Levels of cerebrospinal fluid acetylcholinesterase in tuberculous and pyogenic meningitis in children

Total acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was estimated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using colorimetric method in 64 cases with tuberculous meningitis, (TBM) (n=64), pyogenic meningitis (PM) (n=60) and in controls (n=39) of paediatric age group. Mean CSF—AChE values of both TBM and PM were significantly higher when compared with controls (p<0.001) but no significant change between TBM and PM was observed (p<0.01). It is suggested that inflammation of meninges due to the infection may attribute to a change in the function of blood brain barrier (BBB) causing higher CSF—AChE values in these diseases.     

The Initial Impact of the Anatomical Society Gross Anatomy Core Syllabus for Medicine in the United Kingdom: Student and Teacher Perspectives

“What do students studying medicine need to know” is an important question for curriculum planners, anatomy educators and students. The Core Regional Anatomy Syllabus (CRAS), published by the Anatomical Society in 2016, contains 156 learning outcomes (LOs) and has informed “what needs to be known.” This project explored how CRAS had impacted undergraduate anatomy and anatomists in the United Kingdom. A cross-sectional study was designed in two phases. Phase 1, involved a survey of students in clinical years (N = 164). Phase 2 included a survey of anatomist’s views (n = 50) and focus groups of anatomy educators (N = 16). The students’ perspective showed that specific regions of CRAS are deemed less relevant. These were also the body areas where students perceived their anatomical knowledge to be more deficient. Only 46% (n = 75) of students estimated that they knew over 50% (n = 78) of the LOs. Phase two revealed that all anatomists were aware of the syllabus and 48% (n = 24) had checked the CRAS against their own institutional LOs. Anatomists had shared CRAS with colleagues 64% (n = 32) and students at 34% (n = 17), respectively. Forty-six percent (n = 23) of anatomists reported having changed their teaching in some way because of CRAS. The focus groups generated four key themes: “support for CRAS,” “standardization and validation,” “professional identity,” and “limitations and leverage.” Overall CRAS has been well received and is establishing itself within the anatomical community as the new standard for anatomy teaching for medical students.     

Sports and the deaf child

The increasingly sedentary American lifestyle has resulted in a growing number of overweight and out-of-shape school-age children. Deaf children are not exempt from this trend, yet there is little evidence that public school programs for these children are doing anything to counter it. Much can be done to assist deaf students, not only in becoming more active movers but in gaining knowledge of opportunities and benefits associated with Deaf sport. The authors provide an argument for schools that expose deaf children to the role of sports in the Deaf community and for designing programs that will enable these children to become active participants in Deaf sport activities as athletes and organizers, or, later in life, when they no longer have the inclination or ability to compete, as spectators, with all the socialization benefits that form of involvement provides.     

Online learning: a strategy for social responsibility in educational access

Socially responsible educational development issues include examination of whether students in diverse situations have access to educational programs. Within a global society that supports equal opportunities for individuals, issues of access to educational content have merit at both individual and societal levels. A framework for thinking about social responsibility in educational access three primary areas is examined. These include (a) meeting the needs of underserved populations, (b) preparing for and capitalizing on diversity, and (c) using access to build society. Online learning offers one viable strategy for social responsibility by providing significant benefits in the areas of educational access for underserved populations, exposure to and experience with diversity, and building social communities through shared electronic communication.     

An integrated framework to guide educational psychologist practice

This paper describes a five-phase practice approach that further develops Monsen et al.'s problem-analysis framework, which was originally designed for use by educational psychologists in training. The five-phase approach aims to provide a user-friendly conceptual framework for use by experienced educational psychologists. Action points, completed summary proformae, and a multi-faceted assessment and intervention example are provided to support the implementation of this approach within practice-based work.     

Introductory Biology Courses: A Framework To Support Active Learning in Large Enrollment Introductory Science Courses

Active learning and research-oriented activities have been increasingly used in smaller, specialized science courses. Application of this type of scientific teaching to large enrollment introductory courses has been, however, a major challenge. The general microbiology lecture/laboratory course described has been designed to incorporate published active-learning methods. Three major case studies are used as platforms for active learning. Themes from case studies are integrated into lectures and laboratory experiments, and in class and online discussions and assignments. Students are stimulated to apply facts to problem-solving and to learn research skills such as data analysis, writing, and working in teams. This course is feasible only because of its organizational framework that makes use of teaching teams (made up of faculty, graduate assistants, and undergraduate assistants) and Web-based technology. Technology is a mode of communication, but also a system of course management. The relevance of this model to other biology courses led to assessment and evaluation, including an analysis of student responses to the new course, class performance, a university course evaluation, and retention of course learning. The results are indicative of an increase in student engagement in research-oriented activities and an appreciation of real-world context by students.     

Novice online educator conceptual frameworks: a mental model exploration of mindful learning design

This research study explores the relationship between the socio-cognitive concept of mindfulness and university educators’ learning design conceptualisations. The multi-method research strategy utilises a concept-mapping exercise to reveal learning designer mental models for comparison with Langer Mindfulness Scale scores and critical event interviews to further illuminate the conceptualisations and factors that impact educators’ thinking when designing online units. Research participants were asked to create a concept map of their learning design and to be mindful of concepts incorporated into a Graduate Certificate of Tertiary Education. The analysis highlights some congruence between educators’ mindfulness dimensions and their learning design conceptual frameworks. The mindfulness scores appear to indicate a propensity to be more mindful in designing curriculum, as indicated by participant concept maps, yet not necessarily towards the adaptive use of technology or learner/activity-based pedagogies. The authors suggest metacognitive strategies to encourage learning design reconceptualisation.     

Small-group problem-based learning as a complex adaptive system

Small-group problem-based learning (PBL) is widely embraced as a method of study in health professions schools and at many different levels of education. Complexity science provides a different lens with which to view and understand the application of this method. It presents new concepts and vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to practitioners of small-group PBL and other educational methods. This article looks at small-group PBL from the perspective of complex adaptive systems (CAS). It begins with a brief review of the current understanding and practice of PBL. Next some of the characteristics of CAS are reviewed using examples from small-group PBL to illustrate how these characteristics are expressed in that context. The principles and the educational theory in which small-group PBL are embedded are related to CAS. Implications for health professions education are discussed.     

Content and alignment of state writing standards and assessments as predictors of student writing achievement: an analysis of 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress data

We examined the degree to which content of states’ writing standards and assessments (using measures of content range, frequency, balance, and cognitive complexity) and their alignment were related to student writing achievement on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), while controlling for student, school, and state characteristics. We found student demographic characteristics had the largest effect on between-state differences in writing performance, followed by state policy-related variables, then state and school covariates. States with writing tests that exhibited greater alignment with the NAEP writing assessment demonstrated significantly higher writing scores. We discuss plausible implications of these findings.