Oxford Brookes University Research Articles

Sponde: Commentateur d’Homère by Christiane Deloince-Louette (review)

MLR, 97.4, 2002 963 to glance at them, io cual de mi parecer no debia pasar asi, porque los hombres prudentes y sabios no se han de enfrascar tanto en los negocios que no tomen un poco del dia para acordarse siquiera de si mismos' ('Car les hommes sages ne se doivent tellement embarrasser es affaires qu'ils ne prennent quelque espace de temps par chacun pour au moins se souvenir d'eux-memes'). University of Leeds Margaret A. Rees Sponde: Commentateur d'Homere. By Christiane Deloince-Louette. (Bibliotheque Litteraire de la Renaissance, serie 3: tome 47) Paris: Champion. 2001. 472 pp. 450 F Christiane Deloince-Louette's study of Jean de Sponde's commentary on Homer (which was published as part of his Latin edition of Homer's complete works in 1583) is divided into two sections. The first examines the historical and cultural context from which the commentary arose, through an examination of the Protestant pedagogical systems of the mid- and late sixteenth century in France and Switzerland, a review of the status of Homer before 1583, and discussions of Sponde's humanist inheritance and the development of the commentary as a genre. The second section consists of a detailed and descriptive analysis of the commentary itself,with chapters focusing on the various roles of commentator and reader, and on Calvinist aspects of Sponde's reading of Homer. The final chapter examines Sponde's treatment of Homeric theology and his attempts to findaspects of Christian morality and theology within Homer's work. Deloince-Louette rightly emphasizes the tensions arising from humanist and reformist ideologies in Sponde's undertaking, and is particularly engaging on the sub? ject of how these tensions relate to the genre of commentary. Humanism requires a faithfuledition of an ancient text, and a commentary that explains its difhculties and highlights its beauties, while reformism seeks a morality close to Christianity in the texts it examines. Humanist commentary seeks to celebrate the ancient author, or, through his encyclopaedic knowledge, the commentator himself, while all reformist endeavours aim to glorify God. It is in Sponde's negotiation of these apparently contradictory aims that much of the interest in his commentary lies. The author claims to present and interpret this difficultbut significant work fortwo principal reasons: to shed light on the reception of Homer in late sixteenth-century Europe; and to corroborate the theory (proposed by Deloince-Louette herself, and by Josiane Rieu in Jean de Sponde et la coherenceinterieure(Paris: Champion, 1988)) of a theological and thematic coherence across the body of Sponde's work. In both these aims she succeeds. She also uses analysis of Sponde's commentary very convincingly as a way of drawing more general conclusions about the genre, and about Calvinist textual analysis. I have two quibbles, one minor (the typesetting ofthe indexes makes some difficultto decipher), and one more significant: the book contains, of necessity, many lengthy Latin quotations, only some of which are translated into French. This is inconsistent, but more importantly will make the book less accessible to some readers. This is a shame, as the firstpart particularly is an excellent source of information on reformist education and the commentary as a genre, and will be of interest to readers from diverse disciplines who may not be fluent in Latin. Oxford Brookes University Cathy Jones ...

Cities and energy: The sustainability (r)evolution

The author graduated as an engineer from the National Technical University of Athens, and completed her DEA at the National Geographical Institute in Paris. She continued with a DEA at the French Institute of City Planning where she also obtained her Ph.D. Her post-doctorate studies include research on Regional Policy at Oxford Brookes University and Environmental Economics at Harvard University. She started her career as Special Adviser to the Greek Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the European Union. She has been an official of the European Union and Research Manager at the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. She has co-written 25 EU publications, and has published nearly 100 articles on sustainable development, urban dynamics, regional capital, city and spatial policy and cultural value-added. She worked as a consultant on issues of sustainable development at the Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She is now Scientific Officer at the Directorate General for Research, European Commission, Brussels, where her main duties are on energy research. The text that follows is a slightly edited and revised version of a paper presented at the World Society for Ekistics Symposion"Defining Success of the City in the 21st Century," Berlin, 24-28 October, 2001.

Cities and energy: The sustainability (r)evolution

The author graduated as an engineer from the National Technical University of Athens, and completed her DEA at the National Geographical Institute in Paris. She continued with a DEA at the French Institute of City Planning where she also obtained her Ph.D. Her post-doctorate studies include research on Regional Policy at Oxford Brookes University and Environmental Economics at Harvard University. She started her career as Special Adviser to the Greek Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the European Union. She has been an official of the European Union and Research Manager at the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. She has co-written 25 EU publications, and has published nearly 100 articles on sustainable development, urban dynamics, regional capital, city and spatial policy and cultural value-added. She worked as a consultant on issues of sustainable development at the Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She is now Scientific Officer at the Directorate General for Research, European Commission, Brussels, where her main duties are on energy research. The text that follows is a slightly edited and revised version of a paper presented at the World Society for Ekistics SymposionDefining Success of the City in the 21st Century, Berlin, 24-28 October, 2001.

