Interactive online learning support: Progress on research to date

This paper reports on progress to date in relation to along term research project underway at Curtin University ofTechnology. The project aims to devise tools that interactivelysupport the cognitive learning processes of today?s knowledgeworkers as exemplified by researchers, managers and students.The empowering tools alluded to here are not simply intended tomanage, calculate, search, order and arrange search results as isoften the case with current search systems. Instead, the project isconcerned with applying semantic analysis techniques,specifically the Normalised Word Vector (NWV) technologydeveloped at Curtin to the construction of a range of ?intelligent?online cognitive support tools. The goal is to devise a system thatenhances learners? cognitive functioning by augmenting thehuman intellect to achieve greater capacity to conceptualise andultimately, construct new knowledge

A brief critique on the future of learning (Assessing the potential for research)

Recent advances in computer and communications technologies are opening up new opportunities for learning design requiring a thorough (perhaps revolutionary) reappraisal of the goals and purpose of education. The potential of the Internet and the technologies it inspires makes it feasible to not only access and manage information in productive and efficient ways, but also to deliver dynamically interactive, personalised solutions tailored to the needs and preferences of all learners. Therefore, it is important to extend our understanding of how computer technologies can enhance student learning whilst providing some insight into the future of learning.If we accept for the moment that graduates are not adequately equipped to cope with current skill requirements, and combine this view with the complexity of devising suitable electronic delivery methods, there is cause for concern as to the capacity of current learning design models to cater for the diverse skill demands of a technologically driven world. Such concern for the future is not new, but certain emerging factors suggest there is merit in constructing advanced learning models that take advantage of the growing sophistication of computer technologies. The challenge will be to harness technological innovations in ways that will assist to deliver high quality learning outcomes relevant to the changing needs of learners

Contextualisation of learning objects to derive meaning

One's thinking becomes different when exposed to new and unfamiliar worlds. Certain common ideas become inexpressible, whereas other previously unimagined ones spring into life, finding miraculous new articulation. In some instances, that which cannot be adequately articulated in one context may in another, become fully comprehensible. It is at the juncture of prior and new understandings that the potential for creativity arises (Quinton, 2005)

Unlocking the knowledge generation and elearning potential of contemporary universities

The purpose of this paper is to argue that what universities need at present is an informed direction and vision about the current impact of information and communications technologies on learning in relation to the design and management of information, electronic teaching content, how knowledge is constructed online, how such a vision ties in with both face to face and online learning, and how these factors as a whole ultimately contribute to the long term viability of universities as educational providers.It is increasingly clear that online learning is growing in strategic importance for higher education institutions world-wide. It is also clear that resolving related issues and meeting emergent needs such as individualised online content delivery and facilitating creative online knowledge construction extend well beyond just supplying technology and related infrastructure. However, a full examination of all known issues is not intended or possible within the confines of one paper. More specifically, the aim of this paper is to draw attention to the core factors that have already shaped the future direction of higher education throughout the world. As a way of highlighting the extent of change that must be addressed in the short term, the many issues and concerns raised by an Australian national group of academics and government representatives known as the eLearning Roundtable will be outlined as an invitation for further discussions and comment. Finally, a summation of all the factors raised in this paper will serve to build a valid foundation on which to advance future research directions and strategies for ensuring the higher education sector will remain relevant to the shifting demands of the twenty-first century

The learning preferences of current generational groups

Today's computer literate students think in ways that are incompatible with current educational goals and practices. If one of the aims of learning is to provide lifelong benefits for all, then a substantial rethink on the learning needs of students and the goals of education has become paramount. This emergent imperative presents an unfamiliar challenge for educational institutions to examine their past assumptions and to facilitate success in meeting the needs of current and future generations of learners. The type of change proposed in this paper requires a comprehensive rethink not only to devise innovative alternatives to accepted methods and practices, but also to develop theories and pedagogies more attuned to the preferences, values, and attitudes of the technology and information proficient generations. The eventual outcome will be a dramatic transformation in the essential nature and purpose of the online learning environment. It is not just bridging the transition from 'traditional' to 'digitised' learning that is fraught with difficulties. Any attempt to accommodate the skills and learning needs of the current generation computer "literate" will compel education designers to think entirely "outside the box" and consider solutions previously thought impossible. Success in meeting the needs of learners will require radically new teaching methods and strategies. Such strategies may include for example: content interactive features that offer "intelligent" meaningful responses; the ability to annotate and record ideas as required; user generated (manually) and automatically (dynamically generated hyperlinks to alternative materials relative to the current context; and automated display of customised content such as interactive assessments and constructive feedback tailored to students' immediate learning needs. For these innovations to be truly effective, libraries must also be viewed as an essential component of a complex network of information resources. Thus, it is argued that the nature of the learning environment must change dramatically, in particular in relation to the choice of flexible delivery techniques that are supported by distributed computing networks, advanced educational software, and universal access to quality learning resources regardless of location and time

