A naive bayes approach for converging learning objects with open educational resources

Open educational resources (OER) are digitised material freely available to the students and self learners. Many institutions had initiated in incorporating these OERs in their higher educational system, to improve the quality of teaching and learning. These resources promotes individualised study, collaborative learning. If they are coupled with Learning Objects of Learning Management System (LMS), they can lead to opportunities for further pedagogical innovation. It has become increasingly important for educational institutions to support these resources, in a planned and systematic manner. Adapt, assemble and conceptualise existing OERs to respond to diverse learning needs of students and support a variety of learning approaches for a given learning goal is a challenge. In this work, convergence of OERs with Learning Objects is done through metadata using classification techniques. Localisation of these high quality learning materials with the learning content of LMS, delivered as a single instructional unit may help in greater knowledge delivery and this can satisfy the learning needs of diverse student.     

Being Black, Male, and Gifted in Miami: Prevalence and Predictors of Placement in Elementary School Gifted Education Programs

Although it is well established that Black male students are underrepresented in gifted educational programs in the United States, due to a scarcity of longitudinal prospective research, little is known about the protective factors at the child, family, and school level that increase the probability of Black male students being identified as gifted during early elementary school. Using data from the Miami School Readiness Project, we followed 6,926 low-income Black males from preschool through 5th grade to describe trajectories for the 453 Black males (6.5 %) who were identified as gifted, and examined child, family, and preschool variables associated with gifted classification. Boys were most commonly identified as gifted in first and second grade, and 15 % of the identified boys did not appear to be receiving gifted courses. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that being classified as gifted in early elementary school was more likely for Black males who (a) attended public school pre-K programs at age four, (b) had higher cognitive, language, fine motor, behavioral, and emergent literacy school readiness skills before entering kindergarten, (c) spoke a language other than English at home, (d) were older upon entering kindergarten, (e) received higher grades in school, and (f) scored higher on standardized tests of math and reading. Predictors of gifted identification in the kindergarten year were different and weaker compared to identification in later years. Implications for early identification and intervention for talented Black males are discussed.     

Effect of immobilisation stress on lipid peroxidation and lipid profile in rabbits

Stress is one of the basic factors in the aetiology of a number of diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, aging, liver disease etc. Hence this work was designed to study the effect of stress in the form of forced immobilisation stress on lipid peroxidation and lipid profile in rabbits. The study was conducted in 25 healthy rabbits of either sex. Rabbits were subjected to forced immobilisation for two hours everyday for consecutive seven days. Blood samples were collected on day 1, 3 and 7 after immobilisation period. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation was estimated by TBA assay method. Lipid profile was analysed by multichannel autoanalyser. There was statistically significant increase in MDA, total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL and triglycerides with immobilisation. These findings indicate that stress in the form of forced immobilisation increases lipid peroxidation and alter lipid profile, which may be responsible for pathophysiology of various diseases.     

Phenolic compounds interfere in the estimation of copper by diethyldithiocarbamate method

For the estimation of copper, diethyldithiocarbamate method is most commonly employed in various laboratories where atomic absorption spectrophotometer is not available. The prevalence rate of gastrointestinal malignancies is very high in Kashmir as compared to other parts of the world. We could find high serum copper levels in gastrointestinal tract cancer. Intake of salted tea, prepared in copper vessel, is very common in Kashmir. Such tea samples showed copper value as 3168.9 (S.D. 700.5) μg/dl estimated by diethyldithiocarbamate method. When these samples analysed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer, the copper levels were just 9% as reported by colorimetric method. Various black salted tea samples were prepared in the laboratory in glass vessel. The mean copper was 1115.0 (S.D. 350.4) μg/dl. After addition of milk, the values were reduced by 50%. Nine phenolic compounds showed varying amount of copper by colorimetric method and no copper could be detected by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Phenolic compounds present in tea leaves interfere in the estimation of copper by diethyldithiocarbamate method. It is suggested that diethyldithiocarbamate colorimetric method for copper estimation is not suitable for solutions containing phenolic compounds.     

Impact of AR-based collaborative learning approach on knowledge gain of engineering students in embedded system course

Education and Information Technologies - Collaborative learning is the favored approach educators use to inculcate social skills and promote peer interactions in students. Embedded Systems is a...     

The relationships of dissociation and affective family environment with the intergenerational cycle of child abuse

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to test a model that may explain how physically abused children become physically abusive parents. It was predicted that when the family's affective environment is uncohesive, unexpressive, and conflictual, a history of abuse experiences would be associated with elevated dissociation. It was hypothesized that dissociation would mediate between a childhood history of abuse and the current potential to be physically abusive. METHOD: Abuse history, affective environment in the family-of-origin, dissociation, and abuse potential were assessed in a sample of 76 mothers with elementary school-age children. RESULTS: Predictions were supported. Affective Family Environment moderated the relation between abuse history and dissociation, with abuse history relating to greater dissociation primarily when the family environment was conflictual, uncohesive and unexpressive. Further, dissociation significantly mediated the relation between abuse history and abuse potential (Z = 2.19, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Dissociation's strong association with abuse potential may partially explain why only some abused children later perpetuate the cycle of abuse, as those who are not dissociative into adulthood are likely to have lower abuse potential, in contrast to those displaying elevated dissociation. The extent of the dissociation may depend on the affective family environment in which the abuse took place.     

Does distance matter? A study of married Indian women professionals staying away from families to pursue higher studies*

‘Return to school’ for enhancement of career is considered a means to career mobility. However, if ‘return to school’ is chosen after a certain stage it has its own costs and challenges. It becomes more complex, especially for women, if geographical distance from family becomes an additional variable to it. Present study, grounded in Indian context, examines married Indian women professionals, who opted for geographical separation from their families (including, in some cases, infants and small children) to pursue higher studies. The study explores what spurs well-qualified married women professionals to take a career break and join a rigorous educational programme which requires them to stay away from their families for a substantial time. Key themes that emerged from the study can be categorised as motives: dissatisfaction with work situation, need for skill enhancement, and an urge to develop one’s own identity; facilitators: support and encouragement from spouse and other family members and age; challenges faced: psychological turmoil, strain on relationships, and financial stress.     

Social justice and political education through non-formal education

The New Policy will lay special emphasis on the removal of disparities and equalise educational opportunity by attending to the specific needs of those who have been denied equality so far.     

Study of adenosine deaminase activity in pulmonary tuberculosis and other common respiratory diseases

Tuberculosis has, in a short span of time, become a major health problem in the third world or developing countries like India. In view of this, a retrospective study was conducted to study Adenosine deaminase activity in serum and pleural fluid in patients affected with Pulmonary Tuberculosis and other common non-tubercular chronic respiratory diseases. The study was carried out on 100 patients suffering from various pulmonary disorders, between January 2002 and August 2002. Thirty-five normal healthy individuals were included as control subjects. ADA estimation was done by sensitive colorimetric method. The study revealed that the serum ADA activity was higher in patients of tuberculous pulmonary and pleural diseases and non-tuberculous pulmonary diseases than in control subjects. The mean serum ADA activity in the patients’ group was 35.5±6.93 u/l as compared to 16.20±2.85 u/l in control group, showing a highly significant (P≪0.001) difference. ADA activity was highest in tuberculous pleuropulmonary diseases. The pleural fluid ADA activity was higher in pyogenic pleural effusion than in tuberculous pleural effusion.