Identifying key Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) dimensions associated with academic success amongst postgraduate medical students

Many elements have been identified as contributors of academic success amongst medical students but to group these components in order to develop guidelines for intervention strategies is atypical. One such tool which could allow this possibility is the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) developed by the University of Bristol. ELLI is an online self-assessment instrument which identifies and measures the dimensions of learner development. It comprises of 90 key questions used to measure the seven dimensions of learning power: changing and learning; meaning making; critical curiosity; creativity; learning relationships; strategic awareness and resilience. This study used ELLI to explore learning dimensions as potential drivers for academic success. A small cohort of thirty-three first year postgraduate medical students consented and completed the first ELLI before starting formal classes. Only eighteen of these completed it a second time, 45 days later. The data from the ELLI questionnaires were analysed both for the whole cohort and separately for each academic performance group (defined using grade point averages). The results showed that the students obtained the highest scores for the meaning making or changing and learning dimensions, and the lowest scores for creativity or resilience. After a period of postgraduate study, only the successful students displayed significant improvements in the mean ELLI scores, with increases for all ELLI dimensions apart from resilience. Those who were less successful made declines in more than one dimension. It was concluded that ELLI is an effective instrument for identifying key learning dispositions and it is proposed that an intervention could be developed in the future to improve academic achievement

Feeding Strategies for Captive Asian Small-Clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus, Illiger, 1815): What Works to reduce Repetitive Feeding Anticipatory Activity in the Cold Season?

This case-study analysed the behaviour and enclosure use of a pair of Asian small-clawed otters to investigate the impact of changes in feeding strategy on repetitive behaviours associated with feeding anticipation, in the context of the influence of seasonal changes in temperature on these tropical mammals.The otters displayed less swimming and resting/sleeping and more begging, vocalisations and overall vigilance in winter compared to summer, suggesting more hunger due to increased energetic demands for thermoregulation. The introduction of an additional mid-morning feed in winter without increasing the total amount of food per day was only partly effective on the targeted behaviours. The overall vigilance displays and vocalisations increased significantly, resting and sleeping decreased, but begging did not change compared to previous winter and summer values. Begging before the feed at 14:00 hours was less frequent, suggesting less hunger at this time, but increased to higher values later in the afternoon.An increase in the total amount of food per day from 20 to 30 of otter body weight in January 2019, with return to 3 feeds/day, was more effective at reducing the targeted behaviours. There were decreases in overall vigilance displays and in the frequencies of begging and short calls and increases in play behaviours, social affiliative interactions and resting and sleeping, suggesting a reduction in levels of hunger and related stress.This study emphasized the importance of considering how local climate affects enclosure conditions when assessing the nutritional, enrichment and climatisation needs of Asian small-clawed otters

Outdoor enclosure use and behaviour of adult and cub Asian small clawed otters Aonyx cinereus in summer and winter

The behaviour and outdoor enclosure use of a family of Aonyx cinereus otters were investigated in summer and winter at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust Washington center, UK. In summer, swimming and paddling (adults and cubs) and diving (adults) were recorded significantly more frequently than in winter, correlated with significantly higher frequencies of use of the water features. For the cubs, the relative frequency of diving was significantly lower compared to winter, as the cubs were still learning to swim and forage underwater. The levels of activity and the diversity of behaviours were higher around feeding times in both seasons. The cubs were already swimming in shallow water at 3.5 months old and in deeper water at 4.5 months-old, mostly as a family group. At 3.5-6 months-old they were out of sight in the den significantly more frequently than the adults and displayed more play-fighting. By 8-9.5 months-old they moved around independently, foraging or playing and their behavioural budget was similar to that of the adults. Object juggling and vigilance standing were displayed from around 4 months-old, when weaning also occurred. The introduction of additional structural enrichment (logs, holt, nest-box) in early autumn increased the frequency of use of ground areas in winter, when the water temperatures were below 10 °C. The feeding and structural enrichment strategies used were effective for keeping the otters active outdoors and maintaining their high display value in the cold season (day time summer air temperatures 15-27 °C > winter 3.5-10 °C), emphasizing the importance of enrichment for good welfare

Can colored object enrichment reduce the escape behavior of captive freshwater turtles?

The effect of environmental enrichment on the behavior and welfare in captivity of reptiles and of freshwater turtles in particular, which are popular aquarium and pet species, is very little studied compared to other taxa. We carried out a small scale case‐study on the effect of colored object enrichment, with and without fish scent, on the behavior of a group of 15 cooters (Pseudemys sp.) and sliders (Trachemys scripta ssp.) on display at a public aquarium. The new enrichment aimed to reduce the escape behavior (interaction with transparent boundaries) and increase exploration and random swimming. We used simultaneous recording of behavior at whole group level and for focal individually‐marked turtles. The escape behavior decreased on days with new enrichment before feeding at whole group level and for the focal turtles overall, in spite of the relatively low interest in the colored objects. Fish‐scented objects attracted significantly more interest. Random swimming, enrichment focus, aggression and submission increased significantly, and basking decreased significantly at whole group level before feeding, with smaller differences after feeding. There were large differences between individual turtles with respect to activity budgets and changes in behavior on days with new enrichment, with both increases and decreases seen in escape behavior, aggression, and levels of activity. Our outcomes suggested that introducing new colored objects with food scent may be beneficial for reducing escape behavior in captive freshwater turtles. However, careful monitoring of effects at individual level and much larger scale investigations, including postenrichment periods, are needed

Interest in coloured objects and behavioural budgets of individual captive freshwater turtles

Recent studies showed that freshwater turtles display inter-individual differences in variousbehavioural traits, which may influence their health and welfare in captivity due to differences inresponse to husbandry and enrichment strategies and in ability to cope with the limitations of thecaptive environment. This study investigated a possible correlation between individual level ofescape behaviour under standard enrichment conditions and level of interest in coloured objects ina group of cooters Pseudemys sp. and sliders Trachemys scripta ssp. on display at a public aquarium.Interest in different colours, colour preference and individual differences in behavioural changes inthe presence of the new enrichment were also studied. Turtles categorised as ‘high’ and ‘moderateescape behaviour’ (17–34 of behavioural budget) showed more interest in coloured objects andtended to display less escape behaviour in their presence, while turtles categorised as ‘low escapebehaviour’ (<10 of behavioural budget) were less interested in coloured objects and tended todisplay more escape behaviour in their presence. Overall, there was more interest in yellow than inred, white or green objects, with more contacts with coloured objects before feeding and at the startof each observation period and a preference for yellow against red objects. The individual differencesin behavioural changes in the presence of the new enrichment suggested that more studies into colourpreference and response to novelty in turtles would be beneficial to ensure that no individuals areunduly stressed by new enrichments

Using learning dimensions within the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) as indicators of academic success in Biosciences

The Effective Life-long Learning Inventory (ELLI) has been designed to raise students' awareness of their own learning power, summarised in seven key dimensions. This study used ELLI with level 4 and level 6 cohorts in Biosciences programmes at Northumbria University as an indicator of academic performance. The dimension with the highest mean score for level 4 students was 'Meaning Making', followed by 'Changing and Learning'. 'Creativity' had the lowest mean score. Students were divided into two groups with respect to their academic achievement: the 'successful' and the 'satisfactory' group. The successful group scored higher in all dimensions, compared to the satisfactory group. The differences in the scores for 'Meaning Making' and 'Creativity' were statistically significant. Large differences were also found for 'Changing and Learning', 'Strategic Awareness', and 'Resilence'. Interestingly, all of these, with the exception of 'Meaning Making', were also the dimensions in which level 6 students scored higher than level 4 students, but the differences were not statistically significant. Results indicate that ELLI is a useful tool to identify key dispositions in successful learners, which could inform interventions to improve learning within a cohort

Seasonal changes in the behaviour and enclosure use of captive Asian Small Clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus)

The influence of seasonal changes in temperature on the behaviour of tropical mammals kept in zoos and aquaria in temperate climate regions is very little studied. This article describes seasonal differences in the behavioural time budget and enclosure use of two male Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) held in an indoor enclosure at the Blue Reef Aquarium Tynemouth in the North-East of England (55°N). The otters studied spent significantly more time in the water in summer (water temperature 18-19°C) than in winter (water temperature 11-12°C). Swimming represented 33.4% of the total summer observation time, compared to only 14.1% in winter. In summer, the otters were seen in water at 33.7% of the sampling times, in the deep or shallow pool or in the river in the enclosure, compared to 15% in winter. In both seasons, the time budget also included 32-34% active behaviours on land, 15-17% maintenance, 5-8% affiliative social interaction and 2-3% being out of sight. In winter, the otters were more aggressive (winter 2% > summer 1%) and less active, with significantly more time spent lying down resting or sleeping (winter 11% > summer 4.6%) or being vigilant, looking around or ‘begging’ at the keeper or visitors (winter 12.2% > summer 5.8%). Feeding anticipatory activity was seen in both seasons. Affiliative social interaction occurred mainly between feeds, linked to rest periods. The relevance of these observations is discussed in relation to thermoregulation and possible effects on reproduction

Seasonal thermal tolerance in marine Crustacea

Seasonal values of the critical thermal maximum (CTMax) of eight species of adult marine Crustacea from temperate latitudes were measured and found to range between 20 and 34°C. The extent to which CTMax was dependent on acclimatization varied with species but for most of the species studied, summer-captured animals had significantly higher CTMax values than winter-captured animals. Heat shock resulted in an increase in thermotolerance in most species in winter-captured animals, but a different pattern was found for summer-captured animals. Then, only Cancer pagurus and Pagurus bernhardus showed a positive increment of CTMax on heat shock. Test for Serial Independence analysis indicated no significant phylogenetic autocorrelation between CTMax values in winter or summer-captured animals. Temperature measurements taken by remote data loggers in the intertidal zone of the North-East coast of England are reported. These suggest that several species, whose distribution extends into the intertidal zone, may experience temperatures close to their CTMax in summer