Daughter's work

My 13 year old has a RE project to do over Christmas, comparing charismatic christianity, paganism and rastafarianism, concluding which is likely to be most successful in future. Having researched, she needed help comparing them so I used the matrix approach from the T802 course guide - it worked. Struck me that she could produce 15,000 words on this alone!

Reading, 29 Dec 09

Completed reading 'Preparing for Research'.

ACTION: I need to brainstorm further potential areas for my key question. Keep little red note book with me at all times for notes. make time (walks, cycle rides) to cogitate. It advises keeping the ideas going for 5 days at work, so may select weekend of 9/10 Jan 09 for honing decision.

ACTION: Decision on note keeping. Currently using little red book (A4 easier, notebook handier) and transferring to blog. Although guide advises against repetition, at present this forces more consideration of what to write. This luxury may not last.

Possibly discuss with Ross Udall at the weekend, especially risk option. This option and the teaching one can also be discussed with my wife Sarah and my colleague Debbie Gray - consider asking Debbie to read HSE Risk paper.

ACTION: Complete activities from 'Preparing for Research' and other course papers.

Also read 'Literature Review and Referencing'.

ACTION: do activities

ACTION: Explore OU Library (2 - 3 hours)

Read Course Guide up to page 46. Next task is to read 'Methodology and Techniques'.

Am concerned that I planned to work on T802 and do marking for my AAT students today; have spent too long on OU at the expense of marking. Not sure how to avoid this in future.

Option 4: Teaching sustainability

This topic may be too distant from EDM - too closely aligned to teaching? Am I sufficiently skilled (or is that not a requirement for this research)? Topic would undoubtedly be interesting, and could counteract some of the existing publications that I consider too imprecise and biased. Lots of room for criticism? And adapting techniques from other areas? 

ACTION: Review sustainable learning book before deciding on this one.

Option 3

Means to persuade / manipulate employees , students, visitors etc to take action in line with EMS, e.g. for energy saving, waste separation, littering.

This option would incorporate techniques for teaching sustainable development, which is an area that needs to be covered at Wiltshire College. It will also cover monitoring, communication, feedback, stakeholder views etc.

Initial thoughts - too process-driven; not enough room for my ideas.

Books

For Christmas I got Ben Goldacre's Bad Science, which should help me identify good and bad papers, and steer me towards effective research techniques. The chapter on placebo may have implications for my work, especially if I choose the Risk topic; involvement in assessing risk may affect the outcome, which we all know to be true, but could there be a deeper effect at work here? Could it be utilised?

Also Richard Dawkins' anthology of science writing should help me with style.

Choosing between Options 1 & 2

Data sources

For Option 1, there are general textbooks on ISO 14001 (loads of them) a few of which I can get hold of easily. There are also iema magazine articles and their booklets. I would be able to access iema forums, and I know enough people in the iema offices to be put in touch with experienced people. I have experience of auditing processes, and application within the College, and casting my mind back ten years to the time when I designed and introduced an un-accredited EMS to NTL. 

For Option 2, there were many references in my Diploma module which I have to hand, some of which I still use and intend to introduce into my teaching for the NEBOSH Diploma. Also papers by ... from HSE website and elsewhere. 

Methods

Dissertation Topic: option 2

Developed during a walk round Radipole Lake on Boxing Day

Exploring the concepts of 'risk' and 'risk assessment' in Environmental Management and health and safety, considering its use in

• decision making
• democracy. 

Decisions based on definite knowledge of the consequences of each option (or as near as can be definite knowledge) would be quite different to those in the real world, based on uncertainty. However even decisions based on certainty require consideration and balancing of amenity for various stakeholders (I would like to include this area in the dissertation). Could compare HSE decision making with computer programs used in share dealing or chess? 

How to be fair to all stakeholders, and what influences 'fairness' or acceptability? I have a theory that climate change is considered a significant threat by most people (who think about it all), but its urgency is diluted because we will never be proved right or wrong (there is no control, and historical fluctuations in the welfare of people are expected to be greater than CC-induced ones). 

This topic was covered in the 'valuing' module of my Diploma which I surprised myself by enjoying, and it would be interesting to answer many of the arguments which I felt were flawed by did not have the time to investigate. 

A strong theme of this topic would be the means to inform stakeholders so that they can involve themselves in decisions, rather than having their views submitted by proxy. 

Dissertation Topic: Option 1

Drafted in the Lodmoor Motel, Weymouth, Christmas Eve, relatively sober.

Application of BS8555 to aid decision making, using FE College as example (this may develop into a pure focus on FE College), examining the ways in which the standard both removes some decisions from the organisation, and requires other decisions.

BS 8555 requires decisions as to whether to adopt it -

• is a formal EMS advantageous to the organisation?
• would a phased approach be suitable
• would accreditation add value?
• etc

BS8555 removes decisions by stipulating stages that must be achieved, particularly if decision to use the model is not based on a full analysis of the stages, or of the alternatives.

BS8555 requires decisions on how to achieve each element

BS8555 strongly steers towards systematic application.

I wish to explore the application of BS8555 to FE Colleges including:

• decision to accredit;
• costs & beenfits;
• pressures (stakeholders)
• whether stipulated stages are the most appropriate model for FE College
• Systematic vs iterative application
• proposing modifications to the Acorn model, or possibly of the standard itself.

OPTIONS - Base on BS 8555 or Acorn implementation model, or both? - Extent to which draw on ISO 14001.

The beginning of T802

Having registered for the course on the deadline, I started reviewing the Course Guide over Christmas - in particular Christmas Eve evening (boring motel, wife ill with flu).