21 century learning skills revisited - a conceptual paper on leaving 'gaps' and going deep

This paper revisits the 21st-century learning skills (21CLS) and discusses the need to leave 'gaps' in the curriculum while pursuing chosen topics more in-depth. The paper suggests ways to choose both 'gaps' and in-depth topics; furthermore, the paper investigates relevant technologies for bridging the gaps and for going deep. The paper discusses the connection between 'Das Exemplarische Prinzip' (exemplary teaching) and what may be interpreted to be the initial thoughts behind the formulation of the 21CLS presented in the document 'A Nation at Risk'. The two concepts are separated by three decades (1951 'Tübinger resolution -1981 'A Nation at Risk'). However, they share the same conviction that not every bit of knowledge available can be taught/learned and, furthermore, that some knowledge is more important than other. We wish to revisit this notion because we believe that the advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the automation of increasingly complex processes in our everyday lives will influence education. This indicates that we may need to adjust the topic- and activity-selection principles that teachers and curriculum developers deploy to select what to teach and what to outsource to networked learning and digital learning materials. The discourse of the 21CLS seems to have materialised into a specific practice in Denmark, a practice that embraces programming exercises (Dot/Dash, LEGO Mindstorms, Scratch, Python etc.), tinkering with electronics, playing computer games, 3D printing and Laser cutting in workshops called 'Maker spaces'. The 21CLS, in a Danish context, are distilled into; Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication (the 4Cs). In our research and in the development projects in schools we have taken part in, we have the positive experience that the way the 21CLS are practiced in a Danish context gave some pupils a sense of pride in their products and that some pupils acted more as designers of solutions for real problems than as pupils doing school work. On a more negative note, the 21CLS activities may come across as isolated events with little connection to curriculum or exams. Finally, we raise the discussion of how Teacher Education can develop a practice that incorporates the convictions of the 21CLS in other ways. We suggest a focus on technology that supports dialogue and reflection and bridges both knowledge 'gaps' and time and space 'gaps'. Furthermore, we suggest learning designs that revisit 21CLS as a framework for learning to learn

Strong zero-field F\"orster resonances in K-Rb Rydberg systems

We study resonant dipole-dipole coupling and the associated van der Waals energy shifts in Rydberg excited atomic rubidium and potassium and investigate F\"orster resonances between interspecies pair states. A comprehensive survey over experimentally accessible pair state combinations reveals multiple candidates with small F\"orster defects. We crucially identify the existence of an ultrastrong, "low" electric field K-Rb F\"orster resonance with a extremely large zero-field crossover distance exceeding 100 $\mu$m between the van der Waals regime and the resonant regime. This resonance allows for a strong interaction over a wide range of distances and by investigating its dependence on the strength and orientation of external fields we show this to be largely isotropic. As a result, the resonance offers a highly favorable setting for studying long-range resonant excitation transfer and entanglement generation between atomic ensembles in a flexible geometry. The two-species K-Rb system establishes a unique way of realizing a Rydberg single-photon optical transistor with a high-input photon rate and we specifically investigate an experimental scheme with two separate ensembles

Distant RF field sensing with a passive Rydberg-atomic transducer

We combine a rubidium vapor cell with a corner-cube prism reflector to form a passive RF transducer, allowing the detection of microwave signals at a location distant from the active components required for atomic sensing. This compact transducer has no electrical components and is optically linked to an active base station by a pair of free-space laser beams that establish an electromagnetically induced transparency scenario. Microwave signals at the transducer location are imprinted onto an optical signal which is detected at the base station. Our sensing architecture with a remote standalone transducer unit adds important flexibility to Rydberg-atom based sensing technologies, which are currently subject to significant attention. We demonstrate a ∼30 m link with no particular effort and foresee significant future prospects of achieving a much larger separation between the transducer and the base station

Distant RF field sensing with a passive Rydberg-atomic transducer

We combine a rubidium vapor cell with a corner-cube prism reflector to form a passive RF transducer, allowing the detection of microwave signals at a location distant from the active components required for atomic sensing. This compact transducer has no electrical components and is optically linked to an active base station by a pair of free-space laser beams that establish an electromagnetically induced transparency scenario. Microwave signals at the transducer location are imprinted onto an optical signal which is detected at the base station. Our sensing architecture with a remote standalone transducer unit adds important flexibility to Rydberg-atom based sensing technologies, which are currently subject to significant attention. We demonstrate a ∼30 m link with no particular effort and foresee significant future prospects of achieving a much larger separation between the transducer and the base station

Recurrent lower respiratory illnesses among young children in rural Kyrgyzstan:overuse of antibiotics and possible under-diagnosis of asthma. A qualitative FRESH AIR study

Abstract Lower respiratory tract illnesses (LRT-illnesses) in children under 5 years (U5s) are a leading cause of morbidity, hospitalisations and mortality worldwide, particularly in low-income countries. It is pertinent to understand possible inconsistent management. This study explored perceptions and practices among caregivers and health professionals on recurrent LRT-illnesses in U5s. Semi-structured interviews with 13 caregivers to U5s with recurrent LRT-illnesses and with 22 primary care health professional interviews in two rural provinces in Kyrgyzstan were triangulated. Data were thematically analysed. The majority (8/13) of caregivers described their young children as having recurrent coughing, noisy breathing and respiratory distress of whom several had responded positively to acute salbutamol and/or had been repeatedly hospitalised for LRT-illness. Family stress and financial burdens were significant. The health professionals classified young children with recurrent LRT-illnesses primarily with pneumonia and/or a multitude of bronchitis diagnoses. Broad-spectrum antibiotics and supportive medicine were used repeatedly, prescribed by health professionals or purchased un-prescribed by the caregivers at the pharmacy. The health professionals had never applied the asthma diagnosis to U5s nor had they prescribed inhaled steroids, and none of the interviewed caregivers’ U5s were diagnosed with asthma. Health professionals and caregivers shared a common concern for the children’s recurrent respiratory illnesses developing into a severe chronic pulmonary condition, including asthma. In conclusion, the study identified an inconsistent management of LRT-illnesses in U5s, with exorbitant use of antibiotics and an apparently systemic under-diagnosis of asthma/wheeze. When the diagnosis asthma is not used, the illness is not considered as a long-term condition, requiring preventer/controller medication

Seroprevalence and infection fatality rate of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Denmark:A nationwide serosurveillance study

BACKGROUND: Introduction of the Omicron variant caused a steep rise in SARS-CoV-2 infections despite high vaccination coverage in the Danish population. We used blood donor serosurveillance to estimate the percentage of recently infected residents in the similarly aged background population with no known comorbidity. METHODS: To detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies induced due to recent infection, and not vaccination, we assessed anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) immunoglobulin G (IgG) in blood donor samples. Individual level data on SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results and vaccination status were available. Anti-N IgG was measured fortnightly from January 18 to April 3, 2022. Samples from November 2021 were analysed to assess seroprevalence before introduction of the Omicron variant in Denmark. FINDINGS: A total of 43 088 donations from 35 309 Danish blood donors aged 17–72 years were screened. In November 2021, 1·2% (103/8 701) of donors had detectable anti-N IgG antibodies. Adjusting for test sensitivity (estimates ranging from 74%–81%) and November seroprevalence, we estimate that 66% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 63%–70%) of the healthy, similarly aged Danish population had been infected between November 1, 2021, and March 15, 2022. One third of infections were not captured by SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing. The infection fatality rate (IFR) was 6·2 (CI: 5·1–7·5) per 100 000 infections. INTERPRETATION: Screening for anti-N IgG and linkage to national registers allowed us to detect recent infections and accurately assess assay sensitivity in vaccinated or previously infected individuals during the Omicron outbreak. The IFR was lower than during previous waves. FUNDING: The Danish Ministry of Health