The role of open access and open educational resources:A distance learning perspective

Abstract: The paper explores the role of Open Access (in licensing, publishing and sharing research data) and Open Educational Resources within Distance Education, with a focus on the context of the University of London International Programmes. We report on a case study where data were gathered from librarians and programme directors relating to existing practice around Open Access; the major constraints in using Open Educational Resources and the main resource implications, when adopting Open Educational Resources, were also investigated. Our aim was to (a) raise awareness and understanding of what is possible to achieve in higher education by embracing the Open Access movement (b) identify next steps and actions that could be taken to improve institutional use of Open Access materials, including Open Educational Resources, (c) examine the implications of such actions for Open Distance Learning and generally the higher education sector. Our investigation highlighted some opportunities and the findings resulted into some clear recommendations that emerged both for practitioners and for students in this area. There seems to be a clear synergy between the different but related movements of Open access and OERs as both have to address issues of ease of access, quality and visibility in order to become accepted in higher education

EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF M-LEARNING WITHIN AN INTERNATIONAL DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Imagine you are a student, studying as a postgraduate on a distance learning Masters course, offered by a UK institution. You are based in a developing country in Africa, employed full time, and due to the nature of your work in the development sector you often have to make trips to rural areas, and are sometimes away for more than a month at a time. You have a good job, but your disposable income is limited as you have a lot of financial commitments and a young family. You live in a society where livelihoods depend amongst other things on transport, livestock and communication, and where the price of a cell phone is equivalent to a cycle, a cow or three goats. What kind of learning resources and tutorial support would you consider suited your lifestyle and study preferences best ? For many years, answering this type of question has been constrained to consideration of options revolving around printed study resources, and written assignments submitted to tutors who provide feedback. Over the last decade email has transformed communication, and a lot of consideration has also been given to the use of the Internet and Online Learning Environments. However, access to the Internet as a platform for learning, has remained limited in Africa due to lack of infrastructure, together with reliability, affordability and performance issues. The big growth trend, over the last five years, has been the rapid and very widespread diffusion of mobile phones. Admittedly the functionality of the phones currently used revolves around text and voice. However, looking forward to three years time, and considering the powerful range of functions that newer phones with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and 3rd Generation (3G) functionality possess, we can explore the question raised at the start of this article afresh, as these devices increasingly support use of text, graphics, audio, video and interactive content. This paper provides a description of the experience of the first year of a two year project titled ‘Developing an educational model for delivery and support of postgraduate distance learning in Southern Africa that incorporates M-Learning’. The project is funded through a grant from University of London Centre for Distance Education (CDE), and is being implemented by Imperial College London Distance Learning Programme (DLP) with support from University of Pretoria’s Department of Educational Innovation (EI). The paper focuses on three main aspects of the work done so far: i) Results from a baseline survey carried out with the DLPs students in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. ii) Lessons learned from the first year, relating to the project context and student profile. iii) Preliminary steps taken to design and test practical and educational activities, that aim to make use of mobile phones to add value to the educational experience of the students.Distance Learning Programme, Imperial College London E-Education Department of Education Innovation University of Pretori

Fostering innovations in pedagogical practices: transforming distance education through a professional development programme using OERs

The reputation and effectiveness of distance education (DE) systems is often perceived as being worse than the reputation and effectiveness of ‘campus-based’ education systems. At the same time higher participation rates in higher education support the social and economic development of countries; and to increase the participation rate quickly can best be done through using DE rather than building more universities. This is the case for Myanmar where DE provision already accounts for 60% of all higher education students but is based on traditional knowledge focused curricula that is not being taught using modern pedagogies and educational technologies. This paper reports on one part of a large scale international development project (Transformation through Innovation in Distance Education or TIDE1) working with at least 30 universities involved in Myanmar’s unique DE provision. At the heart of TIDE is a professional development programme for over 300 academic and support staff from these 30 or more universities where they are learning about and practicing modern pedagogy and technology enhanced learning through engagement with open educational resources (OER). Thus participants are being both students, studying OER (as online courses), and, as course developers, reviewing, reworking, revising and creating de novo OER (as online or print/AV based courses). These OER are focused on the domain of Environment and Sustainable Development to help in the reform of curricula but also to give participants valuable experience in developing and reflecting on their professional skills which they in turn can help colleagues to also develop and reflect on

Age at puberty and accelerometer-measured physical activity:findings from two independent UK cohorts

