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Background: Children with persistent speech disorder (PSD) are at higher risk of difficulties with literacy, with some evidence suggesting an association with poorer educational attainment. However, studies to date have either used small clinical samples, which exclude children who have not been referred to clinical services, or relied on parent–teacher report of children's speech development. There is a need for an inclusive study to investigate the impact of PSD on educational outcomes using a population‐based sample and robust measures of speech development. Aim: Using a large prospective UK population‐based study—the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)—this study investigated: (1) how children identified with PSD at age 8 years perform on educational attainment tests at ages 10–11 and 13–14 years in comparison with children without PSD; and (2) whether children identified with PSD at age 8 years are more likely to receive a label of special educational needs (SEN) in secondary school. Methods & Procedures: We examined the data for 263 children with PSD and 6399 controls who had speech assessed at age 8 years in a research clinic. Educational attainment was measured using data from English school standard attainment tests. Data on SEN categorization were obtained between 11 and 13 years of age. Children with PSD and controls were compared using regression analyses adjusted for biological sex, maternal age, verbal, performance and full‐scale IQ. Outcomes & Results: Children with PSD at age 8 years were more likely to achieve lower attainment scores at ages 10–11 years in English and mathematics and across all three subjects of English, mathematics and science at ages 13–14 years after controlling for biological sex and maternal education; score below target levels for English at both time points after controlling for verbal IQ, and at ages 13–14 years after controlling for performance IQ; and receive a label of SEN (typically for the category of cognition and learning needs or communication and interaction needs) in secondary school. Conclusions & Implications: PSD identified at age 8 years is associated with poor educational attainment at ages 10–11 and 13–14 years in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Children with PSD at age 8 years are more likely to be identified with SEN at ages 11–13 years, particularly cognition and learning needs, and communication and interaction needs. We need to be aware of the potential for the long‐term impact of PSD on educational attainment in providing appropriate and effective support throughout school. What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subjectSpeech‐sound disorder is associated with reading and spelling difficulties, with some evidence to suggest that PSD is associated with a higher risk of literacy difficulties. Limited evidence also suggests that speech‐sound disorder may be associated with poorer educational attainment. However, studies to date have used small clinical samples or parent–teacher report of speech development and there is a need to determine whether the association is observed in larger and more inclusive population‐based samples.What this paper adds to existing knowledgeThis prospective, longitudinal study of a large community‐based sample of English children has shown that PSD is associated with poorer educational attainment at the end of primary school and at ages 13–14 years. Children with PSD are also more likely to be identified as having SEN in secondary school, especially communication and interaction needs but also including cognition and learning needs.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?Understanding the long‐term implications of PSD on educational attainment highlights the importance of ongoing monitoring and support to enable children to reach their potential throughout primary and secondary school. The identification of children with a history of PSD during transition to secondary school will enable effective support to be put in place. The intervention for children with PSD should involve close collaboration between speech and language therapists and education professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The long‐standing debate into the potential benefit of developing mathematical thinking skills through learning to program has been reignited with the widespread introduction of programming in schools across many countries, including England where it is a statutory requirement for all pupils to be taught programming from 5 years old. Algorithm is introduced early in the English computing curriculum, yet there is limited knowledge of how young pupils view this concept. This paper explores pupils' (aged 10–11) understandings of algorithm following their engagement with 1 year of ScratchMaths, a curriculum designed to develop computational and mathematical thinking skills through learning to program. A total of 181 pupils from 6 schools undertook a set of written tasks to assess their interpretations and evaluations of different algorithms that solve the same problem, with a subset of these pupils subsequently interviewed to probe their understandings in greater depth. We discuss the different approaches identified, the evaluation criteria they used, and the aspects of the concept that pupils found intuitive or challenging, such as simplification and abstraction. The paper ends with some reflections on the implications of the research, concluding with a set of recommendations for pedagogy in developing primary pupils' algorithmic thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Emission Trading System (EU ETS) is commonly regarded as the key pillar of the European climate policy and as the main unifying tool to create a unique carbon price all over Europe. The UK has always played a crucial role in the EU ETS, being one of the most active national registry and a crucial hub for the exchange of allowances in the market. Brexit, therefore, could deeply modify the number and