A reflection on a bone tissue engineering design and commercialisation project

<p>A commercialisation project centred round a material called synthetic nacre was undertaken as a teamas part of the 2014 Masters of Advanced Technology Enterprise (MATE) programme. There were multiple goals of: examining the individual role within the group,from an engineering discipline(mechatronics), and what it means for building successful teams; finding and developing the material for a market application, in this casethe niche ofbiodegradable osteoconductive load bearing biomaterials for orthopaedic implants; andreflecting on the personalcontribution to the commercialisation processand how successful it was. The role of an engineer to solve problems was proposed and found to be partially true in this case; additionally a secondary role in communicating technical information coherently was also apparent and important to the enterprise development. An adaptive biomaterial design concept and specification for the target application was formed using the literature and extrapolating where there was no resolution or gaps in the research. The influence of mechatronics has been established on the decision making process and direction of the commercialisation project. The design process was incomplete and therefore the enterprise develop was unsuccessful as it has not been validated by going through a full design, test, evaluate cycle. The goals of the course environment and the team building approach further reinforces this belief.</p>

A reflection on a bone tissue engineering design and commercialisation project

<p>A commercialisation project centred round a material called synthetic nacre was undertaken as a teamas part of the 2014 Masters of Advanced Technology Enterprise (MATE) programme. There were multiple goals of: examining the individual role within the group,from an engineering discipline(mechatronics), and what it means for building successful teams; finding and developing the material for a market application, in this casethe niche ofbiodegradable osteoconductive load bearing biomaterials for orthopaedic implants; andreflecting on the personalcontribution to the commercialisation processand how successful it was. The role of an engineer to solve problems was proposed and found to be partially true in this case; additionally a secondary role in communicating technical information coherently was also apparent and important to the enterprise development. An adaptive biomaterial design concept and specification for the target application was formed using the literature and extrapolating where there was no resolution or gaps in the research. The influence of mechatronics has been established on the decision making process and direction of the commercialisation project. The design process was incomplete and therefore the enterprise develop was unsuccessful as it has not been validated by going through a full design, test, evaluate cycle. The goals of the course environment and the team building approach further reinforces this belief.</p>

Development Against Poverty: A Systemic Model Design Based on Empirical Evidence

The world’s poor numbered almost 2.8 billion in 2001, and 2.5 billion in 2005. During a decade of participatory research in a village in Yucatan, Mexico, we built a systemic model of transition from poverty to wellbeing. Households are the basic units because they are the source of human biological and cultural reproduction. Poverty is characterized by low levels of basic needs (i.e. education, health, income and capital). We applied a strategy of innovation and multiple goals, and exploited interaction between variables, in successive approaches within time cycles. Model application improved child nutrition, investment and savings, and credits levels

An ethnographic case study: Analysing students’ learning goal orientations at a lower-middle decile secondary school

<p>In Aotearoa/New Zealand young people generally commence their secondary school education at Year 9. The numerous changes associated with this transition can include new subjects, larger school populations, unfamiliar learning environments, different day-to-day structures and routines; all of which can affect students’ motivation and confidence in their learning. Research focusing on students’ transition from primary to secondary schooling has tended to indicate a lessening in students’ motivation and has shown the types of learning goal approaches of these students can also change. As a teacher with13 years’ experience of teaching at secondary school level, I noticed that achievement at NCEA levels, in my current school, have remained static since my arrival seven years ago. This drove my interest in exploring further the influence of achievement goals on student learning at Year 9. Goal theory research in the field of motivation has increased dramatically over recent decades. Contemporary theories on learning goals have focused on whether mastery, performance or multiple goals best suit the learning needs of students, and whether students develop certain preferences with regards their goals when it comes to learning and achievement. More recently, the relevance of social goals in relation to learning and achievement, and therefore to learning goal theory, has identified that students do not use learning goals in isolation. The type of goal or multiple goals student adopt in their learning has important implications for their motivation, engagement or success and by implication, teachers’ approaches to their teaching. This ethnographic case study explores how 26 Year 9 students at a lower-middle decile secondary school set their learning goals. The study establishes whether students intentionally adopt a specific type of learning goal and explores the reasons for particular preferences. It also examines whether social goals have any impact on the type of goals students preferred or adopted. Through a questionnaire and then semi-structured interviews, students reported their views on their learning and social goals. In addition, five students from the study formed a Student Advisory Group to offer advice and recommendations on issues relating to the research instruments used. This study found that participating students did not intentionally prefer a specific goal over another. Further to this, students were generally not aware of the particular types of goals that were available to them and therefore were not consciously adopting a learning goal to any extent or purpose. The students were unclear of how different learning goals supported their learning. However, these students were more perceptive when understanding the implications of how social goals influenced their learning. The results from this research show that heightened awareness and understanding associated with the adaptive nature of learning goals by students and teachers would support student achievement. This would enable students to make intentional and logical choices regarding the strategies related to learning goals. Teachers may find these findings useful when considering how their students set their learning goals, and what influences these decisions. It may also serve as a starting point for a discussion with students on how they focus their learning and why.</p>

Optimum Project Portfolio Selection for Developmental Plans Using Goal Programming

In vision-driven development plans, such as the Kuwait Mid-Range Development Plan 2015/2016–2019/2020, themes and pillars are derived from the plan's vision, and global indices are assigned by international organizations to accurately measure the performance against the vision's themes. This allows for comparison with other countries, and it also set targets for progression over time. One or more projects are assigned to the indicators of these global indices. A Multi-Criteria Mathematical Programming Technique (e.g., Goal Programming) is used with multiple goals and priorities where an Optimal Portfolio of Projects is found that satisfied the selection criteria.

Optimum Project Portfolio Selection for Developmental Plans Using Goal Programming

In vision-driven development plans, such as the Kuwait Mid-Range Development Plan 2015/2016–2019/2020, themes and pillars are derived from the plan's vision, and global indices are assigned by international organizations to accurately measure the performance against the vision's themes. This allows for comparison with other countries, and it also set targets for progression over time. One or more projects are assigned to the indicators of these global indices. A Multi-Criteria Mathematical Programming Technique (e.g., Goal Programming) is used with multiple goals and priorities where an Optimal Portfolio of Projects is found that satisfied the selection criteria.

Modi will pursue multiple goals on US trip

Headline INDIA: Modi will pursue multiple goals on US trip

An integrative model of goal pursuit

There are currently a multitude of theories, models, and constructs that seek to explain the process of goal pursuit and how to maximize goal attainment. In this paper, we review existing research on the goal pursuit process and propose a model that integrates evidence from a variety of theories and perspectives. The proposed integrative model of goal pursuit explains the process of goal pursuit from inception to attainment (or abandonment) and addresses the influence of the broader social context and the dynamics that may arise when pursuing multiple goals. We also highlight how our integrative model of goal pursuit builds on specific prior theories and models of goal pursuit and self-regulation, and outline implications for future research and practice