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Item Metadata only Good Enough Ethics by Design: AI and Alternative Digital Realities(Palgrave Macmillan, 2026-04-15) Richardson, Kathleen; Bryson, Kathleen; Sutherland, JessicaGood Enough Ethics explores how society can ethically navigate the accelerating complexity of technological innovation. Tracing developments from cave paintings to the industrial age to AI and the Metaverse, the book explores reactive approaches - such as GDPR and the Online Safety Act - and examines proactive strategies like Ethics by Design, which integrates ethics throughout product development. Yet such frameworks often prove too rigid or burdensome in practice. Inspired by Donald Winnicott’s idea of good enough parenting, the authors propose Good Enough Ethics (GEE) - a pragmatic, flexible model that balances ethical responsibility with real-world constraints. Rather than aiming for perfection, GEE emphasises empowering technologists to act ethically without paralysis. Based on research from the EU-funded SHARESPACE project, the book shows how GEE can be applied across emerging technologies and calls for an iterative, inclusive ethics culture - one that embeds reflection into innovation without stifling it.Item Metadata only Getting students drawing can help belonging and mental health(Wonkhe, 2025-05-27) Allman, Zoe; Wright, ChrisEmpowering students to develop a creative skillset in response to curriculum-based tasks facilitates experimentation and exploration. Increasing creativity supports problem-solving and innovation in a range of academic disciplines. Developing these skills, students acknowledge improvements in their mental health and wellbeing. At De Montfort University, our drawing centre gives students opportunities to develop drawing skills, not only to improve visual communication, but to enhance creativity more broadly. Our students say that this ability to design and create improves their confidence to become more imaginative in their studies, developing a confidence that transcends beyond the ability to be creative, enabling more holistic engagement in studies and the wider university experience.Item Embargo Robust topology optimization of piezoelectric actuators under uncertainties in material properties(IOP Publishing, 2025-05-20) Latifi Rostami, Seyyed Ali; Kolahdooz, Amin; Lim, Hyoung Jun; Chung, HayoungActuators designed using piezoelectric materials are widely used in micro-robotic systems. Although topology optimization is a systematic design approach with the potential to conceive a novel piezoelectric actuator, the optimality of the design cannot be guaranteed unless the material uncertainties resulting from complex fabrication are considered. Therefore, this study presents the optimal design of a piezoelectric actuator and investigates the impact of uncertainties on the designed layout. Specifically, this study introduces material uncertainties through Young's modulus and the piezoelectric coefficient individually and concurrently, thus facilitating a comprehensive exploration of design robustness. The density-based topology optimization method used in this study incorporates the spatial distribution of material densities and polarities within the domain. To evaluate the robustness of the results of the proposed method, a thorough comparison with the Monte Carlo method (MC) results was conducted, revealing not only the robustness of the designed layouts but also enhanced computational efficiency.Item Open Access Women's Broadcasting Histories and the Archive: National, transnational and transmedial entanglements(Sage, 2025-05-02) Ball, Vicky; Arnold, S.; McCabe, Janet; Andrews, Kylie; Badenoch, Alec; Baker, Jeannine; Hendriks, Elisa; Jackson, Vanessa; Murphy, Kate; Sahu, Ipsita; Skoog, Kristin; Terkanian, Kate; Warner, HelenThis provocation details varied perspectives of the International Women’s Broadcasting Histories (IWBH) network on researching the role of women in broadcasting. The conversational form allows us to roam across the topic widely, to express a range of discrete positions and distinct arguments, with the desire to bring dilemmas to the surface and explore their implications without reduction. Responding with a series of interventionist statements around the issues and challenges of doing archival research into women’s work, we opt for retaining different viewpoints in a raw state, with the aim of provoking discussion about the methodological opportunities and limitations when working within and outside of archives.Item Metadata only Mental health and wellbeing in the curriculum(2025-04-30) Allman, ZoeItem Metadata only Institutional Policy, Governance, and Pedagogy for Holistic Student Development(Centre for Learning & Teaching, Forman Christian College, Pakistan, 2025-04-08) Allman, Zoe• Holistic Student Development: Explore the significance of holistic student development, recognise who is involved in promoting holistic student development, and consider the resources available to enable activity to foster equity towards student development • Institutional Structures: Examine the role of institutional governance and policies to consider how these structures foster equity • Pedagogy in Holistic Student Development: Develop an understanding of the role of pedagogy in holistic student development and explore pedagogic