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This study uses a statistical survey over three consecutive years to show how the first-year students of a mid-sized Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) secondary international school perceive the impact of using their own iPad on their learning. The students' perceptions how awareness of the usefulness and challenges associated with using their iPads in school life as well as at home. The students indicate several perceived benefits relating to having instant access to a variety of learning opportunities via the internet. However, they also indicate the challenges of keeping a balanced approach and avoiding overuse of their iPads inside and outside school (e.g., for gaming and social media). The original rationale for implementing the BYOD scheme did not anticipate specific benefits for students' academic outcomes (grades). However, academic performance has continued to be monitored to identify any adverse effects associated with the scheme. Students' overall academic performance has not been adversely affected since the scheme was implemented.

Since the introduction of a Bring Your Own iPad scheme in the Middle Years section of a large International School, concerns have been raised from school community members regarding students' overuse of their devices, especially during lunch breaks. Hence, the device free lunch break (DFLB) programme was introduced with the aim of reinforcing existing guidance for students about achieving and maintaining a balanced approach to their use of devices. The DFLB programme was planned based on market research strategies and included all the school community members including students, parents/guardians and staff. The findings from statistical analysis of the data showed significant similarities between staff and parents/guardians' perceptions of student device use in terms of the student overuse of electronic devices. However, analysis showed that the opinions of parent/guardians and staff contrasted those expressed by students. The data also showed evidence that the introduction of the DFLB programme resulted in increased student recognition of the importance of making face-to-face social contacts with their classmates during their lunch break.

Since the introduction of a Bring Your Own iPad scheme in the Middle Years section of a large International School, concerns have been raised from school community members regarding students' overuse of their devices, especially during lunch breaks. Hence, the device free lunch break (DFLB) programme was introduced with the aim of reinforcing existing guidance for students about achieving and maintaining a balanced approach to their use of devices. The DFLB programme was planned based on market research strategies and included all the school community members including students, parents/guardians and staff. The findings from statistical analysis of the data showed significant similarities between staff and parents/guardians' perceptions of student device use in terms of the student overuse of electronic devices. However, analysis showed that the opinions of parent/guardians and staff contrasted those expressed by students. The data also showed evidence that the introduction of the DFLB programme resulted in increased student recognition of the importance of making face-to-face social contacts with their classmates during their lunch break. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern Monetary Theory advocates make the distinction between voluntary and involuntary constraints with respect to operation of key institutions, such as the Central Bank and Treasury, in their conduct of macroeconomic policy. In this article we explore several episodes of UK policymaking, in order to demonstrate consistency regarding the policy coordination between HM Treasury and the Bank of England, and, in addition, highlight numerous voluntary constraints which by their very nature can be finessed when circumstances demand. In particular, we show that the use of the Ways and Means account on a number of notable occasions has meant that Government spending was not constrained by prospective tax receipts and sales of Government securities. Also, the introduction of non-convertible banknotes and other strategies, including the financing of the First War Loan, meant that the prevailing voluntary constraints were sidestepped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the direct effects of multiple disturbance agents on individual tree development and stand productivity in 15-40-year-old managed forests in British Columbia, Canada. Our primary interest was to establish a baseline assessment of damage in these forests and, especially, to focus on the degree to which biotic and abiotic stressors cause physical damage and diffuse mortality. Based on extensive climate data for the study area and the ecology of the disturbance agents we explore possible interactions between individual stressors and climate. Mean annual temperature increased by over 1 °C in the last century and annual precipitation increased by 8%, with that in the summer increasing by 18%. Disturbance agents were a central driver of mortality, growth and physical damage and their combined impact in lodgepole pine stands was as much as four times greater than expected particularly in the dominant trees most counted upon for stand productivity and timber supply. Climate-mediated disturbances accounted for five of the top six damage agent categories in terms of percent of basal area impacted but the lack of long-term disturbance monitoring data, a global information gap, limits our ability to conclusively link high damage rates to climatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]