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The Reflective Learner: Perspectives of Engineering Faculty Engaged In Learning through Service
Over the past decade, Learning through Service (LTS) has proliferated in higher education as an effective teaching and learning method. LTS is an umbrella term that includes both curricular and extracurricular activities, recognizing that there are many models that exist currently for how faculty members use opportunities for students to learn while providing service to a community. Reflection by the students on their service activity provides rich opportunities for students to add meaning to their learning through engagement with community. While, many colleges and universities in the United States have increased the use of LTS in engineering programs, there has been limited study to evaluate engineering faculty perception of the purpose of reflection in support of facilitating and assessing the expected learning outcomes. In this research, twenty-six interviews were conducted with engineering LTS practitioners to explore how and why engineering faculty incorporate reflection in LTS efforts. The findings reveal that majority of engineering LTS faculty practitioners engage students in reflection to enhance the professional development skills of their students, with fewer of the faculty using reflection to develop students’ personal skills.</div
Long-Term Effectiveness, Safety and Tolerability of Fingolimod in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Real-World Treatment Settings in France: The VIRGILE Study
Online ahead of printInternational audienceIntroduction: It is important to confirm the effectiveness and tolerability of disease-modifying treatments for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in real-world treatment settings. This prospective observational cohort study (VIRGILE) was performed at the request of the French health authorities. The primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of fingolimod 0.5 mg in reducing the annualised relapse rate (ARR) in patients with RRMS.Methods: Participating neurologists enrolled all adult patients with RRMS starting fingolimod treatment between 2014 and 2016, who were followed for 3 years. Follow-up consultations took place at the investigator's discretion. The primary outcome measure was the change in ARR at month 24 after fingolimod initiation. Relapses and adverse events were documented at each consultation; disability assessment (EDSS) and magnetic resonance imagery were performed at the investigator's discretion.Results: Of 1055 eligible patients, 633 patients were assessable at month 36; 405 (64.0%) were treated continuously with fingolimod for 3 years. The ARR decreased from 0.92 ± 0.92 at inclusion to 0.31 ± 0.51 at month 24, a significant reduction of 0.58 [95% CI - 0.51 to - 0.65] relapses/year (p < 0.001). Since starting fingolimod, 461 patients (60.9%) remained relapse-free at month 24 and 366 patients (55.5%) at month 36. In multivariate analysis, no previous disease-modifying treatment, number of relapses in the previous year and lower EDSS score at inclusion were associated with a greater on-treatment reduction in ARR. The mean EDSS score remained stable over the course of the study. Sixty-one out of 289 (21.1%) patients presented new radiological signs of disease activity. Treatment-related serious adverse events were lymphopenia (N = 21), bradycardia (N = 19), elevated transaminases (N = 9) and macular oedema (N = 9).Conclusions: The effectiveness and tolerability of fingolimod in everyday clinical practice are consistent with findings of previous phase III studies. Our study highlights the utility of fingolimod for the long-term management of patients with multiple sclerosis