Student engagement and the role of feedback in learning

Using an historical approach the intention of this paper is to identify from the literature better practice in feedback. Assessment is an essential element in the learning cycle, and is central to an understanding of how learning outcomes are achieved. It is through their assessments that we come to know our students, if our teaching has been successful and plays a significant role in determining the students' success. However, unlike the teaching process, assessment does not have the same dialogic element that learning and teaching now has. While feedback is a key element in formative assessment, we do not know how our feedback is understood by the learner, or what meaning they make of it. What makes good feedback, and how do we ensure that learners can understand and act upon it? The current language of learning and teaching is underscored with the concept of student engagement with the curriculum. However, the language of assessment often remains in the realm of judgement and the way it is conveyed is clearly in the transmission model of teaching where rigidity, standards and rules stand in place of dialogue, flexibility and learner centeredness

Why has it only become an issue now? Young drug users' perceptions of drug driving in Melbourne, Victoria

Preliminary research into drug-user perceptions of drug driving was undertaken with a sample group of drug users aged 18 to 24 from Melbourne, Victoria. Eleven males and nine females participated in semi-structured interviews and completed self-report surveys. Participants discussed their drug driving and their perceptions of the likelihood of detection by police for drug driving. This research provides further insight into young people’s perceptions and behaviours in relation to drug use and driving. The perspectives of young people are rarely included in current drug-driving debates and may have possible implications for policy development

Computer Application Employability Skills

Among the skills that employers have desired of new employees over the years, computer literacy still ranks very highly. In fact, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) 2006 Job Outlook survey, these skills include: (1) Communication skills (verbal and written); (2) Honesty/integrity; (3) Teamwork skills (works well with others); (4) Strong work ethic; (5) Analytical skills; (6) Flexibility/adaptability; (7) Interpersonal skills (relates well to others); (8) Motivation/Initiative; (9) Computer skills; and (10) Detail-oriented. No definition for computer skills was given. The Michigan State University’s Alumni Career Services lists the results of a 1995 Collegiate Employment Research Institute employer survey that found that due to automation and increased use of computer technologies, almost every job within business, education, and government agencies requires abundant computer work (What do employers want from new hires, n.d.) This trend has continued to increase, not decrease, with new and emerging technologies. With the considerably increased availability of computer usage, has the need for basic computer skills: word processing, spreadsheets, and databases been replaced or augmented by the need for webpage design, programming, and desktop publishing skills? What are the computer skills today’s employers desire

Does Safety Culture Predict Clinical Outcomes?

Patient safety in healthcare has become a national objective. Healthcare organizations are striving to improve patient safety and have turned to high reliability organizations as those in which to model. One initiative taken on by healthcare is improving patient safety culture--shifting from one of a \u27no harm, no foul\u27 to a culture of learning that encourages the reporting of errors, even those in which patient harm does not occur. Lacking from the literature, however, is an understanding of how safety culture impacts outcomes. While there has been some research done in this area, and safety culture is argued to have an impact, the findings are not very diagnostic. In other words, safety culture has been studied such that an overall safety culture rating is provided and it is shown that a positive safety culture improves outcomes. However, this method does little to tell an organization what aspects of safety culture impact outcomes. Therefore, this dissertation sought to answer that question but analyzing safety culture from multiple dimensions. The results found as a part of this effort support previous work in other domains suggesting that hospital management and supervisor support does lead to improved perceptions of safety. The link between this support and outcomes, such as incidents and incident reporting, is more difficult to determine. The data suggests that employees are willing to report errors when they occur, but the low occurrence of such reportable events in healthcare precludes them from doing so. When a closer look was taken at the type of incidents that were reported, a positive relationship was found between support for patient safety and medication incidents. These results initially seem counterintuitive. To suggest a positive relationship between safety culture and medication incidents on the surface detracts from the research in other domains suggesting the opposite. It could be the case that an increase in incidents leads an organization to implement additional patient safety efforts, and therefore employees perceive a more positive safety culture. Clearly more research is needed in this area. Suggestions for future research and practical implications of this study are provided

Sudden Unexpected Death in Infants (SUDI) and parental infant care: perspectives of general practitioners, nurses and parents living and working in the multicultural community of Western Sydney

