Training rats to discriminate between the odors of individual conspecifics

To determine the influence of genetic and microbiological factors in producing individually unique urine odors, we used a go/no-go operant task to assess the ability of eight male Long-Evans rats to discriminate between urine odors from the following pairs of male rats: (1) two outbred Long-Evans rats, (2) individual conventionally housed rats differing genetically only at the major histocompatibility complex (PVG vs. PVG.R1), (3) individual PVG versus PVG.R1 rats born by cesarean section and raised in germfree conditions, and (4) conventionally housed, genetically identical individuals of the PVG or PVG.R1 strains. Discriminable differences were present between the urine odors used in all four tasks. Analysis of the errors to a criterion of 85% correct discrimination responses revealed different learning patterns in each task. When bacteria were not present in genetically different rats (Task 3) and when bacteria were present but there were no genetic differences between rats (Task 4), the discrimination was the most difficult. The easiest discrimination involved the presence of bacteria and a genetic difference at the major histocompatibility complex (Task 2). These results indicate that, although bacteria are not necessary for the production of discriminable odor differences, they do influence the discriminability of the urine odors of rats.     

Identifying pedagogy and teaching strategies for achieving nationally prescribed learning outcomes

With the globalisation of university education, national frameworks are commonly used to prescribe standardised learning outcomes and achieve accountability. However, these frameworks are generally not accompanied by guiding pedagogy to support academics in adjusting their teaching practices to achieve the set outcomes. This paper reports the results of a scoping review of health science literature aimed at identifying pedagogy and teaching strategies relevant to achieve the learning outcomes specified by the Australian Qualifications Framework at a master's degree level. Eight practical teaching messages emerged from the review and three broad pedagogical trends were identified: the need to use authentic disciplinary-based learning activities; ensure that students are able to discover different perspectives about future practice and bring student reflection about their own knowledge into curricula. More critically, the review highlights that academics attempting to translate national learning outcome frameworks into their teaching practices face a complex and time-consuming task which may involve searching beyond their own disciplinary focus to identify practical teaching strategies to meet prescribed learning outcomes.     

Knowledge Restructuring in Biology: Testing a Punctuated Model of Conceptual Change

Emerging from a human constructivist view of learning and a punctuated model of conceptual change, these studies explored differences in the structural complexity and content validity of knowledge about prehistoric life depicted in concept maps by learners ranging in age from approximately 10 to 20 years. Study 1 (cross-age) explored the frequencies of concepts, relationships, levels of hierarchy, branching, and cross-links in concept maps drawn by students in grades 5, 8, 11, 13, and 14. The results provide some support for a punctuated model of conceptual change. Study 2 (longitudinal) explored the same frequencies on repeated occasions among students enrolled in a college course on prehistoric life, and documented the shift in frequencies of “novice” and “expert” concepts occurring during the semester. The results suggest that college students engage in much restructuring of their knowledge frameworks during the period of a semester. Together, the two studies raise questions about common classroom practices that encourage the rote learning of biology and geology concepts at all levels.     

The addition of audio‐teleconferencing to interactive telecourses: An experimental anaysis of drop‐out rates

Audio‐teleconferencing which allows peer interaction has been proposed as a potentially effective means to increase student completion rates in distance education courses. This hypothesis was examined in two experiments in which audio‐conferences were added to a telecourse which also included live‐interactive (one‐way video, two‐way audio) segments. Although there were differences in the completion rates between the groups of students involved in the audio‐teleconferencing and the control groups, these were not found to be statistically significant. It is suggested that the on‐air live interactive telecourse component may have made the audio‐teleconferences redundant. There were generally high completion rates overall.     

Reading and spelling acquisition in Thai children

Thai, a tonal language, has its own distinctive alphabetic orthography. The study investigates reading and spelling development in Thai children, with an aim of examining the grain size that is predominantly used when reading and spelling. Furthermore, word and nonword lists were developed to examine the acquisition of the complex system of vowels and tone rules in Thai. Reading and spelling of words and nonwords were assessed in 60 Thai children ranging in age from 7 to 9 years 8 months from Grade(s) 1, 2, and 3. A lexicality effect was found for both reading and spelling. Spelling lagged behind reading in the Grade 1 children. Development rapidly increased between the youngest Grade 1 children and the older Grade 2 and 3 children. For word reading there were significantly more lexical errors than phonological errors. Beginning readers appear to predominantly use a larger lexico-syllabic grain size to read Thai.     

Behavioral Approaches to Obesity Treatment

Obesity is at the forefront of the public health agenda. Why, with all the emphasis on the health risks of obesity and the availability of multiple treatment options, is it so difficult for people to successfully lose and maintain weight? The answer is simple: Most obesity treatment plans tell people what to do but not how to change their behavior. Furthermore, many people attempting weight loss focus on narrow aspects of weight loss behaviors (e.g., specific eating or exercise plans, over-the-counter weight loss products, medication, and in growing numbers, gastric surgery). However, weight gain is ultimately a consequence of multiple environmental and biologic factors that encourage behaviors that result in positive energy balance. It is unlikely that most obesity treatments will be successful unless people learn to address the environmental, biologic, and behavioral barriers that influence their ability to make eating and physical activity choices that promote long-term weight management. Behavioral approaches to obesity treatment help people develop the skills they need to successfully manage their weight in a way that is consistent with their individual barriers, goals, and lifestyles.