Improving professional learning and teaching through the development of a quality process

Investigation of graduate attributes (GAs) and professional standards (PSs) within faculty curriculum development are rare, despite university importance. Examining learning objectives and assessment with PSs and accreditation, this project sought learning and teaching improvements through developing a cross discipline quality assurance process, aligning learning and assessment with PSs and GAs. This paper describes the results of interviews with those responsible for teaching and learning in four faculties at an Australian University. The results indicate that curriculum developers are often unable to align the GAs and PSs that creates challenges for an assurance of students’ learning

Metaphors and mentoring: constructing a mentor typology from the perspective of student mentors

Although there is an extensive mentoring literature there is a dearth of literature which addresses questions such as ‘What does it mean to be a mentor?’ or ‘What do mentors do?’ from a mentor perspective (Heirdfield, Walker, Walsh & Wilss, 2008). This paper draws on entry and exit surveys and interview data from a qualitative research project, in an Australian university and addresses these questions from the perspective of student mentors engaged in mentoring first year students in their transition to university. The paper begins by contextualising the research within a specific mentor programme and within a research methodology. The paper then presents a mentor typology constructed from the metaphors used by the research participants in examining their experiences as student mentors. This is followed by an examination of the typologies in the mentoring literature

The impact of experience on student mentors’ conceptualisations of mentoring

This paper examines the findings of a qualitative research study conducted in the context of Australian preservice teacher education. The study looks at impact of mentoring experience on student mentors’ conceptualisations of mentoring. It draws on data from entry and exit surveys and interviews with student mentors. The paper has first positions the research within the literature, examines the research context and the research methodology. It then presents the research findings as three case studies of student mentors’ experiences of mentoring and concludes with a discussion of findings that relate to student mentors perceptions of mentoring and teaching practice

Systemic Gene-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using a Targeted Adenovirus Armed with Carboxypeptidase G2

Systemic gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma using a targeted adenovirus armed with carboxypeptidase G2 Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, and there is no effective therapy for unresectable disease. We have developed a targeted systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. The gene for a foreign enzyme is selectively expressed in the tumor cells and a nontoxic prodrug is then given, which is activated to a potent cytotoxic drug by the tumor-localized enzyme. This approach is termed gene- directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT). Adenoviruses have been used to target cancer cells, have an intrinsic tropism for liver, and are efficient gene vectors. Oncolytic adenoviruses produce clinical benefits, particularly in combination with conventional anticancer agents and are well tolerated. We rationalized that such adenoviruses, if their expression were restricted to telomerase-positive cancer cells, would make excellent gene vectors for GDEPT therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. Here we use an oncolytic adenovirus to deliver the prodrug-activating enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) to tumors in a single systemic administration. The adenovirus replicated and produced high levels of CPG2 in two different hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts (Hep3B and HepG2) but not other tissues. GDEPT enhanced the adenovirus-alone therapy to elicit tumor regressions in the hepatocellular carcinoma models. This is the first time that CPG2 has been targeted and expressed intracellularly to effect significant therapy, showing that the combined approach holds enormous potential as a tumor-selective therapy for the systemic treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma