Mixing and Matching Learning Design and Learning Analytics

In the last five years, learning analytics has proved its potential in predicting academic performance based on trace data of learning activities. However, the role of pedagogical context in learning analytics has not been fully understood. To date, it has been difficult to quantify learning in a way that can be measured and compared. By coding the design of e-learning courses, this study demonstrates how learning design is being implemented on a large scale at the Open University UK, and how learning analytics could support as well as benefit from learning design. Building on our previous work, our analysis was conducted longitudinally on 23 undergraduate distance learning modules and their 40,083 students. The innovative aspect of this study is the availability of fine-grained learning design data at individual task level, which allows us to consider the connections between learning activities, and the media used to produce the activities. Using a combination of visualizations and social network analysis, our findings revealed a diversity in how learning activities were designed within and between disciplines as well as individual learning activities. By reflecting on the learning design in an explicit manner, educators are empowered to compare and contrast their design using their own institutional data

Stereociliary Myosin-1c Receptors Are Sensitive to Calcium Chelation and Absent from Cadherin 23 Mutant Mice

The identities of some of the constituents of the hair-cell transduction apparatus have been elucidated only recently. The molecular motor myosin-1c (Myo1c) functions in adaptation of the hair-cell response to sustained mechanical stimuli and is therefore an integral part of the transduction complex. Recent data indicate that Myo1c interacts in vitro with two other molecules proposed to be important for transduction: cadherin 23 (Cdh23), a candidate for the stereociliary tip link, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), which is abundant in the membranes of hair-cell stereocilia. It is not known, however, whether these interactions occur in hair cells. Using an in situ binding assay on saccular hair cells, we demonstrated previously that Myo1c interacts with molecules at stereociliary tips, the site of transduction, through sequences contained within its calmodulin (CaM)-binding neck domain, which can bind up to four CaM molecules. In the current study, we identify the second CaM-binding IQ domain as a region of Myo1c that mediates CaM-sensitive binding to stereociliary tips and to PIP2 immobilized on a solid support. Binding of Myo1c to stereociliary tips of cochlear and vestibular hair cells is disrupted by treatments that break tip links. In addition, Myo1c does not bind to stereocilia from mice whose hair cells lack Cdh23 protein despite the presence of PIP2 in the stereociliary membranes. Collectively, our data suggest that Myo1c and Cdh23 interact at the tips of hair-cell stereocilia and that this interaction is modulated by CaM

Breakfast and exercise contingently affect postprandial metabolism and energy balance in physically active males

The present study examined the impact of breakfast and exercise on postprandial metabolism, appetite and macronutrient balance. A sample of twelve (blood variables n 11) physically active males completed four trials in a randomised, crossover design comprising a continued overnight fast followed by: (1) rest without breakfast (FR); (2) exercise without breakfast (FE); (3) breakfast consumption(1859 kJ) followed by rest (BR); (4) breakfast consumption followed by exercise (BE). Exercise was continuous, moderate-intensity running (expending approximately 2·9MJ of energy). The equivalent time was spent sitting during resting trials. A test drink (1500 kJ) was ingested on all trials followed 90 min later by an ad libitum lunch. The difference between the BR and FR trials in blood glucose time-averaged AUC following test drink consumption approached significance (BR: 4·33 (SEM 0·14) v. FR: 4·75 (SEM 0·16) mmol/l; P¼0·08); but it was not different between FR and FE (FE: 4·77 (SEM 0·14) mmol/l; P¼0·65); and was greater in BE (BE: 4·97 (SEM 0·13) mmol/l) v. BR(P¼0·012). Appetite following the test drink was reduced in BR v. FR (P¼0·006) and in BE v. FE (P¼0·029). Following lunch, the most positive energy balance was observed in BR and least positive in FE. Regardless of breakfast, acute exercise produced a less positive energy balance following ad libitum lunch consumption. Energy and fat balance is further reduced with breakfast omission. Breakfast improved the overall appetite responses to foods consumed later in the day, but abrogated the appetite suppressive effect of exercise

The ITEST learning resource center's online evaluation database; Examples from the collection

The National Science Foundation-funded ITEST Learning Resource Center at EDC has developed an online database of instruments for ITEST project level evaluators and researchers to use as they develop measures for their projects. This article details the purpose and development of that database and highlights three instruments from it that represent the kind of evaluation tools archived there. Although the ITEST online evaluation instrument database is not publicly accessible, it represents an innovative way to collect, analyze and share evaluation instruments for use by a specific community of practice. The instruments shared in this article are available for public use, with appropriate citation, and represent the quality and aims of tools and instruments housed in the database. Keywords: Database, Teacher professional, development, Secondary school, Digital library collection, For those who evaluate or conduct research on technology integration and innovative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational programs, finding appropriate, valid and reliable measures of student skills and understanding and teachers' needs can be a challenge. To help address this challenge, the National Science Foundation-funded ITEST Learning Resource Center has developed an online database of instruments for ITEST project level evaluators and researchers to use as they develop measures for their projects. This article details the purpose and development of that database and highlights three instruments in it that represent the kind of evaluation tools archived there. Although the ITEST online evaluation instrument database is not publicly accessible, it represents an innovative way to collect, analyze and share evaluation instruments for use by a specific community of practice. The instruments shared in this article are available for public use, with appropriate citation, and represent the quality and aims of tools and instruments housed in the database. We will first describe the ITEST program and the role of the ITEST Learning Resource center, then detail the purpose and development of the online database, and end by sharing three examples of instruments ITEST 52 from that database that measure student technology skill level, content understanding and teachers' technology needs. ABOUT ITEST The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program in direct response to the looming shortage of information technology workers in the United States. The ITEST program is designed to address this shortage by increasing opportunities for students and teachers to learn about, experience, and use information technologies within the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including Information Technology (IT) courses. The ITEST program goals include increased and maintained student interest in IT through the creation of effective student education programs in both school and non-school settings. ITEST projects take two forms: youth-based projects offer exciting, hands-on STEM and IT experiences for students in out-of-school settings, and comprehensive projects provide professional development to teachers so that they can better use IT in their STEM and IT classes. The ITEST program started in 2003, and has funded four cohorts to date, totaling 76 projects. ITEST projects are in 36 states and approximately half of the projects are youth-based and half comprehensive projects. The ITEST program also funds a National Learning Resource Center to support, synthesize and disseminate the learning from the program to a wider audience. The National ITEST Learning Resource Center at Education Development Center (EDC) collaborates with ITEST Projects across the United States to achieve program goals, weave together promising practices and leverage their combined achievements into new knowledge. Activities of the Learning Resource Center (LRC) include: annual allproject meetings, called the ITEST Annual Summit; dissemination of promising practices and cutting edge research; and ongoing technical assistance targeted at content areas such as skills and standards, recruitment and retention of teachers and students, and technical issues such as working with specific types of technology in the classroom. The Learning Resource Center also leads a national research study focused on understanding the factors that contribute to teacher change, the development of student interest and skills and program models. The ITEST LRC collaborates with ITEST projects to design local and regional research studies, gather and analyze data, and report and disseminate findings. Findings from these studies inform and guide formal and informal educators in planning, implementing and evaluating IT-enriched STEM initiatives. ITEST RESEARCH APPROACH The ITEST LRC approach to designing and implementing the ITEST national research agenda is rooted in the principles of collaborative inquiry. Using an adaptation of Lawrenz and Huffman's (2003) multi-site participatory evaluation model, the LRC works with ITEST projects and their evaluators to develop a multi-site, coordinated research program to answer questions of interest to the ITEST community and the field. Through this process, the LRC generates research questions that will inform project practice and development; build on project evaluations and data collection to inform the generation of research areas and questions; leverage local evaluation data collection and analysis to form the base of the larger inquiry; and highlight issues of Equity and Access, and Informal and Formal Learning. ITEST collaborative research activities have included documentation and dissemination of compiled project level evaluation approaches and findings; the International Journal of Technology in Teaching & Learning 53 formation of thematic working groups to investigate research questions; online evaluation peer exchanges; evaluation technical assistance events, such as conference calls presenting strategies for writing strong reports; development and dissemination of literature reviews; and the collection, compilation and analysis of ITEST project evaluation instruments. Through the online evaluation peer exchange and other calls for submission of evaluation instruments, the ITEST LRC collected and categorized more than 90 instruments-42 student instruments and 49 teacher instruments-that measure aspects of ITEST program outcomes such as classroom implementation of IT; pedagogical practice in science and technology; IT skills and proficiencies; attitudes about technology; technology access; technology use; technology confidence; and technology integration. These instruments are housed in a searchable online database, accessible to the ITEST program community through the ITEST Learning Resource Center website. Built using digital library technology, users can search the database with key words that represent the programmatic outcomes included in the instruments. For example, a user could search for teacher instruments that measure technology integration and technology access. This search would yield 60 instruments. A search for student instruments that measure technology skills and proficiency yields 74 instruments. Now, obviously, these numbers are higher than the numbers of instruments referred to above; bugs in the database software cause it to turn up duplicates when searching, so users need to be cautious and look to make sure the instruments it finds are relevant. Overall, this searchable database serves the purpose of offering ITEST project evaluators a resource for instrument development. In the instrument development descriptions below, note that more than one of the evaluators featured in this article consulted other ITEST project evaluators for advice on instrument development. This electronic resource supports the growing network of ITEST principal investigators and evaluators. BACKGROUN

TBC1D1 Regulates Insulin- and Contraction-Induced Glucose Transport in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

OBJECTIVE: TBC1D1 is a member of the TBC1 Rab-GTPase family of proteins and is highly expressed in skeletal muscle. Insulin and contraction increase TBC1D1 phosphorylation on phospho-Akt substrate motifs (PASs), but the function of TBC1D1 in muscle is not known. Genetic linkage analyses show a TBC1D1 R125W missense variant confers risk for severe obesity in humans. The objective of this study was to determine whether TBC1D1 regulates glucose transport in skeletal muscle. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In vivo gene injection and electroporation were used to overexpress wild-type and several mutant TBC1D1 proteins in mouse tibialis anterior muscles, and glucose transport was measured in vivo. RESULTS: Expression of the obesity-associated R125W mutant significantly decreased insulin-stimulated glucose transport in the absence of changes in TBC1D1 PAS phosphorylation. Simultaneous expression of an inactive Rab-GTPase (GAP) domain of TBC1D1 in the R125W mutant reversed this decrease in glucose transport caused by the R125W mutant. Surprisingly, expression of TBC1D1 mutated to Ala on four conserved Akt and/or AMP-activated protein kinase predicted phosphorylation sites (4P) had no effect on insulin-stimulated glucose transport. In contrast, expression of the TBC1D1 4P mutant decreased contraction-stimulated glucose transport, an effect prevented by concomitant disruption of TBC1D1 Rab-GAP activity. There was no effect of the R125W mutation on contraction-stimulated glucose transport. CONCLUSIONS: TBC1D1 regulates both insulin- and contraction-stimulated glucose transport, and this occurs via distinct mechanisms. The R125W mutation of TBC1D1 impairs skeletal muscle glucose transport, which could be a mechanism for the obesity associated with this mutation

Formal synthesis of (+)-lactacystin from l-serine

A formal, stereocontrolled synthesis of lactacystin has been completed from t-Bu-O-l-serine, providing the key intermediate 13, also useful for the generation of a range of C-9 analogues

Combined bezafibrate and medroxyprogesterone acetate: potential novel therapy for acute myeloid leukaemia

Background: The majority of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients are over sixty years of age. With current treatment regimens, survival rates amongst these, and also those younger patients who relapse, remain dismal and novel therapies are urgently required. In particular, therapies that have anti-leukaemic activity but that, unlike conventional chemotherapy, do not impair normal haemopoiesis. Principal Findings: Here we demonstrate the potent anti-leukaemic activity of the combination of the lipid-regulating drug bezafibrate (BEZ) and the sex hormone medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) against AML cell lines and primary AML cells. The combined activity of BEZ and MPA (B/M) converged upon the increased synthesis and reduced metabolism of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) resulting in elevated levels of the downstream highly bioactive, anti-neoplastic prostaglandin 15-deoxy Δ12,14 PGJ2 (15d-PGJ2). BEZ increased PGD2 synthesis via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of the lipid peroxidation pathway. MPA directed prostaglandin synthesis towards 15d-PGJ2 by inhibiting the PGD2 11β -ketoreductase activity of the aldo-keto reductase AKR1C3, which metabolises PGD2 to 9α11β-PGF2α. B/M treatment resulted in growth arrest, apoptosis and cell differentiation in both AML cell lines and primary AML cells and these actions were recapitulated by treatment with 15d-PGJ2. Importantly, the actions of B/M had little effect on the survival of normal adult myeloid progenitors. Significance: Collectively our data demonstrate that B/M treatment of AML cells elevated ROS and delivered the anti-neoplastic actions of 15d-PGJ2. These observations provide the mechanistic rationale for the redeployment of B/M in elderly and relapsed AML