A first class knowledge service: developing the National electronic Library for Health

With the introduction of clinical governance and the move towards evidence-based practice, there is a growing need to provide health professionals and patients, and the public, with high quality information. Developments in the health service have added weight and urgency to this need. The National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) has a key role to play in providing health professionals with a core knowledge base of accredited and evaluated information. The Pilot NeLH was launched in November and this article outlines the progress and achievements made during this time. The NeLH is based around a central website featuring core resources and links to commissioned specialist collections. Over 70 information resources, including bibliographic databases and full text publications, are accessible via the NeLH, which aims to act as a one-stop shop to support evidence-based decision-making. Much work has been undertaken on national procurement and licensing, particularly in partnership with National Health Service (NHS) libraries. Partnerships as a whole are crucial to ensure true seamless access for health professionals. Key partners include NHS libraries, NHS Direct Online and the electronic Library for Social Care. A short glossary is included for those readers less familiar with current health service developments in the UK.     

Youth worker perception of the term ‘professional’ a Victorian study

This article is an exploration of the Youth Workers’ Association of Victoria (1967–1982), and highlights the tensions among youth workers and the difficulties they experienced as they attempted to move their occupation towards a profession and to establish themselves as professionals in society. In studying the Youth Workers#x2019; Association through the focus of professionalism, the article critically examines the approach to education, qualifications, membership, ethics, industrial awards, response to government and relationship with young people. After tracing the demise of the Association, the article raises doubts about the future of youth work as a unified field of endeavour given the fragmentation and diversification that is evident in Victoria today.     

Gaining Visitor Consent for Research III: A Trilingual Posted‐Sign Method

When studying museum visitors, researchers sometimes collect data by video‐ and audio‐taping large high‐traffic areas. In order to inform visitors that they are being recorded, researchers post signs in the area. This article describes the Exploratorium's efforts to design and test trilingual signs that would effectively inform visitors when video‐based research is in progress. Interviews with 255 adult museum visitors, conducted across six versions of the recording area's setup and signage, revealed several effective design elements. The posted sign was more noticeable and welcoming when it included a large headline, a realistic camera icon, and a colorful background. The most effective setup of the area contained many cues to videotaping beyond the large posted sign, such as visible recording equipment and small signs on exhibits and cordons. In the most successful trilingual setup we tested, 92% of visitors leaving the research area knew they had been videotaped.     

Dialectical dividends: fostering hybridity of new pedagogical practices and partnerships in science education and outreach

Science literacy has become socially and economically very important. European countries stress that science graduates are fundamental for economic growth. Nevertheless, there is a declining student participation in science. In response, there has been a call to change the way science is taught in schools, which focuses on inquiry methods rooted in constructivism. Universities and other organisations have responded by developing outreach programmes to improve student engagement in science. Given this context, there is a necessity for research to ascertain if this new relationship between outreach and education is worthwhile. This study examines and compares primary teachers and outreach practitioners understanding and perceptions of constructivist science pedagogy, in an effort to understand the potential of a teacher-outreach partnership. For this, qualitative and quantitative methods were employed, taking a dialectic pragmatic stance. Contradicting the recurrent view, teachers and outreach providers revealed favourable views in relation to constructivism, despite recognising barriers to its implementation. These results support a partnership between teachers and outreach practitioners and the realisation of the hybrid role of each participant. The results also reveal an important dynamic in outreach access to schools. Specifically, the outreach connected teachers acted as gatekeepers by negotiating access into their colleagues classrooms.     

Evolution of the anatomical theatre in Padova

The anatomical theatre played a pivotal role in the evolution of medical education, allowing students to directly observe and participate in the process of dissection. Due to the increase of training programs in clinical anatomy, the Institute of Human Anatomy at the University of Padova has renovated its dissecting room. The main guidelines in planning a new anatomical theatre included: (1), the placement of the teacher and students on the same level in a horizontal anatomical theatre where it is possible to see (theatre) and to perform (dissecting room); (2), in the past, dissection activities were concentrated at the center of the theatre, while in the new anatomical theatre, such activities have been moved to the periphery through projection on surrounding screens—thus, students occupy the center of the theatre between the demonstration table, where the dissection can be seen in real time, and the wall screens, where particular aspects are magnified; (3), three groups of tables are placed with one in front with two lateral flanking tables in regards to the demonstration table, in a semicircular arrangement, and not attached to the floor, which makes the room multifunctional for surgical education, medical students and physician's continued professional development courses; (4), a learning station to introduce the students to the subject of the laboratory; (5), cooperation between anatomists and architects in order to combine the practical needs of a dissection laboratory with new technologies; (6), involvement of the students, representing the clients' needs; and (7), creation of a dissecting room of wide measurements with large windows, since a well‐illuminated space could reduce the potentially negative psychological impact of the dissection laboratory on student morale. Anat Sci Educ 7: 487–493. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.     

