Learning patterns and learner profiles in learning object design

The questions that Andy Heath has posed are challenging and need more time for reflection than is possible here. The questions posed will inform the research as it develops further. However, in the interests of debate we would like to give our initial replies. We agree in general with Andy Heath's assessment of the limitations of the approach we are adopting. We recognise that this approach uses a very limited response to AccessForAll principles: our Transformation Augmentation and Substitution Service (TASS) is localised, not global, and relies on a limited set of learning patterns matched against a small subset of the potentially infinite set of learner profiles. Our intention is certainly not to reproduce the considerable efforts of the IMS AccessForAll or Dublin Core Adaptability working groups, but to interpret their potential impact on the thinking of courseware designers, tutors and students

Accessibility and adaptability of learning objects: responding to metadata, learning patterns and profiles of needs and preferences

The case for learning patterns as a design method for accessible and adaptable learning objects is explored. Patterns and templates for the design of learning objects can be derived from successful existing learning resources. These patterns can then be reused in the design of new learning objects. We argue that by attending to criteria for reuse in the definition of these patterns and in the subsequent design of new learning objects, those new resources can be themselves reusable and also adaptable to different learning contexts. Finally, if the patterns identified can be implemented as templates for standard authoring tools, the design of effective, reusable and adaptable resources can be made available to those with limited skills in multimedia authoring and result in learning resources that are more widely accessible

Characteristics of the Langley 8-foot Transonic Tunnel with Slotted Test Section

A large wind tunnel, approximately 8 feet in diameter, has been converted to transonic operation by means of slots in the boundary extending in the direction of flow. The usefulness of such a slotted wind tunnel, already known with respect to the reduction of the subsonic blockage interference and the production of continuously variable supersonic flows, has been augmented by devising a slot shape with which a supersonic test region with excellent flow quality could be produced. Experimental locations of detached shock waves ahead of axially symmetric bodies at low supersonic speeds in the slotted test section agreed satisfactorily with predictions obtained by use of existing approximate methods

Using Behavioral Realism to Estimate Presence: A Study of the Utility of Postural Responses to Motion Stimuli

We recently reported that direct subjective ratings of the sense of presence are potentially unstable and can be biased by previous judgments of the same stimuli (Freeman et al., 1999). Objective measures of the behavioral realism elicited by a display offer an alternative to subjective ratings. Behavioral measures and presence are linked by the premise that, when observers experience a mediated environment (VE or broadcast) that makes them feel present, they will respond to stimuli within the environment as they would to stimuli in the real world. The experiment presented here measured postural responses to a video sequence filmed from the hood of a car traversing a rally track, using stereoscopic and monoscopic presentation. Results demonstrated a positive effect of stereoscopic presentation on the magnitude of postural responses elicited. Posttest subjective ratings of presence, vection, and involvement were also higher for stereoscopically presented stimuli. The postural and subjective measures were not significantly correlated, indicating that nonproprioceptive postural responses are unlikely to provide accurate estimates of presence. Such postural responses may prove useful for the evaluation of displays for specific applications and in the corroboration of group subjective ratings of presence, but cannot be taken in place of subjective ratings

Expanding the role of the oncology nurse

Oncology nursing continues to evolve in response to advances in cancer treatment, information and biotechnology. As new scientific and technological discoveries are integrated into cancer care, oncology nurses need to play a key role in the management of this patient population. The role of the oncology nurse has expanded significantly and can differ greatly across cultures. Sophisticated treatments and the growth of targeted therapies will create the challenge of ensuring that all nurses working in this arena are well-educated, independent thinkers. Thus the future success of oncology nurses will focus on enhancement of nursing practice through advanced education. The increased globalisation of healthcare offers exciting opportunities to accomplish this goal by allowing for collaborative relationships among oncology nurses across the globe

Preconception Counseling in Women With Diabetes: A population-based study in the North of England

To investigate the association of preconception counseling with markers of care and maternal characteristics in women with pregestational diabetes. The study includes data from a regional multi-center survey on 588 women with pregestational diabetes who delivered a singleton pregnancy between 2001 and 2004. Logistic regression was used to obtain crude and adjusted estimates of association. Preconception counseling was associated with better glycemic control 3 months preconception (odds ratio 1.91, 95% CI 1.10-3.04) and in the first trimester (2.05, 1.39-3.03), higher preconception folic acid intake (4.88, 3.26-7.30), and reduced risk of adverse pregnancy outcome (P = 0.027). Uptake of preconception counseling was positively associated with type 1 diabetes (1.87, 1.14-3.07) and White British ethnicity (2.56, 1.17-5.6) and negatively with deprivation score (0.78, 0.70-0.87). Efforts are needed to improve preconception counseling rates. Uptake is associated with maternal sociodemographic characteristics

Frame Clashes in Learning Qualitative Research

The panel discusses frame clashes students faced in learning qualitative design. 1st presenter examines how her insider position in military cybersecurity languaculture impacted her interviewing. 2nd presenter shows how knowledge transfer theory shaped his study in a senior community, while 3rd presenter troubles critical theory for studying African-American college presidents. Last presenters emphasize issues of transcribing when entering an archived ethnographic dataset

A Hydrometeorological Assessment of the Historic 2019 Flood of Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota

During early 2019, a series of events set the stage for devastating floods in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and southeastern South Dakota. When the floodwaters hit, dams and levees failed, cutting off towns, while destroying roads, bridges, and rail lines, further exacerbating the crisis. Lives were lost and thousands of cattle were stranded. Estimates indicate that the cost of the flooding has topped $3 billion as of August 2019, with this number expected to rise. After a warm and wet start to winter, eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and southeastern South Dakota endured anomalously low temperatures and record-breaking snowfall. By March 2019, rivers were frozen, frost depths were 60-90 cm, and the water equivalent of the snowpack was 30-100 mm. With these conditions in place, a record breaking surface cyclone rapidly developed in Colorado and propagated eastward, producing heavy rain towards the east and blizzard conditions toward the west. In areas of eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and southeastern South Dakota, rapid melting of the snowpack due to this rain-on-snow event quickly led to excessive runoff that overwhelmed rivers and streams. These conditions brought the region to a standstill. In this paper, we will provide an analysis of the antecedent conditions in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and southeastern South Dakota, the development of the surface cyclone that triggered the historic flooding, along with a look into the forecast and communication of flood impacts prior to the flood. The study used multiple datasets, including in-situ observations and reanalysis data. Understanding the events that led to the flooding could aid in future forecasting efforts

We Need Access: Ending Preventable Deaths from Cervical Cancer in Rural Georgia

Cervical cancer is highly preventable and treatable. It typically develops over several years, providing ample time to detect and treat abnormal changes in cervical cells that could eventually lead to cancer.With access to information, preventive services, and routine gynecological care, most cases of the disease can be prevented and successfully treated at an early stage. If caught early before cancer has spread, the five-year survival rate is over 90 percent. Despite this, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimated that 4,290 women would die of cervical cancer in the United States in 2021.Although almost no one should die from the disease, some groups—those that are historically marginalized and neglected in the US, including women of color, women living in poverty, and those without health insurance—die more often than others. There are glaring racial disparities in cervical cancer deaths in the US and Black women die of the disease at a disproportionately high rate. Black women have a higher risk of late-stage diagnosis, and they are more likely to die from the disease than any other racial or ethnic group in the country. In the state of Georgia, Black women are almost one and a half times as likely to die of cervical cancer as white women and these disparities increase at alarming rates as they age. Black Georgian women are more likely to have never been screened for cervical cancer, are diagnosed at a later stage, and have lower five-year survival rates.Preventable deaths from cervical cancer thrive in contexts of structural racism, discrimination, poverty, and inequality. Disparities in cervical cancer for Black women and other marginalized and neglected individuals reflect exclusion from the healthcare system and unequal access to the information, interventions, and services necessary to prevent and treat the disease. These preventable deaths also represent a failure of the federal, state, and local governments to protect and promote human rights for all people and to ensure adequate and affordable access to the lifesaving reproductive healthcare services and information all people need and have a right to

A non-destructive method for estimating onion leaf area

peer-reviewedWe would like to thank to the CICYT for funding the national project (AGL2007-66716-CO3-03), and the Education Regional Government of C-LM for funding the project (PCI08-0117).Leaf area is one of the most important parameters for characterizing crop growth and development, and its measurement is useful for examining the effects of agronomic management on crop production. It is related to interception of radiation, photosynthesis, biomass accumulation, transpiration and gas exchange in crop canopies. Several direct and indirect methods have been developed for determining leaf area. The aim of this study is to develop an indirect method, based on the use of a mathematical model, to compute leaf area in an onion crop using non-destructive measurements with the condition that the model must be practical and useful as a Decision Support System tool to improve crop management. A field experiment was conducted in a 4.75 ha commercial onion plot irrigated with a centre pivot system in Aguas Nuevas (Albacete, Spain), during the 2010 irrigation season. To determine onion crop leaf area in the laboratory, the crop was sampled on four occasions between 15 June and 15 September. At each sampling event, eight experimental plots of 1 m2 were used and the leaf area for individual leaves was computed using two indirect methods, one based on the use of an automated infrared imaging system, LI-COR-3100C, and the other using a digital scanner EPSON GT-8000, obtaining several images that were processed using Image J v 1.43 software. A total of 1146 leaves were used. Before measuring the leaf area, 25 parameters related to leaf length and width were determined for each leaf. The combined application of principal components analysis and cluster analysis for grouping leaf parameters was used to reduce the number of variables from 25 to 12. The parameter derived from the product of the total leaf length (L) and the leaf diameter at a distance of 25% of the total leaf length (A25) gave the best results for estimating leaf area using a simple linear regression model. The model obtained was useful for computing leaf area using a non-destructive method.CICYTEducation Regional Government of C-L