Does collaboration occur when children are learning with the support of a wiki?

This paper reports on the outcomes of a mini-research project about visible forms of collaboration when children are learning with the support of Wikis-online editable websites. The findings were based on observing the children using the Wiki, analysis of the video recording of the task and the survey that was completed by the children using the Wiki as a tool for a task. Qualitative research methodology became a primary technique for the data collection and content analysis approach used to explore the children’s behaviour when investigating the use of the wiki and video recording of the sessions. Various types of behaviour associated with collaboration, were observed when the children were working on Wiki pages with their peers

Learning fundamental programming concepts using the ‘To Be A Whale’ game, Case Study Report

This case study report presents teachers and students’ experiences of playing and coding using the ‘To be a Whale’ game. The study specifically evaluated the effectiveness of the ‘To be a Whale’ game for the teaching and learning of fundamental programming concepts. The focus was on both the programming constructions that the students used and the learning behaviours that they displayed, such as debugging, collaboration and resilience. Three secondary schools and one primary school based in England were included in the study. Student and teacher interviews, field observations and screen recording of student’s game making activities were used for data collection. The findings showed that the students learnt to create simple algorithms using sequences and selection. Collaboration between learners, constant conversation and resilience when they faced a problem was also visible during their game making sessions

Assessing computational thinking process using a multiple evaluation approach

This study explored the ways that the Computational Thinking (CT) process can be evaluated in a classroom environment. Thirty Children aged 10–11 years, from a primary school in London took part in a game-making project using the Scratch and Alice 2.4 applications for eight months. For the focus of this specific paper, data from participant observations, informal conversations, problem-solving sheets, semi-structured interviews and children’s completed games were used to make sense of elements of the computational thinking process and approaches to evaluate these elements in a computer game design context. The discussions around what CT consists, highlighted the complex structure of computational thinking and the interaction between the elements of artificial intelligence (AI), computer, cognitive, learning and psychological sciences. This also emphasised the role of metacognition in the Computational Thinking process. These arguments illustrated that it is not possible to evaluate Computational Thinking using only programming constructs, as CT process provides opportunities for developing many other skills and concepts. Therefore a multiple evaluation approach should be adopted to illustrate the full learning scope of the Computational Thinking Process. Using the support of literature review and the findings of the data analysis I proposed a multiple approach evaluation model where ‘computational concepts’, ‘metacognitive practices’, and ‘learning behaviours’ were discussed as the main elements of the CT process. Additionally, in order to investigate these dimensions within a game-making context, computer game design was also included in this evaluation model

From building blocks to programming: Investigating how best to integrate computational thinking into early years settings

This study aims to examine the different ways in which early years teachers lay solid foundations for computational thinking in the early years. Moreover, it aims to uncover the materials and activities that tend to run in the classroom background to promote computational thinking skills of children without being noticed as part of a daily routine. Therefore, it is designed to understand more about the attitudes of early childhood teachers towards computational thinking, the linkage between their attitudes and teaching practices, and the potential computational thinking benefits of children reaped from classroom games and activities

Potential and challenges in collecting social and behavioral data on adolescent alcohol norms: Comparing respondent-driven sampling and web-based respondent-driven sampling

Background: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is a method successfully used to research hard-to-access populations. Few studies have explored the use of the Internet and social media with RDS, known as Web-based RDS (WebRDS). This study explored the use of combining both "traditional" RDS and WebRDS to examine the influences on adolescent alcohol use. Objective: This paper reports on the recruitment processes and the challenges and enablers of both RDS and WebRDS. It details comparative recruitment data and provides a summary of the utility of both methods for recruiting adolescents to participate in an online survey investigating youth alcohol norms. Methods: Process evaluation data collected from research staff throughout the study were used to assess the challenges and solutions of RDS and WebRDS. Pearson chi-square test (Fisher's exact test if applicable) was used to compare the differences in sociodemographics and drinking behavior between data collected by RDS and WebRDS. Results: Of the total sample (N=1012), 232 adolescents were recruited by RDS and 780 by WebRDS. A significantly larger proportion of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (P<.001) participants who spoke English as their main language at home (P=.03), and of middle and lower socioeconomic status (P<.001) was found in the RDS sample. The RDS sample was also found to have a higher occurrence of past 7-day drinking (P<.001) and past 7-day risky drinking (P=.004). No significant differences in gender, age, past month alcohol use, and lifetime alcohol use were observed between the RDS and WebRDS samples. This study revealed RDS and WebRDS used similar lengths of chains for recruiting participants; however, WebRDS conducted a faster rate of recruitment at a lower average cost per participant compared to RDS. Conclusions: Using WebRDS resulted in significant improvements in the recruitment rate and was a more effective and efficient use of resources than the traditional RDS method. However, WebRDS resulted in partially different sample characteristics to traditional RDS. This potential effect should be considered when selecting the most appropriate data collection method

