News and Views February 2013

news &views THE UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER MAGAZINE

February 2013

Touchscreen Technology and Dementia Improving quality of life with the touch of a screen p.4-6

In this issue:

Young Volunteer of the Year Student Collects Prestigious Award p.2

Gold For Green University Awarded Green Apple Award p.8

Inventor Price Lecturer Develops Device p.11

FEATURE

Student Named

YMCA Young Volunteer of the Year A young woman who grew up in a deprived area with high youth crime has just been named the YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year for her work with young people.

University of Worcester student, Jemma Masterson, has been volunteering at Worcester’s YMCA for over a year, tutoring young people with challenging behaviour.

“I was really shocked to win the award,” she said. “I was up against two people from other YMCA centres in England and didn’t think for a second that I would win.”

Jemma, who grew up in Hemel Hempstead, is in the third year of a Youth & Community Services degree and hopes to continue her work with young people after graduation.

Jemma Masterson

“No-one in my family has been to university and no-one ever thought that I would either,” said the 20-year-old.

“I left school with just one GCSE and really never thought I was cut out for university.”

“But I have loved every minute of it and now I want to use my experience to inspire other young people who don’t think they can do it, or who grow up in areas, like I did, where university is not something that people do.”

Jemma spends three days a week at the YMCA centre working with young people aged from 12 to 16, while also studying for her degree.

“I would love to work full time in youth work when I have finished my degree and make a real difference to young people who might get drawn into crime or other bad behaviour and show them that there is help and support and more to life,” she said.

Professor Dominic Upton, Associate Head of the University’s Institute of Health & Society and Chairman of Worcester YMCA, said: “We are delighted that Jemma has won this award and been recognised for the fantastic work she does at Worcester’s YMCA. We really appreciate all of her effort and enthusiasm and know that she is making a real difference to the young people that use the centre.”

2 / February 2013 / newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

COVER STORY wELCOME Clockwise from top left: Factory Visit pg. 9, Computer Invention pg. 11, Commonwealth Students pg. 8, UCDWs Collection pg. 7 and Green Apple Award pg. 8

contents FEATURE

February 2013

W

elcome to the February issue of News & Views, featuring a round-up of news, updates and milestones from the past month at the University of Worcester.

From distributing food parcels to homeless shelters over the Christmas period to charities benefiting from Raise and Give fundraising initiatives, this month’s issue recognises those who have helped others. A special feature on page 2 congratulates Jemma Masterson who has recently been awarded YMCA Young Volunteer of the Year for her work helping young people in the community.

The feature article this month looks at how technology can enhance the quality of life for those suffering with dementia.

Other articles this month demonstrate how our Computer Studies students and Dr Colin Price are also using technology to make a difference to our everyday lives.

In next month’s issue we celebrate Professor David Green’s decade at the University of Worcester. Look out for a special interview with David.

Send your news to us at newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

OPEN EVENTS 2013 The Open Evening on 10 January saw over 100 potential students visit the campus. Please find below the dates of all open events for 2013.

Open Afternoon Wednesday 20 February 12-4pm Postgraduate Open Evening Thursday 9 May 5-7pm Open Day Sunday 23 June 10am-3pm Open Evening Thursday 5 September 5-7pm

Open Weekend Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 September 10am-3pm Open Afternoons Thursday 31 October & Friday 1 November 12-4pm Open Afternoon Wednesday 13 November 12-4pm Open Day Sunday 1 December 10am-3pm

YMCA Young Volunteer of the Year

2

COVER STORY Touchscreen Technology and Dementia

4

news Open Events 2013 3 Cover Story Research Findings 6 Try Wheelchair Basketball 6 Firstpoint, Peirson & The Hive 7 NSS 7 Graduates Exhibition 7 Patience Agbabi 7 Gold for Bring Green 8 Commonwealth Students Welcomed 8 Visit to Sauce Factory 9 Write On! 9 Partnership Agreement: NEW College 10 4 Charities Benefit from RaG 10 Students Design Interactive Computer Games for Worcester Museums 11 Lecturer Invents Device to Help Blind Student Learn 11 American Historical Association Conference 12 Top Award for Research 12 Youth Performance 12 Health Partnership 13 Cashier Service Office 13 Malvern Instruments 14 STEM Networking 14 SPHERE Award 14 University Donations to Worcester Homeless Charity 15 Bake a Cake. Buy a Cake 15

newsandviews@worc.ac.uk / February 2013 / 3

Touchscreen Technology and Dementia Investigating the role of touch screen technology in dementia care A team of researchers from the Psychological Sciences Unit in the Institute of Health & Society and the Association for Dementia Studies, led by Professor Dominic Upton, undertook a research project funded by the Strategic Health Authority for the West Midlands to examine the impact of touchscreen technology on people with dementia and their carers.

4 / February 2013 / newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

Background The advantages of therapeutic interventions to help people live well with dementia are becoming more popular within care settings.

The context of memory in dementia disintegrates and sabotages an individual’s ability to connect in the present moment. Creative therapies using, for example, music, arts and dance have the power to stir feeling and memory when a person seems to have lost contact with chronological time and are thus extremely beneficial for those who have a cognitive impairment such as dementia.

COVER STORY

Simple, easy to use, touchscreen technologies such as the iPad offer new ways of incorporating such interventions due to their applications involving music, art and interaction. A number of pilot projects were commissioned across care homes in the West Midlands and South West regions, using this technology with people with advanced dementia.

Aims This project sought to assess the effectiveness of these pilot programmes through examining the experience of the person with dementia when using touchscreen technology and the impact that it has on individual staff working with the person they care for, as well as identifying how touchscreen technology can form an effective intervention as part of the care journey for someone with dementia and contribute to living well with dementia.

Methods The team collected data from 11 care homes in the West Midlands and the South West over a 6-month period, using a combination of topic-guided interviews, focus groups and case studies. Data was collected from 147 residential participants as well as from care home managers and carers. The focus of questioning was on how touchscreen devices, and in particular, Apple’s iPad, might contribute to reminiscence and restorative memory activities in residential care home settings for people with dementia.

Headline results Irrespective of whether the iPad was used with another person or in a group setting, evidence suggests that the use of the technology brought participants together through discussion and interacting with the device.

Participants enjoyed reminiscence activities including singing, using the YouTube application on the device and discussion of where they had been born and lived using the Maps application. Although the levels of interaction varied, depending on the chosen activity, the session type and the presence or absence of others (carers, family, etc.), participants enjoyed greater interaction with other people when the device was in use. The iPad brought different generations closer together: “We have noticed a difference, especially when relatives and their children are invited... the children love anything that makes them feel they can get involved with their families. Touchscreen technology seems to get them involved.”

Residents and care home staff alike were very positive about the use of iPads in the residential home since it helped to improve hand-eye co‑ordination and allowed residents to concentrate on an activity. Care

home managers also praised the way in which the iPad can be used to start a conversation with a group of residents and allows a staff member to spend dedicated time with a resident. Touchscreen devices are not without their challenges, however, and many participants commented on the weight and reflective nature of the iPad screen, although such issues were relatively easy to address. Other challenges included the availability of Wi-Fi in care homes enabling the devices to connect to the Internet and limited confidence of care home staff in initially using the device. Allowing staff and participants time to use iPads improved confidence and engagement with the device.

Conclusions Touchscreen technology (including iPads) provides an ideal format for involving older adults, and older adults with dementia, in meaningful and engaging activities; providing opportunities to interact with other people in residential care, and supporting restorative memory and reminiscence activities in alone and group settings.

Further findings from the research continued on page 6.

“Touch screen technology provides an ideal format for engaging older adults with dementia in meaningful and engaging activities.”

newsandviews@worc.ac.uk / February 2013 / 5

NEWS

COVER STORY Research Findings...

Touchscreen Technology and Dementia.

The study found that by using the touchscreen devices on a daily basis, either one-to-one or in group sessions, carers could easily discuss life histories and use the internet to bring back childhood memories.

Professor Dominic Upton, Associate Head of the Institute of Health & Society said:

“The use of touchscreens with people with dementia consistently showed positive responses through reminders of youth and childhood experiences. People really enjoyed the use of the technology and were engaged by how much it evoked early memories that had been forgotten.”

The study also found that the devices were useful on a practical basis, where those with dementia struggled to remember day-to-day things, such as whether they liked a particular food on a menu.

Professor Upton added: “The touchscreen works as a great visual aid for carers to use when selecting food for the person living with dementia.

Seeing an image of something rather than written words is better at helping to recall a memory.”

Try Wheelchair Basketball

the study was undertaken, the touchscreen improved and increased communication and interactions between residents, staff and family.

“Staff helped residents to use the iPad to access YouTube and listen to music. The device acted as a fun link in communication between people and bridged the gap between the young and the old. It encouraged family and friends to engage with residents, and young children to interact with their elderly relatives.” said Professor Upton.

Professor Dawn Brooker is Director of the Association for Dementia Studies at the University of Worcester, a multi-professional group in the field of person-centred dementia care and support.

Professor Brooker concluded: “There is a clear indication from the study that the use of touchscreen technology may have a rehabilitative effect on people with dementia: it enhanced socialisation and had a positive emotional impact.”

“It is important that we make a substantial contribution to building practical ways of working with people living with dementia and their families to improve their quality of life and their well-being. I’m certain if the use of modern technology were implemented more widely in the care of people with dementia it would do a great deal to engage them socially as well as promoting independent decision making.”

