Grappling with technology: A case of supporting Malaysian Smart School teachers' professional development

This paper discusses the challenges faced by a group of Smart School teachers in a partnership model designed to help them develop professionally through the use of online tools. This model known as e-CPDelT: Model 2020 is loosely based on the successful, UK based Improving the Quality of Education For All (IQEA) project. The model was piloted on 20 teachers of English, mathematics and science from 5 Smart Schools around Kuala Lumpur. It features collaboration between these teachers in the hope that it would lead to the development of viable communities of practice. Teacher collaboration in this pilot was in the form of (a) sharing text based narratives of perceived good lessons through blogs and (b) sharing of video clips of good lessons through the ViP (Virtual interactive Platform) and (c) forum discussions of lessons. Data were obtained from teacher interviews and mentor reflections. Brinkerhoff’s (2006) framework on technology adoption was used to identify the challenges faced by these teachers. The findings revealed that teachers faced resource, institutional, informational and attitudinal problems. The paper concludes with a discussion of suggested measures to improve technology adoption by teachers

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment is superior to the MiniMental State Examination in detecting patients at higher risk of dementia

10.1017/S1041610212001068International Psychogeriatrics24111749-1755INPS

Comparison of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Mini-Mental State Examination in detecting multi-domain mild cognitive impairment in a Chinese sub-sample drawn from a population-based study

10.1017/S1041610213001129International Psychogeriatrics25111831-1838INPS

Subjects profile (Note: Standard deviation in parentheses).

<p>Subjects profile (Note: Standard deviation in parentheses).</p

NINDS-CSN harmonization neurocognitive battery modified for Singaporeans [50].

<p>NINDS-CSN harmonization neurocognitive battery modified for Singaporeans <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0096874#pone.0096874-Dong1" target="_blank">[50]</a>.</p

Profile of diabetics subjects with and without statins treatment. (Note: Standard deviation in parentheses).

<p>Profile of diabetics subjects with and without statins treatment. (Note: Standard deviation in parentheses).</p

Analysis of blood biomarkers in diabetics subjects with and without statin treatment.

<p>(A) The level of blood HDL, LDL, TG and cholesterol in diabetics subjects with statin (n = 22, grey) and without statin (n = 18, white) treatment. (B) The level of blood glucose and insulin in diabetics subjects with statin (n = 22, grey) and without statin (n = 18, white) treatment. HOMA-IR values are computed with the measured blood glucose and insulin levels using the formula given in the methods section <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0096874#pone.0096874-Matthews1" target="_blank">[19]</a>. Each value represents the mean ± SD of duplicate assays for individual samples. (*p = 0.011; **p = 0.026, using Student's t-test).</p

Table shows performance (composite scores based on <i>z­</i>scores) on cognitive domains of modified Harmonization protocol.

<p>Each value represents the mean (Standard Deviation).</p

Table shows performance (<i>composite scores based on z-scores</i>) on cognitive domains of modified Harmonization protocol.

<p>Each value represents the mean (Standard Deviation).</p