The role of unit evaluation, learning and culture dimensions related to student cognitive style in hypermedia learning

Recent developments in learning technologies such as hypermedia are\ud becoming widespread and offer significant contributions to improving the delivery\ud of learning and teaching materials. A key factor in the development of hypermedia\ud learning systems is cognitive style (CS) as it relates to users‟ information\ud processing habits, representing individual users‟ typical modes of perceiving,\ud thinking, remembering and problem solving.\ud \ud \ud \ud \ud A total of 97 students from Australian (45) and Malaysian (52) universities\ud participated in a survey. Five types of predictor variables were investigated with\ud the CS: (i) three learning dimensions; (ii) five culture dimensions; (iii) evaluation\ud of units; (iv) demographics of students; and (v) country in which students studied.\ud Both multiple regression models and tree-based regression were used to analyse\ud the direct effect of the five types of predictor variables, and the interactions within\ud each type of predictor variable. When comparing both models, tree-based\ud regression outperformed the generalized linear model in this study. The research\ud findings indicate that unit evaluation is the primary variable to determine students‟\ud CS. A secondary variable is learning dimension and, among the three dimensions,\ud only nonlinear learning and learner control dimensions have an effect on students‟\ud CS. The last variable is culture and, among the five culture dimensions, only\ud power distance, long term orientation, and individualism have effects on students‟\ud CS. Neither demographics nor country have an effect on students‟ CS.\ud These overall findings suggest that traditional unit evaluation, students‟\ud preference for learning dimensions (such as linear vs non-linear), level of learner\ud control and culture orientation must be taken into consideration in order to enrich\ud students‟ quality of education. This enrichment includes motivating students to\ud acquire subject matter through individualized instruction when designing,\ud developing and delivering educational resources

Effect of technique and transfer board use on the performance of wheelchair transfers

Transferring to and from the wheelchair seat is a necessary skill for many wheelchair users who wish to be independent of their everyday life. The performance of wheelchair transfers has been associated with the risk of falling and developing upper limb injuries. Both present a risk to the independence of the individual. Previous studies on wheelchair transfers have focused mainly on the analysis of sitting transfers performed by individuals with spinal cord injury, which only represent a small portion of the wider wheelchair users' population. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of different transferring techniques (sitting, standing) and transfer board use on the ground reaction forces under the hands during transfer performance and transfer quality measured using the transfer assessment instrument (TAI). Sitting transfers displayed generally higher peak and mean reaction forces underneath both leading and trailing hands compared with the other techniques, but the difference was only significant between sitting and standing transfers. Standing transfers had significantly lower TAI scores compared with sitting transfer, potentially indicating a decreased level of safety associated with their performance. Transfer boards were only partially effective in reducing the weight born by the upper limbs and they caused only a minor reduction in the overall TAI score in comparison to sitting transfers

Shifting Skins: Becoming Multiple During Emergency Online Teaching

In this essay, we reflect on the emergence of our (new) teacher identities from the phenomenal space created within online learning, following the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Thrust from classrooms into in-between spaces mediated by digital technologies, the capricious co-inhabited new learning space functioned as a becoming-other space of identity-play, surfacing from centrifugal intra-actions among human, non-human, and inorganic entities and energies—what we have named a thinning space (authors, forthcoming). It called for becoming shapeshifters together through resisting crystallized roles and (re)claiming a multiplicity of vulnerable thin skins. We draw from the possibilities of existing virtual gaming spaces to propose that a thinning space towards freer learning could redefine current neoliberal conceptions of ‘normal’ education

Pulse consumption and demand by different population subgroups in Uganda and Tanzania

In recent years, the strategic importance of pulses in combating malnutrition and addressing health problems associated with overnutrition and obesity has been well acknowledged. However, previous research emphasized the production side and little is known about pulse consumption patterns by different groups of people. This study investigated pulse consumption patterns and demand by different socioeconomic groups in rural and urban localities of Uganda and Tanzania. Using the data compiled in the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) that are nationally representative of urban and rural households in Uganda and Tanzania, the study investigates the economic, temporal and spatial dimensions of pulse consumption and used econometric methods to evaluate the responsiveness of pulse demand to price and income changes. A two-stage censored food demand system was estimated to obtain consistent and unbiased unconditional expenditure and price elasticities for food and several food categories, including common bean in Uganda and pulses in Tanzania. Results indicate that consumption of pulses tend to increase with wealth and during harvesting periods as well as being higher in locations where production is also high. This emphasizes the important role that increased production of pulses could play in boosting consumption. Per capita consumption and contribution of pulses to protein in both countries is high. For example, in Uganda, bean contribute an average of 14.4 g of protein per person per day in rural areas, which is equivalent to 24% of the total daily per capita protein intake. In both countries, the poorer and wealthier households purchase a sizeable share of their consumed pulses. Pulse consumers are price sensitive and there is limited substitution for pulses, which suggests that price increase poses a risk for the nutritional security of the poor. Although projections in demand and supply growth rates indicate that supply might grow faster than demand, exports from both countries are growing faster than supply and this is likely to put pressure on domestic prices and further constrain demand among poorer households. Therefore, it is important to act now to avoid possible reduction in pulse consumption by poorer households that could lead to higher prevalence of malnutrition. Investment in agricultural research will be crucial such that farming households can adapt to a changing climate while increasing pulse productivity

Sex Differences in Recombination in Sticklebacks.

