Paradoxes of Online Teaching

While much attention is paid to students’ experiences in online courses, there is sparse information regarding the experiences of faculty who teach online. Two university instructors address this gap in the literature and present an analysis of their experiences teaching graduate and undergraduate teacher-education classes at a university in the Midwestern United States. In this collaborative self-study, the authors analyze data consisting of their reflections and discussions, anonymous student surveys, anonymous course evaluations, and online observations by other faculty. They argue that online instruction poses several paradoxes. These paradoxical experiences illuminate the need for additional research about faculty experiences with online teaching. Based on their experiences and research, the authors recommend faculty development in online pedagogy

Faculty Development Through Cognitive Coaching

This paper describes a faculty development project in which 12 teacher educators used the Cognitive Coaching model to engage in critical reflections about their teaching. Each identified an aspect of their teaching they wanted to improve and a colleague to serve as coach. Participants engaged in Cognitive Coaching cycles, consisting of planning and reflecting conferences. These experiences uncovered the promise and challenges of nurturing faculty development through Cognitive Coaching. Preliminary findings indicate that the educators’ participation facilitated professional collegiality, personal self-renewal, and pedagogical improvement, suggesting that Cognitive Coaching has the potential to be an effective approach to faculty development

Teacher Professionalism: What Educators can Learn from Social Workers

Although there are numerous calls to enhance the professionalism of teachers, there is little empirical research in the United States that examines educators’ understanding of the concept. This exploratory case study compared the conceptualization of professionalism by faculty and students in a college of education vis-à-vis the conceptualization of the construct by faculty and students in a school of social work. Findings revealed that participants in the education program expressed individualistic and somewhat restricted views of professionalism. Social work faculty and some social work students, on the other hand, expressed a collective and extended view of the concept. These findings suggest that in order to empower teachers to be full professionals, a deliberate attention to the development of their professionalism is needed

Tensiometers for Following Soil Moisture Conditions in the Field (Abstract)

Fifty instruments were installed at various soil depths and distances from field grown maize plants in order to follow daily moisture changes without disturbing the growing plants. Tensiometer readings were used to study the rate of root penetration, comparative moisture use at different depths, rate of rainfall infiltration in the soil, and to calculate the depth of the water table. The zone of active water absorption progressed downward as much as two inches a day. Within the root zone the rate of moisture absorption was highest near the stalk. Soil moisture classed as equally available by mechanical methods is, in fact, less accessible when situated farther from the base of the plant, even though roots completely ramify the area. Roots seemed to ignore reserves at 24 inches after rainfall had supplied moisture at 12 inches. Two rains of more than one and one-half inches failed to penetrate to the 21 inch soil point. When the soil was sufficiently moist to operate tensiometers, the weekly dry weight increase of 480 maize plants followed closely Lehenbauer\u27s physiological temperature indices

Ab initio studies of the X-ray absorption edge in copper complexes. I. Atomic Cu^(2+) and Cu(II)Cl_2

As a first step in the study of the structure at x-ray absorption edges, we have examined the discrete transitions corresponding to the atomic 1s → 3d, 4s, 4p, Ss, and Sp transitions and the corresponding shakeup processes for Cu atom and for a Cu(II) model system, CuCl_2. For CuCl_2 the lowest strong transitions have the character 1s → 4p (f=0.00133). About 7.5 eV lower is a group of transitions involving 1s → 4p simultaneous with ligand-to-metal shakedown. About 18.7 eV below the main peak is a weak (65 times weaker) quadrupole-allowed transition corresponding to 1s → 3d (i.e., 1s^(2)3d^(9) → 1s^(1)3d^(10)). These results are in agreement with typical assignments of x-ray absorption spectra of Cu(ii) systems except that the middle transition is usually assigned as 1s → 4s, whereas we find this transition to be 1s → 4p plus shakedown. (Transitions of the character 1s → 4s are calculated but have intensities far too low to have been observed.

