Adaptive grading systems, or pros and cons of different ways of grading grammar exams

This paper investigates several alternatives to the grading system used currently when examining students’ knowledge of theoretical grammar in the Department of English Business Communication at Aalborg University, Denmark. The proposed alternatives differ from the current system in two parameters, namely by differentiating between exam questions according to their levels of difficulty and by evening out biases which are due to the differences in the weights of the various topics of the exam. It is found that the proposed methods would yield results significantly different from the current grading method even though it would only be in the favor of few students in terms of better grades to adapt any of them. Nevertheless, the study reveals prevalent traits of the current way of examining, such as built-in bias and the scalability of the questions, which are important considerations to anyone conducting exams, not just in grammar. Furthermore, the paper uncovers unexpected features of clause constituents that may have serious implications for their teaching

The learning curve. Can the results of the grammar exam be predicted?

This paper exploits the potentials of inferential statistics in its quest to answer two related questions, whether the exercises performed by students during their course in theoretical grammar really prepare them for the exam, and whether the students’ exam results can be predicted from their achievements in said exercises. This study is in the context of English Business Communication at Aalborg University, Denmark. Several statistical methods, various forms of regression analysis, are pursued in order to discover which one – if any – of them is best suited to make predictions as to future exam results. It is found that the exercises investigated do indeed contribute significantly to the students' learning process, and that the exam results are predictable within a reasonable margin of error from the results of the exercises. Somewhat surprisingly, the simplest forms of linear regression and 1st degree polynomial regression are found to be the best predictors of the exam results, not any of the elaborate methods also tested. As a side effect, the study also reveals that the students' level of knowledge of theoretical grammar prior to their entering the university has no appreciable influence on their exam results

Detection of drug-induced dyslipidaemia in HIV-positive patients treated with protease inhibitors in a South African district – A retrospective study

Purpose: To determine whether protease inhibitors (PIs) cause hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia, and to assess the influence of sex and age on serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), and the level of adherence to therapeutic laboratory monitoring guidelines in HIV positive patients in the Eastern Health District, South Africa.Methods: This was a retrospective study which compared baseline and follow-up TC and triglycerides serum levels in HIV-infected patients who received treatment, including PIs, between 2008 and 2012 in the Eastern Health District of the Cape Metropole Region (Cape Town, South Africa). Clinical and laboratory data were retrieved from patients’ folders and from a computerized database at National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS). The level of compliance with therapeutic laboratory monitoring protocols by health workers and patients was also assessed.Results: Out of 753 patients (491 females, 262 males), 176 were 0 - 17, 465 were 18 - 44 and 12 were > 44 years old. The proportion of patients who had test results at the various time points ranged from 16.33 to 25.90 %, 17.66 to 24.83 %, 25.10 to 47.41 % and 25.23 to 36.79 % for TC, triglycerides, CD4 count, and viral load (VL) tests, respectively. There was a significant time increase (p = 0.0137) for serum TC from baseline to 3 years. For serum triglycerides, the overall time effect was not significant (p = 0.4132). There was a significant increase from baseline in CD4 and a significant decrease in VL during the study period. Sex and age did not show any relationship with TC and triglyceride serum levels.Conclusion: This study demonstrated hypercholestrolaemia in HIV-infected patients receiving PIs. Age and sex did not have any effect on TC and triglycerides. Compliance with therapeutic laboratory monitoring guidelines was poor.Keywords: Hyperlipidaemia, Protease inhibitors, Therapeutic monitoring, HIV infection, Hypercholesterolaemia, Hypertriglyceridaemi