Examining Language Related Episodes (LREs) of Arabic as a Second Language (ASL) Learners During Collaborative Writing Activities

Previous studies have increasingly examined the nature of collaborative writing in English as a foreign/second language settings. However, little research has been conducted on its nature in Arabic as a second language (ASL) contexts. This study investigated the nature of 64 students’ Language Related Episodes (LREs) while performing collaborative writing in ASL classrooms. Employing a quasi-experimental design with a mixed methods approach, the frequency and the focus of the students’ LREs in collaborative (experimental) writing groups and in traditional (control) groups were compared. The findings showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the LREs produced by the experimental and the control groups which can be attributed to the collaborative writing approach. In particular, the analysis of LREs per minutes indicated that LREs were more frequent in the experimental group interaction than in control group interaction. In addition, the experimental groups paid more attention to language and were more successful at resolving language related problems than the control ones which may explain the differences in their performance. Specimens of dialogues of both groups are presented to explain their differential performance

Band structures of 131Ce

High-spin states have been studied in the neutron-deficent odd-N 131Ce nucleus. The experiment was performed at Argonne Laboratory, USA, using the fusion evaporation reaction 100Mo(36S,5n ). The beam of 36S was produced by the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) to an energy of 165 MeV with a beam current of 5 pnA. The gamma ray coincidence data were recorded with GAMMASPHERE. A detailed spectroscopic study of the 131Ce nucleus has established two new band structures and extended some of the known bands to higher spin. Cranked Woods- Saxon calculations have been used to assign possible configurations for the newly found structures. Angular intensity-ratio measurements have been performed to gain information on the multipolarities of transitions in this nucleus. In order to strengthen the suggested configuration for the 131Ce bands a comparison was carried out between the experimental and theoretical B(M1)/B(E2) ratios of reduced transition probabilities. A large signature splitting in the negative-parity bands is discussed as evidence for non-axial nuclear shape which is induced by the core-polarisation effects of neutrons from the upper h11/2 midshell

Collaborative writing in Arabic as a second language (ASL) classrooms: a mixed-method study

The study reported in this article investigated the processes and the effects of collaborative writing on 64 students’ writing skills in two Arabic as a second language (ASL) teachers’ classrooms. The authors employed a mixed methods approach that integrated a qualitative case study and a quasi-experimental design. The data collected included classroom observations and audiotapes of verbal interactions. Pre- and post-test scores of students in collaborative (experimental) writing groups and in traditional (control) groups were compared. The findings indicated variations in interaction patterns during collaborative writing activities in both groups. The findings also suggest that there was a statistically significant difference between the scores of the experimental and the control groups which may be attributed to the collaborative writing intervention

Assessment of electronic disease early warning system for improved disease surveillance and outbreak response in Yemen

Background!#!Diseases Surveillance is a continuous process of data collection, analysis interpretation and dissemination of information for swift public health action. Recent advances in health informatics have led to the implementation of electronic tools to facilitate such critical disease surveillance processes. This study aimed to assess the performance of the national electronic Disease Early Warning System in Yemen (eDEWS) using system attributes: data quality, timeliness, stability, simplicity, predictive value positive, sensitivity, acceptability, flexibility, and representativeness, based on the Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (US CDC) standard indicators.!##!Methods!#!We performed a mixed methods study that occurred in two stages: first, the quantitative data was collected from weekly epidemiological bulletins from 2013 to 2017, all alerts of 2016, and annual eDEWS reports, and then the qualitative method using in-depth interviews was carried out in a convergent strategy. The CDC guideline used to describe the following system attributes: data quality (reporting, and completeness), timeliness, stability, simplicity, predictive value positive, sensitivity, acceptability, flexibility and representativeness.!##!Results!#!The finding of this assessment showed that eDEWS is a resilient and reliable system, and despite the conflict in Yemen, the system is still functioning and expanding. The response timeliness remains a challenge, since only 21% of all eDEWS alerts were verified within the first 24 h of detection in 2016. However, identified gaps did not affect the system's ability to identify outbreaks in the current fragile situation. Findings show that eDEWS data is representative, since it covers the entire country. Although, eDEWS covers only 37% of all health facilities, this represents 83% of all functional health facilities in all 23 governorates and all 333 districts.!##!Conclusion!#!The quality and timeliness of responses are major challenges to eDEWS' functionality, the eDEWS remains the only system that provides regular data on communicable diseases in Yemen. In particular, public health response timeliness needs improvement

The impact of teachers' characteristics on their self-efficacy and job satisfaction: A perspective from teachers engaging students with disabilities

The study investigated the impact of Pakistani special education teachers' characteristics like gender, age, background qualification, teaching experience and professional qualification on their self-efficacy beliefs and job satisfaction. The study employed a quantitative research design comprising 94 female and 24 male teachers from five public schools located in the district of Lahore. The findings from self-efficacy and job satisfaction measures indicate that teachers' characteristics like gender, age, academic education and teaching experience had significant influence on self-efficacy beliefs and job satisfaction. Female teachers exhibited higher level of self-efficacy beliefs and job satisfaction to teach students with diverse needs as compared with their male counterparts. However, a significant correlation between self-efficacy and job satisfaction was not found. This study suggests professional training programs tailored to enhance male and female teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and job satisfaction while addressing the needs of children with disabilities