Academic Writing at the Graduate Level: Improving the Curriculum through Faculty Collaboration

This article describes a collaborative self-study undertaken to identify the source of academic writing difficulties among graduate students and find ways to address them. Ten faculty members in a college of education came together to define the problem and to analyze data gleaned from faculty and student surveys, course documents, course assignments, and course assessments. We found discrepancies between faculty and student perceptions about graduate preparation for academic writing and between the espoused and enacted curriculum. Both faculty and students identified problems associated with synthesizing theory and research. We discuss the need for teacher-scholars in today\u27s educational environment, the challenges facing curriculum improvement, and several program-specific measures being undertaken to address identified gaps in academic writing and critical thinking

Analgesic prescribing trends in a national sample of older veterans with osteoarthritis: 2012-2017

Few investigations examine patterns of opioid and nonopioid analgesic prescribing and concurrent pain intensity ratings before and after institution of safer prescribing programs such as the October 2013 Veterans Health Administration system-wide Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) implementation. We conducted a quasi-experimental pre–post observational study of all older U.S. veterans (≥50 years old) with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. All associated outpatient analgesic prescriptions and outpatient pain intensity ratings from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016, were analyzed with segmented regression of interrupted time series. Standardized monthly rates for each analgesic class (total, opioid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, acetaminophen, and other study analgesics) were analyzed with segmented negative binomial regression models with overall slope, step, and slope change. Similarly, segmented linear regression was used to analyze pain intensity ratings and percentage of those reporting pain. All models were additionally adjusted for age, sex, and race. Before OSI implementation, total analgesic prescriptions showed a steady rise, abruptly decreasing to a flat trajectory after OSI implementation. This trend was primarily due to a decrease in opioid prescribing after OSI. Total prescribing after OSI implementation was partially compensated by continuing increased prescribing of other study analgesics as well as a significant rise in acetaminophen prescriptions (post-OSI). No changes in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescribing were seen. A small rise in the percentage of those reporting pain but not mean pain intensity ratings continued over the study period with no changes associated with OSI. Changes in analgesic prescribing trends were not paralleled by changes in reported pain intensity for older veterans with osteoarthritis

Comorbid Chronic Pain and Depression: Patient Perspectives on Empathy

Clinician empathy is a well-documented component of effective patient/provider communication. Evidence surrounding the association between patient perspectives on clinician empathy and perception of pain management is currently limited, particularly among patients with chronic pain and depression. The aim of this study was to analyze patients’ perspectives on the emergent theme of empathy and describe how patients construct their experiences and expectations surrounding empathic interactions. A secondary analysis of focus group data was designed using grounded theory methodology. Veterans Affairs (VA) and University Primary Care Clinics. Respondents with chronic pain and comorbid depression (N = 18) were 27 to 84 years old (mean 54.8 years), 61% women, 22% black, and 74% white. Study participants highly valued empathy and two types of empathic interactions: empathic listening and empathic action. Patients who provided examples of empathic interactions claimed that others understood, valued, and cared for them. In contrast, patients who perceived a lack of empathy and empathic interactions felt frustrated and uncared for by others (including their physicians) physically and emotionally. Patients with chronic pain and depression claimed that empathy helped them feel understood, believed, taken seriously, and that their needs were met. In demonstrating empathy and engaging in empathic interactions with patients, providers relate better to patients, better understand their life experience, and provide patient-centered care that is meaningful for patients, providers, and the health care systems within which they interact. Future research is needed to purposefully study the effects of empathic interactions on outcomes for patients with chronic pain and comorbid depression

New reynolds equation for line contact based on the carreau model modification by bair

This paper presents a new form of the one-dimensional Reynolds equation for lubricants whose rheological behaviour follows a modified Carreau rheological model proposed by Bair. The results of the shear stress and flow rate obtained through a new Reynolds–Carreau equation are shown and compared with the results obtained by other researchers

Band offsets in Si/Si1–x–yGexCy heterojunctions measured by admittance spectroscopy

We have used admittance spectroscopy to measure conduction-band and valence-band offsets in Si/Si1–xGex and Si/Si1–x–yGexCy heterostructures grown by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy. Valence-band offsets measured for Si/Si1–xGex heterojunctions were in excellent agreement with previously reported values. Incorporation of C into Si1–x–yGexCy lowers the valence- and conduction-band-edge energies compared to those in Si1–xGex with the same Ge concentration. Comparison of our measured band offsets with previously reported measurements of energy band gaps in Si1–x–yGexCy and Si1–yCy alloy layers indicate that the band alignment is Type I for the compositions we have studied and that our measured band offsets are in quantitative agreement with these previously reported results