Improving the effectiveness of feedback by use of assessed reflections and withholding of grades

We wished to improve levels of student engagement with feedback within the context of our postgraduate masters-level programme, and therefore evaluated the use of two interventions: assessed reflections on feedback and grade-withholding. In questionnaires students reported more engagement with feedback after the interventions, with 77% in favour of using reflections, though only 57% favoured grade-withholding, with feelings of frustration and anxiety about the grade cited as factors. Overall class grades improved over the two years in which reflections were used, with the greatest gains made by students generating the most insightful reflections. Additional gains in the second year of intervention may have been attributable to improved implementation or the introduction of grade-withholding, or a combination of both. Overall we demonstrated clear improvement in feedback utilisation and achievement associated with our interventions

The Making of a MOOC: Reflections from the Journey!

The Making of a MOOC': Any relevance to "normal" learning and teaching? MOOCs (massive open online courses) are a hugely topical area of educational policy and practice. The University of Glasgow is developing two new courses in partnership with FutureLearn, a free, open, online platform for courses from multiple UK and international universities. The university will initially offer two courses, one from the School of Medicine and one from the School of Law, beginning in May/June 2014.'Cancer in the 21st Century: The Genomic Revolution' has been developed by the School of Medicine in collaboration with the Institute of Cancer Sciences. In this presentation we will provide an introduction to MOOCs and reflect on our own experiences in the development of the cancer genetics MOOC over the past year. Specific areas of potential relevance to traditional course design such as student retention, student engagement, peer-assisted learning and peer review will be considered. We will review our approach to course design and discuss how factors such as online accessibility, the size of the student cohort, and the varying levels of background knowledge amongst students have influenced our decision making process. The design of the student surveys for the course and how the data generated will impact our model of sustainability for the MOOC in future academic sessions will also be discussed

Mediating the Relation of Socioeconomic Risk and Kindergarten Readiness with Self-Regulation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationships

School readiness is important for children, families, teachers, and schools. School readiness is defined as children’s preparedness to be successful in the kindergarten setting. It can encompass academic, social-emotional, and behavioral skills, all of which predict future outcomes (Duncan et al., 2007). School readiness can be particularly important for children at risk for school failure due to poverty (Ryan, Fauth, & Brooks-Gunn, 2013). Considering which risk and resilience factors may be present for these children is important. Another important variable is self-regulation, which includes voluntary control approach and withdrawal behavior tendencies including the ability to inhibit a dominant response and resist interference or distractions (Liew, 2012; Rothbart & Bates, 2006; Ursache, 2012). An additional variable relevant to school readiness is the teacher-child relationship, which is far less studied than the parent-child relationship, but can have important implications for children’s school functioning. The teacher-child relationship is linked to both academic and social-emotional components of school readiness (Peisner-Feinberg et al., 2001; Pianta & Stuhlman, 1994). The goal of this study was to test the moderating role of teacher-child relationship qualities on the mediating role of self-regulation on the relation of socioeconomic risk and school readiness. As such, this study was the first to examine school readiness in light of socioeconomic risk, self-regulation, and teacher-child relationships. Three mediated moderator models were tested. These examined the moderating relation of the teacher-child relationship at various points in the mediated relations of self-regulation on socioeconomic risk on school readiness. Results indicated that self-regulation mediated the relation between socioeconomic risk and school readiness. Additionally, the teacher-child relationship moderated self-regulation within this mediated model. These findings suggest that the teacher-child relationship can affect the relation between self-regulation and school readiness and that the teacher-child relationship has the potential to change the level of self-regulation’s direct impact on school readiness. These findings contribute to the literature on the factors that predict school readiness and have important implications for schools, children, and families

Building and Executing MOOCs: A Practical Review of Glasgow's First Two MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)

No abstract available

Evaluation of an Online ‘Teachable Moment’ Dietary Intervention

Abstract Purpose - To evaluate an online ‘teachable moment’ intervention to promote healthy eating for overweight and food intolerance symptoms. Design/methodology/approach – The study involves a 2 x 2 factorial design with two conditions: group (weight loss vs food intolerance) and condition (intervention vs control). The intervention aimed to generate a ‘teachable moment’ by providing knowledge regarding the relationship between food and the problem (overweight or food intolerance), focusing on the negative aspects of the problem, creating a behavioural model, and encouraging hope and reinvention. Participants receiving the intervention (n = 22) completed measures of dietary behaviour and either weight or food intolerance symptoms before receiving the intervention and again one month later. Control participants (n = 20) provided measures but did not receive the intervention. Findings - There were no significant reductions in weight or food intolerance symptoms. However, compared to control participants, participants in the intervention conditions reported greater intentions to eat healthily (p = .01) and improved healthy eating behaviour over time, following both an intention-to-treat (p = .046) and explanatory analysis (p = .042). Practical implications - Encouraging individuals to perceive their everyday situation as a time for change and adopt healthier behaviour early on, may prevent future diet-related medical events. This has benefits for both the individual and for health care costs. Originality/value - A quick and easy to administer online ‘teachable moment’ intervention improves dietary behaviour and can be minimally adapted to suit individuals with differing health needs

Stabillity Ball Sitting Elevates Peak Arm Ergometry Oxygen Consumption and Heart Rate

International Journal of Exercise Science 5(4) : 360-366, 2012. This study compared sitting on a stability ball (B) to sitting on a chair (C) during arm ergometry to determine the impact on peak VO2, peak heart rate (HR), and exercise intensity prescription. Open-circuit spirometer, blood pressure, and HR were monitored during rest and continuous graded exercise test to exhaustion using an arm ergometer. Twenty-seven apparently healthy adults exercised twice, once at B and the other trial C (order randomized), with 60 minutes of rest between trials. ANOVA for repeated measures (a \u3c 0.05) and paired t testing using Holm\u27s-sequential Bonferroni were used to analyze results for 30 W, 45 W, Penultimate, and Peak stages of exercise. VO2 was significantly higher (8% to 12%, P \u3c 0.001) for all stages of exercise for B compared to C. HR was significantly higher (P \u3c 0.001) only at the Penultimate and Peak levels (3% and 2%, respectively) for B compared to C; all other sub-maximal HRs were not significantly different. There were no significant main effects or interactions (P\u3e 0.138) when VO2 and HR were expressed as percentage of maximum. Compared to chair sitting, the stability ball has a greater absolute metabolic response with little impact on HR. Prescribing exercise with absolute MET levels should consider this; however, intensity as a percentage of maximum may not be affected by the stability ball

Placental expression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 in pregnancy: the use of villous explants and high altitude pregnancy studies to explore the role of oxygen in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia

The first aim of this study was to investigate levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and HIF-1? in placentae throughout pregnancy using various techniques. The study used immunohistochemistry to detect and quantify MMP-2 and MMP 9 expression in placentae from 7-19 and at 40 weeks of gestation. A reduction was found in extravillous trophoblast (EVT) expression of both MMPs as pregnancy progressed. In contrast endothelial expression of both MMPs increased. MMP-2 expression in villous CTB (vCTB) was highest in early pregnancy but decreased with gestation. MMP-9 expression in vCTB was very low throughout pregnancy. Zymography studies revealed a significant decrease in pro-MMP-2 but not pro-MMP-9 activity through gestation although the latter did decrease during the first trimester. The results of the study suggest a role for MMP-2 and MMP-9 not only in early placental development but also in vascular remodelling in the later stages of gestation. Moreover it also suggests that the role of MMP-2, often regarded as less important than MMP-9 in placental development, warrants further study. Immunohistochemical studies on the same placentae showed that TIMP-1 expression in muscle surrounding the villous endothelium and in the villous stroma increased with gestation while vCTB expression did not alter and EVT expression increased during the second trimester. TIMP-2 staining in vCTB decreased with gestation while staining on endothelium, muscle and stroma increased. EVT expression of TIMP-2 was negatively correlated with gestation. Thus TIMP-2 appeared to have a high degree of co-distribution with MMP-2 both spatially and temporally. HIF-1alpha staining on vCTB and EVT decreased with gestation while expression on the endothelium increased. These results suggest both paracrine and autocrine regulation of MMPs may occur early in pregnancy. Furthermore TIMPs and HIF-1alpha may have a role in regulating the processes in which MMPs are involved in later on in pregnancy. Pregnant women living at high altitude are exposed to chronic hypoxia throughout gestation. It has been reported that high altitude pregnancies show physiology intermediate between normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia and thus may provide a useful in vivo model of the disease. This study compared MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression in placentae from high, moderate and low altitude. Endothelial expression of MMP-9 was lower at high altitude than low altitude while MMP-9 expression in the villous stroma was higher. This may implicate MMP-9 in adaptive responses to hypoxia and villous remodelling in high altitude placentae. There were no differences in MMP-2 expression between high and low altitude placentae supporting previous studies, which have reported that MMP-2 expression may not be subject to regulation by oxygen. Maternal serum markers of endothelial cell activation were measured throughout pregnancy at high and moderate altitude. It was hypothesised that since circulating VCAM-1 and E-Selectin are increased in pre-eclampsia, they might also be elevated in high altitude pregnancy. This hypothesis was not supported and another marker of endothelial activation, ICAM-1, was not found to be increased either. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

Playing the Numbers Game: Students as Assessors in a MOOC Context

With increasing focus on online platforms in learning and teaching, it is vital to examine how we can best assess students in the online context. The main rationale driving innovative assessment in MOOCs is the unprecedented scale of class sizes. While it may be logistically challenging for staff to mark/give feedback on the large number of student assignments, peers are plentiful. Assessment and feedback must therefore come either from automated processes, like MCQ quizzes or from other students i.e. peer review (PR). Our study was based on data from the 6-week MOOC ‘Cancer in the 21st Century: The Genomic Revolution’ on which there were >7000 students enrolled. Over 200 students took part in a PR task as part of the MOOC. The aim of our research was to investigate the quality of the PRs produced, what factors influence this and the students’ experience of the PR process. Demographic data (age, gender, previous level of education, whether students are currently employed and field of employment) was collected and linked to 79 students who had participated. Peer reviews were compared with staff marking of the written task and the demographic data was analysed in relation to both written task and peer review performance. Qualitative comments were also gathered from various forums and thematic analysis was carried out on these. Overall, many high quality reviews were generated, and students identified specific benefits to both receiving and giving reviews, including promoting deeper learning. We also found that while several demographic factors may influence both participation in, and quality of initial written task itself, they do not appear to have a marked effect on the quality of the peer review which an individual is able to give. We will discuss the implications of these results for use of PR in both online and offline environments

The genetic basis of disease

Genetics plays a role, to a greater or lesser extent, in all diseases. Variations in our DNA and differences in how that DNA functions (alone or in combinations), alongside the environment (which encompasses lifestyle), contribute to disease processes. This review explores the genetic basis of human disease, including single gene disorders, chromosomal imbalances, epigenetics, cancer and complex disorders, and considers how our understanding and technological advances can be applied to provision of appropriate diagnosis, management and therapy for patients

Is peer review an appropriate form of assessment in a MOOC? Student participation and performance in formative peer review

Many aspects of traditional higher education must be reconceptualised for massive open online courses (MOOCs). Formative and summative assessment of qualitative work in particular requires novel approaches to cope with the numbers involved. Peer review has been proposed as one solution, and has been widely adopted by major MOOC providers but there is currently little evidence about whether it is appropriate in the MOOC context, or under what conditions. Here, we examine student participation, performance and opinions of a peer review task in a biomedical science MOOC. We evaluate data from approximately 200 student topic summaries and 300 qualitative peer reviews of those summaries, and compare these to student demographic data (gender, age, employment status, education, national language) and to performance in multiple choice tests (MCQs). We show that higher performance in the written topic summary correlated with both higher participation in the peer review task, and with writing higher quality peer reviews. Qualitative analysis of student comments revealed that student opinion on the usefulness of the peer review task was mixed: some strongly believed it benefitted their learning, while others did not find it useful or did not participate. We suggest instructional design strategies to improve student participation and increase learning gain from peer review in the MOOC context