A Case Study of Accreditation of Prior Learning in Ministerial Training

The Ministry Division of the Church of England has recently published guidelines on the use of AP(E)L in ministry training. This article is a case study of APL in a Ministry course run by the Oxford Diocese with Oxford Brookes University. It gives examples of APL and discusses the issues that this raises. Its conclusions are positive about the use of APL while acknowledging that it is consuming of staff time.

Equal among Firsts: Reviewing Quality in Psychology

Following a QAA review of Psychology at Oxford Brookes University in 1999, the Psychology Department attempted to respond to the reviewer's comment that insufficient first class degrees were being awarded. In attempting to locate the source of the problem, intake profile, the assessment scheme, teaching and learning methods, and resources were systematically examined. None of these things appeared to explain why rates of first class award should be unusually low. Finally the Department decided to reconsider the validity of the reviewer's complaint. Statistical comparison with rates of first class awards in other Departments at Oxford Brookes, and with UK Psychology Departments as a whole, showed that first rates in the Psychology Department did not differ from either reference group. An analysis of published QAA reports of UK Psychology Departments showed that nine departments were criticised for an excessively low first rate. Some uncriticised departments had lower first rates than others amongst the rebuked, and some rebuked departments awarded more firsts than those passing unremarked. It is concluded that QAA review of award frequency in Psychology was inconsistent and vulnerable to bias. Suggestions are made for improvement including the use of statistical methods to justify quantitative conclusions, and training reviewers to take into account known sources of bias.

Student nurse satisfaction levels with their courses: Part II – effects of academic variables

The degree of student satisfaction with their educational experiences is an important dimension in the assessment of institutional effectiveness. All nursing education teams are currently working on ways to improve the quality of their educational provision and increase the satisfaction of their students. This is the second of a two-part article on the factors that influence student satisfaction with their courses. Part I examined how the four demographic features of gender, disability, ethnicity and age influenced student satisfaction and their performance on nursing modules. This paper complements Part I by examining the effects of three educational factors (academic level of the module, mode of study, and the qualification aim) on the accomplishment and satisfaction levels of 460 students attending multidisciplinary health care modules at the School of Health Care, Oxford Brookes University, 2000/2001. The study found that in contrast to Level 1 students, Level 3 participants felt the need for modules to stimulate more interest, that module teams be more skilled and knowledgeable and that library resources be more abundant. The findings also suggested that part-time students required significantly more attention than full-time participants in terms of the need for smaller seminar groups that would facilitate contributions and decrease inhibitions among students, and were more concerned with the utility and relevance of their learning in relation to their chosen professions. Diploma participants had the highest satisfaction followed by the BA and then the BSc students. The findings raise issues which are of interest to academic staff and nursing students, and the implications for nurse education and curriculum design are discussed within the context of student nurse satisfaction and quality issues of learning and teaching in higher education.

Student nurse satisfaction levels with their courses: Part I – effects of demographic variables

Recent years have seen an increased emphasis on the monitoring of the quality of learning and teaching in higher education. This has led to more attention being paid to evaluating student perceptions of their learning experiences. This article (Part I of two on the subject) examines the factors that influence student satisfaction with their modular courses. Seven factors categorized into two sets are scrutinized: Part I investigates the effects of four demographic variables, while Part II explores the effects of three academic (educational)-related variables. In this report, the study research design, tool and sample are described, and an analysis of the demographic variables of gender, disability, ethnicity and age-bracket is undertaken, whereby their effects on performance and satisfaction levels of students are considered. Employing a questionnaire, data from 460 students attending various multidisciplinary health care modules at the School of Health Care, Oxford Brookes University for the first term of the academic year 2000/2001 were analysed. The questionnaire was found to be reliable and there were no differences in satisfaction between students who provided their registration numbers and those who did not, suggesting that the results are generalizable to the greater student population of the School of Health Care. The study found no differences in performance or satisfaction levels according to gender, but disabled students indicated less satisfaction although the differences were not significant. Fewer students of ‘non-white’ ethnicity felt that their learning experience was intellectually stimulating, and that the information about their modules was satisfactory and readily available. Student age significantly predicted performance and ‘mature’ students performed better and showed higher satisfaction than ‘traditional’ students. The findings and their implications for nurse education and curriculum design are discussed, with support from a growing number of studies investigating student nurse satisfaction and quality issues of learning and teaching in higher education.

