Peer Assessment in EFL Classrooms. A Qualitative Approach to Implementing Peer Assessment in Oral Communicative Learning Activities in EFL Classrooms

This study investigated if any of the reported benefits related to peer assessment in writing could be transferred to oral EFL learning strategies. The study, despite a lack of control groups, sheds light on several aspects which influences peer assessment. The results indicated that the participants benefited from peer modelling and increased self-regulation due to assessing peers, rather than the response received from peers. The design of the study was quite experimental, as it aimed to combine the requirements of applicable criteria related to peer assessment with the complex yet informal nature of spoken language. By using a definition on oral interaction skills provided by the Norwegian Directorate of Education in connection to formal requirements of maritime distress calls, the researcher staged a project which imitated features of spontaneous speech in relation to perception, cognition and production. A group consiting of 14 students attending maritime vocational studies was used as test group

Recollections of Vattaja - Preserving collective place memories through applied visual art

This study examines how applied visual art can be used in the context of communal place memory work. Theoretical background for the work is multidisciplinary and comes from humanistic geography, sensory ethnography, memory studies, microhistory and contemporary art done in the context of memories. The research was conducted as a part of the Visualising Kämppävattaja - project. Memories were collected about a seaside cabin village that the community had lost. Different possibilities to use art as a tool for recollection were tested with community participants, both as a collective and as individuals. Data was collected with enhanced interviews, workshops and auto-ethnographic work and part of the work was shown in an exhibition. The first research question focuses on different methods applied visual arts can be used in eliciting and collecting place memories. The second question considers how applied visual art can be used to process and present collected place memories. These main questions opened up contemplation about the value of accuracy and aesthetics in collective memory work. Some consideration was given to the possible mending effect recollections process could have for the community when working with a lost place. The artistic conclusion showed different methods that worked well to elicit memories. Remembering a place was easier if with sensory experiences and with the textuality of the place. Creating a narrative helped the participants and the researcher process memories. Tested methods showed clearly that the type of art done with the participants affected how the remembering process happened

Validating the algorithms AAA and Acuros for calculation of dose from flattening filter free beams in heterogenous tissue - Application to stereotactic radiotherapy of lung tumors

In radiation therapy of cancer, modeling the dose to the patient is very important. Several computational algorithms are available, where some model dose in heterogeneous tissue better than others. After implementation of stereotactic radiotherapy of lung cancer at the University Hospital of North Norway, where high dose are given with high precision, it is desirable to look at the difference in the calculated dose for the established algorithm AAA, and newcomer Acuros, in heterogeneous tissue. Dose measurements were made using radiochromic film and ionization chambers in a lung phantom, and compared with calculated dose distributions for different energies which can be used in the treatment of lung tumors. In addition, patients previously treated stereotactically to the lung was replanned using Acuros and volume doses were compared. Results from the lung phantom show that Acuros calculates lower dose in light lung tissue compared to AAA but it is difficult to make measurements the dose in low density media for absolute comparisons. Patient plans calculated by Acuros show correspondingly a much lower dose to lung tissue surrounding a tumor and an overall lower dose given to heterogeneous tissue relative to AAA calculations. To acquire better estimations of actual doses given during radiotherapy of lung tumors, the implementation of Acuros should be considered

Metabolic re-wiring of isogenic breast epithelial cell lines following epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked FilesEpithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has implications in tumor progression and metastasis. Metabolic alterations have been described in cancer development but studies focused on the metabolic re-wiring that takes place during EMT are still limited. We performed metabolomics profiling of a breast epithelial cell line and its EMT derived mesenchymal phenotype to create genome-scale metabolic models descriptive of both cell lines. Glycolysis and OXPHOS were higher in the epithelial phenotype while amino acid anaplerosis and fatty acid oxidation fueled the mesenchymal phenotype. Through comparative bioinformatics analysis, PPAR-γ1, PPAR- γ2 and AP-1 were found to be the most influential transcription factors associated with metabolic re-wiring. In silico gene essentiality analysis predicts that the LAT1 neutral amino acid transporter is essential for mesenchymal cell survival. Our results define metabolic traits that distinguish an EMT derived mesenchymal cell line from its epithelial progenitor and may have implications in cancer progression and metastasis. Furthermore, the tools presented here can aid in identifying critical metabolic nodes that may serve as therapeutic targets aiming to prevent EMT and inhibit metastatic dissemination.Icelandic Research Counci

Trees as tools for adapting the city to future climate : a study of the ecosystem services shading and wind regulation to create comfortable microclimates in the compacted everyday sites of the city

Staden står inför stora framtida utmaningar med både kraftigt ökande befolkning och eskalerande effekter av klimatförändringarna. Denna uppsats undersöker hur träd kan användas för att lindra de påfrestningar och utmaningar som staden kommer möta. Träden har stor potential att leverera ekosystemtjänster som både kan skydda staden från extrema väderförhållanden och skapa attraktiva vistelsemiljöer. Genom sin förmåga att variera skepnad över årstider och över tid kan träden utgöra byggelement med multifunktionella kvalitéer i staden. Men staden är en utmanande växtplats för träden. För att de ska kunna leva upp till sin fulla potential behövs en förståelse för hur de ska kunna utvecklas till friska fullvuxna individer, och hur de genom sina specifika artegenskaper kan leverera den funktion som behövs för den specifika platsen. Denna förståelse är vad uppsatsen har för avsikt att fördjupa sig i. Uppsatsen riktar in sig på hur träd kan användas i den vardagliga vistelsemiljön i staden för beskuggning respektive vindutjämning. Genom att sammanställa ett teoretiskt underlag och utifrån det undersöka olika gestaltningsaspekter med hjälp av principskisser strävar uppsatsen efter att skapa en grundläggande förståelse för ämnet.The city is facing great future challenges with huge population growth and escalating effects of climate change. The aim of this thesis is to explore how trees can be used to mitigate the stress and the challenges that the city will face. Trees have great potential to generate ecosystem services both for protecting the city from extreme weather conditions and to create attractive sites. With their capability to change shape over season and over time the trees can be used as building elements with multifunctional qualities in the city. But the city is a challenging environment for the trees. In able to live up to their full potential there is a need for understanding how trees can evolve to healthy full-grown individuals, and through their specific characteristics generate the function that is needed for the specific site. This comprehension is what the thesis is aiming to deepen. The focus of the thesis is to examine how trees can be used in the living environments of the city through regulating heat and wind. By putting together a theoretical basis and exploring different design aspects with the help of principle sketches the thesis is attempting to create an elementary understanding for the subject

Hur befintliga kvarter i centrala Malmö kan göras bilfria - med exempel från området kring S:t Knuts torg

Tillgängliga grönytor, sociala mötesplatser, frisk luft, tysta områden, rörelsefrihet och lekytor för barn är bara några viktiga värden för människan som det råder brist på i städerna idag. Samtidigt behöver städerna förtätas för att möta behovet av fler bostäder samt rustas upp för att kunna hantera effekter av klimatförändringar. Det finns därför många konkurrerande intressen för stadens ytor, vilket motiverar att ifråga- sätta den stora yta som bilar tar i anspråk i form av vägar och parkeringsplatser. Frågan är hur det går att förändra en stadsstruktur som sedan 1960-talet vigts åt bilens framkomlighet? Detta faktablad har tagits fram i form av studentprojekt inom kursen LK0175, information, analys och planering av landskap, vid landskapsarkitektprogrammet, SLU Alnarp

Supporting students' transition to higher education

Purpose - The purpose of this study was to investigate how a workshop can enhance first-year university students' understanding of their study strategies and self-regulated learning. Design/methodology/approach - Aqualitative content analysis was done of 190 reflective journals written by first-year university students. Findings - The main findings confirmed that starting studies in higher education is challenging for many students. New insights were provided on how these challenges can be addressed, especially regarding selfregulated learning. Students perceived that they gained several insights from the workshop that they believed could benefit their studying and thereby enhance motivation. Practical implications - This study showed that even small measures promote both good study habits and specifically self-regulated learning skills. Interventions like the workshop described in this study ease first-year students' transition to the university and foster successful studies for all students. Originality/value - This study contributes to research on supporting students' transition to higher education by investigating how students perceive early study skill interventions. It adds to a holistic perspective of students' challenges and coping strategies during their first semester in higher education.Peer reviewe

Anxious girls and laid-back boys : teachers' and study counsellors' gendered perceptions of students

