NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fredlund, T.; Linder, C.; Airey, J.
2015-09-01
In this article we characterize transient learning challenges as learning challenges that arise out of teaching situations rather than conflicts with prior knowledge. We propose that these learning challenges can be identified by paying careful attention to the representations that students produce. Once a transient learning challenge has been identified, teachers can create interventions to address it. By illustration, we argue that an appropriate way to design such interventions is to create variation around the disciplinary-relevant aspects associated with the transient learning challenge.
Strategies to Address Common Challenges When Teaching in an Active Learning Classroom
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Petersen, Christina I.; Gorman, Kristen S.
2014-01-01
This chapter provides practical strategies for addressing common challenges that arise for teachers in active learning classrooms. Our strategies come from instructors with experience teaching in these environments.
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2014 Annual Performance Report. Wisconsin
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2015
2015-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Wisconsin's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Wisconsin will implement to address those challenges. During the second year of the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) in Wisconsin, there have…
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2014 Annual Performance Report. Delaware
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2015
2015-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Delaware's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Delaware will implement to address those challenges. At the end of Year Three of the Early Learning Challenge Grant, Delaware continues to make significant progress…
Strategies to improve learning of all students in a class
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Suraishkumar, G. K.
2018-05-01
The statistical distribution of the student learning abilities in a typical undergraduate engineering class poses a significant challenge to simultaneously improve the learning of all the students in the class. With traditional instruction styles, the students with significantly high learning abilities are not satisfied due to a feeling of unfulfilled potential, and the students with significantly low learning abilities feel lost. To address the challenge in an undergraduate core/required course on 'transport phenomena in biological systems', a combination of learning strategies such as active learning including co-operative group learning, challenge exercises, and others were employed in a pro-advising context. The short-term and long-term impacts were evaluated through student course performances and input, respectively. The results show that it is possible to effectively address the challenge posed by the distribution of student learning abilities in a class.
Do textbooks address known learning challenges in area measurement? A comparative analysis
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hong, Dae S.; Choi, Kyong Mi; Runnalls, Cristina; Hwang, Jihyun
2018-02-01
This study compared area lessons from Korean textbooks and US standard-based textbooks to understand differences and similarities among these textbooks, as well as how these textbooks address known learning challenges in area measurement. Several well-known challenges have been identified in previous studies, such as covering, array structure, and linking array structure to area formula. We were interested in knowing if textbooks addressed these issues in their treatments of area measurement and, in doing so, provided students with opportunities to overcome or become familiar with known challenges. The results show that both countries' textbooks demonstrated similar limitations; only few area and area-related lessons are covered and three important learning challenges in area measurement are not covered well, which need to be informed to practicing teachers.
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. Maryland
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2016
2016-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes Maryland's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Maryland will implement to address those challenges. Maryland's remarkable progress in increasing participation in their tiered quality rating and improvement…
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. Vermont
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2016
2016-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes Vermont's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Vermont will implement to address those challenges. Vermont's remarkable progress in increasing participation in their tiered quality rating and improvement system,…
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. Pennsylvania
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2016
2016-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes Pennsylvania's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Pennsylvania will implement to address those challenges. Pennsylvania's remarkable progress in increasing participation in their tiered quality rating and…
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. Minnesota
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2016
2016-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes Minnesota's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Minnesota will implement to address those challenges. Minnesota's remarkable progress in increasing participation in their tiered quality rating and improvement…
Grouping for Instructional Purposes. Focus On
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Clarke, Suzanne
2008-01-01
Today's classrooms increasingly challenge teachers to address a diverse range of backgrounds, abilities, and learning needs. As teachers rise to the challenge, grouping can be a valuable instructional tool to address varying ability levels and learning needs within the classroom. At present, there is a good deal of support in the literature for…
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. New Jersey
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2016
2016-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes New Jersey's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies New Jersey will implement to address those challenges. New Jersey's remarkable progress in increasing participation in their tiered quality rating and improvement…
Improving College and Career Readiness through Challenge-Based Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shuptrine, Carl
2013-01-01
High school students in an Advanced Video class addressed the challenge of increasing community awareness. Students followed a challenge-based learning model developing guiding questions and activities to determine solutions for implementation. Literature supported the use of project-based learning that fostered partnerships outside of the…
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2014 Annual Performance Report Kentucky
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2015
2015-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2014 describes Kentucky's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies Kentucky will implement to address those challenges. In December of 2013, Kentucky received notice that they would join 19 other States as a winner of the Race to…
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge: 2015 Annual Performance Report. New Mexico
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, 2016
2016-01-01
This Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) annual performance report for the year 2015 describes New Mexico's accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies New Mexico will implement to address those challenges. New Mexico is pleased to report that at the end of Year Three of the RTT-ELC grant, the State continues to…
A Model Driven Framework to Address Challenges in a Mobile Learning Environment
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Khaddage, Ferial; Christensen, Rhonda; Lai, Wing; Knezek, Gerald; Norris, Cathie; Soloway, Elliot
2015-01-01
In this paper a review of the pedagogical, technological, policy and research challenges and concepts underlying mobile learning is presented, followed by a brief description of categories of implementations. A model Mobile learning framework and dynamic criteria for mobile learning implementations are proposed, along with a case study of one site…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Travis Carvan, Moreen
2015-01-01
Edgar Schein (2004) proposed that leading was in the midst of an evolutionary shift in which the primary challenge would be to sustain a culture of learning in an emerging "age of perpetual learning and change. What learning is required through leadership education to address this challenge? What design will assure that these learning…
Building Student Trust in Online Learning Environments
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wang, Ye Diana
2014-01-01
As online learning continues to gain widespread attention and thrive as a legitimate alternative to classroom instruction, educational institutions and online instructors face the challenge of building and sustaining student trust in online learning environments. The present study represents an attempt to address the challenge by identifying the…
Goldstein, Benjamin A.; Navar, Ann Marie; Carter, Rickey E.
2017-01-01
Abstract Risk prediction plays an important role in clinical cardiology research. Traditionally, most risk models have been based on regression models. While useful and robust, these statistical methods are limited to using a small number of predictors which operate in the same way on everyone, and uniformly throughout their range. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the use of machine-learning methods for development of risk prediction models. Typically presented as black box approaches, most machine-learning methods are aimed at solving particular challenges that arise in data analysis that are not well addressed by typical regression approaches. To illustrate these challenges, as well as how different methods can address them, we consider trying to predicting mortality after diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. We use data derived from our institution's electronic health record and abstract data on 13 regularly measured laboratory markers. We walk through different challenges that arise in modelling these data and then introduce different machine-learning approaches. Finally, we discuss general issues in the application of machine-learning methods including tuning parameters, loss functions, variable importance, and missing data. Overall, this review serves as an introduction for those working on risk modelling to approach the diffuse field of machine learning. PMID:27436868
A Canadian Effort to Address Fractions Teaching and Learning Challenges
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yearley, Shelley; Bruce, Catherine D.
2014-01-01
Teaching and learning fraction concepts provides challenges in primary schools all over the world. In this article, Shelley Yearley and Catherine Bruce describe a fractions-based research project conducted in Ontario, Canada.
Machine learning challenges in Mars rover traverse science
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Castano, R.; Judd, M.; Anderson, R. C.; Estlin, T.
2003-01-01
The successful implementation of machine learning in autonomous rover traverse science requires addressing challenges that range from the analytical technical realm, to the fuzzy, philosophical domain of entrenched belief systems within scientists and mission managers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schwartzbeck, Terri Duggan; Wolf, Mary Ann
2012-01-01
This report outlines how digital learning can connect middle and high school students with better teaching and learning experiences while also addressing three major challenges facing the nation's education system--access to good teaching, tight budgets, and boosting student achievement. But simply slapping a netbook on top of a textbook will not…
A Context-Aware Solution in Mobile Language Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fatahipour, Majid; Ghaseminajm, Mahnaz
2014-01-01
Despite obvious benefits, some challenges exist in the way of sustainable utilization of mobile phone technology for language learning tasks. This paper shows how these challenges can be better addressed in the light of recent advancements in mobile phone technology, like context aware mobile learning, informed with a sound pedagogical basis for…
Goldstein, Benjamin A; Navar, Ann Marie; Carter, Rickey E
2017-06-14
Risk prediction plays an important role in clinical cardiology research. Traditionally, most risk models have been based on regression models. While useful and robust, these statistical methods are limited to using a small number of predictors which operate in the same way on everyone, and uniformly throughout their range. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the use of machine-learning methods for development of risk prediction models. Typically presented as black box approaches, most machine-learning methods are aimed at solving particular challenges that arise in data analysis that are not well addressed by typical regression approaches. To illustrate these challenges, as well as how different methods can address them, we consider trying to predicting mortality after diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. We use data derived from our institution's electronic health record and abstract data on 13 regularly measured laboratory markers. We walk through different challenges that arise in modelling these data and then introduce different machine-learning approaches. Finally, we discuss general issues in the application of machine-learning methods including tuning parameters, loss functions, variable importance, and missing data. Overall, this review serves as an introduction for those working on risk modelling to approach the diffuse field of machine learning. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Benis Scheier-Dolberg, Sarah Elizabeth.
2014-01-01
Little is known about how engaging in the learning-oriented leadership model (Drago-Severson, 2004b, 2009, 2012a) can support educators to address the adaptive challenges they encounter in their day-to-day work teaching English learners. My qualitative study examined how 11 educators whose school leaders implement the learning-oriented leadership…
Developing Inclusive Teaching and Learning Through the Principles of Universal Design.
Knarlag, Kjetil; Olaussen, Elinor
2016-01-01
For decades, the term reasonable accommodations has been the lead strategy and praxis in addressing diversity and disabilities in Higher Education. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a well-known theory and a practical approach which challenges these traditions in order to improve inclusive teaching and learning in the American school system. A European funded project, UDLL, has transferred these theories to a European context, and developed best practice guidelines for key stakeholders in European Higher Education Institutions. This universal approach challenges established traditions, methods and mindsets in addressing the diverse student population.
Posey, Laurie; Pintz, Christine
2017-09-01
To help address the challenges of providing undergraduate nursing education in an accelerated time frame, the Teaching and Transforming through Technology (T3) project was funded to transition a second-degree ABSN program to a blended learning format. The project has explored the use of blended learning to: enable flexible solutions to support teaching goals and address course challenges; provide students with new types of independent learning activities outside of the traditional classroom; increase opportunities for active learning in the classroom; and improve students' digital literacy and lifelong learning skills. Program evaluation included quality reviews of the redesigned courses, surveys of student perceptions, pre- and post-program assessment of students' digital literacy and interviews with faculty about their experiences with the new teaching methods. Adopting an established quality framework to guide course design and evaluation for quality contributed to the efficient and effective development of a high-quality undergraduate blended nursing program. Program outcomes and lessons learned are presented to inform future teaching innovation and research related to blended learning in undergraduate nursing education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Digital Learning Imperative: How Technology and Teaching Meet Today's Education Challenges
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schwartzbeck, Terri Duggan; Wolf, Mary Ann
2012-01-01
This report outlines how digital learning can connect middle and high school students with better teaching and learning experiences while also addressing three major challenges facing the nation's education system--access to good teaching, tight budgets, and boosting student achievement. But simply slapping a netbook on top of a textbook will not…
Social Software: A Powerful Paradigm for Building Technology for Global Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wooding, Amy; Wooding, Kjell
2018-01-01
It is not difficult to imagine a world where internet-connected mobile devices are accessible to everyone. Can these technologies be used to help solve the challenges of global education? This was the challenge posed by the Global Learning XPRIZE--a $15 million grand challenge competition aimed at addressing this global teaching shortfall. In…
An Exploratory Study of Pharmacists Professional Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wittstrom, Kristina M.
2012-01-01
Today's healthcare professional is challenged to stay current with increasingly complex therapeutic challenges, greater societal needs and expectations, and a public demand for the best possible care. Professional learning opportunities are needed to develop new knowledge, skills, or abilities to address specific matters encountered during…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2016
2016-01-01
The "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) recognizes that significant numbers of students require supports to successfully meet challenging state academic standards. This brief (1) analyzes the act to assess how it addresses the nature and scope of supports to address barriers to learning and re-engage disconnected students and (2)…
Differentiated Pedagogy to Address Learner Diversity in Secondary Physical Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jarvis, Jane M.; Pill, Shane A.; Noble, Anna G.
2017-01-01
This article discusses the challenge of addressing student diversity in secondary physical education (PE) classes. Contemporary curriculum documents and teacher standards emphasize differentiated pedagogy in order to engage and challenge all learners. However, the reality of designing effective learning experiences for diverse students represents…
Naïve and Robust: Class-Conditional Independence in Human Classification Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jarecki, Jana B.; Meder, Björn; Nelson, Jonathan D.
2018-01-01
Humans excel in categorization. Yet from a computational standpoint, learning a novel probabilistic classification task involves severe computational challenges. The present paper investigates one way to address these challenges: assuming class-conditional independence of features. This feature independence assumption simplifies the inference…
Distance Learning and University Effectiveness: Changing Educational Paradigms for Online Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Howard, Caroline; Schenk, Karen; Discenza, Richard
2004-01-01
"Distance Learning and University Effectiveness: Changing Educational Paradigms for Online Learning" addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with information and communication technologies (ICTs) as related to education. From discussing new and innovative educational paradigms and learning models resulting from ICTs to addressing…
From the Field: Learning Leaders
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Weigel, Kathleen; Jones, Richard
2015-01-01
Leadership is essential to successful schools. One of the ways to support effective school leadership is to share ideas and best practices to address the common challenges faced by school leaders. This question and response format addresses common challenges and questions from practicing school leaders in the manner that a mentor might respond to…
Applications of Augmented Reality-Based Natural Interactive Learning in Magnetic Field Instruction
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cai, Su; Chiang, Feng-Kuang; Sun, Yuchen; Lin, Chenglong; Lee, Joey J.
2017-01-01
Educators must address several challenges inherent to the instruction of scientific disciplines such as physics -- expensive or insufficient laboratory equipment, equipment error, difficulty in simulating certain experimental conditions. Augmented reality (AR) can be a promising approach to address these challenges. In this paper, we discuss the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Okita, Sandra Y.; Jamalian, Azadeh
2011-01-01
Developing curriculum and instruction for mathematics education and designing technologically enhanced learning environments are often pursued separately, but may need to be addressed together to effectively link the strengths of technology to performance in mathematics and conceptual understanding. This paper addresses current challenges with…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alkhawaldeh, Ahmad Mokbel
2017-01-01
This qualitative study addressed the English language learning needs and challenges expressed by a sample of 22 postgraduate students from diversified faculties in the University of Jordan. These students were required to take the Alternative National English course. They wrote a self-report reflecting on their English language learning needs and…
Addressing Reticence: The Challenge of Engaging Reluctant Adult ESL Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carter, Steven J.; Henrichsen, Lynn E.
2015-01-01
Reticence frequently prevents adult ESL learners from learning as much as they otherwise might. The nature of second-language learning requires frequent performance that may challenge students' self-concepts, leading to reticence and self-consciousness. To reduce or prevent this problem, teachers must employ appropriate pedagogical and classroom…
Institutional Potential for Online Learning: A Hong Kong Case Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Donoghue, Sue L.
2006-01-01
Hong Kong's tertiary education environment has changed dramatically in recent years with universities now facing specific educational challenges in the areas of critical thinking, "life-long learning" and English language. The question exists as to what pedagogic developments will best allow the universities to address these challenges.…
Can We Meet the Sustainability Challenges? The Role of Education and Lifelong Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wals, Arjen E. J.; Benavot, Aaron
2017-01-01
Education and lifelong learning are increasingly being mobilised to address the global environmental crisis and accompanying sustainability challenges. This article discusses the many roles of education about and for sustainable development, drawing on evidence and arguments put forward in the 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report,…
Assessment Challenges for Business Education in Changing Times
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hazari, Sunil; Gaytan, Jorge; North, Alexa
2008-01-01
In addition to the difficult task of identifying teaching methods that ensure student learning, the American educational system is facing significant challenges. Schools are struggling to maintain standards for high-quality teaching while trying to address the learning needs of students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). The same struggle is…
Validation of a Comprehensive Executive Learning and Development Measure
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Akrofi, Solomon; Clarke, Nicholas; Vernon, Guy
2011-01-01
Evaluating the returns on intangible assets in general and executive human capital in particular is still a challenging endeavour. One possible means of addressing this challenge involves developing a broad measure of executive learning and development (L&D), encapsulating both the formal and informal activities that closely reflect the dynamic…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alfred, Mary V., Ed.
2010-01-01
In a most timely volume addressing many of the connections among current fiscal and employment crises to adult education, Learning for Economic Self-Sufficiency highlights the problems and challenges that low-literate adults encounter in various environments. Moreover, this book presents strategies for addressing the chronic illiteracy among…
Challenging clinical learning environments: experiences of undergraduate nursing students.
O'Mara, Linda; McDonald, Jane; Gillespie, Mary; Brown, Helen; Miles, Lynn
2014-03-01
Clinical learning is an essential component of becoming a nurse. However at times, students report experiencing challenging clinical learning environments (CCLE), raising questions regarding the nature of a challenging clinical learning environment, its impact on students' learning and how students might respond within a CCLE. Using an Interpretive Descriptive study design, researchers held focus groups with 54 students from two Canadian sites, who self-identified as having experienced a CCLE. Students defined a CCLE as affected by relationships in the clinical area and by the context of their learning experiences. CCLE decreased students' learning opportunities and impacted on them as persons. As students determined which relationships were challenging, they tapped other resources and they used strategies to rebuilt, reframe, redirect and/or retreat relative to the specific challenge. Relationships also acted as buffers to unsupportive practice cultures. Implications for practice and research are addressed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Diawati, Chansyanah; Liliasari; Setiabudi, Agus; Buchari
2018-01-01
Students learned the principles and practice of photometry through project-based learning. They addressed the challenge of measuring the unknown concentration of a colored substance using a photometer they were required to design, build, and test. Then, they used that instrument to carry out the experiment and fulfill the challenge. A photometer…
Teaching Unmotivated and Under-Motivated College Students: Problems, Challenges, and Considerations
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McFarlane, Donovan A.
2010-01-01
This essay addresses a critical problem in today's college classroom: dealing with unmotivated and under-motivated students whose inclination toward learning stems from both academic and social factors that the faculty must effectively address to meet teaching-learning goals, meet course requirements, and his or her responsibility in contributing…
Lifelong Learning--A Public Library Perspective.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kahlert, Maureen
This paper presents a public library perspective on lifelong learning. The first section discusses the lifelong learning challenge, including the aims of the Australian National Marketing Strategy for Skills and Lifelong Learning, and findings of a national survey related to the value of and barriers to learning. The second section addresses the…
The Role for Virtual Patients in the Future of Medical Education.
Berman, Norman B; Durning, Steven J; Fischer, Martin R; Huwendiek, Soren; Triola, Marc M
2016-09-01
The medical education community is working-across disciplines and across the continuum-to address the current challenges facing the medical education system and to implement strategies to improve educational outcomes. Educational technology offers the promise of addressing these important challenges in ways not previously possible. The authors propose a role for virtual patients (VPs), which they define as multimedia, screen-based interactive patient scenarios. They believe VPs offer capabilities and benefits particularly well suited to addressing the challenges facing medical education. Well-designed, interactive VP-based learning activities can promote the deep learning that is needed to handle the rapid growth in medical knowledge. Clinically oriented learning from VPs can capture intrinsic motivation and promote mastery learning. VPs can also enhance trainees' application of foundational knowledge to promote the development of clinical reasoning, the foundation of medical practice. Although not the entire solution, VPs can support competency-based education. The data created by the use of VPs can serve as the basis for multi-institutional research that will enable the medical education community both to better understand the effectiveness of educational interventions and to measure progress toward an improved system of medical education.
Challenge Activities for the Physical Education Classroom: Affective Learning Outcomes
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McKenzie, Emily; Symonds, Matthew L.; Fink, Kevin; Tapps, Tyler
2017-01-01
The purpose of this article is to share three challenge-based lesson plans that can be implemented by physical educators in their classroom. Each of the lesson examples addresses the three learning domains: psychomotor, cognitive and affective. Additionally, each lesson is aligned with SHAPE America's National Standards for K-12 Physical…
Re-Examining Cognition during Student-Centered, Web-Based Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hannafin, Michael; Hannafin, Kathleen; Gabbitas, Bruce
2009-01-01
During student-centered learning, the individual assumes responsibility for determining learning goals, monitoring progress toward meeting goals, adjusting or adapting approaches as warranted, and determining when individual goals have been adequately addressed. This can be particularly challenging while learning from the World-Wide Web, where…
Lessons Learned and Challenges in Building a Filipino Health Coalition
Aguilar, David E.; Abesamis-Mendoza, Noilyn; Ursua, Rhodora; Divino, Lily Ann M.; Cadag, Kara; Gavin, Nicholas P.
2010-01-01
In recent years, community-based coalitions have become an effective channel to addressing various health problems within specific ethnic communities. The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to describe the process involved in building the Kalusugan Coalition (KC), a Filipino American health coalition based in New York City, and (b) to highlight the lessons learned and the challenges from this collaborative venture. The challenges described also offer insights on how the coalition development process can be greatly affected by the partnership with an academic institution on a community-based research project. Because each cultural group has unique issues and concerns, the theoretical framework used by KC offers creative alternatives to address some of the challenges regarding coalition infrastructures, leadership development, unexpected change of coalition dynamics, and cultural nuances. PMID:19098260
Adaptive Management: From More Talk to Real Action
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Williams, Byron K.; Brown, Eleanor D.
2014-02-01
The challenges currently facing resource managers are large-scale and complex, and demand new approaches to balance development and conservation goals. One approach that shows considerable promise for addressing these challenges is adaptive management, which by now is broadly seen as a natural, intuitive, and potentially effective way to address decision-making in the face of uncertainties. Yet the concept of adaptive management continues to evolve, and its record of success remains limited. In this article, we present an operational framework for adaptive decision-making, and describe the challenges and opportunities in applying it to real-world problems. We discuss the key elements required for adaptive decision-making, and their integration into an iterative process that highlights and distinguishes technical and social learning. We illustrate the elements and processes of the framework with some successful on-the-ground examples of natural resource management. Finally, we address some of the difficulties in applying learning-based management, and finish with a discussion of future directions and strategic challenges.
The End of Innocence: Historiography and Representation in the Discursive Practice of LD
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Artiles, Alfredo J.
2004-01-01
In this article, I discuss two interrelated sets of challenges that the discursive practice of learning disability (LD) will need to address, namely, issues associated with the development of a historiography of special education and a more complex understanding of representation issues. I use social theory to address these challenges and raise…
Conducting Design Experiments to Support Teachers' Learning: A Reflection from the Field
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cobb, Paul; Zhao, Qing; Dean, Chrystal
2009-01-01
This article focuses on 3 conceptual challenges that we sought to address while conducting a design experiment in which we supported the learning of a group of middle school mathematics teachers. These challenges involved (a) situating teachers' activity in the institutional setting of the schools and district in which they worked, (b) developing…
Addressing Challenges in Web Accessibility for the Blind and Visually Impaired
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Guercio, Angela; Stirbens, Kathleen A.; Williams, Joseph; Haiber, Charles
2011-01-01
Searching for relevant information on the web is an important aspect of distance learning. This activity is a challenge for visually impaired distance learners. While sighted people have the ability to filter information in a fast and non sequential way, blind persons rely on tools that process the information in a sequential way. Learning is…
Multiplatform E-Learning Systems and Technologies: Mobile Devices for Ubiquitous ICT-Based Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Goh, Tiong Thye, Ed.
2010-01-01
Multiplatform e-learning systems are emerging technologies that provide integrated learning content to various accessing devices. This book addresses technical challenges, design frameworks, and development experiences of the future that integrate multiple mobile devices into a single multiplatform e-learning system. With expert international…
Cooperative Learning: Smart Pedagogy and Tools for Online and Hybrid Courses
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gradel, Kathleen; Edson, Alden J.
2011-01-01
This article focuses on meshing technology-enhanced learning with cooperative learning pedagogy, to address teaching/learning challenges in higher education online and hybrid courses. Illustrations of implementation are made using coursework exemplars. Start-up solutions and sample applications are summarized. The purposes of this article are to…
Kaplan, Sue A.; Ruddock, Charmaine; Golub, Maxine; Davis, Joyce; Foley, Robert; Devia, Carlos; Rosen, Rosa; Berry, Carolyn; Barretto, Brenda; Carter, Toni; Irish-Spencer, Evalina; Marchena, Maria; Purcaro, Ellenrita; Calman, Neil
2011-01-01
This case study provides a mid-course assessment of the Bronx Health REACH faith-based initiative four years into its implementation. The study uses qualitative methods to identify lessons learned and to reflect on the benefits and challenges of using a community-based participatory approach for the development and evaluation of a faith-based program designed to address health disparities. Key findings concern the role of pastoral leadership, the importance of providing a religious context for health promotion and health equality messages, the challenges of creating a bilingual/bi-cultural program, and the need to provide management support to the lay program coordinators. The study also identifies lessons learned about community-based evaluation and the importance of addressing community concern about the balance between evaluation and program. Finally, the study identifies the challenges that lie ahead, including issues of program institution-alization and sustainability. PMID:20168022
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Program Lessons Learned
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lindenmoyer, Alan; Horkachuck, Mike; Shotwell, Gwynne; Manners, Bruce; Culbertson, Frank
2015-01-01
This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Risk Management team in close coordination with the COTS Program. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of actionable key lessons learned derived from the design project. Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document.
Challenges in Implementing Strategies for Gender-Aware Teaching.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gilbert, Melissa C.; Gilbert, Lucia Albino
2002-01-01
Discusses the negative consequences of gender stereotyping in the mathematics classroom, especially for girls. Addresses possible challenges associated with creating a safe learning environment and combating gender stereotypes. Describes difficulties in various settings in the mathematics classroom and explores challenges associated with…
Learning Communities and the Completion Agenda
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Johnson, Kathy E.
2013-01-01
Learning communities are widely recognized as a powerful pedagogy that promotes deep learning and student engagement, while also addressing a range of challenges that plague higher education. The Completion Agenda represents a complex set of intersecting priorities advocated by federal and state government, nonprofit organizations, colleges, and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lopes, Antonio
2011-01-01
Many foreign and second language teachers are reluctant about shifting from traditional language instruction to TBLT. Another challenge has been the use of ICT in the classroom, a problem addressed in previous Comenius projects. The ETALAGE project aimed to build on the achievements of such projects and to address these challenges, by collecting,…
Piano Pedagogy with a Student Who Is Blind: An Australian Case
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Power, Anne; McCormack, Dorothy
2012-01-01
Teaching and learning piano poses challenges when the student is clinically blind. This article addresses the following question: What can be learned from a case study of teaching piano successfully to a student who is blind? The article has three purposes. The first is to document the achievements of a young student who met these challenges. The…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Khaddage, Ferial; Müller, Wolfgang; Flintoff, Kim
2016-01-01
In this paper a brief review of the framework that addressed mobile learning implementation challenges (pedagogical, technological, policy and research) that was developed by Khaddage et al. (2015) is briefly discussed, followed by possible solutions that could be deployed to tackle those challenges. A unique approach is then applied to bridge the…
"I Know There Ain't No Pigs with Wigs": Challenges of Tier 2 Intervention
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stephens, Diane; Cox, Robin; Downs, Anne; Goforth, Jennie; Jaeger, Lisa; Matheny, Ashley; Plyler, Kristi; Ray, Sandra; Riser, Lee; Sawyer, Beth; Thompson, Tara; Vickio, Kathy; Wilcox, Cindy
2012-01-01
As a part of Response to Intervention, for three years, ten reading interventionists provided supplemental support to readers. They formed a learning community, took an inquiry-based approach to assessment and developed a theory of what students needed to know and be able to do as readers. They addressed and learned from several other challenges:…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kisanga, Dalton; Ireson, Gren
2015-01-01
Tanzanian Higher learning institutions (HLIs) are faced with challenges of adopting e-learning in education. This study involved experts in e-learning to examine barriers of adopting e-learning and the best strategies to address them. Data were gathered from a series of semi-structured interviews with e-learning experts from two HLIs in Tanzania.…
Supporting Adults to Address Their Literacy Needs Using E-Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fletcher, Jo; Nicholas, Karen; Davis, Niki
2011-01-01
Many adults need help with literacy learning. This is extremely challenging for the tertiary education sector and workplace-situated learning organisations. E-learning may be an effective and efficient way to improve the delivery of teaching of basic skills to learners. Our research study included five embedded case studies within one tertiary…
The Role of Facilitators in Project Action Learning Implementation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cao, Rui; Chuah, Kong Bieng; Chao, Yiu Chung; Kwong, Kar Fai; Law, Mo Yin
2012-01-01
Purpose: This paper addresses the importance of a more proactive role of organizational learning (OL) facilitators, learning motivation reinforcer, through a two-part longitudinal study in a case company. The first part of this study aims to investigate and analyze some unexpected challenges in the project action learning-driven (PAL) OL…
The Community Grant Writing Project: A Flexible Service-Learning Model for Writing-Intensive Courses
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stevens, Courtney
2014-01-01
This article describes the Community Grant Writing Project (CGWP), a flexible service-learning framework designed for use in writing-intensive courses. The CGWP incorporates best-practice recommendations from the service-learning literature and addresses recent challenges identified for successful service-learning partnerships. In the CGWP,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thousand, Jacqueline S., Ed.; Villa, Richard A., Ed.; Nevin, Ann I., Ed.
These 24 papers explain how using the collaborative learning model can help teachers address classroom challenges. Section 1, "Toward Creativity and Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century," begins with "Toward Whole Schools: Building a Movement for Creativity and Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century" (J. Michael…
Exploring Teachers' Blended Learning Experiences in a Rural Alabama High School
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jones, Aslean Madison
2017-01-01
The use of blended learning is fast becoming a practice used in public schools to address 21st century learning challenges. However, despite the growing use of instructional delivery models that blend online learning platforms with traditional instruction in brick and mortar classrooms, little is known about teachers' experiences with the…
Systems Engineering Lessons Learned from Solar Array Structures and Mechanisms Deployment
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Vipavetz, Kevin; Kraft, Thomas
2013-01-01
This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Risk Management team in close coordination with the Engineering Directorate at LaRC. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of actionable key lessons learned derived from the design project. Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document.
Listening through Voices: Infant Statistical Word Segmentation across Multiple Speakers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Graf Estes, Katharine; Lew-Williams, Casey
2015-01-01
To learn from their environments, infants must detect structure behind pervasive variation. This presents substantial and largely untested learning challenges in early language acquisition. The current experiments address whether infants can use statistical learning mechanisms to segment words when the speech signal contains acoustic variation…
The TREEhouse: A Hybrid Model for Experiential Learning in Environmental Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Corscadden, Kenneth W.; Kevany, Kathleen
2017-01-01
This article addresses the need to integrate experiential learning into environmental and sustainability curriculum and considers the challenges faced by academic institutions in providing relevant experiential learning opportunities at an appropriate scale. Through an experiential case study, this article illustrates how adopting a "hybrid…
Challenges in Delivering Library Services for Distance Learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Swaine, Cynthia Wright
The first section of this paper on library services for distance education discusses the status of distance learning in higher education. What distance learning means for libraries is addressed in the second section, including considerations related to diverse locations, agreements with participating institutions, delivery limitations, librarian…
Evaluation of Learning Group Approaches for Fostering Integrated Cropping Systems Management
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Blissett, Hana; Simmons, Steve; Jordan, Nicholas; Nelson, Kristen
2004-01-01
Cropping systems management requires integration of multiple forms of knowledge, practice, and learning by farmers, extension educators, and researchers. We evaluated the outcomes of participation in collaborative learning groups organized to address cropping systems and, specifically, challenges of integrated weed management. Groups were…
Learning in Global Collaborations for Impact and Innovation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ubalijoro, Éliane
2017-01-01
This chapter looks at learning through global collaboration I have been involved in or witnessed as well as explores practices that can enhance innovation for success in addressing complex challenges we face in the twenty-first century.
Regan de Bere, Sam; Mattick, Karen
2010-10-01
Developments in clinical education have recently challenged the identity of anatomy teaching and learning, leading to high profile debate over the potential implications for the competence levels of new doctors. However, the emphasis remains on methods of teaching, rather than a review of what well-rounded anatomical learning actually entails, and how teaching can address contemporary learning needs. This paper identifies and addresses some of these issues, drawing on expert views captured in qualitative research with anatomy tutors at twenty different medical schools in the UK. Three main themes emerging from our analysis are described: anatomy as a subject matter, the challenges of teaching or learning anatomy, and the use of teaching methods. We also detail how inductive analysis generated new hypotheses worthy of further consideration. These fall into two key categories: (1) improving anatomy curriculum design and (2) advancing anatomy education research.
