Repurposing learning objects: a sustainable alternative?

Recent experience shows that reusable learning objects, like the computer assisted learning programmes of the early 1990s, have so far failed to achieve expected levels of integration into educational practice. This is despite technical interoperability, cataloguing systems, high quality standards, targeted dissemination and professional development initiatives. Analysis of this problem suggests that conceptualization of the problem may be limiting the scope of solutions. This paper proposes a sustainable and participative approach to reuse that involves repurposing learning objects for different discipline areas. For some time now there has been a growing awareness that even the most accessible resources have failed to be widely adopted by the educational community and as a result have also failed to fulfil their considerable educational potential. (Campbell, 2003, p. 35

Periods of Double EPW-sextics

We study the indeterminacy locus of the period map for double EPW-sextics. We recall that double EPW-sextics are parametrized by lagrangian subspaces of the third wedge-product of a 6-dimensional complex vector-space. The indeterminacy locus is contained in the set of lagrangians containing a decomposable vector. The projectivization of the 3-dimensional support of such a decomposable vector contains a degeneracy subscheme which is either all of the plane or a sextic curve. We show that the period map is regular on any lagrangian A such that for all decomposables in A the corresponding degeneracy subscheme is a GIT-semistable sextic curve whose closure (in the semistable locus) does not contain a triple conic.Comment: We added a proof that the the period map of double EPW-sextics with isolated singularities is an open embedding into the complement of four explicit arithmetic divisors in the period space. Gave precise references to results of "Moduli of double EPW-sextics" (latest arXiv version) which will appear in Memoirs of the AM

Moduli of sheaves and the Chow group of K3 surfaces

Let X be a projective complex K3 surface. Beauville and Voisin singled out a 0-cycle c_X on X of degree 1: it is represented by any point lying on a rational curve in X. Huybrechts proved that the second Chern class of a rigid simple vector-bundle on X is a multiple of the Beauville-Voisin class c_X if certain hypotheses hold and he conjectured that the additional hypotheses are unnecessary. We believe that the following generalization of Huybrechts' conjecture holds. Let M and N be moduli spaces of stable pure sheaves on X (with fixed cohomological Chern characters) and suppose that they have the same dimension: then the set whose elements are second Chern classes of sheaves parametrized by the closure of M (in the corresponding moduli spaces of semistable sheaves) is equal to the set whose elements are second Chern classes of sheaves parametrized by the closure of N after a translation by a suitable multiple of c_X (so that degrees match). We will prove that the above statement holds under some additional assumptions.Comment: Deleted a footnote and replaced it by a sentence in the main body of the pape

The impact of pre-task planning on speaking test performance for English-medium university study

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThis study investigated the impact of different lengths of pre-task planning time on performance in a test of second language speaking ability for university admission. The research was conducted in a university in Turkey where the increasing popularity of English-medium instruction has heightened the need for valid assessment of prospective students’ English language ability. In the study, 47 Turkish speaking learners of English aged between 18 and 22, sat a test of English language speaking ability. The participants were divided into two groups according to their language proficiency estimated through a paper-based English placement test (an A1+/A2 level and B1 level group, Council of Europe, 2001). They each completed four monologue tasks: two picture-based narrative tasks and two description tasks. In a balanced design, each test taker was allowed a different length of planning time before responding to each of the four tasks. The four planning conditions were 30 seconds, one minute, five minutes, and ten minutes. The effect of variation in pre-task planning time was analysed using a set of measures of complexity, accuracy and fluency identified through the literature review and refined through piloting. In addition, 16 trained raters awarded scores to the test takers using an analytic rating scale and a context specific, binary choice rating scale designed specifically for the study. The results of the rater scores were analysed using multi-faceted Rasch measurement. The impact of pre-task planning on test scores was found to be influenced by four variables: the method of assessment, the task type that test takers completed, the length of planning time provided, and the test takers’ levels of proficiency in the second language. Firstly, contrary to common accounts in the literature, pre-task planning did not have an impact on the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of the spoken output. Rather, planning for longer periods of time increased the number of idea units test takers produced (an indication of the propositional completeness and complexity of the task content), and led to marginal increases in test scores. The increases in scores were larger on the picture-based narrative tasks than the two description tasks. The results also revealed a relationship between proficiency and pre-task planning whereby statistical significance was only reached for the increases in the scores of the lowest (CEFR ‘A’) level test takers. Regarding the amount of planning time, the five-minute planning condition led to the largest overall increases in scores. The research findings offer contributions to the study of pre-task planning and will be of particular interest to institutions seeking to assess the speaking ability of prospective students in English-medium educational environments

Investigating the role of response format in computer-based lecture comprehension tasks

Language assessment is increasingly computermediated. This development presents opportunities with new task formats and equally a need for renewed scrutiny of established conventions. Recent recommendations to increase integrated skills assessment in lecture comprehension tests is premised on empirical research that demonstrates enhanced construct coverage over conventional selected response formats such as multiple-choice. However, the comparison between response formats is underexplored in computer-mediated assessment and does not consider test item presentation methods that this technology affords. To this end, the present study investigates performance in a computer-mediated lecture comprehension task by examining test taker accounts of task completion involving multiple-choice questions without question preview and integrated response formats. Findings demonstrate overlap between the formats in terms of several core processes but also point to important differences regarding the prioritization of aspects of the lecture, memory and test anxiety. In many respects, participant comments indicate the multiple-choice format measured a more comprehensive construct than the integrated format. The research will be relevant to individuals with interests in computer-mediated assessment and specifically with a responsibility for developing and validating lecture comprehension assessments.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

