Innovative Certificate Programs in University Teaching and Learning: Experiential Learning for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

In response to a growing need for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to strengthen their teaching and learning skills, our university recently established innovative certificate programs that purposively incorporate experiential learning opportunities for deeper growth and development. Drawing on prior research and local needs assessments, we developed programs aimed to meet the identified needs of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. In this paper we describe how we planned, developed, and implemented these new certificate programs to engage graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from across our institution. Further, we discuss how these programs provide experiential learning opportunities for all participants

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Pondering periods: Young women talk about menstruation in the age of menstrual suppression

Seasonale, a birth control pill designed and marketed expressly to suppress menstruation, has been on the Canadian market since 2007 yet ‘menstruation by choice’ remains a controversial issue. This dissertation investigates menstrual suppression from the perspectives of experts in the field of women’s health and those of young women as a target group for this practice. It also explores the broader question of what everyday menstrual life looks like for young women in this time when menstruating seems to be on the wane. Utilizing a history of medicalization to contextualize the current state of affairs, this thesis draws upon insights from practice theory to map the nuances and complexities of menstruation and menstrual suppression using data from policy documents and focus group interviews. The parameters of the menstrual suppression debate are laid out as presented by the Society for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and their counterparts, the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. In framing what they see as the key issues of concern, these experts reveal disparate underlying assumptions about the menstrual cycle itself, the technology of the birth control pill, women’s decision making, and what constitutes risk. The women’s views about menstrual suppression are far from straight forward, with risks associated with pregnancy detection, future fertility, and the pill’s interference with ‘nature’ on their list of concerns. They speak back to the experts, reconfiguring the parameters of the issue and revealing considerable skill in maneuvering the complexities of the choice-making terrain. In the everyday of young women’s lives, menstruation involves considerable work, not only during one’s period but also in terms of getting ready for it. In their talk about selecting a menstrual management product, participants draw upon interpretive frameworks to do with economics, the environment, health, hygiene, and growing up. In terms of managing menstrual bleeding they describe engaging in numerous routine practices in order to hide the evidence of their periods from both males and sometimes females in their lives. This work is compulsory, complicated and context-dependent, with some spheres of activity particularly revealing of high stakes consequences of failure. More broadly, they both reinforce and challenge notions of menstruating bodies as abject in male normative space, and balance attending to menstruation against erasing the fact of its existence as they describe their embodied menstrual routines

Interrogating choice: Bisexual identity and politics

Bibliography: p. 171-181

Teaching Controversial Issues: Deepening Engagement and Critical Thinking

At the heart of any university is a mandate to ensure a safe and respectful campus while fostering exploration, debate, and research on a wide variety of subjects, including those that may be controversial. The teaching of controversial issues can provide a rich site for deep learning by exposing students to a variety of perspectives, giving them tools to critically analyze issues, and offering opportunities to communicate democratically across differences (Brookfield & Preskill, 2005; Hess, 2009). However, engaging students around controversies can be complex, as questions of what might count as controversial and for whom arise (Flinders University, n.d.), along with potential classroom management challenges for faculty members (Fournier-Sylvester, 2013). This workshop equips participants with tools to design and implement inclusive learning environments that maximize student engagement and learning on controversial subjects. In this interactive session participants will engage around case studies, and share their own classroom experiences and strategies in small and large group discussions. By the end of the session participants will be able to: • design learning activities in order to establish a safe and inclusive classroom environment • implement strategies to prepare for and lead productive class discussions • handle challenges and/or emotional responses should they arise in the classroomN

Flipped design for learning: Deepening scientific inquiry in a large-enrollment class

Hypothesis testing is central not only to the scientific method but also to understanding the nature of scientific knowledge. Although it is widely appreciated that students should develop hypothesis testing skills early in their undergraduate careers, there are many challenges in large-enrollment classes that can prevent them from deeply understanding the process of scientific inquiry. The hypothesis of this study is that a flipped-learning design will create a more effective environment than a traditional lecture format in which to foster both content acquisition and an understanding of the process of scientific inquiry. To measure the relative impact of these two approaches on learning, our study compares cohorts of students in different sections of the same large-enrollment course who have been exposed either to a flipped design (combining collaborative in-class activities with problem-based computer simulation software) or a lecture-based approach. The key principles underlying our research design as well as preliminary findings of pre- and post-assessment surveys measuring student understanding of scientific inquiry and basic content acquisition will be presented. An initial analysis of the data obtained from focus groups will also be discussed. Although the project is still at an early stage, preliminary data suggest that a combination of peer-learning in-class activities and problem-based computer simulation software foster both the acquisition of content and the development of scientific inquiry skills