He, Ying; Johnson, Chris
2017-12-01
Security incidents can have negative impacts on healthcare organizations, and the security of medical records has become a primary concern of the public. However, previous studies showed that organizations had not effectively learned lessons from security incidents. Incident learning as an essential activity in the "follow-up" phase of security incident response lifecycle has long been addressed but not given enough attention. This paper conducted a case study in a healthcare organization in China to explore their current obstacles in the practice of incident learning. We interviewed both IT professionals and healthcare professionals. The results showed that the organization did not have a structured way to gather and redistribute incident knowledge. Incident response was ineffective in cycling incident knowledge back to inform security management. Incident reporting to multiple stakeholders faced a great challenge. In response to this case study, we suggest the security assurance modeling framework to address those obstacles.
MO-DE-207-04: Imaging educational program on solutions to common pediatric imaging challenges
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Krishnamurthy, R.
This imaging educational program will focus on solutions to common pediatric imaging challenges. The speakers will present collective knowledge on best practices in pediatric imaging from their experience at dedicated children’s hospitals. The educational program will begin with a detailed discussion of the optimal configuration of fluoroscopes for general pediatric procedures. Following this introduction will be a focused discussion on the utility of Dual Energy CT for imaging children. The third lecture will address the substantial challenge of obtaining consistent image post -processing in pediatric digital radiography. The fourth and final lecture will address best practices in pediatric MRI includingmore » a discussion of ancillary methods to reduce sedation and anesthesia rates. Learning Objectives: To learn techniques for optimizing radiation dose and image quality in pediatric fluoroscopy To become familiar with the unique challenges and applications of Dual Energy CT in pediatric imaging To learn solutions for consistent post-processing quality in pediatric digital radiography To understand the key components of an effective MRI safety and quality program for the pediatric practice.« less
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hakuta, Kenji
2011-01-01
In developing a tool to help address academic language development, the author and his team began by identifying the challenges of presenting science text to English Language Learners and students who struggle with reading. The goal was to balance the practical and logistical challenges of identifying, teaching, and learning academic and content…
Pedagogy of the logic model: teaching undergraduates to work together to change their communities.
Zimmerman, Lindsey; Kamal, Zohra; Kim, Hannah
2013-01-01
Undergraduate community psychology courses can empower students to address challenging problems in their local communities. Creating a logic model is an experiential way to learn course concepts by "doing." Throughout the semester, students work with peers to define a problem, develop an intervention, and plan an evaluation focused on an issue of concern to them. This report provides an overview of how to organize a community psychology course around the creation of a logic model in order for students to develop this applied skill. Two undergraduate student authors report on their experience with the logic model assignment, describing the community problem they chose to address, what they learned from the assignment, what they found challenging, and what they are doing now in their communities based on what they learned.
Creation and Assessment of an Active e-Learning Introductory Geology Course
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sit, Stefany M.; Brudzinski, Michael R.
2017-01-01
The recent emphasis in higher education on both student engagement and online learning encouraged the authors to develop an active e-learning environment for an introductory geohazards course, which enrolls 70+ undergraduate students per semester. Instructors focused on replicating the achievements and addressing the challenges within an already…
Power and Privilege: Community Service Learning in Tijuana
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Camacho, Michelle Madsen
2004-01-01
As social scientists engage their own subjectivity, there is greater awareness of their own touristic "gaze," or at least the power relations that are evoked in the researcher-subject interaction. In teaching students involved in community service learning, the challenge is to provide a learning experience that addresses power inequities…
ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULA HANDBOOK: TOOLS IN YOUR SCHOOLS
Environmental education is a learning process that increases people's knowledge and awareness abou the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make informe...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alluri, Krishna, Ed.; Zachmann, Rainer, Ed.
2008-01-01
The Learning for Livelihoods Sector of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) addresses the major challenges related to learning and skills development that are key for living and for improvement of livelihoods. Developing conceptual frameworks, influencing policy, enabling technology-mediated learning, and strengthening networks and partnerships are…
Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. Oregon
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010
2010-01-01
America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…
Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. Minnesota
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010
2010-01-01
America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…
Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. Idaho
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010
2010-01-01
America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…
Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. New Mexico
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010
2010-01-01
America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Crawford, Anne; Nettle, Ruth; Paine, Mark; Kabore, Carolyn
2007-01-01
Managing the competing interests of productivity growth, environmental concerns, landscape change and societal expectations presents challenges for agricultural industries. Innovation projects supporting knowledge development to address these challenges often involve partnerships with commercial farms, a methodology which promises much but has…
Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. New Hampshire
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010
2010-01-01
America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…
Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. Hawaii
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010
2010-01-01
America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…
Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. Wisconsin
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010
2010-01-01
America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…
From Assistant Teacher to Teacher: Challenges and Pathways in Situated Pre-Service Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Strangeways, Al
2017-01-01
Vocational pathways to Higher Education have a key role in opening teacher education to under-represented groups but bring with them particular challenges. Teacher educators need to address the challenges faced by these learners, of not only connecting their learning but also challenging their knowledge, and doing so in an invested work…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Klostermann, Brenda K.; Pareja, Amber Stitziel; Hart, Holly; White, Bradford R.; Huynh, Michelle Hanh
2015-01-01
The goals of the current mixed methods study--the Illinois Principal Preparation Implementation Review Project (I-PREP)--are to describe how the new policy is being implemented, learning which aspects of the implementation have been challenging and why they present challenges, and how programs are addressing challenges and realizing improvements…
Implementing portfolio in postgraduate general practice training. Benefits and recommendations.
Alotaibi, Fawaz S
2012-10-01
This paper presents a review to explore the literature focusing on portfolio in postgraduate general practice (GP) training, and to examine the impact of implementation of portfolio on learning process, as well as proposing recommendations for its implementation in postgraduate GP training. An electronic search was carried out on several databases for studies addressing portfolio in postgraduate GP training. Six articles were included to address specifically the effectiveness of portfolio in postgraduate GP training. Five of them described successful experiences of portfolio-based learning implementation. Only one article addressed portfolio-based assessment in postgraduate GP training. The existing evidence provides various benefits of professional portfolio-based learning. It does appear to have advantages of stimulating reflective learning, promoting proactive learning, and bridging the hospital experiences of the learners to GP. Moreover, the challenges to implementation of portfolio-based learning are often based on orientation and training of stakeholders.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Slim-Topdjian, Lina; Pinto Zipp, Genevieve
2016-01-01
The increased prevalence of autism has created an increased challenge for teachers to incorporate specialized teaching strategies to address the unique educational and behavioral challenges facing children diagnosed with autism. Providing teachers with educational training opportunities will promote such learning. In the academic world,…
Support for Mobile Collaborative Learning Applications
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Martin, Sergio; Boticki, Ivica; Jacobs, George; Castro, Manuel; Peire, Juan
2010-01-01
This work is intended to describe a framework aimed to address the challenges in the development of mobile Collaborative Learning applications. Firstly, the paper offers an overview of some of the main principles of Collaborative Learning that will be the basis of the framework, which is based on three main pillars: collaboration and communication…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tan, Adrienne; Hawa, Raed; Sockalingam, Sanjeev; Abbey, Susan E.
2013-01-01
Objective: The Teaching for Learning and Collaboration (TLC) Program is a teaching-skills program focusing on methods to improve student learning. This program was adopted to address the professional and personal challenges faced by International Medical Graduates (IMGs) completing a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine. Method: The authors…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kirkley, Sonny E.; Kirkley, Jamie R.
2005-01-01
In this article, the challenges and issues of designing next generation learning environments using current and emerging technologies are addressed. An overview of the issues is provided as well as design principles that support the design of instruction and the overall learning environment. Specific methods for creating cognitively complex,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Marquet, Pascal
2011-01-01
Being able to access educational or training resources or programmes anytime and anywhere is one of the challenges that "e"-learning and now "m"-learning seek to address, with the aim of maintaining the highest possible level of professional skills. Although hardware and software solutions are now firmly established, instructional design issues…
Optimizing learning in healthcare: how Island Health is evolving to learn at the speed of change.
Gottfredson, Conrad; Stroud, Carol; Jackson, Mary; Stevenson, R Lynn; Archer, Jana
2014-01-01
Healthcare organizations are challenged with constrained resources and increasing service demands by an aging population with complex care needs. Exponential growth in competency requirements also challenges staff's ability to provide quality patient care. How can a healthcare organization support its staff to learn "at or above the speed of change" while continuing to provide the quality patient care? Island Health is addressing this challenge by transforming its traditional education model into an innovative, evidence-based learning and performance support approach. Implementation of the methodology is yielding several lessons learned, both for the internal Learning and Performance Support team, and for what it takes to bring a new way of doing business into an organization. A key result is that this approach is enabling the organization to be more responsive in helping staff gain and maintain competencies.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Klostermann, Brenda K.; Pareja, Amber Stitziel; Hart, Holly; White, Bradford R.; Huynh, Michelle Hanh
2015-01-01
The goals of the current mixed methods study--the Illinois Principal Preparation Implementation Review Project (I-PREP)--are to describe how the new policy is being implemented, learning which aspects of the implementation have been challenging and why they present challenges, and how programs are addressing challenges and realizing improvements…
Information Technology and Academic Productivity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Massy, William F.; Zemsky, Robert
1996-01-01
Enumerates the challenges of adopting information technology (IT)-based teaching and learning strategies in higher education. Concerns addressed include whether IT should supplant rather than augment traditional teaching methods, the financing of IT acquisition, change of teaching and learning processes to increase productivity per person, and…
Improving Teacher Education through Inquiry-Based Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ortlieb, Evan T.; Lu, Lucia
2011-01-01
Preservice educators face daunting challenges throughout their professional development, but no challenge is greater than that of contextualizing their instruction within multicultural environments. Addressing the increasing diversity and ever-changing cultures within student populations is often skimmed over within teacher education curriculums;…
The Challenges of Digital Leadership
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McLeod, Scott
2015-01-01
Because digital devices and online environments can simultaneously be transformatively empowering and maddeningly disruptive, the work of integrating digital learning tools into schools is usually difficult and complex. Common challenges arise, however, and can be thoughtfully addressed by proactive leadership. In the end, technology change in…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wise, Alyssa Friend; Vytasek, Jovita Maria; Hausknecht, Simone; Zhao, Yuting
2016-01-01
This paper addresses a relatively unexplored area in the field of learning analytics: how analytics are taken up and used as part of teaching and learning processes. Initial steps are taken towards developing design knowledge for this "middle space," with a focus on students as analytics users. First, a core set of challenges for…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kim, Nam Ju
This multiple paper dissertation addressed several issues in Problem-based learning (PBL) through conceptual analysis, meta-analysis, and empirical research. PBL is characterized by ill-structured tasks, self-directed learning process, and a combination of individual and cooperative learning activities. Students who lack content knowledge and problem-solving skills may struggle to address associated tasks that are beyond their current ability levels in PBL. This dissertation addressed a) scaffolding characteristics (i.e., scaffolding types, delivery method, customization) and their effects on students' perception of optimal challenge in PBL, b) the possibility of virtual learning environments for PBL, and c) the importance of information literacy for successful PBL learning. Specifically, this dissertation demonstrated the effectiveness of scaffolding customization (i.e., fading, adding, and fading/adding) to enhance students' self-directed learning in PBL. Moreover, the effectiveness of scaffolding was greatest when scaffolding customization is self-selected than based on fixed-time interval and their performance. This suggests that it might be important for students to take responsibility for their learning in PBL and individualized and just-in-time scaffolding can be one of the solutions to address K-12 students' difficulties in improving problem-solving skills and adjusting to PBL.
Work Integrated Learning for Engineering Qualifications: A Spanner in the Works?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mutereko, Sybert; Wedekind, Volker
2016-01-01
Work-integrated learning (WIL) has been identified as a way of equipping graduates with attributes that make them work-ready. Many higher education institutions (HEIs) require their students to go through a compulsory work place learning form (WPL) of WIL. The complications of WPL can affect HEIs' student throughput. To address this challenge, a…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sorensen, Elsebeth Korsgaard
2007-01-01
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the challenge and potential of online higher and continuing education, of fostering and promoting, in a global perspective across time and space, democratic values working for a better world. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a generalized dialogic learning architecture of networked…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Paterson, Andrew
2005-01-01
This article analyses the implications of recent institutional mergers for information systems development and in particular for the provision of blended and collaborative learning in the South African higher education system. The merged institutions are only beginning to address these challenges. The article therefore draws attention to current…
Emergent Frameworks of Research Teaching and Learning in a Cohort-Based Doctoral Programme
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Samuel, Michael; Vithal, Renuka
2011-01-01
This article argues that alternate models of doctoral research teaching and learning pedagogy could address the challenge of under-productivity of doctoral graduands in the South African higher education system. Present literature tends not to focus on the models of research teaching and learning as a form of pedagogy. The article presents a case…
The Fire Learning Network: A promising conservation strategy for forestry
Bruce E. Goldstein; William H. Butler; R. Bruce Hull
2010-01-01
Conservation Learning Networks (CLN) are an emerging conservation strategy for addressing complex resource management challenges that face the forestry profession. The US Fire Learning Network (FLN) is a successful example of a CLN that operates on a national scale. Developed in 2001 as a partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the US Forest Service, and land-...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wu, Zhonghe; An, Shuhua
2016-01-01
This study examined the effects of using the Model-Strategy-Application with Reasoning Approach (MSAR) in teaching and learning mathematics in linguistically and culturally diverse elementary classrooms. Through learning mathematics via the MSAR, students from different language ability groups gained an understanding of mathematics from creating…
Providing Personalized Services to Users in a Recommender System
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oduwobi, Olukunle; Ojokoh, Bolanle Adefowoke
2015-01-01
Instructors recommend learning materials to a class of students not minding the learning ability and reading habit of each student. Learners are finding it problematic to make a decision about which available learning materials best meet their situation and will be beneficial to their course of study. In order to address this challenge, a new…
Unexpected Benefits of Pre-University Skills Training for A-Level Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jones, H. L.; Gaskell, E. H.; Prendergast, J. R.; Bavage, A. D.
2017-01-01
First-year undergraduates can find the transition from the prescriptive learning environment at school to one of self-directed learning at university, a considerable challenge. A Pre-university Skills Course (PSC) was developed to address this issue by preparing sixth formers for the university learning style. It was piloted with students in the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Masaazi, Fred M.
2015-01-01
This article addresses the need to develop a friendly and productive Language learning environment (FPLE) using the learners as a resource in schools in Uganda. This is in light of the persistent challenging reality that the teaching and learning of languages in schools appears to be still largely traditional, teacher-centered and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Liu, Gi-Zen; Chiu, Wan-Yu; Lin, Chih-Chung; Barrett, Neil E.
2014-01-01
To date, the concept of English for Specific Purposes has brought about a great impact on English language learning across various disciplines, including those in science education. Hence, this review paper aimed to address current English language learning in the science disciplines through the practice of computer-assisted language learning to…
Cultural Dimensions of Learning: Addressing the Challenges of Multicultural Instruction
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parrish, Patrick; Linder-VanBerschot, Jennifer A.
2010-01-01
The growing multicultural nature of education and training environments makes it critical that instructors and instructional designers, especially those working in online learning environments, develop skills to deliver culturally sensitive and culturally adaptive instruction. This article explores research into cultural differences to identify…
Ares Knowledge Capture: Summary and Key Themes Presentation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Coates, Ralph H.
2011-01-01
This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Risk Management team in close coordination with the MSFC Chief Engineers Office. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of actionable key lessons learned derived from the design project. Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document.
ESMD Risk Management Workshop: Systems Engineering and Integration Risks
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Thomas, L. Dale
2005-01-01
This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Risk Management team in close coordination with the Systems Engineering Team. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of key lessons learned derived from the SE RFP Development process. Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document.
A New Framework for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schoenack, Lindsie
2013-01-01
The challenges that massive open online courses (MOOCs) bring to the learning arena spur adult educators to improve delivery. A framework for a new type of MOOC is presented to address some of the challenges presented by earlier models. This new MOOC, called a mesoMOOC, can bridge several challenges that hinder current effective delivery of MOOCs…
Strategies for Helping Parents of Young Children Address Challenging Behaviors in the Home
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chai, Zhen; Lieberman-Betz, Rebecca
2016-01-01
Challenging behavior can be defined as any repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in prosocial interactions with peers and adults. It is generally accepted in young children that challenging behaviors serve some sort of communicative purpose--to…
Good Student Questions in Inquiry Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lombard, François E.; Schneider, Daniel K.
2013-01-01
Acquisition of scientific reasoning is one of the big challenges in education. A popular educational strategy advocated for acquiring deep knowledge is inquiry-based learning, which is driven by emerging "good questions". This study will address the question: "Which design features allow learners to refine questions while preserving…
Using Web 2.0 to Support the Active Learning Experience
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Williams, Jo; Chinn, Susan J.
2009-01-01
Increased attention to student engagement and active learning strategies have become particularly relevant in today's classroom environments. These approaches are also considered to be meaningful when teaching "net generation" students who have different styles and expectations. This study attempts to address these challenges through the…
Teaching adaptive leadership to family medicine residents: what? why? how?
Eubank, Daniel; Geffken, Dominic; Orzano, John; Ricci, Rocco
2012-09-01
Health care reform calls for patient-centered medical homes built around whole person care and healing relationships. Efforts to transform primary care practices and deliver these qualities have been challenging. This study describes one Family Medicine residency's efforts to develop an adaptive leadership curriculum and use coaching as a teaching method to address this challenge. We review literature that describes a parallel between the skills underlying such care and those required for adaptive leadership. We address two questions: What is leadership? Why focus on adaptive leadership? We then present a synthesis of leadership theories as a set of process skills that lead to organization learning through effective work relationships and adaptive leadership. Four models of the learning process needed to acquire such skills are explored. Coaching is proposed as a teaching method useful for going beyond information transfer to create the experiential learning necessary to acquire the process skills. Evaluations of our efforts to date are summarized. We discuss key challenges to implementing such a curriculum and propose that teaching adaptive leadership is feasible but difficult in the current medical education and practice contexts.
High Impact Practices: Student Engagement and Retention
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bonet, Giselle; Walters, Barbara R.
2016-01-01
Community college students face special challenges that can impede their academic progress, resulting in lower grades and persistence than students in selective four-year colleges. Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York, successfully addresses these challenges with learning communities: small cohorts of students in a blocked program…
Leading Learning: First-Year Principals' Reflections on Instructional Leadership
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
O'Doherty, Ann; Ovando, Martha N.
2013-01-01
This qualitative study examined the instructional leadership perceptions of four first-year principals. Findings illuminate five themes drawn from the data: definitions of instructional leadership, challenges that first-year principals faced, how these principals addressed these challenges, how the novice principals plan to enact their…
Quality Assurance in Distance Education: The Challenges to Be Addressed
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stella, Antony; Gnanam, A.
2004-01-01
Integration of technology in all forms of education has narrowed down the gap between the on- and off-campus students and has resulted in the use of the more broad-based term "distributed learning". Consequently, distance learning is seen as a subset of distributed learning, focusing on students who may be separated in time and space from their…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Murray, Jacqueline; Lachowsky, Nathan John; Green, Natalie
2017-01-01
Online courses are increasing in popularity while universities are using first-year seminars to address the challenges of large impersonal classes, lack of student engagement, and increased skills development. Could the learning experience and benefits of an in-person first-year seminar be achieved through an online distance education (DE) format?…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Simpson, Maree Donna; Twist, Teresa
2016-01-01
Work-integrated learning (WIL) has become commonplace in many higher education institutions across Australia. Similarly, there has been rapid integration of digital technologies for supporting teaching, learning and assessment in this domain. In the rush to address associated challenges within the sector--such as massification, limited placements,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McDonald, Paige L.; Lyons, Laurie B.; Straker, Howard O.; Barnett, Jacqueline S.; Schlumpf, Karen S.; Cotton, Linda; Corcoran, Mary A.
2014-01-01
For disciplines heavily reliant upon traditional classroom teaching, such as medicine and health sciences, incorporating new learning models may pose challenges for students and faculty. In an effort to innovate curricula, better align courses to required student learning outcomes, and address the call to redesign health professions education,…
A Middle School Dilemma: Dealing with "I Don't Care"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Walsh, Foster
2006-01-01
This article addresses the difficulty of engaging middle school students who don't seem to care about learning. Several classroom vignettes illustrate practical, classroom-based dilemmas generated from a university classroom management course. Three positive engagement principles are proposed to address the challenge of the reluctant learner: get…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rocha, Rodney
2011-01-01
This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ESMD Risk and Knowledge Management team. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of key lessons learned derived from the official Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document. This report is accompanied by a video that will be sent at request
Ageing and Learning in Australia: Arguing an Evidence Base for Informed and Equitable Policy.
Cuthill, Michael; Buys, Laurie; Wilson, Bruce; Kimberley, Helen; Reghenzani, Denise; Kearns, Peter; Thompson, Sally; Golding, Barry; Root, Jo; Weston, Rhonda
2016-01-01
Given Australia's population ageing and predicted impacts related to health, productivity, equity and enhancing quality of life outcomes for senior Australians, lifelong learning has been identified as a pathway for addressing the risks associated with an ageing population. To date Australian governments have paid little attention to addressing these needs and thus, there is an urgent need for policy development for lifelong learning as a national priority. The purpose of this article is to explore the current lifelong learning context in Australia and to propose a set of factors that are most likely to impact learning in later years. Evidence based policy that understands and incorporates learning opportunities for all citizens is required to meet emerging global challenges. Providing appropriate learning opportunities to seniors is one clear pathway for achieving diverse health, social and economic outcomes.
Americans in Middle Years: Career Options and Educational Opportunities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Entine, Alan D., Ed.
Twelve papers address three topics: the middle years--dimensions and dilemmas; the middle years--suggestions and solutions; and the changing university--new audiences for learning. Bruce Dearing examines personal, human questions posed by maturing individuals and indicates how they present challenges for a lifetime learning process. Bentley Glass…
Developing Teachers' Competences for Designing Inclusive Learning Experiences
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Navarro, Silvia Baldiris; Zervas, Panagiotis; Gesa, Ramon Fabregat; Sampson, Demetrios G.
2016-01-01
Inclusive education, namely the process of providing all learners with equal educational opportunities, is a major challenge for many educational systems worldwide. In order to address this issue, a widely used framework has been developed, namely the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which aims to provide specific educational design guidelines…
A Policy Reader in Universal Design for Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gordon, David T., Ed.; Gravel, Jenna W., Ed.; Schifter, Laura A., Ed.
2009-01-01
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) stands at the forefront of contemporary efforts to create access to education curricula for all students, including those with disabilities. This policy reader comprises a notably wide range of articles that address the challenges and opportunities facing policy makers as they consider UDL's implications for…
A Professional Practice Portfolio for Quality Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jones, Elizabeth
2010-01-01
This article focuses on the extent to which a portfolio may address the challenges of assessment for quality learning in professional education programmes. A four-year action research study investigated the development and implementation of a portfolio for the assessment of practice in a professional development programme preparing special…
The Learning Revolution. The Challenge of Information Technology in the Academy.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oblinger, Diana G., Ed.; Rush, Sean C., Ed.
This book addresses the fundamental changes occurring in higher education, centering on productivity, quality, access, and competitiveness. The 15 chapters illustrate how public and private institutions are providing leadership for the higher education revolution. Chapters include: (1) "The Learning Revolution: (Diana G. Oblinger and Sean C.…
Blended Delivery and Online Assessment: Scaffolding Student Reflections in Work-Integrated Learning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Larkin, Ingrid; Beatson, Amanda
2014-01-01
This paper documents a teaching innovation addressing the challenges of embedding and assessing reflective practice in work-integrated learning, specifically marketing internships. We identify four issues relating to this problem: lack of knowledge or skill for reflection, limitations of physical journals, facilitation of different forms of…
Reflections on Neuroscience in Teacher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Coch, Donna
2018-01-01
The majority of teacher preparation programs do not address neuroscience in their curricula. This is curious, as learning occurs in the brain in context and teachers fundamentally foster and facilitate learning. On the one hand, merging neuroscience knowledge into teacher training programs is fraught with challenges, such as reconciling how…
Silenced Voices: Learning about Early Childhood Programs in the South East Asian Region.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
MacNaughton, Glenda
1996-01-01
Explores political, cultural, historical, and economic dynamics of the Asian region. Suggests how English-speaking Australians might begin the process of learning about early childhood programs in Asia. Addresses political and practical challenges that monolingual, English-speaking Australians face when involved in cross-cultural exchanges with…
Intergroup Dialogue and Democratic Practice in Higher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lopez, Gretchen E.; Zuniga, Ximena
2010-01-01
Academic communities must learn to address many of the social divisions, misunderstandings, and inequities of society as a whole. Although challenging, this offers tremendous opportunities for educators to develop, study, and learn from innovative programs that respond effectively to these social issues on college and university campuses. This…
Tale of the Tape: International Teaching Assistant Noticing during Videotaped Classroom Observations
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Williams, Gwendolyn M.; Case, Rod E.
2015-01-01
International teaching assistants face challenges in learning the norms for teaching in American universities. In order to address this learning curve this article describes a qualitative study of twenty international teaching assistants that examined how these participants viewed observations as part of their professional development. The study…
Getting educated: e-learning resources in the design and execution of surgical trials.
Bains, Simrit
2009-01-01
An evidence-based approach to research, which includes important aspects such as critical appraisal, is essential for the effective conduct of clinical trials. Researchers who are interested in educating themselves about its principles in order to incorporate them into their trials face challenges when attempting to acquire this information from traditional learning sources. E-learning resources offer an intriguing possibility of overcoming the challenges posed by traditional learning, and show promise as a way to expand accessibility to quality education about evidence-based principles. An assessment of existing e-learning resources reveals positive educational avenues for researchers, although significant flaws exist. The Global EducatorTM by Global Research Solutions addresses many of these flaws and is an e-learning resource that combines convenience with comprehensiveness.
Comparison of Student and Instructor Perceptions of Social Presence
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mathieson, Kathleen; Leafman, Joan S.
2014-01-01
As enrollment in online courses continues to grow and online education is increasingly recognized as an established instructional mode, the unique challenges posed by this learning environment should be addressed. A primary challenge for virtual educators is developing social presence such that participants feel a sense of human connection with…
English Language Learning and Leadership: Putting It All Together
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lundquist, Anne M.; Hill, Jane
2009-01-01
As the student population becomes increasingly linguistically diverse, educators are faced with the challenge of providing academically rigorous instruction to ELLs. Because this requires teachers to adopt new strategies that challenge learners to think at higher levels; it will subsequently require leaders to intentionally address all aspects of…
Information Ethics Education for a Multicultural World
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fleischmann, Kenneth R.; Robbins, Russell W.; Wallace, William A.
2011-01-01
How can we prepare information systems students to face the ethical challenges of a globalized world? This paper describes a three-step approach for addressing these challenges. First, we have designed undergraduate and graduate information ethics courses that expand the range of learning of ethical theories beyond the traditional Western canon to…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
de Lange, Naydene; Mnisi, Thoko; Mitchell, Claudia; Park, Eun G.
2010-01-01
The partnerships, especially university-community partnerships, that sustain globally networked learning environments often face challenges in mobilizing research to empower local communities to effect change. This article examines these challenges by describing a university-community partnership involving researchers and graduate students in…
Education Policy in Greece: A Preliminary Assessment
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
OECD Publishing, 2017
2017-01-01
The future of Greece's well-being will depend on improving educational performance to raise employment and social outcomes. The challenges are significant, as public education expenditure in Greece has declined in recent years and learning outcomes are weak. To help the Greek government address these challenges, this report proposes a set of…
Generating Effective Facilitation Questions for Team-Building/Personal-Challenge Activities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gabbei, Ritchie
2004-01-01
Team-building/personal-challenge (TB/PC) activities have become popular ways to address students' interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and abilities associated with the affective domain. The outcomes associated with TB/PC activities are often best experienced and learned through the use of indirect methods of instruction. Typically, many…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Glazer, Francine S., Ed.
2011-01-01
This is a practical introduction to blended learning, presenting examples of implementation across a broad spectrum of disciplines. For faculty unfamiliar with this mode of teaching, it illustrates how to address the core challenge of blended learning--to link the activities in each medium so that they reinforce each other to create a single,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Goto, Keiko; Schneider, Julie
2010-01-01
Interteaching is a new pedagogical strategy for classroom instruction that demonstrates great effective student learning outcomes in the field of psychology. It is a 20 to 30 min student-to-student discussion addressing the main points in a specified body of reading materials. Interteaching includes elements such as reciprocal peer tutoring,…
Teaching Digital Natives: Promoting Information Literacy and Addressing Instructional Challenges
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Neumann, Crystal
2016-01-01
Technology must be used as a teaching and learning tool to help students succeed. However, educators must be proactive in identifying some of the pitfalls of technology, such as information illiteracy. The phenomenological study covers how English instructors from Indianapolis, who teach first year students, address information literacy and the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Potgieter, Christo; Bredenkamp, Esther
2002-01-01
Presents general background information on migration in South Africa and its effect on education. Described a cross-cultural communication program that addresses creatively the outcomes of migration, including its theoretical model, an application, program operation for learners and educators, and challenges. Reviews lessons learned by migrant…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tan, Sabine; O'Halloran, Kay L.; Wignell, Peter
2016-01-01
Multimodality, the study of the interaction of language with other semiotic resources such as images and sound resources, has significant implications for computer assisted language learning (CALL) with regards to understanding the impact of digital environments on language teaching and learning. In this paper, we explore recent manifestations of…
New Learning: A Charter for Change in Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kalantzis, Mary; Cope, Bill
2012-01-01
In this moment of tremendous change, investing in old ways of doing education is not the best way forward. In offering a Charter for Change we recognise that knowledge and learning will be pivotal to the social and personal transformations necessary to address the idiosyncratic challenges of our times. The transformed economic system emerging from…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Knewstubb, Bernadette; Nicholas, Howard
2017-01-01
Numerous higher education researchers have studied the ways in which students' or academics' beliefs and conceptions affect their educational experiences and outcomes. However, studying the learning-teaching relationship has proved challenging, requiring researchers to simultaneously address both the invisible internal world(s) of the student and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Howard, Barbara B.; McClannon, Terry W.; Wallace, Paul R.
2014-01-01
This project addresses the challenge of preparing educational leaders for future roles in administration in K-12 schools. Through a project-based learning scenario set in a 3-D virtual world, graduate students in school administration and instructional technology worked together in simulated school teams to develop proposals for integrating…
Challenging Orthodoxy: Problem Based Learning in Preservice Teacher Training
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Blackbourn, Joe M.; Bunch, Dennis; Fillingim, Jennifer; Thomas, Conn; Schillinger, Don; Dupree, Jeffery
2011-01-01
This article examines the viability of Problem Based Learning (PBL) in the training of teachers for the public schools. The shortcomings of traditional training and induction methods in preparing professional educators for the demands of the 21st Century schools is considered and the applicability of PBL in addressing these shortcomings is…
Why Evaluations Fail: To Achieve Meaningful Results, Address These Common Challenges
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Killion, Joellen
2017-01-01
Evaluation of professional learning illuminates the interactions that occur in the implementation of planned learning experiences and the necessary supports designed to improve professional practice and its effects on students. It investigates how a set of actions designed to achieve defined short- and long-term outcomes occur over time and how…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jamil, Baela Raza; Saeed, Saba
2018-01-01
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 is ambitious and tests national governments' capacity to address human development challenges, such as access to quality education. Collaborative initiatives that leverage the capacity of diverse stakeholders will be essential to meet the education and learning needs of the world's children,…
The Common Core, English Learners, and Morphology 101: Unpacking LS.4 for ELLs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hickey, Pamela J.; Lewis, Tarie
2013-01-01
The Common Core Learning Standards set forth learning goals for all students, including English learners, but this document does not provide information on effective literacy instruction for English learners or unpack the specific resources and challenges that bilingual students bring to the classroom. Language Standard 4 addresses morphological…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brooks, Lisa A.
2017-01-01
Recognizing the challenges that students face when they may lack background and experiential knowledge with regard to coins is important so that teachers can address this during instruction. Exposure to coins is one of the basic necessities to learning about the coins, but that is just the initial part of the learning sequence. Unless students are…
Design for Learning: Adapting the Microscopic Anatomy Laboratory to Adult Learners
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jurjus, Rosalyn A.; Krum, Janette; Goldman, Ellen F.