directions of such exchanges as well as the centrality of the other countries in this system. To investigate these issues, the present paper exploits network analysis tools to compare the structure of the EU ETS market in its first two phases with and without the UK, investigating a few different scenarios that might emerge from a possible reallocation of the transactions that have involved UK partners. We find that without the UK the EU ETS network would become in general much more homogeneous, though results may change focusing on the type of accounts involved in the transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the aspirations of 13- and 15-year-olds to continue with mathematics after the age of 16 and the association with perceptions of their mathematics education during the academic year 2008/9. A quantitative analysis was undertaken on the views of 12,176 UK students, obtained through surveys, with qualitative case studies on two of these students lending support to the quantitative findings. This paper also places a focus on a sub-set of 1,476 London students. The analysis indicates that girls and boys with high mathematics aspirations had similar responses towards their mathematics teachers and lessons, and had comparable extrinsic mathematics motivation. However, girls, regardless of mathematics aspirations, were less likely than boys to be encouraged by their families and others within their social circles to study mathematics post-16. Many of the London findings are similar to those we found across the UK, although girls within London schools with high mathematics aspirations perceived their mathematics education to be more equitable. Low aspiring girls across the UK and in London still reported less support and encouragement, and described their mathematics education less favourably than did boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Estimates of energy requirements are needed in weight management and are usually determined using prediction equations. The objective of these two systematic reviews was to identify which equations based on simple anthropometric and demographic variables provide the most accurate and precise estimates of (1) resting energy expenditure (REE) and (2) total energy expenditure ( TEE) in healthy obese adults. Methods Systematic searches for relevant studies in healthy adults with body mass index ( BMI) ≥25 kg m−2 and published in English were undertaken using Cinahl, Cochrane Library, OpenGrey, PubMed and Web of Science (completed March 2014). Search terms included metabolism, calorimetry, obesity and prediction equations. Data extraction, study appraisal and synthesis followed guidelines from PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses). Results From 243 REE papers and 254 TEE papers identified, 21 and four studies, respectively, met the inclusion criteria. (1) The most accurate REE predictions varied with BMI subgroup: WHO (weight and height) ≥25 and ≥30 kg m−2; Mifflin 30-39.9 kg m−2; Henry ≥40 kg m−2. The most precise REE predictions were obtained using Mifflin in BMI 30-39.9 and ≥40 kg m−2, where approximately 75% of predictions were within 10% of measured REE. (2) No accurate or precise predictions of TEE were identified. Conclusions No single prediction equation provides accurate and precise REE estimates in all obese adults. Mifflin equations are recommended in this population, although errors exceed 10% in 25% of those assessed. There is no evidence to support the use of prediction equations in estimating TEE in obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Centile curves and standard scores are common in epidemiological research. However, standardised norms and centile growth curves for language disorder that reflect the entire UK local school population do not exist. Methods: Scores on six language indices assessing receptive and expressive functioning of children were obtained from the SCALES population survey. Monolingual English speaking participants were aged between five and nine years. Children who attended special schools at study intake, or who were learning English as an additional language were excluded. We constructed language norms using the LMS method of standardisation which allows for skewed measurements. We made use of probability weights that were produced from a two-step logistic model. Distributions of estimated standard scores from an intensively assessed sub-population and from the full population were contrasted to demonstrate the role of weights. Results: Non-overlapping centile curves and standardised scores at each age were obtained for the six language indices. The use of weights was essential at retrieving the target distribution of the scores. An online calculator that estimates standardised scores for the measures was constructed and made freely available. Conclusions: The findings highlight the usefulness and flexibility of the LMS method at dealing with the standardisation of linguistic and educational measures that are sufficiently continuous. The paper adds to the existing literature by providing population norms for a number of language tests that were calculated from the same group of individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tablets have much to offer children with learning difficulties, but evidence of their effectiveness to teach academic skills is limited and cannot be easily separated from the quality of the software. This paper analyses data from 3 iterative cycles of designing an app for children with Down syndrome to support their awareness of quantity through an inclusive game. Research with neurotypical children suggests that representation of quantity (or magnitude) is an area with considerable potential in supporting the foundations for children's mathematical learning. It has received little attention as an aspect for intervention for children with Down syndrome. Data collected in this study illustrate the need to carefully align the game mechanic to the target skills, strengthen levels of access, and introduce gradations of attentional demand. They also signal the interrelationship between children's cognitive and affective responses to the game, making it essential to find the optimal level of challenge. Children's strategies in response to mistakes indicate the importance of creating an agile responsive system. The data also suggest that developers routinely extend the number of features that are optional, enabling a greater level of personalization and a more inclusive game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1809 and 1820, Thomas Knight (1775–1853) published quite a few papers on mathematics and its applications. These show him to have been surprisingly well-versed in French analytical mathematics at a time when French works were little read by his British contemporaries. InBSHM Bulletin2, Gloria Edwards and I published a paper (Craik and Edwards 2004) entitled ‘In search of Thomas Knight’, designated below as ‘[1]’, that examined Knight’s life and work. This follow-up paper gives further biographical information that links him with Edinburgh; it describes some more of his publications that were previously overlooked (for notice of the latter, I am grateful to a correspondent who wishes to remain anonymous); and it records some remarks about his work by his contemporaries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Innovation in learning and teaching is an everyday requirement in contemporary higher education (HE), especially in challenging subjects such as mathematics. Teaching mathematics to students with limited experience of formal mathematical instruction is a good example of a demanding pedagogical undertaking where innovatory practice can help HE teachers rise to the challenge. This paper presents an innovative game-based learning approach to the teaching of basic mathematics in HE through the example of a first-year mathematics module of the BSc Computer Science course offered by the Aberystwyth University (UK). Excellent examination results and positive student feedback concerning the learning experience point to the value-addedness of this approach in HE and it is, therefore, offered here as an example of good teaching practice to be disseminated more widely in the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills are very valuable for economic growth. However, the number of young people pursuing STEM learning trajectories in the United Kingdom was lower than the predicted demand during the last decade. Several STEM enrichment and enhancement activities were thus funded by the government, private, and charitable organisations to improve understanding of and raise pupil interest in these subjects. One possible way of measuring the impact of these activities in supporting pupil understanding of maths was to track the proportion of young people obtaining a ‘good’ grade in standardised national tests such as the GCSEs. Attainment is of course only one possible outcome of education but certainly a very important one because students are more likely to continue studying subjects in which they score higher. This makes maths attainment even more important as it is a pre-requisite for admission to STEM degree courses. This longitudinal study makes use of the National Pupil Database to assess the impact of these schemes on maths attainment of participating schools. Following up 300 intervention schools for five years the study shows the intervention group did not do any better than the comparator. The paper suggests further directions for research and offers recommendations for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper we explore a relational understanding of landscape qualities. We asked three independent groups of human observers to assess the expressive qualities of a range of landscapes in the UK and in Spain, either by means of personal visits or from a projected digital image. We employed a Free Choice Profiling (FCP) methodology, in which observers generated their own descriptive terminologies and then used these to quantify perceived landscape qualities on visual analogue scales. Data were analysed using Generalised Procrustes Analysis, a multivariate statistical technique that does not rely on fixed variables to identify underlying dimensions of assessment. The three observer groups each showed significant agreement, and generated two main consensus dimensions that suggested landscape ‘health’ and ‘development in time’ as common perceived themes of landscape expressivity. We critically discuss these outcomes in context of the landscape assessment literature, and suggest ways forward for further development and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coordination of scientific research communities supported mathematical modelling of COVID-19. • Pre-existing research collaborations contributed to the success of coordination initiatives. • National infrastructure is key to support nationwide research networks. • Evidence synthesis important in supporting scientists providing advice to government. In March 2020 mathematics became a key part of the scientific advice to the UK government on the pandemic response to COVID-19. Mathematical and statistical modelling provided critical information on the spread of the virus and the potential impact of different interventions. The unprecedented scale of the challenge led the epidemiological modelling community in the UK to be pushed to its limits. At the same time, mathematical modellers across the country were keen to use their knowledge and skills to support the COVID-19 modelling effort. However, this sudden great interest in epidemiological modelling needed to be coordinated to provide much-needed support, and to limit the burden on epidemiological modellers already very stretched for time. In this paper we describe three initiatives set up in the UK in spring 2020 to coordinate the mathematical sciences research community in supporting mathematical modelling of COVID-19. Each initiative had different primary aims and worked to maximise synergies between the various projects. We reflect on the lessons learnt, highlighting the key roles of pre-existing research collaborations and focal centres of coordination in contributing to the success of these initiatives. We conclude with recommendations about important ways in which the scientific research community could be better prepared for future pandemics. This manuscript was submitted as part of a theme issue on "Modelling COVID-19 and Preparedness for Future Pandemics". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will consider the range of British participation in mathematics internationally during the nineteenth century through an analysis of British mathematical contributions to scientific journals outside of Britain. Viewing scientific papers contained in journals as significant indicators of research, we consider scientists who authored or read and responded in print to papers in a given area within a given group of journals to constitute a publication community. The extent of publication by British mathematicians in these journals can help characterize the role of foreign publication in nineteenth-century British mathematics. Moreover, the isolation of educational, societal, and personal circumstances which motivated British mathematicians to present their work to foreign journals highlights limited but concentrated groups of mathematicians committed to developing and strengthening international mathematical ties with Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a deliberately provocative first part to this paper, I argue that nineteenth-century British mathematicians had an unduly high opinion of themselves and a striking lack of appreciation for contemporary continental developments. I argue that this failure was rooted in the institutions that supported mathematics, and was only remedied towards the end of the century. In the more sober second half of the paper I ask if historians of mathematics have subscribed to this overestimate, and explore some related questions, among them what are historians doing when they write history: telling it as it was, or righting or defending the record? Historians of mathematics also need to consider British priorities for research in the nineteenth century, and a comparison with other minor players (such as Japan, Portugal, or Poland) might be illuminating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the difficulties with the current system of tiering in GCSE Mathematics exams, indicating both the problem of equality across tiers of the same grade and a particular problem in Mathematics, which with three tiers has a foundation tier on which it is not possible to gain a C grade.The authors outline a different system in which all candidates take basic papers on which all grades from G to C can be awarded and then an extension paper is available for the higher grades. This system has been tried out with a sample of pupils from a number of schools and a non-operational award was made. The authors describe the results of this and discuss potential difficulties with this system. Comparisons between the systems are made, showing that the established system of tiering is inherently unstable, while the proposed system, though not perfect, has much to commend it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of a broader research objective concerned with identifying the range of employer defined skill profiles that characterize workplace performance, this paper examines skill contexts for Application of Number, one of six UK defined Key Skills similar to Australian defined Key Competencies. Following the construction of questionnaires, grounded in the Analytic Hierarchy Process, applications of the instrument in both the UK and in Australia produced a ratio scale of priorities within the Key Skills area. This enabled a specification of the relative balance between classical competencies, e.g. facility with pen and paper calculations and emerging competencies demanded by the effective use of ICT. Relevance to workplace learning, including the transition from school to employment, and related aspects of mathematics education are discussed. Among the research outcomes is that spreadsheets are assuming a pre-eminent position and that this is an overriding priority for each defined activity and at each job level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the views of a group of students who took an oral performance assessment in a first-year mathematics module. Such assessments are unusual for most subjects in the UK, but particularly within the generally homogenous assessment diet of undergraduate mathematics. The evidence presented here resonates with some, but not all, of the existing literature on oral assessment and suggests that, despite concerns about anxiety and fairness, students see oral assessments as encouraging a focus on understanding, being relatively authentic and reactive to their needs. We argue that, suitably implemented, oral assessment may be a viable assessment method for straddling the ‘assessment for’ and ‘assessment of’ learning divide in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper provides a critical discussion of the historical and theoretical meaningfulness of the distinction between ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ probability, as it supposedly emerged around 1840, by examining whether and how it appeared in the work of the mid-nineteenth-century British revisionist probabilists. A detailed analysis of the contributions of Augustus De Morgan, John Stuart Mill, George Boole, Robert Leslie Ellis and John Venn to probability is put forward in order to show that in so far as the terms did not appear as contradictories it is not possible to understand or compare these contributions with reference to the modern binary of ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we trace how mathematical models are made 'evidence enough' and 'useful for policy'. Working with the interview accounts of mathematical modellers and other scientists engaged in the UK Covid-19 response, we focus on two weeks in March 2020 