approachesItem Metadata only Understanding perceptions of the student experience: Dot voting to identify perceived risks to equality of opportunity, a practice-based case study(Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 2025-04-10) Allman, ZoeEngland’s higher education providers have embraced opportunities to develop Access and Participation Plans in response to regulatory requirement. How best to engage students meaningfully in this activity was carefully considered by an East-Midlands university, with advice from the respective students’ union “don’t use focus groups”. This practice-based case study presents the rationale for ensuring student voice impactfully informs access and participation planning, and how one provider sought to engage students, staff and governors in an equitable approach to understanding perceptions of the student experience, to inform intervention and evaluation design and delivery.Item Metadata only Undertone II(2023-05-05) Atkinson, Simon; Patel, Amit D.Item Metadata only interiorities ix(2025-03-28) Atkinson, SimonItem Metadata only Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Film and Media(Springer Nature, 2025-03-29) Lee, JasonThis book expounds how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) became so ubiquitous. The relationships between trauma, memory, and media, including the cultural, psychological, and social dimensions of PTSD are analysed. This work provides an examination of PTSD across diverse cultural contexts, shedding light on its profound impact on human experience and societal structures. This work addresses the role of social media internationally, the pornography industry, and conspiracy theories, in perpetuating trauma and shaping societal attitudes. From feature films, including Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter, and Jacob’s Ladder, to hit television shows such as the BBC’s Bodyguard, visual cultures have been instrumental in popularizing an understanding of PTSD. Often these are traditional “triumph over adversity” narratives. In others what is relevant is the wider postwar political landscape. Controversial wars have led to mental health problems for returning soldiers, depicted as part of a metaphoric wound for a nation. At its heart, America is concerned with the survival of the fittest, a Social Darwinist creed fused with manifest destiny and turbo capitalism. Any weaknesses, such as mental problems including PTSD, contradicted and challenged the essence of the pioneering American spirit. A book on PTSD at this moment is necessary, as the subject has become popularized and politicized, just as “madness” became a term to define an era. Through advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to foster healthier perspectives and support, here we come to a deeper understanding of how digital cultures have impacted the politics of time and memory.Item Metadata only Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in Middle Age (SMIDGE)(Academic Conferences International Limited, 2024-05-21) Lee, Jason; Wilford, Sara; Hamzaoui, Raouf; Bhalla, NitikaThis paper examines the ongoing work of a three-year Horizon Europe project titled ‘Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in Middle Age’ (SMIDGE). The project will cover aspects of the following areas: ethical dimensions, review of the literature (including conspiracy theories, misinformation and extremism online), co-designing of quantitative surveys, stakeholder engagement through qualitative focus groups, national nuances, changing technological issues, platform use and regulations. We take this analysis as a case study template that we believe will be useful to researchers in this field and potentially policy makers, especially from a multidisciplinary and transnational perspective. The project is split into four phases; Phase 1 - Understanding the landscape, profiling content and users, Phase 2 - Understanding the ‘attractiveness’ of the narrative, Phase 3 - Creating counter narratives and Phase 4 - Guidelines and policy briefs: spreading the word. We will unpack the challenges and opportunities of this approach for social media analysis and its real-world impact on democracy. Once the initial phase is completed in year one, we will start to construct counter-narratives to combat extremism in this context. This will take the form of creating counter videos and a documentary, as well as producing a series of podcasts and webinars. Furthermore, the outputs of the empirical research will inform and feed into the development of educational and training materials, guidelines and recommendations, as well as policy briefs that can be useful to policy makers, researchers, security professionals, journalists and beyond. The outputs from the SMIDGE project will provide evidence-based content, tools and resources that will directly help to counter extremist narratives from multiple perspectives. This will enable a greater understanding of the specificities and characteristics of those in the middle-age category, specifically those aged 45-65 years, and their vulnerability to extremism online.Item Open Access Enhancing Virtual Reality Experiences in Architectural Visualization of an Academic Environment(European Alliance for Innovation (EAI), 2025-01-29) Durojaye, Abiodun; Kolahdooz, Amin; Hajfathalian, AlirezaVirtual Reality (VR) technology possesses the capability to transport users into immersive, alternative environments, providing them with a convincing sense of presence within a simulated world. This project leverages VR to develop an interactive, educational system centered around the De Montfort University (DMU) Queens Building, simulating key facilities and infrastructure through the integration of 360-degree imagery and Adobe Captivate software. Designed in response to contemporary challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which underscored the need for flexible and innovative learning methodologies, the VR system offers an immersive educational platform enriched with essential information to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. A comprehensive literature review explored the expanding applications of VR across diverse sectors, including education, healthcare, robotics, and manufacturing. The findings of this review underscored VR's transformative potential in enhancing educational engagement and facilitating a deeper understanding of complex concepts. The project methodology involved meticulously mapping the physical layout of the Queens Building, capturing targeted 360-degree scenarios using a Ricoh Theta V camera, and subsequently transforming these into immersive VR scenarios enriched with interactive hotspots, meticulously synchronized with the building's design layout. The VR system successfully achieved the project's objectives by simulating key educational and informational use cases. It provides students with an alternative learning medium, offering interactive insights into the functionalities of equipment and facilities within the building. Furthermore, the system enables a virtual tour of the DMU campus, facilitating familiarization with the university environment. Findings from the VR application highlight its potential as a dynamic educational tool, positioning it as a valuable complement to traditional learning methods. This innovative approach demonstrates the capacity of VR to enhance student understanding, support academic and research pursuits, and ultimately enrich the overall student experience.Item Open Access Simulation and Control of the KUKA KR6 900EX Robot in Unity 3D: Advancing Industrial Automation through Virtual Environments(European Alliance for Innovation (EAI), 2025-03-20) Ajayakumar Sujatha, Anand; Kolahdooz, Amin; Jafar, Mohammadreza; Hajfathalian, AlirezaThis study presents the development of a virtual simulation of a KUKA robot within the Unity 3D platform, focusing on its ability to execute pick-and-place operations in an industrial setting. The research emphasizes the importance of digital simulations as cost-effective and safe alternatives to physical prototypes in industrial automation. By replicating robotic tasks in a virtual environment, organizations can mitigate wear and tear on expensive machinery and minimize safety hazards inherent in real-world operations. The simulation process commenced with the creation of a detailed 3D model of the KUKA robot utilizing Creo CAD software. This model was subsequently imported into the Unity 3D environment, where an interactive and realistic simulation environment was constructed. A manual control system was implemented through custom C# scripts, enabling precise joint manipulation via keyboard inputs. While the current control mechanism remains manual, this study provides a foundational framework for the future integration of advanced algorithms for trajectory planning and autonomous control. The simulation successfully demonstrates the feasibility of performing industrial robotic tasks within a virtual environment. It serves as a platform for further research, including the automation of robotic movements and the integration of virtual reality and digital twin technologies. These advancements have the potential to significantly enhance real-time monitoring, operator training, and overall operational efficiency in industrial applications. This work underscores the growing significance of virtual simulation technologies in industrial automation, presenting a scalable and flexible solution for prototyping, testing, and training within complex industrial ecosystems.Item Open Access Conversations with culture, heritage and tourism actors in Palestine: Needs and challenges within a context of extreme military violence(De Montfort University, 2025-02-28) Aranki, NadineThis report is part of a research project exploring the needs and challenges of Palestinian cultural actors, focusing on emergency responses and programming in cultural and heritage protection as developed by the British Council. By focusing on Palestinian heritage protection during the current political context and escalation of violence across Palestine/the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT) since October 2023, this research examines cultural projects and responses implemented by donors and actors in the culture, heritage and tourism sectors of Palestine/OPT. Such examination seeks to incorporate emergency response concepts into cultural protection work in order to advance stability and security, and support local communities during a time of extraordinary military violence. The aim of this research is to produce three outcomes: namely a report on Palestinian heritage needs, a report on donor policy, and related