What goes on when tertiary students are engaged in an online academic writing course?

The learning process is a complex one with many intertwining variables. The learners’ characteristics could be a defining factor and so is prior learning experiences and knowledge, which are the manifests of metacognitive, socio-affective and cognitive systems. A learning task engagement calls for an exertion of personal control and the fulfillment of efficiency expectations. In learning, the learner activates a number of processes such as those that concern attentional, retrieval, metacognitive and rehearsal strategies. McCombs (1988) sums up these complexities in his multimodal model of learning with certain underlying assumptions. Among them is that learning success can be manipulated. In promoting learning, the teacher can promote strategy learning such as self-directed learning. Learners if trained can select and be their own judge as to the efficacy of strategy use for the learning task. Lessard-Closton (1997) identified several basic characteristics to describe language learning strategies: they are learner-generated, they enhance language learning and competence, they may be visible or unseen and they involve the processing of information and the use of memory

Tertiary Students' Language Learning Strategies in an Online English Writing Course

Technology is an important aspect in today's modem world and its application is now being tested and investigated in the field of learning and teaching. In an online environment, the student is not a passive respondent but one who can employ specific strategies to effectively evaluate, integrate, analyze and retain new material. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the use of language learning strategies (namely cognitive, metacognitive and socioaffective strategies) by students in an online writing course, based on O'Malley et. al. (1985a and 1985b) and Chamot and Kupper (1989) taxonomies from a classroom context. The study also sought to suggest a modified taxonomy of language learning strategies that reflects what a student can apply in an online environment to facilitate the process of language learning and to produce a general learning profile of online English language learners. Therefore, the study adopted an ethnographic approach to observe and investigate participants in order to obtain a more holistic and in-depth analysis of strategy use. Eleven Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) students participated in the project. The data consisted largely of strategy checklists, journal entries and audiotaped interviews with the students. The study found that students do, consciously and unconsciously, use language learning strategies in the hypertext environment. The findings also suggested two new strategies appropriate for both online and traditional classroom learning. These were repetition for reinforcement in the metacognitive strategy group and the community strategy that further expands the definition of cooperation in the socio-affective group. It was also found that there was a high overlap between the features in the list compiled from the studies of O'Malley et al. (1985a and 1985b) and Chamot and Kupper (1989) taxonomies and the list generated from the study. The comparison of general learning profiles of the successful and less successful online learner gave insights to changes in comprehension levels and learning perceptions during the three months. Hence, despite the change of teaching medium and course presentation, students adapted themselves for effective online learning. While learning in an online environment poses no major learning difficulties, other issues such as Internet accessibility, computer and Internet literacy, and problems in using the think-aloud method in this new medium were found to be potential setbacks in this supplementary educational medium

Resource Allocation for Device-to-Device Communications Underlaying Heterogeneous Cellular Networks Using Coalitional Games

Heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs) with millimeter wave (mmWave) communications included are emerging as a promising candidate for the fifth generation mobile network. With highly directional antenna arrays, mmWave links are able to provide several-Gbps transmission rate. However, mmWave links are easily blocked without line of sight. On the other hand, D2D communications have been proposed to support many content based applications, and need to share resources with users in HCNs to improve spectral reuse and enhance system capacity. Consequently, an efficient resource allocation scheme for D2D pairs among both mmWave and the cellular carrier band is needed. In this paper, we first formulate the problem of the resource allocation among mmWave and the cellular band for multiple D2D pairs from the view point of game theory. Then, with the characteristics of cellular and mmWave communications considered, we propose a coalition formation game to maximize the system sum rate in statistical average sense. We also theoretically prove that our proposed game converges to a Nash-stable equilibrium and further reaches the near-optimal solution with fast convergence rate. Through extensive simulations under various system parameters, we demonstrate the superior performance of our scheme in terms of the system sum rate compared with several other practical schemes.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure

Resource Allocation for Device-to-Device Communications in Multi-Cell Multi-Band Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

Heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs) with millimeter wave (mm-wave) communications are considered as a promising technology for the fifth generation mobile networks. Mm-wave has the potential to provide multiple gigabit data rate due to the broad spectrum. Unfortunately, additional free space path loss is also caused by the high carrier frequency. On the other hand, mm-wave signals are sensitive to obstacles and more vulnerable to blocking effects. To address this issue, highly directional narrow beams are utilized in mm-wave networks. Additionally, device-to-device (D2D) users make full use of their proximity and share uplink spectrum resources in HCNs to increase the spectrum efficiency and network capacity. Towards the caused complex interferences, the combination of D2D-enabled HCNs with small cells densely deployed and mm-wave communications poses a big challenge to the resource allocation problems. In this paper, we formulate the optimization problem of D2D communication spectrum resource allocation among multiple micro-wave bands and multiple mm-wave bands in HCNs. Then, considering the totally different propagation conditions on the two bands, a heuristic algorithm is proposed to maximize the system transmission rate and approximate the solutions with sufficient accuracies. Compared with other practical schemes, we carry out extensive simulations with different system parameters, and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed scheme. In addition, the optimality and complexity are simulated to further verify effectiveness and efficiency.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technolog

Crosslinked fluoropolymers exhibiting superior high-temperature energy density and charge-discharge efficiency

Superior high-temperature discharged energy densities in comparison to those of the current dielectric polymers have been demonstrated in the crosslinked fluoropolymers

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REAL-TIME FEEDBACK SYSTEM IN WEIGHTLIFTING

The purpose of this study was to develop a real-time feedback system (RTFS), which can provide weightlifters some useful information, such as the heights of the bar, video clip and so on, immediately after finishing their attempts under training conditions. A Kinect was used to capture the depth data and RGB video, the methods of the pattern recognition and algorithm were established, and the software was developed to identify the barbell and calculate the 3-D data of barbell COM (Centre of Mass). An experiment was carried out to compare the data from RTFS and that from 3D analysis based on video to check the reliability of RTFS. The results showed that the data of barbell COM obtained by RTFS can describe the movement of barbell sufficiently. This new system can help weightlifters to diagnose their skills and improve their training effectively

Clinical effects of low-molecular-weight heparin combined with ulinastatin in children with acute pancreatitis

Purpose: To explore the clinical effects of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) combined with ulinastatin (UTI) in children with acute pancreatitis.Methods: In total, 560 patients with severe acute pancreatitis treated at Binzhou People’s Hospital, Shandong, China, from April 2012 to June 2014 were enrolled in this study. They were divided into control (280 patients, ulinastatin + conventional treatment) and observational groups (280 patients, LMWH + ulinastatin + conventional treatment). The treatment lasted for 2 weeks. Clinical parameters, laboratory test indices, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score, and computed tomography score of pancreatic necrosis (CTSPN) were assessed in both groups.Results: On admission, no significant differences were noted in clinical features, laboratory parameters, APACHE II scores, or CTSPN between the two groups (all p > 0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, serum amylase, urine amylase, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, partial thromboplastin time, and platelet count in the study group were 913 ± 281 U/L, 1893 ± 295 U/L, 16 ± 1.60 s, 3 ± 0.60 g/L, 39.80 ± 5.60 s, and 294 ± 49 × 109/L, respectively, all of which were similar or superior to those in the control group (1738 ± 346 U/L, 2453 ± 473 U/L, 15 ± 1.50 S, 2.50 ± 0.50, 39.80 ± 5.90, and 192 ± 37 × 109/L)). APACHE II scores and CTSPN after 2 weeks of treatment in the observation group were 8.50 ± 1.80 and 2.10 ± 1, respectively, which were superior to those in the control group (9.60 ± 2.40 and 4.30 ± 2.60, respectively; p < 0.05). Moreover, the incidence of complications, mortality rate, and average duration of the hospital stay in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (p > 0.05). The cure rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group.Conclusions: LMWH combined with UTI enhances the efficacy of conventional treatment and reduces mortality. Thus, it is a potentially effective treatment strategy for severe acute pancreatitis in children.Keywords: Acute pancreatitis, Low-molecular-weight heparin, Multiple organ function syndrome, APACHE II score, Pancreatic necrosi