2013-01-01
Medical school curricula are undergoing transformational change in response to calls for integrating content across courses and years to enable better retention and application and for individualizing learning to meet the diverse backgrounds and thus differing needs of students. To address the related teaching challenges, faculty can employ solid…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mustafa, Hassan M. H.; Tourkia, Fadhel Ben; Ramadan, Ramadan Mohamed
2017-01-01
The objective of this piece of research is to interpret and investigate systematically an observed brain functional phenomenon which is associated with proceeding of e-learning processes. More specifically, this work addresses an interesting and challenging educational issue concerned with dynamical evaluation of elearning performance considering…
Policy and Challenges of Building Schools as Inclusive Communities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Curcic, Svjetlana; Gabel, Susan L.; Zeitlin, Virginia; Cribaro-DiFatta, Shannon; Glarner, Carmel
2011-01-01
In this paper, we address building inclusive communities by looking at school as a community, as a place where students participate in learning and also learn to participate in the life of a community and life in a broader inclusive society. At the international level, policies increasingly position education as a business organisation, with…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Andang'o, Elizabeth A.
2009-01-01
This paper examines pedagogy in early childhood music education and the resultant learning experiences in music for children in Kenyan preschools. Two important principles proposed for the synchronisation of teaching and learning in early childhood music education are cultural relevance and developmental appropriateness. These terms are…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Coufal, Kathy L.
2002-01-01
Themes during the 1990s included the bootstrapping effects between oral and literate language, importance of supporting emergent literacy, parallels between oral language impairment and academic failure, and challenges in facilitating language learning. This article addresses questions posed in Part I related to use of computer technology for…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Smith, John P., III; Males, Lorraine M.; Dietiker, Leslie C.; Lee, KoSze; Mosier, Aaron
2013-01-01
Extensive research has shown that elementary students struggle to learn the basic principles of length measurement. However, where patterns of errors have been documented, the origins of students' difficulties have not been identified. This study investigated the hypothesis that written elementary mathematics curricula contribute to the…
2010 Presidential Address: Learning Religion and Religiously Learning amid Global Cultural Flows
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hess, Mary E.
2011-01-01
Emerging social media that build on digital technologies are reshaping how we interact with each other. Religious education and identity formation within these new cultural flows demands recognition of the shifts in authority, authenticity, and agency that are taking place, as well as the challenges posed by "context collapse." Digital…
Using a Group Approach to Motivate Adults to Learn Braille
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Farrow, Kendra R.
2015-01-01
Teaching braille is one of the most time-consuming tasks for a vision rehabilitation therapist. Complicating this process, adults who might be considered to be good candidates for learning braille are often resistant to the idea (Ponchillia & Ponchillia, 1996). In an attempt to address these challenges, a combination of correspondence braille…
Accepting the Utopian Challenge: A Student Perspective
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Carman, Breanna R.
2013-01-01
The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) allows institutions to achieve the goals required for student learning and success. The purpose of this paper is to address recommendations for the implementation of SoTL that should have relevant input from students. These include, but are not limited to, better communication, evaluation, continuing…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Miller, Samuel D.
2003-01-01
Describes how most reading and writing assignments do not require the demonstration of sophisticated cognitive, social, or self-regulation skills. Describes an intervention study addressing this issue, in which students read and wrote complex prose, offered feedback to classmates, and monitored their learning progress. Focuses on how these new…
Sex Influences on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Andreano, Joseph M.; Cahill, Larry
2009-01-01
In essentially every domain of neuroscience, the generally implicit assumption that few, if any, meaningful differences exist between male and female brain function is being challenged. Here we address how this development is influencing studies of the neurobiology of learning and memory. While it has been commonly held that males show an…
GPE 2020: Improving Learning and Equity through Stronger Education Systems. Strategic Plan 2016-2020
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Global Partnership for Education, 2016
2016-01-01
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) addresses the most significant education challenges faced by developing countries through supporting governments to improve equity and learning by strengthening their education systems. GPE is a global fund and a partnership focused entirely on education in developing countries. The partnership has a…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thompson, Michael G.
2012-01-01
Undergraduate science and engineering institutions are currently attempting to improve recruiting practices and to retain engineering majors by addressing what many studies document as the major challenges of poor instruction. Service is described as experimental learning through the integration of traditional classroom teaching with structured…
2003-10-01
paper, which addresses the following questions: Is it worth it? What do we know about the value of technology applications in learning ( education and......fax) fletcher@ida.org SUMMARY Technology -based systems for education , training, and performance aiding (including decision aiding) may pose the
Fostering Spaces of Student Ownership in Middle School Science
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
O'Neill, Tara B.
2010-01-01
A critical challenge in urban science education is determining how to provide empowering science learning experiences for all students. In an effort to address the achievement gap in science education, I have focused on the concept of ownership, specifically when and how students gain ownership in science learning. This paper presents a teacher…
Who Needs 3D When the Universe Is Flat?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eriksson, Urban; Linder, Cedric; Airey, John; Redfors, Andreas
2014-01-01
An overlooked feature in astronomy education is the need for students to learn to extrapolate three-dimensionality and the challenges that this may involve. Discerning critical features in the night sky that are embedded in dimensionality is a long-term learning process. Several articles have addressed the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D)…
Innovations in Science and Mathematics Education: Advanced Designs for Technologies of Learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jacobson, Michael J., Ed.; Kozma, Robert B., Ed.
This collection of essays consists of current work that addresses the challenge not just to put the newest technologies in schools, but to identify advanced ways to design and use these new technologies to advance learning. These essays are intended for science and mathematics educators, educational and cognitive researchers, instructional…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Faria, Carlos; Vale, Carolina; Machado, Toni; Erlhagen, Wolfram; Rito, Manuel; Monteiro, Sérgio; Bicho, Estela
2016-01-01
Robotics has been playing an important role in modern surgery, especially in procedures that require extreme precision, such as neurosurgery. This paper addresses the challenge of teaching robotics to undergraduate engineering students, through an experiential learning project of robotics fundamentals based on a case study of robot-assisted…
An introduction to electronic learning and its use to address challenges in surgical training.
Baran, Szczepan W; Johnson, Elizabeth J; Kehler, James
2009-06-01
The animal research community faces a shortage of surgical training opportunities along with an increasing demand for expertise in surgical techniques. One possible means of overcoming this challenge is the use of computer-based or electronic learning (e-learning) to disseminate material to a broad range of animal users. E-learning platforms can take many different forms, ranging from simple text documents that are posted online to complex virtual courses that incorporate dynamic video or audio content and in which students and instructors can interact in real time. The authors present an overview of e-learning and discuss its potential benefits as a supplement to hands-on rodent surgical training. They also discuss a few basic considerations in developing and implementing electronic courses.
Responding to Individual Differences in Inclusive Classrooms in Australia
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
van Kraayenoord, Christina E.; Waterworth, David; Brady, Trish
2014-01-01
Responding to individual differences in classrooms in which there is increasing diversity is one of the challenges of inclusive education in Australia. The linking of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and assistive technologies (ATs) is one way in which this challenge can be addressed. This article describes an initiative, known as…
Revisiting the Media Generation: Youth Media Use and Computational Literacy Instruction
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jenson, Jennifer; Droumeva, Milena
2017-01-01
An ongoing challenge of 21st century learning is ensuring everyone has the requisite skills to participate in a digital, knowledge-based economy. Once an anathema to parents and teachers, digital games are increasingly at the forefront of conversations about ways to address student engagement and provoke challenges to media pedagogies. While…
Work-Based Learning as a Field of Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gibbs, Paul; Garnett, Jonathan
2007-01-01
This article addresses the challenges that Garnett suggests face higher education through the lens of Bourdieu. In taking up the challenge set by Garnett for higher education in the knowledge economy and responding to its powerful and primary artefact--intellectual capital--the article reviews and uses the analytical tool of Bourdieu's practice in…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Marchetti, Carol; Foster, Susan; Long, Gary; Stinson, Michael
2012-01-01
Teachers of introductory technical courses such as statistics face numerous challenges in the classroom, including student motivation and mathematical background, and difficulties in interpreting numerical results in context. Cooperative learning through small groups addresses many such challenges, but students for whom spoken English is not their…
Equipping Schools to Fight Poverty: A Community Hub Approach
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Haig, Tom
2014-01-01
A major challenge for education policymakers and educators globally is the strong and persistent impact of student socio-economic status (SES) on learning. This is a challenge that will not be addressed solely by school-focused reform. However, one policy initiative that could make a positive difference in this regard, and could bring other…
Challenges for Educational Technologists in the 21st Century
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mayes, Robin; Natividad, Gloria; Spector, J. Michael
2015-01-01
In 1972, Edsger Dijkstra claimed that computers had only introduced the new problem of learning to use them effectively. This is especially true in 2015 with regard to powerful new educational technologies. This article describes the challenges that 21st century educational technologists are, and will be, addressing as they undertake the effective…
Using a Sampling Strategy to Address Psychometric Challenges in Tutorial-Based Assessments
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eva, Kevin W.; Solomon, Patty; Neville, Alan J.; Ladouceur, Michael; Kaufman, Karyn; Walsh, Allyn; Norman, Geoffrey R.
2007-01-01
Introduction: Tutorial-based assessment, despite providing a good match with the philosophy adopted by educational programmes that emphasize small group learning, remains one of the greatest challenges for educators working in this context. The current study was performed in an attempt to assess the psychometric characteristics of tutorial-based…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Battin, James Vernon
2017-01-01
Today's academic and social environment creates uncertainties, new roles, frequent changes, and challenging situations for student affairs academic leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore how student affairs academic leaders described their recent challenging experiences in addressing student drug abuse in higher education. The…
Haigh, Neil; Haigh, Fiona
2007-12-01
Occasions when public health practitioners engage in professional learning increasingly involve them in encounters with (a) concepts that originate from unfamiliar disciplines and that may be multidisciplinary, complex and sometimes contested, (b) colleagues who have different discipline and profession backgrounds, and (c) modes of learning and teaching that are unfamiliar. While these factors can enhance both the processes and products of learning, they can also present significant challenges when those learning occasions are designed and facilitated. Drawing on our own reflected-on experience of working in such contexts and a body of related literature, we elaborate on these interrelated challenges and propose three strategies that can help address them. The strategies entail encouragement and support for establishing common commitments and values, perspective-taking and self-reflexivity, conversation and storytelling. Specific examples of challenges and strategies are derived, in particular, from a learning agenda associated with the mainstreaming of a human rights approach to public health. That agenda requires practitioners to understand the concept of human rights, appreciate its relevance for public health work and be capable of integrating a human right perspective into their day-to-day work.
Challenges faced by parents of children with learning disabilities in Opuwo, Namibia.
Taderera, Clever; Hall, Herna
2017-01-01
Parenting children with learning disabilities requires a high level of knowledge and access to resources, information and services. In developing countries, however, these resources and services are not always available. Parents in Namibia, a developing country, therefore face challenges addressing children's learning and other developmental disabilities, including challenges related to preventative and supportive interventions. This research focuses on challenges faced by parents as they parent children with learning disabilities in Opuwo, Namibia. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight parents regarding the challenges they face in parenting their children with learning disabilities. Thematic analysis enabled the researchers to identify, analyse and report on themes that emerged from the qualitative interview data. Analysis of the interviews indicated that some participants had only a vague understanding of learning disabilities, as they did not have access to essential knowledge about this phenomenon. They also lacked an awareness of the availability of programmes, services and policies meant to benefit their children with learning disabilities. Participants voiced that they, their children with learning disabilities and community members have stereotypes and prejudices regarding learning disabilities. In this study, most of the children with learning disabilities were raised by single, unemployed parents who seemed to have access to less support from external sources than married couples parenting children with learning disabilities. These single parents are usually not married and because of lack of financial support from the other parent, the majority of them indicated that they struggle to meet the financial and material needs of their children. The researchers concluded that the participants in this study experience a range of challenges in parenting their children with learning disabilities. The main challenges emanate from financial instability, as well as lack of knowledge regarding services and programmes for children with learning disabilities. This lack of knowledge on the part of participants could indicate poor policy education by policy implementers at grass-roots level.
Challenges faced by parents of children with learning disabilities in Opuwo, Namibia
Taderera, Clever
2017-01-01
Background Parenting children with learning disabilities requires a high level of knowledge and access to resources, information and services. In developing countries, however, these resources and services are not always available. Parents in Namibia, a developing country, therefore face challenges addressing children’s learning and other developmental disabilities, including challenges related to preventative and supportive interventions. Objective This research focuses on challenges faced by parents as they parent children with learning disabilities in Opuwo, Namibia. Method In-depth interviews were conducted with eight parents regarding the challenges they face in parenting their children with learning disabilities. Thematic analysis enabled the researchers to identify, analyse and report on themes that emerged from the qualitative interview data. Results Analysis of the interviews indicated that some participants had only a vague understanding of learning disabilities, as they did not have access to essential knowledge about this phenomenon. They also lacked an awareness of the availability of programmes, services and policies meant to benefit their children with learning disabilities. Participants voiced that they, their children with learning disabilities and community members have stereotypes and prejudices regarding learning disabilities. In this study, most of the children with learning disabilities were raised by single, unemployed parents who seemed to have access to less support from external sources than married couples parenting children with learning disabilities. These single parents are usually not married and because of lack of financial support from the other parent, the majority of them indicated that they struggle to meet the financial and material needs of their children. Conclusion The researchers concluded that the participants in this study experience a range of challenges in parenting their children with learning disabilities. The main challenges emanate from financial instability, as well as lack of knowledge regarding services and programmes for children with learning disabilities. This lack of knowledge on the part of participants could indicate poor policy education by policy implementers at grass-roots level. PMID:28951851
Active Deep Learning-Based Annotation of Electroencephalography Reports for Cohort Identification
Maldonado, Ramon; Goodwin, Travis R; Harabagiu, Sanda M
2017-01-01
The annotation of a large corpus of Electroencephalography (EEG) reports is a crucial step in the development of an EEG-specific patient cohort retrieval system. The annotation of multiple types of EEG-specific medical concepts, along with their polarity and modality, is challenging, especially when automatically performed on Big Data. To address this challenge, we present a novel framework which combines the advantages of active and deep learning while producing annotations that capture a variety of attributes of medical concepts. Results obtained through our novel framework show great promise. PMID:28815135
How to facilitate freshmen learning and support their transition to a university study environment
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kangas, Jari; Rantanen, Elisa; Kettunen, Lauri
2017-11-01
Most freshmen enter universities with high expectations and with good motivation, but too many are driven into performing instead of true learning. The issues are not only related to the challenge of comprehending the substance, social and other factors have an impact as well. All these multifaceted needs should be accounted for to facilitate student learning. Learning is an individual process and remarkable improvement in the learning practices is possible, if proper actions are addressed early enough. We motivate and describe a study of the experience obtained from a set of tailor-made courses that were given alongside standard curriculum. The courses aimed to provide a 'safe community' to address the multifaceted needs. Such support was integrated into regular coursework where active learning techniques, e.g. interactive small groups were incorporated. To assess impact of the courses we employ the feedback obtained during the courses and longitudinal statistical data about students' success.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McNeil, Levi
2018-01-01
Although the second language literature on Dynamic Assessment (DA)--the unity of assessment and instruction into a singular activity to promote cognitive development--shows promising results, very little has been written about how to educate teachers to use it. This two-cycle, exploratory action research study aimed to understand and address the…
Students' Conceptions on White Light and Implications for Teaching and Learning about Colour
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Haagen-Schützenhöfer, Claudia
2017-01-01
The quality of learning processes is mainly determined by the extent to which students' conceptions are addressed and thus conceptual change is triggered. Colour phenomena are a topic within initial instruction of optics which is challenging. A physically adequate concept of white light is crucial for being able to grasp the processes underlying…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sossou, Marie-Antoinette; Dubus, Nicole
2013-01-01
This paper examines a developing model for building an international social work placement that meets the needs of the host agency and community first. The paper addresses the challenges for social work departments to develop a strong learning environment while also keeping primary the needs of the host community and agency.
Lifelong Learning and the Pursuit of a Vision for Sustainable Development in Botswana
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Maruatona, Tonic
2011-01-01
This paper analyses Botswana's commitment to lifelong learning policy and discusses how it can help the state achieve its vision for sustainable development. First, it argues that while Botswana is renowned for its economic success, it still fails to address positively such traditional challenges as poverty, unemployment and income inequality,…
A Framework for Simplifying Educator Tasks Related to the Integration of Games in the Learning Flow
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
del Blanco, Angel; Torrente, Javier; Marchiori, Eugenio J.; Martinez-Ortiz, Ivan; Moreno-Ger, Pablo; Fernandez-Manjon, Baltasar
2012-01-01
The integration of educational video games in educational settings in general, and e-learning systems in particular, can be challenging for educators. We propose a framework that aims to facilitate educators' participation in the creation and modification of courses that use educational games. Our approach addresses problems identified by previous…
Evaluation of a Didactic Method for the Active Learning of Greedy Algorithms
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Esteban-Sánchez, Natalia; Pizarro, Celeste; Velázquez-Iturbide, J. Ángel
2014-01-01
An evaluation of the educational effectiveness of a didactic method for the active learning of greedy algorithms is presented. The didactic method sets students structured-inquiry challenges to be addressed with a specific experimental method, supported by the interactive system GreedEx. This didactic method has been refined over several years of…
Ethics of Research into Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0: Reflections on Eight Case Studies
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chang, Rosemary L.; Gray, Kathleen
2013-01-01
The unique features and educational affordances of Web 2.0 technologies pose new challenges for conducting learning and teaching research in ways that adequately address ethical issues of informed consent, beneficence, respect, justice, research merit and integrity. This paper reviews these conceptual bases of human research ethics and gives…
Learning to See Teaching in New Ways: A Foundation for Maintaining Cognitive Demand
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tekkumru Kisa, Miray; Stein, Mary Kay
2015-01-01
Students' opportunities to learn how to think are embedded in the instructional tasks with which they are invited to engage in the classroom. Prior research has revealed that the selection and use of cognitively demanding tasks does not guarantee high-level student thinking during their enactment. To address this challenge, we designed and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jensen, Eric Allen
2016-01-01
This article addresses some of the challenges faced when attempting to evaluate the long-term impact of informal science learning interventions. To contribute to the methodological development of informal science learning research, we critically examine (Falk and Needham (2011) "Journal of Research in Science Teaching," 48: 1-12.) study…
A Sense of Balance: District Aligns Personalized Learning with School and System Goals
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Donsky, Debbie; Witherow, Kathy
2015-01-01
This article addresses the challenge of personalizing learning while also ensuring alignment with system and school improvement plans. Leaders of the York Region District School Board in Ontario knew that what took their high-performing school district from good to great would not take it from great to excellent. The district's early model of…
Community and School Gardens as Spaces for Learning Social Resilience
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reis, Kimberley; Ferreira, Jo-Anne
2015-01-01
Can community and school gardens help people learn to build social resilience to potential food shortages? We seek to address this question through an examination of the ways in which gardens can teach individual and community resiliency in times of emergency, pockets of food insecurity, and the challenges presented by climate change. We focus on…
From Homemaking to Solidarity: Global Engagement as Common Good in an Age of Global Populism
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Toms, Cynthia
2018-01-01
The challenging and rapidly evolving times in which we live require that students understand, analyze, and address the complex realities facing their nation and world. However, efforts in global learning have primarily focused on expansion of programs rather than student learning and meaningful community engagement. Building on Bouma-Prediger and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kricsfalusy, Vladimir; George, Colleen; Reed, Maureen G.
2018-01-01
Improving student competencies to address sustainability challenges has been a subject of significant debate in higher education. Problem- and project-based learning have been widely celebrated as course models that support the development of sustainability competencies. This paper describes a course developed for a professional Master's program…
Development of a Workbench to Address the Educational Data Mining Bottleneck
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rodrigo, Ma. Mercedes T.; Baker, Ryan S. J. d.; McLaren, Bruce M.; Jayme, Alejandra; Dy, Thomas T.
2012-01-01
In recent years, machine-learning software packages have made it easier for educational data mining researchers to create real-time detectors of cognitive skill as well as of metacognitive and motivational behavior that can be used to improve student learning. However, there remain challenges to overcome for these methods to become available to…
Blended learning in anesthesia education: current state and future model.
Kannan, Jaya; Kurup, Viji
2012-12-01
Educators in anesthesia residency programs across the country are facing a number of challenges as they attempt to integrate blended learning techniques in their curriculum. Compared with the rest of higher education, which has made advances to varying degrees in the adoption of online learning anesthesiology education has been sporadic in the active integration of blended learning. The purpose of this review is to discuss the challenges in anesthesiology education and relevance of the Universal Design for Learning framework in addressing them. There is a wide chasm between student demand for online education and the availability of trained faculty to teach. The design of the learning interface is important and will significantly affect the learning experience for the student. This review examines recent literature pertaining to this field, both in the realm of higher education in general and medical education in particular, and proposes the application of a comprehensive learning model that is new to anesthesiology education and relevant to its goals of promoting self-directed learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sengupta, Pratim; Farris, Amy Voss; Wright, Mason
2012-01-01
Novice learners find motion as a continuous process of change challenging to understand. In this paper, we present a pedagogical approach based on agent-based, visual programming to address this issue. Integrating agent-based programming, in particular, Logo programming, with curricular science has been shown to be challenging in previous research…
Challenges in Mathematics and Statistics Teaching Underpinned by Student-Lecturer Expectations
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parashar, Deepak
2014-01-01
This study is motivated by the desire to address some of the enormous challenges faced by the students as well as the lecturer in fulfilling their respective expectations and duties demanded by the process of learning--teaching of mathematics and statistics within the framework of the constraining schedules laid down by the academic institutions…
English as a Medium of Instruction: Students' Strategies
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Soruç, Adem; Griffiths, Carol
2018-01-01
Although English-medium instruction (EMI) is now widely spread throughout the world, there is surprisingly little research into the challenges students face as they try to learn subject matter by means of a non-native language, or how learners attempt to address these challenges. The study reported in this article employed a qualitative approach,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brown, Michelle J.
2018-01-01
The Biggest Mover Program, an educational program to improve daily exercise and healthy eating was developed to address the learning needs of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and physical challenges. The program was part of a three-part program to improve the knowledge of students, staff, and teachers through the use of…
Coming Home to School: Challenges and Strategies for Effective Teaching with Military Veterans
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sportsman, Michel A.; Thomas, Lisa
2015-01-01
This article is an analysis of the unique needs of returning service members at the college or university level that impact the teaching decisions made by instructors. The article also discusses the challenges that service members are individually addressing while acclimating themselves to their new environment of learning. With the reduction in…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Richards, Bedelia; Camuso, Lauren
2015-01-01
Although social inequality is critical to the study of sociology, it is particularly challenging to teach about race, class and gender inequality to students who belong to privileged social groups. Simulation games are often used successfully to address this pedagogical challenge. While debriefing is a critical component of simulation exercises…
Second Language Prosody and Oral Reading Comprehension in Learners of Brazilian Portuguese
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McCune, W. M. Duce, II
2011-01-01
Learning to read can pose a major challenge to students, and much of this challenge is due to the fact that written language is necessarily impoverished when compared to the rich, continuous speech signal. Prosodic elements of language are scarcely represented in written text, and while oral reading prosody has been addressed in the literature…
Gaeilge Gaming: Assessing How Games Can Help Children to Learn Irish
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dalton, Gene; Devitt, Ann
2016-01-01
In the 2011 census almost one in three Irish teenagers claimed to be unable to speak Irish (Central Statistics Office, Ireland, 2012), despite the language being taught daily in school. The challenges facing the Irish language in schools are complex and multifaceted. The research reported here attempts to address some of these challenges by…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hong, Jianzhong
2000-11-01
This paper explores the process of workplace learning and problem solving by examining Western and local enterprises in South China. The paper addresses the subject on two levels. First, it examines the process of learning by solving problems on the shop floor. Second, it deals with certain managerial concepts embedded in Chinese culture and discusses whether these concepts help or impede collective learning. The article concludes that new ways of working and learning are emerging through the interaction of Western and Chinese culture.
Friedman, Charles; Rubin, Joshua; Brown, Jeffrey; Buntin, Melinda; Corn, Milton; Etheredge, Lynn; Gunter, Carl; Musen, Mark; Platt, Richard; Stead, William; Sullivan, Kevin; Van Houweling, Douglas
2015-01-01
The capability to share data, and harness its potential to generate knowledge rapidly and inform decisions, can have transformative effects that improve health. The infrastructure to achieve this goal at scale--marrying technology, process, and policy--is commonly referred to as the Learning Health System (LHS). Achieving an LHS raises numerous scientific challenges. The National Science Foundation convened an invitational workshop to identify the fundamental scientific and engineering research challenges to achieving a national-scale LHS. The workshop was planned by a 12-member committee and ultimately engaged 45 prominent researchers spanning multiple disciplines over 2 days in Washington, DC on 11-12 April 2013. The workshop participants collectively identified 106 research questions organized around four system-level requirements that a high-functioning LHS must satisfy. The workshop participants also identified a new cross-disciplinary integrative science of cyber-social ecosystems that will be required to address these challenges. The intellectual merit and potential broad impacts of the innovations that will be driven by investments in an LHS are of great potential significance. The specific research questions that emerged from the workshop, alongside the potential for diverse communities to assemble to address them through a 'new science of learning systems', create an important agenda for informatics and related disciplines. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.
Friedman, Charles; Rubin, Joshua; Brown, Jeffrey; Buntin, Melinda; Corn, Milton; Etheredge, Lynn; Gunter, Carl; Musen, Mark; Platt, Richard; Stead, William; Sullivan, Kevin; Van Houweling, Douglas
2015-01-01
Objective The capability to share data, and harness its potential to generate knowledge rapidly and inform decisions, can have transformative effects that improve health. The infrastructure to achieve this goal at scale—marrying technology, process, and policy—is commonly referred to as the Learning Health System (LHS). Achieving an LHS raises numerous scientific challenges. Materials and methods The National Science Foundation convened an invitational workshop to identify the fundamental scientific and engineering research challenges to achieving a national-scale LHS. The workshop was planned by a 12-member committee and ultimately engaged 45 prominent researchers spanning multiple disciplines over 2 days in Washington, DC on 11–12 April 2013. Results The workshop participants collectively identified 106 research questions organized around four system-level requirements that a high-functioning LHS must satisfy. The workshop participants also identified a new cross-disciplinary integrative science of cyber-social ecosystems that will be required to address these challenges. Conclusions The intellectual merit and potential broad impacts of the innovations that will be driven by investments in an LHS are of great potential significance. The specific research questions that emerged from the workshop, alongside the potential for diverse communities to assemble to address them through a ‘new science of learning systems’, create an important agenda for informatics and related disciplines. PMID:25342177
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Osler, James Edward
2016-01-01
This paper provides a novel instructional methodology that is a unique E-Learning engineered "4A Metric Algorithm" designed to conceptually address the four main challenges faced by 21st century students, who are tempted to cheat in a myriad of higher education settings (face to face, hybrid, and online). The algorithmic online…
[Community immersion program at Geneva medical school: a fifteen-year experience].
Chastonay, Philippe; Klohn, Axel Max; Zesiger, Véronique; Soguel, Ludivine; Kabengele, Emmanuel; Vu, Nu Viet; Bernheim, Laurent
2013-02-20
Over the past decades there have been many new developments in medical education due to new public health challenges and to new learning theories. Medical schools throughout the world have adapted to these challenges in adopting community-based learning activities, an approach that the World Health Organization has promoted. The aim of the present article is to describe the characteristics, as well as the evolution, of such a community-based training program which has been implemented over 15 years at the Faculty of medicine of the University of Geneva and to present some evaluation data addressing students' perception, achievement of learning objectives as well as interactions between students and the community.
Perceptual Learning and Feature-Based Approaches to Concepts – A Critical Discussion
Stöckle-Schobel, Richard
2012-01-01
A central challenge for any theory of concept learning comes from Fodor’s argument against the learning of concepts, which lies at the basis of contemporary computationalist accounts of the mind. Robert Goldstone and his colleagues propose a theory of perceptual learning that attempts to overcome Fodor’s challenge. Its main component is the addition of a cognitive device at the interface of perception and conception, which slowly builds “cognitive symbols” out of perceptual stimuli. Two main mechanisms of concept creation are unitization and differentiation. In this paper, I will present and examine their theory, and will show that two problems hinder this reply to Fodor’s challenge from being a successful answer to the challenge. To amend the theory, I will argue that one would need to say more about the input systems to unitization and differentiation, and be clearer on the representational format that they are able to operate upon. Until these issues have been addressed, the proposal does not deploy its full potential to threaten a Fodorian position. PMID:22479256
Hopwood, Nick
2015-01-01
Primary health policy in Australia has followed international trends in promoting models of care based on partnership between professionals and health service users. This reform agenda has significant practice implications, and has been widely adopted in areas of primary health that involve supporting families with children. Existing research shows that achieving partnership in practice is associated with three specific challenges: uncertainty regarding the role of professional expertise, tension between immediate needs and longer-term capacity development in families, and the need for challenge while maintaining relationships based on trust. Recently, pedagogic or learning-focussed elements of partnership practice have been identified, but there have been no systematic attempts to link theories of learning with the practices and challenges of primary health-care professionals working with families in a pedagogic role. This paper explores key concepts of Vygotsky's theory of learning (including mediation, the zone of proximal development, internalisation, and double stimulation), showing how pedagogic concepts can provide a bridge between the policy rhetoric of partnership and primary health practice. The use of this theory to address the three key challenges is explicitly discussed.
Murphy, Judy I; Nimmagadda, Jayashree
2015-05-01
Learning to effectively communicate and work with other professionals requires skill, yet interprofessional education is often not included in the undergraduate healthcare provider curriculum. Simulation is an effective pedagogy to bring students from multiple professions together for learning. This article describes a pilot study where nursing and social work students learned together in a simulated learning activity, which was evaluated to by the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). The RIPLS was used before and after the simulated activity to determine if this form of education impacted students' perceptions of readiness to learn together. Students from both professions improved in their RIPLS scores. Students were also asked to identify their interprofessional strengths and challenges before and after the simulation. Changes were identified in qualitative data where reports of strengths and challenges indicated learning and growth had occurred. In conclusion, this pilot study suggests that interprofessional simulation can be an effective method to integrate Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies into the curriculum.
How Do You Intentionally Design to Maximize Success in the Academically Diverse Classroom?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chandler, Renee; Zaloudek, Julie A.; Carlson, Kitrina
2017-01-01
Addressing academic diversity in today's college classroom is challenging. This chapter explores Universal Design for Learning as a viable framework for removing barriers for all students in higher education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brands, Michael W.; Schumacher, Lori
2009-01-01
To address the challenge of increasing opportunities for active learning into a medical physiology course with 190 students enrolled, we chose an integrated approach. This was facilitated by the availability of a patient simulator facility at the School of Nursing at the Medical College of Georgia, and an 20-min simulation of acute hemorrhage on…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ruiz de Zarobe, Yolanda; Coyle, Do
2015-01-01
This article addresses the need to develop new pedagogic approaches which promote learner independence in contexts where learning takes place through the medium of more than one language. The challenges of responding to a rapidly changing educational landscape to ensure that our learners become pluriliterate global citizens are presented through…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hoidn, Sabine; Olbert-Bock, Sibylle
2016-01-01
Purpose: In the context of the creation of a two-year Master of Science in Business Administration programme to offer a scientifically sound and practice-related management education in Switzerland, a curriculum for learning and teaching research methods had to be designed. Major pedagogic challenges were identified and addressed by curricular…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bovill, C.; Cook-Sather, A.; Felten, P.; Millard, L.; Moore-Cherry, N.
2016-01-01
Against a backdrop of rising interest in students becoming partners in learning and teaching in higher education, this paper begins by exploring the relationships between student engagement, co-creation and student-staff partnership before providing a typology of the roles students can assume in working collaboratively with staff. Acknowledging…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Benade, Leon
2015-01-01
The discourse of twenty-first century learning argues that education should prepare students for successful living in the twenty-first century workplace and society. It challenges all educators with the idea that contemporary education is unable to do so, as it is designed to replicate an industrial age model, essentially rear-focused, rather than…
Using Blended Learning Strategies to Address Teaching Development Needs: How Does Canada Compare?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kanuka, Heather; Rourke, Liam
2013-01-01
The provision of blended learning strategies designed to assist academics in the higher education sector with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for effective teaching with technology has been, and continues to be, a challenge for teaching centres in Canada. It is unclear, first, whether this is an ongoing issue unique to Canada; and,…
Retracted: Design Education in the Global Era
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
de Lobo, Theresa
The aim of this paper is to show the collaboration of design disciplines to instill a broader sense of design for students through intercultural service learning projects. While there are programs that are reinventing their curriculum, there are still several that follow the classic structure of a first year art foundation program with the final years concentrating on the desired discipline. The interactions at a global scale, has heightened the need for graduates to learn to interact more effectively with people from different cultures. This approach combines the concern of addressing a need for design in a real world situation, with learning how to understand culture, place, and experience through a collaborative project. Referencing a specific international service learning project, and drawing from literature on internationalization of education, this paper explores key concepts, learning objectives, methods, and challenges faced in addressing the need to prepare students for practice in an increasingly integrated workplace.
