The top 10 research priorities in cystic fibrosis developed by a partnership between people with CF and healthcare providers

There remain many treatment uncertainties in cystic fibrosis (CF). With limited resources, research should focus on questions which are most important to the CF community. We conducted a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership in CF. Research questions were elicited and then prioritised in successive surveys. A workshop agreed the final top 10. Online methods avoided cross infection and widened participation. The elicitation survey had 482 respondents (1080 questions) and prioritisation survey 677 respondents. Participants were drawn equally from the patient and clinical communities globally. We have achieved a consensus on 10 research priorities which will be attractive to funders

What effective ways of motivation, support and technologies help people with cystic fibrosis improve and sustain adherence to treatment?

Introduction: “What effective ways of motivation, support and technologies help people with cystic fibrosis improve and sustain adherence to treatment?” was identified as one of the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership’s top 10 research questions in cystic fibrosis (CF). Using electronic questionnaires, we aimed to gain a deeper understanding of this research priority.Method: The work was led by the steering group representative of the UK CF community consisting of patients, carers and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Electronic questionnaires were completed over a 4-week period and promoted via online forums such as Twitter, the UK CF Trust and US CF Foundation websites and via professional networks. Analysis of the closed questions was completed using Microsoft Excel, with keyword analysis and the final thematic analysis completed using NVivo software.Results: There were 313 respondents; 176/313 (56%) were from people with CF and their families. HCPs comprised of 10 professional groups accounting for 137/313 (44%) of respondents, with global involvement of participants with the majority from the UK. Common themes identified as impacting on adherence included: having no time, treatment burden, competing life demands, fatigue and the patient’s general health. Having a routine was identified as the most frequently used motivational strategy, valued by both the patient and professional community. However, some strategies were valued more by HCPs than used in practice by patients; these included the use of short-term goal setting and technology use.Conclusion: Adherence to treatment is crucial, however it is often suboptimal and strategies valued by HCPs to promote adherence are not always shared by patients. To promote adherence clinicians and researchers should be mindful that in a condition where treatment burden and time pressures are considerable, any interventions should focus on simplifying care and reducing treatment burden

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29

Capture the king: using analogies to teach mathematics to adults

Adams, NM ORCiD: 0000-0003-0014-244XThe vicissitudes in higher education internationally has resulted in universities changing the focus of their undergraduate degrees, increasing enrolments and broadening participation. Non-traditional students, who would have once been excluded from university studies, are now being accepted. Given the resulting social and educational diversity of these students, how do we, as educators, prepare them for undergraduate study? Central Queensland University (CQU) is well known for accepting non-traditional students and has therefore provided services and courses to ensure that these students are prepared. Preparatory mathematics courses, for students wishing to gain entry to university, follow adult learning principles and can both provide content knowledge and increase confidence [1]. Students’ confidence in their ability in mathematics is important; as confidence in their ability increases so do their grades [2]. Over half of the students entering preparatory mathematics courses at CQU expressed a fear of mathematics [1]. Given that so many students have a fear of mathematics, reducing the fear and increasing confidence is therefore a vital part of teaching mathematics. Analogies are an excellent way to teach mathematics to adults. They enable connections to be forged which increases understanding, thus increasing confidence and reducing fear. Analogies enable mathematics concepts to be conveyed in a form that students can relate to, thus, increasing their understanding and confidence. One mathematics topic that the majority of preparatory students fear is algebra, which is often due to it being perceived as more abstract and thus irrelevant to the ‘real world’. Using chess as an analogy in assisting students to understand the rearranging of an equation and especially the order in which to solve algebraic equations is extremely beneficial. Students are excited that mathematics can be viewed in a manner far removed from those tedious repetitious learning methods many learnt in school. Equation solving then becomes analogous to role playing as students metaphorically eliminate the ‘guards’ and capture the ‘king’. Many students have commented “I always hated algebra in school if only they had taught it like this”. Anecdotal evidence suggests that students better relate to course content when analogies are used to simplify the concepts and provide contextual connections. It also suggests a reduction in cognitive overload and increased engagement

Using a Tablet PC to facilitate the engagement and success of students

Adams, NM ORCiD: 0000-0003-0014-244XNever has higher education been more important. As a result of Government initiatives implemented to increase student engagement in learning, universities are striving to increase their mature-aged and low socio-economic student numbers. As these students are often the most vulnerable to dropping out, it is vital that they are provided with the necessary guidance and support required for a successful learning journey. The Mathematics Learning Centre (MLC) at CQUniversity Australia is utilising technology to not only enhance the delivery of bridging mathematics courses but to also provide the necessary support for students once they enter their undergraduate degrees. The Tablet PC is being used to create instructional videos to support and engage external (distance) bridging mathematics students; and to create short videos to help external undergraduate students with the mathematical content in their courses

