The doors of opportunity: How do community partners experience working as co-educators in a service-learning collaboration?

This article explores the experiences of organisations participating as Community Partners (CPs) and co-educators in a service-learning module in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in South Wales, UK. It focuses on the opportunities and challenges faced by community organisations when working within the Service-learning (SL) model, and the relationship with the university and the students, including issues of expectation, assessment and identity. The partners provided SL placements of 30 hours or more in a range of community projects and organisations. These placements were intensely collaborative affairs. We researched the experiences of community partners to better understand the dynamics of the relationship; to better understand how to prepare community partners, HEIs and students; and to tease out how complex partnership projects like this one with multiple partners may be conducted successfully. A qualitative study was conducted. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three main themes emerged from the data: Dynamic Tensions; For Each and Every One; and Broadening Horizons. The findings suggest that developing a transformation of the relationship is key to a strong and effective partnership. There needs to be active and dynamic collaboration between CPs and HEIs, including involvement in research projects like these, to better understand and navigate the pleasures and pains of successful cooperative relationships

Secondary school students' perceptions of, and the factors influencing their decision making in relation to, VET in schools

This paper addresses the issue of Vocational Education and Training in Schools – an issue that has recently attracted significant political attention particularly in light of current national skills shortage in Australia. Specifically, it investigates secondary school students' perceptions of VET in Schools [VETiS]. It also explores the factors influencing their decision-making in relation to VETiS – that is, why one might choose, or choose not, to enrol in a VETiS course of study. In view of the findings presented, the paper argues that VET, and more particularly VETiS, is experiencing an "image problem" – one underscored by the need for curriculum design and delivery reform – and suggests that there is much work still to be done on the VET agenda

Nurse education leaders' perspectives on the teaching of numeracy to undergraduate nursing students : a qualitative research study

Aim The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of nurse education leaders of Australian undergraduate nursing degrees on the teaching of nursing numeracy and how the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Standards influence curriculum development. Background Nurses’ numeracy skills are reportedly deficient worldwide, posing a significant threat to patient safety. This is an issue for the education of undergraduate nurses and thus for the nursing profession. The international literature reveals a heterogeneous blend of learning approaches, but it is unclear which approaches are best suited to improve the numerical calculation ability of nurses. In the Australian context, there are no accreditation standards referring to numeracy, therefore, it is important to discover how nurse education leaders’ design and implement the teaching of numeracy. Design A qualitative approach using thematic analysis was employed. The setting was Australian universities that delivered an accredited undergraduate nursing degree leading to nursing registration. Methods Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 nurse education leaders of Australian undergraduate nursing degrees. Individual, semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted between November 2022 and January 2023. Interview data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis. Findings Five themes emerged from the analysis: (i) indistinct accreditation standards, (ii) teaching basic maths for clinical applications, (iii) a range of bespoke teaching approaches (iv) we’re nurses, not numeracy educators and (v) assumptions about an unprepared cohort. Conclusion The leaders of undergraduate nursing degrees assumed that nursing students would have proficiency in numeracy skills on entering university. However, this was not the case, hence numeracy was an essential skill that needed to be taught to the undergraduate nursing students. Lack of direction from the accreditation council led to the existence of various curricula and an array of approaches to teaching numeracy and medication calculations, which challenged nursing academics who did not consider themselves numeracy educators. This study makes a novel contribution to knowledge, teaching and practice in undergraduate nursing numeracy curricula

Making education and career decisions : school students' aspirations, attitudes and influences

The study investigated the ways that Year 10 and Year 12 students make education and career decisions, the processes that they draw on in arriving at these decisions, and critical factors that influence their thinking about a range of study and career issues. It was commissioned by the Department of Education, Science and Training and conducted in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. In examining decision-making processes, the study paid particular attention to the influence of Career Advisers, the uptake and reception of Vocational Education and Training in schools, attitudes to traditional trades and school-based New Apprenticeships, and current thinking about teaching as a career. Each of these themes was considered from the perspective of students, parents, Career Advisers and Principals. Importantly, the study examined whether decision-making of this kind was associated with students’ gender, and with the socio-economic and geographical demographics of the schools that students attended. Some of the main findings determined that: • parents are the most significant influence on the formation of students’ career aspirations; • career advisers are less influential but very important in helping students to clarify their options and pathways to achieve them; • 60% of students aimed to go to university and 20% to VET courses (including apprenticeships), reflecting students’ hope of a career in professional occupations; • VET opportunities are not well understood by many students; and • teaching is not a first choice profession for a variety of reasons, especially among males

Early Observations of High School Deployment of One-to-One Technology: A Qualitative Look at One-to-One Computing in Maine High Schools

This research compared the experiences of one-to-one deployment of a small group of MLTI high schools with those of a small group of netbook high schools in the following areas: General observations: What have been the benefits and challenges of launching a 1:1 program in high school? Has the type of device affected the experiences of schools (netbooks vs. MLTI MacBooks)? Usage of 1:1 Devices: How do the experiences of the students and teachers compare in the two different programs? Are the less expensive netbook devices adequate for use in the classroom? Does the level of technology integration vary by type of device deployed? Cost: Netbooks cost considerably less than MacBooks, but potentially come with additional costs for repair and replacement, software, etc. This research will attempt to measure some of those costs

Rheumatic heart disease in pregnancy and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Associations between rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in pregnancy and fetal outcomes are relatively unknown. This study aimed to review rates and predictors of major adverse fetal outcomes of RHD in pregnancy. Methods: Medline (Ovid), Pubmed, EMcare, Scopus, CINAHL, Informit, and WHOICTRP databases were searched for studies that reported rates of adverse perinatal events in women with RHD during pregnancy. Outcomes included preterm birth, intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR), low-birth weight (LBW), perinatal death and percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty intervention. Meta-analysis of fetal events by the New-York Heart Association (NYHA) heart failure classification, and the Mitral-valve Area (MVA) severity score was performed with unadjusted random effects models and heterogeneity of risk ratios (RR) was assessed with the I2 statistic. Quality of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. The study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020161529). Findings: The search identified 5949 non-duplicate records of which 136 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 22 studies included, 11 studies were eligible for meta-analyses. In 3928 pregnancies, high rates of preterm birth (9.35%-42.97%), LBW (12.98%-39.70%), IUGR (6.76%-22.40%) and perinatal death (0.00%-9.41%) were reported. NYHA III/IV pre-pregnancy was associated with higher rates of preterm birth (5 studies, RR 2.86, 95%CI 1.54-5.33), and perinatal death (6 studies, RR 3.23, 1.92-5.44). Moderate /severe mitral stenosis (MS) was associated with higher rates of preterm birth (3 studies, RR 2.05, 95%CI 1.02-4.11) and IUGR (3 studies, RR 2.46, 95%CI 1.02-5.95). Interpretation: RHD during pregnancy is associated with adverse fetal outcomes. Maternal NYHA III/IV and moderate/severe MS in particular may predict poor prognosis

Evaluation of Chemical Additives for the Separation and Recovery of Bacteria from Food Matrices

The microbiological testing of foods is a well-established science. Due to the severity of foodborne pathogen illnesses, the widespread use and implementation of rapid detection methods in food testing labs is increasingly important. The first step for successful testing is sampling. Surfactants have been widely used in food microbiology, but there is not much, if any, published research about the use of fatty alcohols and chemical dispersants as aids in microbial separation and recovery. The microbial extraction efficiency of Escherichia coli K12 and Listeria innocua from three representative food matrices (hot dogs, spinach, and milk) was measured using chemical additives (surfactants, fatty alcohols, and a chemical dispersant) at three concentrations, each in a buffered solution. The food matrices were inoculated with a known amount of bacteria, blended in a buffer solution, with and without additives, and then centrifuged. Data were analyzed through selective media plate counts. Results showed that Tween 80 at 0.01% was found to be the most effective additive for microbial recovery from each food matrix examined. However, the addition of fatty alcohols to surfactants significantly aided in separation and recovery, and should be further studied

Small molecule inhibits T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia oncogenic interaction through conformational modulation of LMO2

Ectopic expression in T-cell precursors of LIM only protein 2 (LMO2), a key factor in hematopoietic development, has been linked to the onset of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL). In the T-ALL context, LMO2 drives oncogenic progression through binding to erythroid-specific transcription factor SCL/TAL1 and sequestration of E-protein transcription factors, normally required for T-cell differentiation. A key requirement for the formation of this oncogenic protein-protein interaction (PPI) is the conformational flexibility of LMO2. Here we identify a small molecule inhibitor of the SCL-LMO2 PPI, which hinders the interaction in vitro through direct binding to LMO2. Biophysical analysis demonstrates that this inhibitor acts through a mechanism of conformational modulation of LMO2. Importantly, this work has led to the identification of a small molecule inhibitor of the SCL-LMO2 PPI, which can provide a starting point for the development of new agents for the treatment of T-ALL. These results suggest that similar approaches, based on the modulation of protein conformation by small molecules, might be used for therapeutic targeting of other oncogenic PPIs

A Middle School One-to-One Laptop Program: The Maine Experience

Over eight years ago, Maine embarked on a bold new initiative. Entitled the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), this program funded by the State of Maine, provided all 7th and 8th grade students and their teachers with laptop computers, and provided schools and teachers with a wireless internet infrastructure, technical assistance, and professional development for integrating laptop technology into their curriculum and instruction. The first full implementation of MLTI began in the Fall of the 2002-03 academic year. At the same time the Maine commissioner of education contracted with the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to conduct the ongoing evaluation of MLTI. MEPRI is a non-partisan research institute funded jointly by the Maine State Legislature and the University of Maine System. Over the past eight years the MEPRI research and evaluation team has used a mixed method approach in the evaluation of the MLTI program; an approach that uses both quantitative and qualitative techniques in collecting and analyzing research and evaluation evidence. The evidence presented in this report indicates the MLTI program has had a significant impact on curriculum, instruction, and learning in Maine’s middle schools. In the areas of curriculum and instruction, the evidence indicates many teachers have reached the tipping point in the adoption and integration of the laptop into their teaching. However, the adoption is uneven for some teachers, and in some content areas. Relatively speaking, mathematics teachers use the laptops less frequently than their colleagues in other core disciplines. Most teachers are not using the laptops as frequently in assessment as one might anticipate, and too few teachers report using the laptop in teaching 21st Century Skills