The group sessions facilitated

by Alive!, a registered charity who are advocates of engaging older adults in interactive activity sessions, demonstrated how touchscreen technology could be used in group settings. At the residential and care homes where

6 / February 2013 / newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

The University’s wheelchair basketball club has become increasingly popular this year, after the Paralympic Games in London sparked renewed interest in the sport.

The University runs free informal sessions, available to all ages and abilities each

Saturday at 11am at the University’s Sports Hall on the St John’s Campus.

Currently the club has 15 regular disabled athletes.

Third year Sports Studies student Luke Parrock is heavily involved in the wheelchair basketball club. “At present the club is involved in friendly local tournaments, also called Central Venue League,” he said.

“Our club at St John’s Campus is the venue for most games due to the facilities, equipment and available coaches. Teams from local communities such as Bromsgrove, Gloucester and Hereford play friendly games at the University, averaging a game every two or three weeks. We would love to have more people come along and join us to help our team grow.”

The new Worcester Arena, currently being developed by the University, is set to open in February and will be the first sports arena, outside Stoke Mandeville, specially designed for wheelchair athletes. The Arena will host major wheelchair basketball tournaments and school games, among many other events.

For more information about the wheelchair basketball club contact Luke at parl1_09@uni.worc.ac.uk

NEWS

FIRSTPOINT, PEIRSON and THE HIVE Open now, Firstpoint is the initial point of contact for all student enquiries whether they be about accommodation, fees

and finance, registration, ID cards, disability support, study abroad, module choice… in fact anything concerning student life at Worcester.

Firstpoint is located in the Peirson Study and Guidance Centre and is currently open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and from 10.00 to 5.00 pm on Tuesdays.

The Peirson Study and Guidance Centre is now fully open:

Inside the Peirson Study and Guidance Centre

the Centre, located on the St John’s campus, is open 24 hours a day every day and gives access to group and silent study spaces, meeting rooms and computers. If you would like to access the building outside normal office hours then you can use your student card to open the entrance next to the Conference Centre.

A reminder about The Hive: The Hive is open seven days a week

from 8:30am until 10pm. You can find specific study and research help on level three- look for the University banner stands (next to the lifts).

National Student Survey This year’s NSS is launched at the University of Worcester on 4th February – we encourage all staff to prompt third year students to participate and ‘Speak Up’ – the NSS results are carefully considered and scrutinised across all sections of UW and impact on our work and influence initiatives.

Our aim this year is to improve yet again on our response rate, and we are working closely with the Students’ Union

to do this. Supporting information for staff can be accessed at O:\All Staff Documents\QED\NSS 2013 supporting information, responses to recent surveys can be found at http://www.worcester.ac.uk/discover/national-studentsurvey.html, and students can find more information and complete the survey at http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/

Graduates Exhibition The work of two recent Worcester Fine Art graduates has been selected for a major exhibition in Birmingham.

Graduates Stuart Layton and Herdi Ali Kardi have been chosen to exhibit their work in the 2013 Graduate Exhibition part of the New Art West Midlands project.

The multi-sited exhibition in Birmingham next year is designed to show high quality and innovation in the work of the best visual arts talents in the region.

Herdi’s photographs and Stuart’s film works stood out from other exhibition entries and will be shown amongst the work of 20 more artists from the region.

Stuart is also one of four graduates who will be awarded a bursary

Patience Agbabi Performance poet Patience Agbabi performs her poetry at The Hive, Worcester Thursday 28 February 2013, 7.45pm for 8pm

Artwork by Stuart Layton

and will exhibit his work at Grand Union, Birmingham.

Exhibition dates and venues are as follows: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 15 February to 19 May, The Barber Institute from 8 March to 19 May and Grand Union, 15 February to 9 March.

Turning Point West Midlands launched the project to support and promote the best of the region’s emerging artists.

Patience Agbabi is renowned for the raw energy of both her writing and performance.

In 2004, she was named as one of the Poetry Book Society’s Next Generation Poets.

Tickets available from The Hive.

Adults £6, students and concessions £4.

For further details visit: www. thehiveworcester.org

newsandviews@worc.ac.uk / February 2013 / 7

NEWS

GOLD FOR BEING GREEN The University of Worcester and Worcester City Council have been awarded Gold in the Green Apple Environment Awards.

The University and Council were presented with the award at an awards ceremony at the House of Commons.

The winning project, a partnership between the two organisations, targeted over 4,000 students who are living in university managed and privately rented student accommodation.

Aiming to raise recycling levels amongst students, the project involved 13 student volunteers, who were trained as student advocates. The joint training sessions were led by the University of Worcester and Worcester City Council recycling staff.

“It’s really pleasing to receive a second Gold Green Apple Award for this partnership project, especially when the students put in many hours of voluntary work into its success,” said Katy Boom, Director of Environmental Sustainability.

“I’m also proud that the University achieves national recognition for a project that has continued and grown in

its scope.”

