Human Figure Drawings by Schooled and Unschooled Children in Papua New Guinea

Human figure drawings were collected from 287 schooled and unschooled children, aged between 10 and 15 years, living in a remote region of the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, an area with no tradition of graphic art. A classification and ordinal scoring system was devised which encompassed graphic productions ranging from scribbles to conventional competent human figure drawings. The effects of school experience on drawing, even brief and indirect experience, were found to be significant. All the children attending school drew only conventional human figures, but the whole range of drawings, scribbles, transitional forms, and conventional human figure drawings were found in the unschooled children's attempts. Nonrepresentational scribbles and shapes were largely produced by unschooled children living in remote villages without a school, trade store, or mission. Some children appeared to be able to draw representations of the human figure without going through a scribbling stage. The material is considered in relation to other reports on drawings produced by children from societies with little or no indigenous graphic art. The results are discussed in relation to various theories on the development of drawing and representational abilities.     

AgeLine database on middle age and aging: Reflecting population diversity

TheAgeLine database brings an interdisciplinary approach to the literature on aging and older adults. Targeted to a variety of audiences ranging from researchers to consumers,AgeLine provides access to both book and journal literature. Small but steady increases in the amount of aging-related literature have been noted, especially in coverage by nonaging publications.     

Redefining reference in an academic health sciences library: planning for change.

Deciding that changes in the pattern of questions at the reference desk required focused consideration, the reference librarians at the Health Sciences Library of the University at Buffalo held a planning retreat. Technology-induced changes in the information-seeking behavior and reference needs of the library's clientele caused a reassessment of how these needs could best be met and what is the best use of librarians' time. The librarians considered current trends in reference in other academic libraries, the specific needs of the clientele of the Health Sciences Library, and the strengths and expertise of the library staff. The results of this structured discussion produced ideas for redefining reference to provide customized services for the clients and environment.     

Material characterization and preservation guidance for a collection of prosthetic limbs developed since 1960

National Museums Scotland has collections relating to many areas of science and technology, including medical science. This paper considers technical and conservation issues of an important collection of more than 150 prosthetic limbs. Much of the collection is of prosthetics developed for children born lacking or with malformed upper limbs caused by the prenatal morning sickness drug Thalidomide. However, many other examples are represented and the collection showcases a timeline of bioengineering development covering the past five decades. A wide range of plastics and metals were observed within the pieces examined, with many visibly degraded and degrading. The identification and characterization of these materials and their condition are fundamental to interpreting the development of the collection, for deciding on treatment, and for setting a strategy for future preservation. In addition to visual inspection, three analytical techniques were used to examine the various parts of the selected examples: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for polymer identification and condition; X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to identify the metals and alloys present, and X-radiography to reveal the internal mechanisms of the limbs. Interpretation of the results was greatly enhanced by documentation and conversation with engineers and scientists involved in research and development of the limbs. The combination of different materials, some with conflicting environmental requirements, makes storage and display challenging as the goal is to prevent degradation of any part the object. Some objects were found to be actively degrading and for these separate storage solutions have been recommended to slow the emission of volatile degradation products that would cause further damage throughout the collection.     

The coordination role in research education: emerging understandings and dilemmas for leadership

Changes in expectations of research education worldwide have seen the rise of new demands beyond supervision and have highlighted the need for academic leadership in research education at a local level. Based on an interview study of those who have taken up local leadership roles in four Australian universities, this paper maps and analyses different dimensions of the emerging leadership role of research education coordination. It argues that while there is increasing clarity of what is required, there are considerable tensions in the nature of the coordination role and how coordination is to be executed. In particular, what leadership roles are appropriate and how can they be positioned effectively within universities? The paper draws on the Integrated Competing Values Framework to focus on the activities of coordination and on ideas of distributed leadership to discuss the leadership that characterises coordination. It is argued that without acknowledgement of the influences that coordinators need to exert and the positioning and support needed to achieve this, the contemporary agenda for research education will not be realised.     

Student voice and engagement: connecting through partnership

This paper draws on research conducted across an English higher education partnership to investigate the ways in which student voice was engaged in further education colleges offering university awards through partnership arrangements. Such collaborations are characterised by the marginal presence of higher education students in an environment that is dominated by further education structures, culture and practice. This provides challenges for both colleges and universities in developing higher education student identity and appropriate mechanisms of student engagement that comply with expectations within the higher education sector but also recognise the contextual situation of students within the college environment. It is argued that student partnership collaboration can be a positive driver in an increasingly marketised global environment, where student voice and feedback mechanisms are at the forefront of quality assessments and institutional reputation. An ideal types framework is suggested as a heuristic device for the evaluation of college strategies of engagement.