Using Class Quizzes for Weekly Review

This article describes the use of classroom quizzes as a way of promoting student learning in the Department of Geography at Oxford Brookes University. Starting each class with a quiz on the previous session’s work encourages students to review their course notes ahead of each session, removes the need for any spoken review of course progress, and abets attempts to help students convert surface memorisation into deep learning through classroom discussion. Class quizzes are popular with most students, who mainly agree with the above analysis. Quiz scores correlate significantly with most other types of assessment, including those from formal essay examinations, so they may be considered valid as a mode of assessment. The exercise described in this paper will have transferability to other degree programmes, including earth and environmental sciences.

Notes on Contributors

Mary Kate McGowanAssistant Professor of Philosophy at Wellesley College. She works in metaphysics, philosophy of language and philosophy of science. Forthcoming articles include ‘Gruesome Connections’ in Philosophical Quarterly and ‘Privileging Properties’ in Philosophical Studies.Anthony SkillenRecently retired as lecturer in the Philosophy Department of the University of Kent at Canterbury.Charles D. TarltonProfessor of Political Science at the University of Albany. In recent years he has written on Locke, Machiavelli, and Hobbes. He is currently engaged in an analysis of the structural ambiguities of Rousseau's Discours sur l'origine et les fondaments de l'inegalité parmi les hommes.Stephen J. BoulterSenior Lecturer in Philosophy at Oxford Brookes University. His research areas include the philosophy of language, the philosophy of science and medieval philosophy.Gabriele De AnnaA tutor in the Philosophy Department at St Andrews and research fellow at the University of Padua, Italy. He has published papers in American, British and Italian journals and is the author of the forthcoming book, Realismo Metafisico e Rappresentazione Mentale (Padua: Il Poligrafo).Roy SorensenRoy Sorensen seeks Fame and Fortune as a Dartmouth College philosophy professor. He is the author of Blindspots, Thought Experiments and Pseudo-Problems, and most recently Vagueness and Contradiction.David BeiseckerAssistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has published articles in the philosophy of mind and language, with an eye towards writing a book on the metaphysics of mind and meaning.

Talents unfolding. R. C. Friedman and B. M. Shore. American Psychological Association, Washington DC, 2000. No. of pages 263. ISBN 1‐55798‐643‐6. Price £29.95 (Hardback)

Applied Cognitive PsychologyVolume 16, Issue 1 p. 117-118 Book Review Talents unfolding. R. C. Friedman and B. M. Shore. American Psychological Association, Washington DC, 2000. No. of pages 263. ISBN 1-55798-643-6. Price £29.95 (Hardback) Deborah Eyre, Corresponding Author Deborah Eyre Oxford Brookes University, Westminster Institute of EducationDeputy Head of Institute, Westminster Institute of Education, Oxford OX2 9AT.Search for more papers by this author Deborah Eyre, Corresponding Author Deborah Eyre Oxford Brookes University, Westminster Institute of EducationDeputy Head of Institute, Westminster Institute of Education, Oxford OX2 9AT.Search for more papers by this author First published: 21 December 2001 https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.763AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume16, Issue1January 2002Pages 117-118 RelatedInformation

The validity and reliability of methods to assess the competence to practise of pre-registration nursing and midwifery students

This paper reports findings from a study funded by the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland to test selected nursing and midwifery clinical competence assessment tools for reliability and validity. The study, which took place over two years from July 1997, involved comparing items in the selected tools with statutory competencies for nurses and midwives, collecting assessment data from a sample of 257 nursing and 43 midwifery students in four educational institutions and administering additional assessment measures (the Nursing Competencies Questionnaire (NCQ) (Bartlett et al., An evaluation of pre-registration nursing education: a literature review and comparative study of graduate outcomes, Oxford Centre for Health Care Research & Development, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, 1998) and the Key Areas Assessment Instrument—KAAI) to the total student sample (and to their lecturers and practice assessors) at two time points which were six months apart. Our focus was the programme-specific clinical competence assessment tools but by testing these tools we also provide evidence on the validity of other methods of competence assessment. Validity of the methods was assessed, primarily, by calculating multivariate and univariate correlation coefficients between them. The NCQ and KAAI were analysed for internal consistency. The NCQ and the versions of KAAI for lecturers and practice assessors were found to have good internal consistency. The version of the KAAI tool developed for students showed reasonable internal consistency for nursing students, but less consistency for midwifery students. Correlational analysis of data collected on students showed that there is little or no relationship between most of the clinical competence assessment methods in current use, or between these methods and those introduced by the research team. This finding supports previous research, particularly in medical education and confirms that the different methods address different abilities. A clear finding from this study is that no single method is appropriate for assessing clinical competence. A multi-method UK-wide strategy for clinical competence assessment for nursing and midwifery is needed if we are to be sure that assessment reveals whether or not students have achieved the complex repertoire of knowledge, skills and attitudes required for competent practice.

Professor of Psychiatric Nursing honoured by Oxford Brookes University

Professor of Psychiatric Nursing honoured by Oxford Brookes University

It pays to be cool

Whereas some scientists research global warming and the effects of elevated temperatures on plant function, Chris Hawes of Oxford Brookes University (UK) has interests at the other end of the temperature scale. Recently, this research has been rewarded with the award of £264 956 from the UK's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The funding over a three-year period from 1 January 2002 will enable the purchase of state-of-the-art high-pressure-freezing equipment to study the dynamics of the plant secretory pathway. In July, Hawes was also elected Vice President of the UK's Royal Microscopical Society. NC

Moving with the Times: an oral history of a geography department

The 30-year story of the geography department at Oxford Brookes University is presented as an oral history in the words of the experienced full-time staff. The department has gained a reputation in the UK and beyond for innovative active-learning methods and its story is an example of how a pedagogic culture can develop in a geography department. The story can also be read as a case study of a workplace in higher education, or as a contribution to the history of education. Most importantly, though, it offers insight into the key factors concerning the development of innovative teaching practice.

Moving with the Times: An oral history of a geography department

The 30-year story of the geography department at Oxford Brookes University is presented as an oral history in the words of the experienced full-time staff. The department has gained a reputation in the UK and beyond for innovative active-learning methods and its story is an example of how a pedagogic culture can develop in a geography department. The story can also be read as a case study of a workplace in higher education, or as a contribution to the history of education. Most importantly, though, it offers insight into the key factors concerning the development of innovative teaching practice.

Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History, Mark D. Herber

Journal Article Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History, Mark D. Herber Get access Steven King Steven King Oxford Brookes University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The English Historical Review, Volume 116, Issue 467, June 2001, Pages 688–689, https://doi.org/10.1093/ehr/116.467.688 Published: 01 June 2001

Haeckel's Monism and the Birth of Fascist Ideology. By Daniel Gasman

Journal Article Haeckel's Monism and the Birth of Fascist Ideology. By Daniel Gasman Get access Roger Griffin Roger Griffin Oxford Brookes University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The English Historical Review, Volume 116, Issue 467, June 2001, Pages 683–685, https://doi.org/10.1093/ehr/116.467.683 Published: 01 June 2001

Critical Musicology Study Day on ‘Authenticity’

The most recent of the informal Critical Musicology study days focused on the concept of authenticity in popular music. The day consisted of seven short papers on this subject and was followed by a group discussion of issues raised by these papers.In his opening paper, ‘ “We stripped it apart like a car and put it back together totally again”: music's authenticity-speak in the age of digital technology, c.1985’, Dai Griffiths (Oxford Brookes University) was keen to draw attention to the way that sampling technology had been interpreted, both in terms of practice and of discursive context, as a marker of identity. His historical framework made reference to earlier practices of cover and intertextual reference from the early 1960s onwards. Referring to A Tribe Called Quest and Beck, even with samples, it looked as though racial authenticity was still at issue. The role of sampling in the rendering of authenticity was also considered by Rupert Till (University College, Bretton Hall) in his paper ‘Club cultures and authenticity’. Making reference to hip-hop and dance music, he suggested that there are different authenticities for different kinds of popular music. Drawing on Sarah Thornton's (1995) study of club culture in which the underground is considered authentic and the commercial, inauthentic, Till gave examples of some of the alternative means by which it is considered possible to be financially successful and yet retain an aura of authenticity.

A longer road to inclusion

Hazel Bines trained as a primary teacher in 1970 after taking a first degree in social sciences. She then worked in Sheffield as a class teacher in a primary school and as a subject teacher of history, geography and social studies in a comprehensive school where her interest in working with pupils with learning and behaviour difficulties took her into special education. Following SEN diploma and masters study alongside working in an assessment centre for juvenile delinquents and in a support service for pupils with behaviour problems, she became a SENCO in a comprehensive school. This experience encouraged her to do a Ph.D. on the redefinition of remedial education into a new conceptualisation of SEN provision in mainstream schools. In 1986 she was appointed as a lecturer in SEN at Oxford Brookes University where she subsequently became deputy head of the School of Education. In 1995 she became professor and head of teacher education at the University of Northumbria, and in 1999 she moved to the UK Government's Department for International Development as a senior education adviser. She is currently working in Pakistan. During her career she has also published numerous articles and books, on both SEN and on teacher and other professional education.

A culture of secrecy: the public's right to know

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsFrances D’souzaFrances D’Souza has a background in physical anthropology and has taught at the London School of Economics and at Oxford Brookes University. She was the Founding Director of an independent research group focusing on applying systematic evaluation methods to development and emergency aid and collaborated in original research on the economic origins and alleviation of famine. For over nine years, Frances was Executive Director of ARTICLE 19. Since 1999, she has been the recipient of an Open Society Fellowship (Soros) to research political campaigning for freedom of expression.