Physical environment as a 3-D textbook: design and development of a prototype

The use of the physical environment as a three-dimensional (3-D) textbook is not a common practice in educational facilities design. Previous researches documented that little progress has been made to incorporate environmental education (EE) into architecture, especially among the conventional designers who are often constrained by the budget and building area requirements. This article presents an exploratory project to develop a prototype for the 3-D textbook. The author does not formulate ideas and concept based on the pre-determined specs in a design brief. Instead, the design solution evolved through a qualitative case study conducted at the Green School in Bali, Indonesia. Data were collected through a series of interviews and on-site observations. The qualitative findings uncovered four design features for the 3-D textbook. A prototype was subsequently developed using the design features as a blueprint. The prototype serves as a testing ground for new ideas as well as a platform to promote awareness and acceptance of the 3-D textbook among the practitioners. Consequently, this article attempted a significant proposition to bring together architecture and EE, thus potentially contributing to a field of knowledge that embraces design and education.     

Efficient dielectrophoretic cell enrichment using a dielectrophoresis-well based system

Whilst laboratory-on-chip cell separation systems using dielectrophoresis are increasingly reported in the literature, many systems are afflicted by factors which impede “real world” performance, chief among these being cell loss (in dead spaces, attached to glass and tubing surfaces, or sedimentation from flow), and designs with large channel height-to-width ratios (large channel widths, small channel heights) that make the systems difficult to interface with other microfluidic systems. In this paper, we present a scalable structure based on 3D wells with approximately unity height-to-width ratios (based on tubes with electrodes on the sides), which is capable of enriching yeast cell populations whilst ensuring that up to 94.3% of cells processed through the device can be collected in tubes beyond the output.     

Academic promotion in Malaysian public universities: a critical look at issues and challenges

The expansion and transformation of Malaysian universities have generated major changes in the nature of academic employment and the structure of academic promotion in higher education institutions. These changes have considerable implications, in particular for the policy and practice of academic promotion in the public universities. We argue that despite sharing one common grade and salary system, distinct and significant differences exist in the academic promotion systems of the public universities. Drawing on one recent study on the academic promotion process in Malaysian public universities to contextualise our discussion, this paper highlights the complexity in the promotion process in these institutions. It also discusses and articulates the attendant issues and challenging aspects of the academic promotion process. We argue that the interrelated issues and challenges, and certain academic practices and habits stemming from the pressure to gain a promotion are pervasive, and that they affect the academic value system and work culture. We conclude by asserting the importance of applying a consistent standard for promotion within a single salary system and that the academic promotion system in the public universities should ultimately affirm and communicate core academic values, and also aim at obtaining evidence of excellent accomplishments.     

New insights on the utilization of ultrasonicated mustard seed cake: chemical composition and antagonistic potential for root-knot nematode,Meloidogyne javanica

This study focused, for the first time, on the effect of ultrasonic features on the extraction efficiency of secondary metabolites in mustard seed cake(MSC). The nematostatic potential of sonicated seed cake was examined against the second-stage juveniles(J2 s) of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica. The results show that a 35 ppm(parts per million) concentration of a sonicated extract(SE) sample of MSC caused 65% J2 s mortality at 18 h exposure period in vitro. It also significantly suppressed the root-knot index(RKI=0.94) in tomato roots. The lethal concentration values for SE were 51.76, 29.79, and 13.34 ppm,respectively, at 6, 12, and 18 h of the exposure period, and the lethal concentration values for the non-sonicated extract(NSE)sample were 116.95, 76.38, and 55.59 ppm, respectively, at similar exposure time. Sinapine and gluconapin were identified as the major compounds in ultrasonic-assisted MSC. Because of the high extraction efficiency of metabolites in the SE, all treatments of SE were shown to be antagonistic to J2 s. Thus, this study of ultrasonication activity-based profiling of MSC may help generate target-based compounds at a scale relevant to the control of disease caused by nematodes in economic crops.     

Measuring Science Teachers’ Stress Level Triggered by Multiple Stressful Conditions

The complexity of science teaching requires science teachers to encounter a range of tasks. Some tasks are perceived as stressful while others are not. This study aims to investigate the extent to which different teaching situations lead to different stress levels. It also aims to identify the easiest and most difficult conditions to be regarded as stressful conditions by science teachers. An occupational stress inventory of 25 items developed by Okebukola (1988) validation of the occupational stress inventory for science teachers. Science Teacher, was used to measure the science teachers’ stress level in science teaching. A four point Likert scale ranging from 1 – ‘no stress at all’ to 4 – ‘extreme stress’ was used. Fifty-eight Malaysian secondary science teachers participated in the survey in which six volunteered to participate in the interview study. The data was then analyzed using the Rasch model to measure the level of stress caused by different kinds of stressful conditions. Even though ‘overloaded science syllabus’ was identified to be the basis of multiple stressful conditions, it was, however, difficult for the respondents to regard it as a stressful condition. On the other hand, the respondents found that ‘having to teach difficult science topics’ is easiest to be regarded as a stressful condition. It was shown that even though ‘overloaded science syllabus’ is the starting point for stress caused by multiple conditions, due to the availability of coping strategies which can be employed by the respondents, the stressor is minor in causing stress among teachers. On the other hand, when teachers lack the availability of coping strategies dealing with teaching difficult science topics, they easily feel stressful. One of the main recommendations to overcome stressful conditions is to provide the science teachers ‘topic specific pedagogy’ during in-service training.     