Efforts to reach gender equality in education in Finland have been extensive. Both teacher education and policy documents for schools have focused on gender equality and gender-neutral treatment of students. The aim of this study is to explore if and how these efforts are manifested in upper secondary school teachers' and study counsellors' perceptions of students' self-belief, academic emotions, study habits and behaviour at school. Twenty-three interviews were conducted and analysed qualitatively through inductive content analysis. The results revealed that teachers and study counsellors perceive that girls' low self-belief and high achievement expectations affected their academic performance, while boys' insecurity or need for support was rarely mentioned. The teachers ascribed the students several gender-stereotypical attributes: girls were perceived as diligent and hard-working while boys were perceived as being indifferent towards school and achievements. The implications of these results for students' self-belief and for teacher education are discussed.Peer reviewe

Hälsosamma vardagslandskap : gestaltningsstudier kopplade till Nyhamnen

The urban landscapes are rapidly transforming in order to meet the demands of population growth as well as dealing with issues of climate change. At the same time the health of urban dwellers is urgently declining due to chronic stress and lifestyle factors. This master thesis in Landscape Architecture explores how the aspect of human wellbeing can be integrated in the urban development process through design studies. The theme of the thesis - healthy everyday landscapes - is based on the assumption that in order to deal with issues of health in cities the exposure to healthy environments needs to be increased in the everyday lives of urban dwellers. Nyhamnen that is a new development area centrally located in the harbor of Malmö became the object of this study as it is in an ongoing process of development. The thesis combines research on health with design thinking as well as explores how contemporary urban planning resonates with the theme of healthy everyday landscapes. The process includes theoretical studies, site studies through an internship at an architectural firm and design studies. The process revealed that combining research on health with the discipline of design is a complex task. It requires knowledge of both fields as well as skills to translate it to a specific site and context. The process also revealed that connections between sites are essential to promote healthy everyday landscapes and is therefore difficult to apply on an isolated part of the landscape as within the plan area of Nyhamnen. Thus, the outcome of this process is a green strategy that exceeds the boundaries of Nyhamnen and suggests both an adjoining restorative nature area as well as a connective public path to the inner city. The proposal would therefore need to be a part of a larger strategy for the city. At the same time the process shows that designing healthy everyday landscapes requires on-site experiences that need to be a part of the early stages of an urban design process. The thesis therefore suggests that the theme of healthy everyday landscapes is integrated in large-scale strategies for the city as well as detailed design proposals, and they need to be planned and designed in shifting scales and focal points. The aim of the thesis was to explore how human wellbeing can be integrated in an urban development process. But the outcome of it reveals that healthy everyday landscapes can be combined with other measurements for urban resilience and sustainability, supporting the wellbeing of the urban landscape as a whole

Reformin jälkeen : ammatillisen opinto-ohjaajan työnkuva

Tämän pro gradu -tutkielman tarkoituksena oli selvittää ammatillisen opinto-ohjaajan työnkuvaa ammatillisen koulutuksen reformiuudistuksen alkuvaiheessa. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli tutkia miten opintoohjauksen ydintehtävät painottuvat tällä hetkellä. Tutkimus pyrki havainnollistamaan ja tarjoamaan poikkileikkauksen ammatillisen opinto-ohjaajan työtä määrittävistä tekijöistä. Pro gradu -tutkielman aineistokerättiin sähköisesti suomalaisilta ammatillisen koulutuksen parissa työskenteleviltä opinto-ohjaajilta. Otos (n=87) muodostui Suomessa työskentelevistä ammatillisista opinto-ohjaajista, jotka ohjaavat työssään eriperustutkintojen (43), kaksoistutkintojen, ammattitutkintojen (65) sekä erikoisammattitutkintojen (56) opiskelijoita. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin tätä tutkimusta varten laaditulla Likert – asteikollisella sähköisellä kyselylomakkeella elokuu- lokakuun 2018 aikana. Mittari rakentui taustatietoja, ammatillisen opintoohjaajan työnkuvaa ja työtehtäviä mittaavista osioista. Suomen opinto-ohjaajat ry:n jäsenistössä oli kyselyhetkellä ammatillisia opinto-ohjaajia 247. Kysely ei tavoittanut kaikkia heitä. Kyselyn vastausprosentti oli 76,32% suhteessa esikyselyyn vastanneiden joukkoon. Aineisto analysoitiin SPSS 25.0 for Windows tilasto-ohjelmalla. Tutkimusjoukon kuvaamisessa käytettiin frekvenssijakaumia, prosentuaalisia osuuksia sekä keskilukuja. Ammatillisen opinto-ohjaajan työnkuvaa kuvaavista kysymyksistä muodostettiin 10 summamuuttujaa. Summamuuttujien muodostamisessa huomioitiin Cronbachin alfa-kerroin. Summamuuttujien sekä taustamuuttujien välisiä yhteyksiä testattiin Pearsonin korrelaatiokertoimen sekä ristiintaulukoinnin avulla. Koska aineiston normaalijakautuneisuutta ei voinut olettaa, taustamuuttujien yhteyksiä summamuuttujiin tarkasteltiin ei-parametrisillä testeillä: Khiin neliötestillä, Mann-Whitney U-testillä ja Kruskal Wallis H-testillä. Ammatillisen opinto-ohjaajan työnkuva ja työtehtävät ovat erittäin laajat ja monipuoliset. Vaihtelua kuitenkin löytyy eri puolilla Suomea eri koulutusten järjestäjien kesken. Ohjattavat opiskelijat ovat hyvin heterogeeninen ryhmä, iän, taustojen, sukupuolen, kulttuurin ja opiskelumuodon osalta. Ohjattavien opiskelijoiden määrä on kasvanut. Ammatillinen opinto-ohjaaja työskentelee päivittäin sekä oppilaitoksen sisäisten että ulkopuolisten verkostojen kanssa. Yhteistyöverkostot ovat todella laajoja. Jatkuva haku valintaprosesseineen ja henkilökohtaisten osaamisen kehittämissuunnitelmien laadinta työllistää ammatillisia opinto-ohjaajia suuresti. Ammatillinen opinto-ohjaaja perehdyttää, neuvoo, ohjaa ja opettaa opettajia ja muuta henkilöstöä opinto-ohjaukseen liittyvissä asioissa enemmän kuin aikaisemmin. Erilaisten ajantasaisten prosessikuvausten puuttuminen lisää epätietoisuutta siitä miten työtehtäviä tulee hoitaa ja kenen vastuulla tehtävät ovat.The purpose of this pro gradu thesis was to clarify the job description of vocational guidance counsellors at the beginning of the reform of vocational education. In addition, the aim was to examine how the main goals of guidance counselling are currently emphasized. The investigation aims at offering a cross-section of the factors defining the work of vocational guidance counsellors and at illustrating them by examples. The material was collected through an online survey of Finnish guidance counselors working in vocational education. The sample (n=87) consisted of vocational guidance counselors who were counseling students of various basic level degrees (43) , double degrees, further vocational qualifications (65) and specialist vocational qualifications (56). The material was collected between August and October 2018 through an online survey questionnaire employing the Likert scale and created specifically for this study. The instrument consisted of sections measuring background data, the job description of vocational guidance councellors, and the day-to-day tasks of vocational guidance counsellors. At the time of the survey, the Organization for Finnish Guidance Counsellors had 247 members. The survey did not reach them all, and the response rate was 76,32 % of the respondents of the preliminary survey. The survey data was analyzed using SPSS 25.0 for Windows. Frequency distributions,percentage shares and measures of central tendency were used to describe the population. Ten sum variables were created from the questions related to the job description of the vocational guidance counsellors. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was considered when formulating the sum variables. The relations between the sum variables and the underlying variables were tested with the Pearson coefficient and cross-tabulation. Because a normal distribution of the data could not be assumed, the connections of the underlying variables and the sum variables were examined with non-parametric tests: the chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney Utest and the Kruskal Wallis H-test. The job description and tasks of the vocational guidance counsellor are extremely broad and versatile. However, they seem to vary between parts of Finland and between different educational establishments. The students form a group that is heteronogenous in terms of age, backgound, gender, culture and methods of study. The number of students in need of counselling has also increased. The vocational guidance counsellor interacts daily with extensive inter-institutional and extra-institutional co-operative networks. The continous admission process and the related selection processes, as well as the creation of personal competence development plans for the students, keep the guidance counsellors very busy. The guidance counsellor also needs to orient and guide the teachers and other staff members in matters related to guidance counselling more than in the past. The lack of up-to-date process descriptions increased the respondents' uncertainty about how to do their work and about who is responsible for the tasks