Journeys towards expertise in technology-supported teaching

Expertise in technology-supported teaching needs to be understood from multi-dimensional perspectives and influences, if raising teacher quality is a desired goal of education services. This study aimed to uncover the interactive influences of teachers\u27 pedagogical practices, learning experiences and personal characteristics and how their decisions impacted upon their growth in expert technology-supported teaching. A mixed methods approach incorporated case study techniques, use of quantitative and qualitative data and was informed by grounded theory. Five female primary teachers participated in this research which was conducted during one year over two data collection stages in a technology-supportive independent Australian girls\u27 school. Variations of expertise were most evident in teachers\u27 pedagogical practices, attributable to their technological, pedagogical and content knowledge and beliefs about student learning. These were apparent in the design, delivery and management of student learning activities, with and without digital resources and tools. Common to all was the strength of performance self-efficacy beliefs, desire for excellence and the motivational challenges afforded by technologies to practices and approaches to learning. Particular experiences and influences on learning were perceived by teachers as significant in their journeys of growth, namely 1) accessing the knowledge and modelling strategies of a dedicated curriculum resource teacher, 2) engaging in collaborative activities and feeling part of a team, 3) observing colleagues at work, and 4) being committed to staying abreast of new ideas by spending time alone to play and learn in the non-threatening environment of technology. A distinctive feature of their professional agency was illustrated by pro-active attitudes to change and taking ownership for decisions. These deliberate choices made to advance professional growth over time were epitomised by changes in professional roles, changes within school systems and changes to practices, incorporating risk-taking actions. Expert practices with technology need to be sustained through perseverance and dedication to learning and practice. When the extent of a teacher\u27s expertise is distinguished by referring to descriptors along continuum pathways, this is an encouragement to all teachers to pursue excellence in technology-supported teaching practices

Nonequilibrium Green's function theory for nonadiabatic effects in quantum electron transport

We develop nonequilibribrium Green's function based transport theory, which includes effects of nonadiabatic nuclear motion in the calculation of the electric current in molecular junctions. Our approach is based on the separation of slow and fast timescales in the equations of motion for the Green's functions by means of the Wigner representation. Time derivatives with respect to central time serves as a small parameter in the perturbative expansion enabling the computation of nonadiabatic corrections to molecular Green's functions. Consequently, we produce series of analytic expressions for non-adiabatic electronic Green's functions (up to the second order in the central time derivatives); which depend not solely on instantaneous molecular geometry but likewise on nuclear velocities and accelerations. Extended formula for electric current is derived which accounts for the non-adiabatic corrections. This theory is concisely illustrated by the calculations on a model molecular junction

Colorectal Cancer Through Simulation and Experiment

Colorectal cancer has continued to generate a huge amount of research interest over several decades, forming a canonical example of tumourigenesis since its use in Fearon and Vogelstein’s linear model of genetic mutation. Over time, the field has witnessed a transition from solely experimental work to the inclusion of mathematical biology and computer-based modelling. The fusion of these disciplines has the potential to provide valuable insights into oncologic processes, but also presents the challenge of uniting many diverse perspectives. Furthermore, the cancer cell phenotype defined by the ‘Hallmarks of Cancer’ has been extended in recent times and provides an excellent basis for future research. We present a timely summary of the literature relating to colorectal cancer, addressing the traditional experimental findings, summarising the key mathematical and computational approaches, and emphasising the role of the Hallmarks in current and future developments. We conclude with a discussion of interdisciplinary work, outlining areas of experimental interest which would benefit from the insight that mathematical and computational modelling can provide

Spectral Graph Theory and Research

Our topic of study was Spectral Graph Theory. We studied the algebraic methods used to study the properties of graphs (networks) and became familiar with the applications of network analysis. We spent a significant amount of time studying the way virus’s spread on networks, with particular applications to Covid-19. We also investigated the relationship between graph spectra and structural properties

Getting inside the black box of technology integration in education: Teachers\u27 stimulated recall of classroom observations

This study explored the black box of technology integration through the stimulated recall of teachers who showed proficiency in the use of technology to support teaching and learning. More particularly, the aim of the study was to examine how these teachers use technology in their lessons and to gain deeper insights into the multifaceted influences affecting their current practices. In order to explore this black box, observations and stimulated recall interviews with primary school teachers were conducted in schools which were selected by the inspectorate on the basis of advances they had made in educational technology use. Stimulated recall interviews - a verbal reporting technique in which the teachers were asked to verbalize their thoughts while looking at their own classroom practice on video - seemed to be a promising approach to increase authentic understandings of technology integration. The results emphasize that (a) the teachers involved in this study were pedagogically proficient and flexible enough to fit technology in with the varying demands of their educational practices, (b) the teachers\u27 ongoing learning experiences rather than training affected the development of the quality of their practices, and (c) the role of the school and the broader context of teachers\u27 personal lives played an important role. By interpreting the results of the study, recommendations are discussed for teacher technology integration and future research

Quantum Hall induced currents and the magnetoresistance of a quantum point contact

We report an investigation of quantum Hall induced currents by simultaneous measurements of their magnetic moment and their effect on the conductance of a quantum point contact (QPC). Features in the magnetic moment and QPC resistance are correlated at Landau-level filling factors nu=1, 2 and 4, which demonstrates the common origin of the effects. Temperature and non-linear sweep rate dependences are observed to be similar for the two effects. Furthermore, features in the noise of the induced currents, caused by breakdown of the quantum Hall effect, are observed to have clear correlations between the two measurements. In contrast, there is a distinct difference in the way that the induced currents decay with time when the sweeping field halts at integer filling factor. We attribute this difference to the fact that, while both effects are sensitive to the magnitude of the induced current, the QPC resistance is also sensitive to the proximity of the current to the QPC split-gate. Although it is clearly demonstrated that induced currents affect the electrostatics of a QPC, the reverse effect, the QPC influencing the induced current, was not observed

CK2 abrogates the inhibitory effects of PRH/HHEX on prostate cancer cell migration and invasion and acts through PRH to control cell proliferation

PRH/HHEX (Proline Rich Homeodomain protein/Haematopoietically-Expressed Homeobox protein) is a transcription factor that controls cell proliferation, cell differentiation and cell migration. Our previous work has shown that in haematopoietic cells Protein Kinase CK2-dependent phosphorylation of PRH results in the inhibition of PRH DNA binding activity, increased cleavage of PRH by the proteasome, and the misregulation of PRH target genes. Here we show that PRH and hyperphosphorylated PRH are present in normal prostate epithelial cells, and that hyperphosphorylated PRH levels are elevated in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic adenocarcinoma, and prostate cancer cell lines. A reduction in PRH protein levels increases the motility of normal prostate epithelial cells and conversely, PRH over-expression inhibits prostate cancer cell migration and blocks the ability of these cells to invade an extracellular matrix. We show that CK2 over-expression blocks the repression of prostate cancer cell migration and invasion by PRH. In addition, we show that PRH knockdown in normal immortalised prostate cells results in an increase in the population of cells capable of colony formation in Matrigel, as well as increased cell invasion and decreased E-cadherin expression. Inhibition of CK2 reduces PRH phosphorylation and reduces prostate cell proliferation but the effects of CK2 inhibition on cell proliferation are abrogated in PRH knockdown cells. These data suggest that the increased phosphorylation of PRH in prostate cancer cells increases both cell proliferation and tumour cell migration/invasion

The influence of dyadic symptom distress on threat appraisals and self-efficacy in advanced cancer and caregiving

Physical and psychological symptoms experienced by patients with advanced cancer influence their wellbeing; how patient and family caregivers' symptom distress influence each other's wellbeing is less understood. This study examined the influence of patient and caregiver symptom distress on their threat appraisals and self-efficacy to cope with cancer