Self-directed learning as related to learning strategies, self-regulation, and autonomy in an English language program: A local application with global implications

English language tutoring and/or self-access centers are services commonly offered as curricular support to English language program students in educational environments worldwide. This paper argues that the theory of self-directed learning (SDL) from the field of adult education should be considered alongside the equally-important areas of language learning strategies, learner autonomy, and self-regulated learning in the setup of these types of tutoring/self-access academic support centers. The proposition is examined by applying it to a particular case in an English language program of a major research university in the southeastern United States. The paper explicates the commonly-known theory of SDL (Grow, 1991) and relates it to models by put forward by Nakata (2010) and Oxford (2011, 2107). Empirical evidence from studies on encouraging SDL for English language study is summarized from a range of research projects conducted worldwide, and the author concludes by offering implications for educators in any institution-based, adult English language program.

The social sciences struggle to be relevant. can action-oriented research help?

How can the social sciences bridge the divide between abstract theory and idiomatic practice? Max French and Melissa Hawkins propose that one approach following this middle-way is ‘action oriented research’ (AOR). In this post they outline what AOR is and how it can make a strong claim as a route to relevance for the applied social sciences whilst also advancing academic theory. However, to play this role well, it needs to achieve clear standards of quality and clarify its pathway to impact

Reflection on Retention: An Evaluation Study on Minority Students’ Success in an Online Nursing Program

The United States nursing workforce faces a health care challenge for providing culturally competent care to the growing number of racial and ethnic minority groups. According to Gertner et al (2010), cultural competency in health care is defined as providing care to patients with diverse backgrounds to meet the social, cultural and linguistic needs. Research has shown that patients receive a higher level of culturally competent care from nurses who are from their own cultural background. Administrators and faculty working in Schools of Nursing must recognize this important fact and take action to ensure the admissions, progression, and graduation of minority students meet the needs of the population demographics of the community, resulting in better promotion of cultural competency in the healthcare system. Diverse students have different learning needs and barriers; therefore, policies and support services must be in place for these individuals to progress and graduate. Key strategies, according to our research, will be discussed regarding how faculty and administrators can best support the needs for diverse students to ensure progression and graduation in an online RN-BSN program

Antifouling Silicone Coatings Prepared with PEO-Silane Amphiphiles

The protein resistance, subsequent thromboresistance, and marine anti-biofouling ability of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was enhanced by the addition of a flexible, hydrophobic siloxane tether which imparts configurational mobility and amphiphilicity to the PEO. Conventional PEO-silanes (i.e. no tether) lack these beneficial properties and thus are limited in their ability to reduce biological adhesion onto bulk-crosslinked, silicone medical devices (e.g. hemodialysis catheters) or onto silicone marine coatings. To achieve antifouling behavior, PEO-modified silicones require the ability to undergo extensive water-driven surface restructuring so as to form a hydrophilic, PEO-enriched layer. A siloxane tether, due to its flexibility and similar hydrophobic nature as a silicone matrix, may potently enhance PEO migration to the silicone-water interface. New PEO-silane amphiphiles were prepared by variations to the siloxane tether length and PEO end-group chemistry to enhance water-driven surface-restructuring and PEO hydration, respectively. General formulas for the PEO-silane amphiphiles include α-(EtO)3Si-(CH2)2-oligodimethylsiloxanem-block-poly(ethylene oxide)8-OCH3 for those with variable siloxane tether length (m = 0, 4, 13, 17, 24, and 30) and α-(EtO)3Si-(CH2)2-oligodimethylsiloxane13-block-poly(ethylene oxide)11-sulfobetaine for those with a zwitterion PEO end-group. PEO-silane amphiphiles were used to bulk-modify silicones towards the goal of reducing protein adsorption and biofouling. First, a PEO-silane amphiphile bearing a siloxane tether of length m = 13 was incorporated into medical-grade silicone with variable amounts. It was determined that only a small amount (≤ 5wt%) was necessary for high protein resistance. PEO-silane amphiphiles of variable siloxane tether length (m = 0–30) and a conventional PEO-silane control (i.e. no tether) were bulk-crosslinked into silicones and surface-grafted onto silicon wafers. Although the surface-grafted PEO-silane amphiphiles were less protein resistant than the PEO-silane control, when incorporated into a bulk-modified silicone, the PEO-silane amphiphiles exhibited superior surface restructuring and, hence, protein resistance. An intermediate siloxane tether length was observed to maximize surface restructuring and subsequent protein and biofouling resistance. Lastly, the chemistry of PEO-silane amphiphiles was modified to include a zwitterion PEO end-group. These novel PEO-silane amphiphiles may be used for the bulk-modification of silicones to achieve high levels of PEO hydration while maintaining the ability of the PEO to restructure to the surface via a siloxane tether

