Avril Thomson

Rethinking feedback practices in higher education: a peer review perspective

Peer review is a reciprocal process whereby students produce feedback reviews on the work of peers and receive feedback reviews from peers on their own work. Prior research has primarily examined the learning benefits that result from the receipt of feedback reviews, with few studies specifically exploring the merits of producing feedback reviews or the learning mechanisms that this activates. Using accounts of their experiences of peer review, this study illuminates students’ perceptions of the different learning benefits resulting from feedback receipt and feedback production, and, importantly, it provides insight into the cognitive processes that are activated when students construct feedback reviews. The findings show that producing feedback reviews engages students in multiple acts of evaluative judgement, both about the work of peers, and, through a reflective process, about their own work; that it involves them in both invoking and applying criteria to explain those judgements; and that it shifts control of feedback processes into students’ hands, a shift that can reduce their need for external feedback. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. It is argued that the capacity to produce quality feedback is a fundamental graduate skill, and, as such, it should receive much greater attention in higher education curricula.

Measuring Project Complexity: A Project Manager's Tool

Abstract This paper describes a framework that measures complexity within the various stages of a project, together with a measure of complexity for the complete project lifecycle in the form of a complexity index (CI). In essence, the framework provides the project manager with a tool that helps identify the possible manifestation of complexity within the project process and the ability to plan accordingly to minimize its impact. This framework was developed and evaluated based on engineering design projects. Initially, the paper provides an overview of the framework describing each of its component parts. An account of how the framework generates complexity measures is provided by means of an example. Case studies used for the evaluation of the framework are summarized.

Use of biomechanical data in the Inclusive Design process: packaging design and the older adult

Biomechanical data may be used to inform the design process to ensure Inclusive Design. Yet many products are clearly not designed inclusively, one possible reason being that biomechanical data are not used, is not available or offers insufficient benefits to merit integration into the design process. This study investigates designers’ use of biomechanical data to inform the process of Inclusive Design in the consumer packaging industry. Packaging design professionals were interviewed to elicit information regarding their use of biomechanical data and to establish if they followed Inclusive Design principles. Biomechanical data were collected using observational study and customised force and motion measurement tools. Finally, biomechanical data were presented to the designers to establish the best/preferred format for use in the design process. Biomechanical data were rarely used by the designers and Inclusive Design principles were not routinely incorporated into company procedures. There was clear preference for visual data with imagery of real subjects. Most quantitative force and motion data formats were considered to be unsuitable for routine use due to commercial priorities and lack of technical appreciation. The use of biomechanical testing to develop standards to allow Inclusive Design may be the way forward.

Complexity measurement of a project activity

Project managers very often describe their projects as simple or complex when discussing management issues. This indicates a practical acceptance that complexity makes a difference to the management of projects. The purpose of this paper is to propose a workers skill-based metric for the complexity of a construction project activity using the concepts of functional decomposition and validate it. Based on a sample of 13 project activities from two construction projects, the empirical validation of the proposed metric using Spearman rank order coefficient exhibited a strong correlation between complexity of a project activity (CPA) and its completion time. The contribution of this paper is in identifying the influence of the skill of the worker(s) on the complexity of the project activity and as a support to project managers intuitive understanding about the CPA. Moreover, the findings are applicable in assigning worker(s) to different project activities, based on their complexities.

Can you pull it off? Appearance modifying behaviours adopted by wig users with alopecia in social interactions

In the academic and medical literature on alopecia, wigs (hair prostheses) are typically recommended as a coping strategy: a device to camouflage, conceal, or cover hair loss, and cope with the psychological impact of a dramatic change in body image. This paper used Goffmans (1959) theory of impression management to demonstrate (a) the social significance of self-presentation, and (b) how adults with alopecia managed their wig use in their daily lives. Data from 14 interviews, two focus groups and six video diaries with 22 Caucasian adults (19 females, 3 males; 29-74 years, SD=13.75) with alopecia in Scotland were analysed using discursive psychology. The analysis detailed how participants managed their wig use and behaviours in relation to social interaction with different categories of people. The paper raises concerns about health and medical discourse about wigs as a coping mechanism, and provides practical suggestions for wig users in social settings.

Distributed team design in small- and medium-sized enterprises: How to get it right

Abstract Readily available and affordable technologies such as the Internet, groupware, and Web conferencing mean that sharing information and data within teams is simple and affordable. However, many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to implement or perform distributed collaborative design effectively or even at all. As part of the extended design team of large multinational companies it is not uncommon for SMEs to have collaborative working tools and practice imposed on them to meet the requirements of the multinational. However, many SMEs need to develop their own working practices to support effective, collaborative team design within their own organization or their extended design team. Through a series of case studies, this paper describes how a typical SME achieved successful distributed team design within their organization. A “strategy for effective distributed team design” encompassing the processes, methods, and tools developed and implemented within the company to achieve this success, is presented. In total, four live case studies, spanning a 2-year period, are described; two initial studies focus on current distributed design team practice clearly highlighting issues and areas for improvement, leading to the development of processes, methods, and tools to support distributed collaborative team design. A strategy for effective distributed team design encapsulating these processes methods and tools is presented together with its evaluation through two further live industrial case studies. The case studies themselves, together with the processes, methods, and tools developed by this company, could be adopted by other SMEs directly to achieve the same success. Generic and transferable findings drawn from this study aimed at helping others achieve this success form the conclusion of the paper.

An evaluation and comparison of the industrial and educational usage of CSCW within the design process

This paper presents the findings of three recent research projects carried out at the University of Strathclyde. Two of the projects, ICON (Institutional Collaboration Over Networks) and ICON2 investigated the usage of CSCW tools by disparate engineering design students whilst, a Design Council funded research project investigated the introduction and usage of shared workspace technology within the design process of three companies and their supply chain. This is followed by a comparative reflection of the results allowing identification of generic findings together with opportunities for cross-sectoral lessons.

The development and evaluation of a sensor-fusion and adaptive algorithm for detecting real-time upper-trunk kinematics, phases and timing of the sit-to-stand movements in stroke survivors

Low-cost wearable inertial sensors and balance plates offer great opportunities to provide body kinematic and spatial measurements of mobility-related activities, such as the sit-to-stand (STS) motion, a crucial movement to activities of daily living. This abstract presents the development of a Kalman-filter based sensor fusion algorithm with error compensation for detecting upper-trunk kinematics and a finite state machine based adaptive algorithm, which aims to analyze and detect crucial events, the transition of phases and timing of the movement. Both methods were tested on stroke survivors. The results show the sensor fusion algorithm has excellent correlation coefficients and contains very small errors in estimating rotation angles and velocities while the adaptive algorithm had a small bias and consistent delay in detecting the transition of phases.

A new viewpoint on inclusive design practice: Implementing design in a small manufacturing company

In recent years, a great deal has been written on Inclusive Design, and its attempts to make products accessible to as many people as possible; the most formal and thorough of these is probably BS 7000:2005*, which gives an accurate definition of the concept: *“Inclusive Design: design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, people with the widest range of abilities within the widest range of situations without the need for special adaptation or design.” Most Inclusive Design papers view the issue from making commercial products available to those with impairments however these do not address the issue of making special needs products suitable for those that may not require them but still have to live with them. With the increasing application of inclusive design the special needs market will narrow but not all products will meet specialist requirements, and as such, there will still be a market for special needs products, but these must be ‘inclusive’ of as many people as possible. It is important to understand that special needs products are not only used by those with disabilities. They often replace key products in the home to make coping with day-to-day tasks simpler, but also may have to be used by all other members of the household