Deconstructing cabinet collective responsibility

New Zealand politics is getting very post-modern. In artistic terms, the new government arrangements are decidedly cubist – all the key elements are there, but it’s just not put together in the way you expect. Does it matter? Is the nation going to learn to like Picasso, or at least to live with it

Towards an evidence-informed differentiated learning consolidation process to support classroom instruction

Despite many years of teaching experience, the differentiation and consolidation of classroom learning presented challenges for the researcher. In response, a Differentiated Learning Consolidation Process (DLCP) was developed through informal classroom-based action research over several years. Using low cost and accessible resources, it developed into a manageable supplementary intervention to support individual student needs and the retention of classroom instruction. Increasing interest from colleagues led the researcher to provide professional development on the instructional design and implementation of the DLCP. Through this experience, it became apparent that the DLCP theoretical assumptions were largely unknown. The current study was pursued to identify the theoretical components of the DLCP and determine if and how they could be aligned with evidence informed research. A simplified realist review was employed as it provided the opportunity to triangulate theory, the researcher’s contextual experience, and the investigation of the DLCP instructional design. The study determined that the DLCP was situated within the field of cognitive psychology, aligning with cognitive load theory and the new theory of disuse. Within the context of the DLCP, spaced practice, retrieval practice, interleaved practice and strategies associated with metacognitive development were investigated to identify maintenance or modification of the instructional design. The findings of this analysis may support teachers to differentiate and consolidate classroom instruction. Additionally, the DLCP may hold potential as an instrument for classroom-based research on variables related to its theoretical constructs

Nonlinear multigrid based on local spectral coarsening for heterogeneous diffusion problems

This work develops a nonlinear multigrid method for diffusion problems discretized by cell-centered finite volume methods on general unstructured grids. The multigrid hierarchy is constructed algebraically using aggregation of degrees of freedom and spectral decomposition of reference linear operators associated with the aggregates. For rapid convergence, it is important that the resulting coarse spaces have good approximation properties. In our approach, the approximation quality can be directly improved by including more spectral degrees of freedom in the coarsening process. Further, by exploiting local coarsening and a piecewise-constant approximation when evaluating the nonlinear component, the coarse level problems are assembled and solved without ever re-visiting the fine level, an essential element for multigrid algorithms to achieve optimal scalability. Numerical examples comparing relative performance of the proposed nonlinear multigrid solvers with standard single-level approaches -- Picard's and Newton's methods -- are presented. Results show that the proposed solver consistently outperforms the single-level methods, both in efficiency and robustness

What Matters? Using creativity to support PPI engagement: involving palliative care patients and family carers in developing research ideas and proposals

Introduction: Visual imagery and creative activities may enable and promote identification of new research ideas and priorities. / Aims: We aimed to involve PPI participants in creative tasks, and thereby prompt their thoughts on what matters at the end-of-life and related research priorities, including developing research proposals. / Method: We employed a blended (online and in-person) approach to increase participation, and identified participants through local clinical and national networks. We organised separate groups with people living with a terminal illness, current carers, and bereaved carers. Participants joined two two-hour sessions, one week apart. In advance, we sent them a parcel containing words and images associated with end-of-life, and a small box with creative materials. In Session 1 participants discussed what the words and images they had received meant to them, and which they found most important or relevant. We then facilitated a broader end-of-life discussion. Between sessions, participants made their own images or objects, and could engage in discussions on the online platform (MS Teams). During Session 2, participants discussed what they had created, and their related thoughts. We then presented one of the two proposed research projects, and briefly summarised each, for participants’ feedback. / Results: Topics discussed included guilt, forgiveness, family relations, and relationship challenges. Carers’ research priorities often highlighted better recognition and support for the particular challenges they face. Participants’ feedback on our research proposals was invaluable for development. We will share some of our participants’ creative work and underlying experiences and thoughts, and present their comments on their experiences of participation. / Conclusion: Our creative activities enabled wider reflections on issues which are often less well anticipated, recognised, or understood, thereby facilitating participants’ involvement and engaged discussion of research proposals and possibilities. / Impact: Engaging creatively with our PPI participants facilitated the deepening of end-of-life research ideas, thus strengthening our proposals, and further grounding them in lived experience

Improving the Uptake of the Australian Home Medicines Review through Patient Segmentation

The Australian Home Medicines Review (HMR) Program, aimed at reducing the number of medication-related problems and hospital admissions, has not been used to the extent projected and is little known among eligible consumers. PURPOSE: This paper investigates the problems patients and caregivers have with using medicines appropriately, their desire for assistance with managing medications and their self-perceived need for a Home Medicines Review. DESIGN: A qualitative research study was conducted with 8 semi-structured focus groups including a total of 50 HMR-eligible patients and caregivers. Participants who were purposively sampled represented older males, older females, younger chronically ill patients, patients from Chinese and Arabic backgrounds and the general HMR target group. FINDINGS: According to the types of medicine problems encountered by participants, their level of medicine understanding and their desire for assistance with using medicines, four distinct patient types are identified and explicated: the heedless patient, the aware patient, the scrupulous patient and the self-sufficient patient. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The uptake of the HMR service can be effectively increased by direct-to-consumer HMR promotion that is tailored to the behaviors, needs and desires of eligible patients and caregivers. The proposed segmentation model of HMR-eligible consumers addresses these differences and can be used to inform health policy makers regarding a more effective promotion of the HMR service. ORIGINALITY: This is the first study to investigate how the HMR-uptake could be increased from the perspective of eligible patients and their caregivers