Association between depressive symptom clusters and food attentional bias

Background The mechanisms underlying the depression-obesity relationship are unclear. Food attentional bias (FAB) represents one candidate mechanism that has not been examined. We evaluated the hypothesis that greater depressive symptoms are associated with increased FAB. Method Participants were 89 normal weight or overweight adults (mean age = 21.2 ± 4.0 years, 53% female, 33% non-white, mean body mass index in kg/m2 = 21.9 ± 1.8 for normal weight; 27.2 ± 1.5 for overweight). Total, somatic, and cognitive-affective depressive symptom scores were computed from the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8). FAB scores were calculated using reaction times (RT) and eye-tracking (ET) direction and duration measures for a food visual probe task. Age, gender, race/ethnicity, and body fat percent were covariates. Results Only PHQ-8 somatic symptoms were positively associated with RT-measured FAB (β = 0.23, p = .04). The relationship between somatic symptoms and ET direction (β = 0.18, p = .17) and duration (β = 0.23, p = .08) FAB indices were of similar magnitude but were not significant. Somatic symptoms accounted for 5% of the variance in RT-measured FAB. PHQ-8 total and cognitive-affective symptoms were unrelated to all FAB indices (ps ≥ 0.09). Conclusions Only greater somatic symptoms of depression were linked to food attentional bias as measured using reaction time. Well-powered prospective studies should examine whether this bias replicates, particularly for eye-tracking measures, and whether it partially mediates the depression-to-obesity relationship

Developing a Perspective on Schools as Complex, Evolving, Loosely Linking Systems

The rationale for this article is to give complexity the central place it warrants in school leadership, management and organisational practice and research. We analyse the relevant literature, particularly that relating to complex human systems and their loose coupling nature. The analysis reveals the dimensions of complex human systems and consequences that emanate from those dimensions, which include system evolution. We use the dimensions, together with notions of interactional capability, opportunities for interaction, the legitimacy of interactions and the extent to which the institutional primary task conditions interactions, to create an organisational/institutional perspective on schools as complex, evolving, loosely linking systems (CELLS). Five main systems of a school as a whole-school system are identified: the teaching staff system; the ancillary staff system; the student system; the parent system; and significant other systems in the wider system. In the article, we illustrate the nature of the teaching staff system from a CELLS perspective. We discuss issues arising from our analyses: interaction, influence and leadership; ontological issues; the nature of ‘the school’; the significance of the parent system; the special nature of interactions between the members of the teaching staff system and the student system; and institutional performance

Theorising schools as organisations: Isn’t it all about complexity?

The daily work of organising in schools both configures and is configured by the nature of schools as complex organisations. However, the organisational complexity of schools is often omitted in normative and analytical accounts of schools as organisations. In this paper, we seek to redress that omission and to bring organisational complexity to the fore in theorising about educational organisations and organising. Using a meta-ethnographic approach, we analyse the literature on organisational complexity and loose coupling. We develop and explain the elements of a perspective on schools as complex, evolving, loosely linked systems (CELLS). Using this perspective, we consider significant aspects of schools from this perspective with the intention of establishing its validity and relevance to organisation theory in education

The COMBS survey I : Chemical Origins of Metal-Poor Stars in the Galactic Bulge

19 pages, 5 tables, accepted to MNRASChemistry and kinematic studies can determine the origins of stellar population across the Milky Way. The metallicity distribution function of the bulge indicates that it comprises multiple populations, the more metal-poor end of which is particularly poorly understood. It is currently unknown if metal-poor bulge stars ([Fe/H] <−1 dex) are part of the stellar halo in the inner most region, or a distinct bulge population or a combination of these. Cosmological simulations also indicate that the metal-poor bulge stars may be the oldest stars in the Galaxy. In this study, we successfully target metal-poor bulge stars selected using SkyMapper photometry. We determine the stellar parameters of 26 stars and their elemental abundances for 22 elements using R∼ 47 000 VLT/UVES spectra and contrast their elemental properties with that of other Galactic stellar populations. We find that the elemental abundances we derive for our metal-poor bulge stars have lower overall scatter than typically found in the halo. This indicates that these stars may be a distinct population confined to the bulge. If these stars are, alternatively, part of the innermost distribution of the halo, this indicates that the halo is more chemically homogeneous at small Galactic radii than at large radii. We also find two stars whose chemistry is consistent with second-generation globular cluster stars. This paper is the first part of the Chemical Origins of Metal-poor Bulge Stars (COMBS) survey that will chemodynamically characterize the metal-poor bulge population.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio