Reading Your Counterpart: The Benefit of Emotion Recognition Accuracy for Effectiveness in Negotiation

10.1007/s10919-007-0033-7Journal of Nonverbal Behavior314205-22

Post-Operative Functional Outcomes in Early Age Onset Rectal Cancer

Background: Impairment of bowel, urogenital and fertility-related function in patients treated for rectal cancer is common. While the rate of rectal cancer in the young (<50 years) is rising, there is little data on functional outcomes in this group. Methods: The REACCT international collaborative database was reviewed and data on eligible patients analysed. Inclusion criteria comprised patients with a histologically confirmed rectal cancer, <50 years of age at time of diagnosis and with documented follow-up including functional outcomes. Results: A total of 1428 (n=1428) patients met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final analysis. Metastatic disease was present at diagnosis in 13%. Of these, 40% received neoadjuvant therapy and 50% adjuvant chemotherapy. The incidence of post-operative major morbidity was 10%. A defunctioning stoma was placed for 621 patients (43%); 534 of these proceeded to elective restoration of bowel continuity. The median follow-up time was 42 months. Of this cohort, a total of 415 (29%) reported persistent impairment of functional outcomes, the most frequent of which was bowel dysfunction (16%), followed by bladder dysfunction (7%), sexual dysfunction (4.5%) and infertility (1%). Conclusion: A substantial proportion of patients with early-onset rectal cancer who undergo surgery report persistent impairment of functional status. Patients should be involved in the discussion regarding their treatment options and potential impact on quality of life. Functional outcomes should be routinely recorded as part of follow up alongside oncological parameters

RELIGION AND POLITICS IN SECULAR STATE : A CASE STUDY OF SINGAPORE

Bachelor'sBACHELOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (HONOURS

Information and communication technology in teaching: Singapore University teachers' perspectives

The introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) into education has received both positive and negative responses from the stakeholders, namely, the school administrators, faculty and learners, and research into online teaching and learning has also shown both benefits and limitations offered by ICT. Indeed, resistance to ICT use is common among teachers. Studies have found that teacher beliefs about teaching and learning play a big part in teachers’ adoption of ICT use in their teaching. Similarly, contextual factors have been found to affect teachers’ response to ICT use. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between teachers’ understandings of teaching and learning, their understandings of ICT affordances and their use of ICT in their teaching. The area of teacher beliefs is therefore pertinent to the study. Teacher knowledge and teacher learning are discussed in relation to conceptions of teaching and ICT use. Contextual factors are also examined to complete the investigation. Informants are sampled from among engineering and non-engineering faculty at a university in Singapore. Data are collected through interviews, and lexical choices and metaphors used by informants are examined for meaning. The themes are identified and analysed based on two metaphorical models of teaching, namely, Fox’s (1983) theories of teaching and Kember and Gow’s (1994) orientations to teaching. The findings are then presented and discussed in two parts: firstly, teachers’ understandings regarding teaching and learning and regarding ICT affordances, and their use of ICT in their teaching; and secondly, contextual factors that affect teachers’ decision to use ICT. The findings show, firstly, that face-to-face interaction, thinking and understanding, and the ‘right’ attitude are conceived by the engineering and non-engineering informants as the way that learning takes place. Secondly, the primary theories of teaching espoused by these teachers appear to be transfer and shaping theories. Thirdly, informants perceive ICT as a container, a place and a tool. These conceptions correspond to their teaching theories but only to an extent. Evident from the findings are tensions between beliefs and practice. Linked to informants’ understandings of teaching and learning and of ICT affordances is their perception of their roles and responsibilities when they use ICT in their teaching. Fourthly, informants generally perceive ICT as playing a complementary role in their teaching. They see the teacher and learner action as the two most essential elements for effective teaching and learning. From their emphasis on learner attitude and action, informants seem to value also the constructivist theory of learning. Contextual factors are also considered, as conditions can affect change in practice. These factors are found to include time, institutional support, and teacher and learner attitudes. In the discussion on how contextual variables interact with the pedagogical use of ICT, it is found that informants’ technological pedagogical knowledge needs to be developed and that support at policy level is needed to encourage teachers’ use of ICT. The implications of the findings and the contributions and limitations of the study are discussed in the concluding chapter. Also included in the final chapter are suggestions for future research. It is hoped that this study will help the education community understand teachers’ expectations and the classroom challenges they face as they work with ICT. The study can also help university administrators better meet teachers’ needs with regard to teaching using ICT