The initial impact of the campaign achieved a 120% boost in recycling in student halls. Recycling rates have remained high throughout the campaign and in the last year 272.14 tonnes were collected in halls, proving that the approach is working.

Katy Boom and Roger Knight

As part of the campaign, free reusable polycarbonate recycling bags were distributed by the University to all off-campus student accommodation.

Green recycling bins and re-usable bags were also provided in all kitchens in oncampus accommodation to strengthen the recycling message.

“We are really looking forward to developing the project further to include information and advice on energy initiatives in student houses,” added Katy.

Member for a Cleaner and Greener City in Worcester I am delighted to see that the University of Worcester has won a Green Apple Environment Award.

Worcester City Council is proud to have the University as a partner and we are grateful for their ongoing dedicated work in this important area. We believe the education of young people in the stewardship of our environment will bring immeasurable benefits in the years to come.”

Councillor Roger Knight, from Worcester City Council, said: “As the Cabinet

Commonwealth Students Welcomed The University of Worcester is celebrating the arrival of its latest two Commonwealth Scholarship students.

Stacy Feveriere, from St Lucia, and Shanikee Pinnock, from Jamaica, will spend the next year studying at the University.

It is the fifth year the University has welcomed students under the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme and the second time that two have joined the University together.

The scheme, which is a joint initiative between the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UK universities, supports scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the United Kingdom.

Stacy, who is studying for an MA in Education, said: “Without this scholarship I would never have had the opportunity to study for a Masters.

I’m finding the course great, but very

challenging, which is a good thing.”

Stacy, who hopes to develop opportunities for young people with special educational needs in St Lucia on her return, is following in the footsteps of her two older sisters, who both completed Masters degrees.

“Neither my mother or father went to university,” she said. “So my mother was very keen that we all went and that we pushed ourselves educationally.

I’m very lucky and this scholarship has been a huge help to me.”

Shanikee, who is studying for an MSc in Applied Psychology, added: “Like Stacy, I could not have afforded to do a Masters degree without this scholarship. I’m really excited to be studying in the UK and at Worcester.

“When I first went on the University’s website I liked how small and family-orientated it was. The

8 / February 2013 / newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

Stacy and Shanikee with Professor David Green

facilities also attracted me. I’m really enjoying the course and all the people are really friendly.”

Professor David Green said: “We are delighted to welcome Stacy and Shanikee to the University of Worcester. We are very pleased that two top scholarship winning students, who could choose to study at any university in Britain, have chosen to study here in Worcester.”

NEWS

VISITING WORCESTER’S MOST FAMOUS FACTORY Students studying Green Design on the University’s Graphic Design & Multimedia course have been allowed a rare glimpse into the secretive world of Worcester’s Lea & Perrins’ sauce factory.

This famous factory produces bottles of the iconic Worcestershire Sauce both for the UK and for exports around the world. The exact recipe for the sauce is still a closelyguarded secret but the doors to the factory were opened to Graphic Design & Multimedia students for a rare glimpse into this historic and special brand.

The students were invited to look round on the back of a brief that they had been set by Lea & Perrins’ parent company Heinz. Heinz provided the students with the same brief that they would give to their creative design agencies.

It asked them to create prototype designs and solutions that make the sauce even more attractive to a younger audience whilst at the same time using sustainable materials and processes.

Green Design student Antonia Lyons said of her visit: “Having been fortunate enough to have Lea & Perrins give us such a prestigious brief, it was a great added bonus to be able to get behind the scenes and see how well it applies sustainability to its production process. It was a great example to us, as students of green design, to see how seriously Lea & Perrins takes Heinz’s Corporate Social Responsibility Charter too.”

The student design brief was generated by Shane Shortman, Lea & Perrins’ brand manager and Senior Lecturer Andy Stevenson. Shane said: “This project is a fantastic opportunity

Graphic Design & Multimedia students on their factory tour

for us to help support the University of Worcester whilst generating some great new ideas and fresh thinking for the brand.”

Andy added said: “This brief is a real coup for us and we’re really grateful to Heinz for asking us to work with them on it and allowing us access to the amazing Lea & Perrins factory. It’s so important for the students to work on realistic design briefs and to learn to liaise with real clients. The confidence that this then gives them will impact hugely on their employability after they graduate.”

The final outputs from the brief will be submitted as working prototypes. Students have been asked to ‘blue sky think’

by Heinz and will be bearing in mind a growth in consumer interest in areas such as ethical consuming.

Creative Writing Youth Initiative to be Launched at The Hive A new initiative to encourage and develop young people’s writing skills has begun at The Hive.

The Worcester Write On! Writing Squad project is aimed at young people interested in creative writing on any topics, aged between 8 and 12 years.

Jenny Hope, a professional writer and a University of Worcester Disability and Dyslexia Student Administrator, will chair the writing squad.