For many years the major cause of infant mortality in NSW has been the result of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Statistics show the area defined as 'Western Sydney' is no exception, and in 2002, a report prepared by the Epidemiology, Indicators, Evaluation and Research Unit (EIRE) in Western Sydney presented data indicating SIDS rates in the area were higher than the state average. In particular, two Local Government Areas (LGAs) had clusters of SIDS deaths. Previous Australian research identified a higher risk of SIDS and other causes of infant mortality in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The areas of Western Sydney where SIDS rates were higher than expected were home to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Pacific Island residents. The number of SIDS deaths in Aboriginal infants did not explain the higher than expected rate of SIDS in the areas under investigation. Studies undertaken in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands have identified higher than expected risk of SIDS in Maori and Pacific Island communities in those countries, although this has never been studied in Pacific Island residents living in Australia. The reasons for these communities exhibiting a higher than normal SIDS rate is not completely understood, but can be partially explained by behavioural practices which are known to impact adversely on the risk of SIDS. This study sought to investigate the level of knowledge concerning the prevention of sudden and unexpected death in infants (SUDI) in three key groups of infant caregivers: general practitioners, nurses and parents living or working in the area geographically defined by Sydney West Area Health Service (WSAHS). In addition, the study sought to identify any variation in knowledge of SIDS reduction strategies in the three groups under study, and to investigate factors influencing knowledge and practice in these participants. The study findings were then used as a basis on which to develop strategies and recommendations to enhance the delivery of safe sleeping messages through the health care system. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, this cross-sectional study highlights a number of issues around infant care practices and the major influences on new parents living in a multicultural community. Results of the study showed there is a large variation in knowledge around safe sleeping practices (including SIDS reduction strategies) in all the groups studied. Although educational campaigns are conducted regularly, many general practitioners and parents are confused about the key SIDS reduction messages and still place infants in sleeping positions considered unsafe. While nurses and midwives were aware of the SIDS reduction strategies, they still occasionally used infant sleeping positions considered unsafe. General practitioners born overseas in a country where English is not the first language were less likely to be familiar with safe sleeping messages, including SIDS reduction strategies. Families from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background were less likely to have seen SIDS information in their own language than families who spoke English, and as a result were more likely to use traditional methods of infant care, including co-sleeping with siblings and parents and side or tummy sleeping. CALD parents were more likely to rely on herbal remedies and friends and family for assistance, than English speaking parents who accessed health professionals as the first point of call when infants were unwell. The study identified a relatively recent practice, which until reported in this study, has not been documented in the literature. The practice of draping infant prams with blankets originated from the Cancer Council of Australia guidelines which recommend covering a pram with a light muslin wrap to protect infants’ skin from the sun. It appears parents have misinterpreted this message and are covering infant prams with blankets to encourage sleep, even when sun exposure is not an issue. Research suggests that poor air quality around the head of an infant may affect an infant’s arousal response. While no research has been conducted on the air quality around an infants head when covered by a heavy blanket in a pram, it is possible based on research into air quality around infants, that that this practice may increase the risk of sudden and unexpected death in an infant. In conclusion, this study found that multiple changes to the SIDS reduction messages since the initial ‘Reduce the Risks’ Campaign have led to confusion about ways of preventing SIDS in GPs, nurses and parents in Western Sydney. The study makes seven recommendations aimed at improving knowledge of safe sleeping practices in these groups, and optimizing health outcomes for infants using a collaborative approach to service delivery and future initiatives

Comparison of Body Composition Assessment Techniques in Older Adults

Body composition is an important measurement for health assessments in older adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate percent body fat (%BF) estimations in older adults by the Tanita, a two-compartment model (Siri 2-C) and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) compared to a three-compartment model (Lohman 3-C). Fifty-two females and fifty men between the ages of 54 and 75y volunteered for the study. The estimate of % BF from the Tanita was measured using the ‘adult’ mode. The Bod Pod was used to determine body density (Db) for the 2-C and 3-C. DXA was used to obtain an estimate of %BF, and determine BMC for use in the 3-C. Compared to the 3-C estimate of %BF (26.1 ± 1.0%), %BF in males was significantly underestimated by Tanita (22.1 ± 0.8%), and overestimated by 2-C (27.6 ± 09%) and DXA (28.6 ± 0.9%) (P\u3c 0.001). The bias and limits of agreement for all methods in males were: Tanita, -3.93 ± 10.3; 2-C, 1.53 ± 3.38; DXA, 2.51 ± 6.36. Compared to the 3-C estimate of %BF (39.2%), %BF in females was significantly underestimated by Tanita (36.4 ± 1.2%; P \u3c 0.001) and overestimated by DXA (40.5 ± 1.2%; P = 0.013). There was no significant difference in females between the 3-C and 2-C estimates of %BF (39.2 ± 1.2% vs. 39.3 ± 1.2% respectively, P \u3e 0.05). The bias and limits of agreement for all methods in females were: Tanita, -2.85 ± 8.66; 2-C, 0.05 ± 3.24; DXA 1.27 ± 5.64. This study suggests that the techniques used in this investigation are not interchangeable when estimating %BF in older adults

Archaeological Investigations at the Carmichael Inn Site: Testing a Model for Cultural Patterning of the Rural Nineteenth Century Inn in the Ridge and Valley of Tennessee

Cultural patterning in the archaeological context has been studied at a number of historic sites in the southeast United States. Patterns associated with ethnicity, socioeconomic level and type of activity have been investigated. This work proposed a cultural pattern associated with the rural nineteenth century inn in the Ridge and Valley of Tennessee. The research tested a model for such inn sites which might differentiate them from purely residential sites of the the same time period in the area. Archaeological investigations were conducted at the Carmichael Inn site in Loudon County, Tennessee. This site was formerly the location of a stagecoach stop and inn as well as a residence during the early to mid-nineteenth century. Data obtained was compared with that from other sites, both residential and inn sites, in the Ridge and Valley of Tennessee. The data from the Carmichael Inn site do not strongly support the proposed model. It is thought that the Carmichael Inn was not a formal establishment, but was operated on a more casual level, and that inn-related activities which occurred there did not impact the archaeological record in such a way as to significantly differentiate it from purely residential sites of the same time period, area and socioeconomic level

