets by averaging the cosine of the instantaneous phase along each horizon. The resulting wavelets are then locally analyzed and confronted through crosscorrelation, allowing the recognition and selection of specific reflection phases. In case the reflected wavelets cannot be recovered due to shape-altering processing or a low signal-to-noise ratio, the energy method uses the reflection strength to group together subparallel horizons within the same energy package and to select those satisfying either energy or arrival time criteria. These methods can be applied automatically to all the picked horizons or to horizons individually selected by the interpreter for specific analysis. We show examples of application to 2D reflection seismic data sets in complex geologic and stratigraphic conditions, critically reviewing the performance of the whole process.

scholarly journals Flexible and innovative learning spaces: An exploration of parental perspectives on change, consultation and participation

2021 ◽  
pp. 147490412110412
Author(s):  
Leon Benade
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Parent Questionnaire ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Innovative Learning ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Role Of Parents ◽  
Education Delivery

The role played by innovative educational environments to support learning for the 21st century has attracted the interest of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development at the global governance level and at the national policy level internationally. This article draws on global, European and Australasian research and data from a qualitative study of consultation and participation in the development of innovative and flexible learning spaces in the New Zealand context. It focuses specifically on the role of parents, drawing data from relevant policies and documents, a parent questionnaire and interviews of parents, architects and Ministry of Education Delivery Managers, responsible for delivering large capital works projects. While the architect participants believe their bold designs are inspirational and promote new pedagogical styles, and positive relationships, some parents view these open-plan learning areas (and associated pedagogies) as needlessly experimental, placing the needs and education of their children at risk. Delivery Managers are focussed on seeing the projects to conclusion, on time and on budget. The critical analysis considers the findings in relation to the research question and reflects on the dual themes of innovation and risk. Further questions for research are suggested.

scholarly journals Hydrodynamics characteristics of the small ships rudders

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Dan Obreja
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Short Description ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Optimum Position ◽  
Practical Research ◽  
Small Ship ◽  
Control Forces ◽  
Selection Of

The estimation of the hydrodynamics characteristics of the small ships rudders is an important issue in the initial design process. The manoeuvring performance depends on the type and geometry of the rudder. The control forces and moments generated by the rudder deflection can be calculated on the basis of the hydrodynamics characteristics of the rudder. A short description of the Mordvinov theoretical model is presented in this paper, in order to determine the hydrodynamics characteristics of a small ship rudder, with the propeller and hull influences. On the basis of the control forces and moments, the optimum position of the rudder stock and the selection of the steering gear can be performed. Using the Mordvinov method, the computer code PHP NM-MAN-HC was develop at the Research Centre of the Naval Architecture Faculty of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati. This computer code is integrated in the software platform PHP (Preliminary Hydrodynamics Performance) and is used for didactic applications and practical research activities in the small ship design process

scholarly journals The level of administrative creativity of secondary school principals in Sabya governorate: مستوى الإبداع الإداري لدى مديري المدارس الثانوية بمحافظة صبيا

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (43) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Mohamed Ghalti
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Secondary School Principals ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Moderate Degree ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Education Department ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Fair Degree

The study aimed to know the level of availability of the ingredients (elements) of creativity among managers, the level of their practice of the administrative creativity process, and the obstacles that limit their practice of the administrative creativity process. The researcher used the descriptive method, and the study sample consisted of (44) principals from the original community of principals in Sabya governorate, and a sample of teachers (285) from the original community of teachers, and the selection of all school administration supervisors and their number (9) educational supervisors, so a total sample Study (338). The study relied on two tools the questionnaire applied to teachers and managers, and the interview with the administrators of school management, and the study found a range of results: the level of elements of management innovation, the managers came to a fair degree, managers exercised the administrative process of innovation medium degree, and facing the practice of managers of administrative obstacles to creativity With a moderate degree, and that most of the obstacles hindering the practice of managerial creativity, organizational obstacles, and recommendations: The Education Department should choose secondary school principals from conscious educational leaders, who believe in the importance of administrative creativity in schools, and the researcher recommends the Ministry of Education and Education Departments to give school principals powers Commensurate with their responsibilities, allowing them the opportunity to show their creativity.

scholarly journals Study of the Start Point of Optimization Trajectories for Complex Strategies of the Circuit Design Process

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 133-139
Author(s):  
Alexander Zemliak
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Circuit Design ◽  
Initial Point ◽  
Point Selection ◽  
Design Algorithm ◽  
Optimal Position ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Dividing Surface ◽  
Selection Of

The different design trajectories have been analyzed in the design space on the basis of the new system design methodology. Optimal position of the design algorithm start point was analyzed to minimize the CPU time. The initial point selection has been done on the basis of the before discovered acceleration effect of the system design process. The geometrical dividing surface was defined and analyzed to obtain the optimal position of the algorithm start point. The numerical results of the design of passive and active nonlinear electronic circuits confirm the possibility of the optimal selection of the starting point of the design algorithm.

scholarly journals Influences of a new digital cultural layer on design at varying scales

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Holth ◽  
S Meekings ◽  
Marc Aurel Schnabel ◽  
Tane Moleta
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
New Age ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cultural Layer ◽  
Architectural Discourse ◽  
Spatial Metrics ◽  
Selection Of

Architects work with data daily. Spatial metrics, building codes and client requirements form the main considerations for many designers, yet new layers of data are impacting the way cities and inhabitants interact with each. This data can be used to more effectively analyse and predict patterns and behaviors to produce environments better suited to users.This paper reviews a selection of ideas from across digital architectural discourse by discussing tangible outcomes from a practitioner point of view and advocates for a greater integration of this digital cultural context into the design process. This paper considers a city-wide digital logic, rather than a new-age technological zeitgeist, that is as much a part of a city as its buildings are and through this provides a lens into our environment and devices that can be used to influence design at multiple scales.

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