Analysis of Peer‐, Self‐ and Staff‐assessment in Group Project Work

Group projects were carried out by a class of 130 first‐year undergraduate students in biosciences. Seven possible sources of assessment at three stages of the projects were identified and practical considerations allowed four of these to be undertaken: peer‐assessment by the students of contributions towards (i) the practical work and (ii) towards the preparation of a scientific poster; (iii) peer assessment of poster presentations by other groups; (iv) assessment by staff of the poster presentations. These assessments provided complementary information to that obtained from more traditional methods of assessment, such as formal examinations. Peer (student)‐assessments appeared to provide more norm‐referenced assessments than corresponding staff‐assessments, although significant ‘assessor‐based’ variation was evident in both. Variations in the projects themselves also influenced the assessments made.     

Assessing the response of indigenous loquat cultivar Mardan to phytohormones for in vitro shoot proliferation and rooting

In vitro cultures of loquat cultivar Mardan were established using shoot apices after treating with NaOCl (5%, 7%, 10%, 12%, 14% (v/v)) for 12 min and HgCl₂ (0.01%, 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.20%, 0.25% (w/v)) for 2 min. A maximum survival rate of 70% was recorded after surface sterilization with 10% NaOCl. Caulogenic response was assessed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with assorted combinations of the cytokinins, benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin, and N6-(2-isopentyl)adenine (2iP). Treatment of BAP 1.5 mg/L combined with 2iP 9.0 mg/L and kinetin 1.5 mg/L was found to be optimum for shoot morphogenesis in terms of the number and subsequent growth of shoots, while the highest shoot length was yielded by the combination of BAP 0.5 mg/L, kinetin 0.5 mg/L, and 2iP 3 mg/L. Higher levels of cytokinins induced callogenesis, vitrification and stunted growth to some extent. For rhizogenesis, uniform sized micro-shoots were excised and transferred to half-strength MS medium containing auxins. The best rooting expression was observed with naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) 1 mg/L combined with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) 2 mg/L and paclobutrazol (PBZ) 1 mg/L.     

Information technology and public policy: a socio-human profile of Indian digital revolution

The paper describes the role of information and Information Technology (IT) and discusses the infrastructure, human resources, telecommunications, and research and development in IT within the Indian context. It highlights the features of the liberalization of the Indian government software policy of 1986, including developments in networking and the growth of the IT industry in the country, and documents the proliferation and application of IT in India in various fields. It provides a detailed look at the socio-human dimensions of IT in terms of its impact on the socioeconomic conditions of the people, especially in the countryside. The paper describes the limitations of the Indian digital revolution in reaching out to the general masses and the various factors responsible for the lopsided character of the information revolution.     

Improving educational objectives of the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University

This paper describes the process of developing programme educational objectives (PEOs) for the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University, and the process of deployment of these PEOs. Input of the four constituents of the programme, faculty, students, alumni, and employers, is incorporated in the development and update of the PEOs. For each PEO an assessment process is employed where performance measures are defined along with target attainment levels. Results from assessment tools are compared with the target attainment levels to measure performance with regard to the PEOs. The assessment indicates that the results meet or exceed the target attainment levels of the PEOs' performance measures.     

A Comparison of Tutor and Student Conceptions of Undergraduate Research Project Work

Tutor and student conceptions of undergraduate research project work were evaluated following the distribution of questionnaires to 85 members of academic staff and 136 final‐year (honours) students in the Schools of Biology and Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University of Belfast (QUB). The percentage of individuals submitting a return was 52% for staff and 38% for students. The issues considered included: (1) types and purpose of honours projects, (2) roles and responsibilities of supervisors (staff) and students, and (3) assessment and feedback. The results revealed a diversity of opinion among both staff and students about the various issues surrounding this complex learning exercise. To remedy this situation and to enhance student learning it is essential to establish a climate of open dialogue between staff and students, to share learning conceptions and to ensure that the assessment of any learning task is commensurate with the aims, objectives and learning outcomes.     

Multiculturalism,Interculturalisms and the Majority

Interculturalism, in its two forms, critiques multiculturalism. A European version emphasises cultural encounter and novelty, and is relatively apolitical except for its disavowal of the national in preference for the local and the transnational. In contrast, its Quebecan counterpart gives significance to the idea of the right of a national community to use state power to reproduce itself. Whilst the former is a recognisably cosmopolitan vision I ask if the latter represents a distinctive mode of integration. The core of the article is a textual examination of two recent publications by leading public intellectual scholars in Quebec, Gerard Bouchard and Charles Taylor, respectively, including a lengthy discussion of the former’s concept of ‘majority precedence’. I argue that Quebecan interculturalism challenges multiculturalists to offer a positive view of ‘the majority’, which to date they have largely neglected to do, but which is possible within the conceptual and normative resources of multiculturalism.     

Neurohumoral alterations and their role in amoebiasis

Amoebiasis is world wide in distribution and continues to be an important Public health problem. Intestinal amoebiasis may be present as dysentery, diarrhea or may stimulate other intra abdominal conditions. Clinical symptoms may not be seen in majority of patients, while amebic cysts are passed in the stool. This single-celled parasite is transmitted to humans via contaminated water and food. Amoebic dysentery can be accompanied by amebic infection of the liver and other organs. The present study was carried out to evaluate the changes in the circulating levels of neurohumors, their metabolizing enzymes and cortisol in these patients both before and after one month of chemotherapy. In the patients of amoebiasis the circulating acetylcholine (ACh), histamine, histaminase, cortisol, 5-Hydroxy tryptamine (serotonin) levels were significnatly enhanced with no change in the Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity, while the activities of erythrocyte aceytylcholinesterase (AChE) and plasma Monoamine oxidase (MAO) were found decreased in comparison to normal healthy controls. After one month of treatment all the parameters reverted towards their control values, while the level of plasma histaminase remained still significantly high. The normal DBH activity reflects that there is no alteration in the circulating catecholamine levels. while the alteration in the levels of histamine, serotonin and cortisol may be due to the nonspecific response of the body to the stress of the disease and the parasitic infestation.     

Continuous improvement in the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University

This paper describes the process employed by the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University to continuously improve the programme. Using a continuous improvement framework, the paper demonstrates how various qualitative and quantitative analyses methods, such as hypothesis testing and control charts, have been applied to the results of four assessment tools and other data sources to improve performance. Important improvements include the need to reconsider two student outcomes as they were difficult to implement in courses. In addition, through benchmarking and the engagement of Alumni and Employers, key decisions were made to improve the curriculum and enhance employability.