Quicker Q-Learning in Multi-Agent Systems
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Agogino, Adrian K.; Tumer, Kagan
2005-01-01
Multi-agent learning in Markov Decisions Problems is challenging because of the presence ot two credit assignment problems: 1) How to credit an action taken at time step t for rewards received at t' greater than t; and 2) How to credit an action taken by agent i considering the system reward is a function of the actions of all the agents. The first credit assignment problem is typically addressed with temporal difference methods such as Q-learning OK TD(lambda) The second credit assi,onment problem is typically addressed either by hand-crafting reward functions that assign proper credit to an agent, or by making certain independence assumptions about an agent's state-space and reward function. To address both credit assignment problems simultaneously, we propose the Q Updates with Immediate Counterfactual Rewards-learning (QUICR-learning) designed to improve both the convergence properties and performance of Q-learning in large multi-agent problems. Instead of assuming that an agent s value function can be made independent of other agents, this method suppresses the impact of other agents using counterfactual rewards. Results on multi-agent grid-world problems over multiple topologies show that QUICR-learning can achieve up to thirty fold improvements in performance over both conventional and local Q-learning in the largest tested systems.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Turner, Kylan
2012-01-01
Sleep problems are a common occurrence among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition to the challenges that sleep problems present for children's neurodevelopment, learning, and daytime behaviors, sleep problems in children present significant challenges for the entire family. Research studies on behavioral interventions to…
Efficient Learning of Continuous-Time Hidden Markov Models for Disease Progression
Liu, Yu-Ying; Li, Shuang; Li, Fuxin; Song, Le; Rehg, James M.
2016-01-01
The Continuous-Time Hidden Markov Model (CT-HMM) is an attractive approach to modeling disease progression due to its ability to describe noisy observations arriving irregularly in time. However, the lack of an efficient parameter learning algorithm for CT-HMM restricts its use to very small models or requires unrealistic constraints on the state transitions. In this paper, we present the first complete characterization of efficient EM-based learning methods for CT-HMM models. We demonstrate that the learning problem consists of two challenges: the estimation of posterior state probabilities and the computation of end-state conditioned statistics. We solve the first challenge by reformulating the estimation problem in terms of an equivalent discrete time-inhomogeneous hidden Markov model. The second challenge is addressed by adapting three approaches from the continuous time Markov chain literature to the CT-HMM domain. We demonstrate the use of CT-HMMs with more than 100 states to visualize and predict disease progression using a glaucoma dataset and an Alzheimer’s disease dataset. PMID:27019571
Moya, Eva M.; Chavez-Baray, Silvia Maria; Martinez, Omar; Mattera, Brian; Adcox, Courtney
2018-01-01
Research and scholarship efforts continue to promote the integration of micro and macro practice in social work practice and education. Despite this, scholarship has documented persistent challenges in the fluid integration between the domains of micro-level service provision and macro-level social change efforts in practice and academic programs. This paper outlines a successful bridge between the micro-macro divide in the form of community-engaged practice to address homelessness and social work education in the U.S.-Mexico border region. MSW students enrolled in a macro-level course at the University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Health Sciences successfully partnered with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a grassroots community-based organization serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The narrative describes how students were effectively able to apply both micro- and macro-level skills learned in the classroom to an experiential learning environment while providing much-needed assistance to an underfunded community-based organization. A set of challenges and recommendations are also discussed. Research initiatives are needed to evaluate and test clinical and community work initiatives, including the use of photovoice methodology to address homelessness, while being responsive to community needs and challenges. PMID:29809204
Moya, Eva M; Chavez-Baray, Silvia Maria; Martinez, Omar; Mattera, Brian; Adcox, Courtney
2018-01-01
Research and scholarship efforts continue to promote the integration of micro and macro practice in social work practice and education. Despite this, scholarship has documented persistent challenges in the fluid integration between the domains of micro-level service provision and macro-level social change efforts in practice and academic programs. This paper outlines a successful bridge between the micro-macro divide in the form of community-engaged practice to address homelessness and social work education in the U.S.-Mexico border region. MSW students enrolled in a macro-level course at the University of Texas at El Paso's College of Health Sciences successfully partnered with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a grassroots community-based organization serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The narrative describes how students were effectively able to apply both micro- and macro-level skills learned in the classroom to an experiential learning environment while providing much-needed assistance to an underfunded community-based organization. A set of challenges and recommendations are also discussed. Research initiatives are needed to evaluate and test clinical and community work initiatives, including the use of photovoice methodology to address homelessness, while being responsive to community needs and challenges.
Integrating Safety with Science,Technology and Innovation at Los Alamos National Laboratory
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Rich, Bethany M
2012-04-02
The mission of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is to develop and apply science, technology and engineering solutions to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent; reduce global threats; and solve emerging national security challenges. The most important responsibility is to direct and conduct efforts to meet the mission with an emphasis on safety, security, and quality. In this article, LANL Environmental, Safety, and Health (ESH) trainers discuss how their application and use of a kinetic learning module (learn by doing) with a unique fall arrest system is helping to address one the most common industrialmore » safety challenges: slips and falls. A unique integration of Human Performance Improvement (HPI), Behavior Based Safety (BBS) and elements of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) combined with an interactive simulator experience is being used to address slip and fall events at Los Alamos.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jensen, Matilde Bisballe; Utriainen, Tuuli Maria; Steinert, Martin
2018-01-01
This paper presents the experienced difficulties of students participating in the multidisciplinary, remote collaborating engineering design course challenge-based innovation at CERN. This is with the aim to identify learning barriers and improve future learning experiences. We statistically analyse the rated differences between distinct design activities, educational background and remote vs. co-located collaboration. The analysis is based on a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire (N = 37). Our analysis found significant ranking differences between remote and co-located activities. This questions whether the remote factor might be a barrier for the originally intended learning goals. Further a correlation between analytical and converging design phases was identified. Hence, future facilitators are suggested to help students in the transition from one design phase to the next rather than only teaching methods in the individual design phases. Finally, we discuss how educators address the identified learning barriers when designing future courses including multidisciplinary or remote collaboration.
Xiao, Cao; Choi, Edward; Sun, Jimeng
2018-06-08
To conduct a systematic review of deep learning models for electronic health record (EHR) data, and illustrate various deep learning architectures for analyzing different data sources and their target applications. We also highlight ongoing research and identify open challenges in building deep learning models of EHRs. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for papers on deep learning studies using EHR data published between January 1, 2010, and January 31, 2018. We summarize them according to these axes: types of analytics tasks, types of deep learning model architectures, special challenges arising from health data and tasks and their potential solutions, as well as evaluation strategies. We surveyed and analyzed multiple aspects of the 98 articles we found and identified the following analytics tasks: disease detection/classification, sequential prediction of clinical events, concept embedding, data augmentation, and EHR data privacy. We then studied how deep architectures were applied to these tasks. We also discussed some special challenges arising from modeling EHR data and reviewed a few popular approaches. Finally, we summarized how performance evaluations were conducted for each task. Despite the early success in using deep learning for health analytics applications, there still exist a number of issues to be addressed. We discuss them in detail including data and label availability, the interpretability and transparency of the model, and ease of deployment.
Challenges for academic accreditation: the UK experience
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shearman, Richard; Seddon, Deborah
2010-08-01
Several factors (government policy, demographic trends, employer pressure) are leading to new forms of degree programmes in UK universities. The government is strongly encouraging engagement between universities and employers. Work-based learning is increasingly found in first and second cycle programmes, along with modules designed by employers and increasing use of distance learning. Engineering faculties are playing a leading part in these developments, and the Engineering Council, the engineering professional bodies and some universities are collaborating to develop work-based learning programmes as a pathway to professional qualification. While potentially beneficial to the engineering profession, these developments pose a challenge to traditional approaches to programme accreditation. This paper explores how this system deals with these challenges and highlights the issues that will have to be addressed to ensure that the system can cope effectively with change, especially the development of individually tailored, work-based second cycle programmes, while maintaining appropriate standards and international confidence.
Using Technology to Meet the Challenges of Medical Education
Guze, Phyllis A.
2015-01-01
Medical education is rapidly changing, influenced by many factors including the changing health care environment, the changing role of the physician, altered societal expectations, rapidly changing medical science, and the diversity of pedagogical techniques. Changes in societal expectations put patient safety in the forefront, and raises the ethical issues of learning interactions and procedures on live patients, with the long-standing teaching method of “see one, do one, teach one” no longer acceptable. The educational goals of using technology in medical education include facilitating basic knowledge acquisition, improving decision making, enhancement of perceptual variation, improving skill coordination, practicing for rare or critical events, learning team training, and improving psychomotor skills. Different technologies can address these goals. Technologies such as podcasts and videos with flipped classrooms, mobile devices with apps, video games, simulations (part-time trainers, integrated simulators, virtual reality), and wearable devices (google glass) are some of the techniques available to address the changing educational environment. This article presents how the use of technologies can provide the infrastructure and basis for addressing many of the challenges in providing medical education for the future. PMID:26330687
Using Technology to Meet the Challenges of Medical Education.
Guze, Phyllis A
2015-01-01
Medical education is rapidly changing, influenced by many factors including the changing health care environment, the changing role of the physician, altered societal expectations, rapidly changing medical science, and the diversity of pedagogical techniques. Changes in societal expectations put patient safety in the forefront, and raises the ethical issues of learning interactions and procedures on live patients, with the long-standing teaching method of "see one, do one, teach one" no longer acceptable. The educational goals of using technology in medical education include facilitating basic knowledge acquisition, improving decision making, enhancement of perceptual variation, improving skill coordination, practicing for rare or critical events, learning team training, and improving psychomotor skills. Different technologies can address these goals. Technologies such as podcasts and videos with flipped classrooms, mobile devices with apps, video games, simulations (part-time trainers, integrated simulators, virtual reality), and wearable devices (google glass) are some of the techniques available to address the changing educational environment. This article presents how the use of technologies can provide the infrastructure and basis for addressing many of the challenges in providing medical education for the future.
Publics and vaccinomics: beyond public understanding of science.
Einsiedel, Edna F
2011-09-01
Vaccines have been among the most effective tools for addressing global public health challenges. With the advent of genomics, novel approaches for vaccine discovery are opening up new opportunities for vaccine development and applications, particularly with the expectation of personalized vaccines and the possibility of addressing a broader range of infectious diseases. In this context, it is useful to reflect on the social contexts of vaccine development as these have been influenced by social, ethical, political challenges. This article discusses the historical context of vaccine controversies and factors that help explain public acceptance and resistance, illustrating that these challenges go well beyond simple public misunderstandings. The broader vaccine challenges evident along the innovation trajectory, from development to commercialization and implementation include problems in research and development, organizational issues, and legal and regulatory challenges that may collectively contribute to public resistance or confidence. The recent history of genomics provides further lessons that the developing field of vaccinomics can learn from.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brown, Tom H.
2015-01-01
Barber, Donnelly & Rizvi (2013): "An avalanche is coming: Higher education and the revolution ahead" addresses some significant issues in higher education and poses some challenging questions to open and distance learning (ODL) administrators, policy makers, and of course to ODL faculty in general. Barber et al.'s paper does not…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Costello, Ellen; Corcoran, Mary; Barnett, Jacqueline S.; Birkmeier, Marisa; Cohn, Rhea; Ekmekci, Ozgur; Falk, Nancy L.; Harrod, Thomas; Herrmann, Debra; Robinson, Sean; Walker, Bryan
2014-01-01
Changes in the U.S. Healthcare System along with the need for institutions of higher education to prepare a work force ready to address the challenges of today and tomorrow have highlighted the need to incorporate technology in its broadest sense as part of the student learning experience. In health professional education, this becomes challenging…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Michaelson, Matthew Thomas
2008-01-01
Although schools are meant to be safe learning environments for all children, some children are not afforded equal access to the protection of their safety and security. Every day, children who might be same-sex attracted are confronted with a unique set of challenges that are not being adequately addressed by the administrators of educational…
North, Sarah; Giddens, Jean
2013-10-01
Multiple challenges must be addressed when educational research is being conducted that involves a teaching innovation at multiple sites over time, including the consistent adoption and use of the intervention, attrition, response rates, and other aspects related to managing a complex study. After an 18-month nursing education study was conducted at multiple institutions across the United States, the authors' study team reflected on strategies that worked well, the challenges faced, and what could have been done differently. This article details the challenges and offers recommendations for other researchers conducting similar studies. Recommendations related to communication and engagement, innovation fidelity, survey fatigue, multiple institutional review board applications, and flexibility are provided. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.
Fast, Gail Ann; Gray, Lorali; Miles-Koehler, Mona
2013-01-01
While all schools in Washington State have had to deal with shrinking financial resources, small, rural school districts, with fewer than 2,000 students, face unique circumstances that further challenge their ability to meet rising student health needs. This article will explore how small districts utilize the services of the Washington State School Nurse Corps (SNC), an innovative program that supports student health and safety while reducing barriers to learning. Through direct registered nursing services and regional nurse administrative consultation and technical assistance, the SNC strengthens rural school districts' capacity to provide a safe and healthy learning environment. In addition, we will examine current research that links health and learning to discover how the SNC model is successful in addressing health risks as barriers to learning. Lastly, as resources continue to dwindle, partnerships between schools, the SNC, and state and local health and education organizations will be critical in maintaining health services and learning support to small, rural schools.
77 FR 58301 - Final Requirements-Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge; Phase 2
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-09-20
... career advancement. Core Area B addresses the importance of a high-quality plan for rating and monitoring... adversely affect a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or...
Genetic Testing: Understanding the Personal Stories.
DuBois, James M
2015-01-01
Twelve personal narratives address the challenges, benefits, and pitfalls of genetic testing. Three commentary articles explore these stories and suggest lessons that can be learned from them. The commentators come from backgrounds that include bioethics, public health, psychology, and philosophy.
A graduate education framework for tropical conservation and development.
Kainer, Karen A; Schmink, Marianne; Covert, Hannah; Stepp, John Richard; Bruna, Emilio M; Dain, Jonathan L; Espinosa, Santiago; Humphries, Shoana
2006-02-01
Conventional graduate training related to tropical conservation and development has typically separated the two fields, with students focusing on either conservation from the perspective of the biophysical sciences or development as an extension of the social sciences. On entering the workforce, however graduates find they are required to work beyond disciplinary boundaries to address the complex interconnectivity between biological conservation and human well-being. We devised a framework for graduate education that broadens students' skill sets to learn outside their immediate disciplines and think in terms of linked socioecological systems, work in teams, communicate in nonacademic formats, and reflect critically on their own perspectives and actions. The University of Florida's Tropical Conservation and Development program has adopted a learning and action platform that blends theory, skills, and praxis to create an intellectual, social, and professionally safe space where students, faculty, and other participants can creatively address the complex challenges of tropical conservation and development. This platform operates within a nondegree-granting program and includes core courses that are taught by a team of biophysical and social scientists. It incorporates a range of alternative learning spaces such as student-led workshops, retreats, visiting professionals, practitioner experiences, and a weekly student-led seminar that collectively encourage students and faculty to enhance their skills and systematically and thoroughly reflect on program activities. Challenges to the described approach include increased service demands on faculty, a redefinition of research excellence to include effective and equitable collaboration with host-country partners, and the trade-offs and uncertainties inherent in more collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Despite these challenges, growing interdisciplinary programs, coupled with adaptive educational approaches that emphasize learning and action networks of students, faculty, and field partners, provide the best hope for responding to the emerging challenges of tropical conservation and development.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vivian, Rebecca; Falkner, Katrina; Falkner, Nickolas
2014-01-01
England and Australia have introduced new learning areas, teaching computer science to children from the first year of school. This is a significant milestone that also raises a number of big challenges: the preparation of teachers and the development of resources" at a national scale." Curriculum change is not easy for teachers, in any…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McLinden, Mike; Ravenscroft, John; Douglas, Graeme; Hewett, Rachel; Cobb, Rory
2017-01-01
Introduction: The unique challenges to learning and participation in education associated with visual impairment are well documented in the literature, as is the importance of addressing these challenges through ensuring practitioners who support them are equipped with appropriate knowledge, understanding, and skills. We use a bioecological…
Gillespie, Mary; Shackell, Eileen
2017-11-01
In nursing education, physiological concepts are typically presented within a body 'systems' framework yet learners are often challenged to apply this knowledge in the holistic and functional manner needed for effective clinical decision-making and safe patient care. A nursing faculty addressed this learning challenge by developing an advanced organizer as a conceptual and integrative learning tool to support learners in diverse learning environments and practice settings. A mixed methods research study was conducted that explored the effectiveness of the Oxygen Supply and Demand Framework as a learning tool in undergraduate nursing education. A pretest/post-test assessment and reflective journal were used to gather data. Findings indicated the Oxygen Supply and Demand Framework guided the development of pattern recognition and thinking processes and supported knowledge development, knowledge application and clinical decision-making. The Oxygen Supply and Demand Framework supports undergraduate students learning to provide safe and effective nursing care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Issues in Distance Education: A Primer for Higher Education Decision Makers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beaudoin, Michael
2016-01-01
This chapter presents an overview of current issues related to distance learning in higher education. It identifies central questions, issues, challenges, and opportunities that must be addressed by decision makers, as well as key attributes of effective leaders.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Abreu, Julio
2000-01-01
Four decades ago following Russia's Sputnik satellite launching, the nation embraced "new" math as part of its commitment not to fall behind its global neighbors. Issues addressed in "new-new" math include equal access to challenging learning, problem solving, reasoning and proof, communications, multiple ways to solve…
MLBCD: a machine learning tool for big clinical data.
Luo, Gang
2015-01-01
Predictive modeling is fundamental for extracting value from large clinical data sets, or "big clinical data," advancing clinical research, and improving healthcare. Machine learning is a powerful approach to predictive modeling. Two factors make machine learning challenging for healthcare researchers. First, before training a machine learning model, the values of one or more model parameters called hyper-parameters must typically be specified. Due to their inexperience with machine learning, it is hard for healthcare researchers to choose an appropriate algorithm and hyper-parameter values. Second, many clinical data are stored in a special format. These data must be iteratively transformed into the relational table format before conducting predictive modeling. This transformation is time-consuming and requires computing expertise. This paper presents our vision for and design of MLBCD (Machine Learning for Big Clinical Data), a new software system aiming to address these challenges and facilitate building machine learning predictive models using big clinical data. The paper describes MLBCD's design in detail. By making machine learning accessible to healthcare researchers, MLBCD will open the use of big clinical data and increase the ability to foster biomedical discovery and improve care.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Doraiswamy, Nithya
This qualitative case study focused on the multifaceted issue of exploring science teacher leaders understanding and addressing of issues of diversity and equity with peers through professional development. The purpose of the study was to highlight the opportunities and barriers to the addressing of issues of diversity and equity through the work of a community of teachers leaders in science professional development. To frame this study, the researcher drew from the interdisciplinary field of multicultural education, transformative learning, and teacher leadership. In drawing out the connections from these vast bodies of literature, the study speaks to the need of both, creating teacher leaders in science education who are capable of meeting the twin demands of excellence and equity, and also attending to the challenges in the professional learning continuums of teachers leaders and their peers towards addressing issues of diversity and equity in science education.
Learning to Predict Combinatorial Structures
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vembu, Shankar
2009-12-01
The major challenge in designing a discriminative learning algorithm for predicting structured data is to address the computational issues arising from the exponential size of the output space. Existing algorithms make different assumptions to ensure efficient, polynomial time estimation of model parameters. For several combinatorial structures, including cycles, partially ordered sets, permutations and other graph classes, these assumptions do not hold. In this thesis, we address the problem of designing learning algorithms for predicting combinatorial structures by introducing two new assumptions: (i) The first assumption is that a particular counting problem can be solved efficiently. The consequence is a generalisation of the classical ridge regression for structured prediction. (ii) The second assumption is that a particular sampling problem can be solved efficiently. The consequence is a new technique for designing and analysing probabilistic structured prediction models. These results can be applied to solve several complex learning problems including but not limited to multi-label classification, multi-category hierarchical classification, and label ranking.
Sleep and Native Language Interference Affect Non-Native Speech Sound Learning
Earle, F. Sayako; Myers, Emily B.
2015-01-01
Adults learning a new language are faced with a significant challenge: non-native speech sounds that are perceptually similar to sounds in one’s native language can be very difficult to acquire. Sleep and native language interference, two factors that may help to explain this difficulty in acquisition, are addressed in three studies. Results of Experiment 1 showed that participants trained on a non-native contrast at night improved in discrimination 24 hours after training, while those trained in the morning showed no such improvement. Experiments 2 and 3 addressed the possibility that incidental exposure to perceptually similar native language speech sounds during the day interfered with maintenance in the morning group. Taken together, results show that the ultimate success of non-native speech sound learning depends not only on the similarity of learned sounds to the native language repertoire, but also to interference from native language sounds before sleep. PMID:26280264
Sleep and native language interference affect non-native speech sound learning.
Earle, F Sayako; Myers, Emily B
2015-12-01
Adults learning a new language are faced with a significant challenge: non-native speech sounds that are perceptually similar to sounds in one's native language can be very difficult to acquire. Sleep and native language interference, 2 factors that may help to explain this difficulty in acquisition, are addressed in 3 studies. Results of Experiment 1 showed that participants trained on a non-native contrast at night improved in discrimination 24 hr after training, while those trained in the morning showed no such improvement. Experiments 2 and 3 addressed the possibility that incidental exposure to perceptually similar native language speech sounds during the day interfered with maintenance in the morning group. Taken together, results show that the ultimate success of non-native speech sound learning depends not only on the similarity of learned sounds to the native language repertoire, but also to interference from native language sounds before sleep. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
Direct heuristic dynamic programming for damping oscillations in a large power system.
Lu, Chao; Si, Jennie; Xie, Xiaorong
2008-08-01
This paper applies a neural-network-based approximate dynamic programming method, namely, the direct heuristic dynamic programming (direct HDP), to a large power system stability control problem. The direct HDP is a learning- and approximation-based approach to addressing nonlinear coordinated control under uncertainty. One of the major design parameters, the controller learning objective function, is formulated to directly account for network-wide low-frequency oscillation with the presence of nonlinearity, uncertainty, and coupling effect among system components. Results include a novel learning control structure based on the direct HDP with applications to two power system problems. The first case involves static var compensator supplementary damping control, which is used to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the learning control performance. The second case aims at addressing a difficult complex system challenge by providing a new solution to a large interconnected power network oscillation damping control problem that frequently occurs in the China Southern Power Grid.
Women Connect! Strengthening communications to meet sexual and reproductive health challenges.
Pillsbury, Barbara; Mayer, Doe
2005-06-01
Women's nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have significant comparative advantage for addressing sexual and reproductive health challenges facing women and families. This article describes an initiative to assist women's NGOs in developing greater skills using media and information communication technology for communicating women's health messages. Participating women's groups in Africa undertook innovative media projects--radio broadcasts on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and family planning, an antiviolence campaign, media campaigns on avoiding teen pregnancy--and designed websites, established Internet cafés, and downloaded health information from the Internet. Lessons learned offer guidance for collaboration with women's NGOs everywhere to strengthen communication for addressing critical sexual and reproductive health issues.
Scaling up to address data science challenges
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wendelberger, Joanne R.
Statistics and Data Science provide a variety of perspectives and technical approaches for exploring and understanding Big Data. Partnerships between scientists from different fields such as statistics, machine learning, computer science, and applied mathematics can lead to innovative approaches for addressing problems involving increasingly large amounts of data in a rigorous and effective manner that takes advantage of advances in computing. Here, this article will explore various challenges in Data Science and will highlight statistical approaches that can facilitate analysis of large-scale data including sampling and data reduction methods, techniques for effective analysis and visualization of large-scale simulations, and algorithmsmore » and procedures for efficient processing.« less
PATTERNS IN BIOMEDICAL DATA-HOW DO WE FIND THEM?
Basile, Anna O; Verma, Anurag; Byrska-Bishop, Marta; Pendergrass, Sarah A; Darabos, Christian; Lester Kirchner, H
2017-01-01
Given the exponential growth of biomedical data, researchers are faced with numerous challenges in extracting and interpreting information from these large, high-dimensional, incomplete, and often noisy data. To facilitate addressing this growing concern, the "Patterns in Biomedical Data-How do we find them?" session of the 2017 Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing (PSB) is devoted to exploring pattern recognition using data-driven approaches for biomedical and precision medicine applications. The papers selected for this session focus on novel machine learning techniques as well as applications of established methods to heterogeneous data. We also feature manuscripts aimed at addressing the current challenges associated with the analysis of biomedical data.
Scaling up to address data science challenges
Wendelberger, Joanne R.
2017-04-27
Statistics and Data Science provide a variety of perspectives and technical approaches for exploring and understanding Big Data. Partnerships between scientists from different fields such as statistics, machine learning, computer science, and applied mathematics can lead to innovative approaches for addressing problems involving increasingly large amounts of data in a rigorous and effective manner that takes advantage of advances in computing. Here, this article will explore various challenges in Data Science and will highlight statistical approaches that can facilitate analysis of large-scale data including sampling and data reduction methods, techniques for effective analysis and visualization of large-scale simulations, and algorithmsmore » and procedures for efficient processing.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gochis, E. E.; Tubman, S.; Grazul, K.; Bluth, G.; Huntoon, J. E.
2017-12-01
Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform (Mi-STAR) is developing an NGSS-aligned integrated science middle school curriculum and associated teacher professional learning program that addresses all performance expectations for the 6-8 grade-band. The Mi-STAR instructional model is a unit- and lesson-level model that scaffolds students in using science practices to investigate scientific phenomena and apply engineering principles to address a real-world challenge. Mi-STAR has developed an 8th grade unit on climate change based on the Mi-STAR instructional model and NGSS performance expectations. The unit was developed in collaboration with Michigan teachers, climate scientists, and curriculum developers. The unit puts students in the role of advisers to local officials who need an evidence-based explanation of climate change and recommendations about community-based actions to address it. Students discover puzzling signs of global climate change, ask questions about these signs, and engage in a series of investigations using simulations and real data to develop scientific models for the mechanisms of climate change. Students use their models as the basis for evidence-based arguments about the causes and impacts of climate change and employ engineering practices to propose local actions in their community to address climate change. Dedicated professional learning supports teachers before and during implementation of the unit. Before implementing the unit, all teachers complete an online self-paced "unit primer" during which they assume the role of their students as they are introduced to the unit challenge. During this experience, teachers experience science as a practice by using real data and simulations to develop a model of the causes of climate change, just as their students will later do. During unit implementation, teachers are part of a professional learning community led by a teacher facilitator in their local area or school. This professional learning community serves as a resource both for implementing student-directed pedagogy and for the development of content knowledge. Eight teachers pilot tested the unit with more than 500 students in spring 2017, and teachers who participated in the first professional learning cohort are currently implementing the unit around Michigan.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Angawi, Rihab F.
2014-01-01
To address third- and fourth-year chemistry students' difficulties with the challenge of interpreting [superscript 1]H NMR spectra, a problem solving-cooperative learning technique was incorporated in a Spectra of Organic Compounds course. Using this approach helped students deepen their understanding of the basics of [superscript 1]H NMR…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Spiro, Mark D.; Knisely, Karin I.
2008-01-01
Inquiry-based labs have been shown to greatly increase student participation and learning within the biological sciences. One challenge is to develop effective lab exercises within the constraints of large introductory labs. We have designed a lab for first-year biology majors to address two primary goals: to provide effective learning of the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Richards, Cameron
2015-01-01
The challenge of better reconciling individual and collective aspects of innovative problem-solving can be productively addressed to enhance the role of PBL as a key focus of the creative process in future higher education. This should involve "active learning" approaches supported by related processes of teaching, assessment and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nihuka, Kassimu A.; Voogt, Joke
2011-01-01
In most sub-Sahara African countries, distance education is delivered using print materials complemented by a few face-to-face sessions. The approach is associated with a myriad of challenges some of which can be addressed by appropriately selected e-learning technologies based on the context in which they need to be used. This study was designed…
Games for learning: vast wasteland or a digital promise?
Levine, Michael H; Vaala, Sarah E
2013-01-01
Research about emerging best practices in the learning sciences points to the potential of deploying digital games as one possible solution to the twin challenges of weak student engagement and the need for more robust achievement in literacy, science, technology, and math. This chapter reviews key cross-cutting themes in this special volume, drawing perspective from the context of the current United States program and policy reform. The authors conclude that digital games have some unique potential to address pressing educational challenges, but that new mechanisms for advancing purposeful research and development must be adopted by both policymakers and industry leaders. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.
Constellation Program Lessons Learned. Volume 2; Detailed Lessons Learned
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rhatigan, Jennifer; Neubek, Deborah J.; Thomas, L. Dale
2011-01-01
These lessons learned are part of a suite of hardware, software, test results, designs, knowledge base, and documentation that comprises the legacy of the Constellation Program. The context, summary information, and lessons learned are presented in a factual format, as known and described at the time. While our opinions might be discernable in the context, we have avoided all but factually sustainable statements. Statements should not be viewed as being either positive or negative; their value lies in what we did and what we learned that is worthy of passing on. The lessons include both "dos" and "don ts." In many cases, one person s "do" can be viewed as another person s "don t"; therefore, we have attempted to capture both perspectives when applicable and useful. While Volume I summarizes the views of those who managed the program, this Volume II encompasses the views at the working level, describing how the program challenges manifested in day-to-day activities. Here we see themes that were perhaps hinted at, but not completely addressed, in Volume I: unintended consequences of policies that worked well at higher levels but lacked proper implementation at the working level; long-term effects of the "generation gap" in human space flight development, the need to demonstrate early successes at the expense of thorough planning, and the consequences of problems and challenges not yet addressed because other problems and challenges were more immediate or manifest. Not all lessons learned have the benefit of being operationally vetted, since the program was cancelled shortly after Preliminary Design Review. We avoid making statements about operational consequences (with the exception of testing and test flights that did occur), but we do attempt to provide insight into how operational thinking influenced design and testing. The lessons have been formatted with a description, along with supporting information, a succinct statement of the lesson learned, and recommendations for future programs and projects that may be placed in similar circumstances.
Addressing uncertainty in atomistic machine learning.
Peterson, Andrew A; Christensen, Rune; Khorshidi, Alireza
2017-05-10
Machine-learning regression has been demonstrated to precisely emulate the potential energy and forces that are output from more expensive electronic-structure calculations. However, to predict new regions of the potential energy surface, an assessment must be made of the credibility of the predictions. In this perspective, we address the types of errors that might arise in atomistic machine learning, the unique aspects of atomistic simulations that make machine-learning challenging, and highlight how uncertainty analysis can be used to assess the validity of machine-learning predictions. We suggest this will allow researchers to more fully use machine learning for the routine acceleration of large, high-accuracy, or extended-time simulations. In our demonstrations, we use a bootstrap ensemble of neural network-based calculators, and show that the width of the ensemble can provide an estimate of the uncertainty when the width is comparable to that in the training data. Intriguingly, we also show that the uncertainty can be localized to specific atoms in the simulation, which may offer hints for the generation of training data to strategically improve the machine-learned representation.
The challenge of education and learning in the developing world.
Kremer, Michael; Brannen, Conner; Glennerster, Rachel
2013-04-19
Across many different contexts, randomized evaluations find that school participation is sensitive to costs: Reducing out-of-pocket costs, merit scholarships, and conditional cash transfers all increase schooling. Addressing child health and providing information on how earnings rise with education can increase schooling even more cost-effectively. However, among those in school, test scores are remarkably low and unresponsive to more-of-the-same inputs, such as hiring additional teachers, buying more textbooks, or providing flexible grants. In contrast, pedagogical reforms that match teaching to students' learning levels are highly cost effective at increasing learning, as are reforms that improve accountability and incentives, such as local hiring of teachers on short-term contracts. Technology could potentially improve pedagogy and accountability. Improving pre- and postprimary education are major future challenges.