Supportive frameworks that increase mathematical knowledge and confidence in students enrolled in bridging mathematics courses

Adams, NM ORCiD: 0000-0003-0014-244XInternationally, universities are changing the focus of their undergraduate degrees, increasing enrolments and broadening participation. As a result, non-traditional students who would once have been excluded from university studies are now being accepted. As expected, these changes are not without consequences, and one is left asking “How do we adequately prepare non-traditional students academically and increase their confidence enabling them to cope with undergraduate study?” Preparatory mathematics courses that follow adult learning principles can both provide content knowledge and increase confidence. A study conducted by CQUniversity Australia (CQU) examining students’ mathematical confidence prior to and after completing at least one Transition Mathematics course, found students reported a reduction in their fear of mathematics. Courses with supportive frameworks, containing formative assessment and prompt feedback, are essential for ensuring students are engaged and understand the course content. Course scaffolding and support also increase student confidence in mathematics which in turn benefits academic progression

Preparing enabling students for undergraduate study through the use of ubiquitous technologies

Adams, NM ORCiD: 0000-0003-0014-244XThe Australian Government initiatives, implemented to broaden student engagement in learning, have resulted in Australian universities endeavouring to increase their mature-aged and low socio-economic numbers. As these students are often the most susceptible to attrition, providing the necessary guidance and support is essential. With many students from this demographic studying by distance it is becoming increasingly important to innovatively engage them. Adopting Tablet PCs allows for the provision of instructional videos, electronic study guides and formative assessment, which can be electronically marked and quickly returned, thus facilitating the effective guidance and support of students. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, a study was conducted to examine the efficacy of integrating technology into enabling mathematics courses. Distance students were questioned regarding their attitudes relating to all aspects of the course provided through the use technology

Reducing turnaround time: electronic marking using the tablet PC

Adams, NM ORCiD: 0000-0003-0014-244XIn order to overcome known difficulties associated with studying externally and provide a quality learning environment, CQUniversity Mathematics Learning Centre’s (MLC) course developers are guided by the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamsen, 1987) that are endorsed by the CQUniversity Academic Board. According to the Seven Principles, good practice in undergraduate education:1. Encourages contact between students and staff 2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students 3. Encourages active learning 4. Gives prompt feedback 5. Emphasises time on task 6. Communicates high expectations 7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.This presentation seeks to explore the electronic marking of assessment via the Tablet PC, how this relates to the seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education and student feedback. A significant issue at many universities is the lengthy turnaround time for returning assessment to students. As the main purpose of formative assessment, in particular, is to provide timely effective feedback to students before they progress further in the course, a turnaround time of almost two weeks is counterproductive. In order to address this issue the Mathematics Learning Centre (MLC) at CQUniversity (CQU) moved to electronic marking in 2006. A survey of external students conducted by the MLC found students not only appreciated the quick turnaround but found the handwritten annotations facilitated by the Tablet PC invaluable.Some scholars such as Hume (2001) find that the writing surface of the Tablet PC producespoor quality writing and has the effect of making bad writing worse. Our initial surevey confirmed that it is not the quality of the writing that is important to students but the quality of the feedback that is provided. We use our formative assessment as a teaching tool. Mistakes are highlighted and the problem is reworked correctly demonstrating correct working and setting out. Extra annotations are added as required to aid the students understanding.We (MLC) now have been using Tablet PCs to electronically mark for almost five years and students regularly comment on how quickly we mark their work. We are currently measuring the effectiveness of our current system and how students respond to the changes implemented in response to our initial survey. We will report on this in the future

Using technology to provide a supportive mathematical pathway into university

Adams, NM ORCiD: 0000-0003-0014-244XAs a result of Government initiatives implemented to broaden student engagement in learning, universities are striving to increase their mature-aged and low socio-economic numbers. As these students are often the most susceptible to attrition, providing the necessary guidance and support is essential. With many students from this demographic studying externally it is becoming increasingly important to innovatively engage them. Through the use of Tablet PCs, comprehensive Electronic Study Guides have been created that are able to effectively guide and support students completing bridging mathematics courses