Comparing early years and childhood experiences and outcomes in Scotland, England and three city-regions: a plausible explanation for Scottish ‘excess’ mortality?

Background Negative early years and childhood experiences (EYCE), including socio-economic circumstances, parental health and parenting style, are associated with poor health outcomes both in childhood and adulthood. It has also been proposed that EYCE were historically worse in Scottish areas, especially Glasgow and the Clyde Valley, compared to elsewhere in the UK and that this variation can provide a partial explanation for the excess of ill health and mortality observed among those Scottish populations. Methods Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to two large, representative, British birth cohorts (the NCDS58 and the BCS70), to test the independent association of area of residence at ages 7 and 5 with risk of behavioural problems, respiratory problems and reading/vocabulary problems at the same age. Cohort members resident in Scotland were compared with those who were resident in England, while those resident in Glasgow and the Clyde Valley were compared with those resident in Merseyside and Greater Manchester. Results After adjustment for a range of relevant variables, the risk of adverse childhood outcomes was found to be either no different, or lower, in the Scottish areas. At a national level, the study reinforces the combined association of socio-economic circumstances, parental health (especially maternal mental health) and parenting with child health outcomes. Conclusion Based on these samples, the study does not support the hypothesis that EYCE were worse in Scotland and Glasgow and the Clyde Valley. It seems, therefore (based on these data), less likely that the roots of the excess mortality observed in the Scottish areas can be explained by these factors.</p

Neonatal Resuscitation and Quality Improvement initiatives at Hopital St Nicolas de Saint Marc, Haiti

According to statistics drawn from the World Health Organization, Haiti has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the Americas, at 52.2 per 1,000 live births as compared to 12.5 per 1,000 live births in the Americas overall (World Health Organization, 2016). One of the key factors in improving these numbers is to improve the availability and quality of care. Providing advanced education to Haitian nursing staff regarding the care of neonates is vital to improving the outcomes of this patient population. Additionally, providing a strong foundation in quality improvement methodology gives the nurses the tools they need to develop and implement their own quality improvement initiatives. In a collaborative education project with Partners in Health, a quality improvement formation was introduced at Hôpital St Nicolas de Saint Marc, in Saint Marc, Haiti. Additionally, the team taught two formations of neonatal resuscitation, with 18 and 19 nurses respectively, to help provide the nurses with the tools they need to utilize evidence based best practice at deliveries. Follow up in October included the introduction of an additional group of practitioners to QI methodology, and the groups are now being mentored through the development and implementation of independent projects

The Language Exchange Programme: plugging the gap in formal learning

In the context of distance language learning, speaking is frequently perceived as the most challenging skill; this paper reports on a 12-week summer language exchange programme providing students with new ways of practising their oral abilities. Students who completed an undergraduate beginners’ language module took part in regular online, synchronous language exchange sessions with a partner.This paper analyses the impact of taking part in a language exchange task on the students’ motivation. The mixed methods research included an activity perception questionnaire (based on Deci, Eghrari, Patrick and Leone, 1994) to investigate the motivation of participants whilst undertaking a specific language exchange session, as well as qualitative data from both the questionnaire and the project discussion forum.The language exchange programme provides the opportunity for learners to take ownership of their learning and personalize it, and functions as a bridge between formal and informal learning. However, despite the enjoyment and interest provided by this type of experience, it is not without stress, and requires self-determination and autonomy to result in a positive and sustainable learning experience

In the dark – designing navigation for a haptic theatre experience

We describe the ongoing work of a collaborative theatre project, in which blind and sighted members of an interdisciplinary team are working on the creation of an immersive and accessible theatre experience. The theatre experience is set in pitch dark, and uses audio and haptic ubiquitous technologies to guide both blind and sighted members of the audience. During two sessions which explored the use of enactive navigation in the dark space, participants were able to locate areas of interest within the dark, using enactive explorative navigation, and some participants described this as a ‘dense’ experience

Virtual exchange in teacher education : is there an impact in teacher practice?

This text presents the results of surveys and interviews of Former Students (FSs) who have taken part in a teacher education course that began in 2004 (still on-going) and that includes Virtual Exchange (VE). The study aimed to look at the impact of two teacher education courses, imparted collaboratively between geographically-distanced universities for over a decade. The course design aims to introduce VE, both theoretically and empirically, as an approach to foreign language teaching in primary and secondary schools. The data are drawn from an online survey as well as in-depth interviews with FSs enrolled in the course between 2004 and 2015. The findings indicate that a significantly high percentage of the FSs who had been exposed to VE had been involved in or intended to implement VE in their own teaching and that the course had provided them with the knowledge and confidence to do so

Student Expectations of Medical School and the Ripple Effect

The aim of this paper is to provide some important insights into freshmen student expectations of study at a medical university and suggest some possible approaches to facilitate the overall improvement of the students' study skills to enabling them to become more effective learners in their future medical careers

医科大学におけるPBLの発展

This paper examines how PBL has developed over the past forty-four years since its introduction into the curriculum of McMaster University’s School of Medicine, Canada, and how it has subsequently evolved as it has been incorporated into the curriculum of various medical universities worldwide