New “Unbundling” Rules: Will the FCC Finally Open Up Cable Broadband?

This iBrief discusses a recent Court of Appeals decision remanding FCC rules on the unbundling of Internet services by telephone exchange carriers. These rules ordered many Internet service providers to share their equipment with competitors, so that consumers could choose their providers instead of having to accept all services from the company who installed the physical Internet connection. Cable Internet providers are not included in these rules. This iBrief predicts that cable broadband operators will soon be governed by the same unbundling provisions as other ISPs

Supporting undergraduate students’ acquisition of academic argumentation strategies through computer conferencing

Executive Summary Background This research grows out of work on the importance of argumentation in developingstudents’ critical abilities. It focuses attention on how students argue in computer mediated conferences as opposed to traditionalwritten assignments, investigating the way in which argumentation is realised within the relatively new context of computer conferencing which allows extended written discussions to take place overa period of weeks. Such text-based asynchronous conferencing is typically characterised by features of both spoken and written modes. Aims The main aims of the project were: • to investigate the argumentation strategies used in asynchronous text-based computer conferences; • to compare the argumentation strategies developed through conferencing with those used in the writing of academic assignments; • to examine the strategies used by tutors to encourage and facilitate argumentation in text-based computer conferences. Methods Data was collected over two years for the distance undergraduate course ‘Perspectives on Complementary and Alternative Medicine’ at the Open University.Qualitative data was obtained through interviews with the course chair, tutors and students, and through a student questionnaire. Assignments and computer-mediated tutorials were collected for textual analysis, although the timing of the assignments meant that analysis has only just begun on the essay data. To analyse the argumentation in the computer conferences and assignments a method of categorising, coding and tracking argumentative discourse was developed building on earlier work by the authors. In addition, computational searches were carried out to compare linguistic features across conference and assignment data. Results In tutorial conferences, student discussion tended to take the form of collaborative co-construction of an argument through exchanging information and experience to substantiate a position. However, students were also prepared to challenge other viewpoints. In both cases, they frequently drew on personal and professional experience to support argument claims. The use of these strategies suggests that text-based conferencing lends itself to the collective combining of diverse sources of information, experiences and ideas. Conference discussions were often personalised with fewer explicit logical links marking argument structure. They were also marked by complexity of argument strands, many of which reached no conclusion. Preliminary analysis of argumentation in assignments suggests that this did not, however, adversely affect students’ ability to create a more traditional, linear argument in their essays. Further analysis will be undertaken to compare argumentation strategies across the two sets of data. Tutors expressed concern about levels of participation in the tutorial conferences, which varied quite considerably. They also felt uncertain about their own knowledge of appropriate pedagogic strategies which would encourage students to participate in a collaborative yet critical way, and tended to rely on strategies from face-to-face teaching. Analysis of the conference discussion showed that tutors made fewer claims than students and were also less likely to provide information in support of their claims. There was, therefore, little modelling by tutors of the basic type of argumentation that would be expected in formal written assignments.Despite these concerns, student responses indicated that having a tutor and a group of peers to interact with, or just to observe, was valued as a supportive feature of this form of distance learning. No clear picture arose of how to make conferencing more interactive for more students, and this reinforces the sense gained from the tutor interviews of the difficulty of proposing a model of tutoring in computer conferences that will necessarily engage all students or raise the level of discussion and debate. Conclusions Our study suggests that text-based conferencing has an important role to play in developing students’ argumentation strategies and understanding of academic discourse and conventions. In view of its hybrid nature, somewhere between spontaneous speech and formal academic writing, course designers and tutors should aim to take advantage of both aspects – on the one hand, the informal dialogic exchange of opinions and co-construction of knowledge, and on the other,the opportunity for consolidation, reflection and re-positioning. Our findings reinforce the view that students’ willingness to exchange ideas freely and openly is partly a consequence of how personally engaged, at ease and confident students feel with one another and their tutor. In particular, it seems that there is a role for the interpersonal and, to some extent, the chat and the frivolity, which in some other studies discussed in the literature review have been regarded as negative influences. Recommendations To facilitate students’ development of argumentation and learning more generally,tutors need greater awareness of the ways in which academic argumentation operates in computer conferencing as compared to written assignments. Since pedagogic strategies developed in other contexts may not transfer well to computer conferencing, there is a need for targeted professional development, focussing in particular on: • Choosing topics for discussion and designing effective task prompts; • Supporting weaker students; • Encouraging challenging of ideas; • Finding the right tone to facilitate peer discussions. Some specific suggestions are made within the report, but our recommendations at this stage remain tentative as we still have to complete the analysis of the assignment data and draw conclusions about the impact of the computer conferencing on the quality of written argumentation within this more formal context

Mutational resistance to linezolid and other anti-gram-positive antibiotics in staphylococci

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are endemic in UK hospitals. Treatment options for the infections caused by these multiresistant strains include vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid. Mutational resistance to these antibiotics, although rare in the clinic, has been detected. Resistance to linezolid requires at least one chromosomal mutation followed by subsequent internal recombination. The hypothesis tested was that resistance to linezolid or glycopeptides could emerge in hypermutable strains and that hypermutability could be co-selected with resistance to linezolid or glycopeptides. Accordingly, this work studied linezolid and teicoplanin-resistant clinical isolates and laboratory-selected linezolid-resistant S. aureus mutants for evidence of hypermutability. Mutation frequencies to a range of antibiotics were determined to evaluate the occurrence of hypermutability. Linezolid-resistant mutants were selected by serial passage in the presence of increasing concentrations of linezolid. Mutations conferring linezolid resistance were characterized by PCR-RFLP and sequencing. Pyrosequencing and hybridization were used to detect and quantify six mutations known to confer linezolid resistance. Pre-existing hypermutability increased the ability of a laboratory strain to generate linezolid resistant mutants. However, few clinical linezolid or teicoplanin-resistant isolates or mutants were found to be hypermutable, indicating that stable hypermutability is not a prerequisite for the emergence of these resistances. Likewise, no laboratory-selected linezolid-resistant mutants were hypermutable, demonstrating the lack of co-selection of linezolid resistance with hypermutability. Most linezolid-resistant laboratory-selected mutants were unstable. There was a direct correlation between the number of mutated 23 S rRNA genes and linezolid MIC in clinical and laboratory mutants, although analysis was complicated by the fact that the 23S rRNA gene copy number was variable among the laboratory mutants. Cross-resistance between linezolid and chloramphenicol was detected in some laboratory mutants. In conclusion, there was no evidence for the co-selection of hypermutability and linezolid or teicoplanin resistance, and hypermutability was not found to be a prerequisite for the emergence of linezolid resistance

