Reducing Fragmentation in University Pre-Service Teacher Education: Conditions and Strategies

We report insights from a design research study in higher education that aims at overcoming pre-service teachers’ experiences of fragmentation in their educational programmes. The design approach started from the assumption that fragmentation could be reduced by initiating and conducting boundary crossing between practices in subject matter and subject matter didactics courses at university. Following this assumption, the design principle of boundary crossing by design(ing) for interlinking subject matter and subject matter didactics (domain-specific pedagogy) was implemented in two subjects in pre-service teacher education at university, one in mathematics and one in English language teaching. The linking between subject matter and subject matter didactics we strive for is two-fold: On the one hand, it requires curricular and organisational dovetailing of the courses involved (boundary crossing by design); on the other hand, it requires a study space where students are urged to try to interlink the courses’ contents in their thinking and acting (boundary crossing by designing). Following this design principle, a nested design approach is developed in which students’ designs of teaching practice is interlocked with the design of courses at university level. In this paper, we illustrate two kinds of findings by empirical examples: a conditional model for the intertwined realisation of the two types of linking, and interlinking strategies as heuristics for the pre-service teachers’ thinking and acting

Creating Awareness of Pluricentricity at University Language Departments: A Case Study of Dutch

Dutch is a pluricentric language: It is an official language in six countries spread over two continents. Its national varieties became recognized as officially accepted, equal varieties of the standard language in the 21st century. These recognized varieties are Belgian Dutch, Dutch Dutch, and Surinamese Dutch. We show that despite the official equal status of these varieties, Dutch Dutch remains the dominant variety and the relatively recent official pluricentric status of Dutch is not generally known to all language users. We discuss that this is still noticeable in textbooks used for advanced learners of Dutch at schools in the German federal state of Lower Saxony for example, but also in Dutch language teaching in general. It is thus of importance to create (even more) awareness amongst future teachers. For this reason, we propose a matrix to evaluate and implement awareness of the pluricentricity of Dutch at university language departments. We illustrate and discuss the application of this matrix in the Department of Dutch Studies at the University of Oldenburg, Germany

Spotlights Lehre. Transferpaket zur Verzahnung und Vernetzung von Fachwissenschaft und Fachdidaktik.

Die vorliegende Publikation versteht sich als Ideengeber für die universitäre Lehre in der Lehrerbildung in Gestalt eines sogenannten Transferpakets. Sie berichtet über Ergebnisse des Teilprojekts ‚Spotlights-Lehre‘ des Projekts ‚Schnittstellen gestalten – Lehrerbildung entlang des Leitbildes des "Reflective Practitioner" an der Universität Bremen' im BMBF-Programm ‚Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung‘. Inhaltlich geht es um innovative Lehrprojekte zur Verzahnung und Vernetzung von Fachwissenschaft und Fachdidaktik, die das Ziel verfolgen, Fragmentierungserfahrungen von Lehramtsstudierenden in den Fächern Mathematik, Englisch, Romanistik, Geschichte und Inklusive Didaktik zu reduzieren. Zentrales Anliegen dieses Transferpakets ist es, Transferstrategien bereitzustellen, an Beispielen zu illustrieren und in Lehrbeschreibungen einzubetten. Umfassend wird gezeigt, wie die Designprozesse zur Lehre in den beiden zentralen Modellprojekten der Fächer Englisch und Mathematik gestaltet sowie die Transfer- und Vernetzungsstrategien gewonnen wurden

ARTYKUŁ ORYGINALNY Rozpoznawanie choroby niedokrwiennej serca przy użyciu perfuzyjnej echokardiografii kontrastowej w czasie próby wysiłkowej na ergometrze rowerowym w pozycji leżącej

