Antimicrobial stewardship - what is possible

Antimicrobial drugs are the basis of modern medicine, saving lives and allowing surgery and chemotherapy to be possible.  Inappropriate use of antimicrobials has led to resistance, meaning we can no longer rely on them being effective. This is further complicated by a lack of new drugs coming to market. Antimicrobial resistance is a well-documented global problem and threatens low and middle-income countries (LMIC) disproportionately. A “One Health” approach is needed, tackling antimicrobial use inhuman, veterinary, agriculture and environmental sectors. Many health professionals are aware of antimicrobial resistance but struggle to know how to change their practice safely. Here, the author reports on her experience as an antimicrobial pharmacist at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) in Wales and observing practices in Eswatini. BCUHB used various strategies and tools to support prescribers to change prescribing practice. Some of these tools were specifically aimed at primary care prescribers. Similar tools could be developed to support prescribers in LMIC. Antimicrobial resistance cannot be ignored and action is needed now. Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), antibiotics, low and middle-income countries (LMIC),  primary car

Reflection: A renewed and practical focus for an existing problem in teacher education

Reflection has been a component of teacher education programs for many years. The introduction of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Standard (NQS) into Western Australian schools appear to have brought a renewed focus to this. For universities involved in teacher education, reflection remains a complex construct that requires scaffolding and nurturing. The question remains, however, how to effectively do this

Follow the leader: Child-led inquiries to develop science learning of young children

Science education in the early years has been found to be lacking when compared to other content areas, specifically numeracy and literacy. It has been suggested that this lack of opportunity for young children to learn science is due to educator’s lack of confidence to teach science, fuelled by concerns regarding a reduced understanding of science concepts.  For young children, however, science is everywhere and is embedded in all aspects of their lives as they explore and interact to make sense of the world around them. Given this natural connection to science, it is important for educators to notice and respond to children’s interest to encourage science learning to occur. This paper reports on an exploratory research study in which children took the leading role in inquiry-based interactions during off-site school days that took place within a metropolitan city zoo. Through the collection of observations and interactions with the research, several inquiries were documented. The children challenged the educators within the program to follow up on questions posed by them and engage the children across a broad age range in an inquiry to answer these questions

Developing reflection through an ePortfolio-based learning environment: design principles for further implementation

This article discusses the implementation of an ePortfolio-based learning environment with Bachelor of Education students. The intention was for the platform to be an agency for the development of reflection. The environment scaffolded reflection through (1) exemplars of good practice, (2) the opportunity for discussions and (3) activities to support the development of reflection. There were issues within the research around the introduction of the platform at the particular stage of the students’ degrees but the environment was successful in the provision of a teaching and learning platform. The findings provided design principles for a model to guide the development of similar learning environments including (1) the need for the ePortfolio platform to be embedded across the degree programme with (2) regular tasks for the students to complete that (3) have a clear purpose that the students are aware of and (4) utilise interaction patterns that mimic the structures of social media

Follow the leader: Child-led inquiries to develop science learning of young children

Science education in the early years has been found to be lacking when compared to other content areas, specifically numeracy and literacy. It has been suggested that this lack of opportunity for young children to learn science is due to educator’s lack of confidence to teach science, fuelled by concerns regarding a reduced understanding of science concepts. For young children, however, science is everywhere and is embedded in all aspects of their lives as they explore and interact to make sense of the world around them. Given this natural connection to science, it is important for educators to notice and respond to children’s interest to encourage science learning to occur. This paper reports on an exploratory research study in which children took the leading role in inquiry-based interactions during off-site school days that took place within a metropolitan city zoo. Through the collection of observations and interactions with the research, several inquiries were documented. The children challenged the educators within the program to follow up on questions posed by them and engage the children across a broad age range in an inquiry to answer these questions

Current Realities for Public Schools

Administrators in today\u27s schools work in a constant state of flux; change is the norm. Congress\u27 recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act, through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provides a signal example. Just as many were beginning to fully understand and adjust to the implications of the now defunct No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, there\u27s a new set of rules to play by

The Changing Landscape of Leadership

Leading a campus is not what it used to be (nor is teaching a class, being a student, or raising a child for that matter). The increasing pace of societal and technological change provides an ever-evolving backdrop against which educational leaders view and conduct their work. Overlay a culture of accountability enacted amid budget cuts, surging enrollments, and shifting demographics, and the roles of school leaders become clouded with uncertainty, imbued with responsibility, and demanding increased personal commitment and professional and technical knowledge. One principal preparation student recently commented that her teaching colleagues routinely asked her, Why in the world do you want to do that? Upon reflection, it\u27s a valid question we should all answer

An ePortfolio environment to enhance reflection in pre-service teachers: What worked, what didn\u27t and why?

This research paper details some results of a doctoral study that was designed to enhance reflection in pre-service teachers by scaffolding an action research project within the eportfolio-based learning environment. It reports on a unit level implementation of the PebblePad eportfolio platform in a Western Australian university, and focuses specifically on the levels of student engagement when guided by prompts placed within PebblePad as part of a scaffolded learning environment. The paper also examines the barriers to engagement that were identified through the data collection. The key findings indicate that the students were most engaged with the prompts that had a direct link to assessment tasks, followed by the activity tasks that specifically focused on reflective writing. The primary barriers to engagement were identified as the students’ unfamiliarity with the platform and the timing of the introduction of the eportfolio. The research identified some recommendations for future implementation of such environments, specifically including a more integrated approach to the use of an eportfolio from the beginning of students’ degrees

The best education money can buy? Disabled university students and the Equality Act

In amidst the financial cuts in the public sector and changing academic environment, this article considers key aspects of the legal and regulatory framework within which a university is obliged to make ‘reasonable adjustment’ for a disabled student. In particular, we examine the scope of the 2010 Equality Act for promoting inclusive higher education, focusing on the duty to make reasonable adjustments and the public sector equality duty. At the same time, it is pertinent to consider the relationship between the equality framework and alternative mechanisms whereby students can challenge the reasonableness of university procedure and decision-making, in particular the role of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education. Finally, the paper considers the potential for consumer protection legislation to provide an additional focus on achieving an inclusive educational environment for disabled university students

Introducing an ePortfolio into Practicum-Based Units: Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions of Effective Support

ePortfolios are gaining momentum as a preferred way for graduates to demonstrate current and developing capabilities against industry standards. Effective training is essential for new graduates to produce quality and competitive ePortfolios. This research focused on the perspective of pre-service teachers on the effectiveness of learning opportunities provided to increase confidence and skills in developing an ePortfolio in an Australian four-year undergraduate degree. The initial phase of this research employed a survey to examine the perspective of 132 second-year and 105 third-year pre-service teachers. Results indicated that for the second-year cohort there was a minimal increase in the levels of confidence across all areas. In contrast, the third-year pre-service teachers showed some increase in confidence in developing an ePortfolio and understanding its purpose. While the findings from this study emphasised the pre-service teachers’ need for ongoing hands-on support, it also highlighted their reluctance to seek support at an independent level