Reading comprehension and listening comprehension in children: An individual differences investigation

Little research has explored listening comprehension in children whereas reading comprehension has been extensively investigated. One of the reasons for this is that listening comprehension and reading comprehension are highly correlated and it is generally assumed that they draw on the same cognitive-linguistic processes. This assumption has been formalised in the “Simple View of Reading” (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) which states that, once printed text has been decoded, it is understood in exactly the same way as its spoken equivalent. The main aim of the work presented in this thesis was to investigate the assumption that the same skills and processes underpin reading comprehension and listening comprehension by conducting an investigation of the demands made by comprehension in each modality which are over and above those shared with comprehension in the other modality. This issue has not previously been addressed. Children were assessed on both standardised and true/false measures of listening comprehension and reading comprehension and on several variables previously found to predict reading comprehension. Although results varied slightly according to the measure of comprehension used, broad support was found for the Simple View of Reading as a conceptual framework for explaining reading comprehension. It appeared, however, that listening comprehension involved skills which were not shared with reading comprehension. Of particular interest was the finding that, compared to reading comprehension, listening comprehension appeared to make extra demands on children’s inferencing ability. In a further study it was ascertained that this was not simply due to the shared memory demands of the inferencing and listening comprehension tasks. The hypothesis that listening comprehension ability depends on the ability to generate inferences “on-line” whilst listening was tested in a final study but was not supported. In conclusion, the research presented here suggests that listening comprehension is a topic worthy of investigation in its own right and that, for purposes of both research and educational practice, children’s comprehension is best assessed in both modalities

Who wants to be able to do reference properly and be unemployed? STEM student writing and employer needs

The issue of graduate writing is one that has attracted much focus and debate in higher education, particularly around maintaining ‘academic standards’ at a time of expansion in this sector. The need to develop academic skills, including writing, for higher education study has increasingly been linked to the skills that graduates need to gain employment (Davies et al., 2006). This raises the question of whether the type and purpose of writing within university programmes is different to, and possibly in tension with, writing required for employment after university. This is a point raised by recent research (Day, 2011) which shows that students studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) subjects are more confident with oral rather than writing skills. The material discussed in this article is part of a two-year mixed method study looking at literacies, including writing, which undergraduate students develop at university, and the relationship of these literacies to employability. This article focuses on six first-year STEM students studying Forensic Science and Computing Science within the larger study. The qualitative data, gathered through repeat interviews, is discussed in relation to a small sample of employers and alumni working in science-based industries describing writing for transition into work and for on-going employment. The project therefore provides a useful Appleby et al. Who wants to be able to do references properly and be unemployed? student insight into writing, comparing this with employer expectations and the experience of alumni who have made the transition into work. What emerges from our study is the need to see writing at university as part of a wider communicative repertoire supported by a social and cultural approach to situated writing. This approach is more than simply skills based and is one that encourages and develops social as well as academic learning. We argue that such an approach, added to by technical skills support, enables greater engagement and success with learning in addition to enhancing employability

Women's engagement, views and experiences of postnatal follow-up after gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnancy

Background The evidence base relating to women's engagement and experiences of postnatal care following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the United Kingdom is limited. Additionally, the uptake of a postnatal fasting blood glucose testing following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus appears to be poor. Objective This study aimed to explore women's engagement, views and experiences of postnatal care following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the United Kingdom. Design and Participants An online survey of participants that had Gestational Diabetes Mellitus was undertaken to gather mixed-methods data regarding women's engagement, views and experiences of postnatal care. Demographic data were also collected. Findings A total of 31 participants completed the online survey; respondents were from two countries in the United Kingdom only (England and Wales). Some respondents indicated positive postnatal experiences following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (such as good family support) with effective communication by some healthcare teams and screening coinciding with engagement with the routine six week follow-up appointment. Overall, findings indicated a general dissatisfaction with the care provided, mostly due to the inconsistency of information and advice in relation to the type of screening test and the timing, location and organisation of blood glucose screening and follow up care. Conclusion This study provides an insight into ways that may improve women's engagement, views and experiences of postnatal care following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in England and Wales

National early warning scores in care homes: do policy imperatives reflect a genuine need?

Background the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a tool based on vital signs that aims to standardise detection of, and response to, clinical deterioration in adults. NEWS has been adopted in hospitals but not adapted for other settings. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of measuring the NEWS in care homes and describe the distribution of NEWS readings amongst care home residents. Methods descriptive analysis of all NEWS readings recorded in a 30-month period (2016–19) across 46 care homes in one Clinical Commissioning Group in England. Comparisons were made between measurements taken as a routine reading and those prompted by concern about acute illness. Results a total of 19,604 NEWS were recorded from 2,424 older adults (≥65 years; mean age 85). Median NEWS was 2. Two thirds (66%) of residents had a low NEWS (≤2), and 28% had a score of 0. Of the total NEWS readings, 6,277 (32%) were known to be routine readings and 2,256 (12%) were measured because of staff concerns. Median NEWS was 1 for routine and 2 for concern recordings. Overall, only 12% of NEWS were high (≥5), but a higher proportion were elevated when there were concerns about acute illness (18%), compared with routine recordings (7%). Conclusions use of NEWS in care homes appears to be feasible. The majority of NEWS were not elevated, and the distribution of scores is consistent with other out-of-hospital settings. Further work is required to know if NEWS is triggering the most appropriate response and improving care home resident outcomes. Keywords care homes, track and trigger systems, National Early Warning Score, older people Topic internship and residencyprecipitating factorsvital signselderlymedical residenciesnational early warning score (news

CARer-ADministration of as-needed subcutaneous medication for breakthrough symptoms in homebased dying patients (CARiAD):study protocol for a UK-based open randomised pilot trial

Legal framework. (DOCX 23 kb