Sharing good practice and encouraging community cohesion online: a programme of tutor-led online events for Open University tutors

This study explored the extent to which distance learning tutors found sharing practice through participating in a tutor-led online programme of online events helped them to develop as practitioners and hence support students more effectively. The regular online sessions, delivered by tutors for tutors, was a staff development initiative introduced at the Open University (OU) to (i) provide tutors with opportunities to share good practice with a view to improving their online interactions with students, and (ii) help nurture a sense of community, providing a supportive situated learning environment which fosters peer support and in which tutors can share ideas and concerns. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of feedback obtained through surveys demonstrated the programme succeeded in providing opportunities for distance learning tutors to share good practice in a friendly supportive environment, hence relieving some of the isolation they feel. Moreover, it helped nurture community cohesion. Similar programmes could help strengthen tutor communities and provide valuable opportunities for sharing concerns and good practice in any institution where tutors feel isolated. Examples might include institutions where much tuition is delivered online, where staff are located on different sites or where many staff have insecure contracts and therefore building community spirit is likely to be challenging

The epidemiology of bluetongue in Malawi

A 4 year survey was undertaken in 1982–6 to examine the seasonal nature of bluetongue virus activity in Malawi. Bluetongue infection at Bwemba in Lilongwe district and Likasi in Mchinji district, both in the Central Region of Malawi, was detected by examining sera taken from calves at each site, at monthly intervals. The proportion of seronegative calves undergoing serocon version each month was used as a measure of virus activity. At both sides bluetongue virus activity was found to be most marked during the rainy season, with no activity detected during the dry season from July to September. Thus the pattern of bluetongue infection in Malawi is highly seasonal. Examination of type-specific neutralizing antibody showed that the prevalent serotypes varied from year to year

Healthcare global outlook

2000 editionSIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3668.239(2/RXX) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Isolation of African swine fever virus from ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata complex (Ixodoidea: Argasidae) collected within the African swine fever enzootic area of Malawi.

Ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata complex were collected from domestic pig sties and dwelling houses, and from a warthog habitat, and tested for the presence of African swine fever (ASF) virus. Collections were made in 9 of the 24 districts of Malawi, these being primarily the districts in which O. moubata is most numerous. ASF virus was isolated from ticks collected in both domestic pig sties and houses in certain villages in Mchinji district where ASF outbreaks had recently occurred. Mchinji district is in the centre of a large ASF enzootic area which stretches into other districts of Malawi and also into Zambia and Mozambique. The high titre of virus in some of the ticks demonstrates that O. moubata can act as a virus reservoir and potential vector of disease in the field situation in Malawi

A four-year survey of African swine fever in Malawi.

A serological survey of free-ranging domestic pigs in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi, together with laboratory data on confirmed cases of African swine fever (ASF) and data from interviews with pig owners, undertaken over a four-year period from 1981-4, has enabled the ASF enzootic area of Malawi to be identified. The area covers much of the western part of the Central Region and includes Mchinji district and parts of Kasungu, Ntchisi, Dowa and Lilongwe districts. Mortality is substantially less than 100% in outbreaks within the enzootic area but approaches 100% in outbreaks outside this area, as shown by both the serological investigation and the interview data