Recombination often differs markedly between males and females. Here we present the first analysis of sex-specific recombination in Gasterosteus sticklebacks. Using whole-genome sequencing of 15 crosses between G. aculeatus and G. nipponicus, we localized 698 crossovers with a median resolution of 2.3 kb. We also used a bioinformatic approach to infer historical sex-averaged recombination patterns for both species. Recombination is greater in females than males on all chromosomes, and overall map length is 1.64 times longer in females. The locations of crossovers differ strikingly between sexes. Crossovers cluster toward chromosome ends in males, but are distributed more evenly across chromosomes in females. Suppression of recombination near the centromeres in males causes crossovers to cluster at the ends of long arms in acrocentric chromosomes, and greatly reduces crossing over on short arms. The effect of centromeres on recombination is much weaker in females. Genomic differentiation between G. aculeatus and G. nipponicus is strongly correlated with recombination rate, and patterns of differentiation along chromosomes are strongly influenced by male-specific telomere and centromere effects. We found no evidence for fine-scale correlations between recombination and local gene content in either sex. We discuss hypotheses for the origin of sexual dimorphism in recombination and its consequences for sexually antagonistic selection and sex chromosome evolution

Qigong for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2MD) is a complex, chronic, metabolic disease with hyperglycemia arising from insulin resistance, progressive pancreatic beta cell failure, insufficient insulin secretion and increased hepatic glucose output. In the Chinese medicine theory, T2DM is often referred to as a form of Xiao Ke (消渴) or “wasting‐thirst disorder.” Genetic, dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors play a role in T2DM. People with a family history of diabetes or who are obese are at the highest risk of developing the disease. T2DM is often associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis and if not managed can lead to complications including cerebrovascular accident, peripheral vascular disease and nephropathy. T2DM can be well managed with biomedical and Chinese medicine treatment approaches. Lifestyle changes including appropriate diet and exercise are paramount in managing T2DM. Regular Qigong practice can be a beneficial part of one\u27s exercise routine for T2DM self‐care. Qigong exercise has shown promising results in clinical experience and in randomized, controlled pilot studies for affecting aspects of T2DM including positive associations between participation in Qigong and blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, weight, BMI and insulin resistance. This chapter looks at how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views diabetes as well as new understandings of how Qigong can support the management of T2DM

The adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning

Mobile technologies such as mobile device applications play a significant role within formal education and the use of social networking site such as Facebook through mobile devices has influence students’ management of learning in higher education. Researchers have identified a range of uses of Facebook mobile application in higher education. Despite the increasing use of Facebook mobile application by students and lecturers in higher education for educational purposes, very little empirical studies that concern the adoption of Facebook mobile application by university students in managing learning in the Malaysian higher education context. In this paper, we describe the likelihood of adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning by students of a private university in Malaysia, as well as how the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and motivations of usage affect the behavioural intention of the students in adopting Facebook mobile application for managing learning. Through an online questionnaire survey, data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlations and regressions. Results from the survey questionnaires (N=101) indicated a significant positive association between motivations of usage towards adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning as well as between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness towards students’ adoption of Facebook mobile application for managing learning. In conclusion, students’ perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, education purposes, information-seeking motive and interactivity were significant predictors of behavioural intention in adopting Facebook mobile application for managing learning

Malaysian private university students’ perception of online discussion forums: A qualitative enquiry

The continuous advancement in technology has transformed physical learning platforms into digital spaces in higher education. In Malaysia, instructors and students are gradually adopting the e-learning or blended-learning approach by using online discussion forums (e.g. BlackBoard) or social networking sites (e.g. Facebook groups) to engage students’ participation in courses and encourage self-directed learning. This study presents a qualitative view of students’ perception of engaging in online discussion forums in a synchronous learning environment, and their views on the positive and negative aspects of using online discussion forums for learning. Results indicate that students perceive autonomy and sense of belongingness in the online community as main factors that influence their voluntary and active participation in the online discussion forums. Technical challenges remain as a key factor in determining students’ interests to utilize online discussion forums for learning. While future research is needed to assess the sentiments of Malaysian students in online learning, this study was intended to provide Malaysian instructors and higher education institutions a preview on the sentiments of students towards online learning to better improve the aspects of technical, pedagogical methods and policies for online learning as the nation moves towards Education 4.0