Active learning of statistics: A case study

Research at the Open University has investigated students’ learning of statistical concepts and how information technology can be effectively used to support this process. Previous empirical work has looked at psychology students’ misconceptions relating to correlation and how computer‐based learning environments can be used to address these. This paper reports on the findings from a qualitative study that investigated students’ learning collaboratively from a multimedia application called ActivStats

Foie Gras Ban in California

Section 25982 of the California Health and Safety Code was unsuccessfully challenged by one restaurant that served foie gras to customers for many years prior to the ban imposed by the statute. If the courts do not invalidate the statute, foie gras will be permanently banned in the state. The statute is unconstitutional, and if challenged correctly, the courts should so find. However, although foie gras production is very controversial, there are alternative methods that allow all interested parties have what they want: foie gras and happy birds

Return Innocent U.S. Citizen Trapped in Egypt\u27s Legal Black Hole

Mr. Soltan is an innocent young adult, a college graduate of the Ohio State University, and a fellow United States citizen. His human rights have been violated to an outrageous level, and he is being denied due process in all sense of the phrase. It is time the United States government turns its attention to Mr. Soltan’s situation. It is time to demand that the Egyptian government present substantial evidence of Mr. Soltan’s guilt and of the crimes he has allegedly committed; it is time to demand that they provide him with basic due process and human rights afforded to every person under binding international laws; or it is time to demand his immediately release

The design and evaluation of Link: a CAL system designed to address psychology students' misconceptions about correlation

This thesis describes the design, development and evaluation of Link, a computerassisted learning program for correlation, which is targeted at psychology students in higher education. Computer technology is being increasingly used on statistics courses, suggesting that computer-assisted learning programs on statistical concepts will be increasingly used by students in higher education. To inform the design of Link, an empirical study was conducted to investigate students’ difficulties with correlation. It was found that psychology students held misconceptions relating to negative correlations, the strength of correlations and that they infer causality. The design of Link was also informed by research-based principles of learning, research and developments in computer-assisted learning and a review of computer-assisted learning programs that cover correlation. A formative evaluation study involving eighteen psychology students found that having used the program, students’ general understanding of correlation was significantly improved. Unlike previously existing computer-assisted learning programs that were reviewed, Link makes use of data from two authentic studies in psychology. In addition. Link provides learner activities specifically designed to address students’ misconceptions about correlation. A summative evaluation study of Link involving fifty psychology students was undertaken to assess the effect on students’ understanding of correlation. The findings of this evaluation provided further qualitative data on students’ misconceptions. Moreover, it was found that the use of Link significantly contributed to students’ general understanding of correlation

Foie Gras Ban in California

Section 25982 of the California Health and Safety Code was unsuccessfully challenged by one restaurant that served foie gras to customers for many years prior to the ban imposed by the statute. If the courts do not invalidate the statute, foie gras will be permanently banned in the state. The statute is unconstitutional, and if challenged correctly, the courts should so find. However, although foie gras production is very controversial, there are alternative methods that allow all interested parties have what they want: foie gras and happy birds

Evaluating complex digital resources

Squires (1999) discussed the gap between HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and the educational computing communities in their very different approaches to evaluating educational software. This paper revisits that issue in the context of evaluating digital resources, focusing on two approaches to evaluation: an HCI and an educational perspective. Squires and Preece's HCI evaluation model is a predictive model ‐ it helps teachers decide whether or not to use educational software ‐ whilst our own concern is in evaluating the use of learning technologies. It is suggested that in part the different approaches of the two communities relate to the different focus that each takes: in HCI the focus is typically on development and hence usability, whilst in education the concern is with the learner and teacher use

Learning to care: medical students' reported value and evaluation of palliative care teaching involving meeting patients and reflective writing.

BACKGROUND: Over recent years there has been an increase in teaching of both palliative care and reflective practice in UK medical schools. The palliative care teaching at the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine is multi-faceted and involves students writing reflective essays after individually meeting patients approaching the end of life during their final year general practice and hospital medicine placements. This paper draws on two studies examining this teaching element to analyse what the students found valuable about it and to comment on the practice of meeting patients and subsequent reflective writing. METHODS: Two studies have explored students' perceptions of these course components. The first was a thematic analysis of 234 reflective essays from 123 students written in 2007-2008, including examining what students wrote about the exercise itself. The second project involved a semi-structured questionnaire that students completed anonymously; this paper reports on the free text elements of that study [sample size =107]. Since similar themes were found in both studies, the coding structures from each project were compared and combined, enabling triangulation of the findings around what the students found valuable from the palliative care teaching involving meeting patients and reflective writing. RESULTS: Overall, students reported that these components of the palliative care teaching are valuable. Four main themes were identified as aspects that students valued: (1) dedicated time with patients, (2) learning about wider elements of treatment and holistic care, (3) practicing communication skills, and (4) learning about themselves through reflective writing. Some students expressed a dislike for having to formally write a reflective essay. CONCLUSION: It is possible to arrange for all of the medical students to individually meet at least two patients receiving palliative or end of life care. Students found these encounters valuable and many wrote about the benefit of formally writing about these experiences. Students reported finding this model useful in widening their skill-set and understanding of palliative care

Star Formation in Cluster Galaxies at 0.2<z<0.55

The rest frame equivalent width of the [OII]3727 emission line, W(OII), has been measured for cluster and field galaxies in the CNOC redshift survey of rich clusters at 0.2<z<0.55. Emission lines of any strength in cluster galaxies at all distances from the cluster centre, out to 2R_{200}, are less common than in field galaxies. The mean W(OII) in cluster galaxies more luminous than M_r^k<-18.5 + 5\log h (q_o=0.1) is 3.8 \pm 0.3 A (where the uncertainty is the 1 sigma error in the mean), significantly less than the field galaxy mean of 11.2 \pm 0.3 A. For the innermost cluster members (R<0.3R_{200}), the mean W(OII) is only 0.3 \pm 0.4 A. Thus, it appears that neither the infall process nor internal tides in the cluster induce detectable excess star formation in cluster galaxies relative to the field. The colour-radius relation of the sample is unable to fully account for the lack of cluster galaxies with W(OII)>10 A, as expected in a model of cluster formation in which star formation is truncated upon infall. Evidence of supressed star formation relative to the field is present in the whole cluster sample, out to 2 R_{200}, so the mechanism responsible for the differential evolution must be acting at a large distance from the cluster centre, and not just in the core. The mean star formation rate in the cluster galaxies with the strongest emission corresponds to an increase in the total stellar mass of less than about 4% if the star formation is due to a secondary burst lasting 0.1 Gyr.Comment: aasms4 latex, 3 postscript figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters. Also available at http://astrowww.phys.uvic.ca/~balogh

Adherence to guidelines and the Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate Prescriptions criteria for colchicine dosing for gout treatment in beneficiaries of the Nova Scotia Seniors' Pharmacare Program Clinical Therapeutics

Purpose: Colchicine is commonly used in the management of gout; however, older persons have higher risks of toxicity. Accordingly, the Screening Tool of Older Person’s potentially inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria for colchicine consider 43 months of treatment as potentially inappropriate in older persons. Recent evidence also suggests lower dosing of colchicine is as effective and results in fewer toxicities than high-dose colchicine. The objectives of this study were to determine the dose, duration, and prescribers of colchicine and to evaluate adherence to the STOPP criteria and international guidelines for colchicine in older persons. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2011 to evaluate colchicine use. Nova Scotia Seniors’ Pharmacare Program beneficiaries who met inclusion criteria for an incident case of gout and who filled at least 1prescription for colchicine during the study period were included. Colchicine dose and duration were reported descriptively. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of the study population in making a claim for colchicine 490 and 4180 days. Findings: A total of 518 persons were dispensed 1327 courses of colchicine during the study period. The mean daily dose of colchicine ranged from 1.39 to 1.50 mg. Colchicine doses 41.2 mg were prescribed in approximately one-third of the study population. Colchicine was prescribed for 490 days in 14.2% of treatment courses and for 4180 days in 8.1% of treatment courses. Female sex was the only predictor of treatment duration 490 days. Implications: This study is the first to report on colchicine dose and duration using STOPP criteria in a specific cohort of older persons with incident gout. Strategies to improve colchicine prescribing in older persons are needed