Disciplinary variation in the use of theme in undergraduate essays

Success in higher education depends on students’ ability to meet the writing requirements of their chosen courses, and in many cases this involves adapting to the literacy practices of particular disciplines. While research into professional academic discourse suggests that it may reflect differences in disciplinary culture and epistemology, there has been relatively little investigation of disciplinary difference in student writing. This study is based on an analysis of essays written within an Open University course in the history of science, using a systemic functional approach to examine whether the students’ use of theme may vary according to their disciplinary background. Students from an ‘arts’ background were found to achieve significantly higher grades than those from a ‘science’ background. This could be related to a greater tendency to present knowledge as constructed, using themes which framed the discussion as a matter of interpretation rather than fact. The results support the hypothesis that students’ writing is shaped by their disciplinary background, suggesting that success in writing for one course may be affected by writing experiences in previous courses

Immersive Visualization Environments for Teaching/Learning

Comparative Study of Brain Activities in Immersive Visualization Environments: An Innovative Pedagogical Technique Abstract The primary objective of this work-in-progress is to investigate advanced and innovative pedagogical techniques in teaching and learning STEM concepts by utilizing Immersive Visualization Environments (IVE). Specifically, a comparative study of brain activities was performed to determine effectiveness of different Immersive Visualization Environments in pedagogy. Twelve randomly selected college students participated in this investigation using an electroencephalography (EEG) device for measuring brain waves of the subjects. The preliminary collected data supported the assertion that dome-shaped IVE elicited a more relaxed state than its counterpart, head-mounted IVE, yielding a higher performance. Audience: College/University Professors Conference Track: R1 - Work-in-progress Format of Presentation: Poster Session Participants\u27 Engagement: N/A Participants\u27 Gain: Exposure and Knowledge of Immersive Visualization Environment for Teaching/Learning in STEM fields. Alignment: Objectives of this poster session is directly aligned with the objectives of the conference

Effects of a Growth Mindset Intervention on First-Year College Student Academic Performance

Student success is influenced by a complex array of factors, including implicit theories of intelligence, or mindset. Previous research has shown that students’ mindset, whether they view intelligence as a fixed quantity or something that can be incrementally increased, can predict academic achievement. Students who hold a fixed mindset believe that intelligence is a static trait that cannot be changed and often internalize failure, exert less effort when faced with difficulty, and avoid challenging work in order to preserve their self-image. Conversely, students who hold a growth mindset believe that intelligence can be cultivated by engaging in challenging experiences. These students seek growth opportunities, as they feel most successful when they are learning and developing their intelligence. When facing difficult school transitions and challenging courses, students who hold a growth mindset are more likely to achieve academic success, and interventions can be used to foster this implicit theory of intelligence. Many higher education institutions utilize first-year seminars in order to facilitate student success, including Central Washington University (CWU). University 101 (UNIV 101) presents a unique opportunity to reach first-year students as they transition to college and may be an appropriate venue to incorporate a growth mindset intervention. This study explored whether including a growth mindset intervention in UNIV 101 had a positive impact on student success for first-year students. It was hypothesized that students whose UNIV 101 section included a growth mindset lesson would earn higher Fall quarter grades and be more likely to enroll in Winter quarter. Instructors were surveyed to ascertain whether and to what extent they included a growth mindset lesson in their UNIV 101 section(s), and student data were collected from institutional effectiveness. A multiple regression analysis and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the hypotheses; however, the data did not support either hypothesis

Hardware Components in Cybersecurity Education

Hardware components have been designated as required academic content for colleges to be recognized as a center of academic excellence in cyber operations by the National Security Agency (NSA). To meet the hardware requirement, computer science and information technology programs must cover hardware concepts and design skills, topics which are less emphasized in existing programs. This paper describes a new pedagogical model for hardware based on network intrusion detection taught at college and graduate levels in a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education Program (CAE/IAE). The curriculum focuses on the fundamental concepts of network intrusion detection mechanisms, network traffic analysis, rule-based detection logic, system configuration, and basic hardware design and experiments. This new course enriches students with the latest developments

DRIP - Data Rich, Information Poor: A Concise Synopsis of Data Mining

As production of data is exponentially growing with a drastically lower cost, the importance of data mining required to extract and discover valuable information is becoming more paramount. To be functional in any business or industry, data must be capable of supporting sound decision-making and plausible prediction. The purpose of this paper is concisely but broadly to provide a synopsis of the technology and theory of data mining, providing an enhanced comprehension of the methods by which massive data can be transferred into meaningful information

Vulnerable Learners

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Youth Work Practice, BASW Practical Social Work Series : 2nd Edition. Tony Jeffs & Mark. K. Smith (eds.) Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan (2010) pp. 208 Pbk. £17.99 ISBN 9780230543027 Edition

Peer reviewedPublisher PD