Should Class Participation Be Required in the Basic Communication Course?

This article explores the purpose of the class participation requirement in the basic communication course. In it the following arguments are developed: 1) Class participation is not an effective measure of students\u27 abilities nor does the requirement encourage students to participate in class. 2) Class participation is better conceptualized as a skill which can be taught to students. If instructors require students to participate in their classes, instructors are obligated to teach students how to participate. 3) The basic communication course offers an excellent framework for teaching students the class participation skills

Socrative in the language classroom:Tackling classroom anxiety and encouraging participation

[EN] In second language teaching and learning the building of trust relationships and the creation of a mutually supportive atmosphere can be fundamental: It is well recognized that affective concerns, such as anxiety and communication apprehension, are more salient in the language classroom (Hernández & Rankin, 2015). Practitioners have long been aware of the importance of reducing learner anxiety and one way that has been shown to be effective is motivation (Gardner, 1985). This paper will consider how the use of the smart personal response system Socrative can help address learner anxiety, foster motivation and encourage participation. It will examine theoretical approaches to foreign language anxiety, as well as reviewing motivational factors in language learning. It will also present qualitative evaluations of using Socrative in the third-level language classroom in both small and larger group settings. The introduction of Socrative has thus far yielded encouraging results, increasing student engagement, promoting interaction, L2 production and more effective learning, alongside a more comprehensive evaluation of student understanding and knowledge retention. As regards its effectiveness in addressing FLA, initial qualitative results suggest that it can be an effective tool in helping to foster a mutually supportive identity and a low-anxiety atmosphere in the classroom.Wood, J. (2020). Socrative in the Language Classroom: Tackling Classroom Anxiety and Encouraging Participation. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):1181-1189. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.112311181118930-05-202

A heuristic for boundedness of ranks of elliptic curves

We present a heuristic that suggests that ranks of elliptic curves over the rationals are bounded. In fact, it suggests that there are only finitely many elliptic curves of rank greater than 21. Our heuristic is based on modeling the ranks and Shafarevich-Tate groups of elliptic curves simultaneously, and relies on a theorem counting alternating integer matrices of specified rank. We also discuss analogues for elliptic curves over other global fields.Comment: 41 pages, typos fixed in torsion table in section

Recording Victim Video Statements as Evidence to Advance Legal Outcomes in Family Violence Cases (ReVEAL)

This Implementation Guide provides an overview of the video-recording practices currently in place across several Texas jurisdictions. It provides guidance and considerations for jurisdictions in the collection and use of video evidence in family violence cases. This guide is divided into seven sections, including this Background and Overview. The second section includes information for law enforcement on the purpose of video statements, how to develop and implement a video program, and considerations for sustaining a program. The third section focuses on prosecutorial practices for the use of video statements including legal considerations, coordination with partners, and victim engagement around the video statement. The fourth section provides specific information for victim advocates and includes considerations for victim privacy and confidentiality. The fifth section focuses on technology and equipment, with information on type of equipment, technology infrastructure, and efficient transfer of evidence between agencies. The sixth section is the Summary Report of the ReVEAL project. The Summary Report is a technical overview of the evaluation that includes major findings and links to the ReVEAL reports that were previously released. The seventh and final section is comprised of the appendices and provides sample protocols, site overviews, equipment charts, and additional resources that may be helpful to users of this guide. Throughout this guide, there are several examples of cases and practices that illustrate the specific issues that may present themselves when launching a video-recording program. These examples highlight the complexities of the practice while using real world examples of how video impacts family violence cases, victim safety, and privacy.IC2 Institut

Quality of life of HIV-infected individuals in a community-based antiretroviral programme

Purpose of the study: The impact of HAART on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been widely researched in the developed world, however, there is limited data coming out of the developing world and, in particular, sub-Saharan Africa, where the vast majority of HIV-infected individuals live. This study examined HRQoL among HIV-positive individuals initiating HAART at the Hannan Crusaid Treatment Centre in Gugulethu, Cape Town, and explored the impact of HAART-related drug toxicities on HRQoL. Methods: HRQoL was assessed using a standardised questionnaire, the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36 (MOS SF36). Physical health summary (PHS) scores and mental health summary (MHS) scores were compared pre-HAART and at regular intervals during the first 48 weeks of HAART. The impact of drug toxicities on HRQoL was described and assessed both in unadjusted bivariate and adjusted multivariate analyses. Summary of results: This study reported a significant increase in HRQoL during the first 48 weeks on HAART with the bulk of this increase occurring during the first 16 weeks. Although there was a general improvement in HRQoL on HAART, 23% of participants reported a decline in PHS score, and 34% a decline in MHS score. Average drops in median PHS and MHS scores were 8.4 units (SD 9.31) and 9.9 units (SD 11.4), respectively. Eleven (4%) participants reported drug toxicity. Most toxicities (63%) occurred between weeks 32 and 48, and 73% were related to stavudine. Participants who experienced drug toxicity reported lower PHS scores than participants without a drug toxicity at all time points. However, only 27% (three) of participants with drug toxicity reported a decline in HRQoL between pre-HAART and week 48. Drug toxicities had little impact on MHS scores. Conclusion: This study confirmed the HRQoL benefits of HAART in a community ARV clinic in South Africa. While the majority of patients experienced a significant improvement in HRQoL on HAART, up to a third of patients reported declines in HRQoL. HAART-related drug toxicities (including those secondary to the use of stavudine) did not have a significant negative impact on HRQoL during the first 48 weeks of HAART supporting the ongoing use of stavudine in the national ARV roll-out programme

“Creating a Virtual Retail Store Using The Sims4™ Programs in a Visual Merchandising Course”

SnapFashun, a plugin software used in conjunction with Adobe Illustrator (SnapFashun, 2017), was previously used in a visual merchandising course to create a final project: a digital retail store. Due to technological problems and student frustrations, an alternative was chosen: The Sims4™ programs. The expectation was the change in technology would permit students to focus on applications of visual merchandising concepts and result in a more engaged, creative final project. YouTube videos and online guides aided in learning the software for The Sims4™ programs. The outcome was a digital retail store that permitted increased engagement, greater creativity, and the application of visual merchandising concepts learned in the course. Implications exist for a variety of other college programs for the creation of prototypes. Future plans include using The Sims4™ programs in the visual merchandising course for the purpose of creating multiple types of virtual window displays and digital retail floor plans

Case 11 : United Hearts: Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration for the Detection of Critical Heart Defects in Newborns

Newborn Screening Ontario (NSO) prepares to implement screening for critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) in all newborns born in Ontario. Janet Marcadier, a genetic counsellor at NSO, recognizes the particular challenges of implementing a point-of-care newborn screening test that will be performed by submitters (nurses, midwives) across the province. The other 29 conditions screened for by NSO do not involve a point-of-care test but rather testing is done in the NSO laboratory. While standardization for a provincial program is important, there are many contextual factors that will impact CCHD screening implementation at each specific birth site. Interdisciplinary collaboration among health care providers will be essential in implementation. How could NSO foster interdisciplinary collaboration through implementation planning? NSO needs to consider how primary care teams are often dynamic and include different health care providers depending on the needs of the patient. Would interdisciplinary collaboration help to ensure screening compliance among submitters? By applying concepts of implementation research, context-specific protocols can be developed for interdisciplinary teams at different birth sites in Ontario