A large-scale investigation into the relationship between attendance and attainment: a study using an innovative, electronic attendance monitoring system, Studies in Higher Education, 33:6, 699-717,The literature available on the relationship between student attendance and attainment is inconsistent. Nevertheless, there is some empirical evidence to suggest that attendance is a determinant of academic performance and progression. Colby published results of a study which examined the relationship within a single year 1 undergraduate module, and his findings showed a strongly significant relationship between attendance and attainment. However, Colby's article, along with countless other attendance studies, suffers inherent data collection limitations that are associated with paper-based attendance monitoring and manual data entry. UniNanny® is an electronic attendance monitoring system developed at the University of Glamorgan, which boasts high-quality data and minimises disadvantages associated with paper-based methods. The purpose of this study was to corroborate, or otherwise, the findings of Colby, though on a much larger scale, evaluating 22 first year modules within four separate award programmes, using attendance data gathered and stored electronically. The results of this study show a strong, statistically significant correlation between learning event attendance and academic attainment, thereby substantiating Colby's findings. Data revealed that the more a student attends classes, the less chance they have of failing academic assessments, and the more chance they have of attaining high grades. Attendance was found to decline considerably over time, though early morning lectures were not associated with significantly worse attendance. IntroductionStudent motivation, effective note-taking, time-management, endeavour, participation in the educational programme, attitudes about learning and reading the correct materials are likely determinants of academic achievement. However, undergraduates are often looking for additional factors to aid their chances of success on a course. In the past academics have attempted to use personality traits and other subjective factors to predict students' academic attainment. For example, Barney, Fredericks, and Fredericks (1984) investigated the impact of personality, stress, social norms, anxiety and social class on student grades. Similarly, Baird (1984) investigated how well personality, aptitude and scores on an intelligence test can be used to predict assessment outcomes. Despite producing interesting results, studies such as these are incapable of providing students with information on what they can do to enhance their own educational performance.Every student is in command of their own attendance; a course-related behaviour that can be easily and precisely measured. It would make sense to suggest that the more a student attends learning events, such as lectures or tutorials, the more information they acquire and

A small angle neutron scattering study of the flux-line lattice in a large single crystal of untwinned YBa2Cu3O 7−δ is presented. In fields parallel to the c-axis, diffraction spots are observed corresponding to four orientations of a hexagonal lattice, distorted by the a-b anisotropy. A value for the anisotropy, the penetration depth ratio, of λa/λ b =1.18(2) was obtained. The high quality of the data is such that second order diffraction is observed, indicating a well ordered FLL. With the field at 33 • to c a field dependent re-orientation of the lattice is observed around 3T.PACS numbers: 74.60. Ge, 74.72.Bk, 61.12.Ex The remarkable properties of the mixed state in the cuprate high-T c superconductors are of great current interest. In particular, the expectation that high-T c superconductors have an unconventional pairing symmetry has led inevitably to the question: how does the structure of the flux-line lattice (FLL) differ between conventional and unconventional superconductors? The question has been taken up by several recent theoretical contributions [1][2][3][4] which predict a variety of interesting FLL effects all deviating from the benchmark triangular Abrikosov lattice. However, such discussions may presuppose that the crystallographic properties of the FLL are already well understood in the simplest low-field regime where unconventional effects are least prevalent. This has been far from the experimental truth. Observations require a probe sensitive to the microscopic arrangement of fluxlines. Direct imaging [5] and decoration techniques [6] all have inherent drawbacks, and muon spin rotation has not yet achieved the sophistication to resolve the most subtle effects [7]. By comparison, small angle neutron scattering (SANS) provides unrivalled insights into the crystallography of the FLL, and is the only technique capable of unequivocably resolving such questions.The demanding nature of neutron experiments requires large single crystals (masses > ∼ 200mg), and because of this YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (YBCO) has been the cuprate of choice for SANS experiments [8]. However, the materials properties of YBCO are complicated. The presence of Cu-O chains which are aligned with the crystallographic b direction render the otherwise tetragonal structure orthorhombic. Upon cooling from the growth, twin boundaries form along {110} directions separating domains of interchanged a and b axes. A strong interaction between flux-lines and these twin planes significantly influences FLL properties. There is a further effect of the chains. Although the orthorhombic distortion is only slight (≈ 1%), the electronic structure is markedly affected, and the consequence is anisotropy within the abplane of both superconducting [9,10] and normal state [11] properties. All previous SANS studies have been on heavily twinned crystals [12,13], and although observations of a pattern with four-fold symmetry were claimed to be due to unconventional d x 2 −y 2 pairing [12], it could not be discounted that alignment by twin planes, in comb...

Examination of cross-sections of nanoindents with the transmission electron microscope has recently become feasible owing to the development of focused ion beam milling of site-specific electron transparent foils. Here, we discuss the development of this technique for the examination of nanoindents and survey the deformation behaviour in a range of single crystal materials with differing resistances to dislocation flow. The principal deformation modes we discuss, in addition to dislocation flow, are phase transformation (silicon and germanium), twinning (gallium arsenide and germanium at 400 °C), lattice rotations (spinel), shear (spinel), lattice rotations (copper) and lattice rotations and densification (TiN/NbN multilayers). The magnitude of the lattice rotation, about the normal to the foil, was measured at different positions under the indents. Indents in a partially recrystallized metallic glass Mg 66 Ni 20 Nd 14 were also examined. In this case a low-density porous region was formed at the indent tip and evidence of shear bands was also found. Further understanding of indentation deformation will be possible with three-dimensional characterization coupled with modelling which takes account of the variety of competing deformation mechanisms that can occur in addition to dislocation glide. Mapping the lattice rotations will be a particularly useful way to evaluate models of the deformation process.

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This article draws attention to local and global attendance monitoring in higher education. The paper outlines benefits of attendance monitoring for both the individual learner and university, and compares traditional paper-based attendance monitoring systems with an electronic system piloted in the Business School and School of Technology at the University of Glamorgan. Typical problems associated with attendance monitoring are examined, and both attendance monitoring approaches are evaluated in terms of quantity and quality of data capture. Finally, student views on having attendance closely monitored are evaluated. This paper is of interest to anyone who uses attendance data, particularly for those who work in the field of student retention.

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