Blurring the boundaries? Supporting students and staff within an online learning environment

The inclusion of online learning technologies into the higher education (HE) curriculum is frequently associated with the design and development of new models of learning. One could argue that e-learning even demands a reconfiguration of traditional methods of learning and teaching. One of the key elements of this transformational process is flexibility. This paper considers a number of aspects relating to the flexibility inherent within models of online learning and the potential impact of this on support structures. City University, London, is used as a case study to provide examples of online practice which support strategies outlined here. A number of models of online learning are used at the University to provide evidence of the variation in modes of support and illustrate the different needs of both students and staff when using these forms of learning. What is apparent through this discussion is that to provide effective support for online learners, whether students or staff, clear and solid structures need to be put in place to assist with the creation of an online community

Partners with clinical practice: Evaluating the student and staff experiences of on-line continuing professional development for qualified nephrology practitioners

The inclusion of online learning technologies into the higher education (HE) curriculum is frequently associated with the design and development of new models of learning. One could argue that e-learning even demands a reconfiguration of traditional methods of learning and teaching. However, this transformation in pedagogic methodology does not just impact on lecturers and teachers alone. Online learning has ‘pervasive impacts and changes in other HE functions’ (HEFCE, p.2). Thus, e-learning is a transformational process that posits new challenges for staff and students, both in educational methods and support. Many political, clinical, financial and social influences impact on registered health professionals’ ability to continue their professional development. This is particularly pertinent in the delivery of nephrology care. In order to evaluate the programme that has now run for 2 years in the context of this institution, evaluative research methodology sought to explore the experiences of the staff and students involved. Qualitative data was collected from the students and a reflective framework was used to form the basis of a focus group for the staff. This paper will present how a virtual learning environment (VLE) was developed utilising the pedagogic framework of solution-focused learning. It will demonstrate evaluation of the students’ experiences compared to their traditional classroom-learning counterparts, and highlight the reflections of staff developers as they moved into new roles and developed different aspects of their present roles within a traditional HE context

The 1995 NRC Ratings of Doctoral Programs: A Hedonic Model

We describe how one can use multivariate regression models and data collected by the National Research Council as part of its recent ranking of doctoral programs (Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change) to analyze how measures of program size, faculty seniority, faculty research productivity, and faculty productivity in producing doctoral degrees influence subjective ratings of doctoral programs in 35 academic fields. Using data for one of the fields, economics, we illustrate how university administrators can use the models to compute the impact of changing the number of faculty positions they allocate to the field on the ranking of their programs. Finally, we illustrate how administrators can decompose the differences between a department\u27s rating and the ratings of a group of higher ranked departments in the field into difference due to faculty size, faculty seniority, faculty research productivity, and faculty productivity in producing doctoral students. This decomposition suggests the types of questions that a department and a university should be addressing if they are serious about wanting to improve the department\u27s ranking

Social Media Best Practices in Academic Libraries (2016)

In order to understand current trends and use of social media in libraries, VCU Libraries created and conducted an online survey using SurveyMonkey. Our approach was informed by the study of social media and public relations practice conducted by Wright and Hinson (Wright, Donald K. and Michelle Drifka Hinson. 2015. “Examining Social and Emerging Media Use in Public Relations Practice: A Ten-Year Longitudinal Analysis.” Public Relations Journal 9). The VCU Libraries survey consisted of 22 multiple-choice, multiple-answer, and open ended questions. The survey was distributed to email discussion lists frequented by library professionals involved in management or communications. The data presented here in summary form includes responses from all 198 respondent

Shifts in ownership toward high-powered motorcycles and its effects on public health

Objectives. We assessed whether policies designed to safeguard young motorcyclists would be effective given shifts in ownership toward high-powered motorcycles. Methods. We investigated population-wide motor vehicle driver and motorcyclist casualties (excluding passengers) recorded in Britain between 2002 and 2009. To adjust for exposure and measure individual risk, we used the estimated number of trips of motorcyclists and drivers, which had been collected as part of a national travel survey. Results. Motorcyclists were 76 times more likely to be killed than were drivers for every trip. Older motorcyclist age—strongly linked to experience, skill set,and riding behavior—did not abate the risks of high-powered motorcycles. Older motorcyclists made more trips on high-powered motorcycles. Conclusions: Tighter engine size restrictions would help reduce the use of high-powered motorcycles. Policymakers should introduce health warnings on the risks of high-powered motorcycles and the benefits of safety equipment