Carter-Pokras, Olivia; Bereknyei, Sylvia; Lie, Desiree; Braddock, Clarence H
2010-05-01
The National Consortium for Multicultural Education for Health Professionals (Consortium) comprises educators representing 18 US medical schools, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Collective lessons learned from curriculum implementation by principal investigators (PIs) have the potential to guide similar educational endeavors. Describe Consortium PI's self-reported challenges with curricular development, solutions and their new curricular products. Information was collected from PIs over 2 months using a 53-question structured three-part questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed PI demographics, curriculum implementation challenges and solutions, and newly created curricular products. Study participants were 18 Consortium PIs. Descriptive analysis was used for quantitative data. Narrative responses were analyzed and interpreted using qualitative thematic coding. Response rate was 100%. Common barriers and challenges identified by PIs were: finding administrative and leadership support, sustaining the momentum, continued funding, finding curricular space, accessing and engaging communities, and lack of education research methodology skills. Solutions identified included engaging stakeholders, project-sharing across schools, advocacy and active participation in committees and community, and seeking sustainable funding. All Consortium PIs reported new curricular products and extensive dissemination efforts outside their own institutions. The Consortium model has added benefits for curricular innovation and dissemination for cultural competence education to address health disparities. Lessons learned may be applicable to other educational innovation efforts.
Aidala, Angela A; Cavaliere, Brittney; Cinnick, Samantha
2018-06-07
A key component of the improvement of public health infrastructure in the United States revolves around public health workforce development and training. Workforce challenges faced by the public health system have long been recognized, but there are additional challenges facing any region-wide or cross-jurisdictional effort to accurately assess priority workforce training needs and develop training resources to address those needs. These challenges include structural variability of public health organizations; diverse population health contexts; capturing both topic-specific skill sets and foundational competencies among public health workers; and reaching/representing the target population despite suspicion, disinterest, and/or assessment "fatigue" among employees asked to participate in workforce development surveys. The purpose of this article is to describe the challenges, strategies to meet those challenges, and lessons learned conducting public health workforce training needs assessments by academic and practice partners of the Region 2 Public Health Training Center (R2/PHTC). The R2/PHTC is hosted by the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and serves New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands within its jurisdiction. Strategies for responding to diverse organizational structures and population health contexts across the region; defining training priorities that address both foundational competencies for public health professionals and content-specific training to address local public health needs; reaching/representing target populations of public health workers; and analysis and report writing to encourage rapid response to identified needs and comprehensive workforce development planning are discussed. Lessons learned are likely instructive to other workforce training needs assessments in complex and ever-changing public health environments.
Contemporary Literacy: Essential Skills for the 21st Century.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Murray, Janet
2003-01-01
Defines contemporary literacy and examines what skills educators and library media specialists need to learn and impart to their students. Discusses using the Big6 skills to achieve contemporary literacy; developing information literacy curricula; and addressing the challenge of contemporary literacy. (AEF)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cannon, Michael, Ed.
1998-01-01
The four issues of this 1998 publication on gifted and talented students address the themes of: (1) acceleration and grouping, (2) professional development, (3) core content areas, and (4) giftedness: a Texas tradition. Major articles are: "Cooperative Learning, Curriculum Access, and the Challenge of Acceleration" (Ann Robinson);…
Asheer, Subuhi; Berger, Amanda; Meckstroth, Alicia; Kisker, Ellen; Keating, Betsy
2014-03-01
This article draws on data from the ongoing federal Evaluation of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Approaches to discuss the early implementation experiences of two new and innovative programs intended to delay rapid repeat pregnancy among teen mothers: (1) AIM 4 Teen Moms, in Los Angeles County, California; and (2) Teen Options to Prevent Pregnancy (T.O.P.P.), in Columbus, Ohio. Program staff report common challenges in working with teen mothers, particularly concerning recruitment and retention, staff capacity and training, barriers to participation, and participants' overarching service needs. Lessons learned in addressing these challenges provide useful guidance to program developers, providers, policy makers, and stakeholders working with similar populations. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.
Community-based participatory research in Little Haiti: challenges and lessons learned.
Kobetz, Erin; Menard, Janelle; Diem, Joshua; Barton, Betsy; Blanco, Jenny; Pierre, Larry; Auguste, Pascale D; Etienne, Marie; Brewster, Cheryl
2009-01-01
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an effective methodology for developing relevant interventions with socially marginalized communities. However, implementing CBPR methods is challenging for several reasons. This paper presents challenges encountered in the context of an ongoing CBPR initiative in Little Haiti in Miami, Florida, and describes the solutions used to address them. We sought to describe the challenges faced and lessons learned while conducting CBPR in Little Haiti. Community-academic partnerships were created to guide the creation of culturally relevant cancer interventions and research. Historical distrust of research, cultural constructions of health and illness, and literacy issues are key considerations when developing partnerships with Haitian and other marginalized, immigrant communities. Partnerships are fostered over time through demonstrated mutual commitment to improving health and building community capacity. Communities must play an active role throughout the research process to ensure that studies are culturally relevant, and ensuing intervention, sustainable.
Zeng, Xueqiang; Luo, Gang
2017-12-01
Machine learning is broadly used for clinical data analysis. Before training a model, a machine learning algorithm must be selected. Also, the values of one or more model parameters termed hyper-parameters must be set. Selecting algorithms and hyper-parameter values requires advanced machine learning knowledge and many labor-intensive manual iterations. To lower the bar to machine learning, miscellaneous automatic selection methods for algorithms and/or hyper-parameter values have been proposed. Existing automatic selection methods are inefficient on large data sets. This poses a challenge for using machine learning in the clinical big data era. To address the challenge, this paper presents progressive sampling-based Bayesian optimization, an efficient and automatic selection method for both algorithms and hyper-parameter values. We report an implementation of the method. We show that compared to a state of the art automatic selection method, our method can significantly reduce search time, classification error rate, and standard deviation of error rate due to randomization. This is major progress towards enabling fast turnaround in identifying high-quality solutions required by many machine learning-based clinical data analysis tasks.
Learning in the machine: The symmetries of the deep learning channel.
Baldi, Pierre; Sadowski, Peter; Lu, Zhiqin
2017-11-01
In a physical neural system, learning rules must be local both in space and time. In order for learning to occur, non-local information must be communicated to the deep synapses through a communication channel, the deep learning channel. We identify several possible architectures for this learning channel (Bidirectional, Conjoined, Twin, Distinct) and six symmetry challenges: (1) symmetry of architectures; (2) symmetry of weights; (3) symmetry of neurons; (4) symmetry of derivatives; (5) symmetry of processing; and (6) symmetry of learning rules. Random backpropagation (RBP) addresses the second and third symmetry, and some of its variations, such as skipped RBP (SRBP) address the first and the fourth symmetry. Here we address the last two desirable symmetries showing through simulations that they can be achieved and that the learning channel is particularly robust to symmetry variations. Specifically, random backpropagation and its variations can be performed with the same non-linear neurons used in the main input-output forward channel, and the connections in the learning channel can be adapted using the same algorithm used in the forward channel, removing the need for any specialized hardware in the learning channel. Finally, we provide mathematical results in simple cases showing that the learning equations in the forward and backward channels converge to fixed points, for almost any initial conditions. In symmetric architectures, if the weights in both channels are small at initialization, adaptation in both channels leads to weights that are essentially symmetric during and after learning. Biological connections are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Tai, Joanna Hong Meng; Canny, Benedict J; Haines, Terry P; Molloy, Elizabeth K
2017-01-01
Phenomenon: Peer learning has many benefits and can assist students in gaining the educational skills required in future years when they become teachers themselves. Peer learning may be particularly useful in clinical learning environments, where students report feeling marginalized, overwhelmed, and unsupported. Educational interventions often fail in the workplace environment, as they are often conceived in the "ideal" rather than the complex, messy real world. This work sought to explore barriers and facilitators to implementing peer learning activities in a clinical curriculum. Previous peer learning research results and a matrix of empirically derived peer learning activities were presented to local clinical education experts to generate discussion around the realities of implementing such activities. Potential barriers and limitations of and strategies for implementing peer learning in clinical education were the focus of the individual interviews. Thematic analysis of the data identified three key considerations for real-world implementation of peer learning: culture, epistemic authority, and the primacy of patient-centered care. Strategies for peer learning implementation were also developed from themes within the data, focusing on developing a culture of safety in which peer learning could be undertaken, engaging both educators and students, and establishing expectations for the use of peer learning. Insights: This study identified considerations and strategies for the implementation of peer learning activities, which took into account both educator and student roles. Reported challenges were reflective of those identified within the literature. The resultant framework may aid others in anticipating implementation challenges. Further work is required to test the framework's application in other contexts and its effect on learner outcomes.
Shaw, Alison; Lind, Candace; Ewashen, Carol
2017-05-01
Effective communication with patients and families is essential for quality care in the pediatric environment. Despite this, the current structure and content of undergraduate nursing education often contributes to novice RNs feeling unprepared to manage complex pediatric communication situations. By merging the characteristics of the Harlequin persona with the structure of story-based learning, undergraduate students can be introduced to increasingly advanced pediatric communication scenarios in the classroom. Although story-based learning encourages students to identify and address the contextual and emotional elements of a story, the Harlequin encourages educators to challenge assumptions and upset the status quo. Nursing students can develop advanced communication abilities and learn to identify and cope with the emotions and complexities inherent in pediatric practice and communication. Harlequin-inspired story-based learning can enable nurse educators to create interesting, realistic, and challenging pediatric nursing stories designed to push students outside their comfort zones and enhance their advanced pediatric communication abilities. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(5):300-303.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Harris, Linda; Tsoi-A-Fatt, Rhonda
2007-01-01
This paper presents Center for Law and Social Policy's (CLASP's) recommendations on how No Child Left Behind (NCLB) could better address the workforce challenges faced by this country. CLASP is a nonprofit organization engaged in research, analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on a range of issues affecting low-income families. The…
Shah, Alaap; Stewart, Andrew K; Kolacevski, Andrej; Michels, Dina; Miller, Robert
2016-03-01
The ever-increasing volume of scientific discoveries, clinical knowledge, novel diagnostic tools, and treatment options juxtaposed with rising costs in health care challenge physicians to identify, prioritize, and use new information rapidly to deliver efficient and high-quality care to a growing and aging patient population. CancerLinQ, a rapid learning health care system in oncology, is an initiative of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and its Institute for Quality that addresses these challenges by collecting information from the electronic health records of large numbers of patients with cancer. CancerLinQ is first and foremost a quality measurement and reporting system through which oncologists can harness the depth and power of their patients' clinical records and other data to assess, monitor, and improve the care they deliver. However, in light of privacy and security concerns with regard to collection, use, and disclosure of patient information, this article addresses the need to collect protected health information as defined under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to drive rapid learning through CancerLinQ. © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Personal Authority and the Female Writer.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fredericksen, Elaine
Composition teachers and researchers recognize the difficulty young writers, especially females, face as they enter postsecondary education and attempt to learn the language of the academy. Addressing academic audiences "takes confidence and authority, qualities that are often challenged in women because of their historical exclusion from and…
Cognitive Curations of Collaborative Curricula
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ackerman, Amy S.
2015-01-01
Assuming the role of learning curators, 22 graduate students (in-service teachers) addressed authentic problems (challenges) within their respective classrooms by selecting digital tools as part of implementation of interdisciplinary lesson plans. Students focused on formative assessment tools as a means to gather evidence to make improvements in…
Addressing the Needs of Diverse Distributed Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shimoni, Rena; Barrington, Gail; Wilde, Russ; Henwood, Scott
2013-01-01
Two interrelated studies were undertaken to assist Alberta post-secondary institutions with meeting challenges associated with providing services to diverse distributed students that are of similar quality to services provided to traditional classroom students. The first study identified and assessed best practices in distributed learning; the…
The Challenge of ISO 9000 Certification in Higher Education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Crawford, Lachlan E. D.; Shutler, Paul M. E.
1998-01-01
Describes requirements for ISO 9000 certification in industry, using a factory example. Shows how requirements might be applied in higher education, with "product" being the actual learning outcome and "customer" anyone who purchases educational services. Addresses issues of continuous improvement in higher education. (SK)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
DeAngelis, Lisa; Penney, Sherry
2015-01-01
In an age of instantaneous information sharing and increased interdependence, today's leaders must learn to work collaboratively, leveraging the strengths, skills, and experiences of those around them, in order to address the challenges they face. The Center for Collaborative Leadership is uniquely situated in the College of Management at the…
Race, Ethnicity, Class and Identity: Implications for Study Abroad
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Goldoni, Federica
2017-01-01
This study addresses study abroad and second language acquisition. The number of U.S. students studying abroad is increasing. However, students' cultural and linguistic immersion experiences abroad can be disconcerting, challenging their sociocultural identities, values, learning objectives, and expectations. This study employed critical race…
Peer reviewing e-learning: opportunities, challenges, and solutions.
Ruiz, Jorge G; Candler, Chris; Teasdale, Thomas A
2007-05-01
Peer review is the foundation of academic publication and a necessary step in the scrutiny of any scholarly work. Simply defined, peer review is the attentive, unbiased assessment of any scholarly work that is submitted for formal scrutiny. Although medical school faculty increasingly use technology in clinical teaching, e-learning materials are often not subjected to a rigorous peer review process. The authors contrast peer review of e-learning materials with that of print materials, describe peer review issues regarding e-learning materials, propose approaches to address the challenges of peer review of e-learning materials, and outline directions for refinement of the e-learning peer review process. At its core, the peer review of e-learning materials should not differ substantially from that of traditional manuscripts. However, e-learning introduces new demands that impel reviewers to consider aspects that are unique to educational technology, including pedagogy, format, usability, navigation, interactivity, delivery, ease of updating, distribution, and access. Four approaches are offered to ease the burden and improve the quality of e-learning peer review: develop peer review training, embrace multidisciplinary peer review, develop guidelines, and provide incentives and compensation. The authors conclude with suggestions about peer review research.
Learning Electron Transport Chain Process in Photosynthesis Using Video and Serious Game
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Espinoza Morales, Cecilia
This research investigates students' learning about the electron transport chain (ETC) process in photosynthesis by watching a video followed by playing a serious board game-Electron Chute- that models the ETC process. To accomplish this goal, several learning outcomes regarding the misconceptions students' hold about photosynthesis and the ETC process in photosynthesis were defined. Middle school students need opportunities to develop cohesive models that explain the mechanistic processes of biological systems to support their learning. A six-week curriculum on photosynthesis included a one day learning activity using an ETC video and the Electron Chute game to model the ETC process. The ETC model explained how sunlight energy was converted to chemical energy (ATP) at the molecular level involving a flow of electrons. The learning outcomes and the experiences were developed based on the Indiana Academic Standards for biology and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for the life sciences. Participants were 120 eighth grade science students from an urban public school. The participants were organized into six classes based on their level of academic readiness, regular and challenge, by the school corporation. Four classes were identified as regular classes and two of them as challenge classes. Students in challenge classes had the opportunity to be challenged with more difficult content knowledge and required higher level thinking skills. The regular classes were the mainstream at school. A quasi-experimental design known as non-equivalent group design (NEGD) was used in this study. This experimental design consisted of a pretest-posttest experiment in two similar groups to begin with-the video only and video+game treatments. Intact classes were distributed into the treatments. The video only watched the ETC video and the video+game treatment watched the ETC video and played the Electron Chute game. The instrument (knowledge test) consisted of a multiple-choice section addressing general knowledge of photosynthesis and specific knowledge about ETC, and an essay section where students were asked to interpret each part of a diagram about the ETC process. Considering only the effect of treatments on score gain, regular and challenge groups reached higher scores in the posttest in comparison to the pretest after playing Electron Chute in both section of the test. However, the effect of treatments between the classes for each treatment was inconclusive. In the essay, the score gain was higher in the challenge than the regular class, but there was not a significant difference between both classes in the multiple-choice section. In regard to the learning outcomes, the initial model provided by the ETC video was mostly effective on addressing the misconception related to the oxygen production, which derives from the photolysis -or splitting-of the water molecules. Playing Electron Chute was effective on addressing most of the misconceptions targeted in the instruction design used for study. Most of these misconceptions were related to ATP and NADPH production and the cell structures where the ETC process takes place. At the end of the video+game learning treatment, a survey was used to collect data about students' experiences while playing the game. The majority of students agreed that playing the game increased their ability to explain how plants use light energy, but only about a third of them felt they could explain how ETC worked. Enjoyment and need for more explanations were different between students who attended the regular and challenge classes. The majority of the students who attended a regular class indicated they liked the ETC video and playing Electron Chute, percentage of agreement that was significantly higher than students who attended the challenge class. As a result, more students in the regular class indicated an interest in learning other science concepts like ETC. Students who attended the regular class reported that clear rules about how to play the game were helpful for learning. Further, the challenge group indicated the video and the Electron Chute game could include more explanations. These results suggest the video and game learning experience has the potential for engaging students’ interest in science when they participated in a regular class. This study also demonstrates a principled approach for designing a video and game to illustrate important methods for creating content knowledge that supports students’ ability to make sense of how complex systems work. Through more refinements of the game, the learning experiences could be a viable learning experience that accommodates the needs of a diverse population of students who might prefer different learning methods.
A predictive machine learning approach for microstructure optimization and materials design
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Ruoqian; Kumar, Abhishek; Chen, Zhengzhang; Agrawal, Ankit; Sundararaghavan, Veera; Choudhary, Alok
2015-06-01
This paper addresses an important materials engineering question: How can one identify the complete space (or as much of it as possible) of microstructures that are theoretically predicted to yield the desired combination of properties demanded by a selected application? We present a problem involving design of magnetoelastic Fe-Ga alloy microstructure for enhanced elastic, plastic and magnetostrictive properties. While theoretical models for computing properties given the microstructure are known for this alloy, inversion of these relationships to obtain microstructures that lead to desired properties is challenging, primarily due to the high dimensionality of microstructure space, multi-objective design requirement and non-uniqueness of solutions. These challenges render traditional search-based optimization methods incompetent in terms of both searching efficiency and result optimality. In this paper, a route to address these challenges using a machine learning methodology is proposed. A systematic framework consisting of random data generation, feature selection and classification algorithms is developed. Experiments with five design problems that involve identification of microstructures that satisfy both linear and nonlinear property constraints show that our framework outperforms traditional optimization methods with the average running time reduced by as much as 80% and with optimality that would not be achieved otherwise.
Granheim, Benedikte M; Shaw, Julie M; Mansah, Martha
2018-03-01
To identify how simulation and interprofessional learning are used together in undergraduate nursing programs and undertaken in schools of nursing to address interprofessional communication and collaboration. An integrative literature review. The databases CINAHL, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo and Science Direct were searched to identify articles from 2006 to 2016 that reported on the use of IPL and simulation together in undergraduate nursing education. Whittemore and Knafl's five step process was used to guide the integrative review of quantitative and qualitative literature. Only peer reviewed articles written in English that addressed undergraduate nursing studies, were included in the review. Articles that did not aim to improve communication and collaboration were excluded. All articles selected were examined to determine their contribution to interprofessional learning and simulation in undergraduate nursing knowledge. The faculties of nursing used interprofessional learning and simulation in undergraduate nursing programs that in some cases were connected to a specific course. A total of nine articles, eight research papers and one narrative report, that focused on collaboration and communication were selected for this review. Studies predominantly used nursing and medical student participants. None of the included studies identified prior student experience with interprofessional learning and simulation. Four key themes were identified: communication, collaboration/teamwork, learning in practice and understanding of roles, and communication. This review highlights the identified research relating to the combined teaching strategy of interprofessional learning and simulation that addressed communication and collaboration in undergraduate nursing programs. Further research into the implementation of interprofessional learning and simulation may benefit the emergent challenges. Information drawn from this review can be used in informing education and educational development in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Challenges of Human-Autonomy Teaming
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Vera, Alonso
2017-01-01
Machine intelligence is improving rapidly based on advances in big data analytics, deep learning algorithms, networked operations, and continuing exponential growth in computing power (Moores Law). This growth in the power and applicability of increasingly intelligent systems will change the roles humans, shifting them to tasks where adaptive problem solving, reasoning and decision-making is required. This talk will address the challenges involved in engineering autonomous systems that function effectively with humans in aeronautics domains.
Student reactions to problem-based learning in photonics technician education
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Massa, Nicholas M.; Donnelly, Judith; Hanes, Fenna
2014-07-01
Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach in which students learn problem-solving and teamwork skills by collaboratively solving complex real-world problems. Research shows that PBL improves student knowledge and retention, motivation, problem-solving skills, and the ability to skillfully apply knowledge in new and novel situations. One of the challenges faced by students accustomed to traditional didactic methods, however, is acclimating to the PBL process in which problem parameters are often ill-defined and ambiguous, often leading to frustration and disengagement with the learning process. To address this problem, the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) program, has created and field tested a comprehensive series of industry-based multimedia PBL "Challenges" designed to scaffold the development of students' problem solving and critical thinking skills. In this paper, we present the results of a pilot study conducted to examine student reactions to the PBL Challenges in photonics technician education. During the fall 2012 semester, students (n=12) in two associate degree level photonics courses engaged in PBL using the PBL Challenges. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess student motivation, self-efficacy, critical thinking, metacognitive self-regulation, and peer learning using selected scales from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Results showed positive gains in all variables. Follow-up focus group interviews yielded positive themes supporting the effectiveness of PBL in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes of photonics technicians.
Challenging issues of urban biodiversity related to ecohydrology.
Mendiondo, E M
2008-11-01
This paper aims to outline challenging issues of urban biodiversity in order to address yardsticks related to ecohydrology, and with a complementary approach to eutrophication impacts. The vision of environmental services, urbanization's consequences and management aspects of water governance are also depicted. Factors of river restoration, environmental tradeoffs and socio-cultural constrains are envisaged through concept questions towards emerging aspects that figure out methodological guides, strategic challenges for stakeholders and inter-disciplinary opportunities. Examples from case studies on restoration and management, from experiences and lessons learned, are enclosed, with brief discussions and literature citation.
Figure analysis: A teaching technique to promote visual literacy and active Learning.
Wiles, Amy M
2016-07-08
Learning often improves when active learning techniques are used in place of traditional lectures. For many of these techniques, however, students are expected to apply concepts that they have already grasped. A challenge, therefore, is how to incorporate active learning into the classroom of courses with heavy content, such as molecular-based biology courses. An additional challenge is that visual literacy is often overlooked in undergraduate science education. To address both of these challenges, a technique called figure analysis was developed and implemented in three different levels of undergraduate biology courses. Here, students learn content while gaining practice in interpreting visual information by discussing figures with their peers. Student groups also make connections between new and previously learned concepts on their own while in class. The instructor summarizes the material for the class only after students grapple with it in small groups. Students reported a preference for learning by figure analysis over traditional lecture, and female students in particular reported increased confidence in their analytical abilities. There is not a technology requirement for this technique; therefore, it may be utilized both in classrooms and in nontraditional spaces. Additionally, the amount of preparation required is comparable to that of a traditional lecture. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):336-344, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Overcoming barriers to addressing education problems with research design: a panel discussion.
Yarris, Lalena M; Gruppen, Larry D; Hamstra, Stanley J; Anders Ericsson, K; Cook, David A
2012-12-01
A plenary panel session at the 2012 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference "Education Research in Emergency Medicine: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies for Success" discussed barriers educators face in imagining, designing, and implementing studies to address educational challenges. This proceedings article presents a general approach to getting started in education research. Four examples of studies from the medical education literature that illustrate a distinct way to approach specific research questions are discussed. The study designs used are applicable to a variety of education research problems in emergency medicine (EM). Potential applications of studies are discussed, as well as effects and lessons learned. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.
New Directions in Professional Higher Education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bourner, Tom, Ed.; Katz, Tim, Ed.; Watson, David, Ed.
This collection contains a series of analytical case studies of developing practices that respond to the challenges to higher education in the United Kingdom at the start of the new millennium. Chapters addressing important themes in developing professional higher education are: (1) "Lifelong Learning and Professional Higher Education"…
Development and Evaluation of a Faculty Designed Courseware
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sternberger, Carol
2006-01-01
Electronic delivery of courses presents an evolving process and one that necessitates a change in the architecture of learning designs. Moving beyond the adaptation of familiar methodology for electronic delivery is challenging and requires innovation. The inclusion of interactive courseware in an electronically delivered course addresses varied…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Campbell, Heather; Strawser, Michael G.; George, Stephen
2016-01-01
As the movement toward international education continues, institutions must be proficient when reaching and teaching international students. Instructors should engage unique learning styles, address individual student needs, and take part in additional training to effectively teach international student learners. These instructional imperatives…
Augmented Virtual Reality: How to Improve Education Systems
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fernandez, Manuel
2017-01-01
This essay presents and discusses the developing role of virtual and augmented reality technologies in education. Addressing the challenges in adapting such technologies to focus on improving students' learning outcomes, the author discusses the inclusion of experiential modes as a vehicle for improving students' knowledge acquisition.…
Scientific and Pragmatic Challenges for Bridging Education and Neuroscience
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Varma, Sashank; McCandliss, Bruce D.; Schwartz, Daniel L.
2008-01-01
Educational neuroscience is an emerging effort to integrate neuroscience methods, particularly functional neuroimaging, with behavioral methods to address issues of learning and instruction. This article consolidates common concerns about connecting education and neuroscience. One set of concerns is scientific: in-principle differences in methods,…
Statistical learning and selective inference.
Taylor, Jonathan; Tibshirani, Robert J
2015-06-23
We describe the problem of "selective inference." This addresses the following challenge: Having mined a set of data to find potential associations, how do we properly assess the strength of these associations? The fact that we have "cherry-picked"--searched for the strongest associations--means that we must set a higher bar for declaring significant the associations that we see. This challenge becomes more important in the era of big data and complex statistical modeling. The cherry tree (dataset) can be very large and the tools for cherry picking (statistical learning methods) are now very sophisticated. We describe some recent new developments in selective inference and illustrate their use in forward stepwise regression, the lasso, and principal components analysis.
Yang, Zhutian; Qiu, Wei; Sun, Hongjian; Nallanathan, Arumugam
2016-01-01
Due to the increasing complexity of electromagnetic signals, there exists a significant challenge for radar emitter signal recognition. To address this challenge, multi-component radar emitter recognition under a complicated noise environment is studied in this paper. A novel radar emitter recognition approach based on the three-dimensional distribution feature and transfer learning is proposed. The cubic feature for the time-frequency-energy distribution is proposed to describe the intra-pulse modulation information of radar emitters. Furthermore, the feature is reconstructed by using transfer learning in order to obtain the robust feature against signal noise rate (SNR) variation. Last, but not the least, the relevance vector machine is used to classify radar emitter signals. Simulations demonstrate that the approach proposed in this paper has better performances in accuracy and robustness than existing approaches. PMID:26927111
McCoy, Lise; Pettit, Robin K; Lewis, Joy H; Bennett, Thomas; Carrasco, Noel; Brysacz, Stanley; Makin, Inder Raj S; Hutman, Ryan; Schwartz, Frederic N
2015-04-01
Growing up in an era of video games and Web-based applications has primed current medical students to expect rapid, interactive feedback. To address this need, the A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (Mesa) has developed and integrated a variety of approaches using technology-enhanced active learning for medical education (TEAL-MEd) into its curriculum. Over the course of 3 years (2010-2013), the authors facilitated more than 80 implementations of games and virtual patient simulations into the education of 550 osteopathic medical students. The authors report on 4 key aspects of the TEAL-MEd initiative, including purpose, portfolio of tools, progress to date regarding challenges and solutions, and future directions. Lessons learned may be of benefit to medical educators at academic and clinical training sites who wish to implement TEAL-MEd activities.
Medical Humanities: The Rx for Uncertainty?
Ofri, Danielle
2017-12-01
While medical students often fear the avalanche of knowledge they are required to learn during training, it is learning to translate that knowledge into wisdom that is the greatest challenge of becoming a doctor. Part of that challenge is learning to tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty, a difficult feat for doctors who are taught to question anything that is not evidence based or peer reviewed. The medical humanities specialize in this ambiguity and uncertainty, which are hallmarks of actual clinical practice but rarely addressed in medical education. The humanities also force reflection and contemplation-skills that are crucial to thoughtful decision making and to personal wellness. Beyond that, the humanities add a dose of joy and beauty to a training process that is notoriously frugal in these departments. Well integrated, the humanities can be the key to transforming medical knowledge into clinical wisdom.
Yang, Zhutian; Qiu, Wei; Sun, Hongjian; Nallanathan, Arumugam
2016-02-25
Due to the increasing complexity of electromagnetic signals, there exists a significant challenge for radar emitter signal recognition. To address this challenge, multi-component radar emitter recognition under a complicated noise environment is studied in this paper. A novel radar emitter recognition approach based on the three-dimensional distribution feature and transfer learning is proposed. The cubic feature for the time-frequency-energy distribution is proposed to describe the intra-pulse modulation information of radar emitters. Furthermore, the feature is reconstructed by using transfer learning in order to obtain the robust feature against signal noise rate (SNR) variation. Last, but not the least, the relevance vector machine is used to classify radar emitter signals. Simulations demonstrate that the approach proposed in this paper has better performances in accuracy and robustness than existing approaches.
Technology in postgraduate medical education: a dynamic influence on learning?
Bullock, Alison; Webb, Katie
2015-01-01
The influence of technology in medical workplace learning is explored by focusing on three uses: m-learning (notably apps), simulation and social media. Smartphones with point-of-care tools (such as textbooks, drug guides and medical calculators) can support workplace learning and doctors’ decision-making. Simulations can help develop technical skills and team interactions, and ‘in situ’ simulations improve the match between the virtual and the real. Social media (wikis, blogs, networking, YouTube) heralds a more participatory and collaborative approach to knowledge development. These uses of technology are related to Kolb's learning cycle and Eraut's intentions of informal learning. Contentions and controversies with these technologies exist. There is a problem with the terminology commonly adopted to describe the use of technology to enhance learning. Using learning technology in the workplace changes the interaction with others and raises issues of professionalism and etiquette. Lack of regulation makes assessment of app quality a challenge. Distraction and dependency are charges levelled at smartphone use in the workplace and these need further research. Unless addressed, these and other challenges will impede the benefits that technology may bring to postgraduate medical education. PMID:26341127
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rice, Marilyn; Shannon, Li-Jen
2016-01-01
All too often, courses in higher education tend to teach isolated bits of facts with little effort to assist in learner assimilation of those facts so as to grow knowledge of the world into a more dynamic understanding. To address the need for a capstone research project for students in their master's program and in an effort to create online…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lönngren, Johanna; Ingerman, Åke; Svanström, Magdalena
2017-08-01
Wicked sustainability problems (WSPs) are an important and particularly challenging type of problem. Science and engineering education can play an important role in preparing students to deal with such problems, but current educational practice may not adequately prepare students to do so. We address this gap by providing insights related to students' abilities to address WSPs. Specifically, we aim to (I) describe key constituents of engineering students' approaches to a WSP, (II) evaluate these approaches in relation to the normative context of education for sustainable development (ESD), and (III) identify relevant aspects of learning related to WSPs. Aim I is addressed through a phenomenographic study, while aims II and III are addressed by relating the results to research literature about human problem solving, sustainable development, and ESD. We describe four qualitatively different ways of approaching a specific WSP, as the outcome of the phenomenographic study: A. Simplify and avoid, B. Divide and control, C. Isolate and succumb, and D. Integrate and balance. We identify approach D as the most appropriate approach in the context of ESD, while A and C are not. On this basis, we identify three learning objectives related to students' abilities to address WSPs: learn to use a fully integrative approach, distinguish WSPs from tame and well-structured problems, and understand and consider the normative context of SD. Finally, we provide recommendations for how these learning objectives can be used to guide the design of science and engineering educational activities.
DiLullo, Camille; McGee, Patricia; Kriebel, Richard M
2011-01-01
The characteristic profile of Millennial Generation students, driving many educational reforms, can be challenged by research in a number of fields including cognition, learning style, neurology, and psychology. This evidence suggests that the current aggregate view of the Millennial student may be less than accurate. Statistics show that Millennial students are considerably diverse in backgrounds, personalities, and learning styles. Data are presented regarding technological predilection, multitasking, reading, critical thinking, professional behaviors, and learning styles, which indicate that students in the Millennial Generation may not be as homogenous in fundamental learning strategies and attitudes as is regularly proposed. Although their common character traits have implications for instruction, no available evidence demonstrates that these traits impact their fundamental process of learning. Many curricular strategies have been implemented to address alleged changes in the manner by which Millennial students learn. None has clearly shown superior outcomes in academic accomplishments or developing expertise for graduating students and concerns persist related to the successful engagement of Millennial students in the process of learning. Four factors for consideration in general curricular design are proposed to address student engagement and optimal knowledge acquisition for 21st century learners. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.
