Diversity in education using blended learning in Sarawak

One of the objectives of Malaysia Ministry of Education is to provide educational opportunities for all Malaysians. Are education opportunities given fairly to all Malaysians who come from two big regions and divided by the South China Sea？ The web infancy era, where the World Wide Web （WWW） is blooming fast, has changed the new millennium teaching and learning process tremendously. Although the online learning can reach to students regardless of their location and backgrounds, human contact is still very important in traditional face-to-face learning. Blended learning course comprising online learning and traditional face-to-face learning components is an effective teaching and learning method, where it combines the best from both worlds. Blended learning courses only started a few years ago in Malaysia higher learning institutions to give everybody equal opportunities to study. The key acceptance of blended learning approach and continuing improvement is students＇ satisfaction. This study focused on students＇ satisfaction related to the nine components of blended learning （course content, technical, flexibility, community learning, motivation, sharing, feedback, complementary learning and personalized learning） from two locations： urban and rural areas. The study employed a mixed method consisting of a survey questionnaire distributed first to collect the quantitative data and followed by the interview to refine and explain the data. The population of the study consisted of students who enrolled in the Mathematics Blended Learning Course in Sarawak state in semester July-November, 2007. Census was used in the study. The survey instrument was developed and validated using Rasch model. The semi-structured questionnaire was used in qualitative data collection. The quantitative data was analyzed by using SPSS v 14.0 whilst the qualitative data was coded by using NVivo software. Results from the quantitative data showed that students were satisfied in all nine components regardless of the location. The grand mean of all components also indicated that respondents were satisfied with blended learning course. This result was supported by the qualitative data.     

Civic Knowledge,Engagement, and Participation Narratives of Youth of Color in Urban Schools

The issues associated with students’ civic knowledge, engagement, and participation have been heightened in intellectual debates and public discussions. However, these discussions have not focused heavily on urban youths’ civic identities or the locations of these identities within the youths’ personal narratives of ethnicity, race, class, and gender. This article presents the narratives of four urban high school youths of color, selected from a larger study about youths’ experiences in school and society and the ways in which classroom learning encouraged their inquiry, assessment of their social worlds and personal goals, and emerging personal and civic identities. Our purpose was to gain insights regarding the youths’ sociopolitical perspectives on local educational and social issues affecting them and to understand their multiple literacies in the context of their civic engagement, increasing youth advocacy, and larger political tensions. The theoretical framing of this investigation is grounded in democratic education and sociopolitical consciousness and draws upon research that focuses on civic participation and democratic society. Four dominant themes emerged from the analysis: educational inequality, social media, schooling, and race and mass incarceration. This article contributes to an expansive framing for civic education by examining the civic knowledge of urban youths of color and offers implications for research, practice, and policy.     

Computers in Distance Education: gender differences in self‐perceived computer competencies

This article reports on the gender differences in self‐perceived computer competencies among distance education learners at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Four aspects of competencies that are related to computer usage and its applications were studied; these were competencies in the usage of general computer software, usage of networking software, handling of computer hardware and performing computer maintenance. The results showed that there are no significant differences between the genders in terms of the competencies in the usage of general computer software as well as networking software. These are directly linked to the educational purposes needed to support and facilitate learning in distance education. However, gender differences are observed regarding competencies in their handling of most aspects of computer hardware as well as performing computer maintenance.     

Effects of surface finish and treatment on the fatigue behaviour of vibrating cylinder block using frequency response approach

INTRODUCTION Due to market pressures for improvements in productivity, reliability, ductility, wear resistance and profitability of mechanical systems, manufacturers are placing increasing demands on available materials.Economic constraints require that these materials are inexpensive and easily available. In order to enhance the surface properties of today’s materials, producers of components are turning to different surface finish and treatments. There are several techniques available …     

Phytochemical composition,biological potential and enzyme inhibition activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scandix pecten-veneris</Emphasis> L.

Objective

Scandix pecten-veneris L. is a less studied wild edible herb and is considered an extinct plant species in many parts of the world. This study was designed to evaluate its phytochemical composition and biological potential of S. pecten-veneris L.