Research activities arising from the University of Kent

In this paper I describe research activities in the field of optical fiber sensing undertaken by me after leaving the Applied Optics Group at the University of Kent. The main topics covered are long period gratings, neural network based signal processing, plasmonic sensors, and polymer fiber gratings. I also give a summary of my two periods of research at the University of Kent, covering 1985–1988 and 1991–2001

Duration of palliative care before death in international routine practice: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Early provision of palliative care, at least 3-4 months before death, can improve patient quality of life and reduce burdensome treatments and financial costs. However, there is wide variation in duration of palliative care received before death reported across the research literature. This study aims to determine the duration of time from initiation of palliative care to death for adults receiving palliative care across the international literature. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018094718). Six databases were searched for articles published between Jan 1st 2013 and Dec 31st 2018: MEDLINE; Embase; CINAHL; Global Health, Web of Science; and The Cochrane Library, as well undertaking citation list searches. Following PRISMA guidelines, articles were screened using inclusion (any study design reporting duration from initiation to death in adults palliative care services) and exclusion (paediatric/non-English language studies, trials influencing the timing of palliative care) criteria. Quality appraisal was completed using Hawker’s criteria and the main outcome was duration of palliative care (median/mean days from initiation to death). Results: 169 studies from 23 countries were included, involving 11,996,479 patients. Prior to death, the median duration from initiation of palliative care to death was 18·9 days (IQR 0·1), weighted by the number of participants. Significant differences between duration were found by disease type (15 days for cancer vs 6 days for non-cancer conditions), service type (19 days for specialist palliative care unit, 20 days for community/home care, and 6 days for general hospital ward) and development index of countries (18.91 days for very high development vs 34 days for all other levels of development). 43% of studies were rated as ‘good’ quality. Limitations include a preponderance of data from high-income countries, with unclear implications for low- and middle-income countries. Conclusions: Duration of palliative care is much shorter than the 3-4 months of input by a multidisciplinary team necessary in order for the full benefits of palliative care to be realised. Furthermore, the findings highlight inequity in access across patient, service and country characteristics. We welcome more consistent terminology and methodology in the assessment of duration of palliative care from all countries, including from less-developed settings, to inform benchmarking, service evaluation and quality improvement

The Symptom Burden and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients in the Gaza Strip, Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, but there is an absence of evidence systematically assessing symptom burden and quality of life (QoL) using validated tools. Our objective was to assess associations between socio-demographic and disease-related characteristics, symptom burden and QoL in a sample of cancer patients accessing outpatient services in the Gaza Strip. Design A cross-sectional, descriptive survey using interviews and medical record review involving patients with cancer accessing oncology outpatient services at Al Rantisi Hospital and European Gaza Hospital (EGH) in the Gaza Strip was employed. Socio-demographic and disease-related data, the Lebanese version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS-Leb), and the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were collected. Multiple linear regression was used to judge the relative influence of determinants of QoL. Results Of 414 cancer patients approached, 385 patients consented to participation. The majority were women (64.7%) with a mean age of 52 years (SD = 16.7). Common cancer diagnoses were breast (32.2%), haematological (17.9%) and colorectal (9.1%). The median number of symptoms was 10 (IQR 1.5–18.5). Mean overall QoL was 70.5 (SD 19.9) with common physical and psychological symptoms identified. A higher burden of symptoms was associated with marital status, education and income. Limited access to both opioids and psychological support were reported. Conclusions A high symptom burden was identified in outpatients with cancer. Increasing provision and access to supportive care for physical and psychological symptoms should be prioritised alongside exploring routine assessment of symptom burden and QoL

A systematic review of musculoskeletal disorders among school teachers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) represent one of the most common and most expensive occupational health problems in both developed and developing countries. School teachers represent an occupational group among which there appears to be a high prevalence of MSD. Given that causes of MSD have been described as multi-factorial and prevalence rates vary between body sites and location of study, the objective of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for MSD among teaching staff.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study involved an extensive search of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases in 2011. All studies which reported on the prevalence and/or risk factors for MSD in the teaching profession were initially selected for inclusion. Reference lists of articles identified in the original search were then examined for additional publications. Of the 80 articles initially located, a final group of 33 met the inclusion criteria and were examined in detail.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This review suggests that the prevalence of self-reported MSD among school teachers ranges between 39% and 95%. The most prevalent body sites appear to be the back, neck and upper limbs. Nursery school teachers appear to be more likely to report suffering from low back pain. Factors such as gender, age, length of employment and awkward posture have been associated with higher MSD prevalence rates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, this study suggests that school teachers are at a high risk of MSD. Further research, preferably longitudinal, is required to more thoroughly investigate the issue of MSD among teachers, with a greater emphasis on the possible wider use of ergonomic principles. This would represent a major step forward in the prevention of MSD among teachers, especially if easy to implement control measures could be recommended.</p