Orientation strategies that prepare postgraduate students for online study

Introduction/background: Despite the increasing popularity of online university courses, high non-completion rates are common. An effective orientation program can assist students to prepare for online study. Aim/objectives: The focus of this research was to gain an understanding of students' perceptions of: (i) the skills needed for online study; (ii) which skills HPE students feel least confident about at the commencement of their course; and (iii) orientation activities and resources that students find useful when preparing for online study. Methods: A mixed methods study, including online surveys and telephone interviews, was used. Results: Students were confident about their computer skills but were less confident about using the learning management system, in particular, the discussion board and webinar tools. Rusty academic skills, such as writing and referencing, were a challenge for many. Responses to suggested orientation sessions indicate students desire a wide variety of activities and resources to help them transition to online learning including: study tips from experienced online learners; staying motivated in off-campus study, and tips for organising and managing files. Discussion and Conclusions: Orientation activities should be delivered in an incremental way so students can progress at their own pace through a structured, but flexible, program that does not overwhelm the novice. Self-evaluation of the skills required for postgraduate online study, flexibility to tailor the orientation program to suit personal learning needs, and time to practise required skills, should underpin the orientation program. Lastly, opportunities for students to connect with other students and faculty should be provided

The downside of tobacco control? Smoking and self-stigma: a systematic review

Objective Little is known about the consequences of tobacco smoking stigma on smokers and how smokers may internalize smoking-related stigma. This review summarizes existing literature on tobacco smoking self-stigma, investigating to what extent smokers are aware of negative stereotypes, agree with them and apply them to themselves. Methods We carried out a systematic search of Pubmed/Web of Science/PsycInfo databases for articles related to smoking self-stigma through June 2013. Reference lists and citations of included studies were also checked and experts were contacted. After screening articles for inclusion/exclusion criteria we performed a quality assessment and summarized findings according to the stages of self-stigma as conceptualized in Corrigan's progressive model of self-stigma (aware, agree, apply and harm). Initial searches yielded 570 articles. Results Thirty of these articles (18 qualitative and 12 quantitative studies) met criteria for our review. Awareness of smoking stigma was virtually universal across studies. Coping strategies for smoking stigma and the degree to which individuals who smoke internalized this stigma varied both within and across studies. There was considerable variation in positive, negative, and non-significant consequences associated with smoking self-stigma. Limited evidence was found for subgroup differences in smoking-related stigma. Conclusion While there is some evidence that smoking self-stigma leads to reductions in smoking, this review also identified significant negative consequences of smoking self-stigma. Future research should assess the factors related to differences in how individuals respond to smoking stigma. Public health strategies which limit the stigmatization of smokers may be warranted

Optical tweezers: wideband microrheology

Microrheology is a branch of rheology having the same principles as conventional bulk rheology, but working on micron length scales and micro-litre volumes. Optical tweezers have been successfully used with Newtonian fluids for rheological purposes such as determining fluid viscosity. Conversely, when optical tweezers are used to measure the viscoelastic properties of complex fluids the results are either limited to the material's high-frequency response, discarding important information related to the low-frequency behavior, or they are supplemented by low-frequency measurements performed with different techniques, often without presenting an overlapping region of clear agreement between the sets of results. We present a simple experimental procedure to perform microrheological measurements over the widest frequency range possible with optical tweezers. A generalised Langevin equation is used to relate the frequency-dependent moduli of the complex fluid to the time-dependent trajectory of a probe particle as it flips between two optical traps that alternately switch on and off.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Special Issue of the Journal of Optic

Measuring storage and loss moduli using optical tweezers: broadband microrheology

We present an experimental procedure to perform broadband microrheological measurements with optical tweezers. A generalised Langevin equation is adopted to relate the time-dependent trajectory of a particle in an imposed flow to the frequency-dependent moduli of the complex fluid. This procedure allows us to measure the material linear viscoelastic properties across the widest frequency range achievable with optical tweezers.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Simulating spatial and temporal evolution of multiple wing cracks around faults in crystalline basement rocks

Fault zones are structurally highly spatially heterogeneous and hence extremely complex. Observations of fluid flow through fault zones over several scales show that this structural complexity is reflected in the hydrogeological properties of faults. Information on faults at depth is scarce, hence, it is highly valuable to understand the controls on spatial and temporal fault zone development. In this paper we increase our understanding of fault damage zone development in crystalline rocks by dynamically simulating the growth of single and multiple splay fractures produced from failure on a pre-existing fault. We present a new simulation model, MOPEDZ (Modeling Of Permeability Evolution in the Damage Zone surrounding faults), that simulates fault evolution through solution of Navier's equation with a combined Mohr-Coulomb and tensile failure criteria. Simulations suggest that location, frequency, mode of failure and orientation of splay fractures are significantly affected both by the orientation of the fault with respect to the maximum principal compressive stress and the conditions of differential stress. Model predictions compare well with published field outcrop data, confirming that this model produces realistic damage zone geometries