The MS Symptom and Impact Diary (MSSID): psychometric evaluation of a new instrument to measure the day to day impact of multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop further a diary originally devised to measure the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) as part of a cost utility study of beta interferon, and to evaluate its reliability, validity, and responsiveness in an outpatient sample of people with MS. METHODS: The original diary was further developed using qualitative and quantitative methods to ensure that it addressed the views of people with MS. The psychometric properties of the MS Symptom and Impact Diary (MSSID) were evaluated in a sample of 77 people who completed the MSSID daily for 12 weeks. Internal and test–retest reliability, discriminant and convergent validity, and responsiveness were assessed using traditional psychometric methods. RESULTS: The MSSID formed three, internally consistent scales that measured mobility, fatigue, and the overall impact of MS. The test–retest reliability of the mobility scale was adequate for individual comparisons (ICC.0.90) and the fatigue and overall impact scales were adequate for group comparisons (ICC.0.70). The MSSID was able to distinguish between clinical groups depending on clinical course, indoor ambulation status, and relapse status. It demonstrated associations with other single point instruments in the expected direction. Compared with single point instruments, its responsiveness was similar or better, especially in detecting short term improvements in functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The MSSID may provide a useful complement to currently available instruments to measure the outcomes of MS within clinical trials. Further research is needed to explore its feasibility in the context of a randomised controlled trial and its utility for clinicians

A Groenewold-Van Hove Theorem for S^2

We prove that there does not exist a nontrivial quantization of the Poisson algebra of the symplectic manifold S^2 which is irreducible on the subalgebra generated by the components {S_1,S_2,S_3} of the spin vector. We also show that there does not exist such a quantization of the Poisson subalgebra P consisting of polynomials in {S_1,S_2,S_3}. Furthermore, we show that the maximal Poisson subalgebra of P containing {1,S_1,S_2,S_3} that can be so quantized is just that generated by {1,S_1,S_2,S_3}.Comment: 20 pages, AMSLaTe

Transcriptional coupling of neighbouring genes and gene expression noise: evidence that gene orientation and non-coding transcripts are modulators of noise

For some genes, notably essential genes, expression when expression is needed is vital hence low noise in expression is favourable. For others noise is necessary for coping with stochasticity or for providing dice-like mechanisms to control cell fate. But how is noise in gene expression modulated? We hypothesise that gene orientation may be crucial, as for divergently organized gene pairs expression of one gene could affect chromatin of a neighbour thereby reducing noise. Transcription of antisense non-coding RNA from a shared promoter is similarly argued to be a noise-reduction mechanism. Stochastic simulation models confirm the expectation. The model correctly predicts: that protein coding genes with bi-promoter architecture, including those with a ncRNA partner, have lower noise than other genes; divergent gene pairs uniquely have correlated expression noise; distance between promoters predicts noise; ncRNA divergent transcripts are associated with genes that a priori would be under selection for low noise; essential genes reside in divergent orientation more than expected; bi-promoter pairs are rare subtelomerically, cluster together and are enriched in essential gene clusters. We conclude that gene orientation and transcription of ncRNAs, even if unstable, are candidate modulators of noise levels

The structural and diagenetic evolution of injected sandstones: examples from the Kimmeridgian of NE Scotland

Abstract: Injected sandstones occurring in the Kimmeridgian of NE Scotland along the bounding Great Glen and Helmsdale faults formed when basinal fluids moved upward along the fault zones, fluidizing Oxfordian sands encountered at shallow depth and injecting them into overlying Kimmeridgian strata. The orientation of dykes, in addition to coeval faults and fractures, was controlled by a stress state related to dextral strike-slip along the bounding fault zones. Diagenetic studies of cements allow the reconstruction of the fluid flow history. The origin of deformation bands in sandstone dykes and sills was related to the contraction of the host-rocks against dyke and sill walls following the initial stage of fluidized flow, and these deformation bands are the earliest diagenetic imprint. Early non-ferroan calcite precipitated in injection structures at temperatures between 70 and 100 8C, indicating that it precipitated from relatively hot basinal fluids that drove injection. Coeval calcite-filled fractures show similar temperatures, suggesting that relatively hot fluids were responsible for calcite precipitation in any permeable pathway created by dextral simple shear along the faults. During progressive burial, percolating sea water was responsible for completely cementing the still relatively porous injected sandstones with a second generation of ferroan calcite, which contains fluid inclusions with homogenization temperatures below 50 8C. During this phase, depositional host sandstones were also cemented

Bio-inspired swing leg control for spring-mass robots running on ground with unexpected height disturbance

We proposed three swing leg control policies for spring-mass running robots, inspired by experimental data from our recent collaborative work on ground running birds. Previous investigations suggest that animals may prioritize injury avoidance and/or efficiency as their objective function during running rather than maintaining limit-cycle stability. Therefore, in this study we targeted structural capacity (maximum leg force to avoid damage) and efficiency as the main goals for our control policies, since these objective functions are crucial to reduce motor size and structure weight. Each proposed policy controls the leg angle as a function of time during flight phase such that its objective function during the subsequent stance phase is regulated. The three objective functions that are regulated in the control policies are (i) the leg peak force, (ii) the axial impulse, and (iii) the leg actuator work. It should be noted that each control policy regulates one single objective function. Surprisingly, all three swing leg control policies result in nearly identical subsequent stance phase dynamics. This implies that the implementation of any of the proposed control policies would satisfy both goals (damage avoidance and efficiency) at once. Furthermore, all three control policies require a surprisingly simple leg angle adjustment: leg retraction with constant angular acceleration