Chlorella vulgaris triggers apoptosis in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats

Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. We evaluated the effect of CV on apoptotic regulator protein expression in liver cancer-induced rats. Male Wistar rats (200∼250 g) were divided into eight groups: control group (normal diet), CDE group (choline deficient diet supplemented with ethionine in drinking water to induce hepatocarcinogenesis), CV groups with three different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight), and CDE groups treated with different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight). Rats were sacrificed at various weeks and liver tissues were embedded in paraffin blocks for immunohistochemistry studies. CV, at increasing doses, decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, but increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, caspase 8, in CDE rats, which was correlated with decreased hepatoctyes proliferation and increased apoptosis as determined by bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU) labeling and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. Our study shows that CV has definite chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis via decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of caspase 8 in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats. Project supported by Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UKM Medical Center, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and the Malaysian Ministry of Science and Technological Innovation (MOSTI)     

Effectiveness of the selected techniques in enhancing the achievement in science among the children with learning disabilities： Sharing experiences

In national perception, education is essentially for all. This is fundamental to all-round development, material and spiritual. It refines sensitivities and perceptions that contribute to national cohesion, a scientific temper and independence of mind and spirit--thus furthering the goals of socialism secularism and democracy enshrined in our constitution. The objective of the study focuses on achievement of children with learning disability in science. There are 5 null hypothesis tested in this research. The sample used in this study includes 35 children with learning disabilities in experimental group and 42 children with learning disabilities in control group. The different views taken on special education have ignited spark of controversies over segregating some children from the mainstream and providing them with extra opportunities. There are arguments for and against both special education and integrated education. Special education means the specifically designed instruction that meets the unusual needs of special children. It requires special materials, teaching, techniques, equipment and facilities. The design was an experimental research pre and post-test equivalent group. The research shows that there is no significant difference in all learning objective such as knowledge, comprehension and skill between control group and experimental group in the pre-test. This two sample groups also did not show any significant difference in the pre-test irrespective of gender, educational qualification of the teacher, years of experience of the teacher, parents＇ education, parents＇ profession, parents＇ income, type of management and type of school. On the other hand, for the post-test all the characteristics show that there are significant differences. This shows that there are effects on the treatment group in learning objective. Furthermore the experimental group showed significantly higher gain score than the control group with regard to the learning objective which comprises of knowledge, comprehension, application and skill.     

Opening Up Alternatives to Dominant Ideological Constructions of English Language Teaching in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the impact of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) on the way English language teaching (ELT) is currently understood and practised in Malaysia. It presents a critical discourse analysis of newspaper texts in order to show how CEFR represents a form of Western-imposed globalisation that conflicts with local cultures and values. We argue that the newspapers construct a dominant discourse that promotes a vision of society that accords with CEFR–ELT implementation. Our aim is to contribute to the development of a counter-discourse that challenges the broader world-view underpinning ELT.     

An e-learning environment embedded with sign language videos: research into its usability and the academic performance and learning patterns of deaf students

Educational technology research and development - This research investigates the usability of an e-learning environment that is embedded with sign language videos and deaf students’ related...     

Translating theory into practice: integrating the affective and cognitive learning dimensions for effective instruction in engineering education

Learning in the cognitive domain is highly emphasised and has been widely investigated in engineering education. Lesser emphasis is placed on the affective dimension although the role of affects has been supported by research. The lack of understanding on learning theories and how they may be translated into classroom application of teaching and learning is one factor that contributes to this situation. This paper proposes a working framework for integrating the affective dimension of learning into engineering education that is expected to promote better learning within the cognitive domain. Four major learning theories namely behaviourism, cognitivism, socio-culturalism, and constructivism were analysed and how affects are postulated to influence cognition are identified. The affective domain constructs identified to be important are self-efficacy, attitude and locus of control. Based on the results of the analysis, a framework that integrates methodologies for achieving learning in the cognitive domain with the support of the affective dimension of learning is proposed. It is expected that integrated approach can be used as a guideline to engineering educators in designing effective and sustainable instructional material that would result in the effective engineers for future development.