Adopting a blended approach to learning: experiences from radiography at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

The perspective of the radiography teaching team at Queen Margaret University (QMU) was that a transmission mode of programme delivery was sub-optimal in helping students to learn and make links between theory and practice. Programme redesign adopted a blended learning approach with both face-to-face and online learning aimed at enhancing the students’ control over their own learning. Online tasks within Web Classroom Tools (WebCT) were used as an integral part of careful programme design, which resulted in a programme enabling synthesis of the skills, knowledge and competencies acquired in the academic and clinical environments. With the move towards a more learner-centred, blended educational experience for the students the lecturers’ role shifted to that of facilitator with WebCT providing the tutor with a more transparent view of student learning. Lecturers plan learning activities that build upon the skills students have developed through learning in groups, online and in class. The explicit connections that now exist between the academic programme and the opportunities for applying knowledge in practice allow students to engage more deeply in their learning

Periscope Proteins are variable length regulators of bacterial cell surface interactions

Changes at the cell surface enable bacteria to survive in dynamic environments, such as diverse niches of the human host. Here, we reveal “Periscope Proteins” as a widespread mechanism of bacterial surface alteration mediated through protein length variation. Tandem arrays of highly similar folded domains can form an elongated rod-like structure; thus, variation in the number of domains determines how far an N-terminal host ligand binding domain projects from the cell surface. Supported by newly available long-read genome sequencing data, we propose that this class could contain over 50 distinct proteins, including those implicated in host colonization and biofilm formation by human pathogens. In large multidomain proteins, sequence divergence between adjacent domains appears to reduce interdomain misfolding. Periscope Proteins break this “rule,” suggesting that their length variability plays an important role in regulating bacterial interactions with host surfaces, other bacteria, and the immune system

Law in social work education: reviewing the evidence on teaching, learning and assessment

This paper presents the findings from a systemic review of knowledge relating to current practice in the teaching, learning and assessment of law in social work education. The research comprised an internationally conducted systematic review of the literature, together with a survey of current education practice in the four countries of the UK. Two consultation events sought the views of a range of stakeholders, including the perspectives of service users and carers. Set in the context of debates about the relationship between law and social work practice, this paper identifies the common themes emerging from the review and offers an analysis of key findings, together with priorities for future directions in education practice

A review of literature on the use of clickers in the business and management discipline

YesClassroom response systems (clickers), in their various forms, are widely used across disciplines, demonstrating effectiveness across a range of different educational settings. However, only a few literature reviews on this technology have been undertaken in general, and no review has yet been performed on this topic in the business and management context. Realising the existing research gap, this article reviews 33 clicker-related studies from the business and management discipline that are largely focused on student perceptions and outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical and balanced review of articles from the business and management discipline on various themes such as learner's engagement, performance, learning, participation, satisfaction, feedback, attendance, enjoyability, motivation, and interactivity, to name a few. The review also provides a brief account of lessons learned from the literature published in other disciplines and recommendations provided by studies from the business and management discipline

Towards meaningful learning A theory for improved assessment in higher education

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN015106 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo