The personal created through dialogue: enhancing possibilities through the use of new media

This paper explores the relationships between a number of different developments in higher education pedagogy, which are subsumed under the broad heading of progress files. The overall concern of the paper is to explore the ways in which personal reflection and learning is enhanced through dialogue. The paper explores the ways learners engage in dialogue in two environments that use different aspects of digital technologies to support the development of portfolios. The findings from the case studies point to the ways in which different technologies facilitated personal reflection mediated through sharing and dialogue. We develop the idea of affordances as a relationship whereby the learner is involved in a purposeful engagement with the possibilities created by their environment. The affordance of digitised technologies in supporting dialogue is, therefore, conceptualised in relation to the characteristics of the learner, not as a simple technology relation

Mentoring beginning teachers and goal setting

Australia has delineated a new direction for teacher education by embedding mentoring programs for teachers who support early-careers teachers as a system approach. This case study investigated how mentors after involvement in a mentoring professional learning program focused on goal setting with beginning teachers in their schools. Data were analysed from six mentors’ interviews using semi-structured questions and archival documents associated with the mentoring program. Findings revealed that negotiated goal setting facilitates potentially successful teaching practices that align to career stage standards. Other findings associated with goal setting are reported around: (1) mentor-mentee relationships, (2) roles, skills and responsibilities, (3) specific goal setting, and (4) the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Further research (qualitative paired mentor-mentee partnerships and large quantitative studies) will provide insights on effective uses of goal setting that align with standardised frameworks and connect with effective teaching practices

A compendium of sources of fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth data for metallic alloys, part 3

This Technical Memorandum presents sources of fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth data for metallic alloys. This is Part 3 of a three volume report

Mentoring for Effective Teaching - An Analysis of Austrian Teachers’ School-based Mentoring Practices

Mentoring studies worldwide indicate various methods of mentoring yet there are commonalities for mentoring around the classroom and school practices. Gauging a country’s potential for mentoring early-career teachers can provide understandings of current mentoring practices towards initiating advancements. This quantitative study drew upon a validated survey instrument to gain insights on how mentoring occurs in Austria. Participants (mentors, n=63) provided indications on their mentoring experiences across five factors (personal attributes, system requirements, pedagogical knowledge, modelling, and feedback). Results show that these mentors were motivated to support their mentees, particularly with pedagogical knowledge (e.g., classroom management). As a self-reporting instrument, participants claimed they mentored on 9 of the 11 pedagogical knowledge items with percentages greater than 68%, however, only a little more than half mentored content knowledge and assessment. Using the survey provided information on what to focus on for advancing mentoring practices in Austria - especially with questions of support in the areas of planning, implementation, questioning techniques and assessment

Ethnic and age differences in right-left breast asymmetry in a large population-based screening population

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to sex hormones is important in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and inability to tolerate such exposure may be reflected in increased asymmetrical growth of the breasts. This study aims to characterize, for the first time, asymmetry in breast volume (BV) and radiodense volume (DV) in a large ethnically diverse population. METHODS: Automated measurements from digital raw mammographic images of 54,591 cancer-free participants (aged 47-73) in a UK breast screening programme were used to calculate absolute (cm3) and relative asymmetry in BV and DV. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess asymmetry associations with age and ethnicity. RESULTS: BV and DV absolute asymmetry were positively correlated with the corresponding volumetric dimension (BV or DV). BV absolute asymmetry increased, whilst DV absolute asymmetry decreased, with increasing age (P-for-linear-trend <0.001 for both). Relative to Whites, Blacks had statistically significantly higher, and Chinese lower, BV and DV absolute asymmetries. However, after adjustment for the corresponding underlying volumetric dimension the age and ethnic differences were greatly attenuated. Median relative (fluctuating) BV and DV asymmetry were 2.34 and 3.28% respectively. CONCLUSION: After adjusting for the relevant volumetric dimension (BV or DV), age and ethnic differences in absolute breast asymmetry were largely resolved. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Previous small studies have reported breast asymmetry-breast cancer associations. Automated measurements of asymmetry allow the conduct of large-scale studies to further investigate these associations

York ISL Supported Living Service Evaluation

A service evaluation of ISL's Living Service in the city of York. Mixed methods data were collected from among residents, staff, and parents. Findings indicate the diversity of residents and detail the largely positive experiences of living independently in the service. The Report offers recommendations for continued development