Introduction: Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is a new imaging modality for diagnosing ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Aim: The aim of this study was to assess 1) the feasibility of MCE during supine bicycle stress and 2) the value of this method in the diagnosis of IHD. Methods: Supine bicycle stress was performed in 44 consecutive patients (pts) referred for coronary angiography with an intermediate pre-test probability of IHD. MCE was carried out at peak stress and during recovery (once the heart rate returned to the pre-exercise value). During MCE an ultrasound contrast agent (Sonovue®) was administered intravenously in a continuous mode using an infusion pump (BR-INF 100, Bracco Research). The acquired images were qualitatively assessed for perfusion and wall motion abnormalities. The 18-segment division of the left ventricle was used in the analysis. Coronary angiography was performed in all pts within 15 days of the exercise test. A quantitative analysis of coronary artery stenoses was carried out using the CAAS system. Results: MCE could not be performed in 2 pts due to technical difficulties. Coronary angiography revealed significant coronary artery stenosis in 25 pts. The sensitivity and specificity of MCE in the diagnosis of IHD were 92.0% and 82.4%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were found to be 88.5% and 87.5%, respectively, while the agreement between coronary angiography and MCE was 88.1% (κ=0.75). Conclusions:MCE during supine bicycle stress and continuous intravenous administration of an ultrasound contrast agent is a feasible technique and allows accurate diagnosis of IHD in pts in whom the pre-test probability of the disease is intermediate.Wstęp: Perfuzyjna echokardiografia kontrastowa (ECHO/K) jest nową techniką umożliwiającą diagnostykę choroby niedokrwiennej serca (IHD). Cel: Ocena możliwości wykonania ECHO/K w czasie próby wysiłkowej na ergometrze rowerowym oraz ocena wartości diagnostycznej tej metody w rozpoznawaniu IHD. Metody: 44 kolejnych chorych, którzy byli kierowani na planową koronarografię i u których przedtestowe prawdopodobieństwo IHD było umiarkowane, poddano próbie wysiłkowej na ergometrze rowerowym w pozycji leżącej. ECHO/K wykonywano na szczycie wysiłku oraz w fazie odpoczynku, gdy tylko częstość rytmu serca osiągnęła wartość sprzed próby wysiłkowej. W trakcie ECHO/K stosowano ciągły wlew ultrasonograficznego środka kontrastowego (Sonovue®) podawanego za pomocą pompy infuzyjnej (BR-INF 100, Bracco Research). Otrzymane obrazy oceniano jakościowo pod kątem zaburzeń perfuzji oraz kurczliwości mięśnia sercowego. Do analizy wykorzystano podział mięśnia lewej komory na 18 segmentów. W ciągu 15 dni od próby wysiłkowej u wszystkich pTS wykonano koronarografię. Ocenę ilościową uwidocznionych zwężeń tętnic wieńcowych dokonano za pomocą programu CAAS. Wyniki: U 2 chorych nie można było ocenić ECHO/K z przyczyn technicznych. Badanie koronarograficzne ujawniło obecność istotnych zwężeń tętnic wieńcowych u 25 z nich. Czułość i swoistość ECHO/K w rozpoznawaniu IHD wynosiła odpowiednio 92,0% i 82,4%. Dodatnia i ujemna wartość predykcyjna przyjęły wartości 88,5% i 87,5%, a zgodność pomiędzy wynikami koronarografii i ECHO/K 88,1% (κ=0,75). Wnioski: ECHO/K wykonywana w czasie próby wysiłkowej na ergometrze rowerowym przy ciągłym wlewie ultrasonograficznego środka kontrastowego jest techniką możliwą do wykonania. Metoda ta umożliwia trafne rozpoznawanie IHD u chorych, u których przedtestowe prawdopodobieństwo choroby jest umiarkowane

Creating Awareness of Pluricentricity at University Language Departments: A Case Study of Dutch

Dutch is a pluricentric language: It is an official language in six countries spread over two continents. Its national varieties became recognized as officially accepted, equal varieties of the standard language in the 21st century. These recognized varieties are Belgian Dutch, Dutch Dutch, and Surinamese Dutch. We show that despite the official equal status of these varieties, Dutch Dutch remains the dominant variety and the relatively recent official pluricentric status of Dutch is not generally known to all language users. We discuss that this is still noticeable in textbooks used for advanced learners of Dutch at schools in the German federal state of Lower Saxony for example, but also in Dutch language teaching in general. It is thus of importance to create (even more) awareness amongst future teachers. For this reason, we propose a matrix to evaluate and implement awareness of the pluricentricity of Dutch at university language departments. We illustrate and discuss the application of this matrix in the Department of Dutch Studies at the University of Oldenburg, Germany

Mapping the population/service mismatch of Chronic Heart Failure in Australia

Tissue Doppler (TD) assessment of dysynchrony (DYS) is established in evaluation for bi-ventricular pacing. Time to regional minimal volume by real-time 3D echo (3D) has been applied to DYS. 3D offers simultaneous assessment of all segments and may limit errors in localization of maximum delay due to off-axis images.We compared TD and 3D for assessment of DYS. 27 patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (aged 60±11 years, 85% male) underwent TD with generation of regional velocity curves. The interval between QRS onset and maximal systolic velocity (TTV) was measured in 6 basal and 6 mid-cavity segments. Onthe same day,3Dwas performed and data analysed offline with Q-Lab software (Philips, Andover, MA). Using 12 analogous regional time-volume curves time to minimal volume (T3D)was calculated. The standard deviation (S.D.) between segments in TTV and T3D was calculated as a measure ofDYS. In 7 patients itwas not possible to measureT3D due to poor images. In the remaining 20, LV diastolic volume, systolic volume and EF were 128±35 ml, 68±23 ml and 46±13%, respectively. Mean TTV was less than mean T3D (150±33ms versus 348±54 ms; p 32 ms), S.D. T3D was 69±37ms compared to 48±34ms in those without DYS (p = ns). In DYS patients there was concordance of the most delayed segment in 4 (44%) cases.Therefore, different techniques for assessing DYS are not directly comparable. Specific cut-offs for DYS are needed for each technique