media outputs. Such reports aim to contribute to advancing cultural protection work during emergencies in general, and to inform cultural actors’ programme needs, plans and future policy around interventions in the Palestinian context in particular.Item Metadata only Scholarly exploration of block delivery and the student experience(Advance HE, 2025-03-05) Allman, Zoe; de Main, LeanneItem Embargo A Business Plan for Data Security and Privacy Services(IEEE, 2024-12-12) Germanos, Vasileios; Zeng, Wen; Smith, Abigail; Carroll-Mayer, Moira; Siewe, FrancoisCyber Security Academic Startup Programme (Cyber Asap) provides academics with the expertise, knowledge and training needed to convert their research into technologies, products and services. Due to the fast development of digital technologies, data security and privacy became an active research topic. However, we do not have business plan templates for data security and privacy. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a business plan for data security and privacy technologies, which can help the data security and privacy research out of the university lab and into the commercial market. In this study, technical and non-technical risks and related contingency plans will be addressed through consideration of risk management and secure system architecture.Item Metadata only The Impact of AI on Student Placement Applications(Higher Education Policy Institute, 2025-03-04) McCall, Dave; Allman, ZoeAs higher education explores the impact of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), colleagues from De Montfort University examine the use of AI in student placement applications.Item Metadata only Supporting higher education’s emerging leaders(Wonkhe, 2025-02-28) Allman, ZoeIn the ever evolving world of higher education, effective leaders are required at all levels of our organisations. Emerging leaders lead in the middle of an organisation, with responsibility for delivering aspects of an institution’s mission, vision and strategy. Their roles are wide-ranging, they work with colleagues at all levels, striving to deliver an enhanced student experience, assuring academic quality and contributing (sometimes delivering) key aspects of their provider’s strategic plan. Emerging leaders find themselves sitting on committees, representing others, and championing particular topics, having listened to the views of their teams. For some these are new experiences, requiring support and encouragement from peers and senior leaders to embrace the opportunities and challenges. These colleagues are often leaders of a team or group, responsible for delivering not only their personal objectives, but that of the collective group. Emerging in their leadership journey they are often new to people management, navigating the concept of developing others. Their skillset requirement is vast, their teams need them to listen to many voices and views, and synthesise this into priority areas for campaign.Item Metadata only Compassionate decision-making(2025-02-26) Allman, Zoe; Hardaker, PamelaThe higher education sector is increasingly asked to embrace compassionate approaches in decision-making, particularly when considering extenuating or exceptional individual student circumstances, but how do we make this work with our regulations to maintain academic standards? When considering student exception requests, we explain how compassionate approaches are embraced whilst respecting the regulations and the need to ensure that all students are treated equitably and with fairness. Descriptions of how the regulations inform and influence decision-making, ensuring we maintain academic standards, whilst embracing compassionate approaches will be provided. This session covers the key points for consideration, not only in the decision-making process but also in communication of any consideration and decision, remaining mindful of the increasing need for compassion in higher education. Examples referred to in this session are anonymised and non-attributable, but based on genuine cases to facilitate authenticity.Item Metadata only Dendrophone(2024-09-01) Batchelor, PeterDendrophone (2024) is a site-specific multichannel sound installation that transforms subtle ecological processes into an immersive auditory experience. Developed as part of the AHRC-funded Sensing the Forest project, it sonifies environmental data—such as humidity, solar radiation, temperature, and carbon dioxide absorption—rendering complex and often imperceptible ecological processes audible. By doing so, Dendrophone aims to deepen public engagement with climate change and the fragile balance of forest ecosystems. The installation is designed to integrate seamlessly with the natural soundscape, layering environmental with complementary electroacoustic sounds: drones, granulated textures, and ‘breathing’ characteristics. Built with a DIY ethos, it prioritises accessibility and sustainability, ensuring that the system is reproducible and adaptable for various public engagement contexts. Live-streaming capabilities extend its reach, allowing remote audiences to experience the installation in real time, reinforcing its role as an ongoing, interactive exploration of ecological sound. For more information, see https://sensingtheforest.github.io/exhibition/your-sonic-forest-dendrophone-peter-batchelor/.