Leading the group sessions, Jenny will help young people develop their skills, discover new techniques and learn about being a writer in a relaxed, informal environment.

Jenny said: “This is another wonderful project from Writing West Midlands. Write On! Writing Squads are designed to support, nurture and encourage creativity in young people, and sessions will be geared towards the participants’ interests.

“I am looking forward to leading these exciting workshops and working with young writers, especially as I would have loved the opportunity to attend something similar when I was a young writer.”

The Worcester Write On! Writing Squad project started on the 12 January at The Hive.

The young writers will meet monthly, in the mornings, on the following dates: 9 February, 9 March, 13 April, 25 May, 8 June and 13 July. Sessions cost £5 on the day.

Available places on the project are limited. For more information and to join the Write On! Squad contact Joanne Penn, Writing West Midlands on 0121 246 2774 or email joanne@writingwestmidlands.org For more information on the Writing West Midland projects visit http://www.writingwestmidlands.org/

Write On! Writing Squa newsandviews@worc.ac.uk / February 2013 / 9

NEWS

Partnership Agreement: NEW College North East Worcestershire College (NEW) and the University of Worcester have formed a new partnership to help raise the aspirations and educational achievements of young people.

The two institutions hope that their new, more effective partnership will create an even stronger network of David Green and John Callaghan opportunity for ambitious young people in the county, John Callaghan, Principal of NEW who are keen to improve their skills College, said: “This collaboration and educational qualifications. cements the strong links we have The Redditch and Bromsgrovewith the University and shows our based college joins Halesowen commitment to increasing the College and Herefordshire College Higher Education provision for of Technology to become the third the local community. We will be Associate College of the University continuing to build our relationship of Worcester. This new partnership with the University of Worcester between the College and the in order to make progression in University builds on many years to Higher Education accessible to of close, effective work together all and provide the best possible on a wide variety of educational learning environment for our programmes and initiatives. students.”

Professor David Green, Vice Professor Green said: “In recent Chancellor at the University of years, the University has been Worcester, said: “I am delighted the fastest growing university that NEW College has been in Britain with applications designated an Associate College of increasing seven times faster the University of Worcester. than the national average, so the “This reflects the success we have opportunity to receive mentoring had in working together over many and encouragement to progress years and our shared commitment onto a course at the University of to widening participation in higher Worcester is a real plus for students education and ensuring that more at NEW College and the local young people have high quality schools involved. opportunities to make the most of their potential. It is a testimony to the very high standards and quality of work at the College and their commitment to extending educational opportunity. We know that by the University and College working closely together we can have an even more beneficial social and educational effect in Redditch, Bromsgrove and beyond.”

Under the new partnership, the two institutions will work together to raise aspirations and understanding about higher education and help to lift achievements.

10 / February 2013 / newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

4 Charities Benefit from RaG Four charities are to benefit from funds raised by the new Worcester Students’ Union’s Raise and Give committee.

Acorns Children’s Hospice, New Hope, Onside and Worcester Snoezelen are the charities selected to benefit from a series of fundraising events organised by the Raise and Give (RaG) committee until the end of the academic year.

It is the first time that an elected parttime RaG Officer, Eugeni Velinov, has been appointed to work exclusively on fundraising campaigns. The RaG committee members are positive about the wide range of fundraising opportunities especially as students are working together to support local charities.

Eugeni said: “It is a huge privilege to be the RaG Officer for the Students’ Union. I had to create a completely new committee from scratch since this has never been done before. My biggest vision is to be able to create and build a healthy relationship with the City of Worcester through different events and to build up the reputation of the University of Worcester.

“Another of our biggest goals is to encourage sports societies and other societies to fundraise and do charity events to show the city that students do care about the community. Our events will vary a lot - from bag packing in Sainsbury’s and ASDA to bake sales and many different crazy small events.

There will also be big events, but they will be kept a secret for now, so stay tuned.”

Many students are already taking part in a variety of volunteering activities, but the Students’ Union is particularly keen to work with RaG’s nominated charities to encourage more students to volunteer.

In the near future students will visit nominated charities to find out more about the work they do in order to support them further.

NEWS

Students Design Interactive Computer Games for Worcester Museums Computing students are developing interactive games for the Elgar Birthplace and Royal Infirmary museums to help engage broader audiences and enhance the enjoyment of their collections.

The projects aim to offer alternative, fun opportunities for visitors to explore and learn about the local, cultural heritage of each of the museums.

The Elgar Birthplace and Royal Infirmary museums and Powermedia, a Chilean multimedia company, have formed partnerships with the University of Worcester Business School to offer live projects to Game Design & Development students.

The projects sponsored by Powermedia are focussed on improving and promoting healthy eating habits and enhancing knowledge of healthy food to improve social wellbeing.

Dr Carlo Fabricatore, Senior Lecturer in Computer Games, who directs the live project programme and coordinated

the partnerships, said: “We are constantly looking for partners who could benefit from the contributions of students.

