Addressing and resolving issues with hybrid flexible/dual mode teaching and technology in learning spaces:the 2 × n matrix model

Hybrid flexible learning is a mechanism for providing flexible learning to both online and on-campus students. Synchronous HyFlex teaching uses both technology and pedagogy to connect both groups within the same cohort. It is gaining popularity in higher educational institutions, but it also can create challenges associated with pedagogy, including technology, acoustics, and logistics. Finding solutions to these challenges is an organisational imperative for institutions aiming to address them. This article provides an overview of a mechanism for reviewing and problem solving as it relates to hybrid flexible teaching. A conceptual overview is detailed, building on previous literature; and experience from implementation, and rooted in a learning environments context, is described. The unique contribution of the study is demonstrated through the framework for resolving and understanding problems to provide solutions within the specific example of hybrid learning, which has not been analysed or considered in this way before. Example case studies are provided and considered, with an emphasis on practical real-world solutions (rooted in literature and evidence) that are likely to be useful to fellow practitioners.</p

Exercise dependency and overuse injuries in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common condition, but current medications have limitations, pushing a drive for alternative approaches. Different exercise-focused approaches have shown promise, but concern has also been raised about individuals with ADHD showing greater risk of addiction, including exercise dependency. Using an online survey, we examined current exercise practices, including exercise dependency and the presence of overuse injury, which could result from over-exercising, in 114 adults with ADHD. We found that most were regularly exercising. None were classified as exercise dependent, but 38.9% were deemed symptomatic non-dependent. Hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were a predictor of the level of exercise withdrawal experienced and the co-occurrence of Autism Spectrum Disorder was associated with greater risk of overuse injuries. The data indicate that ADHD may confer some greater risk of exercise dependency, aligning with previous studies investigating other addictions and suggesting further research is critical

Staff and student views of lecture capture: a qualitative study

Many universities now use lecture capture. We used focus groups to investigate perceptions of lectures and their capture in staff (N = 8) and students (N = 17). We found that staff and students held different views of lectures and this impacted on their perceptions of lecture capture. Our findings confirmed a range of previously identified uses of lecture capture and additionally demonstrated its use to model expert behaviour. Furthermore, we report here that students felt lecture capture reduced anxiety, particularly for those with disabilities, indicating that lecture capture may be a useful tool in creating an environment that supports mental wellbeing. Despite this potential value of lecture capture, it was still perceived to have some negative impact on the live lecture; reducing the interaction with students and prevent staff using anecdotes and humour in their teaching, which could reduce the value of the lecture capture

Staff and students perception of lecture capture

Many universities use lecture capture to record live lectures and make them available online, although this practice is not without controversy. We used an online survey to investigate perceptions of lectures and their capture in staff (N = 95) and students (N = 522). We found that they valued lectures and perceived capture differently, despite similar views on the type of learning lectures best support. Students were more positive about capture, utilising the online platform effectively. Exact use differed depending on whether students were substituting or supplementing attendance. Use of lecture capture was predicted by several factors including: demand of live lectures, attendance, and performance. Student attendance ratings were predicted by the availability of online resources and difficulty in getting to lectures, whilst staff felt only availability of online resources was critical in determining student attendance. Differing views of lectures and the importance of attendance may contribute to the different overall perceptions of lecture capture in these two groups

A case study: Views on the practice of opting in and out of lecture capture

Lecture capture use has increased in recent years. Research shows that staff and students view capture differently, but their views on the practice of opting-in and out has not been investigated previously, even though this element of practice can be specified in institutional policy and governance. Focus groups revealed that staff were unclear on issues around consent and both groups i) felt staff should determine whether to capture their lectures, although students felt opting-out should require approval from senior staff and ii) recognised the need to communicate in advance about capture provision. Survey data showed the two groups differed in policy preference, with student’s preferring Opt-out and staff wanting Opt-in, and in terms of whether approval should be needed to opt-out. However, there were similarities with both groups believing impact on lecture content was the most acceptable reason to opt-out and, if approval was needed, that this should be at the department level. While significant differences exist in how staff and students perceive opting in and out of capture, there is common ground which should inform the wider debate around the use of lecture capture. Furthermore, the current research identifies key issues on which staff and students should be consulted when introducing lecture capture such as consent and reasoning for use or non-use. Consultation on these topics may result in a policy more appealing to both groups

Chronic amphetamine enhances visual input to and suppresses visual output from the superior colliculus in withdrawal

Heightened distractibility is a core symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Effective treatment is normally with chronic orally administered psychostimulants including amphetamine.Treatment prevents worsening of symptoms but the site of therapeutic processes, and their nature, is unknown. Mounting evidence suggests that the superior colliculus (SC) is a key substrate in distractibility and a therapeutic target, so we assessed whether therapeutically-relevant changes are induced in this structure by chronic oral amphetamine. We hypothesized that amphetamine would alter visual responses and morphological measures. Six-week old healthy male rats were treated with oral amphetamine (2, 5 or 10 mg/kg) or a vehicle for one month after which local field potential and multiunit recordings were made from the superficial layers of the SC in response to whole-field light flashes in withdrawal. Rapid Golgi staining was also used to assess dendritic spines, and synaptophysin staining was used to assess synaptic integrity. Chronic amphetamine increased local field potential responses at higher doses, and increased synaptophysin expression, suggesting enhanced visual input involving presynaptic remodelling. No comparable increases in multiunit activity were found suggesting a mphetamine suppresses collicular output activity, counterbalancing the increased input. We also report,for the first time, five different dendritic spine types in the superficial layers and show these to be unaffected by amphetamine, indicating that suppression does not involve gross postsynaptic structural alterations. In conclusion, we suggest that amphetamine produces changes at the collicular level that potentially stabilise the structure and may prevent the worsening of symptoms in disorders like ADHD

The effects of tryptophan loading on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity in adults:A remote double blind randomised controlled trial

BackgroundDespite the impact and prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), current treatment options remain limited and there is a drive for alternative approaches, including those building on evidence of a role for tryptophan (TRP) and serotonin (5-HT). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of acute TRP loading on attention and impulsivity in adults with ADHD.Trial design and methods We conducted a remote double blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) using TRP loading to examine the effects of a balanced amino acid load in comparison to low and high TRP loading in individuals with ADHD (medicated, N = 48, and unmedicated, N = 46) and controls (N = 50). Participants were randomised into one of three TRP treatment groups using stratified randomisation considering participant group and gender using a 1:1:1 ratio. Baseline testing of attention and impulsivity using the Test of Variables of Attention Task, Delay Discounting Task, and Iowa Gambling Task was followed by consumption of a protein drink (BAL, LOW, or HIGH TRP) before repeated testing. Results and ConclusionsNo effects of TRP were observed for any of the measures. In the present study, TRP loading did not impact on any measure of attention or impulsivity in those with ADHD or Controls. The findings need to be confirmed in another trial with a larger number of patients that also considers additional measures of dietary protein, plasma TRP and aggression. (Registration ID ISRCTN15119603)<br/

The effects of different exercise approaches on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity in adults: a randomised controlled trial

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder results in significant functional impairment and current treatments, particularly for adults are limited. Previous research indicates that exercise may offer an alternative approach to managing ADHD but research into different types of exercise and adult populations is limited. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of acute exercise (aerobic cycling vs mind-body yoga exercises) on symptoms of ADHD in adults. Adults with ADHD (N=82) and controls (N=77) were randomly allocated to 10 minutes of aerobic (cycling) or mind-body (Hatha yoga) exercise. Immediately before and after exercise, participants completed the Test of Variables of Attention Task, Delay Discounting Task, and Iowa Gambling Task to measure attention and impulsivity. Actigraphy measured movement frequency and intensity. Both groups showed improved temporal impulsivity post-exercise, with cycling beneficial to all, whilst yoga only benefited those with ADHD. There were no effects of exercise on attention, cognitive or motor impulsivity, or movement in those with ADHD. Exercise reduced attention and increased movement in controls. Exercise can improve temporal impulsivity in adult ADHD but did not improve other symptoms and worsened some aspects of performance in controls. Exercise interventions should be further investigate

Conditioning‐ and reward‐related dendritic and presynaptic plasticity of nucleus accumbens neurons in male and female sign‐tracker rats

For a subset of individuals known as sign‐trackers, discrete Pavlovian cues associated with rewarding stimuli can acquire incentive properties and exert control over behaviour. Because responsiveness to cues is a feature of various neuropsychiatric conditions, rodent models of sign‐tracking may prove useful for exploring the neurobiology of individual variation in psychiatric vulnerabilities. Converging evidence points towards the involvement of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens core (NAc) in the development of sign‐tracking, yet whether this phenotype is associated with specific accumbal postsynaptic properties is unknown. Here, we examined dendritic spine structural organisation, as well as presynaptic and postsynaptic markers of activity, in the NAc core of male and female rats following a Pavlovian‐conditioned approach procedure. In contrast to our prediction that cue re‐exposure would increase spine density, experiencing the discrete lever‐cue without reward delivery resulted in lower spine density than control rats for which the lever was unpaired with reward during training; this effect was tempered in the most robust sign‐trackers. Interestingly, this same behavioural test (lever presentation without reward) resulted in increased levels of a marker of presynaptic activity (synaptophysin), and this effect was greatest in female rats. Whilst some behavioural differences were observed in females during initial Pavlovian training, final conditioning scores did not differ from males and were unaffected by the oestrous cycle. This work provides novel insights into how conditioning impacts the neuronal plasticity of the NAc core, whilst highlighting the importance of studying the behaviour and neurobiology of both male and female rats