SURVIVAL ANALYSIS OF COLORECTAL CANCER PATIENTS WITH LIVER METASTASIS

Background- Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world. I investigated the survival rates among colorectal cancer patients diagnosed with hepatic metastasis to see if any variables are associated colorectal risk and survival. Methods- Patients were diagnosed from 2000-2019 and collected through MD Anderson’s database. A descriptive analysis, univariate analysis, Kaplan-Meier with Mantel log-rank test, Cox proportion hazard regression and a Stratified Cox Model was performed to investigate death. A competing risk regression was implemented to investigate liver recurrence. Results- There was a clear difference in the survival outcome between liver surgery patients and non-liver surgery patients with a 99.1% two-year survival rate for the surgery group and a 47.1% two-year survival rate for the non-liver surgery group. Though the survival rate is higher for the 220 liver surgery patients, liver recurrence did occur out of 161 patients and 36 of them has died by end of follow-up. Age of liver diagnosis, extrahepatic metastasis, size path, synchronous, right colon primary, bilateral metastasis, and the number of liver metastasis were significantly associated with worse survival. Liver surgery, primary surgery, and BMI were significantly significant with a greater overall survival in univariate analyses. The results competing risk regression showed that the log number of liver metastasis (SHR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.07-1.35) and node positive (SHR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.08-1.86) were significantly associated with a poorer result for liver recurrence. Conclusions- Resection of the liver and primary cancer is an optimal way to treat patient with colorectal cancer with colorectal cancer with liver metastasis. It is important to note that even if a patient elects to go through surgery, there is a strong chance that recurrence will happen. There is also a significant difference in the survival outcome between the patients who diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the right colon

Trialing alternative listening assessment tasks : interactions between text authenticity, item focus and item presentation condition

Purpose: The current study applies an innovative approach to the assessment of second language listening comprehension skills. This is an important focus in need of innovation because scores generated through language assessment tasks should reflect variation in the target skill and the literature broadly suggests that conventional methods of assessing listening may fall short of achieving this principle (Field [2019]. Rethinking the Second Language Listening Test from Theory to Practice. Equinox). Design: The study investigated interactions between different methods of presenting listening comprehension questions, the focus of the comprehension questions and the relative authenticity of the sound file in an English-medium university entrance listening test. In a balanced design, 61 participants completed a listening test featuring both scripted and unscripted sound files by answering explicit and implicit information comprehension questions under five counterbalanced question preview and presentation conditions. Test scores were analysed using ANOVA and examined for interactions. Findings: The results revealed interesting relationships between text authenticity and item focus whereby item responses were most frequently correct overall on the explicit items on scripted tasks. However, the reverse was observed on the implicit items, which were more frequently correct on the unscripted tasks. Value: The research findings have important implications for construct definition and highlight possible directions for the development of pedagogical listening tasks and assessments for English-medium academic study.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Two decades of RPL/APEL in IRELAND: Practitioner Views

The process led with the supply of forms written in a formal language that the participants were not used to. The RPL was to be done first, before there was any familiarity with the formal language and requirements of third-level. Their experiential knowledge was tacit and needed to be brought to a cognitive level

Halo effects in rating data : assessing speech fluency

Fluency is a common objective in English language learning and teaching. However, researchers have commented on the absence of a widely accepted definition of the construct and this sense of uncertainty may hinder efforts to measure fluency for purposes of research or assessment. To date, the extent to which rating instruments measure fluency independently from other areas of speech production such as complexity and accuracy has been under-explored. This is a significant gap because the literature broadly suggests that rater scores are susceptible to halo effects that have a distorting influence on the measurement of speaking skills and blur boundaries between assessment criteria. To investigate this issue, the current study examines a data set of scores assigned to 77 English language learners on two speaking tasks using an analytic rating scale featuring criteria for spech complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF). The tasks were transcribed and analysed using measures of CAF. Rater scores were analysed using many-facet Rasch measurement and multiple regression. Results revealed that rated fluency was influenced by lexical complexity, indicating that fluency scores represented more than the fluency construct outlined in the analytic scale. Measures of speech speed, phonation time ration, length of utterance, lexical complexity, total speaking time and repair fluency explained the largest amount of variance in the fluency scores. Implications for research, language teaching and assessment are discussed.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Trends of Zambia’s tuberculosis burden over the past two decades

Objectives:  To study trends in Zambia’s TB notification rates between 1990 and 2010 and to ascertain progress made towards TB control. Methods:  Retrospective review of TB notification returns and TB programme reports for the period from 1990 to 2010. Results:  Two distinct TB trend periods were identified: a period of rising trends up to a peak between 1990 and 2004 and a period of moderately declining trends between 2004 and 2010. Treatment outcomes improved over the two decades. Data on trends in paediatric TB, TB in prisoners and TB in pregnant women remain scanty and unreliable owing to poor diagnostic capability. There were no data available on trends on drug-resistant TB because of the lack of laboratory services to perform drug sensitivity testing. Conclusions:  The period of increasing TB between 1990 and 2000 coincided with an increase in HIV/AIDS. The period of slightly decreasing TB between 2004 and 2010 can be attributed to improved TB care, sustained DOTS implementation and improvement in TB diagnostic services. Newer diagnostics technologies for the rapid diagnosis of active TB cases and for drug-resistant testing, recently endorsed by the WHO, need to be implemented into the national TB programmes to detect more cases and to provide epidemiological and surveillance data from which to obtain an evidence base for guided investments for TB control. Alignment of TB and HIV services is required to achieve improved management outcomes