Student perceptions of online interactive versus traditional lectures; Or how I managed not to fall asleep with my eyes open

Universities are increasingly experimenting with the online domain to connect with busy and digital-savvy students and counter the decline in face-to-face lecture attendance More often than not universities are offering videoed lectures or PowerPoints with lecturer voice-overs as a way of delivering content. Evidence suggests that while these techniques may provide the flexibility required, some content needs more personalised delivery. In this article the authors explore the development and delivery of an online lecture format. Using a combination of video, text and interactive cell technology, this online offering was trialed in a unit focused on the education of students with disability in inclusive classrooms. Using the Attitude toward Computer Aided Instruction Scale (ACAIS) (Allen, 1986) the author’s surveyed 159, 3rd year pre-service teachers and asked them to compare the online presentation format with a traditional face-to-face lecture. The students were enthusiastic about using the online format, with data analysis revealing eleven of the twelve ACAIS criteria were highly significant in favour of this approach. The results of the survey are presented and discussed critically in the context of the challenges and opportunities online delivery of course content presents to universities

A Longitudinal Analysis of Student Learning Gains in Oral Competency

Declining enrollments and increased competition for college students have emphasized the need to demonstrate students are learning what we think they are learning. Taking a longitudinal look at speech evaluations from the basic course, this study tracked student learning gains in each rubric area on speeches evaluated between 2009-2019. Using a digital evaluation template called WebGrader (Cooper, 2011), students who had delivered informative (exposition) speeches and persuasive speeches to convince (N = 2,725) were compared, with a separate analysis comparing gains from the informative speech to the persuasive speech to actuate (N = 2,764). The study furthers instrument validation and a pedagogical model based on 3,951 archived student speeches collected from 22 instructors over the last 10 years. Results showed small, but significant student learning gains in each of the rubric areas. However, a ceiling effect appears in the initial speech evaluation, making it difficult to demonstrate gains. A principal component analysis was performed on 14 core rubrics used to rate student learning outcomes on informative speeches. Support was found for a two-factor (Delivery and Structure) model

Mapping of the Mouse Actin Capping Protein Beta Subunit Gene

BACKGROUND: Capping protein (CP), a heterodimer of α and β subunits, is found in all eukaryotes. CP binds to the barbed ends of actin filaments in vitro and controls actin assembly and cell motility in vivo. Vertebrates have three isoforms of CPβ produced by alternatively splicing from one gene; lower organisms have one gene and one isoform. RESULTS: We isolated genomic clones corresponding to the β subunit of mouse CP and identified its chromosomal location by interspecies backcross mapping. CONCLUSIONS: The CPβ gene (Cappb1) mapped to Chromosome 4 between Cdc42 and D4Mit312. Three mouse mutations, snubnose, curly tail, and cribriform degeneration, map in the vicinity of the β gene

Student Perceptions Of Online Interactive Versus Traditional Lectures; Or How I Managed Not To Fall Asleep With My Eyes Open

Universities are increasingly experimenting with the online domain to connect with busy and digital-savvy students and counter the decline in face-to-face lecture attendance More often than not universities are offering videoed lectures or PowerPoints with lecturer voice-overs as a way of delivering content. Evidence suggests that while these techniques may provide the flexibility required, some content needs more personalised delivery. In this article the authors explore the development and delivery of an online lecture format. Using a combination of video, text and interactive cell technology, this online offering was trialed in a unit focused on the education of students with disability in inclusive classrooms. Using the Attitude toward Computer Aided Instruction Scale (ACAIS) (Allen, 1986) the author’s surveyed 159, 3rd year pre-service teachers and asked them to compare the online presentation format with a traditional face-to-face lecture. The students were enthusiastic about using the online format, with data analysis revealing eleven of the twelve ACAIS criteria were highly significant in favour of this approach. The results of the survey are presented and discussed critically in the context of the challenges and opportunities online delivery of course content presents to universities

Theory of Circle Maps and the Problem of One-Dimensional Optical Resonator with a Periodically Moving Wall

We consider the electromagnetic field in a cavity with a periodically oscillating perfectly reflecting boundary and show that the mathematical theory of circle maps leads to several physical predictions. Notably, well-known results in the theory of circle maps (which we review briefly) imply that there are intervals of parameters where the waves in the cavity get concentrated in wave packets whose energy grows exponentially. Even if these intervals are dense for typical motions of the reflecting boundary, in the complement there is a positive measure set of parameters where the energy remains bounded.Comment: 34 pages LaTeX (revtex) with eps figures, PACS: 02.30.Jr, 42.15.-i, 42.60.Da, 42.65.Y

Buttressing staples with cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix (CEM) reinforces staple lines in an ex vivo peristaltic inflation model

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008Background - Staple line leakage and bleeding are the most common problems associated with the use of surgical staplers for gastrointestinal resection and anastomotic procedures. These complications can be reduced by reinforcing the staple lines with buttressing materials. The current study reports the potential use of cholecyst-derived extracellular matrix (CEM) in non-crosslinked (NCEM) and crosslinked (XCEM) forms, and compares their mechanical performance with clinically available buttress materials [small intestinal submucosa (SIS) and bovine pericardium (BP)] in an ex vivo small intestine model. Methods - Three crosslinked CEM variants (XCEM0005, XCEM001, and XCEM0033) with different degree of crosslinking were produced. An ex vivo peristaltic inflation model was established. Porcine small intestine segments were stapled on one end, using buttressed or non-buttressed surgical staplers. The opened, non-stapled ends were connected to a peristaltic pump and pressure transducer and sealed. The staple lines were then exposed to increased intraluminal pressure in a peristaltic manner. Both the leak and burst pressures of the test specimens were recorded. Results - The leak pressures observed for non-crosslinked NCEM (137.8 ± 22.3 mmHg), crosslinked XCEM0005 (109.1 ± 14.1 mmHg), XCEM001 (150.1 ± 16.0 mmHg), XCEM0033 (98.8 ± 10.5 mmHg) reinforced staple lines were significantly higher when compared to non-buttressed control (28.3 ± 10.8 mmHg) and SIS (one and four layers) (62.6 ± 11.8 and 57.6 ± 12.3 mmHg, respectively) buttressed staple lines. NCEM and XCEM were comparable to that observed for BP buttressed staple lines (138.8 ± 3.6 mmHg). Only specimens with reinforced staple lines were able to achieve high intraluminal pressures (ruptured at the intestinal mesentery), indicating that buttress reinforcements were able to withstand pressure higher than that of natural tissue (physiological failure). Conclusions - These findings suggest that the use of CEM and XCEM as buttressing materials is associated with reinforced staple lines and increased leak pressures when compared to non-buttressed staple lines. CEM and XCEM were found to perform comparably with clinically available buttress materials in this ex vivo model.Enterprise Irelan

On a graph related to permutability in finite groups

This paper has been published in Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata. Series IV, 189(4):567-570 (2010). Copyright 2010 by Springer-Verlag. The final publication is available at www.springerlink.com. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10231-009-0124-7 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10231-009-0124-7For a finite group G we define the graph $\Gamma(G)$ to be the graph whose vertices are the conjugacy classes of cyclic subgroups of G and two conjugacy classes $\{\mathcal {A}, \mathcal {B}\}$ are joined by an edge if for some $\{A \in \mathcal {A},\, B \in \mathcal {B}\, A\}$ and B permute. We characterise those groups G for which $\Gamma(G)$ is complete.This paper has been suported by the research grants MTM2007-68010-C03-02 from MEC (Spain) and FEDER (European Union) and GV/2007/243 from Generalitat (Valencian Community).http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10231-009-0124-7Ballester Bolinches, A.; Cossey, J.; Esteban Romero, R. (2010). On a graph related to permutability in finite groups. Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata. 4(189). doi:10.1007/s10231-009-0124-74189Abe S., Iiyori N.: A generalization of prime graphs of finite groups. Hokkaido Math. J. 29(2), 391–407 (2000)Agrawal R.K.: Finite groups whose subnormal subgroups permute with all Sylow subgroups. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 47(1), 77–83 (1975)Alejandre M.J., Ballester-Bolinches A., Pedraza-Aguilera M.C.: Finite soluble groups with permutable subnormal subgroups. J. Algebra 240(2), 705–722 (2001)Ballester-Bolinches A., Esteban-Romero R.: Sylow permutable subnormal subgroups of finite groups. J. Algebra 251(2), 727–738 (2002)Cooper C.D.H.: Power automorphisms of a group. Math. Z. 107, 335–356 (1968)Herzog M., Longobardi P., Maj M.: On a commuting graph on conjugacy classes of groups. Commun. Algebra 37(10), 3369–3387 (2009)Huppert B.: Endliche Gruppen I, vol. 134 of Grund. Math. Wiss. Springer, Berlin (1967)Longobardi P.: Gruppi finite a fattoriali modulari. Note Math. II, 73–100 (1982)Neumann B.: A problem of Paul Erdős on groups. J. Austral. Math. Soc. Ser. A 21, 467–472 (1976)Ore O.: Contributions to the theory of groups of finite order. Duke Math. J. 5, 431–460 (1939)Schmidt R.: Subgroup lattices of groups. De Gruyter Expositions in Mathematics, vol. 14. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin (1994)Zacher G.: I gruppi risolubli finiti in cui i sottogruppi di composizione coincidono con i sottogrupi quasi-normali. Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei Rend. cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Natur. 37(8), 150–154 (1964

Modular and predictable assembly of porous organic molecular crystals

Nanoporous molecular frameworks are important in applications such as separation, storage and catalysis. Empirical rules exist for their assembly but it is still challenging to place and segregate functionality in three-dimensional porous solids in a predictable way. Indeed, recent studies of mixed crystalline frameworks suggest a preference for the statistical distribution of functionalities throughout the pores rather than, for example, the functional group localization found in the reactive sites of enzymes. This is a potential limitation for 'one-pot' chemical syntheses of porous frameworks from simple starting materials. An alternative strategy is to prepare porous solids from synthetically preorganized molecular pores. In principle, functional organic pore modules could be covalently prefabricated and then assembled to produce materials with specific properties. However, this vision of mix-and-match assembly is far from being realized, not least because of the challenge in reliably predicting three-dimensional structures for molecular crystals, which lack the strong directional bonding found in networks. Here we show that highly porous crystalline solids can be produced by mixing different organic cage modules that self-assemble by means of chiral recognition. The structures of the resulting materials can be predicted computationally, allowing in silico materials design strategies. The constituent pore modules are synthesized in high yields on gram scales in a one-step reaction. Assembly of the porous co-crystals is as simple as combining the modules in solution and removing the solvent. In some cases, the chiral recognition between modules can be exploited to produce porous organic nanoparticles. We show that the method is valid for four different cage modules and can in principle be generalized in a computationally predictable manner based on a lock-and-key assembly between modules

Merging teaching and research: how to use your teaching to increase your research outputs

We all need research outputs for: We all need research outputs for: Promotion, job applications, peer esteem, attracting good students, evidence for attracting funding This presentation is for architectural staff and gives some examples of how to make the most of teaching so that it can be converted into research output