Professional Learning and Development of Postdoctoral Scholars: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Increasing numbers of postdoctoral scholars are pursuing diverse career paths that require broad skill sets to ensure success. However, most postdoctoral professional learning and development initiatives are designed for academic careers and rarely include professional skills needed to flourish in nonacademic settings. The purpose of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine and synthesize evidence of professional learning and development pertaining to postdoctoral scholars. The systematic search resulted in 7,571 citations, of which 162 full-text papers were reviewed and 28 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in this review. This paper synthesizes and classifies studies exploring professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. The findings may be used to inform the objectives of professional learning and development initiatives for postdoctoral scholars and contribute to a more rigorous approach to studying professional learning and development

Professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars: a scoping review protocol

Abstract Background A growing number of postdoctoral scholars are following diverse career paths that require broad skill sets to ensure success. Yet, most postdoctoral professional learning and development initiatives are intended for academic careers and seldom include professional skills needed to succeed in non-academic settings. Given that fewer than 20% of postdoctoral scholars will obtain tenure-track academic positions, there is a great need for postdoctoral scholars to prepare for a range of future careers. Creating professional learning and development strategies to address these concerns requires an understanding of current approaches, yet there is a distinct lack of literature exploring and synthesizing sources of evidence on the professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. The purpose of this scoping review is to examine, synthesize, and map the sources of evidence on professional learning and development pertaining to postdoctoral scholars. Methods We will perform a scoping review to identify sources of evidence around professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. Our search strategy, limited to English language, will include searching relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary databases with no limitation on date of publication. We will conduct forward and backward citation chasing of included articles. Gray literature will be searched in electronic databases and websites of national postdoctoral associations. Search strategies will be developed using controlled vocabulary and keyword terms related to postdoctoral scholars and professional development. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts for inclusion, and two reviewers will independently screen full text to determine final inclusion. These data will be summarized quantitatively (using a simple numerical count) and qualitatively using thematic analysis methods. Through this process, we will summarize the current state of evidence around professional development and learning of postdoctoral scholars and identify current gaps in the literature, as well as the research areas requiring systematic reviews and/or primary research. Discussion Despite the growing numbers of postdoctoral scholars, there has been no synthesis of the sources of evidence of postdoctoral scholars’ professional learning and development. In reviewing a wide range of evidence and integrating it into a manageable and meaningful whole, this scoping review will be a critical first step in understanding the professional learning and development of postdoctoral scholars. Our results will help inform future research and the development of a framework for postdoctoral scholar’s professional learning and development

Seven Voices, Seven Developers, Seven One Things that Guide Our Practice

Educational development philosophy statements provide a framework to communicate the values and beliefs that guide the practices and approaches of individual educational developers across various career stages. This paper presents narratives to illustrate how seven educational developers conceptualize the one thing that guides our work through the process of reflecting on the beliefs that we articulate through our educational development philosophy statements. Although each narrative illustrates our diverse backgrounds and philosophies, common themes are revealed relating to reflective practice, scholarly approaches, and facilitating change, which lead to improvements in student learning. This exploration suggests further opportunity to conduct research on how educational development philosophy statements illuminate implicit definitions and beliefs about this diverse and evolving field

Dietary, Lifestyle, and Health Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in Adults 19 to 39 Years of Age: The Bogalusa Heart Study

Diet and lifestyle factors of young adults and their relationship to health risk factors are understudied. Data from the Bogalusa Heart Study population (n = 1214; 19-39 years; 74.1% white; 60.8% female) were used to study associations of lifestyle, health risk factors, and reported health problems with the National Institutes of Health body mass index (BMI) categories of normal, overweight, and obese. Data from self-reported questionnaires and laboratory measures were evaluated using covariate-adjusted multinomial logistic regression and analysis of covariance, linear trend test, and the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Obese individuals had lower odds of consuming high-fat dairy products (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62-0.96) and fruit/fruit juice/vegetables (OR = 0.83; CI = 0.75-0.93) and had higher odds of consuming hamburgers/sandwiches (OR = 2.81; CI = 1.52-5.20); processed meats (OR = 6.95; CI = 2.20-21.96); and sweetened (OR = 1.20; CI = 1.01-1.43) or diet beverages (OR = 1.27; CI = 1.02-1.58) than those of normal weight. Obese participants also had higher odds of being physically inactive versus being very active (OR = 2.65; CI = 1.64-4.29). Mean serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein-B, and insulin resistance were higher (P \u3c.05 for all) in the overweight/obese when compared with normal weight individuals. Values were higher in those with higher weight status (linear trend P \u3c.0001 for all). Self-reported health problems also increased with BMI. Interventions to improve diet and physical activity patterns among overweight/obese adults in this age group are needed. © 2012 The Author(s)