Bilingual language proficiency: A comparative study

International Review of Education -     

Voices of home and school on democracy and human rights education at the primary level: a case study

The purpose of this research was to investigate the perceptions of home and school concerning ideally implemented primary democracy and human rights education. In this qualitative study, data were collected from six voluntary classroom teachers and 16 parents in a selected school through interviews. The results of the interview yielded five major themes: physical and environmental issues, instructional process, teacher characteristics, assessment practices, and communication patterns for teaching democracy and human rights ideally. Most of the participants also indicated the lack of partnership between home and school. The results showed that there are gaps between the existing and desired conditions of democracy and human rights education in schools.     

Hydro-Alcoholic Cinnamon Extract, Enhances Glucose Transporter Isotype-4 Translocation from Intracellular Compartments into the Cytoplasmic Membrane of C2C12 Myotubes

Cinnamon has been used as an anti-diabetic agent for centuries but only in recent few years its mechanism of action has been under investigation. Previous studies showed that cinnamon might exert its anti-diabetic effect via increasing glucose transporter isotype-4 (GLUT4) gene and glycoprotein contents in fat cells. To study if hydro-alcoholic cinnamon extract (HACE) enhances GLUT4 translocation from intracellular compartments of nuclear or endoplasmic reticulum membranes (N/ER) into the cytoplasmic membrane (CM). C2C12 myoblastic cell line were seeded in DMEM plus 20 % FBS and differentiated to myotubes using 2 % horse serum. After myotubes formation, 100 or 1,000 μg/ml HACE, as intervention, and as control 1 % DMSO were added for 3 h. Cells were washed and homogenized followed by ultracentrifuge fractionation, protein separation by SDS-PAGE and GLUT4 detection using semi-quantitative Western blotting. Data analysis was done by two-independent samples t test for comparison of mean ± SD of GLUT4 percent in categories. GLUT4 contents were higher in CM of groups 100 and 1,000 μg/ml HACE and lower in 1 % DMSO treated myotubes (CI = 0.95, P < 0.05). For N/ER reverse results were obtained (CI = 0.95, P < 0.05). As our results have shown HACE induces GLUT4 translocation from intra-cell into cell surface. We conclude that cinnamon maybe a choice of type-2 diabetes mellitus treatment because its extract enhances GLUT4 contents in CM where it facilitates glucose entrance into the cell. However it is necessary to trace the signaling pathways which are activated by HACE in muscular tissue.     

A Community-Driven Metadata Framework for Describing Cultural Resources: The Digital Library North Project

This article describes the Digital Library North (DLN) project, a collaboration among researchers at the University of Alberta, staff at the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre, and communities within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) to develop a culturally appropriate metadata framework for a digital library of cultural resources. It will discuss gathering of data to inform the first iteration of the metadata framework and digital library prototype, as well as revisions made to both the framework and the digital library based on feedback obtained through community interaction with the prototype.     

ASSESSING CHEMISTRY-LEARNING COMPETENCIES OF STUDENTS IN ISOLATED RURAL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS BY USING THE NATIONAL EXAMINATION: A CASE STUDY OF SIMEULUE ISLAND,INDONESIA

This study explored learning competency based on the Indonesian National Examination focusing especially on chemistry performance and the circumstances of senior high school students and teachers in rural areas of Simeulue Island, Indonesia. The National Examination total score and chemistry score for students in rural areas were consistently lower than students in urban areas during 2008–2010. The majority of rural students were failing to master key chemistry concepts. Their low performance on laboratory-based questions appeared to indicate that the associated practical work was not done as part of the chemistry courses. Some chemistry topics were not taught due to insufficient time, student weaknesses, insufficient textbooks, and other reasons. The issues of low competency of teachers, poverty for the majority of students, low enrollment in schools, and low competition among students in these rural senior high schools appeared to be common problems across rural settings. The local government has recommended providing a consolidated rural high school with qualified chemistry teachers, laboratories, and transportation to address factors negatively influencing student achievement. Furthermore, local rural school officials need to recruit and retain qualified teachers in these isolated areas, provide effective textbooks and instructional resources, and facilitate the professional development of chemistry teachers.     

Indigenous innovations in higher education: Local knowledge and critical research

International Review of Education -     

The impact of organizational factors on management information system success: An investigation in the Iran's agricultural extension providers

Information system success has been widely discussed in the past two decades. As systems and technologies are being improved and developed, discussions on their effectiveness and evaluation on their success have been continuously debated by researchers, scholars and practitioners throughout the years. Besides the major concern of IS effectiveness, factors influencing IS effectiveness are also important. One of these factors is the organizational factor. Using perceptual measures, this study aims to investigate the influence of organizational factors on MIS success. Survey questionnaires were gathered from 132 Extension Managers from Iran's Agricultural Extension Providers. Seven items were identified to influence MIS success. They are IS department structure, top management support, management style, managerial IT knowledge, goal alignment, resources allocation and IS infrastructure. The study also identified five MIS success dimensions; systems quality, information quality, perceived Ease of use, organizational impact and individual impact. The study found that the MIS success variables are significantly and highly correlated. The study also found all the organizational factors are significantly correlated to the five IS success factors investigated; the system quality, information quality, perceived ease of use, organizational impact and individual impact. Multiple regression analyses also found goal alignment as the highest predictor of IS success, followed by IS department structure, IS infrastructure and management style.     

Measuring intermittent exercise performance using shuttle running

Abstract

The aim of this study was to include self-paced exercise within a modified Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST-P) in order to quantify key performance variables not possible with prescribed workloads. Sixteen male games players performed two trials of the LIST-P, at least 7 days apart. The LIST-P incorporates 4 × 15-min blocks of “prescribed-pace” activity (participants exercise in time to audible signals) followed by 2 × 15-min blocks of “self-paced” running (no audible signals). Distances covered and mean speeds were monitored during self-paced exercise. Total distance covered (12.54 ± 0.45 km vs. 12.64 ± 0.32 km; P = 0.10) and mean speed (8.37 ± 0.31 km ? h^?1 vs. 8.44 ± 0.22 km ? h^?1; P = 0.10) was similar between trials. Other indices also showed the test to be reliable (Pearson’s correlation = 0.89 and 0.90 (P < 0.01), total distance and mean speed, respectively; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.88 and 0.88 (P < 0.01); standard error of measurement = ±0.13 km and ±0.09 km ? h^?1; coefficient of variation (CV) = 1.7% and 1.7%; ratio limits of agreement = 1.00 */÷1.03 and 1.01 */÷1.04). Sprint time was also similar between trials (2.60 ± 0.19 s vs. 2.64 ± 0.23 s; P = 0.29). Incorporating self-paced exercise within an established intermittent shuttle running test appears to be a sensitive means of quantifying key performance variables for multiple-sprint sports research.     

无边界教育:通过电子教学与有效网络拆除障碍——在“2008世界开放与远程教育论坛”上的主题报告

近年来，无边界教育有了长足的发展，主要原因有：高等教育机构日益紧迫的国际化要求、信息与通信技术的优势以及全世界教育需求的迅速增长。这引起发达国家与发展中国家从各自不同的视角就这一主题开展了非常热烈的讨论，每一方都试图就无边界教育的优点与推行无边界教育的成本作出评估。什么是无边界教育呢？“无边界教育”这个词是指跨越常规的时空和地域界线所提供的教育。