Information and communication technology in teaching : Singapore University teachers' perspectives

The introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) into education has received both positive and negative responses from the stakeholders, namely, the school administrators, faculty and learners, and research into online teaching and learning has also shown both benefits and limitations offered by ICT. Indeed, resistance to ICT use is common among teachers. Studies have found that teacher beliefs about teaching and learning play a big part in teachers’ adoption of ICT use in their teaching. Similarly, contextual factors have been found to affect teachers’ response to ICT use. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between teachers’ understandings of teaching and learning, their understandings of ICT affordances and their use of ICT in their teaching. The area of teacher beliefs is therefore pertinent to the study. Teacher knowledge and teacher learning are discussed in relation to conceptions of teaching and ICT use. Contextual factors are also examined to complete the investigation. Informants are sampled from among engineering and non-engineering faculty at a university in Singapore. Data are collected through interviews, and lexical choices and metaphors used by informants are examined for meaning. The themes are identified and analysed based on two metaphorical models of teaching, namely, Fox’s (1983) theories of teaching and Kember and Gow’s (1994) orientations to teaching. The findings are then presented and discussed in two parts: firstly, teachers’ understandings regarding teaching and learning and regarding ICT affordances, and their use of ICT in their teaching; and secondly, contextual factors that affect teachers’ decision to use ICT. The findings show, firstly, that face-to-face interaction, thinking and understanding, and the ‘right’ attitude are conceived by the engineering and non-engineering informants as the way that learning takes place. Secondly, the primary theories of teaching espoused by these teachers appear to be transfer and shaping theories. Thirdly, informants perceive ICT as a container, a place and a tool. These conceptions correspond to their teaching theories but only to an extent. Evident from the findings are tensions between beliefs and practice. Linked to informants’ understandings of teaching and learning and of ICT affordances is their perception of their roles and responsibilities when they use ICT in their teaching. Fourthly, informants generally perceive ICT as playing a complementary role in their teaching. They see the teacher and learner action as the two most essential elements for effective teaching and learning. From their emphasis on learner attitude and action, informants seem to value also the constructivist theory of learning. Contextual factors are also considered, as conditions can affect change in practice. These factors are found to include time, institutional support, and teacher and learner attitudes. In the discussion on how contextual variables interact with the pedagogical use of ICT, it is found that informants’ technological pedagogical knowledge needs to be developed and that support at policy level is needed to encourage teachers’ use of ICT. The implications of the findings and the contributions and limitations of the study are discussed in the concluding chapter. Also included in the final chapter are suggestions for future research. It is hoped that this study will help the education community understand teachers’ expectations and the classroom challenges they face as they work with ICT. The study can also help university administrators better meet teachers’ needs with regard to teaching using ICT.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

From both sides of the classroom : perspectives on teacher feedback on academic writing and feedback practice

Research on feedback on student writing has investigated numerous aspects over the years. However, focused studies involving perspectives of both teachers and students in a particular educational setting are rare. This study investigated the views of teachers and students from a university in Singapore regarding feedback on academic writing and feedback practice. Nine experienced writing teachers and eight undergraduates participated in focus-group discussions in separate sessions. Discussions covered topics on the purpose of feedback and the specific areas that feedback should cover. Both teachers and students agreed that the purpose of feedback should be to help students become reflective and independent learners. The teachers tended to use feedback to justify the grades awarded to the assignments, and tailored their feedback to the requirements of the respective courses. The students, however, felt that the feedback needed to be more detailed. The individual needs of the students were also not always met. We propose recommendations to create a dialogic environment between teachers and students, and so facilitate the provision of personalized feedback on academic writing.Published versio