It is important that our students are able to learn through a real-world experience.

“This programme began in 2010, with the participation of the Elgar Birthplace Museum as our very first stakeholder.

We established two further partnerships in 2011, with the Worcester Royal Infirmary Museum and Powermedia. It has so far been very successful and the organisations we are working with can see the social benefit of using gaming in their activities.

“Within our Game Design & Development BSc we structured a programme which allows teams of students to engage in a game design and development project and continue its development and refinement.

“The types of projects they are working on encourage them to effectively promote regional and cultural heritage as well as find entertaining ways to get people to consider how they could improve their eating habits.”

The students showcased their project design for the Elgar Birthplace Museum, the Royal Infirmary Museum to representatives from the museums and to Powermedia via video conference link, with Chile.

Lecturer Invents Device to Help Blind Student Learn A Computing lecturer at the University of Worcester developed a unique device to help a blind student understand part of the course.

When Dr Colin Price teaches his students about ‘logic gates’ on his Nature of Computing module, the norm is to use a set of graphics. However, when he realised that Alex Williams’ screen-reader could not cope with images, he had to think of another way to help explain the theory to her.

Dr Price, who is a National Teaching Fellow, developed a small computer which allowed Alex to use her fingers to make electrical connections between copper strips laid out on a board to represent the inputs to the logic gate. The output of the gate was audible, as a clear beep.

“I was riding home on my bike thinking about how to interface a blind student

with a computer, and the idea of making real electrical connections using fingers and copper strips to provide inputs popped into my head,” Dr Price said. “The use of sound as an output was fairly obvious.”

Alex, who is in her final year of the BSc Computing degree, is hoping to work in IT after graduation and said she would like to design technology to help blind and visually impaired people.

“Alex learned the layout of the computer quickly; using the strips and the telephone-like keypad through which she selected the exercises I had programmed for her,” Dr Price added. “I gave Alex the same worksheet as all the other students in the class, but I removed the diagrams and provided directions on how to use the computer. But the content of the worksheet was identical as were the challenges and investigations.”

Alex, age 21, said the device helped her to learn what would have otherwise been a difficult concept.

“Not many lecturers would go to so much effort,” she said. “It was really fantastic and I found it so easy to use.”

newsandviews@worc.ac.uk / February 2013 / 11

NEWS

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATION:

AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION Professor Suzanne Schwarz of the Institute of Humanities & Creative Arts recently presented a paper based on her research on Sierra Leone at the 127th annual meeting of the American Historical Association (AHA) in New Orleans. She was part of an international panel of scholars who presented papers on the theme of ‘Representing the Irrepresentable: Narratives and Visual Images of Slavery, Forced Labor, and Genocide, Part 5: Life Stories and Official Discourses on Slavery and Forced Labor in Africa’. Her paper was based on reconstructing the life histories of recaptive Africans released by Royal Navy ships at Freetown in the early nineteenth century, and this drew on research that she has undertaken at the Public

Archives of Sierra Leone and the Hull History Centre over the past eighteen months. According to a note posted by the AHA programme committee in May 2012, the ‘proposal selection process for the 127th annual meeting in New Orleans, January 3–6, 2013, was the most competitive in AHA history.

The Program Committee could accept only 42 percent of submissions, and worked hard to craft a program that will represent the breadth and diversity of the field, stimulate conversation across specialties, and offer sessions of interest to all historians’ .The link to the website for the 127th Annual Meeting of the American Historical Association is located at: http://www. historians.org/annual/2013/index.cfm

Top Award for Research A piece of research used to inform policy-makers about agricultural change has earned a University of Worcester Professor a top award.

Professor Nick Evans, and his team within the University’s Centre for Rural Research, carried out three studies at farms in Herefordshire and Shropshire looking at a range of changes in agriculture such as changes to farming systems, initiation of farm diversification and uptake of environmental schemes and, importantly, how they all related to one another.

“For too long researchers have looked at just one component of changes to agriculture, but out of context of other changes,” Professor Evans said.

The farm studies themselves helped to shape agricultural policy in both counties and have acted as a benchmark to inform policy-makers ever since.

The research paper was published in the leading Journal of Rural Studies and was subsequently awarded the accolade of ‘Top Cited Article 2009-2011’ by the publisher Elsevier.

“I was surprised but very pleased to receive this award because it’s always nice to get recognition for your research efforts,” Professor Evans said. “This is an award based on citation by other researchers, showing that it has relevance to those at the forefront of research (into the geography of agricultural change in this specific case).”

“I hope it demonstrates that doing research ‘on your own patch’ can have international relevance,” he added.

12 / February 2013 / newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

New Youth Performance Workshops Launched A new youth drama workshop has been launched at The Hive, run by staff and postgraduate students at the University of Worcester.

