An Assessment of Statistical Process Control-Based Approaches for Charting Student Evaluation Scores

We compare three control charts for monitoring data from student evaluations of teaching (SET) with the goal of improving student satisfaction with teaching performance. The two charts that we propose are a modified p chart and a z‐score chart. We show that these charts overcome some of the shortcomings of the more traditional charts for analyzing SET data. A comparison of three charts (an individuals chart, the modified p chart, and the z‐score chart) reveals that the modified p chart is the best approach for analyzing SET data because it utilizes distributions that are appropriate for categorical data, and its interpretation is more straightforward. We conclude that administrators and faculty alike can benefit by using the modified p chart to monitor and improve teaching performance as measured by student evaluations.     

Hyperinsulinemia and Hypoadiponectinemia are Associated with Increased Risk for Occurrence of Ovarian Cancer in Non-diabetic Women of North Indian Population

Ovarian cancer has been emerged as a most common and lethal gynecological malignancy in India. High serum insulin and low adiponectin have been associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer. But their role in development of ovarian cancer is conflicting and little evidence is available. We aimed to evaluate blood levels of insulin and adiponectin in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients and their association with the risk to develop EOC. The study included following three groups; Group 1: fifty cases of cytohistopathologically confirmed cases of EOC, Group 2: fifty age matched cases of benign ovarian conditions and Group 3: fifty ages matched healthy controls with no evidence of any benign or malignant ovarian pathology as ruled out by clinical examination and relevant investigations. Cytohistopathologically confirmed and newly diagnosed cases of EOC and benign ovarian cancer were included in this study. The median value of fasting serum insulin was significantly high (15.0 µlU/ml, P = 0.02) and adiponectin were significantly low (5.1 µg/ml, P < 0.001) in ovarian cancer patients compared to benign ovarian tumors and healthy controls group. A significant increase risk of ovarian cancer was found in high tertile (≥ 18.7 µlU/ml) of serum insulin level (OR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.00–6.67, P = 0.04) and lower tertile (≤ 5.45 µg/ml) of adiponectin level (OR = 3.2; 95% CI = 1.10–9.71, P = 0.03). High serum insulin level and low adiponectin levels were significantly associated with increased risk for development of ovarian cancer.     

Technology Readiness, Learning Goals, and eLearning: Searching for Synergy

More and more business schools are offering classes online or classes using a mix of face‐to‐face and online elements. In this article, we focus on how technology readiness and learning‐goal orientation influence students' preference toward these mixed classes. We conducted a large‐scale survey to determine whether students who are technology ready would place higher utility on enrolling in mixed classes and/or whether there exists a participation bias such that students with low learning‐goal orientation place higher utility on enrolling in mixed classes. We found that overall students who are more technology ready do place higher utility on enrolling in mixed classes, but that learning‐goal orientation does not influence this decision. We conclude with implications and recommendations for business schools that are interested in offering mixed classes.     

An Infant with Milky Blood : An Unusual but Treatable Case of Familial Hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia is increasing prevalent risk factor in children, concomitant with worldwide epidemic of obesity. Lipid disorder can occur either as primary event or secondary to an underlying disease. The primary dyslipidemia are associated with overproductions/or impaired removal of lipoprotein. The latter defect can be induced by an abnormality in either the lipoprotein itself or in the lipoprotein receptor. A 2 month old male baby was found to have highly viscous and milky serum. S. Cholesterol was 2,200 mg/dl and triglycerides 13,292 mg%. There was no dysmorphic feature. Child was anemic and had hepatosplenomegaly and xanthomas. There was positive history of hyperlipidemia in first maternal cousin. Parents of index case had normal lipid profile. The child was put on lipid lowering agents, Iron drops, medium chain fatty acid.     

Against empathy: moving beyond colonizing practices in educational technology

Empathetic design is the ability for the designer to predict the cognitive and emotional experience of learners as they engage with the design product and process. It aims to center sensitivity toward learners, and the design process as a whole, which suggests potential application in educational settings. In the shift to digital, empathetic design may help instructors imagine learners’ thoughts and feelings engaged during the learning activity, and make iterative changes in response. Though empathetic design highlights sensitivity toward learners, by attempting to ‘be’ the other, it may unintentionally enact practices, and ideologies, of colonization. Recommendations for praxis via humanizing pedagogy are offered.