The Electronic Data Methods (EDM) forum for comparative effectiveness research (CER).
Holve, Erin; Segal, Courtney; Lopez, Marianne Hamilton; Rein, Alison; Johnson, Beth H
2012-07-01
AcademyHealth convened the Electronic Data Methods (EDM) Forum to collect, synthesize, and share lessons from eleven projects that are building infrastructure and using electronic clinical data for comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). This paper provides a brief review of participating projects and provides a framework of common challenges. EDM Forum staff conducted a text review of relevant grant programs' funding opportunity announcements; projects' research plans; and available information on projects' websites. Additional information was obtained from presentations provided by each project; phone calls with project principal investigators, affiliated partners, and staff from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); and six site visits. Projects participating in the EDM Forum are building infrastructure and developing innovative strategies to address a set of methodological, and data and informatics challenges, here identified in a common framework. The eleven networks represent more than 20 states and include a range of partnership models. Projects vary substantially in size, from 11,000 to more than 7.5 million individuals. Nearly all of the AHRQ priority populations and conditions are addressed. In partnership with the projects, the EDM Forum is focused on identifying and sharing lessons learned to advance the national dialogue on the use of electronic clinical data to conduct CER and PCOR. These efforts have the shared goal of addressing challenges in traditional research studies and data sources, and aim to build infrastructure and generate evidence to support a learning health care system that can improve patient outcomes.
Should Athletic Training Educators Utilize Grades When Evaluating Student Clinical Performance?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scriber, Kent; Gray, Courtney; Millspaugh, Rose
2010-01-01
Objective: To explore and address some of the challenges for assessing, interpreting, and grading athletic training students' clinical performance and to suggest athletic training educators consider using a more universal assessment method for professional consistency. Background: In years past students learned from teachers or mentors on an…
Teaching Mathematics to Middle School Students with Learning Difficulties
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Montague, Marjorie, Ed.; Jitendra, Asha K., Ed.
2006-01-01
A highly practical resource for special educators and classroom teachers, this book provides specific instructional guidance illustrated with vignettes, examples, and sample lesson plans. Every chapter is grounded in research and addresses the nuts and bolts of teaching math to students who are not adequately prepared for the challenging middle…
Arts-Infused Learning in Middle Level Classrooms
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lorimer, Maureen Reilly
2011-01-01
To address arts education disparities in middle level schools, this paper explores evidence that infusing the visual and performing arts into language arts, math, science, and history/social studies courses is a pedagogical approach that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents and fosters a relevant, challenging, integrative, and…
Teaching Reading to Struggling Learners
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Minskoff, Esther
2005-01-01
Identifying the best way to help students who struggle with reading--whether they have learning disabilities, are English language learners, or just need extra support--is a challenge for any teacher. Schools can make that task easier with this indispensable resource, a complete guide to addressing each student's specific instructional needs and…
Learning to Be Interdisciplinary: An Action Research Approach to Boundary Spanning
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Munoz, Karen; Jeris, Laurel
2005-01-01
Objective: This study explored challenges and barriers that need to be addressed in a preprofessional educational setting to provide opportunities for boundary spanning that leads to family-centred interdisciplinary service provision. Design: The design employed in this study was participatory action research, an inductive approach. Setting: The…
Learning by Doing: The Challenge of Engaging Undergraduates in Economics Research
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brunnermeier, Smita
2017-01-01
This article describes strategies developed at Princeton University to foster and promote research by all undergraduate students majoring in economics. It describes core features of the undergraduate research program and provides tangible recommendations for addressing resource constraints, and for incentivizing faculty advisors and students to…
A Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach to Facilitating Web-Based Collaborative Problem Solving
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kuo, Fan-Ray; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chen, Szu-Chuang; Chen, Sherry Y.
2012-01-01
Enhancing students' problem-solving abilities has been recognized as an important and challenging issue for technology-enhanced learning. Thus, previous research has attempted to address this issue by developing various mechanisms, among which a cognitive apprenticeship model can particularly enhance students' abilities. However, it is not clear…
An Interactive Online Approach to Small-Group Student Presentations and Discussions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thor, Der; Xiao, Nan; Zheng, Meixun; Ma, Ruidan; Yu, Xiao Xi
2017-01-01
Student presentations had been widely implemented across content areas, including health sciences education. However, due to various limitations, small-group student presentations in the classroom may not reach their full potential for student learning. To address challenges with presentations in the classroom, we redesigned the assignment by…
Promoting School Connectedness among Minority Youth through Experience-Based Urban Farming
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fifolt, Matthew; Morgan, Amy Ferguson; Burgess, Zoe Ripple
2018-01-01
Background: The public education system in the United States faces significant challenges in understanding and addressing issues of student disengagement among high-poverty youth in urban centers. Academic and community leaders are encouraged to seek new and innovative strategies to engage students in meaningful learning experiences that promote…
Intercultural Communication and the New American Campus
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bennett, Janet M.; Salonen, Riikka
2007-01-01
Modern educators face new challenges both in teaching about culture, and in teaching across cultures. While culture is often addressed in the "content" of the curriculum, it is less frequently incorporated into the "process" of teaching and learning. In short, cultural knowledge does not equal intercultural competence. Being global citizens…
The Role of Academic Deans as Entrepreneurial Leaders in Higher Education Institutions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cleverley-Thompson, Shannon
2016-01-01
To help address enrollment and financial challenges institutions of higher learning may benefit by having a better understanding of entrepreneurial leadership orientations, or skills, of academic deans. This study revealed several significant correlations between the self-reported entrepreneurial orientations of academic deans in upstate New York,…
Moving toward a Culture of Inquiry
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Martin, Ralph
2010-01-01
In this paper, the author aims to share some of the efforts, successes, challenges and lessons learned over approximately two decades of professional development projects both large and small. In retrospect the author contends that efforts toward change, improvement and advancement were always bumping against culture. So, this address attempts to…
Fall down 7 Times, Get up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Silver, Debbie
2012-01-01
As teachers and parents, our job is to teach students to tackle challenges rather than avoid them. Award-winning teacher and best-selling author Debbie Silver addresses the relationship between student motivation and risking failure, calling failure a temporary "glitch" that provides valuable learning opportunities. She explains motivational…
Eagle Racing: Addressing Corporate Collaboration Challenges through an Online Simulation Game
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Angehrn, Albert A.; Maxwell, Katrina
2009-01-01
Effective collaboration is necessary for corporation-wide learning, knowledge exchange, and innovation. However, it is difficult to create a corporate culture that encourages collaboration; the complexity of such collaboration is increased substantially by the diverse and distributed nature of knowledge sources and decision makers in the global…
Online Schooling in the United States: A Response to Saultz and Fusarelli
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beck, Dennis; LaFrance, Jason
2017-01-01
In this paper, we discuss some concerns and recommendations of Saultz and Fusarelli (2017), offering nuanced and detailed views of online schooling from a different perspective. This includes addressing challenges regarding online learning such as fluctuating enrollments, financial concerns, quality assurance, and accountability. In addition, we…
A Digital Teaching Platform to Further and Assess Use of Evidence-Based Practices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bondie, Rhonda
2015-01-01
Advances in online learning have benefited rural special education teacher preparation programs through increased recruitment, access, and collaboration. This paper describes how additional challenges, such as monitoring teacher candidate use of evidence-based practices, can be addressed through a digital teaching platform. Project REACH online is…
Educational Leadership: The Uses of Adversity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Culbertson, Jack
1976-01-01
Skepticism about the power of education challenges the educational administrator to (1) attain a better understanding of the sources of dissatisfaction and their implications for change, (2) learn to cope with adversity and make constructive use of it, and (3) define the leadership requirements needed to address education's problems. (MB)
An Educational and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Actualize Technology-Based Social Ventures
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mehta, Khanjan; Zappe, Sarah; Brannon, Mary Lynn; Zhao, Yu
2016-01-01
The Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program engages students and faculty across Penn State in the rigorous research, design, field-testing, and launch of technology-based social enterprises that address global development challenges. HESE ventures are embedded in a series of five courses that integrate learning,…
Organising Industrial Knowledge Dissemination on Frontier Technology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brintrup, A. M.; Ranasinghe, D.
2008-01-01
This paper describes the challenges faced by frontier technology education, typical among large integrated EU projects. These include an evolving nature, the scarcity of experts and established material, and the need for relevant material. Classical approaches to learning seem to not adequately address the needs of frontier technology alone.…
Using the 7C Framework for Teaching & Learning Health Education & Promotion
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Becker, Craig M.; Xu, Lei; Chaney, Beth
2016-01-01
Health Professionals are needed to address and improve health status. This paper presents a teaching technique that will help students acquire and develop applied health education and promotion skills. This paper introduces a 7C Framework to encourage teachers to use Challenge, Courage, Commitment, Competence, Connection, Contribution, and…
e-Learning Success Model: An Information Systems Perspective
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lee-Post, Anita
2009-01-01
This paper reports the observations made and experience gained from developing and delivering an online quantitative methods course for Business undergraduates. Inspired by issues and challenges experienced in developing the online course, a model is advanced to address the question of how to guide the design, development, and delivery of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parker, Frieda; Bartell, Tonya Gau; Novak, Jodie D.
2017-01-01
Research advances in teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment have not changed the continued underperformance of marginalized students in mathematics education. Culturally responsive teaching is a means of addressing the needs of these students. It is sometimes challenging, however, to convince secondary mathematics teachers about the…
Building Collaborative Learning Opportunities between Future Veterinary and Design Professionals
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Magallanes, Fernando; Stoskopf, Michael K.; Royal, Kenneth D.
2015-01-01
Positive inter-professional collaborations and interactions facilitate the effectiveness of veterinarians working on professional teams addressing a wide range of societal challenges. The need for these interactions extend far beyond the different medical professions, which is the limit of many discussions of inter-professional relations for…
Challenges on the Path to Implementation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Martineau, Joseph A.; Wyse, Adam E.
2015-01-01
This article is a commentary of a paper by Derek C. Briggs and Frederick A. Peck, "Using Learning Progressions to Design Vertical Scales That Support Coherent Inferences about Student Growth," which describes an elegant potential framework for at least beginning to address three priorities in large-scale assessment that have not been…
Multimedia Games for Fun and Learning English in Preschool
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Agudo, J. Enrique; Rico, Mercedes; Sánchez, Héctor
2015-01-01
Based on the assumption that educational software addressing Primary school learners must comprise a set of features to encourage children's creativity and development, the appropriate design of second language hypermedia adaptive games for Primary School children can pose a wide range of challenges both for the language teacher and computer…
Trinh-Shevrin, Chau; Pollack, Henry J.; Tsang, Thomas; Park, Jihyun; Ramos, Mary Ruchel; Islam, Nadia; Wang, Su; Chun, Kay; Sim, Shao-Chee; Pong, Perry; Rey, Mariano Jose; Kwon, Simona C.
2012-01-01
Background Community coalitions are increasingly recognized as important strategies for addressing health disparities. By providing the opportunity to pool resources, they provide a means to develop and sustain innovative approaches to affect community health. Objectives This article describes the challenges and lessons learned in building the Asian American Hepatitis B Program (AAHBP) coalition to conduct a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative to address hepatitis B (HBV) among New York City Asian-American communities. Methods Using the stages of coalition development as a framework, a comprehensive assessment of the process of developing and implementing the AAHBP coalition is presented. Lessons Learned Findings highlight the importance of developing a sound infrastructure and set of processes to foster a greater sense of ownership, shared vision, and investment in the program. Conclusion Grassroots community organizing and campus–community partnerships can be successfully leveraged to address and prevent a significant health disparity in an underserved and diverse community. PMID:22080774
The Consortium of E-Learning in Geriatrics Instruction.
Ruiz, Jorge G; Teasdale, Thomas A; Hajjar, Ihab; Shaughnessy, Marianne; Mintzer, Michael J
2007-03-01
This paper describes the activities of the Consortium of E-Learning in Geriatrics Instruction (CELGI), a group dedicated to creating, using, and evaluating e-learning to enhance geriatrics education. E-learning provides a relatively new approach to addressing geriatrics educators' concerns, such as the shortage of professionals trained to care for older people, overcrowded medical curricula, the move to transfer teaching venues to community settings, and the switch to competency-based education models. However, this innovative education technology is facing a number of challenges as its use and influence grow, including proof of effectiveness and efficiency. CELGI was created in response to these challenges, with the goal of facilitating the development and portability of e-learning materials for geriatrics educators. Members represent medical and nursing schools, the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system, long-term care facilities, and other institutions that rely on continuing streams of quality health education. CELGI concentrates on providing a coordinated approach to formulating and adapting specifications, standards, and guidelines; developing education and training in e-learning competencies; developing e-learning products; evaluating the effect of e-learning materials; and disseminating these materials. The vision of consortium members is that e-learning for geriatric education will become the benchmark for valid and successful e-learning throughout medical education.
Bereknyei, Sylvia; Lie, Desiree; Braddock, Clarence H.
2010-01-01
Background The National Consortium for Multicultural Education for Health Professionals (Consortium) comprises educators representing 18 US medical schools, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Collective lessons learned from curriculum implementation by principal investigators (PIs) have the potential to guide similar educational endeavors. Objective Describe Consortium PI’s self-reported challenges with curricular development, solutions and their new curricular products. Methods Information was collected from PIs over 2 months using a 53-question structured three-part questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed PI demographics, curriculum implementation challenges and solutions, and newly created curricular products. Study participants were 18 Consortium PIs. Descriptive analysis was used for quantitative data. Narrative responses were analyzed and interpreted using qualitative thematic coding. Results Response rate was 100%. Common barriers and challenges identified by PIs were: finding administrative and leadership support, sustaining the momentum, continued funding, finding curricular space, accessing and engaging communities, and lack of education research methodology skills. Solutions identified included engaging stakeholders, project-sharing across schools, advocacy and active participation in committees and community, and seeking sustainable funding. All Consortium PIs reported new curricular products and extensive dissemination efforts outside their own institutions. Conclusion The Consortium model has added benefits for curricular innovation and dissemination for cultural competence education to address health disparities. Lessons learned may be applicable to other educational innovation efforts. PMID:20352503
Five-year review of an international clinical research-training program
Suemoto, Claudia Kimie; Ismail, Sherine; Corrêa, Paulo César Rodrigues Pinto; Khawaja, Faiza; Jerves, Teodoro; Pesantez, Laura; Germani, Ana Claudia Camargo Gonçalves; Zaina, Fabio; dos Santos, Augusto Cesar Soares; de Oliveira Ferreira, Ricardo Jorge; Singh, Priyamvada; Paulo, Judy Vicente; Matsubayashi, Suely Reiko; Vidor, Liliane Pinto; Andretta, Guilherme; Tomás, Rita; Illigens, Ben MW; Fregni, Felipe
2015-01-01
The exponential increase in clinical research has profoundly changed medical sciences. Evidence that has accumulated in the past three decades from clinical trials has led to the proposal that clinical care should not be based solely on clinical expertise and patient values, and should integrate robust data from systematic research. As a consequence, clinical research has become more complex and methods have become more rigorous, and evidence is usually not easily translated into clinical practice. Therefore, the instruction of clinical research methods for scientists and clinicians must adapt to this new reality. To address this challenge, a global distance-learning clinical research-training program was developed, based on collaborative learning, the pedagogical goal of which was to develop critical thinking skills in clinical research. We describe and analyze the challenges and possible solutions of this course after 5 years of experience (2008–2012) with this program. Through evaluation by students and faculty, we identified and reviewed the following challenges of our program: 1) student engagement and motivation, 2) impact of heterogeneous audience on learning, 3) learning in large groups, 4) enhancing group learning, 5) enhancing social presence, 6) dropouts, 7) quality control, and 8) course management. We discuss these issues and potential alternatives with regard to our research and background. PMID:25878518
Five-year review of an international clinical research-training program.
Suemoto, Claudia Kimie; Ismail, Sherine; Corrêa, Paulo César Rodrigues Pinto; Khawaja, Faiza; Jerves, Teodoro; Pesantez, Laura; Germani, Ana Claudia Camargo Gonçalves; Zaina, Fabio; Dos Santos, Augusto Cesar Soares; de Oliveira Ferreira, Ricardo Jorge; Singh, Priyamvada; Paulo, Judy Vicente; Matsubayashi, Suely Reiko; Vidor, Liliane Pinto; Andretta, Guilherme; Tomás, Rita; Illigens, Ben Mw; Fregni, Felipe
2015-01-01
The exponential increase in clinical research has profoundly changed medical sciences. Evidence that has accumulated in the past three decades from clinical trials has led to the proposal that clinical care should not be based solely on clinical expertise and patient values, and should integrate robust data from systematic research. As a consequence, clinical research has become more complex and methods have become more rigorous, and evidence is usually not easily translated into clinical practice. Therefore, the instruction of clinical research methods for scientists and clinicians must adapt to this new reality. To address this challenge, a global distance-learning clinical research-training program was developed, based on collaborative learning, the pedagogical goal of which was to develop critical thinking skills in clinical research. We describe and analyze the challenges and possible solutions of this course after 5 years of experience (2008-2012) with this program. Through evaluation by students and faculty, we identified and reviewed the following challenges of our program: 1) student engagement and motivation, 2) impact of heterogeneous audience on learning, 3) learning in large groups, 4) enhancing group learning, 5) enhancing social presence, 6) dropouts, 7) quality control, and 8) course management. We discuss these issues and potential alternatives with regard to our research and background.
Boyle, Todd A; MacKinnon, Neil J; Mahaffey, Thomas; Duggan, Kellie; Dow, Natalie
2012-01-01
Research on continuous quality improvement (CQI) in community pharmacies lags in comparison to service, manufacturing, and various health care sectors. As a result, very little is known about the challenges community pharmacies face when implementing CQI programs in general, let alone the challenges of implementing a standardized and technologically sophisticated one. This research identifies the initial challenges of implementing a standardized CQI program in community pharmacies and how such challenges were addressed by pharmacy staff. Through qualitative interviews, a multisite study of the SafetyNET-Rx CQI program involving community pharmacies in Nova Scotia, Canada, was performed to identify such challenges. Interviews were conducted with the CQI facilitator (ie, staff pharmacist or technician) in 55 community pharmacies that adopted the SafetyNET-Rx program. Of these 55 pharmacies, 25 were part of large national corporate chains, 22 were part of banner chains, and 8 were independent pharmacies. A total of 10 different corporate chains and banners were represented among the 55 pharmacies. Thematic content analysis using well-established coding procedures was used to explore the interview data and elicit the key challenges faced. Six major challenges were identified, specifically finding time to report, having all pharmacy staff involved in quality-related event (QRE) reporting, reporting apprehensiveness, changing staff relationships, meeting to discuss QREs, and accepting the online technology. Challenges were addressed in a number of ways including developing a manual-online hybrid reporting system, managers paying staff to meet after hours, and pharmacy managers showing visible commitment to QRE reporting and learning. This research identifies key challenges to implementing CQI programs in community pharmacies and also provides a starting point for future research relating to how the challenges of QRE reporting and learning in community pharmacies change over time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Behind the scenes: A medical natural language processing project.
Wu, Joy T; Dernoncourt, Franck; Gehrmann, Sebastian; Tyler, Patrick D; Moseley, Edward T; Carlson, Eric T; Grant, David W; Li, Yeran; Welt, Jonathan; Celi, Leo Anthony
2018-04-01
Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities in medicine can help address many pressing problems in healthcare. However, AI research endeavors in healthcare may not be clinically relevant, may have unrealistic expectations, or may not be explicit enough about their limitations. A diverse and well-functioning multidisciplinary team (MDT) can help identify appropriate and achievable AI research agendas in healthcare, and advance medical AI technologies by developing AI algorithms as well as addressing the shortage of appropriately labeled datasets for machine learning. In this paper, our team of engineers, clinicians and machine learning experts share their experience and lessons learned from their two-year-long collaboration on a natural language processing (NLP) research project. We highlight specific challenges encountered in cross-disciplinary teamwork, dataset creation for NLP research, and expectation setting for current medical AI technologies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Del Fabbro, Letitia; Mitchell, Creina; Shaw, Julie
2015-03-01
It is imperative that nursing education addresses the issues arising from globalization. The adjustment challenges faced by international nursing students globally highlight the need to understand how nursing faculty experience and teach nursing classes with a mix of domestic and foreign students. This article reports on a participatory action research (PAR) study to examine and enhance the scholarly teaching of international nursing students. The overarching research question for this PAR was: How did participation in a PAR study contribute to shared learning and professional development of nursing faculty teaching international students? Five major themes were identified across the PAR: creating sharing spaces, recognizing and respecting diversity, developing and acknowledging teaching capabilities, utilizing precious time, and valuing the research. In summary, PAR was a useful approach to engage faculty in research by providing a process and a space to address concerns about the teaching and learning of international students. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.
Merkel, Susan M
2016-08-01
Numerous national reports have addressed the need for changing how science courses in higher education are taught, so that students develop a deeper understanding of critical concepts and the analytical and cognitive skills needed to address future challenges. This review presents some evidence-based approaches to curriculum development and teaching. Results from discipline-based education research indicate that it is critically important for educators to formulate learning goals, provide frequent and authentic assessments and actively engage students in their learning. Professional societies can play a role in helping to put these changes into practice. To this end, the American Society for Microbiology has developed a number of educational programs and resources, which are described here to encourage the implementation of student-centered learning in microbiology education. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Action learning: a tool for the development of strategic skills for Nurse Consultants?
Young, Sarah; Nixon, Eileen; Hinge, Denise; McFadyen, Jan; Wright, Vanessa; Lambert, Pauline; Pilkington, Carolyn; Newsome, Christine
2010-01-01
This paper will discuss the process of action learning and the outcomes of using action learning as a tool to achieve a more strategic function from Nurse Consultant posts. It is documented that one of the most challenging aspect of Nurse Consultant roles, in terms of leadership, is the strategic contribution they make at a senior corporate Trust level, often across organizations and local health economies. A facilitated action learning set was established in Brighton, England, to support the strategic leadership development of eight nurse consultant posts across two NHS Trusts. Benefits to patient care, with regard to patient pathways and cross-organizational working, have been evident outcomes associated with the nurse consultant posts involved in the action learning set. Commitment by organizational nurse leaders is essential to address the challenges facing nurse consultants to implement change at strategic levels. The use of facilitated action learning had been a successful tool in developing the strategic skills of Nurse Consultant posts within this setting. Action learning sets may be successfully applied to a range of senior nursing posts with a strategic remit and may assist post holders in achieving better outcomes pertinent to their roles.
Machine Learning Approaches in Cardiovascular Imaging.
Henglin, Mir; Stein, Gillian; Hushcha, Pavel V; Snoek, Jasper; Wiltschko, Alexander B; Cheng, Susan
2017-10-01
Cardiovascular imaging technologies continue to increase in their capacity to capture and store large quantities of data. Modern computational methods, developed in the field of machine learning, offer new approaches to leveraging the growing volume of imaging data available for analyses. Machine learning methods can now address data-related problems ranging from simple analytic queries of existing measurement data to the more complex challenges involved in analyzing raw images. To date, machine learning has been used in 2 broad and highly interconnected areas: automation of tasks that might otherwise be performed by a human and generation of clinically important new knowledge. Most cardiovascular imaging studies have focused on task-oriented problems, but more studies involving algorithms aimed at generating new clinical insights are emerging. Continued expansion in the size and dimensionality of cardiovascular imaging databases is driving strong interest in applying powerful deep learning methods, in particular, to analyze these data. Overall, the most effective approaches will require an investment in the resources needed to appropriately prepare such large data sets for analyses. Notwithstanding current technical and logistical challenges, machine learning and especially deep learning methods have much to offer and will substantially impact the future practice and science of cardiovascular imaging. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.
Issues for Deployment of Mobile Learning by Nurses in Australian Healthcare Settings.
Mather, Carey; Cummings, Elizabeth
2016-01-01
Undergraduate nursing curricula are being redesigned to include strategies for deployment of mobile learning as a legitimate nursing function. A recent online survey exploring the use of mobile learning by undergraduate student nurses revealed barriers, challenges, risks, and benefits to using mobile learning at the workplace. Inability to access mobile learning at both individual and organisational levels impacted on student learning and teaching opportunities. Students also indicated that educational preparation for ensuring appropriate use of mobile learning is necessary to guide learning and teaching in situ at point of care. This highlights the need for the development of policy to guide best practice that will enable this new pedagogy to be fully utilised for learning and teaching in healthcare settings. Until governance of mobile learning in educational and healthcare settings in Australia is addressed, harnessing the indubitable benefit of mobile learning and teaching will be unachievable.
Towards Global Transdisciplinary Research: Lessons Learned from the Belmont Forum
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Paillard, S. J.; Uhle, M. E.; van Jaarsveld, A. S.; Monfray, P.
2014-12-01
The Belmont Forum was initiated in 2009 by a sub group of the International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research. The Belmont Challenge embodies the Forum's central goal: to deliver knowledge needed for societies to take action to mitigate and adapt to detrimental environmental change. This is fostered through collaboration among scientists across the globe and by stressing the importance of co-production of knowledge associated with coupled natural and social systems. The Belmont Challenge was clearly aligned with other collective thinking processes within the research community and key knowledge users from intergovernmental bodies. Convergence of these efforts gave rise to the S&T Alliance for Global Sustainability and its initiative - Future Earth. Collaborative Research Actions, consisting primarily of multilateral research calls to address topics relevant to Future Earth, have been the main tool developed to address the Belmont Challenge and some early lessons emerged. First, obstacles faced by the Belmont Forum are similar to those met by scientists collaborating across traditional boundaries. Building shared languages and interests between various disciplines and across global cultures, remains difficult; this results in a persistent underestimation of the transformation required to move knowledge creation towards a truly global inter- and transdisciplinary science. Second, the diversity of organizations, cultures and practices within the Belmont Forum is the main source of its creativity and its challenges. While some convergence is needed to build coherent strategies and work efficiently together, diversity is necessary to design actions suitable for all partners regardless of their national research system and science-policy priorities. Finding the right trade-offs is a learning process that Future Earth is also facing; thus both initiatives are not only linked through funding relations but also through strongly intertwined learning curves.
ACTIVIS: Visual Exploration of Industry-Scale Deep Neural Network Models.
Kahng, Minsuk; Andrews, Pierre Y; Kalro, Aditya; Polo Chau, Duen Horng
2017-08-30
While deep learning models have achieved state-of-the-art accuracies for many prediction tasks, understanding these models remains a challenge. Despite the recent interest in developing visual tools to help users interpret deep learning models, the complexity and wide variety of models deployed in industry, and the large-scale datasets that they used, pose unique design challenges that are inadequately addressed by existing work. Through participatory design sessions with over 15 researchers and engineers at Facebook, we have developed, deployed, and iteratively improved ACTIVIS, an interactive visualization system for interpreting large-scale deep learning models and results. By tightly integrating multiple coordinated views, such as a computation graph overview of the model architecture, and a neuron activation view for pattern discovery and comparison, users can explore complex deep neural network models at both the instance- and subset-level. ACTIVIS has been deployed on Facebook's machine learning platform. We present case studies with Facebook researchers and engineers, and usage scenarios of how ACTIVIS may work with different models.
Considering Research Outcomes as Essential Tools for Medical Education Decision Making.
Miller, Karen Hughes; Miller, Bonnie M; Karani, Reena
2015-11-01
As medical educators face the challenge of incorporating new content, learning methods, and assessment techniques into the curriculum, the need for rigorous medical education research to guide efficient and effective instructional planning increases. When done properly, well-designed education research can provide guidance for complex education decision making. In this Commentary, the authors consider the 2015 Research in Medical Education (RIME) research and review articles in terms of the critical areas in teaching and learning that they address. The broad categories include (1) assessment (the largest collection of RIME articles, including both feedback from learners and instructors and the reliability of learner assessment), (2) the institution's impact on the learning environment, (3) what can be learned from program evaluation, and (4) emerging issues in faculty development. While the articles in this issue are broad in scope and potential impact, the RIME committee noted few studies of sufficient rigor focusing on areas of diversity and diverse learners. Although challenging to investigate, the authors encourage continuing innovation in research focused on these important areas.
Using i2b2 to Bootstrap Rural Health Analytics and Learning Networks
Harris, Daniel R.; Baus, Adam D.; Harper, Tamela J.; Jarrett, Traci D.; Pollard, Cecil R.; Talbert, Jeffery C.
2017-01-01
We demonstrate that the open-source i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside) data model can be used to bootstrap rural health analytics and learning networks. These networks promote communication and research initiatives by providing the infrastructure necessary for sharing data and insights across a group of healthcare and research partners. Data integration remains a crucial challenge in connecting rural healthcare sites with a common data sharing and learning network due to the lack of interoperability and standards within electronic health records. The i2b2 data model acts as a point of convergence for disparate data from multiple healthcare sites. A consistent and natural data model for healthcare data is essential for overcoming integration issues, but challenges such as those caused by weak data standardization must still be addressed. We describe our experience in the context of building the West Virginia/Kentucky Health Analytics and Learning Network, a collaborative, multi-state effort connecting rural healthcare sites. PMID:28261006
Using i2b2 to Bootstrap Rural Health Analytics and Learning Networks.
Harris, Daniel R; Baus, Adam D; Harper, Tamela J; Jarrett, Traci D; Pollard, Cecil R; Talbert, Jeffery C
2016-08-01
We demonstrate that the open-source i2b2 (Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside) data model can be used to bootstrap rural health analytics and learning networks. These networks promote communication and research initiatives by providing the infrastructure necessary for sharing data and insights across a group of healthcare and research partners. Data integration remains a crucial challenge in connecting rural healthcare sites with a common data sharing and learning network due to the lack of interoperability and standards within electronic health records. The i2b2 data model acts as a point of convergence for disparate data from multiple healthcare sites. A consistent and natural data model for healthcare data is essential for overcoming integration issues, but challenges such as those caused by weak data standardization must still be addressed. We describe our experience in the context of building the West Virginia/Kentucky Health Analytics and Learning Network, a collaborative, multi-state effort connecting rural healthcare sites.
E-learning and blended learning in textile engineering education: a closed feedback loop approach
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Charitopoulos, A.; Vassiliadis, S.; Rangoussi, M.; Koulouriotis, D.
2017-10-01
E-learning has gained a significant role in typical education and in professional training, thanks to the flexibility it offers to the time and location parameters of the education event framework. Purely e-learning scenarios are mostly limited either to Open University-type higher education institutions or to graduate level or professional degrees; blended learning scenarios are progressively becoming popular thanks to their balanced approach. The aim of the present work is to propose approaches that exploit the e-learning and the blended-learning scenarios for Textile Engineering education programmes, especially for multi-institutional ones. The “E-Team” European MSc degree programme organized by AUTEX is used as a case study. The proposed solution is based on (i) a free and open-source e-learning platform (moodle) and (ii) blended learning educational scenarios. Educational challenges addressed include student engagement, student error / failure handling, as well as collaborative learning promotion and support.
A personal connection: Promoting positive attitudes towards teaching and learning.
Lujan, Heidi L; DiCarlo, Stephen E
2017-09-01
Students' attitudes towards teaching and learning must be addressed with the same seriousness and effort as we address content. Establishing a personal connection and addressing our students' basic psychological needs will produce positive attitudes towards teaching and learning and develop life-long learners. It will also promote constructive student-teacher relationships that have a profound influence on our students' approach towards school. To begin this process, consider the major tenets of the Self-Determination Theory. The Self-Determination Theory of human motivation focuses on our students' innate psychological needs and the degree to which an individual's behavior is self-motivated and self-determined. Faculty can satisfy the innate psychological needs by addressing our students' desire for relatedness, competence and autonomy. Relatedness refers to our students' need to feel connected to others, to be a member of a group, to have a sense of communion and to develop close relationships with others. Competence is believing our students can succeed , challenging them to do so and imparting that belief in them. Autonomy involves considering the perspectives of the student and providing relevant information and opportunities for student choice and initiating and regulating their own behaviors. Establishing a personal connection and addressing our students' basic psychological needs will improve our teaching, inspire and engage our students and promote positive attitudes towards teaching and learning while reducing competition and increasing compassion. These are important goals because unless students are inspired and motivated and have positive attitudes towards teaching and learning our efforts will fail to meet their full potential. Anat Sci Educ 10: 503-507. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.
Four persistent rural healthcare challenges.
Ford, Donald M
2016-11-01
Today, 25% of Canadians live in rural and remote parts of Canada. The evidence is that these Canadians do not enjoy the same health status as citizens living in more urban settings. This article explores four persistent healthcare challenges: population demographics, place, professionals, and public participation. By exploring solutions that some rural communities have used to address these challenges, this article aims to provide insights into lessons that have been learned that they may be considered and potentially applied to both rural and urban environments in the interest of better healthcare for all. © 2016 The Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Linking public health nursing competencies and service-learning in a global setting.
Brown, Cynthia L
2017-09-01
Nurse educators in baccalaureate programs are charged with addressing student competence in public health nursing practice. These educators are also responsible for creating nursing student opportunities for civic engagement and development of critical thinking skills. The IOM report (2010) on the Future of Nursing emphasizes the nurse educator's role in promoting collaborative partnerships that incorporate interdisciplinary and intraprofessional efforts to promote health. The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative approach to address public health nursing competencies and to improve the health and well-being of indigenous populations in a global setting through promotion of collaboration and service- learning principles. As part of a hybrid elective course, baccalaureate nursing students from various nursing tracks participated in a 2 week immersion experience in Belize that included preimmersion preparation. These students were to collaborate among themselves and with Belizean communities to address identified health knowledge deficits and health-related needs for school-aged children and adult populations. Students successfully collaborated in order to meet health-related needs and to engage in health promotion activities in the Toledo district of Belize. They also gained practice in developing public health nursing competencies for entry-level nursing practice. Implementation of service-learning principles provided students with opportunities for civic engagement and self-reflection. Some challenges existed from the students', faculty, and global community's perspectives. Lack of culturally appropriate and country specific health education materials was difficult for students and the community. Faculty encountered challenges in communicating and collaborating with the Belizean partners. Commonalities exist between entry-level public health nursing competencies and service-learning principles. Using service-learning principles in the development of public health experiences increases the likelihood of success in achieving these competencies. While students demonstrated intraprofessional collaboration in a global setting, these same collaborative opportunities can occur in local communities. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Morisette, Jeffrey T.; Richardson, Andrew D.; Knapp, Alan K.; Fisher, Jeremy I.; Graham, Eric A.; Abatzoglou, John; Wilson, Bruce E.; Breshears, David D.; Hanebry, Geoffrey M.; Hanes, Jonathan M.;
2008-01-01
Phenology is the study of recurring life-cycle events, of which classic examples include flowering by plants as well as animal migration. Phenological responses are increasingly relevant for addressing applied environmental issues. Yet, challenges remain with respect to spanning scales of observation, integrating observations across taxa, and modeling phenological sequences to enable ecological forecasts in light of future climate change. Recent advances that are helping to address these challenges include refined landscape-scale phenology estimates from satellite data, advanced instrument-based approaches for field measurements, and new cyber-infrastructure for archiving and distribution of products. These advances are aiding in diverse areas including modeling land-surface exchange, evaluating climate-phenology relationships, and aiding land management decisions.
Research Collaboration in a Communication Rights Campaign: Lessons Learned.
Ryan, Charlotte
2018-01-01
In building public support for social change, activists in communities of color routinely approach broader audiences via news media. Communities of color, however, routinely face disparities that limit their access to media including local news media outlets. This lack of access mirrors inequalities in political, social, and economic arenas and can slow public awareness campaigns to address disparities in health, environmental, and other quality-of-life issues. I describe two community-based collaborative action research studies that documented and challenged how local television newscasts underrepresented and misrepresented three communities of color in Boston. The linkage between communication rights and campaigns to address quality-of-life issues is presented, as well as unresolved challenges in the collaborative research process. The study has implications for environmental health campaigns.
The Apollo Expericence Lessons Learned for Constellation Lunar Dust Management
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wagner, Sandra
2006-09-01
Lunar dust will present significant challenges to NASA's Lunar Exploration Missions. The challenges can be overcome by using best practices in system engineering design. For successful lunar surface missions, all systems that come into contact with lunar dust must consider the effects throughout the entire design process. Interfaces between all these systems with other systems also must be considered. Incorporating dust management into Concept of Operations and Requirements development are the best place to begin to mitigate the risks presented by lunar dust. However, that is only the beginning. To be successful, every person who works on NASA's Constellation lunar missions must be mindful of this problem. Success will also require fiscal responsibility. NASA must learn from Apollo the root cause of problems caused by dust, and then find the most cost-effective solutions to address each challenge. This will require a combination of common sense existing technologies and promising, innovative technical solutions
The Apollo Experience Lessons Learned for Constellation Lunar Dust Management
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wagner, Sandra
2006-01-01
Lunar dust will present significant challenges to NASA's Lunar Exploration Missions. The challenges can be overcome by using best practices in system engineering design. For successful lunar surface missions, all systems that come into contact with lunar dust must consider the effects throughout the entire design process. Interfaces between all these systems with other systems also must be considered. Incorporating dust management into Concept of Operations and Requirements development are the best place to begin to mitigate the risks presented by lunar dust. However, that is only the beginning. To be successful, every person who works on NASA's Constellation lunar missions must be mindful of this problem. Success will also require fiscal responsibility. NASA must learn from Apollo the root cause of problems caused by dust, and then find the most cost-effective solutions to address each challenge. This will require a combination of common sense existing technologies and promising, innovative technical solutions
Lessons Learned from the Evolution of an Academic Community Partnership: Creating "Patient Voices".
Chambers, Meghan K; Ireland, Anna; D'Aniello, Rona; Lipnicki, Stephanie; Glick, Myron; Tumiel-Berhalter, Laurene
2015-01-01
Long-term partners received federal funding to develop the Patient Voices Network, a partnership of safety-net family practices and their patients to develop health improvement strategies. The scope and structure of the newly funded grant presented unexpected challenges that threatened the future of the partnership.Purpose of Article: To present a case study of the evolution of an existing partnership and offer lessons learned along with recommendations for future partnerships. Federal funding formalized the partnership in a way that required looking at it through a new lens. Leadership, programmatic, personnel, and financial challenges emerged. Short-term and long-term strategies were applied to address evolving needs. This case study demonstrates how federal funding raises the bar for academic-community partnerships and how challenges can be worked through, particularly if the partnership embraces the key principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR). Recommendations have been applied successfully to future initiatives.
On Textual Analysis and Machine Learning for Cyberstalking Detection.
Frommholz, Ingo; Al-Khateeb, Haider M; Potthast, Martin; Ghasem, Zinnar; Shukla, Mitul; Short, Emma
2016-01-01
Cyber security has become a major concern for users and businesses alike. Cyberstalking and harassment have been identified as a growing anti-social problem. Besides detecting cyberstalking and harassment, there is the need to gather digital evidence, often by the victim. To this end, we provide an overview of and discuss relevant technological means, in particular coming from text analytics as well as machine learning, that are capable to address the above challenges. We present a framework for the detection of text-based cyberstalking and the role and challenges of some core techniques such as author identification, text classification and personalisation. We then discuss PAN, a network and evaluation initiative that focusses on digital text forensics, in particular author identification.
Leadership and Innovation-Listening to and Learning From Young People in Burundi.
Nininahazwe, Cédric; Alesi, Jacquelyne; Caswell, Georgina; Lumumba, Musah; Mellin, Julie; Ndayizeye, Nicholas-Monalisa; Orza, Luisa; Rahimi, Michaela; Westerhof, Nienke
2017-02-01
This commentary describes young people's leadership from the perspective of a youth-led organization in the Link Up project in Burundi, Réseau National des Jeunes vivant avec le VIH. It describes processes that enable young people to guide, influence, deliver, and improve health service provision; the challenges faced by Réseau National des Jeunes vivant avec le VIH and how they are addressing these challenges. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A predictive machine learning approach for microstructure optimization and materials design
Liu, Ruoqian; Kumar, Abhishek; Chen, Zhengzhang; ...
2015-06-23
This paper addresses an important materials engineering question: How can one identify the complete space (or as much of it as possible) of microstructures that are theoretically predicted to yield the desired combination of properties demanded by a selected application? We present a problem involving design of magnetoelastic Fe-Ga alloy microstructure for enhanced elastic, plastic and magnetostrictive properties. While theoretical models for computing properties given the microstructure are known for this alloy, inversion of these relationships to obtain microstructures that lead to desired properties is challenging, primarily due to the high dimensionality of microstructure space, multi-objective design requirement and non-uniquenessmore » of solutions. These challenges render traditional search-based optimization methods incompetent in terms of both searching efficiency and result optimality. In this paper, a route to address these challenges using a machine learning methodology is proposed. A systematic framework consisting of random data generation, feature selection and classification algorithms is developed. In conclusion, experiments with five design problems that involve identification of microstructures that satisfy both linear and nonlinear property constraints show that our framework outperforms traditional optimization methods with the average running time reduced by as much as 80% and with optimality that would not be achieved otherwise.« less
Reed, James; Van Vianen, Josh; Deakin, Elizabeth L; Barlow, Jos; Sunderland, Terry
2016-07-01
Poverty, food insecurity, climate change and biodiversity loss continue to persist as the primary environmental and social challenges faced by the global community. As such, there is a growing acknowledgement that conventional sectorial approaches to addressing often inter-connected social, environmental, economic and political challenges are proving insufficient. An alternative is to focus on integrated solutions at landscape scales or 'landscape approaches'. The appeal of landscape approaches has resulted in the production of a significant body of literature in recent decades, yet confusion over terminology, application and utility persists. Focusing on the tropics, we systematically reviewed the literature to: (i) disentangle the historical development and theory behind the framework of the landscape approach and how it has progressed into its current iteration, (ii) establish lessons learned from previous land management strategies, (iii) determine the barriers that currently restrict implementation of the landscape approach and (iv) provide recommendations for how the landscape approach can contribute towards the fulfilment of the goals of international policy processes. This review suggests that, despite some barriers to implementation, a landscape approach has considerable potential to meet social and environmental objectives at local scales while aiding national commitments to addressing ongoing global challenges. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Pies, Cheri; Barr, Monica; Strouse, Carly; Kotelchuck, Milton
2016-05-01
Infant mortality reduction in the U.S. has been addressed predominantly through clinical approaches. While these efforts have reduced the infant mortality rate overall, they have not reduced disparities between different racial/socioeconomic groups. To address the interrelated social, economic and environmental factors contributing to infant mortality, a place-based approach is needed to complement existing initiatives and clinical practices. Best Babies Zone (BBZ) is an early attempt to put life course theory into practice, taking a place-based approach to reducing infant mortality by aligning resources, building community leadership, and transforming educational opportunities, economic development, and community systems in concentrated neighborhoods. BBZ is currently in three neighborhoods: Price Hill (Cincinnati, OH), Hollygrove (New Orleans, LA), and Castlemont (Oakland, CA). Assessment In its first 4 years, each BBZ crafted resident-driven strategies for decreasing the root causes of toxic stress and poor birth outcomes. To address resident priorities, BBZ sites experimented with tools from other fields (like design thinking and health impact assessment), and emphasized existing MCH strategies like leadership development. Early challenges, including shifting from traditional MCH interventions and addressing health equity, point to areas of growth in implementing this approach in the maternal and child health field. BBZ aims to elevate local voice and mobilize multiple sectors in order to address the social determinants of infant mortality, and other initiatives working to improve MCH outcomes can learn from the successes and challenges of the first 4 years of BBZ in order to bring life course theory into practice.
Adolescent Literacy in the Academic Disciplines: General Principles and Practical Strategies
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jetton, Tamara L., Ed.; Shanahan, Cynthia, Ed.
2012-01-01
From leading authorities in both adolescent literacy and content-area teaching, this book addresses the particular challenges of literacy learning in each of the major academic disciplines. Chapters focus on how to help students successfully engage with texts and ideas in English/literature, science, math, history, and arts classrooms. The book…
A New World Order? Finding a Local Place for Educational Leadership
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bogotch, Ira
2017-01-01
In this critical essay, I ask how educational researchers will move beyond repeating critiques of neoliberalism and learn how to address on-the-ground events that disrupt neoliberal policies and practices. By deconstructing neoliberalism, I hope to challenge its fixed and almost transcendent status, and to offer curricular and pedagogical ways of…
Comparing Design Constraints to Support Learning in Technology-Guided Inquiry Projects
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Applebaum, Lauren R.; Vitale, Jonathan M.; Gerard, Elizabeth; Linn, Marcia C.
2017-01-01
Physical design projects are a way to motivate and engage students in authentic science and engineering practices. Web-based tools can support design projects to ensure that students address and reflect upon critical science concepts during the course of the project. In addition, by specifying challenging design goals that require students to…
The Interpretation of Problem Based Learning: A Case Study
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Li, Huichun
2013-01-01
Currently, there are a large number of higher education institutions transforming their traditional educational approaches to PBL. In order to address the challenges for PBL implementation for a university, it is quite necessary to investigate how the managers and staff members interpret PBL in practice. Through the exploration of a university…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mount, Liz
2018-01-01
This article addresses a challenge for sociologists who teach at institutions located in unfamiliar cultural contexts through a photo elicitation project to develop students' sociological imaginations while teaching the instructor about students' social contexts. In introductory courses, we must present sociology as a field of study that is…
Seeking Support: Researching First-Year Students' Experiences of Coping with Academic Life
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Morosanu, Laura; Handley, Karen; O'Donovan, Berry
2010-01-01
Students' transition to academia comes with a number of challenges which, if inadequately addressed, may negatively affect their academic performance and psychological well-being. Hence, the question of support becomes critical and has been reflected in the variety of practical measures to provide support with learning and facilitate newcomers'…
How to Assign Individualized Scores on a Group Project: An Empirical Evaluation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zhang, Bo; Ohland, Matthew W.
2009-01-01
One major challenge in using group projects to assess student learning is accounting for the differences of contribution among group members so that the mark assigned to each individual actually reflects their performance. This research addresses the validity of grading group projects by evaluating different methods that derive individualized…
Genomic tools for developing markers for postharvest disease resistance in Rosaceae fruit crops
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
A wealth of new plant genomic information and molecular tools have been developed over the past ten years and now the challenge is to learn how to apply this information to address critical production problems, such as disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance. Malus sieversii, an apple speci...
Leveraging the Power of Social Media to Maximize Organizational Learning and Drive Performance
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nguyen, Camilla C.
2014-01-01
This qualitative ethnographic study addresses the phenomenon of rapid social media expansion, which creates organizational challenges. Ongoing development of advanced technology products means that effective organizations must be more adaptive and receptive to new approaches and changes in their environment. In a hyper connected society, one where…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Guberman, Raisa; Leikin, Roza
2013-01-01
The study considers mathematical problem solving to be at the heart of mathematics teaching and learning, while mathematical challenge is a core element of any educational process. The study design addresses the complexity of teachers' knowledge. It is aimed at exploring the development of teachers' mathematical and pedagogical conceptions…
Technology for Mining the Big Data of MOOCs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
O'Reilly, Una-May; Veeramachaneni, Kalyan
2014-01-01
Because MOOCs bring big data to the forefront, they confront learning science with technology challenges. We describe an agenda for developing technology that enables MOOC analytics. Such an agenda needs to efficiently address the detailed, low level, high volume nature of MOOC data. It also needs to help exploit the data's capacity to reveal, in…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Asunka, Stephen
2011-01-01
In the present knowledge economy, individuals, particularly working adults, need to continuously acquire purposeful knowledge and skills so they can better contribute towards addressing society's ever-changing developmental challenges. In the developing world however, few opportunities exist for working adults to acquire such new learning…
The School Counsellor: An Essential Partner in Today's Coordinated School Health Climate
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Henry, Jean; McNab, Warren; Coker, J. Kelly
2005-01-01
Youth today face many health, educational, and social challenges not experienced at such epidemic levels by previous generations of young people. By providing collaborative, comprehensive services that address student needs and promote learning and healthy development, a coordinated school health team can help students succeed in school, as well…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Collier, Albert M.; Henderson, Frederick W.
This report, the fifth in the National Center for Early Development & Learning's (NCEDL) "Spotlight" series, is based on excerpts from a paper presented during the "Research into Practice in Infant/Toddler Care" synthesis conference in fall 1997. The report addresses preventing respiratory infections in child care centers.…
Critical Media Pedagogy: Teaching for Achievement in City Schools. Language & Literacy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Morrell, Ernest; Duenas, Rudy; Garcia, Veronica; Lopez, Jorge
2013-01-01
This practical book examines how teaching media in high school English and social studies classrooms can address major challenges in our educational system. The authors argue that, in addition to providing underserved youth with access to 21st century learning technologies, critical media education will help improve academic literacy achievement…
An Analysis of Communication as a Key Component in Leadership with Diverse School Populations
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cagle, Jo E.; Wiley, Sandy T.
2012-01-01
"Effective Communication as an Essential Element of Leaders with Diverse School Populations" describes a problem based learning project focused on issues related to practices used by principals to address diverse school populations. The team found that communication between principals and diverse populations in schools was a challenge.…
Using Broadcast Journalism To Motivate Hypermedia Exploration.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kass, Alex; And Others
An effective learning environment must ensure that students are motivated to access whatever information is available, that they have an authentic context in which to situate that knowledge, and that they face challenges that allow them to put that knowledge to use. In an attempt to address these issues, a computer program was developed, called…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kanjee, Anil; Sayed, Yusuf
2013-01-01
The South African education system has witnessed significant changes since 1994 when the democratically elected government began the process of dismantling the inherited apartheid order. The primary focus of the transformation process was to address the twin imperative of equity and quality in education, particularly for the historically…
Exploring Metaskills of Knowledge-Creating Inquiry in Higher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Muukkonen, Hanni; Lakkala, Minna
2009-01-01
The skills of knowledge-creating inquiry are explored as a challenge for higher education. The knowledge-creation approach to learning provides a theoretical tool for addressing them: In addition to the individual and social aspects in regulation of inquiry, the knowledge-creation approach focuses on aspects related to advancing shared objects of…
Coming to Terms with Engineering Design as Content
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lewis, Theodore
2005-01-01
This article addresses the challenges posed by engineering design as a content area of technology education. What adjustments will technology teachers have to make in their approach to teaching and learning when they teach design as engineering in response to the new standards? How faithful to engineering as practiced must their approach be? There…
Assessing the Status of Entrepreneurship Education Courses in Higher Learning Institutions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fulgence, Katherine
2015-01-01
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the status of entrepreneurship courses offered in education schools. It provides recommendations for how to address the existing challenges by developing entrepreneurship initiatives in education schools. Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey was circulated to the management of all education schools…
Acting Out! Combating Homophobia through Teacher Activism. Practitioner Inquiry Series
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Blackburn, Mollie V., Ed.; Clark, Caroline T., Ed.; Kenney, Lauren M., Ed.; Smith, Jill M., Ed.
2009-01-01
In this volume, teachers from urban, suburban, and rural districts join together in a teacher inquiry group to challenge homophobia and heterosexism in schools and classrooms. To create safe learning environments for all students they address key topics, including seizing teachable moments, organizing faculty, deciding whether to come out in the…
A Computational Model of Early Argument Structure Acquisition
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alishahi, Afra; Stevenson, Suzanne
2008-01-01
How children go about learning the general regularities that govern language, as well as keeping track of the exceptions to them, remains one of the challenging open questions in the cognitive science of language. Computational modeling is an important methodology in research aimed at addressing this issue. We must determine appropriate learning…
An Investigation of District Leaders' Perceptions of Forces That Complicate Efforts to Succeed
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Petersen, George J.; Kelly, Victoria L.; Reimer, Catherine N.; Mosunich, Daniel; Thompson, Debra
2009-01-01
This study explored the perspectives of 350 California superintendents from various-sized school districts in relation to their ability to support student learning while addressing the numerous and complex personnel, social, and economic challenges faced by schools. Specifically, this study investigated the attitudes and opinions of district…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cushing, Debra Flanders; Love, Emily Wexler
2013-01-01
As the Latino population in the United States grows, it will become increasingly important for undergraduate students in environmental design and related disciplines to become more culturally responsive and learn how to understand and address challenges faced by population groups, such as Latino youth. To this end, we involved environmental…
Assessment and Support of the Idea Co-Construction Process that Influences Collaboration
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gweon, Gahgene
2012-01-01
Research in team science suggests strategies for addressing difficulties that groups face when working together. This dissertation examines how student teams work in project based learning (PBL) environments, with the goal of creating strategies and technology to improve collaboration. The challenge of working in such a group is that the members…
The Role of Foundations and Philanthropy in Supporting School Libraries.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
DeVita, M. Christine
2002-01-01
Addresses the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds' experiences working with school libraries and the lessons learned from the Library Power initiative, including: how school libraries can support national education goals, particularly in meeting the challenges outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; current threats to library reform; and how…
Learning To Love the Swamp: Reshaping Education for Public Service.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schall, Ellen
1996-01-01
The world of public service is compared to a swamp in which important, complex, and messy problems are addressed, and it is argued that graduate and professional education must be reshaped to produce leaders who can make sense of current challenges. Education that is more experiential, behavioral, interactive, and collectively oriented is…
Teaching Sustainability as a Social Issue: Learning from Three Teachers
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Shuttleworth, Jay M.
2013-01-01
Many researchers cite living more sustainably as humans' most pressing long- term challenge. Living sustainably can be defined as meeting one's needs without interfering with future generations ability to meet their needs. Engaging students with the social causes and effects of sustainability issues may help to address and create…
Effective Student Teacher Supervision in the Era of "No Child Left Behind"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bates, Alisa J.; Burbank, Mary D.
2008-01-01
This research study addresses the issues and challenges for university supervisors of providing supervisory feedback in the accountability climate of No Child Left Behind. Several findings are detailed in the case below and include the following: (a) Feedback on individual learning needs of students differed between informal written observations…
Developing CALL for Heritage Languages: "The 7 Keys of the Dragon"
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Revithiadou, Anthi; Kourtis-Kazoullis, Vasilia; Soukalopoulou, Maria; Konstantoudakis, Konstantinos; Zarras, Christos
2015-01-01
In this article we present an interactive extensible software, "The 7 Keys of the Dragon," for the teaching/learning of Albanian and Russian to students that attend primary and secondary education in Greece with the respective languages as their heritage languages. We address the key challenges we encountered during the conceptualization…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gayle, Barbara Mae
Societal acceptance of polarized discourse poses challenges for communication professors engaged in teaching ethical public speaking processes to undergraduates. This study explores how creating caring and safe environments for the discussion of difficult dialogues is paramount to creating civil and reasoned discourse that can address issues of…
Facilitating Effective Team-Based Functional Behavioral Assessments in Typical School Settings
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Park, Kristy Lee
2007-01-01
School systems face the challenge of effectively and efficiently addressing the disciplinary needs of their students and providing a safe environment conducive to learning. The 1997 and 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates the use of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) for students who, because…
Cold Rolled Steel and Knowledge: What Can Higher Education Learn about Productivity?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thille, Candace; Smith, Joel
2011-01-01
Higher education is simply not making substantial progress in addressing its most significant challenges: educating an increasingly diverse body of students while containing the cost that is putting postsecondary education beyond the reach of a growing percentage of the world's population. Tweaking long-standing strategies to achieve incremental…
Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs: The Case of the University of Botswana
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Major, Thenjiwe Emily; Mangope, Boitumelo
2014-01-01
Universities and colleges of education all over the world are experiencing student populations who bring diverse values and experiences into the learning environment. Student affairs professionals are faced with the challenge of accommodating each student's unique needs. This paper intends to address the essentiality of multicultural competence in…
Citizenship for a Changing Global Climate: Learning from New Zealand and Norway
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hayward, Bronwyn; Selboe, Elin; Plew, Elizabeth
2015-01-01
Young citizens under the age of 25?years make up just under half of the world's population. Globally, they face new, interrelated problems of dangerous environmental change, including increasing incidence of severe storms associated with a changing climate, and related new threats to human security. Addressing the complex challenge of climate…
A Proposed Framework for Global Leadership Education: Learning Objectives and Curricula
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brown, LeAnn M.; Whitaker, Brett L.; Brungardt, Curtis L.
2012-01-01
Many traditional leadership education paradigms are challenged by the transformational nature of globalization and are limited in application in diverse and complex contexts. In order to address these issues, a new framework must be adopted within higher education leadership programs to educate the next generation of global leaders. This paper…
Designing an EFL Reading Program to Promote Literacy Skills, Critical Thinking, and Creativity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ferrer, Erica; Staley, Kendra
2016-01-01
This article details the design and implementation of a reading program in a university EFL setting as a strategy to encourage creativity, critical thinking, collaborative learning, and reading for enjoyment (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001; Richards & Renandya, 2002). This student-centered project challenged ELLs to address issues such as…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Holdway, Jennifer
2016-01-01
In response to the increasing linguistic and cultural diversity in US schools, in-service teachers are faced with the significant challenge of addressing both the linguistic and instructional needs of their multilingual learners (MLLs). This study provides evidence of the linguistic obstacles faced in the academic mathematics classroom and how…
The Return Home: Transitioning from a 28-Day Remote Outdoor Education Programme
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McNatty, Shannon
2016-01-01
This article addresses the challenges for students transitioning from the remote Te Kahu (pseudonym) outdoor education programme back into their home and school city environments. Students must develop methods of coping and readjust to society to continue the personal growth and process the learning affected through the 28-day programme. The…
Doran, Kelly M; Kirley, Katherine; Barnosky, Andrew R; Williams, Joy C; Cheng, Jason E
2008-01-01
Nearly 90 million Americans live below 200% of the federal poverty threshold. The links between lower socioeconomic status and poor health are clear, and all physicians face the resulting challenges in patient care. Current medical school curricula do not adequately prepare students to address this issue despite recommendations from the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Institute of Medicine. In response, students and faculty at the University of Michigan Medical Center established the Poverty in Healthcare curriculum, which encompasses required learning experiences spanning all four years of undergraduate medical education. This article describes the design and implementation of this curriculum. The authors provide thorough descriptions of the individual learning experiences, including community site visits, longitudinal cases, mini-electives, and family centered experiences. The authors also discuss the history, costs, challenges, and evaluation process related to the Poverty in Healthcare curriculum, including issues specifically related to medical students' involvement in developing and implementing the curriculum. This information may be used as a guide for other medical schools in the development of curricula to address this current gap in medical student education.
Technology in postgraduate medical education: a dynamic influence on learning?
Bullock, Alison; Webb, Katie
2015-11-01
The influence of technology in medical workplace learning is explored by focusing on three uses: m-learning (notably apps), simulation and social media. Smartphones with point-of-care tools (such as textbooks, drug guides and medical calculators) can support workplace learning and doctors' decision-making. Simulations can help develop technical skills and team interactions, and 'in situ' simulations improve the match between the virtual and the real. Social media (wikis, blogs, networking, YouTube) heralds a more participatory and collaborative approach to knowledge development. These uses of technology are related to Kolb's learning cycle and Eraut's intentions of informal learning. Contentions and controversies with these technologies exist. There is a problem with the terminology commonly adopted to describe the use of technology to enhance learning. Using learning technology in the workplace changes the interaction with others and raises issues of professionalism and etiquette. Lack of regulation makes assessment of app quality a challenge. Distraction and dependency are charges levelled at smartphone use in the workplace and these need further research. Unless addressed, these and other challenges will impede the benefits that technology may bring to postgraduate medical education. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
What Learning Systems do Intelligent Agents Need? Complementary Learning Systems Theory Updated.
Kumaran, Dharshan; Hassabis, Demis; McClelland, James L
2016-07-01
We update complementary learning systems (CLS) theory, which holds that intelligent agents must possess two learning systems, instantiated in mammalians in neocortex and hippocampus. The first gradually acquires structured knowledge representations while the second quickly learns the specifics of individual experiences. We broaden the role of replay of hippocampal memories in the theory, noting that replay allows goal-dependent weighting of experience statistics. We also address recent challenges to the theory and extend it by showing that recurrent activation of hippocampal traces can support some forms of generalization and that neocortical learning can be rapid for information that is consistent with known structure. Finally, we note the relevance of the theory to the design of artificial intelligent agents, highlighting connections between neuroscience and machine learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stokhof, Harry; de Vries, Bregje; Bastiaens, Theo; Martens, Rob
2018-01-01
Student questioning is an important learning strategy, but rare in many classrooms, because teachers have concerns if these questions contribute to attaining curricular objectives. Teachers face the challenge of making student questioning effective for learning the curriculum. To address this challenge, a principle-based scenario for guiding effective student questioning was developed and tested for its relevance and practicality in two previous studies. In the scenario, which consists of a sequence of pedagogical activities, mind maps support teachers and students to explore and elaborate upon a core curriculum, by raising, investigating, and exchanging student questions. In this paper, a follow-up study is presented that tested the effectiveness of the scenario on student outcomes in terms of attainment of curricular objectives. Ten teachers and their 231 students participated in the study. Pre- and posttest mind maps were used to measure individual and collective learning outcomes of student questioning. Findings show that a majority of students progressed in learning the core curriculum and elaborated upon it. The findings suggest that visualizing knowledge construction in a shared mind map supports students to learn a core curriculum and to refine their knowledge structures.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Frezzo, Dennis C.; Behrens, John T.; Mislevy, Robert J.
2010-04-01
Simulation environments make it possible for science and engineering students to learn to interact with complex systems. Putting these capabilities to effective use for learning, and assessing learning, requires more than a simulation environment alone. It requires a conceptual framework for the knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking that are meant to be developed, in order to design activities that target these capabilities. The challenges of using simulation environments effectively are especially daunting in dispersed social systems. This article describes how these challenges were addressed in the context of the Cisco Networking Academies with a simulation tool for computer networks called Packet Tracer. The focus is on a conceptual support framework for instructors in over 9,000 institutions around the world for using Packet Tracer in instruction and assessment, by learning to create problem-solving scenarios that are at once tuned to the local needs of their students and consistent with the epistemic frame of "thinking like a network engineer." We describe a layered framework of tools and interfaces above the network simulator that supports the use of Packet Tracer in the distributed community of instructors and students.
Ball, Kylie
2015-11-14
In developed countries, individuals experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage - whether a low education level, low income, low-status occupation, or living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood - are less likely than those more advantaged to engage in eating and physical activity behaviours conducive to optimal health. These socioeconomic inequities in nutrition and physical activity (and some sedentary) behaviours are graded, persistent, and evident across multiple populations and studies. They are concerning in that they mirror socioeconomic inequities in obesity and in health outcomes. Yet there remains a dearth of evidence of the most effective means of addressing these inequities. People experiencing disadvantage face multiple challenges to healthy behaviours that can appear insurmountable. With increasing recognition of the role of underlying structural and societal factors as determinants of nutrition and physical activity behaviours and inequities in these behaviours, and the limited success of behaviour change approaches in addressing these inequities, we might wonder whether there remains a role for behavioural scientists to tackle these challenges. This debate piece argues that behavioural scientists can play an important role in addressing socioeconomic inequities in nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, and that this will involve challenging myths and taking on new perspectives. There are successful models for doing so from which we can learn. Addressing socioeconomic inequities in eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours is challenging. However, successful examples demonstrate that overcoming such challenges is possible, and provide guidance for doing so. Given the disproportionate burden of ill health carried by people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, all our nutrition and physical activity interventions, programs and policies should be designed to reach and positively impact these individuals at greatest need.
Moving Beyond Misconceptions: A New Model for Learning Challenges in Cognition
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.
2011-12-01
For over 40 years, the science education community has given its attention to cataloging the substantial body of "misconceptions" in individual's thinking about science, and to addressing the consequences of those misconceptions in the science classroom. Despite the tremendous amount of effort given to researching and disseminating information related to misconceptions, and the development of a theory of conceptual change to mitigate misconceptions, progress continues to be less than satisfying. An analysis of the literature and our own research has persuaded the CAPER Center for Astronomy and Physics Education Research to put forth model that will allow us to operate on students' learning difficulties in a more fruitful manner. Previously, much of the field's work binned erroneous student thinking into a single construct, and from that basis, curriculum developers and instructors addressed student misconceptions with a single instructional strategy. In contrast this model suggests that "misconceptions" are a mixture of at least four learning barriers: incorrect factual information, inappropriately applied mental algorithms (phenomenological primitives), insufficient cognitive structures (e.g. spatial reasoning), and affective/emotional difficulties. Each of these types of barriers should be addressed with an appropriately designed instructional strategy. Initial applications of this model to learning problems in the Earth & Space Sciences have been fruitful, suggesting that an effort towards categorizing persistent learning difficulties in the geosciences beyond the level of "misconceptions" may allow our community to craft tailored and more effective learning experiences for our students and the general public.
Accelerating learning for pro-poor health markets.
