Course developers as students: a designer perspective of the experience of learning online

Academic developers of online courses may not have experienced this mode of learning and teaching from the learner perspective. This article makes a comparison between suggestions for online course design from research literature and user perspectives from a focus group, responses to questions on the most and least effective aspects of online study and lasting impressions, and from reflective diaries kept by two of the authors while they were engaged in study from online courses. This direct evidence is used to highlight key issues in the literature from the viewpoint of the learner

Triggering Engagement in SoTL through Threshold Concepts

This essay is a reflection on the effectiveness of the idea of threshold concepts in engaging teaching staff in developing their scholarly teaching and scholarship of learning and teaching. I situate threshold concepts within a framework for critical reflection, describe how I have used this idea and some of the outcomes I have observed, and finish with my reflections about why threshold concepts are such an effective trigger to engage academics in SoTL

Ranking very young Pinus radiata families for acoustic stiffness and validation by microfibril angle

International audienceAbstractKey messageAcoustic techniques can be utilised to rank a large population of young trees for stiffness and stability for breeding purposes.IntroductionThis study sought to validate new approaches to rapid, very early screening and selection of radiata pine families, using microfibril angle (MFA) as a reference for comparative purposes.MethodA key feature was tilting the trees at an angle of ∼30° after the initial 12 months of growth in order to force production of opposite wood (OW) and compression wood (CW) and prevent the co-mingling of the two distinctive wood types as occurs ‘at random’ within vertical stems. After 34 months, OW and CW materials were characterised independently for acoustic velocity (V), dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEdynamic), basic density and longitudinal shrinkage. Finally, MFA were determined with X-ray diffraction.ResultNo phenotypic correlation was observed between OW and CW wood properties. The Spearman ranking correlation between V2 and MFA values in OW was 0.81.ConclusionWe show that families or individual trees with superior wood properties can be screened at this young age using acoustics. Further, the same outcomes can be achieved as with X-ray diffraction (MFA) but more cheaply and rapidly

A geometrical model of softwood anatomy for fluid mechanics simulations

This paper demonstrates a model of softwood geometry that can be used for multiscale modelling of the longitudinal movement of water through spruce wood. Previous results obtained from a high resolution X-ray CT scan and subsequent image analysis of a large number of Norway spruce tracheids were here used to produce a model that can represent the variability in wood anatomy found within a timber joist or log. A demonstration of that model is given

Recycling plastics from WEEE:a review of the environmental and human health challenges associated with brominated flame retardants

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) presents the dual characteristic of containing both hazardous substances and valuable recoverable materials. Mainly found in WEEE plastics, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are a component of particular interest. Several actions have been taken worldwide to regulate their use and disposal, however, in countries where no regulation is in place, the recovery of highly valuable materials has promoted the development of informal treatment facilities, with serious consequences for the environment and the health of the workers and communities involved. Hence, in this review we examine a wide spectrum of aspects related to WEEE plastic management. A search of legislation and the literature was made to determine the current legal framework by region/country. Additionally, we focused on identifying the most relevant methods of existing industrial processes for determining BFRs and their challenges. BFR occurrence and substitution by novel BFRs (NBFRs) was reviewed. An emphasis was given to review the health and environmental impacts associated with BFR/NBFR presence in waste, consumer products, and WEEE recycling facilities. Knowledge and research gaps of this topic were highlighted. Finally, the discussion on current trends and proposals to attend to this relevant issue were outlined

Filaggrin loss-of-function mutations and atopic dermatitis as risk factors for hand eczema in apprentice nurses:part II of a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Environmental exposure and personal susceptibility both contribute to the development of hand eczema. In this study, we investigated the effect of loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG), atopic dermatitis and wet work exposure on the development of hand eczema in apprentice nurses. METHODS: Dutch apprentice nurses were genotyped for the four most common FLG mutations; atopic dermatitis and hand eczema history were assessed by questionnaire. Exposure and hand eczema during traineeships were assessed with diary cards. RESULTS: The prevalence of hand eczema during traineeships was higher among subjects with a history of hand eczema reported at inclusion. Hand washing during traineeships and at home increased the risk of hand eczema. After adjustment for the effects of exposure and FLG mutations, an odds ratio of 2.5 (90% confidence interval 1.7–3.7) was found for a history of atopic dermatitis. In this study, an increased risk of hand eczema conferred by FLG mutations could not be shown, but subjects with concomitant FLG mutations and atopic dermatitis showed the highest risk of hand eczema during traineeships. CONCLUSION: A history of atopic dermatitis, a history of hand eczema and wet work exposure were the most important factors increasing the risk of hand eczema during traineeships

Creating and Using Learning Objects in Qualitative Research Education

Based upon the lessons learned and the educational materials generated from a doctoral course on qualitative data analysis, a group of doctoral students, their professor, and a linguistics consultant launched an on- going project to create a series of reusable learning objects designed to help other groups of students and professors learn how to analyze qualitative data. The results of the first six months of this project are shared, as the team describes how they have begun to use instructional design and software applications to create a digital learning environment in the form of a series of activities engineered to help analysts learn how to master grounded theory open codin

Social Learning in Horses—Fact or Fiction?

Prima facie, the acquisition of novel behaviors in animals through observation of conspecifics seems straightforward. There are, however, various mechanisms through which the behavior of animals can be altered from observing others. These mechanisms range from simple hard-wired contagious processes to genuine learning by observation, which differ fundamentally in cognitive complexity. They range from social facilitation and local enhancement to true social learning. The different learning mechanisms are the subject of this review, largely because research on learning by observation can be confounded by difficulties in interpretation owing to the looming possibility of associative learning infecting experimental results. While it is often assumed that horses are capable of acquiring new behavior through intra-species observation, research on social learning in horses includes a variety of studies some of which may overestimate the possession of higher mental abilities. Assuming such abilities in their absence can have welfare implications, e.g., isolating stereotypical horses on the assumption that these behaviors can be learned though observation by neighboring horses. This review summarizes the definitions and criteria for the various types of social transmission and social learning and reviews the current documentation for each type in horses with the aim of clarifying whether horses possess the ability to learn through true social learning. As social ungulates, horses evolved in open landscapes, exposed to predators and grazing most of the day. Being in close proximity to conspecifics may theoretically offer an opportunity to learn socially, however anti-predator vigilance and locating forage may not require the neural complexity of social learning. Given the significant energetic expense of brain tissue, it is likely that social facilitation and local enhancement may have been sufficient in the adaptation of equids to their niche. As a consequence, social learning abilities may be maladaptive in horses. Collectively, the review proposes a novel differentiation between social transmission (social facilitation, local, and stimulus enhancement) and social learning (goal emulation, imitation). Horses are undoubtedly sensitive to intra-species transfer of information but this transfer does not appear to satisfy the criteria for social learning, and thus there is no solid evidence for true social learning in horses