Creating SAFE spaces for online learning in enabling maths courses

AIMS Transition Maths is a foundational maths unit offered fully online in pre-degree programs at the University of Tasmania, as well as through Open Universities Australia. The unit aims to prepare non-traditional and underrepresented students (such as first-in-family or of low socio-economic status) for tertiary study. Many of our students lack access to technology and established support networks; they often lack core mathematical skills and frequently recount previous negative experiences of formal maths education. These are both risk factors for maths anxiety (Khasawneh & Gosling, 2021). PEDAGOGICAL CONTEXT Our teaching approach is grounded in adult learning theory (Tate, 2012) and evidence-based practices (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014) that lead to efficient learning for time poor students. We provide a rich suite of resources with a coherent structure and clear workflow for familiarity of process which assists with reducing anxiety. The workflow is closely aligned with weekly online contact sessions to enable real-time interactions which are designed to nurture a growth mindset where mistakes are celebrated as learning opportunities for all, rather than being seen as a failure of the individual. This has been shown to assist students with anxiety or depression to better cope with the stresses of university life (Dweck, 2017; p.38). We also use a differentiated instruction model and assessment framework to empower students to select the difficulty level at which they wish to work. LEARNING MODEL To overcome the isolation which can arise in online learning environments we focus on building relationships of trust through multimodal communication, both synchronous and asynchronous. We use team-teaching to create a learning community where participants have shared goals, space, and agency to decide how best to go about their learning (Hord, 2009). Activity-based sessions encourage group work and peer collaboration, and the presence of two teachers enables timely assistance, helping us to sustain the lively learning environment. Self-reflection is promoted at regular waypoints to ensure students achieve mathematical fluency and avoid the ‘illusion of knowing’ (Oakley, 2014). REFLECTION With a focus on open communication and relationship building we create safe spaces for effective online mathematics learning. Students report increasing confidence and they specifically acknowledge how motivated they became with our online team-teaching approach. REFERENCES Brown, P., Roediger, H., & McDaniel, M. (2014) Make it stick, Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press. Dweck, C. (2017) Mindset: Changing the way you think to fulfil your potential, London: Robinson. Hord, S. (2009). Professional Learning Communities. Journal of Staff Development, 30(1), 40-43. Khasawneh, E., & Gosling, C. (2021). What impact does maths anxiety have on university students?, BMC Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00537-2 Oakley, B. (2014) A mind for numbers: How to excel at maths & science, New York: TarcherPerigee. Tate, M. (2012) “Sit & get” Won’t grow dendrites brain, London: SAGE Publications

Optimising older adults’ home spaces to enhance their physical activity level: an exploratory qualitative study protocol

Introduction:Housing is a major contributing factor to health, and better housing condition has been linked to improved general and psychological health. There has also been strong evidence that the physical environment within the home setting substantially impacts sedentary behaviour and physical activity in children. However, there is a lack of research that has investigated the physical environment within the home setting in the context of older adults’ physical activity levels and sedentary behaviour. Given that with increasing age, older adults spend large proportions of their time in their homes it is important to optimize older adults’ home settings to support healthy ageing. Therefore, the current study aims to explore older adults’ perceptions around optimizing their physical environment within their home space to support physical activity and subsequently facilitate healthy ageing. Methods and analysis:In this formative research, a qualitative exploratory research design using in-depth interviews (IDIs) and a purposive sampling approach will be employed. In-depth interviews will be conducted to collect data from study participants. Older adults from diverse community organizations in Swansea, Bridgend, and Neath Port Talbot will formally request approval to recruit via its contacts for this formative research. The study data will be analyzed thematically using NVivo V.12 Plus software.Ethics and dissemination:Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the College of Engineering Research Ethics Committee (NM_31-03-22), Swansea University. The findings of the study will be disseminated to the scientific community and to the study participants. The results will enable us to explore the perceptions and attitudes of older adults towards physical activity within their home environment

Older adults’ perspectives on physical activity and sedentary behaviour within their home using socio-ecological model

