E-learning Series No. 1: A guide for senior managers

This guide to e-learning for senior managers in universities outlines the context for e-learning and its use in higher education, both nationally and internationally. It identifies potential benefits and addresses the key issues in implementing e-learning successfully, including costs. It also highlights likely future developments

Theoni V. Alderidge: Broadway and Beyond

https://via.library.depaul.edu/museum-publications/1001/thumbnail.jp

Teaching Introductory Programming from A to Z: Twenty-Six Tips from the Trenches

A solid foundation in computer programming is critical for students to succeed in advanced computing courses, but teaching such an introductory course is challenging. Therefore, it is important to develop better approaches in order to improve teaching effectiveness and enhance student learning. In this paper, we present 26 tips for teaching introductory programming drawn from the experiences of four well-qualified college professors. It is our hope that our peers can pick up some tips from this paper, apply them in their own classroom, improve their teaching effectiveness, and ultimately enhance student learning

TOPS – Collaboration and Competition to Stretch our Most Able Programming Novices

Finding effective means of meeting students’ varied needs during introductory programming classes is a perpetual challenge. Maintaining motivation and a sufficient level of engagement across an undergraduate group with diverse prior experience is not a simple task. Claims for successful approaches include forms of differentiated teaching and paired programming. Competitions run by professional bodies and the software industry are often used to provide further external motivation. This paper presents the outcomes of a collaborative initiative across four universities which drew on aspects of both these approaches. Academics in the partner institutions had already implemented specific practice to accommodate the variety of student needs. The TOPS project was designed to involve and extend students through the processes of devising and competing in an inter-university challenge. Analysis of the outcomes has enabled the development of further understanding and good practice in this important area

The effects of explicit self-regulated learning strategy instruction on mathematics achievement

Self-regulated learning includes the use of a set of strategies for planning, monitoring, and self-evaluating students’ efforts toward reaching specific learning goals. This study examined the extent to which explicit self-regulated learning strategy instruction impacted regular eighth grade students’ learning behaviors and mathematics achievement. The study was a quasi-experimental design using a control and treatment group which consisted of eighth grade general mathematics students. The treatment was explicit instruction of ten self-regulated learning strategies. Data were gathered using a researcher-designed survey and standardized mathematics test scores. Findings indicated that the treatment group reported a significantly higher level of self-regulated learning strategy use, earned significantly higher mathematics test scale scores, and showed significantly greater academic growth than the control group. Additionally students’ use of self-regulated learning strategies was statistically significant in explaining the variance in students’ mathematics test scores and academic growth

Corticosteroids for the management of cancer-related pain in adults (Review)

Background: One of the most feared symptoms associated with cancer is pain. Opioids remain the mainstay of pain treatment but corticosteroids are often used concurrently as co- or adjuvant analgesics. Due to their anti-inflammatory mechanism of action, corticosteroids are said to provide effective analgesia for pain associated with inflammation and in the management of cancer-related complications such as brain metastasis and spinal cord compression. However, corticosteroids have a wide range of adverse effects that are dose and time dependent. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroids in treating cancer-related pain in adults. Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2014, Issue 4), MEDLINE (OVID) (1966 to 29 September 2014), EMBASE (OVID) (1970 to 29 September 2014), CINAHL (1982 to 29 September 2014), Science Citation Index (Web of Science) (1899 to 29 September 2014) and Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (Web of Science) (1990 to 29 September 2014). Selection criteria: Any randomised or prospective controlled trial that included patients over 18 years with cancer-related pain were eligible for the review. Corticosteroids were compared to placebo or usual treatment and/or supportive care. Data collection and analysis: All review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We used arithmetic means and standard deviations for each outcome to report the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Main results: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria, enrolling 1926 participants. The trial size varied from 20 to 598 patients. Most studies compared corticosteroids, particularly dexamethasone, to standard therapy. We included six studies with data at one week in the meta-analysis for pain intensity; no data were available at that time point for the remaining studies. Corticosteroid therapy resulted in less pain (measured on a scale of 0 to 10 with a lower score indicating less pain) compared to control at one week (MD 0.84 lower pain, 95% CI 1.38 to 0.30 lower; low quality evidence). Adverse events were poorly documented. Factors limiting statistical analysis included the lack of standardised measurements of pain and the use of different agents, dosages, comparisons and routes of drug delivery. Subgroup analysis according to type of cancer was not possible. The quality of this evidence was limited by the risk of bias of the studies and small sample size. The results were also compromised by attrition, with data missing for the enrolled patients. Authors' conclusions: The evidence for the efficacy of corticosteroids for pain control in cancer patients is weak. Significant pain relief was noted in some studies, albeit only for a short period of time. This could be important for patients with poor clinical status. Further trials, with increased numbers of participants, are needed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of corticosteroids for the management cancer pain in adults, and to establish an ideal dose, duration of therapy and route of administration

Detection of European Strain of \u3ci\u3eEchinococcus multilocularis\u3c/i\u3e in North America

To the Editor: In 2009, an alveolar hydatid cyst, the intermediate stage of the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis, was detected in the liver of a dog from Quesnel, British Columbia (BC), Canada, 600 km west of the nearest known record of this parasite in central North America. Alveolar hydatid cysts normally occur in rodent intermediate hosts. However, humans can serve as aberrant intermediate hosts; cysts generally originate in the liver and, in about one third of cases, metastasize throughout the body. Detection of the larval stage of this pathogen in an unusual host in a new geographic region required application of multiple molecular epidemiologic techniques to determine if this was range expansion of a native strain or introduction of a new strain of veterinary and public health concern. The possible establishment of a European strain in North American wildlife, with spillover into domestic dogs, may have implications for public health and require increased vigilance by medical and veterinary personnel in the newly endemic region. Compared with native North American strains, European strains of E. multilocularis appear to have greater potential to cause alveolar hydatid disease (AHD) in humans. These strains are emerging worldwide (increasing in both prevalence and distribution) as a result of changes in landscape, climate, and wildlife–human interfaces. In Europe, human AHD can be fatal (definite or probable cause of death in 23.5% of 119 recent cases) and has low cure rates (5% of 408 recent cases). As of 2000, in Europe and Asia, the estimated cost per case of AHD was US $100,000–$300,000. Therefore, better understanding of the distribution, genetic diversity, and pathogenicity of strains of E. multilocularis is needed to assess risks and mitigate costs for public and veterinary health, as well as to provide evidence for the regulation and screening of imported domestic animals and translocated wildlife

Race and sex: teachers' views on who gets ahead in schools?

The research reported here was part of a large study of the impact of age, disability, race and sex on the teaching profession in England. The basic question asked in this research was how do these factors interact with career aspirations and achievements of classteachers, promoted teachers and headteachers? There were three different data sources: a large postal survey drawn from diverse geographic regions across England with over 2000 respondents; face‐to‐face individual interviews with over 100 teachers in 18 case study schools from across all of the main regions of England; discussions with special interest groups of teachers. Not surprisingly, the answer to the above question was complex. Nonetheless, the paper's conclusion highlights some of the noteworthy themes across this broad sample of teachers from primary, secondary and special schools