7 research outputs found
Leadership In Learning And Teaching In Higher Education: Perspectives Of Academics In Non-Formal Leadership Roles
Developing leaders and leadership are key factors to improve learning and teaching in higher education. Despite the abundance of literature concerning developing formal leadership, fewer studies have been conducted with academics in non-formal leadership roles that focus on how they develop their leadership in learning and teaching. Publication and funding metrics are evidence of leadership and success in research. Metrics in learning and teaching exist, but are less well accepted and valued. We undertook a qualitative descriptive study to examine how academics in non-formal leadership roles at an Australian university understood leadership and described their leadership in teaching. Following ethical approval, eight participants were interviewed using a semi-structured format. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: leadership is the ability to influence direction; all about the culture; becoming visible and speaking up; and learning leadership together. Participants said leading teaching teams effectively and influencing quality learning experiences for students and colleagues is ‘evidence’ of leadership in learning and teaching. Some said a few research colleagues and formal leaders did not accept such ‘evidence’ and continued to favour leadership of research teams. This paper contributes new strategies as possible ways forward to facilitate cultural change in higher education institutions that include: a need for formal leaders and academics to reach agreement about evidence of effective leadership in learning and teaching; academics sharing innovations to effectively lead teaching teams and to promote quality teaching experiences for students; and mentoring colleagues in learning and teaching
Leadership In Learning And Teaching In Higher Education: Perspectives Of Academics In Non-Formal Leadership Roles
Developing leaders and leadership are key factors to improve learning and teaching in higher education. Despite the abundance of literature concerning developing formal leadership, fewer studies have been conducted with academics in non-formal leadership roles that focus on how they develop their leadership in learning and teaching. Publication and funding metrics are evidence of leadership and success in research. Metrics in learning and teaching exist, but are less well accepted and valued. We undertook a qualitative descriptive study to examine how academics in non-formal leadership roles at an Australian university understood leadership and described their leadership in teaching. Following ethical approval, eight participants were interviewed using a semi-structured format. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: leadership is the ability to influence direction; all about the culture; becoming visible and speaking up; and learning leadership together. Participants said leading teaching teams effectively and influencing quality learning experiences for students and colleagues is ‘evidence’ of leadership in learning and teaching. Some said a few research colleagues and formal leaders did not accept such ‘evidence’ and continued to favour leadership of research teams. This paper contributes new strategies as possible ways forward to facilitate cultural change in higher education institutions that include: a need for formal leaders and academics to reach agreement about evidence of effective leadership in learning and teaching; academics sharing innovations to effectively lead teaching teams and to promote quality teaching experiences for students; and mentoring colleagues in learning and teachin
An overview of a cohort of South African patients with mitochondrial disorders
Mitochondrial disorders are frequently encountered
inherited diseases characterized by unexplained
multisystem involvement with a chronic, intermittent, or
progressive nature. The objective of this paper is to describe
the profile of patients with mitochondrial disorders in South
Africa. Patients with possible mitochondrial disorders were
accessed over 10 years. Analyses for respiratory chain and
pyruvate dehydrogenase complex enzymes were performed
on muscle. A diagnosis of a mitochondrial disorder was
accepted only if an enzyme activity was deficient. Sixtythree
patients were diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder,
including 40 African, 20 Caucasian, one mixed ancestry, and
two Indian patients. The most important findings were the
difference between African patients and other ethnicities:
respiratory chain enzyme complexes CI+III or CII+III
deficiencies were found in 52.5% of African patients, being
of statistical significance (p value=0.0061). They also
presented predominantly with myopathy (p value=
0.0018); the male:female ratio was 1:1.2. Twenty-five
(62.5%) African patients presented with varying degrees
of a myopathy accompanied by a myopathic face, high
palate, and scoliosis. Fourteen of these 25 also had ptosis
and/or progressive external ophthalmoplegia. No patients of
other ethnicities presented with this specific myopathic
phenotype. Caucasian patients (16/20) presented predominantly
with central nervous system involvement. Of the
South African pediatric neurology patients, Africans are
more likely to present with myopathy and CII+III deficiency,
and Caucasian patients are more likely to present with
encephalopathy or encephalomyopath
An overview of a cohort of South African patients with mitochondrial disorders
Mitochondrial disorders are frequently encountered
inherited diseases characterized by unexplained
multisystem involvement with a chronic, intermittent, or
progressive nature. The objective of this paper is to describe
the profile of patients with mitochondrial disorders in South
Africa. Patients with possible mitochondrial disorders were
accessed over 10 years. Analyses for respiratory chain and
pyruvate dehydrogenase complex enzymes were performed
on muscle. A diagnosis of a mitochondrial disorder was
accepted only if an enzyme activity was deficient. Sixtythree
patients were diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder,
including 40 African, 20 Caucasian, one mixed ancestry, and
two Indian patients. The most important findings were the
difference between African patients and other ethnicities:
respiratory chain enzyme complexes CI+III or CII+III
deficiencies were found in 52.5% of African patients, being
of statistical significance (p value=0.0061). They also
presented predominantly with myopathy (p value=
0.0018); the male:female ratio was 1:1.2. Twenty-five
(62.5%) African patients presented with varying degrees
of a myopathy accompanied by a myopathic face, high
palate, and scoliosis. Fourteen of these 25 also had ptosis
and/or progressive external ophthalmoplegia. No patients of
other ethnicities presented with this specific myopathic
phenotype. Caucasian patients (16/20) presented predominantly
with central nervous system involvement. Of the
South African pediatric neurology patients, Africans are
more likely to present with myopathy and CII+III deficiency,
and Caucasian patients are more likely to present with
encephalopathy or encephalomyopath
Whole genome sequencing identifies circulating Beijing-lineage Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in Guatemala and an associated urban outbreak
Clinical validation of cutoff target ranges in newborn screening of metabolic disorders by tandem mass spectrometry: A worldwide collaborative project
PURPOSE:: To achieve clinical validation of cutoff values for newborn screening by tandem mass spectrometry through a worldwide collaborative effort. METHODS:: Cumulative percentiles of amino acids and acylcarnitines in dried blood spots of approximately 25-30 million normal newborns and 10,742 deidentified true positive cases are compared to assign clinical significance, which is achieved when the median of a disorder range is, and usually markedly outside, either the 99th or the 1st percentile of the normal population. The cutoff target ranges of analytes and ratios are then defined as the interval between selected percentiles of the two populations. When overlaps occur, adjustments are made to maximize sensitivity and specificity taking all available factors into consideration. RESULTS:: As of December 1, 2010, 130 sites in 45 countries have uploaded a total of 25,114 percentile data points, 565,232 analyte results of true positive cases with 64 conditions, and 5,341 cutoff values. The average rate of submission of true positive cases between December 1, 2008, and December 1, 2010, was 5.1 cases/day. This cumulative evidence generated 91 high and 23 low cutoff target ranges. The overall proportion of cutoff values within the respective target range was 42% (2,269/5,341). CONCLUSION:: An unprecedented level of cooperation and collaboration has allowed the objective definition of cutoff target ranges for 114 markers to be applied to newborn screening of rare metabolic disorders. © 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins