A reappraisal of online mathematics teaching using LaTeX

The mathematics language LaTeX is often seen outside of academic circles as a legacy technology that is awkward to use. MathML - a verbose language designed for data-exchange, and to be written and understood by machines - is sometimes by contrast seen as something that will aid online mathematics and lack of browser support for it bemoaned. However LaTeX can already do many of the things that MathML might promise. LaTeX is here proposed as a language from which small fragments, with concise syntax, can be used by people to easily create and share mathematical expressions online. The capability to embed fragments of LaTeX code in online discussions is described here and its impact on a group of educators and learners evaluated. Here LaTeX is posited as a useful tool for facilitating asynchronous, online, collaborative learning of mathematics

ViCoCITY – A virtual company environment used in distance education to teach key professional skills

This paper will discuss the background and rationale for the introduction of ViCoCITY to the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSc in IT) degree offered through distance education by Oscail, Dublin City University (DCU)

Evaluation of a programme of transferable skills development within the PhD: views of late stage students

Recent years have seen an increasing emphasis placed upon the development of transferable skills within PhD degree programmes. This paper reports on steps taken to evaluate a programme of transferable skills development at a research intensive university in the UK, focussing on the views of late stage PhD students in the science, engineering and medical disciplines. It shows that most students report a positive impact from having taken part in transferable skills initiatives and that they have a positive attitude towards them. Participants report an enduring positive impact on their behaviour and consider that the training meets their perceived needs as they progress as researchers. However, amongst the population as a whole, there were differences in views. For example, it was found that females, overseas students and those mainly motivated to do the PhD by career-related reasons attach the greatest importance to such opportunities to develop transferable skills

How to foster collaboration in an eLearning environment - Lessons from Oscail.

This paper details how social interaction was integrated into a degree programme run by Oscail - the National Distance Education Centre (DCU). While a key objective was to introduce an element of mandatory group work into a module of the distance education programme, the course designers also held the opinion that (given the discursive nature of the content of the chosen module) student learning would benefit greatly from engaging in online discussions on the content of the module. A major challenge was the process of the integration of group work while (as far as possible) maintaining the time and place independence of distance education. After a substantial review of the 2004 presentation, the function of group work was changed radically in the 2005 academic year. In particular, the assessment of students’ online social interaction was radically changed. This paper will focus on the outcomes of the 2005 implementation and discuss the (less radical) changes that have been introduced for the 2006 presentation

Factors affecting patient participation in clinical trials in Ireland: A narrative review

AbstractObjectiveClinical trials have long been considered the ‘gold standard’ of research generated evidence in health care. Patient recruitment is an important determinant in the success of the trials, yet little focus is placed on the decision making process of patients towards recruitment. Our objective was to identify the key factors pertaining to patient participation in clinical trials, to better understand the identified low participation rate of patients in one clinical research facility within Ireland.DesignNarrative literature review of studies focussing on factors which may act to facilitate or deter patient participation in clinical trials. Studies were identified from Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library and CINAHL.ResultsSixty-one studies were included in the narrative review: Forty-eight of these papers focused specifically on the patient's perspective of participating in clinical trials. The remaining thirteen related to carers, family and health care professional perspectives of participation. The primary factor influencing participation in clinical trials amongst patients was related to personal factors and these were collectively associated with obtaining a form of personal gain through participation. Cancer was identified as the leading disease entity included in clinical trials followed by HIV and cardiovascular disease.ConclusionThe vast majority of literature relating to participation in clinical trials emanates predominantly from high income countries, with 63% originating from the USA. No studies for inclusion in this review were identified from low income or developing countries and therefore limits the generalizability of the influencing factors

Widening access to distance education using mobile technologies - A pilot project.

Distance learners are typically adults who struggle to find sufficient time for their studies amongst diverse domestic and work commitments. Any technology that allows them to make more effective use of available time would be welcome. Mobile devices – such as mobile phones, digital personal audio devices (mp3 players) and Personal Digital Assistants – hold the promise of extending the time available for study, by allowing learners to access programme materials during miscellaneous commuting time and waiting time. This project represents an initial attempt to explore these possibilities in Oscail. The project consists of two-phases. In the first phase, participants on selected online distance postgraduate programmes offered by Oscail were surveyed to assess their current usage of mobile devices and also to gauge interest in using mobile devices to support learning on these programmes. For the second phase sample educational resources were developed and deployed, which students were invited to access and evaluate

Creative Self-Expression for Hospitalized Patients: The Practice and Assessment of an Innovative Oral Storytelling Program at the University of Michigan Health System

This breakout session focuses on a two-year old integrative program across the fields of narrative art, healthcare, and psychology that enables patients to collaboratively develop and then record a story at the bedside. Examining these stories may enhance our collective understanding of the role creativity and human resiliency plays in sustaining and supporting personal identity in the face of illness, chronic illness, and disability. The panel discusses research findings, share audio stories recorded at the bedside, and offer a brief participative workshop, giving attendees an opportunity to experience our storytelling facilitation approach

Medication error at the primary secondary care interface: costs, causes, consequences

Background: Medication error is an important patient safety issue worldwide and results in morbidity, mortality and economic burden. The true cost of medication error is unclear from current evidence. Medication error is particularly common at the primary secondary care interface as patients move between hospital and the community. Developing interventions to reduce medication error (and in particular error at this interface in care) is currently an international priority. Existing interventions, such as medication reconciliation, are often resource intensive. Within healthcare systems, where resources are limited, measures to reduce costs and improve process efficiency are required in addition to optimising patient care. Aim: The overarching aim of this thesis is to examine medication error at the primary secondary care interface in terms of cost, causes and consequences in order to develop a pragmatic intervention to facilitate its reduction. Structure and methods: The Medical Research Council, UK (MRC) guidance on the development and evaluation of complex interventions in healthcare was employed. Existing evidence on the cost of medication error was systematically reviewed and synthesised in a narrative synthesis. A cost per error was extracted and expressed in Euro. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The study examined an existing process of medication reconciliation in terms of factors predicting time burden and associated financial cost. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations between patient characteristics and clinically significant errors and additional time. Cost for additional time was calculated in terms of hospital pharmacist salary. The new evidence generated was used, along with the existing evidence base, to develop a novel intervention aiming to reduce the occurrence of medication error at the primary secondary care interface. The intervention, the PHARMS (Patient Held Active Record of Medication Status) device, is a patient held electronic record used to transmit medication information between primary and secondary care. The intervention was evaluated by a mixed methods feasibility study (non-randomised controlled intervention and a process evaluation of qualitative interviews and non-participant observation). The study was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The occurrence of medication error was compared between groups and factors associated with medication error investigated using negative binomial regression. Thematic analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders was conducted. Results: Systematic review: 16 studies were included in the systematic review. The review identified that medication error is associated with significant economic impact with an associated cost of up to €111,727.08 per error. In view of the limited parameters used to establish economic impact, it was concluded that the true economic burden of medication error may have been underestimated to date. Cross-sectional study: 89 patients were included. Having a personal record of medication at admission (OR 3.30, 95% CI: (1.05 to 10.42), p=0.004) was a significant predictor of additional time. No significant associations were found between the occurrence of clinically significant error and additional time (p>0.05). The most common reason for additional time was clarifying issues pertaining to communication of medication information from primary care. Projected annual five year costs for the mean additional time of 3.75 minutes of the study were €1.8-1.9 million. Feasibility study: 102 patients were included (Intervention n=41, Control n=63). Total error number was lower in the intervention group Median=1 (0,3 IQR) than the control group Median=8 (4,13.5 IQR) p< 0.001, with the clinical significance score in the intervention group Median= 2 (IQR 0,4) also being lower than the control group Median=11 (IQR 5,20) p< 0.001. The device was found to be technically implementable using existing IT infrastructure and acceptable to all key stakeholders. Conclusion: Medication error is a costly problem, the true extent of which may have been underestimated. Issues pertaining to communication of medication information at the primary secondary care interface were identified as contributing to the economic burden associated with medication reconciliation. In addition, it was identified that increasing time for medication reconciliation may not necessarily result cost savings in terms of reducing medication error. The intervention developed as a result of this thesis may have the potential to facilitate more efficient medication reconciliation and reduce medication error at the interface of primary and secondary care. This may result in both clinical and economic benefit. Limitations: The overall numbers of patients included in the cross-sectional and feasibility studies in this thesis are small. In addition, these studies included only older adult patients in a single geographical location and involved a single hospital