50 research outputs found

    NetSci High: Bringing Agency to Diverse Teens Through the Science of Connected Systems

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    This paper follows NetSci High, a decade-long initiative to inspire teams of teenage researchers to develop, execute and disseminate original research in network science. The project introduced high school students to the computer-based analysis of networks, and instilled in the participants the habits of mind to deepen inquiry in connected systems and statistics, and to sustain interest in continuing to study and pursue careers in fields involving network analysis. Goals of NetSci High ranged from proximal learning outcomes (e.g., increasing high school student competencies in computing and improving student attitudes toward computing) to highly distal (e.g., preparing students for 21st century science), with an emphasis on doing real-world research into relevant and ambiguous problems through technologically-infused and highly collaborative projects and defending them to a clear (and sometimes potentially intimidating) audience. The cognitive goals of the project covered broad areas including analyzing, synthesizing, and visualizing quantitative data, and understanding modeling and network statistics. Attitudinal outcomes included improving attitudes toward the statistical study of networks, self-efficacy, and a sense of agency for continuing to pursue further involvement in college studies and careers

    Design of bifurcation junctions in artificial vascular vessels additively manufactured for skin tissue engineering

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    Construction of an artificial vascular network ready for its additive manufacturing is an important task in tissue engineering. This paper presents a set of simple mathematical algorithms for the computer-aided design of complex three dimensional vascular networks. Firstly various existing mathematical methods from the literature are reviewed and simplified for the convenience of applications in tissue engineering. This leads to a complete and step by step method for the construction of an artificial vascular network. Secondly a systematic parametric study is presented to illustrate how the various parameters in the vascular junction model affect the key factors that have to be controlled when designing the bifurcation junctions of a vascular network. These results are presented as a set of simple design rules and a design map which serve as a convenient guide for tissue engineering researchers when constructing artificial vascular networks

    37th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (part 3 of 3)

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    Encouraging and maintaining learning in the workplace and community (LiWC): engaging, supporting and rewarding academics

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    Since 2007, Victoria University’s Learning in the Workplace and Community (LiWC) policy has focused on enhancing the employability of VU graduates. While the Faculty of Business and Law (FoBL) at VU has a long tradition of work-integrated learning alongside a broader focus on developing students’ Graduate Capabi lities, the LiWC Policy has intensified the need for curriculum that specifically engages industry in assessment tasks. The LiWC policy requires that 25% of assessment in all courses involve learning in and through the workplace and community evidenced through LiWC -compliant assessment tasks. The university has provided considerable support for the implementation of LiWC. Academics already engaging in LiWC showcas ed their approaches. Central support staff were available for individual and School consu ltation. There were opportunities for staff to engage with the Policy and various workshops and online resources were geared to realising LiWC. Teaching and Learning Grants were li nked to improving or developing LiWC. The expansive notion of LiWC including diverse teach ing approaches was stressed so that it would not be deemed restrictive. LiWC could include live case studies, simulations, student observations of worksites, working on ‘real’ busin ess cases or role playing business situations with feedback from industry practitioners. A 2010 report (VU, 2010) evaluating the status of LiWC at VU has identified generally high levels of compliance with the policy in the F aculty of Business and Law and some areas of industry engagement in curriculum that are exem plary. As expected, the report also identified areas needing greater attention. This discussion includes the Faculty of Business and Law’s strategies for addressing areas of concern. It will describe the reporting of LiWC compliance in the Faculty, identify key reasons for non-compliance and report on the subsequent progress made in two de-identified teaching areas. The paper underlines the im portance of individual and intensive support for academic staff from educational developers who understand both the policy context and the aims of the academ ics and who can develop creative curriculum that is also LiWC compliant. The discussion will also consid er other means of incentivising academic staff to undertake curriculum changes to improve student learning outcomes

    Modeling for Fidelity: virtual mentorship by scientists fosters teacher self-efficacy and promotes implementation of novel high school biomedical curricula.

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    This small-scale comparison case study evaluates the impact of an innovative approach to teacher professional development designed to promote implementation of a novel cutting edge high school neurological disorders curriculum. 'Modeling for Fidelity' (MFF) centers on an extended mentor relationship between teachers and biomedical scientists carried out in a virtual format in conjunction with extensive online educative materials. Four teachers from different diverse high schools in Massachusetts and Ohio who experienced MFF contextualized to a 6-week Neurological Disorders curriculum with the same science mentor were compared to a teacher who had experienced an intensive in-person professional development contextualized to the same curriculum with the same mentor. Fidelity of implementation was measured directly using an established metric and indirectly via student performance. The results show that teachers valued MFF, particularly the mentor relationship and were able to use it effectively to ensure critical components of the learning objectives were preserved. Moreover their students performed equivalently to those whose teacher had experienced intensive in-person professional development. Participants in all school settings demonstrated large (Cohen's d>2.0) and significant (p<0.0001 per-post) changes in conceptual knowledge as well as self-efficacy towards learning about neurological disorders (Cohen's d>1.5, p<0.0001 pre-post). The data demonstrates that the virtual mentorship format in conjunction with extensive online educative materials is an effective method of developing extended interactions between biomedical scientists and teachers that are scalable and not geographically constrained, facilitating teacher implementation of novel cutting-edge curricula

    Self-efficacy.

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    <p><b>Retrospective pre-post test self-reported gains in self-efficacy relevant to the study of neurological disorders.</b> Students were evaluated for their self-reported changes in self-efficacy with a retrospective pre-post test analysis. The survey had a total of 54 possible points. Pre-post differences were measured by paired t test and were significant (*p<0.0001). The effect size was measured via Cohen's ‘d’ is very high. (N = 147 total students from 4 schools).</p><p>Self-efficacy.</p
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