Learning Metabolism by Problem‐Based Learning Through the Analysis of Health or Nutrition Articles from the Web in Biochemistry

Problem‐based learning using authentic material from the web was used to teach metabolism in a biochemistry course. In place of traditional lectures, students’ analyzed health or nutrition articles from newspapers and magazines, which were debatable from a scientific point of view, following the principles of problem‐based learning. A mixed method was used to assess the students’ perception, use of sources of information and web services while performing the task, and changes in self‐directed learning. Students’ perception was particularly positive. The majority stated that the methodology helped them to apply knowledge to real life and that they learned about the topic analyzed by their group. The perception that problem‐based learning promotes the ability to solve problems, critical thinking, and collaborative work is noteworthy. Tutors considered that teams identified the problem and concluded correctly, noticing students’ enthusiasm and motivation. The methodology also promoted scientific reading. More importantly, a significant improvement in self‐directed learning of the 2014 cohort was detected. This intervention suggests that this methodology is a valuable alternative to motive and promote self‐learning; representing an opportunity to shift the focus of instruction from the teacher to the student. The design of the activity and materials are described in detail. Also, limitations and solutions are discussed.     

Emotional stability pertaining to the game of Dungeons & Dragons

The game of Dungeons & Dragons, which involves extensive fantasy role-playing by the participants, has been blamed by groups of lay people for having caused a number of suicides and homicides, as well as generally promoting such behavior. The 16 PF was administered to players of the game and a Pearson correlation was performed between years of playing the game and their emotional stability as measured by Factor C of the test. No significant correlation was found.     

Evaluation of the stability,appearance and performance of resins for the adhesion of flaking paint on ethnographic objects

ABSTRACT

The Natural History Museum (NHM), London was one of the first national museums to introduce a museum-wide integrated pest management (IPM) strategy that includes the concept of risk zones (Doyle, Pinniger, and Ryder 2007). This system is based on the principle of pest prevention within a museum building, which will always have a resident population of pest insects. The loss of Dichlorvos [DDVP] resulted in an urgent need to implement a museum-wide IPM programme to protect vulnerable collections both in storage areas and on display. With such a large, diverse collection in a complex series of interconnecting buildings, it became necessary to break the programme down into sections. Thus the development and implementation of the concept of risk zones: classifying areas of the museum from high risk to low risk has proved a useful and effective method to promote staff awareness and best practice as part of a comprehensive IPM programme.     

Demand for Live Theater with Market Segmentation and Seasonality

Using performance level box-office receipts from the PacificConservatory of the Performing Arts over eight years, we analyzeperformance-level demand for live theater. The disaggregated data allowsus to estimate demand at a particular venue and to characterize theseasonality of demand for live theater. We examine whether the supply ofshows matches the differentiated tastes of theater-goers at each of thethree locations and the sensitivity of demand to critical reviews andprior attendance.     

Thin versus thick democracy in education: Porto alegre and the creation of alternatives to neo-liberalism

In this article, the authors describe the ways in which a set of policies has had what seem to be extensive and long lasting effects precisely because these policies are coherently linked to larger dynamics of social transformation and to a coherent strategy that aims to change the mechanisms of the state and the rules of participation in the formation of state policies. They describe and analyze the policies of the 'Popular Administration' in Porto Alegre, Brasil but, more specifically, they focus on the 'Citizen School' and on proposals that are explicitly designed to radically change both the municipal schools and the relationship between communities, the state, and education. This set of polices and the accompanying processes of implementation are constitutive parts of a clear and explicit project aimed at constructing not only a better school for the excluded, but also a larger project of radical and thick democracy. The reforms being built in Porto Alegre are still in formation, but the authors argue that they have crucial implications for how we might think about the politics of education policy and its role in social transformation.