Adaptation and validation of a computer-assisted language learning attitude questionnaire in a Vietnamese EFL context: A comparison between online and paper modes of administration

The article reports on the validation of a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) attitude questionnaire and discusses differences between online and paper modes of administration, drawing on a sample of 1,769 Vietnamese undergraduates. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to explore and assess the factor structure of the CALL instrument and specify the equivalence between the two versions of the questionnaire. Rasch model analysis was used to evaluate the overall fit and construct uni-dimensionality of the instrument. The findings of the study suggested a six-factor structure for the adapted questionnaire as well as both reliability and validity in the Vietnamese context. No significant difference was found between the two modes of administration as regards the construct and item levels of the questionnaire, although the paper-version was superior to the online version according to results from the Rasch model analysis. Hence, the instrument can be used in online and paper modes to measure Vietnamese tertiary students’ attitudes to the integration of technology into language learning. The study finds that further research is called for if the two modes of adminis- tration of the questionnaire are used in other contexts for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL)

Tools for assessing teacher digital literacy: a review

With the rapid advancement of technology, digital literacy has become a key component in educators’ professional development. A wide range of assessment tools has been developed to measure teacher digital literacy; however, there has been no previous attempt to systematically synthesize and scrutinize those tools to improve evaluation of this ability among educators. The current study reviews literature on instruments that assess teacher digital literacy with the purposes of ascertaining the main aspects of it that recent researchers focus on in their evaluation, instrument types used for assessment, and the reliability and validity report, as well as the frameworks or models used to design assessment tools. The review selected 33 English-language publications in the field of educational technology from peer-reviewed journals indexed in the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Web of Science, and Scopus. The study period spanned from 2011 to 2022 with the objective of reviewing the tools used to assess teacher digital competence. The major findings demonstrate that scholars focus on digital competence in teachers’ use of educational technology, teaching and learning, professional development, and support for learners through digital competence. Other researchers emphasize the ability of educators to apply technology to the assessment of learner outcomes or to empower students in using technology to enhance learning. Additionally, self-evaluation instruments are common, whereas a few studies promote subjective evaluation in combination with objective assessment to provide a comprehensive understanding of teacher digital competence. The results form the basis for several recommendations for future research for the further examination of teacher digital literacy

Method Development for the Analysis of Pharmaceuticals Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Since 2013, there have been 1500 reports of counterfeit drugs to WHO, especially from African, American, and European regions 1. Tackling the problem of poor drug quality, the Distributed Pharmaceutical Analysis Lab (DPAL) provides a quality analysis to quantify active pharmaceutical ingredient contents with a goal to trigger a report to the MRA or WHO2. With the support of DPAL, we would like to perform a series of chromatography experiments using the HPLC in order to identify and quantify the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of Amoxicillin and Ciprofloxacin

Using Genre-based Approach to Overcome Students’ Difficulties in Writing

Because of the importance of the English language, the government of Indonesia always aims to apply approaches that are anticipated to be appropriate for education levels and students’ ability, not only in attaining knowledge but also in relation to their personality and integrity in regard to using the knowledge gained in their future day-to-day life. A genre-based approach (GBA) is used to conduct classroom instruction and genre-based learning practices. One expert, Yan, argues that this approach has been popular since the 1980s, alongside the idea that students and writers could benefit from researching various types of written language. The GBA plays an important role in overcoming students’ difficulties in writing achievement. Because a descriptive quantitative method was adopted in this research, observation, document analysis (writing test), and interviews were conducted as data collection for the implementation of this GBA. After analysis of the data, the researchers came to the conclusion that this paper would be beneficial as a tutorial in helping students decide what ideas could be included in their writing, especially in classroom practice, to create meaningful texts. This GBA model can be used as a framework to enable teachers and students to develop their writing skills. It is hoped that this model can become a classroom strategy in allowing teachers and students to achieve a higher level of writing skill

Barriers to access prevention of mother-to-child transmission for HIV positive women in a well-resourced setting in Vietnam

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>According to Vietnamese policy, HIV-infected women should have access at least to HIV testing and Nevirapine prophylaxis, or where available, to adequate counselling, HIV infection staging, ARV prophylaxis, and infant formula. Many studies in high HIV prevalence settings have reported low coverage of PMTCT services, but there have been few reports from low HIV prevalence settings, such as Asian countries. We investigated the access of HIV-infected pregnant women to PMTCT services in the well-resourced setting of the capital city, Hanoi.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-two HIV positive women enrolled in a self-help group in Hanoi were consulted, through in-depth interviews and bi-weekly meetings, about their experiences in accessing PMTCT services.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Only 44% and 20% of the women had received minimal and comprehensive PMTCT services, respectively. Nine women did not receive any services. Twenty-two women received no counselling. The women reported being limited by lack of knowledge and information due to poor counselling, gaps in PMTCT services, and fear of stigma and discrimination. HIV testing was done too late for optimal interventions and poor quality of care by health staff was frequently mentioned.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In a setting where PMTCT is available, HIV-infected women and children did not receive adequate care because of barriers to accessing those services. The results suggest key improvements would be improving quality of counselling and making PMTCT guidelines available to health services. Women should receive early HIV testing with adequate counselling, safe care and prophylaxis in a positive atmosphere towards HIV-infected women.</p