prior to the announcement of an unprecedented national lockdown. A key thread in our analysis is how pandemics are made 'big'. We follow the work of one particular device, that of modelled 'doubling-time'. By following how modelled doubling-time entangles in its assemblage of evidence-making, we draw attention to multiple actors, including beyond models and metrics, which affect how evidence is performed in relation to the scale of epidemic and its policy response. We draw attention to: policy; Government scientific advice infrastructure; time; uncertainty; and leaps of faith. The 'bigness' of the pandemic, and its evidencing, is situated in social and affective practices, in which uncertainty and dis-ease are inseparable from calculus. This materialises modelling in policy as an 'uncomfortable science'. We argue that situational fit in-the-moment is at least as important as empirical fit when attending to what models perform in policy. • Pandemics are performed as crises of uncertain yet catastrophic potential. • Mathematical models are forms of scalar narrative affording epidemics their scale. • Models and projections are made useful as evidence in their situated policy events. • Calculations are given agency as affects in the evidencing of pandemics. • Modelling pandemics is a site of 'uncomfortable science' and 'dis-ease'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a methodology to control construction task complexity and examined the relationships between construction performance and spatial and mathematical abilities in children. The study included three groups of children (N = 96); ages 7–8, 10–11, and 13–14 years. Each group constructed seven pre-specified objects. The study replicated and extended previous findings that indicated that the extent of component symmetry and variety, and the number of components for each object and available for selection, significantly predicted construction task difficulty. Results showed that this methodology is a valid and reliable technique for assessing and predicting construction play task difficulty. Furthermore, construction play performance predicted mathematical attainment independently of spatial ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the outcomes of a ‘lesson study’ project conducted in a mathematics department with four serving teachers in a secondary school in England. Using Dudley’s lesson study framework and drawing on Hargreaves and Fullan’s notion of professional capital, the feasibility and value of collaborative lesson study as a vehicle for the development of teacher learning were explored. Planning and evaluation meetings as well as end-of-project interviews were analysed to investigate how teachers planned research lessons together and how these were evaluated. Despite time constraints, teachers who engaged in lesson study reported that the process improved understanding of their students; that collaboration helped them to develop less-teacher-centred approaches and created a stronger sense of teacher community. The project demonstrated that lesson study has potential as an alternative or complementary model of teachers’ learning, but it also throws up substantive organisational challenges if its use is to expand. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although the incidence of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) has declined to 1 since 2012 in the UK, uncertainty remains regarding possible future cases and the size of the subclinical population that may cause secondary transmission of the disease through blood transfusion. Estimating the number of individuals who were exposed to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) infectious agent and may be susceptible to vCJD will help to clarify related public health concerns and plan strategies. In this paper, we explore this estimate by describing the probability of potential exposure due to dietary intake throughout the BSE epidemic period from 1980 to 1996 as a stochastic Poisson process. We estimate the age- and gender-specific exposure intensities in food categories of beef and beef-containing dishes, burgers and kebabs, pies, and sausages, separating the two periods of 1980–1989 and 1990–1996 due to the specified bovine offal legislation of 1989. The estimated total number of (living) exposed individuals during each period is 5,089,027 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4,514,963–6,410,317), which was obtained by multiplying the population size of different birth cohorts by the probability of exposure via dietary intake and the probability of survival until the end of 2013. The estimated number is approximately doubled, assuming a contamination rate of . Among those individuals estimated, 31,855 (95% CI 26,849–42,541) are susceptible to infection. We also examined the threshold hypothesis by fitting an extreme-value distribution to the estimated infectious dose of the exposed individuals and obtained a threshold estimate of 13.7 bID50 (95% CI 6.6–26.2 bID50) (Weibull). The results provide useful information on potential carriers of prion disease who may pose a threat of infection via blood transfusion and thus provide insight into the likelihood of new incidents of vCJD occurring in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Faculty of Engineering at The University of Nottingham, UK, has developed interdisciplinary, hands-on workshops for primary schools that introduce space technology, its relevance to everyday life and the importance of science, technology, engineering and maths. The workshop activities for 7–11 year olds highlight the roles that space and satellite technology play in observing and monitoring the Earth's biosphere as well as being vital to communications in the modern digital world. The programme also provides links to ‘how science works’, the environment and citizenship and uses pixel art through the medium of digital photography to demonstrate the importance of maths in a novel and unconventional manner. The interactive programme of activities provides learners with an opportunity to meet ‘real’ scientists and engineers, with one of the key messages from the day being that anyone can become involved in science and engineering whatever their ability or subject of interest. The methodology introduces the role of scientists and engineers using space technology themes, but it could easily be adapted for use with any inspirational topic. Analysis of learners’ perceptions of science, technology, engineering and maths before and after participating in ENGage showed very positive and significant changes in their attitudes to these subjects and an increase in the number of children thinking they would be interested and capable in pursuing a career in science and engineering. This paper provides an overview of the activities, the methodology, the evaluation process and results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mathematics education is rarely out of the policy spotlight in England. Over the last 10 years, considerable attention has been given to improving 14–19 mathematics curriculum pathways. In this paper we consider some of the challenges of enacting curriculum change by drawing upon evidence from our evaluation of the Mathematics Pathways Project (MPP). From 2004 to 2010 this project, which was directed by England's Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, aimed to improve the engagement, attainment and participation rates of 14- to 19-year-old learners of mathematics. Our particular focus is upon the temporal problems of piloting new curriculum and assessment and we draw on Lemke's discussion of timescales, heterochrony and the adiabatic principle to consider the interlocking and interference of various change processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes the design of a mathematical microworld to tackle the persistent difficulties that secondary school students have with the idea of algebraic generalization, which is a key stumbling block in secondary-school mathematics classrooms. Our focus is to characterize algebraic ways of thinking and to design both affordances of the system as well as suitable tasks and pedagogies that provide a substrate of activity and experience for the teaching and learning of algebraic generalizations. Using as reference illustrative cases of 12 to 13-year-old students' interaction with the microworld, we demonstrate the strong interplay between epistemology and the design of the microworld and draw conclusions regarding its potential to support the development of algebraic ways of thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The “Letterbox Club” is an intervention that provides reading, writing and mathematics materials to children in public care with the aim of improving their educational attainment. Materials are sent addressed to the child at their place of residence, for children to use on their own or to share with other family members. This paper outlines the early development of the intervention and the eventual form of its organisation and content. National pilots in England showed that children enjoyed and benefited from receiving personalised materials over a sustained period, and there were improvements in attainment in reading and mathematics for many children. The majority of foster carers reported higher levels of engagement with their foster children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim. This paper is a report of a study of the relationship between nurses' clinical experience and calibration of their self-confidence and judgement accuracy for critical event risk assessment judgements. Background. Miscalibration (i.e. under-confidence or over-confidence of confidence levels) has an important impact on the quality of nursing care. Despite this, little is known about how nurses' subjective confidence is calibrated with the accuracy of their judgments. Methods. A sample of 103 nursing students and 34 experienced nurses were exposed to 25 risk assessment vignettes. For each vignette they made dichotomous judgements of whether the patient in each scenario was at risk of a critical event, and assigned confidence ratings (0-100) to their judgement calls. The clinical vignettes and judgement criteria were generated from real patient cases. The methodology of confidence calibration was used to calculate calibration measures and generate calibration curves. Data were collected between March 2007 and January 2008. Findings. Experienced nurses were statistically significantly more confident than students but no more accurate. Whilst students tended towards under-confidence, experienced nurses were over-confident. Experienced nurses were no more calibrated than students. Experienced nurses were no better at discriminating between correct and incorrect judgements than students. These patterns were exacerbated when nurses and students were extremely over-confident or extremely under-confident. Conclusion. Nurses were systematically biased towards over/under-confidence in their critical event risk assessment judgements. In particular, experienced nurses were no better calibrated than their student counterparts; with student under-confidence countered by experienced nurses' greater susceptibility to over-confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I examine the properties of the handicapping system in the UK. Using a generalized ordered logistic regression model of hole by hole scores of individuals, simulation was employed to calculate the probability of winning for an individual in stroke play and match play head to heads and also in tournament competitions with multiple entrants. The results suggest that the current handicapping system does not produce equal probabilities of players with different handicaps winning. Specifically, lower handicappers have a higher probability of winning in both stroke play and match play games. Having investigated the possibility of employing scaling factors in order to level these probabilities, I pose the question of the extent to which equal probabilities is in fact a desirable property of a