Online Learning Communities for Creative Practice

This research project proposes to model the activities and roles of a visiting Research Fellow and an Artist-in-Residence (AIR) with the intent of applying the key educational features and strategies to the online environment. Where feasible, the aim is replicate the role of a Research Fellow online by enlisting the services of well-known artists to contribute their expertise and creative input to the teaching activities of a University School of Art. The primary purpose is to support and enhance the delivery of quality learning outcomes for the Curtin BA (Art) Online degree. The project presents an opportunity to establish wider contact with audiences that have an interest in interacting with an online AIR site to access or contribute research materials and participate in creative activities.In the online environment students are empowered to learn both autonomously as well as actively explore opportunities to teach one another. This emphasis on independent learning is particularly prevalent when asynchronous discussion groups (bulletin boards) are used as an integral part of the learning experience. Students are given the incentive to explain, share, comment, critique, and develop course materials among themselves in ways rarely seen in a traditional classroom setting. The use of electronic alternatives to face-to-face dialogue often results in high quality discussions as students often refer to course materials and reflect on their answers before responding to the lecturer's questions or to classmates' comments. As a result, students have the opportunity to post well-considered comments without experiencing the immediate demands of in-class discussions.The potential of online learning communities will be examined in terms of fostering independent self-directed learning and to encourage online mentoring. Existing examples of practice in online learning will be considered with a view to devising a suitable model for application to online learning communities engaged in creative practices.Of equal importance, the project represents an example of how Curtin is able to form unique collaborations between divergent areas of interest. In this instance, the partnership combines the expertise of the Faculty of Built Environment (BEAD), the School of Art and Design, and the Learning Support Network (LSN)

The Bead Research Fellow Online - A Pilot Projet

This project proposes to model the activities and roles of a visiting Research Fellow and an Artist-in-Residence (AIR) with the intention of applying the key educational features and strategies to the online environment. Where feasible, the aim is to replicate the role of a Research Fellow online by enlisting the services of well-known artists to contribute their expertise and creative input to the teaching activities of a University School of Art. The primary purpose is to support and enhance the delivery of quality learning outcomes for the Curtin BA (Art) Online degree. The project also presents an opportunity to establish wider contact with audiences that have an interest in interacting with an online AIR site to access or contribute research materials and participate in the available creative activities. Of equal importance, the project represents an example of how Curtin is able to form unique collaborations between divergent areas of interest. In this instance, the partnership combines the expertise of the Faculty of Built Environment (BEAD), the School of Art and Design, and the Learning Support Network (LSN). The project will support the enhancement of several established Teaching and Learning programmes, namely: • the on-campus Teaching and Learning programmes at the Curtin campus at Bentley in Western Australia • the online Bachelor of Arts (Art) degree delivered through Open Learning Australia (OLA) • the Biennale of Electronic Arts (BEAP) 2004 conference programme

Testing the early Late Ordovician cool-water hypothesis with oxygen isotopes from conodont apatite

© 2017 Cambridge University Press. Latest Sandbian to early Katian sequences across Laurentia\u27s epicontinental sea exhibit a transition from lithologies characterized as \u27warm-water\u27 carbonates to those characterized as \u27cool-water\u27carbonates. This shift occurs across the regionally recognized M4/M5 sequence stratigraphic boundary and has been attributed to climatic cooling and glaciation, basin reorganization and upwelling of open ocean water, and/or increased water turbidity and terrigenous input associated with the Taconic tectophase. Documentation of oxygen isotopic trends across the M4/M5 and through bracketing strata provides a potential means of distinguishing among these alternative scenarios; however, oxygen isotopic records generated to date have failed to settle the debate. This lack of resolution is because δ18O records are open to multiple interpretations and potentially confounding factors related to local environmental conditions have not been tested by examining the critical interval in multiple areas and different depositional settings. To begin to address this shortcoming, we present new species-specific and mixed assemblage conodont δ18O values in samples spanning the M4/M5 boundary from the Upper Mississippi Valley, Alabama, and Virginia. The new results are combined with previous studies, providing a record of δ18O variability across SE Laurentia. The combined dataset allows us to test for regional trends at a resolution not previously available. Our results document a ~1.5‰ decrease in values across Laurentia instead of increasing δ18O values across the M4/M5 as predicted in various \u27cool-water\u27 scenarios. In short, these results do not support a shift to \u27cool-water\u27 conditions as an explanation for changes in early Katian carbonates across the M4/M5

Adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in men during testosterone treatment : an individual patient and aggregate data meta-analysis

Funding National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme. Acknowledgments This work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme (project no 17/68/01). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR HTA Programme, or the Department of Health and Social Care, UK. The funders were not actively involved in the research process at any stage. The study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing of the manuscript; and decision to submit for publication were performed independent of the funders. The Health Services Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. The Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine at Imperial College London is funded by grants from the Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, NIHR, an Integrative Mammalian Biology Capacity Building Award, an FP7-HEALTH-2009-241592 EuroCHIP grant, and is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Funding Scheme. The following authors are also funded as follows: NIHR Research Professorship (WSD), NIHR post-doctoral fellowship (CNJ). SBhasin receives National Institutes of Health research grant funding. The authors are grateful to Prakash Abraham, Alison Avenell, Craig Ramsay, Graham Scotland, Neil Scott, and Finlay MacKenzie for their advice; and to the many individuals from academia and industry who helped in the conduct of this study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Symptomatic benefits of testosterone treatment in patient subgroups : a systematic review, individual participant data meta-analysis, and aggregate data meta-analysis

Acknowledgments This work was supported by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)'s Health Technology Assessment Programme (project number 17/68/01). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme, or the UK Department of Health and Social Care. The Health Services Research Unit at the University of Aberdeen is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. The Section of Endocrinology and Investigative Medicine at Imperial College London is funded by grants from the Medical Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, NIHR, an Integrative Mammalian Biology Capacity Building Award, and an FP7-HEALTH-2009-241592 EuroCHIP grant, and is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Funding Scheme. WSD is funded by an NIHR Research Professorship. CNJ is funded by an NIHR Post-Doctoral Fellowship. ShB receives NIH research grant funding. The authors are grateful to the clinical and methodological experts and patient partners who contributed to the advisory group for this study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD