Problem-based learning in action: The development of The Virtual Health and Wellness Centre

Nursing education in Australia has undergone significant change over the past 30 years. Most notably, the transfer from a traditional apprenticeship model to that of a professional degree based course in the tertiary sector. Contemporary healthcare institutions demand graduates who are ‘work ready’ and able to ‘hit the ward running’. The demographics of the Australian population indicate that groups of culturally diverse individuals are seeking healthcare along with an ageing population of Australians who have unique needs. The growing demand for more highly trained, work ready nurses has landed squarely on the shoulders of universities providing comprehensive nursing education. The problem now for nurse educators is to facilitate teaching and learning strategies that will engage the student nurse in processes that promote critical thinking and problem solving in the work place. While various models and curricula are in use across Australia in pre-registration nursing education, there is growing evidence to suggest that Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is perhaps the most suited to producing professionals who are able to problem solve and address the multiple demands of an ever changing environment. The introduction of a PBL curriculum will meet this demand. Here at Edith Cowan University, the School of Nursing Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine has undertaken a pilot project introducing a web based resource to align with the introduction of a hybrid PBL curricula. Undergraduate nursing students undertaking the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) were given the opportunity to meet a paediatric patient in the Virtual Health and Wellness Centre. This virtual site enables nursing students to explore case study in various nursing areas such as paediatrics, critical care, medical/surgical and aged care. Students progress through a scenario which incorporates theory relating to anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychosocial issues, research, professional issues and relevant nursing skills. Each scenario is formulated around a set of learning outcomes, which are evaluated by the student at the completion of the case study. During practical laboratory sessions students are able to contextualise their learning and seek informal peer feedback. The development of these case scenarios are context rich and built around the central aim of engaging students in self-directed learning. This discovery learning leads to higher comprehension and transferability of knowledge. Students will be able to practice the skills and theory in practical laboratory sessions which adds a functional dimension to the online material making the meanings derived from the combination of theory and practice more profound and ‘real world’. Gibbon (2005) states that “in PBL we take a collection of information, pertinent to the problem. We learn a little about each and synthesise it to solve the problem, like a jigsaw” (p. 6

Beach litter sources around Nuuk, Greenland: An analysis by UArctic summer school graduate course students

Modeling studies illustrate the potential for long-range transport of plastics into the Arctic, although the degree to which this occurs remains relatively undocumented. We utilised a teaching exercise at a UArctic summer school graduate course in Nuuk, Greenland to conduct a preliminary in-depth analysis of beach litter sources in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord. Students and instructors collected and analysed 1800 litter items weighing 200 kg from one location in the fjord and another at its mouth. The results suggest a predominance of local sources to macrolitter, rather than long-range transport from Europe. Fisheries-related items and rope were common. Packaging which could be identified was largely suspected to be products distributed in Greenland, and soft plastics, which rarely disperse far from its source, were also common. The results suggest local measures to reduce mismanaged waste and emissions from fisheries are important for reducing marine litter in West Greenland.publishedVersio

Effects of chirality on the intracellular localization of binuclear ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes

Interest in binuclear ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes as luminescent cellular imaging agents and for biomedical applications is increasing rapidly. We have investigated the cellular localization, uptake, and biomolecular interactions of the pure enantiomers of two structural isomers of [μ-bipb(phen)4Ru2]4+ (bipb is bis(imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthrolin-2-yl)benzene and phen is 1,10-phenanthroline) using confocal laser scanning microscopy, emission spectroscopy, and linear dichroism. Both complexes display distinct enantiomeric differences in the staining pattern of fixed cells, which are concluded to arise from chiral discrimination in the binding to intracellular components. Uptake of complexes in live cells is efficient and nontoxic at 5 μM, and occurs through an energy-dependent mechanism. No differences in uptake are observed between the structural isomers or the enantiomers, suggesting that the interactions triggering uptake are rather insensitive to structural variations. Altogether, these findings show that the complexes investigated are promising for future applications as cellular imaging probes. In addition, linear dichroism shows that the complexes exhibit DNA-condensing properties, making them interesting as potential gene delivery vectors

Under Constructivism: exploring the educational theory behind the construction of the Virtual Health and Wellness Project

In 2007, the School of Nursing Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine at Edith Cowan University introduced a web-based resource to align with the planned introduction of a hybrid Problem Based Learning (PBL) curriculum. Undergraduate nursing students undertaking the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) were given the opportunity to meet a variety of patients on the Virtual Health and Wellness website. This site enabled nursing students to explore case studies in various nursing areas such as paediatrics, critical care, medical/surgical and aged care. Students progress through a scenario which incorporates theory relating to anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychosocial issues, research, professional issues and relevant nursing skills. Each scenario is formulated around a set of learning outcomes which are evaluated by the student at the completion of the case study. During practical laboratory sessions students are able to contextualise their learning and seek informal peer feedback. The development of these case scenarios is context rich and built around the central aim of engaging students in self-directed learning. This discovery learning leads to higher comprehension and transferability of knowledge. Students will be able to practise the skills and theory in practical laboratory sessions, which adds a functional dimension to the online material, making the meanings derived from the combination of theory and practice more profound and ‘real world’. Gibbon (2005) states that “in PBL we take a collection of information, pertinent to the problem. We learn a little about each and synthesise it to solve the problem, like a jigsaw” (p. 6). This presentation will present the findings from an evaluative survey conducted among Undergraduate Student Nurses examining aspects of the Virtual Health and Wellness Centre (VHAWC) two years post first development. In particular the structure, content and technical aspects of the site evaluation will be discussed in terms of creating online environments conducive to meaningful and contextual learning

RD50 Status Report 2008 - Radiation hard semiconductor devices for very high luminosity colliders

The objective of the CERN RD50 Collaboration is the development of radiation hard semiconductor detectors for very high luminosity colliders, particularly to face the requirements of a possible upgrade scenario of the LHC.This document reports the status of research and main results obtained after the sixth year of activity of the collaboration