2,757 research outputs found
Nurturing the independent-thinking practitioner: using threshold concepts to transform undergraduate learning
This article explores the experience of employing the theory of threshold concepts to curricular re-design to transform students' learning experiences. As part of our annual review in 2011, programme team members raised the concern that some graduates from our vocational-type degree programme – BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families – did not appear to develop the links between 'theory' and 'practice' as effectively as other graduates. Reflection on the three-year old degree programme, designed to provide a foundation for those wishing to move into, or study further, in areas such as family support and social work, revealed two areas for further consideration. First, the programme's modular format appeared to encourage students to view aspects of their studies as unconnected. Secondly, its original design had been premised on a series of 'need to know' areas of policy, theory and practice which had been added to over time, with little taken out. In short, the curriculum appeared to have become both 'stuffed' and fragmented and did not appear to provide the ideal platform from which to engage students in the development of the knowledge, skills and understanding for future professional practice. Using the theory of threshold concepts as our starting point, we were able to identify key themes, ideas and activities that we perceived to be central to nurturing and developing independent and employable practitioners. The following article recounts our journey towards curriculum change, detailing how programme threshold concepts were identified and how these were subsequently applied in curriculum re-design
TEACHERS’ EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT ATTITUDE TOWARD HOMOSEXUALITY: THE ROLE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL MOTIVATION TO RESPOND WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Research has shown that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth have increased rates of physical and mental health problems primarily due to the chronic stress incurred by the levels of prejudice and isolation experienced in their environment, especially in Southern States. Teachers are the most available and sought after adults by sexual minority students, helping them to mitigate such toxic environments. In this study, the aim was to examine the relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes of homonegativity and the moderating role of motivation to control prejudiced reactions among teachers in Southern states. Additional information was gathered about the teachers’ school environment in regard to protective factors that were or were not in place for sexual minority students and possible resources that they perceived would be helpful in establishing a more positive environment for these students. Correlations were found between the Implicit Association Test (IAT), Modern Homonegativity Scale (MHS), and the Internal (IMS) and External (EMS) Motivation to Respond without Prejudice measure among other variables. Further, information was obtained that verified that the majority of these schools lacked needed protective factors to help sexual minority students navigate their environment safely
Post Procedural Care of Patients Receiving Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage Catheter Placement
A recent review of patients undergoing transhepatic biliary drainage catheter placement showed a 30-day readmission rate of 28%. New post-procedural processes were created to standardize the care of this patient population to decrease readmission rates and improve patient satisfaction
Microgeographic Population Genetic Structure of Baylisascaris Procyonis (Nematoda: Ascaroidae) in Western Michigan Indicates the Grand River is a Barrier to Gene Flow
We developed eight polymorphic microsatellites from the parasitic nematode Baylisascaris procyonis. Amplification of these loci in a sample of 74 worms collected from 10 raccoons in Western Michigan revealed significant population structure. Bayesian clustering indicates two subpopulations, one on either side of the Grand River which bisects the region sampled. Estimates of FST, and results from AMOVA and isolation by distance, further corroborate a scenario whereby the river is acting as a barrier to gene flow, a rather unusual finding given the high vagility of raccoons and microgeographic scale of the analysis. We describe one possible mechanism for how this pattern of structure could have become established
Chapter Canals, Cities, Museums, Libraries & Photography: a Reconnaissance Study of Regent’s Canal, London
City waterways are a valuable part of our cultural heritage. Over the years the usage has changed from business to pleasure. Regent’s Canal, cutting across north central London since 1820, has a rich social and industrial history. Much of this history has been and is being captured via photographs. Many of these are being lost due to limited museum resources and disparate collections. This paper reports on phase one of a fifteen-month exploratory research project. The research aims to explore ways of aiding image capture, selection, storage and retrieval. We hope to link with researchers elsewhere, especially in Italy
The impact of a training program in phonological awareness on children's early writing
This study examined the effects that a training program
in phonological awareness had on the early writing skills of
children in a Grade One class in the Lincoln County Separate
school system.
The intent of the training program was to provide
consistent and systematic practice in the manipulation of
the phonological structure of language. The games and
activities of the training program were related to a
framework of developmental phonological skills and practised
in a group setting during an unstructured period of the
regular classroom schedule. The training program operated
three days in a six-day cycle for approximately twenty
minutes a day, from November until mid-March.
All children were tested at the outset and conclusion
of the study to determine level of functioning in letter
identification, word recognition, verbal intelligence,
phonological awareness and spelling.
Results of the pre-tests and post-tests were compared
to determine differences between the experimental and
control groups over time. In addition, a systematic
analysis of the children's writing looked at the development
of the spelling of regular and irregular words.
The results of this study provided strong support for
the hypothesis that the treatment group would progress
through the stages of early writing development more quickly
than children without such training. On the basis of
differences between the groups over time, it was evident
that training in phonological awareness had a direct
positive effect on the spelling of regular words for
children during the early stages of writing. The training
program did not have a significant effect on the spelling of
irregular words.
Test results evaluating phonological awareness
indicated a significant difference within each group over
time but no significance between the groups during the
experimental period. It would appear that the results of
these tests reflect maturational changes in the child rather
than causal effects of the training program. Nor did the
effects of the training program transfer significantly to
other aspects of language.
Although some of the hypotheses considered were not
supported by the study, the results do indicate that
children during the early stages of writing development can
benefit from a training program in phonological awareness.
The theoretical direction for effective programming as
a result of this study is discussed. The educational
implications of training phonological awareness concurrent
to beginning efforts in writing are considered
Neuronal Firing Sensitivity to Morphologic and Active Membrane Parameters
Both the excitability of a neuron's membrane, driven by active ion channels, and dendritic morphology contribute to neuronal firing dynamics, but the relative importance and interactions between these features remain poorly understood. Recent modeling studies have shown that different combinations of active conductances can evoke similar firing patterns, but have neglected how morphology might contribute to homeostasis. Parameterizing the morphology of a cylindrical dendrite, we introduce a novel application of mathematical sensitivity analysis that quantifies how dendritic length, diameter, and surface area influence neuronal firing, and compares these effects directly against those of active parameters. The method was applied to a model of neurons from goldfish Area II. These neurons exhibit, and likely contribute to, persistent activity in eye velocity storage, a simple model of working memory. We introduce sensitivity landscapes, defined by local sensitivity analyses of firing rate and gain to each parameter, performed globally across the parameter space. Principal directions over which sensitivity to all parameters varied most revealed intrinsic currents that most controlled model output. We found domains where different groups of parameters had the highest sensitivities, suggesting that interactions within each group shaped firing behaviors within each specific domain. Application of our method, and its characterization of which models were sensitive to general morphologic features, will lead to advances in understanding how realistic morphology participates in functional homeostasis. Significantly, we can predict which active conductances, and how many of them, will compensate for a given age- or development-related structural change, or will offset a morphologic perturbation resulting from trauma or neurodegenerative disorder, to restore normal function. Our method can be adapted to analyze any computational model. Thus, sensitivity landscapes, and the quantitative predictions they provide, can give new insight into mechanisms of homeostasis in any biological system
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Newly Insured Californians Would Fall by More than 1 Million Under the Affordable Care Act Without the Requirement to Purchase Insurance
Compares the estimated number and percentage of currently uninsured Californians who will be insured by 2019 under the Affordable Care Act with the individual mandate and without. Highlights the need for the mandate to ensure affordable coverage
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