The Youth Performance workshops are aimed at those aged 12 to 18 and take place every Sunday from 2pm to 4pm in The Hive’s Studio.

Staff and students from the University’s drama courses will work with young people to develop skills and confidence in performing and making theatre from scratch.

Sessions, which are held in the library’s performance studio, are £2. For more information just turn up, or call 01905 855028 or email discover@worc.ac.uk Alternatively more information can be found at www. worcester.ac.uk/discover/cultural-campus.html Under 18s must bring a parent / guardian to the first session in order to sign a consent form.

NEWS

New Partnership Launched to Support Health and Social Welfare Students A new partnership has been launched in a drive to support health and social welfare students while helping local organisations achieve their goals.

The University, Community First, Association for Care Training (ACT) and Worcestershire Association of Voluntary Organisation in Community Care (WAVOCC) have all signed an agreement to work together.

The partnership is designed to provide support to enable students on the health and social care foundation degrees at the University to find high quality, year-long placements with the local voluntary and community sector organisations which, in turn, should support these organisations in achieving their goals.

Dawn Goodall, Programme Lead for Foundation Degree in the University’s Institute of Health and Society, said: “This new partnership will strengthen the University’s success in creating highly employable graduates across a range of courses.

“Students will get the opportunity to apply and test their knowledge in real world situations. Meanwhile, the organisations involved will get graduates who can bring new skills and energy to their work.”

John Taylor, from WAVOCC/Community First, added: “This partnership is a great example of what can be achieved when people work together on behalf of the wider community. Our aim l-r: Victoria Preece, Partnership Manager at the Association for Care Training, John Taylor, from is to ensure a good WAVOCC/ Community First, Magda Praill, Chair experience for the VCS of Community First and Professor David Green agency and the student so that there is mutual benefit, with the prospect of raising awareness and potentially offering volunteering opportunities within the VCS beyond the placement experience.”

For further information about getting involved in the partnership contact Dawn Goodall on 01905 542363 or email d.goodall@worc.ac.uk Alternatively visit www.worcester.ac.uk/studentplacement

Changes to Cashier Service Office With effect from Monday 28th January the finance office cashier service has ceased to operate a front facing customer service desk. All student enquiries will be directed to the Firstpoint desk, located in the Peirson building.

All staff finance enquiries will continue to be dealt with by the finance team directly, not Firstpoint. The finance office remains a cash office and as such will continue to be a secure no general access office. In order that we can continue to provide a service to staff the way in which these services are provided and staff availability will change with effect from this date, please see below.

Services to continue •

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Service to cease •

• •

•

Leaving collections – We will no longer hold leaving/baby/ wedding collections for staff. Staff should arrange to collect any cards and collections currently being held.

Change for parking – To be requested from SU / Firstpoint.

Staff cheque cashing – Service no longer offered. There are two no fee ATMs located on site. One located in main reception and one in SU providing cash facilities.

Stamp sales – This service is no longer available.

Stamps can be purchased from the SU shop.

•

• •

Student Bursary cheque collections – For those students without UK bank accounts their cheques can still be collected from finance by arrangement through Firstpoint.

Petty cash request – These will be administered by the finance office. Where time allows staff should deposit the petty cash request with the finance office. During w/c 28th January a security document box will be fitted on the wall outside the finance office. Petty cash requests should be deposited here and will be made up and ready for collection between 11am – 12pm. In an emergency please arrange directly with the cashier for your petty cash to be made available contact Ext. 5113.

Cash advances – All cash advances should be submitted in sufficient time to allow payment electronically into the member of staff bank account. For cash requirements please refer to the process above.

Request for payments – These can be deposited in the secure document box.

Bus passes can be purchased by staff from Firstpoint.

newsandviews@worc.ac.uk / February 2013 / 13

NEWS

MALVERN INSTRUMENTS MANAGERS GRADUATE Managers at Global Firm Complete Leadership Programme with University of Worcester A team of managers at Malvern Instruments has completed a leadership and management programme with the University’s Business School.

The first delegates from the global firm to successfully complete the programme gathered at the University’s City Campus to receive their awards from Paul Walker, Managing Director of Malvern Instruments, and Mark Richardson, Head of Worcester Business School.

In welcoming delegates and colleagues, Mark Richardson

congratulated them on their success and overcoming the issues of balancing work pressure with time to study.

Paul Walker congratulated the staff of Worcester Business School and colleagues at Malvern Instruments in achieving an “almost impossible task” – designing and delivering a high quality programme to a diverse audience, one which had been very well received by delegates and where the impact was also being seen in company performance.

Eventually more than 80

STEM

AMBASSADORS NETWORKING EVENT Primary and secondary school teachers got to meet with a number of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassadors thanks to a networking event at the University of Worcester.

The purpose of the event was to give teachers in Worcestershire the opportunity to enrich their curriculum in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

STEM Ambassadors are volunteers who use the subjects in their daily working life and are prepared to freely give their time to visit schools.