handicapping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Victorian era was characterized by the dominance of Great Britain both militarily and economically, the achievements of the British in mathematics were considerably less spectacular. Nevertheless, significant contributions were made by British mathematicians, several of whose names are still well known today. This paper highlights the principal mathematical developments in Britain during this time, closing with some observations on the weaknesses and limitations of Victorian British mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper traces the ebbs and flows of the history of geometry at Cambridge from the time of Cayley to 1940, and therefore the arrival of a branch of modern mathematics in Great Britain. Cayley had little immediate influence, but projective geometry blossomed and then declined during the reign of H.F. Baker, and was revived by Hodge at the end of the period. We also consider the implications these developments have for the concept of a school in the history of mathematics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The expansion of higher education in the UK in the 1980s and the subsequent increase in student numbers has created greater variation in cohorts of students entering university. Entry requirements are more relaxed and students with lower pre-university (A-level) qualifications or alternative qualifications (BTEC, GNVQ) are routinely accepted onto MPharm degree programmes within the UK. Mathematics is a key component in the pharmacy degree programme and an understanding of basic mathematics is essential. This wide variation in mathematical ability coupled with increasing class sizes has led to various strategies being introduced to ensure that all students attain the required level of mathematical ability to complete the degree programme. This study investigates the use of a diagnostic test to improve both the teaching and learning experience. The paper describes an investigation into what may be learnt about students' background knowledge and skills from initial assessment and information about their prior qualifications, and how this information may be used to devise effective teaching and learning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent survey Sutherland and Dewhurst itemized the extent to which various types of departments expected selected mathematical topics in the background of incoming undergraduates. Using the results of diagnostic tests it is possible to estimate the actual capability of students with given prior qualifications to provide a 'probable preparedness' in specific topics. This paper compares expectations with probable preparedness in a range of topics. It is found that while some departments have realistic expectations about the background of their incoming students, others seem over-optimistic about the mathematical knowledge of today's students. Sometimes, topics that the department actually requires must in fact be covered ab initio with the students that they recruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been widespread concern over the lack of preparedness of students making the transition from school to university mathematics and the changing profile of entrants to mathematical subjects in higher education has been well documented. In this paper, using documentary analysis and data from an informal case study, we locate the antecedents of this changed profile in the general shift across all subjects to a more utilitarian higher education, alongside the more specific changes in A-level mathematics provision which have been largely market driven. Our conclusions suggest that, ironically, changes put in place to make mathematics more widely useful may result in it losing just those features that make it marketable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dans cet article, nous démontrons l'utilité d'une approche micro-fondamentale dans la compréhension de phénomènes sociaux de plus grande ampleur. Grâce à l'analyse des questions de recours collectifs, qui se sont posées aux différents acteurs, au Canada et en Angleterre, nous établissons un lien informel entre la macrovariable de « structure de l'industrie » et les formes divergentes de réglementation corporatiste instaurées dans les années 1930 Après avoir expliqué les caractéristiques centrales de l'approche microfondamentale et souligné les aspects importants de la théorie des jeux et du concept de choix rationnel, nous examinons les témoignages élaborés, présentés dans le cadre de commissions et de comités du gouvernement Ces données comparatives et historiques fournissent les bases qui permettent de comprendre la manière dont les différentes structures de l'industrie ont causé des problèmes de réglementation uniques pour les gouvernements canadien et britannique [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the design of technology-based service mathematics shape science students' understandings of mathematics? Reciprocally, how do the conceptions of undergraduate mathematics teachers concerning service mathematics shape their design decisions when building a technology-based course? The paper starts from the premise that simultaneous study of design and learning together may throw light on epistemological and psychological issues in learning mathematics. The corpus of data was derived from two university mathematics departments, each of which was attempting to design and implement a service course of undergraduate mathematics for science students. The findings reveal a complex relationship between design and learning, with implications for the design of instructional approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Capsule Reviews are intended to provide a short succinct review of each paper in the issue in order to bring it to a wider readership. The Capsule Reviews were compiled by Fairouz Kamareddine. Professor Kamareddine is an Associate Editor of The Computer Journal and is based in the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]