Influence of batch or fed-batch growth on Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation

Aims: To make a quantitative evaluation of the differences in biofilm formation by Staphylococcus epidermidis using batch and fed-batch growth systems and to correlate this with production of the major biofilm polysaccharide, poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG). Methods and Results: Dry weight measurements of biofilms formed in batch and fed-batch conditions were compared with haemagglutination titres, which measure the amount of PNAG produced. Strains grown in batch systems developed less biofilm than when grown in fed-batch systems. A good correlation was found between the amount of biofilm formed in fed-batch systems and the haemagglutination titres. Conclusions: Differences in biofilm formation and PNAG production by S. epidermidis are dependent on the availability of nutrients, with higher availability correlating with more biofilm and PNAG production. Significance of and Impact of the Study: Comparisons of the formation of biofilms by S. epidermidis are dependent on choosing an appropriate biofilm growth system. Comparability or disparity of conclusions among different investigations will be strongly influenced by which mode S. epidermidis biofilms are formed.NIH - grant AI 46706.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) – Programa Operacional “Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovação” (POCTI) - POCTI/ESP/42688/2001, SFRH/BD/8676/2002

New learning opportunities in a networked world: developing a research agenda on innovative uses of ICTS for learning and teaching

IDRC Project Title: Developing a Research Agenda on Expanding New Digital Learning Opportunities in Developing Countries;IDRC Project Number: 107628The report describes outcomes of the activities carried out for the project “New Learning Opportunities in a Networked World: Developing a Research Agenda on Innovative uses of ICTs for Learning and Teaching”. The research consists of three main activities, namely desk research, written expert consultation and group concept mapping study involving a 2-day workshop and a follow-up with experts who could not attend the workshop. These activities are interconnected elements of the consultative approach to establishing a research agenda.International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canad

Online repositories of learning designs: pipedreams and possibilities

McKenney, S. (2013, 28 January-1 February). Online Repositories of Learning Designs: Pipedreams and Possibilities. Position paper for the Alpine Rendezvous Workshop on Teacher-led inquiry and learning design, Villard‐de‐Lans, Vercors, France.Around the globe both country-specific and international organizations have been exploring the potential of sharing digital resources for education, including learning designs. Repositories are created and used for a variety of reasons ranging from efficiency to innovation and even financial gain. While some commercial repositories have met with success in certain countries, few -if any- open access repositories have achieved sufficient critical mass to fully realize their goals. While research literature exists that can help specify characteristics of effective open access learning design repositories, we severely lack sufficient insight into how to design and launch for sustainable repository use that is consistent with the initiative’s goals. This paper presents observations and critical reflections with the aim of stimulating research that can help bring the repository vision to life in ways not yet achieved

Supporting teachers in data-informed educational design

Recent years have seen a growing recognition of the value of positioning teaching as a design science. In this context, we see a great potential in the possible synergy between educational design, learning analytics and teacher inquiry. This synergy is demonstrated in the form of Computer Supported Curriculum Analysis, Design and Evaluation for Science Education in Africa (CASCADE-SEA), a computer-based support tool that assists teachers in creating exemplary lesson materials for secondary level science and mathematics in southern Africa. The purpose of the present study is to articulate how teachers might be supported in the synergistic processes that are integral to educational design. It does so by revisiting existing data collected during the design, development and evaluation of CASCADE-SEA, and sharing the results of a retrospective analysis in light of recent developments in learning analytics, learning design and teacher inquiry. The retrospective analysis revealed insights related to each of the aforementioned themes. For learning analytics, those were social structures of learning and teaching practices; pedagogy-driven collection and analysis of data; and the use of data to inform teaching and learning. For learning design, the findings pertained to the language, practices and tools used to achieve particular educational aims. For teacher inquiry, the findings relate to the empirical process of question formulation, methods selection, collection and analysis of data, and sharing/reflecting on the findings as well as overall process. Based on the retrospective analysis, design considerations are offered for a modern application to replace the practical and effective desktop software that was developed during the 1990

ICT met meerwaarde: Laat je niet verleiden door techniek alleen

ICT betekenisvol inzetten in de les vraagt meer dan plug-en-play. Schoolleiders kunnen leraren hierbij ondersteunen. We geven enkele vuistregels

Assessing teacher beliefs about early literacy curriculum implementation

Against the backdrop of growing international concern for a narrowing view of early literacy, this study was initiated to determine how teachers of four-year-olds view their task of fostering early literacy. This paper reports on the first steps to design and validate an instrument which captures teachers’ perceptions of early literacy content goals; developmentally appropriate and effective pedagogical practices related to each content goal; and their own competencies to offer a suitable environment for developing early literacy. The content validity of the instrument was evaluated by an expert screening; the reliability and practicality of the instrument were assessed through a pilot study involving 20 teachers from 2 countries. Validation findings indicate that the instrument appears to be reliable. The findings from the pilot run show that teachers focus on decoding skills most; there is some attention to book orientation and understanding, and relatively little to the functions of written language

Design researcher learning through and for collaboration with practitioners

Design research is a genre of inquiry in which the iterative development of solutions to problems in practice provides the setting for scientific inquiry. To conduct ecologically valid studies that also yield relevant and usable solutions, design research is carried out together with practitioners in authentic learning settings – not laboratories. Researchers and practitioners collaborate to analyze the problems being tackled, and to develop and refine solutions, which are informed by (formative) evaluation along the way. In these studies, the function of the investigator is typically multifaceted, including the roles of: consultant/facilitator, designer, and researcher. While most design researchers are afforded formal opportunities to develop their research skills (e.g. through seminars and courses on research design, interview techniques, data analysis, etc.), the consultant/facilitator and designer skills receive far less explicit attention and tend to be learned informally, at best. If design research is to realize its potential contribution to the field of learning and instruction, then explicit attention must be given to developing researcher learning of key competencies within and across each role. As role-specific guidance is already available in professional literature, this paper focuses on four foundational competencies that are needed across all three roles, in each phase of design research: empathy, orchestration, flexibility, and social competence. After briefly discussing the goals, nature and processes of design research, the roles and competencies are introduced, followed by a framework for design researcher learning that takes place through, and stands to serve, collaboration with practitioners. Implications for supporting design researcher learning are also discussed