International students: a vulnerable student population

This study examines the experiences of international students at The University of Toledo, where international students comprise approximately 10% of the student population. It highlights problems international students experience such as adapting to a new culture, English language problems, financial problems and lack of understanding from the broader University community. Recommendations for improvement include initiatives to raise the profile of international students, improved financial assistance and scholarships, and creating opportunities for international students to improve their spoken English skills.     

Teacher Evaluation and Effectiveness in Hong Kong: Issues and Challenges

This article first provides an overview of teacher effectiveness and evaluation in Hong Kong. Several studies related to classroom environment and teacher behavior in selected subjects are referenced, as are recent studies of teachers instructional leadership. Finally, the preliminary use of the Revised Classroom Observation Instrument (RCOI) from the Louisiana School Effectiveness Study in three secondary schools is reported. The results from using the RCOI in Hong Kong indicate that some items may be irrelevant in the Hong Kong context (e.g., physical characteristics), while more items may be needed to reflect good teaching in Hong Kong (e.g., questioning skills). In addition, the potential use of teacher profiles to drive staff development and school improvement is explored.     

UPCC: A model of plagiarism-free inquiry project-based learning

Plagiarism is a common problem among students, and if unaddressed, it may lead to severe consequences for students' academic integrity and education, and even for their career advancement. It is therefore essential to incorporate comprehensive anti-plagiarism intervention at an early stage of education. This study introduces UPCC (Understanding, Paraphrasing, Citations, and Checks), a pedagogical model of plagiarism-free project-based learning (PjBL), to provide a basis for plagiarism prevention for secondary school students aged 11–13. The UPCC model incorporates (U)nderstanding plagiarism, learning about (P)araphrasing and related skills, generating proper (C)itations with an online citation tool and conducting originality (C)hecks with an online tool. Evaluation of the model shows that this pedagogy effectively enables students to avoid plagiarism in behavioural, cognitive and affective aspects. The positive and negative factors affecting plagiarism are also outlined. This study may provide practical guidance for secondary teachers to implement the UPCC model in their teaching of avoiding plagiarism; it may also contribute to future research committed to students' changes in behaviour, cognition and emotion.     

Microstructured multi-well plate for three-dimensional packed cell seeding and hepatocyte cell culture

In this article, we present a microstructured multi-well plate for enabling three-dimensional (3D) high density seeding and culture of cells through the use of a standard laboratory centrifuge to promote and maintain 3D tissue-like cellular morphology and cell-specific functionality in vitro without the addition of animal derived or synthetic matrices or coagulants. Each well has microfeatures on the bottom that are comprised of a series of ditches/open microchannels. The dimensions of the microchannels promote and maintain 3D tissue-like cellular morphology and cell-specific functionality in vitro. After cell seeding with a standard pipette, the microstructured multi-well plates were centrifuged to tightly pack cells inside the ditches in order to enhance cell-cell interactions and induce formation of 3D cellular structures during cell culture. Cell-cell interactions were optimized based on cell packing by considering dimensions of the ditches/open microchannels, orientation of the microstructured multi-well plate during centrifugation, cell seeding density, and the centrifugal force and time. With the optimized cell packing conditions, we demonstrated that after 7 days of cell culture, primary human hepatocytes adhered tightly together to form cord-like structures that resembled 3D tissue-like cellular architecture. Importantly, cell membrane polarity was restored without the addition of animal derived or synthetic matrices or coagulants.     

Audio-based versus text-based asynchronous online discussion: two case studies

The main objective of this paper is to examine the use of audio- versus text-based asynchronous online discussions. We report two case studies conducted within the context of semester-long teacher education courses at an Asian Pacific university. Forty-one graduate students participated in Study I. After the online discussions (both audio-based as well as text-based) had ended, qualitative data via student reflections were collected. Results revealed that audio-based discussions have six distinct perceived affordances compared to text-based ones. Interestingly, despite the reported affordances, more than half of the students reported that they preferred to use a text-based discussion if given a choice. The main reasons for their preference were explored. In Study II, 42 undergraduate students took part. Similar to Study I, participants in Study II also indicated that they felt more comfortable using a text-based discussion. The reasons for their preference were also discussed. Directions for future research are proposed.     

Effects of training experienced teachers in the use of the one‐minute preceptor technique in the gross anatomy laboratory

The one‐minute preceptor (OMP) is a time‐efficient, learner‐centered teaching method used in a busy ambulatory care setting. This project evaluated the effects of training experienced anatomy teachers in the use of the OMP in the gross anatomy laboratory on students' perceived learning. Second‐year medical students from a five‐year, undergraduate‐entry, system‐ and problem‐based medical program were divided randomly into two groups of 76 students each. The groups took part in the same gross anatomy laboratory session on different dates, supervised by the same two teachers (both with over 25 years of teaching experience). The teachers attended a workshop on the use of the OMP between the two sessions. Students were given a questionnaire at the end of the two sessions to indicate their agreements to statements regarding their learning experiences. Semistructured interviews were conducted with the two teachers after the second session. Results showed that training experienced anatomy teachers in the use of the OMP did not result in improvement of student learning perception in the gross anatomy laboratory. The experienced teachers have developed their own approaches with elements similar to those in the OMP: being learner centered and adaptable to individual student's needs, providing feedback, and enhancing teacher immediacy. They do not have an explicit structure such as the OMP, and are thus flexible and adaptive. Confining the teachers' teaching behaviors to the OMP structure could limit their performance. Although there are theoretical advantages for novice teachers in adopting the OMP technique, these advantages still need to be supported by further studies. Anat Sci Educ 7: 124–129. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Institutional performance in the publishing of economic papers during 1975–79

This brief article shows a simple ranking of institutions based on the institutional affiliation of authors who together contributed at least 1 percent of the total pages of top economic journals. In addition, it summarizes an analysis of the relative concentration of authors which seems to indicate a weakening of the dominance long enjoyed by a small number of institutions in the publishing of economic papers in the four journals.