A Paleolimnological Assessment of Three Oligotrophic Watersheds in Maine

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting nutrient in aquatic ecosystems. Its bioavailability determines the trophic status of lakes. The biogeochemistry of P in surface waters can be controlled by a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. Dissolved inorganic aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) hydrolyze in streams and lakes to produce Al(OH)3 and Fe(OH)3 in the water column. These hydroxides may also form through photo-oxidation of complexes with DOC, liberation of inorganic metal species, and precipitation, followed by sedimentation. These solid phases readily adsorb P from the water column, reducing the amount that is available for biological nutrition (Kopácek et al. 2000; Huser & Rydin 2005). Microorganisms play a role in the aquatic P cycle through facultative uptake and release of P, which is governed by seasonal oxygen stress (Gächter et al. 1988). Some combination of abiotic (mainly Al and Fe) and biotic (DOC complexation and microbial) factors ultimately controls the transport to, mobility within, and fate of P in a lake. Oligotrophic surface waters are characterized by low primary productivity, mainly due to low concentrations of bioavailable P, a consequence of insignificant internal loading of P from sediment. Lake sediment cores provide a geochemical record of concentrations of Al and Fe hydroxides and associated P that have been deposited over time, and thus an assessment of the stability of the processes controlling P. I dissolved sediments from cores from Little Long Pond, Upper Hadlock Pond, and Mud Pond, Maine using a chemical extraction (Psenner et al. 1988) that sequentially separates the reducible (mainly Fe(III)) and base-soluble (mainly Al) metal hydroxides and associated P. Using 210Pb activity to determine dates of sediment downcore, I constructed a historical profile of the Al-Fe-P geochemistry for each lake. Cores show that P is mainly associated with Al(OH)3 throughout the entire period of record, exceeding the last 300 years. There was very little P associated with reducible Fe, indicating low potential for P release during seasonal anoxic conditions. High extractable Al concentrations relative to Fe and P are the result of chronically acidic conditions and/or high preferential export of Al from soils in these catchments. Evidence of anthropogenic impacts includes increased rates of sedimentation likely due to land disturbances (mainly logging) and erosion within the catchments. Strong correlation of Al and P, and diatom species abundance data, throughout the cores indicate that all three ponds have maintained a stable acidic, oligotrophic status over the last several centuries. Mineralization of sediment organic P was modeled by fitting organic-P and Al-P downcore concentrations to reversible or irreversible first-order transformation models. The calculated t½ of organic P for the three lakes ranges from 24 to 546 years, generally 10 to 100s of times longer than t½ of high-P (eutrophic) lakes (Reitzel et al. 2007; Ahlgren et al. 2005; Penn et al. 1995; and others)

Fine-grained Subjectivity and Sentiment Analysis: Recognizing the intensity, polarity, and attitudes of private states

Private states (mental and emotional states) are part of the information that is conveyed in many forms of discourse. News articles often report emotional responses to news stories; editorials, reviews, and weblogs convey opinions and beliefs. This dissertation investigates the manual and automatic identification of linguistic expressions of private states in a corpus of news documents from the world press. A term for the linguistic expression of private states is subjectivity.The conceptual representation of private states used in this dissertation is that of Wiebe et al. (2005). As part of this research, annotators are trained to identify expressions of private states and their properties, such as the source and the intensity of the private state. This dissertation then extends the conceptual representation of private states to better model the attitudes and targets of private states. The inter-annotator agreement studies conducted for this dissertation show that the various concepts in the original and extended representation of private states can be reliably annotated.Exploring the automatic recognition of various types of private states is also a large part of this dissertation. Experiments are conducted that focus on three types of fine-grained subjectivity analysis: recognizing the intensity of clauses and sentences, recognizing the contextual polarity of words and phrases, and recognizing the attribution levels where sentiment and arguing attitudes are expressed. Various supervised machine learning algorithms are used to train automatic systems to perform each of these tasks. These experiments result in automatic systems for performing fine-grained subjectivity analysis that significantly outperform baseline systems

A Personal Guideline for the Use of Correction in the Classroom

Correction is an important aspect of teaching, one that ESL teachers face daily. At issue is the ability to match the teacher\u27s goals or priorities with what is supposed to be taught or learned, and the specific teaching-learning environment. The study presents my original definition of correction, the beginning reference point for this work, which is eventually compared to a new definition of correction. The evolution of the new definition is based upon documentation and analysis of five case studies and the systematic generation and development of a model for correction use. The model is adaptable for use by any teacher, but necessarily different depending upon that teacher\u27s goals and priorities. The model is flexible and therefore able to accommodate individual teaching-learning environments as well as any changes in personal priorities and goals