Background It is unclear if puberty timing influences future physical activity (PA). Aim To investigate the association of puberty timing with PA across adolescence and adulthood. Subjects and methods Data were from two British cohorts. Participants from an adolescent birth cohort (females = 2349, males = 1720) prospectively reported age at menarche and voice break and had PA recorded by Actigraph accelerometers at ages 14 years and 16 years. A cohort of middle-aged and older adults (40–70 years; females = 48,282; males = 36,112) recalled their age at puberty and had PA (mean acceleration; mg) measured by AxivityAX3 accelerometers. Results After adjustment for age, education, smoking and BMI, per 1-year older age at menarche was associated with higher mean counts/minute at age 14 years (0.07 SD counts/minute; 95% CI = 0.04–0.11) with associations attenuated at age 16 years (0.02; −0.03–0.07). Differences in mean acceleration per older year at menarche were close to the null in women aged 40–49 years (0.02 mg; 0.01–0.03), 50–59 years (0.01; 0.00–0.02) and 60–70 years (0.01; 0.00–0.01). Age at voice break and PA associations were close to the null in both cohorts. Conclusion We found a positive association between puberty timing and PA in females which weakened at older ages and limited evidence of an association at any age in males

Increased development of radiographic hip osteoarthritis in individuals with high bone mass: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with high bone mass (HBM) have a greater odds of prevalent radiographic hip osteoarthritis (OA), reflecting an association with bone-forming OA sub-phenotypes (e.g. osteophytosis, subchondral sclerosis). As the role of bone mineral density (BMD) in hip OA progression is unclear, we aimed to determine if individuals with HBM have increased incidence and/or progression of bone-forming OA sub-phenotypes. METHODS: We analysed an adult cohort with and without HBM (L1 and/or total hip BMD Z-score > + 3.2) with pelvic radiographs collected at baseline and 8-year follow-up. Sub-phenotypes were graded using the OARSI atlas. Superior/inferior acetabular/femoral osteophyte and medial/superior joint space narrowing (JSN) grades were summed and Δosteophyte and ΔJSN derived. Pain and functional limitations were quantified using the WOMAC questionnaire. Associations between HBM status and change in OA sub-phenotypes were determined using multivariable linear/logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, height, total body fat mass, follow-up time and baseline sub-phenotype grade. Generalised estimating equations accounted for individual-level clustering. RESULTS: Of 136 individuals, 62% had HBM at baseline, 72% were female and mean (SD) age was 59 (10) years. HBM was positively associated with both Δosteophytes and ΔJSN (adjusted mean grade differences between individuals with and without HBM βosteophyte = 0.30 [0.01, 0.58], p = 0.019 and βJSN = 0.10 [0.01, 0.18], p = 0.019). Incident subchondral sclerosis was rare. HBM individuals had higher WOMAC hip functional limitation scores (β = 8.3 [0.7, 15.98], p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: HBM is associated with the worsening of hip osteophytes and JSN over an average of 8 years, as well as increased hip pain and functional limitation

Metabolomics analysis in adults with High Bone Mass identifies a relationship between bone resorption and circulating citrate which replicates in the general population

Objective: Bone turnover, which regulates bone mass, may exert metabolic consequences, particularly on markers of glucose metabolism and adiposity. To better understand these relationships, we examined cross-sectional associations between bone turnover markers (BTMs) and metabolic traits in a population with high bone mass (HBM, BMD Z-score>+3.2). Design: β-C-terminal telopeptide of type-I collagen (β-CTX), procollagen type-1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and osteocalcin were assessed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassays. Metabolic traits, including lipids and glycolysis-related metabolites, were measured using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. Associations of BTMs with metabolic traits were assessed using Generalized Estimating Equation linear regression, accounting for within-family correlation, adjusting for potential confounders (age, sex, height, weight, menopause, bisphosphonate and oral glucocorticoid use). Results: 198 adults with HBM had complete data, mean [SD] age 61.6 [13.7] years; 77% female. Of 23 summary metabolic traits, citrate was positively related to all BTMs: adjusted ββ-CTX=0.050 (95% CI 0.024,0.076),p=1.71x10-4, βosteocalcin=6.54x10-4 (1.87x10-4,0.001),p=0.006 and βP1NP=2.40x10-4 (6.49x10-5,4.14x10-4),p=0.007 (β= increase in citrate (mmol/L) per 1μg/L BTM increase). Inverse relationships of β-CTX (β=-0.276 -0.434,-0.118],p=6.03x10-4) and osteocalcin (-0.004 [-0.007,-0.001],p=0.020) with triglycerides were also identified. We explored the generalizability of these associations in 3,664 perimenopausal women (age 47.9 [4.4] years) from a UK family cohort. We confirmed a positive, albeit lower magnitude, association between β-CTX and citrate (adjusted βwomen=0.020 [0.013,0.026],p=1.95x10-9) and an inverse association of similar magnitude between β-CTX and triglycerides (β=-0.354 [-0.471,-0.237],p=3.03x10-9). Conclusions: Bone resorption is positively related to circulating citrate and inversely related to triglycerides. Further studies are justified to determine whether plasma citrate or triglyceride concentrations are altered by factors known to modulate bone resorption, such as bisphosphonates

Using multivariable Mendelian randomization to estimate the causal effect of bone mineral density on osteoarthritis risk, independent of body mass index

OBJECTIVES: Observational analyses suggest that high bone mineral density (BMD) is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA); it is unclear whether this represents a causal effect or shared aetiology and whether these relationships are body mass index (BMI)-independent. We performed bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to uncover the causal pathways between BMD, BMI and OA. METHODS: One-sample (1S)MR estimates were generated by two-stage least-squares regression. Unweighted allele scores instrumented each exposure. Two-sample (2S)MR estimates were generated using inverse-variance weighted random-effects meta-analysis. Multivariable MR (MVMR), including BMD and BMI instruments in the same model, determined the BMI-independent causal pathway from BMD to OA. Latent causal variable (LCV) analysis, using weight-adjusted femoral neck (FN)–BMD and hip/knee OA summary statistics, determined whether genetic correlation explained the causal effect of BMD on OA. RESULTS: 1SMR provided strong evidence for a causal effect of BMD estimated from heel ultrasound (eBMD) on hip and knee OA {odds ratio [OR](hip) = 1.28 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05, 1.57], p = 0.02, OR(knee) = 1.40 [95% CI = 1.20, 1.63], p = 3 × 10(–5), OR per standard deviation [SD] increase}. 2SMR effect sizes were consistent in direction. Results suggested that the causal pathways between eBMD and OA were bidirectional (β(hip) = 1.10 [95% CI = 0.36, 1.84], p = 0.003, β(knee) = 4.16 [95% CI = 2.74, 5.57], p = 8 × 10(–9), β = SD increase per doubling in risk). MVMR identified a BMI-independent causal pathway between eBMD and hip/knee OA. LCV suggested that genetic correlation (i.e. shared genetic aetiology) did not fully explain the causal effects of BMD on hip/knee OA. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence for a BMI-independent causal effect of eBMD on OA. Despite evidence of bidirectional effects, the effect of BMD on OA did not appear to be fully explained by shared genetic aetiology, suggesting a direct action of bone on joint deterioration

Mutations in Known Monogenic High Bone Mass Loci Only Explain a Small Proportion of High Bone Mass Cases.

High bone mass (HBM) can be an incidental clinical finding; however, monogenic HBM disorders (eg, LRP5 or SOST mutations) are rare. We aimed to determine to what extent HBM is explained by mutations in known HBM genes. A total of 258 unrelated HBM cases were identified from a review of 335,115 DXA scans from 13 UK centers. Cases were assessed clinically and underwent sequencing of known anabolic HBM loci: LRP5 (exons 2, 3, 4), LRP4 (exons 25, 26), SOST (exons 1, 2, and the van Buchem's disease [VBD] 52-kb intronic deletion 3'). Family members were assessed for HBM segregation with identified variants. Three-dimensional protein models were constructed for identified variants. Two novel missense LRP5 HBM mutations ([c.518C>T; p.Thr173Met], [c.796C>T; p.Arg266Cys]) were identified, plus three previously reported missense LRP5 mutations ([c.593A>G; p.Asn198Ser], [c.724G>A; p.Ala242Thr], [c.266A>G; p.Gln89Arg]), associated with HBM in 11 adults from seven families. Individuals with LRP5 HBM (∼prevalence 5/100,000) displayed a variable phenotype of skeletal dysplasia with increased trabecular BMD and cortical thickness on HRpQCT, and gynoid fat mass accumulation on DXA, compared with both non-LRP5 HBM and controls. One mostly asymptomatic woman carried a novel heterozygous nonsense SOST mutation (c.530C>A; p.Ser177X) predicted to prematurely truncate sclerostin. Protein modeling suggests the severity of the LRP5-HBM phenotype corresponds to the degree of protein disruption and the consequent effect on SOST-LRP5 binding. We predict p.Asn198Ser and p.Ala242Thr directly disrupt SOST binding; both correspond to severe HBM phenotypes (BMD Z-scores +3.1 to +12.2, inability to float). Less disruptive structural alterations predicted from p.Arg266Cys, p.Thr173Met, and p.Gln89Arg were associated with less severe phenotypes (Z-scores +2.4 to +6.2, ability to float). In conclusion, although mutations in known HBM loci may be asymptomatic, they only account for a very small proportion (∼3%) of HBM individuals, suggesting the great majority are explained by either unknown monogenic causes or polygenic inheritance.This study was supported by The Wellcome Trust and NIHR CRN (portfolio number 5163). CLG was funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Training Fellowship (080280/Z/06/Z), the EU 7th Framework Programme under grant agreement number 247642 (GEoCoDE), a British Geriatric Society travel grant, and is now funded by Arthritis Research UK (grant ref 20000). SH acknowledges Arthritis Research UK support (grant ref 19580). KESP acknowledges the support of Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. KAW is supported by the core programme of the MRC Nutrition and Bone Health group at MRC Human Nutrition Research, funded by the UK Medical Research Council (Grant code U10590371). EM acknowledges support of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust Clinical Research Facility. The SGC is a registered charity (no. 1097737) that receives funds from AbbVie, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genome Canada (Ontario Genomics Institute OGI- 055), GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Lilly Canada, Novartis Research Foundation, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Innovation, Pfizer, Takeda, and Wellcome Trust (092809/Z/10/Z).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbmr.270