Listening to Learners

As Hammersley (2002) argues, one of the fundamental challenges for educational research is making the journey from research to policy and practice. For too long the perspective of learners has been ignored in educational research: “….rarely are their voices taken seriously into account in policies devised to improve teaching, learning and achievement” (Wood, 2003:365-6), despite the fact that learners, as Pollard, Triggs, Broadfoot et al (2000) have noted, are expert commentators. Learner voice is coming of age and through research, practice is developing and understanding deepening. This report is organised into two parts: the first part is a review of the literature on learner voice, which was used to inform our ongoing learner voice work as well as highlighting issues of common concern across all phases of education, primary, secondary and tertiary as well as identify gaps in the literature which could be discussed at the one day conference linked to this work. The one day conference: Listening to Learners: Partnerships in Action, aimed to disseminate innovative work in progress as well as good practice from other projects and initiatives. There were key note presentations from a number of speakers: researchers, academics and practitioners who provided details of current research (Pippa Lord), theoretical underpinnings (Michael Fielding), good practice (Gill Mullis and Laurie Goodlad). However the most important contributions came from young people, secondary school pupils, who presented during the plenary session and also facilitated the workshops. Following the event a conference wiki (http://listeningtolearners.pbworks.com)was set up to enable delegates to continue discussions and conversations on learner voice as well as a repository for conference materials. There have been a number of reviews of the literature on learner voice undertaken by individuals and organisations, which are reviewed and cited in our own work. Our review cannot claim to be comprehensive nor exhaustive but serves as a useful starting point in setting out the policy background and context to learner voice, the various typologies and theoretical frameworks that have been developed, as well as some of the methodological issues and ethical concerns associated with learner voice work. The second part is a case study of a student voice project which UEL has been engaged in since 2007. This case study is significant for three reasons. Firstly, it examines some of the tensions and ambiguities that exist when students are asked to become independent researchers. Secondly, it considers the extent to which student voice represents joint responsibility in the developments taking place or just the minority voices within pupil and teacher communities of practice. Thirdly, it raises questions about societal values and the contrived distance between adults and children in different cultural contexts. At a time when research reveals that British children represent some of the unhappiest within the industrialised world, recognising the pervasiveness of the “ideology of immaturity” (Ruddock and Fielding, 2006:225) that exists in many schools in England can reduce hope in an increasingly complex world. Often couched in terms of inevitability, such an ideology can drain energy and commitment of both learners and teachers. The case study illustrates how young people, if listened to, have the potential to transform school processes, purposes and procedures. The voices of the learners in the study and their concerns give rise to complex hope in exceedingly complex times

An improved automated immunoassay for C-reactive protein on the Dimension® clinical chemistry system

Recent clinical data indicate that the measurement of the concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) requires a higher sensitivity and wider dynamic range than most of the current methods can offer. Our goal was to develop a totally automated and highly sensitive CRP assay with an extended range on the Dimension® clinical chemistry system based on particle-enhanced turbidimetric-immunoassay (PETIA) technology. The improved method was optimized and compared to the Binding Site's radial immunodiffusion assay using disease state specimens to minimize interference. Assay performance was assessed on the Dimension® system in a 12-instrument inter-laboratory comparison study. A split-sample comparison (n = 622) was performed between the improved CRP method on the Dimension® system and the N Latex CRP mono method on the Behring Nephelometer, using a number of reagent and calibrator lots on multiple instruments. The method was also referenced to the standard material, CRM470, provided by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC). The improved CRP method was linear to 265.1mg/l with a detection limit between 0.2 and 0.5mg/l. The method detects antigen excess from the upper assay limit to 2000mg/l, thereby allowing users to retest the sample with dilution. Calibration was stable for 60 days. The within-run reproducibility (CV) was less than 5.1% and total reproducibility ranged from 1.1 to 6.7% between 3.3 and 265.4mg/l CRP. Linear regression analysis of the results on the improved Dimension® method (DM) versus the Behring Nephelometer (BN) yielded the following equation: DM = 0.99 × BN − 0.37; r = 0.992. Minimal interference was observed from sera of patients with elevated IgM, IgG and IgA. The recovery of the IFCC standard was within 100 ± 7 % across multiple lots of reagent and calibrator. The improved CRP method provided a sensitive, accurate and rapid approach to quantify CRP in serum and plasma on the Dimension® clinical chemistry system. The ability to detect antigen excess eliminated reporting falsely low results caused by the ‘prozone effect’

Direct immunogold labeling of aquaporin-4 in square arrays of astrocyte and ependymocyte plasma membranes in rat brain and spinal cord

Aquaporin (AQP) water channels are abundant in the brain and spinal cord, where AQP1 and AQP4 are believed to play major roles in water metabolism and osmoregulation. Immunocytochemical analysis of the brain recently revealed that AQP4 has a highly polarized distribution, with marked expression in astrocyte end-feet that surround capillaries and form the glia limitans; however, the structural organization of AQP4 has remained unknown. In freeze-fracture replicas, astrocyte end-feet contain abundant square arrays of intramembrane particles that parallel the distribution of AQP4. To determine whether astrocyte and ependymocyte square arrays contain AQP4, we employed immunogold labeling of SDS-washed freeze-fracture replicas and stereoscopic confirmation of tissue binding. Antibodies to AQP4 directly labeled approximately 33% of square arrays in astrocyte and ependymocyte plasma membranes in rat brain and spinal cord. Overall, 84% of labels were present beneath square arrays; 11% were beneath particle clusters that resembled square arrays that had been altered during fixation or cleaving; and 5% were beneath the much larger areas of glial plasma membrane that were devoid of square arrays. Based on this evidence that AQP4 is concentrated in glial square arrays, freeze-fracture methods may now provide biophysical insights regarding neuropathological states in which abnormal fluid shifts are accompanied by alterations in the aggregation state or the molecular architecture of square arrays