Body parts removed during surgery: a useful training source

Current undergraduate medical curricula provides relatively little time for cadaver dissection. The Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Padova has organized a pilot project with the University Hospital for the donation of body parts that are surgically removed for therapeutic purposes and destined under Italian law for destruction. The aim of the project is to improve residents' practical training skills. A survey over the last two years has shown that about 60 body parts were available each year. These included 13 upper limbs or their parts (i.e., forearm with hand, hand, and fingers) and 47 lower limbs or their parts (i.e., legs with feet, feet, or toes). The residents explained the aim of the project to potential donors, and, if patients were willing to donate, their informed consent was obtained. The residents were present in the operating theater during the surgical procedure. In the post-operative phase, the same residents performed dissections on the body part(s), following a teaching schedule prepared by a clinical anatomist, who also assisted residents during their studies. Residents also acted as tutors for undergraduate medical students who attended these dissections. The underlying pathology for which the body part was removed was examined, and surgical procedures were practiced on the body part itself. Our project provided an opportunity for a close relationship between anatomists and surgeons, reinforcing core knowledge of anatomy by appreciation of its clinical importance. The active involvement of residents as learners and as teachers in the various steps of this project improved their knowledge of surgical techniques and helped to establish a sense of ethical responsibility and respect for the human body. This approach involves study of anatomical structures from new perspectives and leads to improved surgical practice.     

Children’s epistemic reasoning about social inclusion of aggressive peers in a culturally diverse school

Moral reasoning in values education can promote a democratic way of life. It involves addressing behaviour expectations in responses to violence or bullying. There is increasing interest in how children make moral judgments about social inclusion within diverse cultural settings. Critical research highlights the relationship between epistemic cognition (views about the nature of knowledge and knowing) and reasoning. In this paper, we argue that this relationship is likely to be important in reasoning about moral values for inclusion in culturally diverse schools. However, we know little about how children in diverse educational settings reason about and enact school values for inclusion. Our study addresses this gap by examining primary school children’s epistemic reasoning about the social inclusion of peers with a focus on justifications for inclusion/exclusion of aggressive peers. Twenty-six children (10–11 years old) from one culturally diverse school community in Australia were asked to illustrate (drawings) and reflect on (15–20 minute interviews) a conflict situation involving exclusion from play. The findings showed that most children reasoned about including/excluding others based on a ‘one right answer’ pattern which reflected an explicit focus on following the school rules. Fewer children moved ‘beyond right answers’ to show transition towards perceiving multiple perspectives in their reasoning about inclusion/exclusion. Implications for values education are discussed.     

Home Visiting Among Inner-City Families: Links to Early Academic Achievement

This study examines the long-term effects of a home visiting program, Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, on students from mostly low-income, Latino families (n = 254). Children who were in the home visiting program during their early years were compared with a similar demographic group who participated in prekindergarten in the same inner-city area but did not participate in home visiting. Data linked participation in home visiting to state test scores and other information from public schools through the end of elementary school. Research Findings: Secondary data analyses tested for intervention effects on reading and math achievement in an urban school district using 4 waves of data covering kindergarten through 5th grade. Growth curve modeling showed that participation in home visiting predicted higher academic achievement through the 5th grade. Practice or Policy: Parent-focused intervention during early childhood appears to have a lasting impact on children’s achievement. In addition to parent engagement, quality school curriculum and quality instruction affect achievement in elementary school. A comprehensive curriculum focus throughout the early school years should be implemented regardless of preparation for high-stakes testing.     

Unmarked Privilege and Marked Oppression: Analyzing Predominantly White and Minority Serving Institutions as Racialized Organizations

Innovative Higher Education - The categorization of predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and minority serving institutions (MSIs) affects the distribution of resources, privileges, and...