scholarly journals TOP-DOWN OR BOTTOM-UP? EMPLOYING A MIDDLE-GROUND APPROACH IN DESIGNING A UK ACADEMIC WRITING COURSE FOR ADVANCED CHINESE GRADUATES

2020 ◽  
pp. 095
Author(s):  
Ivo Ganchev
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Middle Ground ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Postgraduate Study ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Second Tier ◽  
The Uk

This article documents the academic writing course design process for advanced Chinese learners aiming to pursue postgraduate degrees in business-related fields at their respective target universities in the UK. Four holders of BA degrees in the social sciences from second tier universities in Beijing were tested, surveyed and observed in detail to design a non-terminal twenty-hour pre-sessional writing course (ten two-hour sessions) to assist in their preparation for postgraduate study. All students held offers from Russell Group universities in the UK and had covered the IELTS requirement (6.5-7.0) for admission there prior to signing up for the EAP course discussed in this paper. The aim of the course is to enhance the students’ academic skills and improve their performance in the following year when they attend UK universities. The course design process is informed by two sets of principles, incorporating both a top-down and a bottom-up perspective. The former is framed within an understanding of EAP as academic, rather than language training. The latter is based on needs analysis of student-specific weaknesses explored through the use of a questionnaire, a diagnostic writing test and in-class observations. Both perspectives feed into the course goals and objectives which serve as a basis for the course rationale. Aiming to bridge the gap between Chinese undergraduate and UK postgraduate study, the course combines textbooks with authentic materials and formative with summative assessment. Reflections on major constraints and limitations are provided throughout the process. This documented case of academic writing course design aims to reveal challenges faced by EAP practitioners working with UK and Chinese institutions, and to present a middle ground approach to resolving tensions between top-down and bottom-up pressures in the context of course design for advanced Chinese graduates.

Emergence in Technical Systems (Emergenz in technischen Systemen)

2005 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Rochner ◽  
Christian Müller-Schloer
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Emergent Behavior ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Apparent Contradiction ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Technical Systems

SummuryThis article briefly reviews systems, which show self-organizational behavior and defines emergence as their central property. Then it tries to contrast emergent behavior, which is a bottom-up process, with the classical top-down design process. In the last section the paper discusses the Observer/Controller concept as a possible solution to this apparent contradiction.

Modelling an ongoing design process utilizing top-down and bottom-up design strategies

2008 ◽  
Vol 223 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Fathianathan ◽  
J H Panchal
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Process ◽  
New Products ◽  
Dynamic Decision Making ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Computational Environment ◽  
Successful Design ◽  
Product Design Process

The product design process plays a central role in ensuring that new products are realized with improved quality, in a short lead-time and with costs kept to a minimum. It is identified that making decisions dynamically on how the design process should proceed is not trivial. A computational environment that aids dynamic decision making on the design process would be useful in ensuring successful design of new products. A key component of analysing and making decisions on the progression of the design process is a model that captures an ongoing design process. In this paper, an approach to modelling an ongoing design process is proposed based on the use of design nodes. The approach allows an ongoing design process to be modelled that facilitates dynamic decision making on how the design process should progress and accounts for the state of the design problem. The approach allows top-down and bottom-up design strategies to be modelled.

Participation or Pathology: Contradictory Tensions in Area-Based Policy

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pete Alcock
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Central Feature ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Uk

This paper discusses some of the tensions revealed in the development and implementation of recent area-based approaches to social policy in England. Such programmes are now a central feature of Government policy practice, although similar programmes have been developed in the past in the UK and other welfare capitalist countries. They reflect concerns to combat social exclusion and ‘join-up’ service provision. They are also evidence of a shift towards more agency based policy practice – from ‘top-down’ to ‘bottom-up’ planning. Thus participation of citizens is a key element in all programmes. Some of the problems of securing such participation are discussed, including in particular the tendency for expectations of participation to lead to pathological interpretations of the causes of (and solutions too) social exclusion.

scholarly journals Effects of a self-regulating writing course on academic text production in a PhD and Master sample

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Lida Johana Rincón ◽  
Christian Hederich-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
The Self ◽  
Metacognitive Awareness ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Writing Course

Objective: This article presents the results of a study with an experimental design; whose objective was to examine the effects of a virtual learning environment focused on the self-regulation of writing on the development of self-regulation and academic writing skills. Background: The course design presented here is based on the idea that writing should be taught as a process, not as a product, which requires training students in the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. For this reason, the course set out to increase two skills: 1) the ability to self-regulate academic text writing process and 2) metacognitive awareness. Methodology: In an experimental design, 46 master and doctoral students participated in the 12 – week course, designed to be implemented in an online modality, through the Moodle learning management system. Given the self-regulating nature of this intervention proposal, didactic tools were created enabling the subject to identify and learn about their own processes and the resources they usually employ to develop writing tasks. To that end, the course has two specific strategies: a self-regulating writing scaffolding (SWS) and different tools to increase metacognitive awareness (IMA). The effects of these strategies were observed separately and combined. Results: A first aspect to consider with respect to the effects of the SWS on factors associated with self-regulation is the increase in motivation at the end of the intervention, this, by incorporating strategies such as the explicit formulation of goals, self-evaluation and the explanation of the usefulness and functionality of the task. Regarding achievements reached in improving writing, the SWS also proves to be the most effective for this purpose. Modelling specific behaviours such as choosing specific objectives for the writing task, the formulation of a defined and explicit plan, monitoring behaviours, self-evaluation and self-reinforcement are determinants to reach higher levels of writing.

scholarly journals Exploiting satellite measurements to reduce uncertainties in UK bottom-up NO<sub>x</sub> emission estimates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Pope ◽  
Rebecca Kelly ◽  
Eloise A. Marais ◽  
Ailish M. Graham ◽  
Chris Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Emissions Inventory ◽  
Monitoring Instrument ◽  
Hazardous Pollutants ◽  
The Uk

Abstract. Nitrogen oxides (NOx, NO+NO2) are potent air pollutants which directly impact on human health and which aid the formation of other hazardous pollutants such as ozone (O3) and particulate matter. In this study, we use satellite tropospheric column nitrogen dioxide (TCNO2) data to evaluate the spatiotemporal variability and magnitude of the United Kingdom (UK) bottom-up National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) NOx emissions. Although emissions and TCNO2 represent different quantities, for UK city sources we find a spatial correlation of ~0.5 between the NAEI NOx emissions and TCNO2 from the high-spatial-resolution TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), suggesting a good spatial distribution of emission sources in the inventory. Between 2005 and 2015, the NAEI total UK NOx emissions and long-term TCNO2 record from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), averaged over England, show decreasing trends of 4.4 % and 2.2 %, respectively. Top-down NOx emissions were derived in this study by applying a simple mass balance approach to TROPOMI observed downwind NO2 plumes from city sources. Overall, these top-down estimates were consistent with the NAEI, but for larger cities such as London and Manchester the inventory is significantly (> 25 %) less than the top-down emissions. This NAEI NOx emission underestimate is supported by comparing simulations from the GEOS-Chem atmospheric chemistry model, driven by the NAEI emissions, with satellite and surface NO2 observations over the UK. This yields substantial model negative biases, providing further evidence to demonstrate that the NAEI may be underestimating NOx emissions in London and Manchester.

Conceptual Design of A Human-Computer Interface: A Case Study in Design Methodology

1984 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 510-510
Author(s):  
Virginia A. Rappold ◽  
John L. Sibert
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Computer System ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Network Control ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Planning And Scheduling ◽  
State Diagrams

The purpose of this case study was to document and evaluate the application of a top-down design methodology (Foley & van Dam, 1982) to a pre-existing computer system to test the methodology's usefulness as well as to gain insights into the design process itself. System experts advocate design of a system “top-down” instead of “bottom-up” as a way to sequentially examine the complex task of interface design while allowing re-examination of previous steps in that design (Foley, 1981). The study involved a menu-based, mini-computer system designed at Goddard Space Flight Center called the Mission Planning Terminal (MPT). The MPT will be used at Goddard for planning and scheduling of satellite activities through the NASA Network Control Center (NCC). The scheduler/analyst's task includes submitting a schedule of activities for his mission, transmitting it to NCC, and then modifying the returned schedule, if necessary, using the MPT. The top-down design process is distinctly divided into four phases: conceptual, semantic, syntactic, and lexical (Foley, 1981). The first phase, conceptual, consists of defining key application concepts needed by the user. The semantic phases involve defining meanings such as information needed in order to use an object. The syntactic design defines sequences of inputs (similar to English grammar rules) and outputs (the two and three dimensional organization of the display). The last step, lexical design, describes how words in the input/output sequence are formed from the existing hardware input (Foley & van Dam, 1982). The top-down methodology was applied using MPT documentation and interviews with the designers. During this process, it became clear that although a conceptual model of the MPT existed somewhere, it was never recorded. This led to numerous attempts to extract the main conceptual components of the system from the software operations documents which were constantly changed and were often incomplete. Finally, based on preliminary screen designs, state diagrams were constructed to map out components of the system. By characterization of the MPT in this way (using state diagrams), a clearer picture emerged that finally led to understanding the conceptual model. Once the conceptual model was extracted, redesign of the system, using the top-down method, quickly followed. This case study clearly emphasizes the need for a complete and accurate conceptual model if a top-down approach is to be applied. When redesigning an existing system, it frequently becomes necessary to “extract” this model in a bottom-up manner as was the case here.

scholarly journals The Challenge of Addressing Obesity: Moving to the Extremes

Challenges ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Glenn Laverack
Keyword(s):  
Population Health ◽  
Middle Ground ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Single Model ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
The Public ◽  
Self Help ◽  
The Future ◽  
Self Help Groups

Obesity is preventable but there is still no single model for prevention and no country has managed to convincingly reverse the growing trend, estimated in 2016 to be 650 million adults. Globally, the increase in obesity will have catastrophic consequences for the economy and for population health. ‘Desperate times breed desperate measures’ and this paper outlines the shift that many governments are being forced to make to halt the growth of obesity. Moving to the extremes means that the planning and coordination of strategies places an equal emphasis on top-down (policy, regulation, and taxation) and bottom-up (local actions, self-help groups, volunteerism) interventions. There is still an important role for communication, the middle-ground between the extremes of bottom-up and top-down, but governments must use ‘power-over’ measures to take control of the causes of obesity. Bringing the public with them will be crucial to success and can be achieved through a sharing of resources, a ‘power-with’, to combine top-down and bottom-up interventions in the future.

scholarly journals CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS OF A BOTTOM UP URBAN DESIGN PROCESS TO DELIVER SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGNS

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuwan Dias ◽  
Kaushal Keraminiyage ◽  
Dilanthi Amaratunga ◽  
Steve Curwell
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
The People

A sustainable urban environment caters for peoples’ need. When the needs of the people are addressed, it increases the property values and attracts investors. The current urban design process is top-down, i.e., Designers and planners play the key role and the community has less engagement. There are serious criticisms of this process as it may not touch the “ground” level requirements, and therefore, these projects will fail to create sustainable environments. Accordingly, to overcome the drawbacks of the current top-down process, researches have discussed implementing a bottom-up process in order to deliver sustainable urban designs. Based on this argument this paper discusses what are the positive and negative implications of a bottom up urban design process and what are the critical success factors which can be derived from a bottom-up urban design process in order to deliver sustainable urban environments.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Transfer of Learning in an English-for-Specific-Academic Writing Course: Teaching for Transfer

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-184
Author(s):  
Kalthoum Kassab
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Transfer Of Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Transfer ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Near Transfer ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Transfer Principles

Despite its importance, transfer of learning is still an under-explored area of research in EAP contexts. The few EAP studies that investigated this phenomenon were mostly conducted in EGAP contexts. Studies conducted in ESAP contexts and informed by learning transfer theories are still rare. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of a teaching-for-transfer ESAP writing course on students’ ability to transfer their new learning to their subject-specific courses in a Tunisian university. The ESAP course design drew on SFL genre theories and teaching-for-transfer principles. Perkins and Salomon’s (1988) hugging and bridging strategies were blended into instruction in order to maximize the chances for learning transfer to occur. In addition, elements of Barnett and Ceci’s (2002) transfer taxonomy were used to distinguish between near transfer and far transfer. A longitudinal quantitative research design, using repeated measures, was followed. Students’ authentic written exams from the ESAP writing course and from three content subjects were analyzed in order to investigate the impact of instruction on learning transfer overtime. Results showed that near transfer occurred quite frequently while far transfer occurred in a constricted manner. The findings suggest that an ESAP writing course that blends teaching-for-transfer principles increases the chances for learning transfer to occur. However, the success of such courses depends on the close collaboration between the writing teachers and the disciplinary lecturers.

scholarly journals Marine protected area strategies: issues, divergences and the search for middle ground

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jones
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Middle Ground ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Resource Exploitation ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Emerging Issues

There has been a dramatic increase in recent years in the number of papers, reports, etc.,which have been published concerning Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This overview of the objectives, selection, design and management of MPAs aims to provide a basis for discussion regarding possible ways forward by identifying emerging issues, convergences and divergences. Whilst the attributes of the marine environment may limit the effectiveness of site-specific initiatives such as MPAs, it is argued that it would be defeatist in the extreme to abandon MPAs in the face of these limitations. Ten key objectives for MPAs are discussed, including that of harvest refugia, and it is argued that whilst these objectives may be justifiable from a preservationist perspective, they may be objected to from a resource exploitation perspective. MPAs generate both internal (between uses) and basic (between use and conservation) conflicts, and it is argued that these conflicts may be exacerbated when scientific arguments for MPAs are motivated by preservationist concerns. It is reported that a minority of MPAs are achieving their management objectives, and that for the majority insufficient information was available for such effectiveness evaluations. Structure and process-oriented perspectives on marine conservation are discussed. It is argued that there are two divergent stances concerning optimal MPA management approaches: top-down,characterized as being government-led and science-based, with a greater emphasis onset-aside; and bottom-up, characterized as being community-based and science-guided, with a greater emphasis on multiple-use. Given the divergent values of different stakeholders, the high degree of scientific uncertainty, and the high marine resource management decision stakes, it is concluded that a key challenge is to adopt a "middle-ground'' approach which combines top-down and bottom-up approaches, and which is consistent with the post-normal scientific approach.

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