Methods

Phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins were determined in extracts of S. pecten-veneris. Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), while reducing power was tested by ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Antimicrobial activity against seven bacterial and four fungal strains was evaluated using agar well diffusion assay. Enzymes inhibition study was performed for urease, phosphodiesterase-I, and catalase-II.

Results

S. pecten-veneris showed moderate antiradical activity and reducing potential of hydroxyl radicals to about 20% of the initial value. The antioxidant activity of various extracts of S. pecten-veneris showed a linear correlation with total phenolic contents in the order of water>n-butanol>chloroform>ethyl acetate>methanol extracts. S. pecten-veneris leaves showed the highest inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus while the highest antifungal activity was observed against Candida albicans. The plant extract was most potent against urease enzymes but showed moderate activity against phosphodiestrase-I and carbonic anhydrase-II.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that in addition to its culinary uses, S. pecten-veneris has good medicinal potential and hence could be used for treating some specific health ailments.

     

Investigation of a novel perforation technique in petroleum wells—perforation by drilling

The objective of perforating the petroleum wells is to maximize well productivity. A good connectivity between the wellbore and formation can lead up to achieve that goal. However, the conventional method of perforation, which basically involves the use of explosive charges, rarely meets the expected well productivity. It is mainly because of the formation of a region of reduced permeability around the perforation tunnel. To offset such and several other shortcomings of present practices, a new technique is required, the highlight of this paper. Described as the ‘perforation by drilling’ (PD), this new technique is examined and compared for its performance with that of another technique, ‘Perforation by Shooting’ (PS). For this, the experimental and numerical results of the PS technique on cylindrical sand samples of varying amounts of strength and porosity are studied. Moreover, in order to achieve a so-called ‘perfect perforation’, results are compared with the ‘Casting technique’. Three different samples were selected for the measurement of fluid flow rate and differential pressure across the perforation using a ‘geotechnical digital system’ (GDS), which is a triaxial testing device. Profiles such as fluid flow rate with a change in differential pressure and pressure build-up data with time, signify that the PD technique can achieve maximum wellbore productivity when compared to the PS technique. Results also indicate that at a 100 kPa differential pressure, the PS, PD and Casting techniques can achieve 0.20, 0.65 and 1.00 mL/s fluid flow rates respectively across a sample. The paper also implements a 1-D time dependent porous media flow model to simulate flow across the perforated cylindrical samples created by the PS, PD and Casting techniques. Results show a good consistency between the experimental and numerical approaches.     

Childhood Maltreatment,Gender Nonconformity,and Adolescent Sexual Orientation: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

This study tested whether associations between childhood maltreatment and adolescent sexual orientation were accounted for by childhood gender nonconforming behavior (GNCB) in a prospective birth cohort (N = 5,007). Childhood parental maltreatment (physical and emotional) and GNCB were assessed on multiple occasions up to age 6 years, and sexual orientation at 15.5 years. Boys with a history of maltreatment were significantly more likely to be nonheterosexual. Using propensity score weighting, maltreatment was associated with a 3.5% (p = .03) increase in the prevalence of nonheterosexuality accounting for confounders not including GNCB, and by 2.9% (p = .06) when also accounting for GNCB. These findings suggest that maltreatment is associated with an increased prevalence of nonheterosexuality in boys but may be explained by confounding factors including GNCB.     

Exploring the Meanings of Hijab through Online Comments in Canada

Controversies surrounding ethnic dress such as hijab have increased public awareness about cultural diversity. The number of comments posted on online media make it evident that many people are concerned about ethnic attire, cultural differences and social cohesion. Although researchers have examined the meanings of veiling, the relationships between hijab and public opinion have seldom been investigated. The overarching objective of this study was to understand the relationships between Islamic attire and online readers’ opinion. In light of the limitations in the previous studies on this topic, this study attempts to fill the gap by studying posters’ opinions toward hijab through publicly available online information in the form of posted comments.