Scenario pedagogy as a negotiated, multimodal approach to developing professional communication practices in higher education

Includes bibliographical references.The focus of this study is pedagogy - the 'how' of teaching. In particular, a negotiated and multimodal pedagogical approach which I have coined scenario pedagogy is of interest. Scenario pedagogy involves embedding an entire curriculum into a topical and authentic scenario, relevant to a particular group of students in higher education. The course in question is professional communication and the target group comprises senior and post-graduate accounting and other finance and information systems students registered in the commerce faculty. They are not communication students per se but register for a one-semester professional communication course towards their respective commerce degrees. In this study I examine how these students develop their professional communication practices using a wide variety of verbal and visual semiotic resources. Their selection of hybrid discursive, generic and modal resources are foregrounded at both draft and final product stage and include their communicative processes as well as the material artefacts they deliver in class. How students instantiate their meaning making and emerging identity as professionals-to-be is highlighted against a pedagogical framework of negotiated design. This framework combines a multiliteracies cum multimodal perspective which is underpinned by the notion of transformed practice. As pivotal elements of transformation - personally, collectively and societally - education and communication play significant roles, particularly in post-Apartheid South Africa still characterised by enormous socio-economic disparities and disadvantage

Improved Constrained Global Optimization for Estimating Molecular Structure From Atomic Distances

Determination of molecular structure is commonly posed as a nonlinear optimization problem. The objective functions rely on a vast amount of structural data. As a result, the objective functions are most often nonconvex, nonsmooth, and possess many local minima. Furthermore, introduction of additional structural data into the objective function creates barriers in finding the global minimum, causes additional computational issues associated with evaluating the function, and makes physical constraint enforcement intractable. To combat the computational problems associated with standard nonlinear optimization formulations, Williams et al. (2001) proposed an atom-based optimization, referred to as GNOMAD, which complements a simple interatomic distance potential with van der Waals (VDW) constraints to provide better quality protein structures. However, the improvement in more detailed structural features such as shape and chirality requires the integration of additional constraint types. This dissertation builds on the GNOMAD algorithm in using structural data to estimate the three-dimensional structure of a protein. We develop several methods to make GNOMAD capable of effectively and efficiently handling non-distance information including torsional angles and molecular surface data. In specific, we propose a method for using distances to effectively satisfy known torsional information and show that use of this method results in a significant improvement in the quality of α-helices and β-strands within the protein. We also show that molecular surface data in combination with our improved secondary structure estimation method and long-range distance data offer increased accuracy in spatial proximity of α-helices and β-strands within the protein, and thus provide better estimates of tertiary protein structure. Lastly, we show that the enhanced GNOMAD molecular structure estimation framework is effective in predicting protein structures in the context of comparative modeling

Out of Africa: Eine neue Perspektive auf Digitalisierung in Afrika

Corporations, social organisations, and government stakeholders are increasingly engaged in implementing Western information and communication technologies (ICTs) in sub-Saharan Africa. Given the impact of the digital revolution, critical questions emerge around the presumed need for this “into Africa” implementation. Our contribution aims to strike a counter-intuitive note amid the global perspective of “expanding” ICT into Africa. In the first place, we argue that the “digital revolution” in Africa is taking place successfully because it is based on important values originating in indigenous cultures – including African cultures – rather than Western principles. In the second place, we assume that digitalisation will be driven through “out of Africa” developments rather than an “implementation in Africa”. To substantiate our thesis, we present an example of a successful ICT service provider “made in Africa” and cutting-edge propositions created by African ICT students as potential future “out of Africa” business solutions.Wirtschaftliche und soziale Unternehmen sowie Regierungen befassen sich zunehmend mit der Einführung westlicher Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT) in Afrika. Angesichts der Auswirkungen der digitalen Revolution stellen sich kritische Fragen zu dieser Implementierungsstrategie. Dieser Beitrag möchte einen kontraintuitiven Blick auf die „Expansion“ westlicher IKT-Lösungen nach Afrika werfen. Wir argumentieren, dass die „digitale Revolution“ deshalb erfolgreich in Afrika stattfindet, weil sie auf Werten gründet, die indigenen – auch afrikanischen – Kulturen eher entsprechen als westlichen Prinzipien. Wir gehen davon aus, dass die Digitalisierung zukünftig eher durch Innovationen aus Afrika als in Form der Einführung in Afrika vorangetrieben wird. Zur Untermauerung dieser These präsentieren wir das Beispiel eines erfolgreichen, etablierten IKT-Dienstleisters „made in Africa“ und IKT-Konzepte afrikanischer Studierender, die sich zu weiteren erfolgreichen IKT-Lösungen aus Afrika entwickeln können

