News from the Funding Front: Upcoming Opportunities,Proposals Welcomed

Many life sciences faculty and administrators are unaware of existing funding programs and of the strategies needed for writing an educationally related proposal. We hope to remedy this problem by making the life sciences audience aware of two National Science Foundation programs underutilized by the biology community.This column has been a welcome opportunity to keep the CBE—Life Sciences Education readership aware of national efforts to improve undergraduate education in the life sciences and of ways to become a part of that effort (Woodin et al. 2009 , 2010 , 2012 ; Wei and Woodin, 2011 ). Throughout the years of engagement in the Vision and Change initiative, from the summer of 2007 to the present, the three primary agencies involved, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), have continually maintained a dialogue with participants through formal and informal conversations, workshops, and meetings. Our shared focus has been on how the life sciences community itself can change biology undergraduate education in order to better reflect and respond to the current educational environment, including the

• rapid advances in the discipline,
• new educational technologies and platforms becoming available,
• evidence developed through research on effective practices in undergraduate education, and
• challenges of accomplishing the necessary changes with the resources available.

As the participants have talked and the funding agencies have listened, it has become clear that many life sciences faculty and administrators are unaware of existing funding programs and of the strategies needed for writing an educationally related proposal. In this column, we hope to remedy this problem (in part) by making the life sciences audience aware of two NSF programs particularly relevant to Vision and Change that appear to be underutilized by the biology community. These are:

• Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) program (anticipated Spring of 2013 release), and
• Undergraduate Research Coordination Networks–Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) program (next deadline is June 14, 2013).

     

Reliability and validity evidence of scores on the Achievement Goal Tendencies Questionnaire in a sample of Spanish students of compulsory secondary education

This study examined the reliability and validity evidence drawn from the scores of the Spanish version of the Achievement Goal Tendencies Questionnaire (AGTQ) using a sample of 2,022 (51.1% boys) Spanish students from grades 7 to 10. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the correlated three‐factor structure of the AGTQ in this sample: Learning Goals (LG), Social Reinforcement Goals (SRG), and Performance Goals (PG). The AGTQ yields relatively reliable scores for Spanish students. Logistic regression analyses were used to provide additional validity evidence of AGTQ scores on academic success (general, Spanish, and mathematics). Results indicated that general academic success was 15% and 5% more likely every time that scores on LG and PG scales increased 1 point, respectively, although general academic success was 9% less likely every time that scores on SRG scale increased 1 point. These results were similar for Spanish and mathematics. However, the score on the LG scale did not forecast success in both subjects. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effects of insulin, glimepiride and combination therapy of insulin and metformin on blood sugar and lipid profile of NIDDM patients

In the present study the efficacies of therapy with insulin, sulphonylurea or insulin + metformin on NIDDM patients are compared. One group which was on a definite dose of insulin therapy, but with uncontrolled diabetes was treated by doubling the insulin dose, a second group whose diabetes was not controlled by glibenclamide was switched over to another sulphonylurea viz; glimepiride and a third group whose diabetes was not controlled by insulin therapy was switched over to a combination therapy with insulin +metformin. After recording their initial blood parameters all the groups were treated as above for 3 months, and the parameters were again determined. The fasting blood sugar and serum lipids of the first group were controlled significantly, but the values were far above normal range. However HDL Cholesterol and atherogenic index were near normal range. In glimepiride treated group, none of the parameters showed any amelioration. In the combined therapy group, control of blood sugar and atherogenic index was more or less the same as for group 1, but hyperlipidemia remained slightly above that of the same. From the findings we can infer that in long term diabetes treatment higher doses of insulin and combined therapy with insulin and metformin may be more beneficial than with low doses of insulin or sulfonyl urea alone     

Real moral problems in the use of virtual reality

In this paper, we argue that, under a specific set of circumstances, designing and employing certain kinds of virtual reality (VR) experiences can be unethical. After a general discussion of simulations and their ethical context, we begin our argument by distinguishing between the experiences generated by different media (text, film, computer game simulation, and VR simulation), and argue that VR experiences offer an unprecedented degree of what we call “perspectival fidelity” that prior modes of simulation lack. Additionally, we argue that when VR experiences couple this perspectival fidelity with what we call “context realism,” VR experiences have the ability to produce “virtually real experiences.” We claim that virtually real experiences generate ethical issues for VR technologies that are unique to the medium. Because subjects of these experiences treat them as if they were real, a higher degree of ethical scrutiny should be applied to any VR scenario with the potential to generate virtually real experiences. To mitigate this unique moral hazard, we propose and defend what we call “The Equivalence Principle.” This principle states that “if it would be wrong to allow subjects to have a certain experience in reality, then it would be wrong to allow subjects to have that experience in a virtually real setting.” We argue that such a principle, although limited in scope, should be part of the risk analysis conducted by any Institutional Review Boards, psychologists, empirically oriented philosophers, or game designers who are using VR technology in their work.     

Facilitating adult learning and a researcher identity through a higher education pedagogical process

This empirical study uses auto-ethnography to describe a higher education pedagogical process that facilitated largely doctoral students in preparing their candidacy proposals through the use of specific adult learning principles. Students＇ experiences and points of view of such a learning environment were explored, including： （1） how they contributed to their peers＇ learning; （2） how their peers contributed to their own individual learning; and （3） how the learning environment impacted the process. Key factors identified as pivotal to learning to learn, include creating a learning sanctuary and trusting relationships, engaging in mutual inquiry and the co-construction of meaning, and bridging research theory and practice. These factors enabled students to expand their identities to include a researcher identity and to negotiate deep knowledge at the personal level. Throughout this article, the students＇ points of view are used to elucidate shared and diverse experiences, in addition to supporting conclusions and recommendations for practice and further study.     

Parental involvement in children's schooling: Different meanings in different cultures

Three types of parent involvement—communicating, volunteering at school, and learning at home—were explored in two cultures within the United States. Immigrant Chinese parents and European American parents of young children reflect their different traditions in the ways they involve themselves in their child's academic life. European American parents volunteered more in schools, while Chinese American parents focused more on systematic teaching of their children at home. Chinese American parents were more critical of typical primary school report cards without ABC grades. Parents’ home teaching methods showed stability over time, demonstrating that parents who used formal, structured methods at Time 1 continued to do two and four years later.     

我国图情档学科关于文化信息数字资源整合的研究——以博物馆研究为视角

我国图情档学科认为博物馆是文化信息数字资源整合的主体之一。博物馆中以其展品为代表的文化信息资源对满足公众多样化的文化需求、增强中华文化竞争力起着重要作用。本文借助Citespace分析软件,通过对作者、机构、关键词可视化图谱的绘制,识别出我国图情档学科下以博物馆为主题词的科研文献成果概况、科研机构分布及研究热点词与其研究发展趋势。经分析得知,该学科下以博物馆为主题的研究可以分为两个阶段:第一阶段(1996-2008年)主要是博物馆文献资源的开发与利用、博物馆与图书馆文献资源的开发与利用、博物馆古籍保护管理工作以及古籍文献等主题。第二阶段(2009-2019年)主要探讨三馆馆际合作的资源整合路径、数字资源整合理论模式与合作机制等的研究,并结合相关文献内容,深入探讨以博物馆为主题的研究重点,基于此,我国图情档学科应以博物馆中丰富多样的文化信息资源为视角,开展涵盖档案馆、图书馆、博物馆的全种类、全范围的全文化信息数字资源整合。最后,本文围绕数字资源整合这一具有影响力的研究热点,探讨如何从图情档学科的角度出发,有效地涵盖博物馆,构建以图书馆、档案馆、博物馆三馆为主体的数字资源整合模式与机制,建...