As part of their school visits, the STEM Ambassadors share their passion through directed activities which might encourage pupils to follow a path into a STEM related career and thus help to reduce the national shortage of young people who want a career in this sector.

Managers from Malvern Instruments graduate

delegates will complete the programme with some elements delivered to Malvern Instruments managers in the USA. Tim Maxfield, Director of Business Development in the Business School, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Malvern Instruments.

This type of programme emphasises the role the

Business School can play in the development of the local and regional economy.

“Up-skilling in the area of leadership and management is a high priority in the West Midlands and this programme presents a model of partnership that does a great deal to address this need.”

Business Student Wins Award for Police Research A Business and Accountancy graduate has won an award after carrying out a piece of research into the progression of women in the police force.

Victoria Clark’s research was conducted as part of the Shared Police & Higher Education Research & Enterprise (SPHERE), which is a partnership between the University and West Mercia Police.

Victoria’s research earned her the SPHERE Prize, an annual award given for the best piece of research carried out under the partnership. She was awarded £300 at the University’s annual graduation dinner.

Victoria, aged 22, from Norwich, said: “I was really surprised but happy to win the award. I understand that my research will now be used by West Mercia.”

Annie De Laurier, Specialist HR Services Manager at West Mercia Police, added: “There were some very good quality research projects submitted by the University of Worcester students involved with SPHERE. This research

14 / February 2013 / newsandviews@worc.ac.uk

l-r: Professor David Green with Victoria Clark and Michelle Buttery from West Mercia Police

partnership benefits the force in better understanding some important issues and the students by gaining insights into the working world of business, which hopefully will help them in their careers.

“Victoria’s research approach and final report was of a particularly high standard. She has helped the force better understand what deters women when applying for promotion and the importance of balancing work/life issues, particularly for officers. She also identified areas for further research and this is being taken forward by another student.”

NEWS

UNIVERSITY DONATIONS TO WORCESTER HOMELESS CHARITY

Collecting For St Paul’s Paramedic students and staff recently held a collection for St Paul’s hostel. Both staff and residents from St Paul’s regularly come and visit students studying on the course and visits are also arranged to St Paul’s hostel. This experience enables students to gain first hand accounts of homelessness and also what a facility like St Paul’s can offer its residents. Students and staff collected much needed items such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits. Course leader Sharon Hardwick stated “We feel privileged to be able to help St Paul’s at such a busy time of year, it is our way of giving something back and to thank them for all the help they have given us over the past few years.”

Students Ruth Hill and Stuart Smith helped deliver the items to staff and residents of St Paul’s.

Helping the Homeless Staff and students collected dozens of items to help homeless people in the City in the run up to Christmas.

The University’s Community Development Workers (UCDWs) organised two collection boxes to be out for two weeks in December just before the students finished for Christmas.

They asked staff and students to donate food, for St Paul’s Hostel.

UCDW Jeannie Warmington said: “We ran the campaign last year and it was a huge success so we decided to do it again and are delighted with the response received. The service that St Paul’s Hostel offers is vitally important, and homelessness is a cause that is personally very important to different members of this team, both past and present.

“We hope that our collection will help to make Christmas that little UCDWs collect food parcels bit more bearable for homeless people in the City.

“We also know that many of the students here at Worcester are actively involved in volunteering with organisations that help people struggling with homelessness - for instance students logged 246 hours of volunteering at the YMCA in St John’s last year.”

Bake a Cake. Buy a Cake!

University Staff and Students to Support the Fairtrade Foundation A cake sale organised by the University of Worcester’s Community Development Workers aims to raise funds in support of the Fairtrade Foundation.

The Fairtrade Cakes Sale will take place on Thursday, February 28, from 12pm to 2pm at the Main Reception at St John’s Campus.

Students and staff are invited to take part in making cakes, with the condition of using at least one Fairtrade product as part of the recipes.

The collected funds will be donated to the Fairtrade Foundation, which works toward sustainable development by transforming trading structures in developing countries. The Foundation

also aims to empower marginalised workers to campaign for fairer trading structures in their own communities.

Siya Mngaza, University Community Development Worker, said: “We hope that all members of the University of Worcester can take part in the Fairtrade Cake Sale. Whether baking a cake, or purchasing a cake. We look forward to raising awareness of the Fairtrade mission and we’re extremely excited about all the delightful cakes. We’re inviting everyone to get involved.”

For further information and expressing interest in taking part in the event, please email Siya Mngaza at s.mngaza@worc.ac.uk

The Cake Sale is part of the Fairtrade Fortnight events, which are running from the February 25 until March 10. They aim to make people to ‘Go Further for Fairtrade’ by taking small steps to increase their involvement in the Fairtrade mission.

newsandviews@worc.ac.uk / February 2013 / 15