BackgroundThere are few studies that focus explicitly on the impact of the home environment on older adults’ sedentary behaviour (SB) and physical activity (PA) using the socio-ecological model (SEM). This study aims to investigate older adults’ PA and SB within the home environment integrating the SEM as a theoretical framework.MethodsA qualitative exploratory research design was employed to conduct 33 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and five focus group (FGs; n = 16) with multi-diverse ethnic older adults (mean age 72±5 years). Using reflexive thematic analysis themes were generated from the data set and were interpreted using the SEM.ResultsThe findings indicate that different levels of the SEM had an impact on older adults’ PA and SB. These include the 1) Individual level: Attitude, perception and motivation 2) Interpersonal level: Family and Friends: a motive to remain active 3) Organisational level: healthcare institutes, 4) Community level factors: Significance of social groups, 5) Physical Environment: Microenvironment and 6) Policy level factors (lockdown restrictions and healthcare system). This model can be utilised to foster activity within the home by focusing on the facilitators and barriers identified at each of these levels of influence.ConclusionThe study findings suggest that modifying PA and SB in the home environment is complex and is influenced across different levels of the SEM. Therefore, a holistic approach is required that integrates these multiple influences. This understanding can inform the design of interventions that seek to optimize PA and minimize SB within the home environment

Targeted ablation of oligodendrocytes induces axonal pathology independent of overt demyelination

The critical role of oligodendrocytes in producing and maintaining myelin that supports rapid axonal conduction in CNS neurons is well established. More recently, additional roles for oligodendrocytes have been posited, including provision of trophic factors and metabolic support for neurons. To investigate the functional consequences of oligodendrocyte loss, we have generated a transgenic mouse model of conditional oligodendrocyte ablation. In this model, oligodendrocytes are rendered selectively sensitive to exogenously administered diphtheria toxin (DT) by targeted expression of the diphtheria toxin receptor in oligodendrocytes. Administration of DT resulted in severe clinical dysfunction with an ascending spastic paralysis ultimately resulting in fatal respiratory impairment within 22 d of DT challenge. Pathologically, at this time point, mice exhibited a loss of ∼26% of oligodendrocyte cell bodies throughout the CNS. Oligodendrocyte cell-body loss was associated with moderate microglial activation, but no widespread myelin degradation. These changes were accompanied with acute axonal injury as characterized by structural and biochemical alterations at nodes of Ranvier and reduced somatosensory-evoked potentials. In summary, we have shown that a death signal initiated within oligodendrocytes results in subcellular changes and loss of key symbiotic interactions between the oligodendrocyte and the axons it ensheaths. This produces profound functional consequences that occur before the removal of the myelin membrane, i.e., in the absence of demyelination. These findings have clear implications for the understanding of the pathogenesis of diseases of the CNS such as multiple sclerosis in which the oligodendrocyte is potentially targeted

Associations with photoreceptor thickness measures in the UK Biobank.

Spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) provides high resolution images enabling identification of individual retinal layers. We included 32,923 participants aged 40-69 years old from UK Biobank. Questionnaires, physical examination, and eye examination including SD-OCT imaging were performed. SD OCT measured photoreceptor layer thickness includes photoreceptor layer thickness: inner nuclear layer-retinal pigment epithelium (INL-RPE) and the specific sublayers of the photoreceptor: inner nuclear layer-external limiting membrane (INL-ELM); external limiting membrane-inner segment outer segment (ELM-ISOS); and inner segment outer segment-retinal pigment epithelium (ISOS-RPE). In multivariate regression models, the total average INL-RPE was observed to be thinner in older aged, females, Black ethnicity, smokers, participants with higher systolic blood pressure, more negative refractive error, lower IOPcc and lower corneal hysteresis. The overall INL-ELM, ELM-ISOS and ISOS-RPE thickness was significantly associated with sex and race. Total average of INL-ELM thickness was additionally associated with age and refractive error, while ELM-ISOS was additionally associated with age, smoking status, SBP and refractive error; and ISOS-RPE was additionally associated with smoking status, IOPcc and corneal hysteresis. Hence, we found novel associations of ethnicity, smoking, systolic blood pressure, refraction, IOPcc and corneal hysteresis with photoreceptor thickness

Alcohol exposure during late gestation: Multiple developmental outcomes in sheep

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy remains common in many countries. Exposure to even low amounts of alcohol (i.e. ethanol) in pregnancy can lead to the heterogeneous fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), while heavy alcohol consumption can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is characterized by cerebral dysfunction, growth restriction and craniofacial malformations. However, the effects of lower doses of alcohol during pregnancy, such as those that lead to FASD, are less well understood. In this article, we discuss the findings of recent studies performed in our laboratories on the effects of fetal alcohol exposure using sheep, in which we investigated the effects of late gestational alcohol exposure on the developing brain, arteries, kidneys, heart and lungs. Our studies indicate that alcohol exposure in late gestation can (1) affect cerebral white matter development and increase the risk of hemorrhage in the fetal brain, (2) cause left ventricular hypertrophy with evidence of altered cardiomyocyte maturation, (3) lead to a decrease in nephron number in the kidney, (4) cause altered arterial wall stiffness and endothelial and smooth muscle function and (5) result in altered surfactant protein mRNA expression, surfactant phospholipid composition and pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in the lung. These findings suggest that fetal alcohol exposure in late gestation can affect multiple organs, potentially increasing the risk of disease and organ dysfunction in later life

Natural history of Christianson syndrome

Christianson syndrome is an X-linked mental retardation syndrome characterized by microcephaly, impaired ocular movement, severe global developmental delay, hypotonia which progresses to spasticity, and early onset seizures of variable types. Gilfillan et al. [2008] reported mutations in SLC9A6, the gene encoding the sodium/hydrogen exchanger NHE6, in the family first reported and in three others. They also noted the clinical similarities to Angelman syndrome and found cerebellar atrophy on MRI and elevated glutamate/glutamine in the basal ganglia on MRS. Here we report on nonsense mutations in two additional families. The natural history is detailed in childhood and adult life, the similarities to Angelman syndrome confirmed, and the MRI/MRS findings documented in three affected boys

A modified Delphi study of screening for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia

Background: There is little reliable information on the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Australia and no coordinated national approach to facilitate case detection. The aim of this study was to identify health professionals’ perceptions about screening for FASD in Australia. Method: A modified Delphi process was used to assess perceptions of the need for, and the process of, screening for FASD in Australia. We recruited a panel of 130 Australian health professionals with experience or expertise in FASD screening or diagnosis. A systematic review of the literature was used to develop Likert statements on screening coverage, components and assessment methods which were administered using an online survey over two survey rounds. Results: Of the panel members surveyed, 95 (73%) responded to the questions on screening in the first survey round and, of these, 81 (85%) responded to the second round. Following two rounds there was consensus agreement on the need for targeted screening at birth (76%) and in childhood (84%). Participants did not reach consensus agreement on the need for universal screening at birth (55%) or in childhood (40%). Support for targeted screening was linked to perceived constraints on service provision and the need to examine the performance, costs and benefits of screening. For targeted screening of high risk groups, we found highest agreement for siblings of known cases of FASD (96%) and children of mothers attending alcohol treatment services (93%). Participants agreed that screening for FASD primarily requires assessment of prenatal alcohol exposure at birth (86%) and in childhood (88%), and that a checklist is needed to identify the components of screening and criteria for referral at birth (84%) and in childhood (90%). Conclusions: There is an agreed need for targeted but not universal screening for FASD in Australia, and sufficient consensus among health professionals to warrant development and evaluation of standardised methods for targeted screening and referral in the Australian context. Participants emphasised the need for locally-appropriate, evidence-based approaches to facilitate case detection, and the importance of ensuring that screening and referral programs are supported by adequate diagnostic and management capacity