Sustainable Business Practices for Sustainable Futures: Partnering in Higher Education

The Professional Communication Unit (PCU) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has developed innovative, multimodal teaching approaches that aim to contribute to the notion of corporate citizenship. Two separate course partnerships strive to equip senior commerce students with graduate attributes valued in business and government. Course one involves a partnership with environmental consultants who collaborate with staff to mentor students during their institutional investigation of sustainable business practices. Course two involves collaboration between students, staff and small business owner-managers. It focuses on sustainability practices of the chosen SME in relation to the triple bottom line. The model aims to prepare students for societal challenges in the workplace and to offer technical support to these SMEs to increase their competitiveness. In the wake of global financial and environmental crises, this article amplifies the need for collaborative partnering as all constituents aim to remain relevant and sustainable in the 21st century

Protein Folding by \u27Levels of Separation\u27: A Hypothesis

The protein folding process has been studied both computationally and experimentally for over 30 years. To date there is no detailed mechanism to explain the formation of long-range interactions between the transition and native states. Long-range interactions are the principle determinants of the tertiary structure. We present a theoretical model which proposes a mechanism for the acquisition of these interactions as they form in a modified version of ‘degrees of separation’, that we term ‘levels of separation’. It is based on the integration of network science and biochemistry. (C) 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies

Acquiring communicative competence for the world of work : a business needs analysis and its impact on curriculum development and delivery

Bibliography: leaves 110-123.This study, undertaken over a two-year period (2001/2) concerns the appropriate content for teaching communicative competence to contemporary graduates. It comprised two parts, phase one and phase two. Phase one set out to gauge the "fit" between the respective perceptions of Commerce students, staff and graduates in the field. Based on the findings of phase one, phase two then evaluated the extent to which students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are being prepared for the commercial needs of their profession

Using Technology Enhanced Learning to Promote the Acquisition of Practical Skills in Occupational Therapy

This paper focuses on the use of game-based technology to effectively choose, prescribe, and safely use equipment, which are vital occupational therapy skills. A three-hour workshop was designed for 42 second year British occupational therapy students across two cohorts. The goal was for students to try out a variety of equipment ranging from small household and kitchen aids to elevating chairs and hoisting equipment. Students used the game-based technology during a class to encourage their engagement with practical aspects of equipment use and fitting. A short, optional survey indicated use of the game-based technology resulted in extremely high student engagement and faculty grading identified previously unnoticed student errors in the learning activity. After this workshop, students could enter practice with critical confidence rather than relying on fieldwork placements to provide adaptive equipment use skills

Exploring “Home” at an Assisted Living Facility: Looking through Residents’ Lenses with Photovoice

An increasing number of older adults are moving into assisted living facilities when living independently becomes difficult. These facilities afford older adults a home-like environment with opportunities for social activity and a minimal level of professional care, although relocation can negatively impact well-being. Because it is important to study home environments of aging adults, 10 residents of an assisted living facility were engaged in Photovoice to explore perceptions of the facility as home. Through photographic expression, residents identified environment enhancements for home at an assisted living facility. Findings of this study have implications for program planning at long-term care facilities

Examination of the Role of Religious and Psychosocial Factors in HIV Medication Adherence Rates

Optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with favorable HIV outcomes, including higher CD4 cell counts, HIV virus suppression and a lower risk of HIV transmission. However, only 25% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) in the USA are virally suppressed. Sub-optimal adherence (p\u3c 0.05). Social support satisfaction was also significantly associated with ART adherence (OR = 1.52, 95% CI [1.11–2.08], p \u3c 0.05) and energy/fatigue/vitality (OR = 1.03, 95% CI [1.00–1.05], p \u3c 0.05)

The Use of Simulation in Occupational Therapy: A scoping review

Introduction: Simulated learning experiences are a common feature of many health professions’ pre-registration curricula. However, the use of simulation within occupational therapy is still largely undefined. This scoping review seeks to identify and summarise the available evidence exploring the use of simulation within occupational therapy pre-registration education. Methods: A search was conducted in four databases for articles published between 2009 and 2020 to identify international literature relevant to the use of simulation within occupational therapy education. Articles were evaluated using the appropriate Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool and key features and benefits of current simulation education were identified using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 32 papers were included within the review. Four themes were identified and explored: simulation methods, authenticity, global approaches to simulation, and relationship to practice education. Conclusion: Simulation is taking place in many different forms within occupational therapy internationally. It is positively received by students and may provide an effective replacement for practice education if focussed on professional standards and competencies. Further research into the potential effectiveness of simulation in relation to practice learning is indicated