Bennett, Sara; Lagomarsino, Gina; Knezovich, Jeffrey; Lucas, Henry
2014-06-24
Given the rapid evolution of health markets, learning is key to promoting the identification and uptake of health market policies and practices that better serve the needs of the poor. However there are significant challenges to learning about health markets. We discuss the different forms that learning takes, from the development of codified scientific knowledge, through to experience-based learning, all in relationship to health markets. Notable challenges to learning in health markets include the difficulty of acquiring data from private health care providers, designing evaluations that capture the complex dynamics present within health markets and developing communities of practice that encompass the diverse actors present within health markets, and building trust and mutual understanding across these groups. The paper proposes experimentation with country-specific market data platforms that can integrate relevant evidence from different data sources, and simultaneously exploring strategies to secure better information on private providers and health markets. Possible approaches to adapting evaluation designs so that they are better able to take account of different and changing contexts as well as producing real time findings are discussed. Finally capturing informal knowledge about health markets is key. Communities of practice that bridge different health market actors can help to share such experience-based knowledge and in so doing, may help to formalize it. More geographically-focused communities of practice are needed, and such communities may be supported by innovation brokers and/or be built around member-based organizations. Strategic investments in and support to learning about health markets can address some of the challenges experienced to-date, and accelerate learning that supports health markets that serve the poor.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
North, L. A.; Polk, J.; Strenecky, B.
2015-12-01
The climate change phenomenon will present complex, far-reaching challenges and opportunities, which will require leaders well-versed in interdisciplinary learning and international understanding. In an effort to develop the next generation of future leaders prepared for these challenges and opportunities, faculty from Western Kentucky University (WKU) and the University of Akureyri (UNAK), Iceland partnered to co-teach a course in climate change science and communication in Iceland. Students from both Institutions participated in the course to further enhance the cross-learning opportunity presented to the students. The 11-day course stationed out of three cities in Iceland, including Reykjavík, Vik, and Akureyri, the Icelandic gateway to the Arctic. In addition to undertaking field experiences such as hiking on glaciers, exploring ice caves, and touring geothermal plants, the group also hosted forums to discuss climate change with members of the Icelandic community, and completed The $100 Solution™ service-learning projects. A culminating point of the study abroad experience was a presentation by the students to persons from the University of Akureyri and representatives from the neighboring Icelandic communities about what they had learned about climate change science and communication during their travels. Through this experience, students were able to share their knowledge, which in turn gave them a deeper understanding of the issues they were learning throughout the study abroad program. In short, the program combined interdisciplinary learning, service-learning, and international understanding toward the goal of preparing the leaders of tomorrow with the skills to address climate change challenges.
Hofmann, Bjørn
2009-07-23
It is important to demonstrate learning outcomes of simulation in technology based practices, such as in advanced health care. Although many studies show skills improvement and self-reported change to practice, there are few studies demonstrating patient outcome and societal efficiency. The objective of the study is to investigate if and why simulation can be effective and efficient in a hi-tech health care setting. This is important in order to decide whether and how to design simulation scenarios and outcome studies. Core theoretical insights in Science and Technology Studies (STS) are applied to analyze the field of simulation in hi-tech health care education. In particular, a process-oriented framework where technology is characterized by its devices, methods and its organizational setting is applied. The analysis shows how advanced simulation can address core characteristics of technology beyond the knowledge of technology's functions. Simulation's ability to address skilful device handling as well as purposive aspects of technology provides a potential for effective and efficient learning. However, as technology is also constituted by organizational aspects, such as technology status, disease status, and resource constraints, the success of simulation depends on whether these aspects can be integrated in the simulation setting as well. This represents a challenge for future development of simulation and for demonstrating its effectiveness and efficiency. Assessing the outcome of simulation in education in hi-tech health care settings is worthwhile if core characteristics of medical technology are addressed. This challenges the traditional technical versus non-technical divide in simulation, as organizational aspects appear to be part of technology's core characteristics.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gochis, E. E.; Tubman, S.; Matthys, T.; Bluth, G.; Oppliger, D.; Danhoff, B.; Huntoon, J. E.
2017-12-01
Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform (Mi-STAR) is developing an NGSS-aligned middle school curriculum and associated teacher professional learning program in which science is taught and learned as an integrated body of knowledge that can be applied to address societal issues. With the generous support of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, Mi-STAR has released several pilot-tested units through the Mi-STAR curriculum portal at mi-star.mtu.edu. Each of these units focuses on an ongoing `Unit Challenge' investigation that integrates STEM content across disciplinary boundaries, stimulates interest, and engages students in using scientific practices to address 21st century challenges. Each Mi-STAR unit is connected to a Unifying NGSS Crosscutting Concept (CCC) that allows students to recognize the concepts that are related to the phenomena or problems under investigation. In the 6th grade, students begin with an exploration of the CCC Systems and System Models. Through repeated applications across units, students refine their understanding of what a system is and how to model a complex Earth system. An example 6th grade unit entitled "Water on the Move: The Water Cycle," provides an example of how Mi-STAR approaches the use of Unifying CCCs and Unit Challenges to enhance middle school students' understanding of the interconnections of Earth system processes and human activities. Throughout the unit, students use a series of hands-on explorations and simulations to explore the hydrologic cycle and how human activity can alter Earth systems. Students develop new knowledge through repeated interactions with the Unit Challenge, which requires development of system models and construction of evidence-based arguments related to flooding problems in a local community. Students have the opportunity to make predictions about how proposed land-use management practices (e.g. development of a skate-park, rain garden, soccer field, etc.) can alter the earth-system processes. Students present their findings and recommendations in a public forum format. Student-learning outcomes are measured using a combination of formative and summative assessments that address students' proficiency with science and engineering content and practices in conjunction with the unit's Unifying CCC.
Proficiency in science: assessment challenges and opportunities.
Pellegrino, James W
2013-04-19
Proficiency in science is being defined through performance expectations that intertwine science practices, cross-cutting concepts, and core content knowledge. These descriptions of what it means to know and do science pose challenges for assessment design and use, whether at the classroom instructional level or the system level for monitoring the progress of science education. There are systematic ways to approach assessment development that can address design challenges, as well as examples of the application of such principles in science assessment. This Review considers challenges and opportunities that exist for design and use of assessments that can support science teaching and learning consistent with a contemporary view of what it means to be proficient in science.
Wirth, James P; Laillou, Arnaud; Rohner, Fabian; Northrop-Clewes, Christine A; Macdonald, Barbara; Moench-Pfanner, Regina
2012-12-01
Fortification of staple foods has been repeatedly recommended as an effective approach to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. With the increased number of fortification projects globally, there is a need to share practical lessons learned relating to their implementation and responses to project-related and external challenges. To document the achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and management responses associated with national fortification projects in Morocco, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Independent end-of-project evaluations conducted for each project served as the primary data source and contain the history of and project activities undertaken for, each fortification project. Other sources, including national policy documents, project reports from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and other stakeholders, industry assessments, and peer-reviewed articles, were used to document the current responses to challenges and future project plans. All projects had key achievements related to the development of fortification standards and the procurement of equipment for participating industry partners. Mandatory fortification of wheat flour was a key success in Morocco and Uzbekistan. Ensuring the quality of fortified foods was a common challenge experienced across the projects, as were shifts in consumption patterns and market structures. Adjustments were made to the projects' design to address the challenges faced. National fortification projects are dynamic and must be continually modified in response to specific performance issues and broader shifts in market structure and consumption patterns.
Gao, Chao; Sun, Hanbo; Wang, Tuo; Tang, Ming; Bohnen, Nicolaas I; Müller, Martijn L T M; Herman, Talia; Giladi, Nir; Kalinin, Alexandr; Spino, Cathie; Dauer, William; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M; Dinov, Ivo D
2018-05-08
In this study, we apply a multidisciplinary approach to investigate falls in PD patients using clinical, demographic and neuroimaging data from two independent initiatives (University of Michigan and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center). Using machine learning techniques, we construct predictive models to discriminate fallers and non-fallers. Through controlled feature selection, we identified the most salient predictors of patient falls including gait speed, Hoehn and Yahr stage, postural instability and gait difficulty-related measurements. The model-based and model-free analytical methods we employed included logistic regression, random forests, support vector machines, and XGboost. The reliability of the forecasts was assessed by internal statistical (5-fold) cross validation as well as by external out-of-bag validation. Four specific challenges were addressed in the study: Challenge 1, develop a protocol for harmonizing and aggregating complex, multisource, and multi-site Parkinson's disease data; Challenge 2, identify salient predictive features associated with specific clinical traits, e.g., patient falls; Challenge 3, forecast patient falls and evaluate the classification performance; and Challenge 4, predict tremor dominance (TD) vs. posture instability and gait difficulty (PIGD). Our findings suggest that, compared to other approaches, model-free machine learning based techniques provide a more reliable clinical outcome forecasting of falls in Parkinson's patients, for example, with a classification accuracy of about 70-80%.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bednarek, A.; Close, S.; Curran, K.; Hudson, C.
2017-12-01
Addressing contemporary sustainability challenges requires attention to the integration of scientific knowledge into decision-making and deliberation. However, this remains a challenge in practice. We contend that careful stewardship of this process of integration can result in positive, durable outcomes by reconciling the production and use of scientific knowledge, and improve its relevance and utility to decision-makers. We will share lessons learned from a grantmaking program that has addressed this challenge through programmatic innovations, including by supporting staff devoted to an intermediary role. Over the past 13 years, the Lenfest Ocean Program served in a boundary spanning role by integrating decision-makers into the scoping and outreach of program supported scientific research grants. Program staff engage with decision-makers and influencers to identify policy-relevant research questions and approaches, ensuring that the research direction addresses users' needs. As research progresses, the staff monitor the grant's progress to improve the match between the research and user needs. The process is resource-intensive, however, and raises interesting questions about the role and development of this kind of specialist within different kinds of institutions, including funding agencies. We suggest that nurturing this role as a practice and profession could ultimately help the scientific community more efficiently respond to sustainability challenges.
The QuEST for multi-sensor big data ISR situation understanding
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rogers, Steven; Culbertson, Jared; Oxley, Mark; Clouse, H. Scott; Abayowa, Bernard; Patrick, James; Blasch, Erik; Trumpfheller, John
2016-05-01
The challenges for providing war fighters with the best possible actionable information from diverse sensing modalities using advances in big-data and machine learning are addressed in this paper. We start by presenting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) related big-data challenges associated with the Third Offset Strategy. Current approaches to big-data are shown to be limited with respect to reasoning/understanding. We present a discussion of what meaning making and understanding require. We posit that for human-machine collaborative solutions to address the requirements for the strategy a new approach, Qualia Exploitation of Sensor Technology (QuEST), will be required. The requirements for developing a QuEST theory of knowledge are discussed and finally, an engineering approach for achieving situation understanding is presented.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Obenchain, Kathryn M.; Orr, Angela; Davis, Susan H.
2011-01-01
This article details a professional development program focused on the use of essential questions in reframing U.S. history learning experiences in elementary, middle, and high schools. Teachers identified four problems in designing and teaching engaging, relevant, and challenging U.S. history lessons. Each problem was addressed through the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Murphy, Kelle
2010-01-01
Faculty in higher education are experiencing a new generation of college students referred to as Generation X (Gen-Xers) and Millennials. The characteristics and behaviors of Gen-Xers and Millennials have created a more challenging classroom learning environment. Some educators may choose to ignore disruptive behaviors or may simply not know which…
Fostering outcomes through education: a systems approach to collaboration and creativity.
Smith, Elaine L
2014-04-01
Across the country, integrated health care systems continue to emerge and expand. Large multifacility organizations can present both challenges and opportunities for nursing professional development and continuing education activities. This article will explore how one large multifacility system is addressing the varied learning needs of nursing staff across the enterprise. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tan, Yuen Sze Michelle; Nashon, Samson Madera
2015-01-01
Through a case study, we explore how four Grade 9-10 biology teachers in Singapore experienced their collaborative approach to curriculum and addressed challenges associated with newly prescribed science curricula, such as the perceived lack of clarity and pressure to complete teaching curricular content. With the teachers participating in a…
A Demonstration of Helping Adolescents with Mild Intellectual Disability Climb Ladders
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chan, Kok Hoe Anthony; Varahan, Jayashree Lakshmi; Loh, Peng Loong Daniel; Tan, Sey Ing
2011-01-01
A research team at a vocational school in Singapore, catering mainly to students between the ages of 17-21 with mild intellectual disability, studied how to best address the challenge of enabling students to learn how to climb ladders (a skill necessary at many job placements). They documented the approach used and suggested extrapolations and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Charli-Joseph, Lakshmi; Escalante, Ana E.; Eakin, Hallie; Solares, Ma. José; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Nation, Marcia; Gómez-Priego, Paola; Pérez-Tejada, César A. Domínguez; Bojórquez-Tapia, Luis A.
2016-01-01
Purpose: The authors describe the challenges and opportunities associated with developing an interdisciplinary sustainability programme in an emerging economy and illustrate how these are addressed through the approach taken for the development of the first postgraduate programme (MSc and PhD) in sustainability science at the National Autonomous…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Turner, Kylan S.; Johnson, Cynthia R.
2013-01-01
Sleep problems are a common occurrence among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition to the adverse effects that sleep problems present for children's neurodevelopment, learning, and daytime behaviors, these sleep problems also present significant challenges for the entire family. This article outlines the results of a…
The Dynamic Landscape of Higher Education: The Role of Big Data and Analytics
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mahroeian, Hamidreza; Daniel, Ben Kei
2016-01-01
Over the years, a number of institutions have systematically deployed new technologies to support learning and teaching. Lately, institutions have begun to explore new forms of data in order to understand and effectively address its systemic challenges, and help support effective decision-making. This paper describes the dynamic changes in the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mulcahy, Candace A.; Krezmien, Michael; Maccini, Paula
2014-01-01
While the Common Core State Standards and state learning standards guide teachers in what mathematical content knowledge should be addressed as well as the processes and proficiencies necessary for developing mathematical competence, several student- and teacher-related factors may hinder student access to the general education curriculum for…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dorph, R.; Shields, P.; Tiffany-Morales, J.; Hartry, A.; McCaffrey, T.
2011-01-01
This report addresses how well California is doing to prepare its young people for the evolving economy and societal challenges. Specifically, it describes the status of science teaching and learning in California public elementary schools. This study was conducted in support of "Strengthening Science Education in California," a…
The Use of Elgg Social Networking Tool for Students' Project Peer-Review Activity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Samardzija, Ana Coric; Bubas, Goran
2014-01-01
Numerous e-learning 2.0 studies have advocated the use of social networking sites for educational purposes, but only a few of them have observed social networking sites as an instrument for specific learner skill development. This paper discusses a study which addresses the motivation and challenges associated with the introduction of the social…
Mindfulness for Teachers: A Pilot Study to Assess Effects on Stress, Burnout, and Teaching Efficacy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flook, Lisa; Goldberg, Simon B.; Pinger, Laura; Bonus, Katherine; Davidson, Richard J.
2013-01-01
Despite the crucial role of teachers in fostering children's academic learning and social-emotional well-being, addressing teacher stress in the classroom remains a significant challenge in education. This study reports results from a randomized controlled pilot trial of a modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course (mMBSR) adapted…
Green, B. Lee; Rivers, Desiree A.; Kumar, Nagi; Baldwin, Julie; Rivers, Brian M.; Sultan, Dawood; Jacobsen, Paul; Gordon, Leslene E.; Davis, Jenna; Roetzheim, Richard
2014-01-01
Summary The Center for Equal Health (CEH), a transdisciplinary Center of Excellence, was established to investigate cancer disparities comprehensively and achieve health equity through research, education, training, and community outreach. This paper discusses challenges faced by CEH, strategies employed to foster collaborations, lessons learned, and future considerations for establishing similar initiatives. PMID:24185157
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Watanabe, Maika; Nunes, Nicole; Mebane, Sheryl; Scalise, Kathleen; Claesgens, Jennifer
2007-01-01
Within the already limited literature on instructional practices in detracked classrooms, there are even fewer research-based studies of detracked science classrooms. This article attempts to address this gap in the research literature, delving into the unique challenges and instructional responses to teaching detracked science. The authors report…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tingstrom, Catherine A.
2015-01-01
The rising prevalence of obesity in society has resulted in an increased need for physical education teachers to create learning opportunities that promote physical activity among children. However, the presence of anti-fat attitudes and a limited understanding of the challenges associated with being overweight in a physical activity environment…
Malicious Use of Technology: What Schools, Parents, and Teachers Can Do to Prevent Cyberbullying
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Morgan, Hani
2013-01-01
In today's hyper-connected world, children's exposure to technology as a tool to communicate, learn, and socialize has increased exponentially. As teachers and parents recognize the demands for increased use of technology among young children, they should be able to identify and address the challenges associated with such exposure. Cyberbullying,…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Campbell, Dale F.; Yu, Hongwei
2010-01-01
The Community College Futures Assembly has served as a national independent policy think tank since 1995. Its purpose is to articulate the critical issues facing American community colleges and recognize innovative programs. Convening annually in January in Orlando, Florida, the Assembly provides an interactive learning environment where tough…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Collins, Gary W.; Knoetze, Johan G.
2014-01-01
Information communication technology is capable of contributing supplementary teaching and learning strategies that can be used to address various educational challenges faced by higher education. Students who enter South African higher education institutions are often academically under-prepared and have not developed the cognitive skills…
The CEFR and the Dynamics of Second Language Learning: Trends and Challenges
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lowie, Wander
2013-01-01
This paper discusses the pedagogical implications of Dynamic Systems Theory approaches to second language development. The main question addressed is whether it is possible to describe a learner's level of proficiency with a simple and unambiguous label, and if so, whether the CEFR can provide such a label. It is argued that considering the…
Extending Talk on a Prescribed Discussion Topic in a Learner-Native Speaker eTandem Learning Task
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Black, Emily
2017-01-01
Opportunities for language learners to access authentic input and engage in consequential interactions with native speakers of their target language abound in this era of computer mediated communication. Synchronous audio/video calling software represents one opportunity to access such input and address the challenges of developing pragmatic and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vajoczki, Susan; Watt, Susan; Marquis, Nick; Holshausen, Katherine
2010-01-01
As universities turn to technology to become more learner-centred and address challenges created by increasing class sizes, changing consumer expectations, and increasing numbers of disability accommodation requests it is important to test the utility of technology solutions. This presentation describes a study to determine the effects of…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bentley, Kia J.; Cohen-Filipic, Katherine; Cummings, Cory R.
2016-01-01
Social workers often feel ill-prepared to effectively engage parents in conversations about guilt, shame, and blame related to their children's mental health or substance use challenges. To address that problem, we suggest that specific content should be integrated into social work courses to teach students how to acknowledge and sensitively…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lewis, Elizabeth; Dema, Oxana; Harshbarger, Dena
2014-01-01
Despite historical national efforts to improve elementary science education, science instruction continues to be marginalized, varying by state. This study was designed to address the ongoing challenge of educating elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) to teach science. Elementary PSTs are one of the science education community's major links…
Teaching Auditing Using Cases in an Online Learning Environment: The Role of ePortfolio Assessment
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mihret, Dessalegn Getie; Abayadeera, Nadana; Watty, Kim; McKay, Jade
2017-01-01
While teaching auditing using cases is regarded as an effective approach, spatial separation of students and teachers in online contexts can restrict the application of case teaching. This study examines an undergraduate auditing course implemented to address this challenge by integrating case teaching with ePortfolio assessment. Students' written…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mason, Ann Mogush
2016-01-01
In three narrative vignettes, this paper challenges scholars and practitioners of teacher education to consider ways that our courses do and do not engage white teacher candidates to take on racially conscious orientations. The work addressed in this paper has implications for our understandings of how preservice teachers can learn about racial…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Victoria Education Dept. (Australia).
These conference proceedings comprise 19 papers and the plenary session presented at the Early Years Schooling Conference held in Melbourne, Australia. The plenary session was "A Developmental Approach to Teaching Young Children" conducted by Lilian Katz. The keynote addresses and breakout sessions were: (1) "Developmental Learning:…
Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities in a STEM School
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bargerhuff, Mary Ellen
2013-01-01
This single site case study examines the ways a particular STEM school in its first year of operation meets the unique needs of freshmen students with disabilities (SWD). Specific research questions address primary supports and challenges to the learning of SWD, and the working relationship among general and special educators and administrators. A…
Using Pictorial Mnemonics in the Learning of Tax: A Cognitive Load Perspective
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Smith, Bernadette; Shimeld, Sonia
2014-01-01
The scope and complexity of the Australian taxation system (as with other tax regimes) is daunting for many accounting students. This paper documents the implementation of new practices that were initiated in an effort to address some of the challenges faced by undergraduate students studying taxation. Based on the principles of cognitive load…
The Use of Social Media in Teaching Race
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nakagawa, Kathy; Arzubiaga, Angela E.
2014-01-01
This article explores ways in which race pedagogy interrogates social media as a significant influence on racism and source for race understandings. Social media serves as a context in which to learn about, challenge, and address issues of race. We discuss how social media may be used to promote racial literacy and question and resist racism,…
Visible Learning, Visible Learners: The Power of the Group in a Kindergarten Classroom
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mardell, Ben; Rivard, Melissa; Krechevsky, Mara
2012-01-01
The ability to address complex technological, ecological, social, and ethical challenges in the 21st century depends on developing a citizenry capable of innovation and higher-order thinking. Early childhood educators have the opportunity to help children acquire these abilities right from the start. Central to this endeavor is a more reciprocal…
Applying a Linked-Course Model to Foster Inquiry and Integration across Large First-Year Courses
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Husband, Brian C.; Bettger, William J.; Murrant, Coral L.; Kirby, Kim; Wright, Patricia A.; Newmaster, Steven G.; Dawson, John F.; Gregory, T. Ryan; Mullen, Robert T.; Nejedly, April; van der Merwe, George; Yankulov, Krassimir; Wolf, Peter
2015-01-01
Many first-year university courses are large and content-driven, which can contribute to low student engagement and difficulty involving students in the dynamic, cross-disciplinary nature of inquiry. Learning communities can address these goals, but their implementation often poses logistical challenges, especially in large courses. Here, we apply…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Misco, Thomas
2011-01-01
This article addresses the challenges and pathways of Holocaust education in post-communist countries through two case studies. I first examine historiographical, institutional and cultural obstacles to deep and meaningful treatments of the Holocaust within Latvian and Romanian schools. Drawing upon the unique experiences both countries had with…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Margherio, Cara; Horner-Devine, M. Claire; Mizumori, Sheri J. Y.; Yen, Joyce W.
2016-01-01
BRAINS: Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroScience is a National Institutes of Health-funded, national program that addresses challenges to the persistence of diverse early-career neuroscientists. In doing so, BRAINS aims to advance diversity in neuroscience by increasing career advancement and retention of post-PhD,…
Being a Clinical Psychologist at the Lab School of Baltimore
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Oliver, Edwin
2010-01-01
Each day, seeking to address the never ending challenge of helping students with learning disabilities, the author's Baltimore Lab School and Lab School of Washington (LSW) colleagues remember a similar situation in the past and they try to recall what Sally Smith taught them. Smith taught the author a lot in his seven years of working with…
Supporting the Literacy Development of Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing in Inclusive Classrooms
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dostal, Hannah; Gabriel, Rachael; Weir, Joan
2017-01-01
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing present unique opportunities and challenges for literacy instruction in mainstream classrooms. By addressing the specific needs of this diverse student community, teachers are given the chance to sharpen instruction and create learning opportunities for the entire class. The authors discuss two…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Garzino, Mary S.
The Contemporary Health Series is intended to help teachers address critical health issues in their classrooms. It is designed to provide educators with the curricular tools necessary to challenge students to take personal responsibility for their health. This learning module, directed at middle school teachers, focuses on several health and…
Are We on the Right Course? Lessons Learned about Current FBA/BIP Practices in Schools
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Van Acker, Richard; Boreson, Lynn; Gable, Robert A.; Potterton, Thomas
2005-01-01
Schools across the nation have been charged with the task of conducting functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) to aid in the development of behavior intervention plans (BIPs) to address the challenging behavior of students with special education needs. In response, schools have initiated efforts to provide the various members of their student…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Engstrom, Joy Nichole
2013-01-01
The presence of challenging and violent behaviors that pose risks to the overall safety and the educational learning experience in the public education setting have been on the rise in recent years. Traditional reactive, coercive, and punitive measures to address these behaviors have been futile. Congress responded to the national increase in…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jung-Ivannikova, Liubov
2016-01-01
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been argued to cause (mis)communication issues. Research and practice suggest a range of tactics and strategies for educators focused on how to encourage and foster communication in a virtual learning environment (VLE) (eg, Salmon). However, while frameworks such as Salmon's support the effective…
Delany, C; Miller, K J; El-Ansary, D; Remedios, L; Hosseini, A; McLeod, S
2015-12-01
Clinical education is foundational to health professional training. However, it is also a time of increased stress for students. A student's perception of stressors and their capacity to effectively manage them is a legitimate concern for educators, because anxiety and decreased coping strategies can interfere with effective learning, clinical performance and capacity to care for patients. Resilience is emerging as a valuable construct to underpin positive coping strategies for learning and professional practice. We report the development and evaluation of a psycho-education resilience program designed to build practical skills-based resilience capacities in health science (physiotherapy) students. Six final year undergraduate physiotherapy students attended four action research sessions led by a clinical health psychologist. Resilience strategies drawn from cognitive behavioural therapy, and positive and performance psychology were introduced. Students identified personal learning stressors and their beliefs and responses. They chose specific resilience-based strategies to address them, and then reported their impact on learning performance and experiences. Thematic analysis of the audio-recorded and transcribed action research sessions, and students' de identified notes was conducted. Students' initial descriptions of stressors as 'problems' outside their control resulting in poor thinking and communication, low confidence and frustration, changed to a focus on how they managed and recognized learning challenges as normal or at least expected elements of the clinical learning environment. The research suggests that replacing stressful challenges with positive coping strategies offers a potentially powerful tool to build self-efficacy and cognitive control as well as greater self-awareness as a learner and future health practitioner.
Transitioning from learning healthcare systems to learning health care communities.
Mullins, C Daniel; Wingate, La'Marcus T; Edwards, Hillary A; Tofade, Toyin; Wutoh, Anthony
2018-02-26
The learning healthcare system (LHS) model framework has three core, foundational components. These include an infrastructure for health-related data capture, care improvement targets and a supportive policy environment. Despite progress in advancing and implementing LHS approaches, low levels of participation from patients and the public have hampered the transformational potential of the LHS model. An enhanced vision of a community-engaged LHS redesign would focus on the provision of health care from the patient and community perspective to complement the healthcare system as the entity that provides the environment for care. Addressing the LHS framework implementation challenges and utilizing community levers are requisite components of a learning health care community model, version two of the LHS archetype.
Ashauer, Shirley A; Macan, Therese
2013-01-01
Learning and adapting to change are imperative as teams today face unprecedented change. Yet, an important part of learning involves challenging assumptions and addressing differences of opinion openly within a group--the kind of behaviors that pose the potential for embarrassment or threat. How can leaders foster an environment in which team members feel it is safe to take interpersonal risks in order to learn? In a study of 71 teams, we found that psychological safety and learning behavior were higher for teams with mastery than performance goal instructions or no goal instructions. Team psychological safety mediated the relationship between mastery and performance goal instructions and learning behavior. Findings contribute to our understanding of how leader-assigned goals are related to psychological safety and learning behavior in a team context, and suggest approaches to foster such processes.
Computing in high-energy physics
Mount, Richard P.
2016-05-31
I present a very personalized journey through more than three decades of computing for experimental high-energy physics, pointing out the enduring lessons that I learned. This is followed by a vision of how the computing environment will evolve in the coming ten years and the technical challenges that this will bring. I then address the scale and cost of high-energy physics software and examine the many current and future challenges, particularly those of management, funding and software-lifecycle management. Lastly, I describe recent developments aimed at improving the overall coherence of high-energy physics software.
Computing in high-energy physics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mount, Richard P.
2016-04-01
I present a very personalized journey through more than three decades of computing for experimental high-energy physics, pointing out the enduring lessons that I learned. This is followed by a vision of how the computing environment will evolve in the coming ten years and the technical challenges that this will bring. I then address the scale and cost of high-energy physics software and examine the many current and future challenges, particularly those of management, funding and software-lifecycle management. Finally, I describe recent developments aimed at improving the overall coherence of high-energy physics software.
Computing in high-energy physics
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Mount, Richard P.
I present a very personalized journey through more than three decades of computing for experimental high-energy physics, pointing out the enduring lessons that I learned. This is followed by a vision of how the computing environment will evolve in the coming ten years and the technical challenges that this will bring. I then address the scale and cost of high-energy physics software and examine the many current and future challenges, particularly those of management, funding and software-lifecycle management. Lastly, I describe recent developments aimed at improving the overall coherence of high-energy physics software.
von Unger, Hella; Werwick, Katrin; Lichte, Thomas; Herrmann, Markus
2010-01-01
A seminar course was developed in order to train medical students in qualitative research methods, while providing an introduction to the field of General Practice. Students were enabled to conduct semi-structured interviews with general practitioners (GPs), during which they learned about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of frequently encountered medical problems. The course was carried out four times at two universities in Germany. The study explores the students' learning experiences focusing on their research experience. Data were collected in four focus groups and analyzed. The students perceived the course as very different from their usual medical education. This was appreciated, but also caused some difficulties. Three themes emerged: (1) Missing 'facts', (2) New horizons: 'Thinking outside the box', and (3) The challenge of interpretation: 'Reading between the lines'. Learning qualitative research methods can be particularly challenging for medical students as the tasks and epistemology of qualitative research run counter to the usual learning formats and research paradigms in medical education. When teaching qualitative research, special care should be taken to address the cognitive dissonance experienced by students and to explain the unique contribution of qualitative research to medical practice and the field of General Practice especially.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tan, Seng-Chee
2013-09-01
In this forum, I take a learning sciences perspective to examine the paper by Bellocchi, Ritchie, Tobin, Sandhu and Sandhu ( Cultural Studies of Science Education, doi:
School-community learning partnerships for sustainability: Recommended best practice and reality
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wheeler, Leone; Guevara, Jose Roberto; Smith, Jodi-Anne
2018-05-01
Effective partnerships across different stakeholders are essential to the collaboration required for learning cities to contribute to sustainable development. Through partnerships, formal educational institutions, such as schools and universities, play a vital role in establishing and sustaining learning cities, often by facilitating the meaningful participation of different local community members. The research presented in this article examines the characteristics of effective school-community partnerships in the literature and compares it to the results of a three-year research study which examined 16 case studies of school-community partnerships in the state of Victoria in Australia. Using participatory action research, the researchers identified four approaches to implementing partnerships for sustainability, explored challenges to achieving an idealised partnership, and made recommendations for establishing successful partnership networks. The researchers propose that partnerships be viewed as a dynamic resource rather than merely a transactional arrangement that addresses the identified challenges of time, funding, skills and personnel. Furthermore, the use of "partnership brokers", such as local government or non-government organisations, is recommended to expand the current school-centred approach to partnerships. These insights aim to contribute to providing quality education and lifelong learning through partnerships - outcomes crucial for establishing and sustaining learning cities.
Accelerating learning for pro-poor health markets
2014-01-01
Background Given the rapid evolution of health markets, learning is key to promoting the identification and uptake of health market policies and practices that better serve the needs of the poor. However there are significant challenges to learning about health markets. We discuss the different forms that learning takes, from the development of codified scientific knowledge, through to experience-based learning, all in relationship to health markets. Discussion Notable challenges to learning in health markets include the difficulty of acquiring data from private health care providers, designing evaluations that capture the complex dynamics present within health markets and developing communities of practice that encompass the diverse actors present within health markets, and building trust and mutual understanding across these groups. The paper proposes experimentation with country-specific market data platforms that can integrate relevant evidence from different data sources, and simultaneously exploring strategies to secure better information on private providers and health markets. Possible approaches to adapting evaluation designs so that they are better able to take account of different and changing contexts as well as producing real time findings are discussed. Finally capturing informal knowledge about health markets is key. Communities of practice that bridge different health market actors can help to share such experience-based knowledge and in so doing, may help to formalize it. More geographically-focused communities of practice are needed, and such communities may be supported by innovation brokers and/or be built around member-based organizations. Summary Strategic investments in and support to learning about health markets can address some of the challenges experienced to-date, and accelerate learning that supports health markets that serve the poor. PMID:24961671
Sequential Design of Experiments to Maximize Learning from Carbon Capture Pilot Plant Testing
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Soepyan, Frits B.; Morgan, Joshua C.; Omell, Benjamin P.
Pilot plant test campaigns can be expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, it is of interest to maximize the amount of learning and the efficiency of the test campaign given the limited number of experiments that can be conducted. This work investigates the use of sequential design of experiments (SDOE) to overcome these challenges by demonstrating its usefulness for a recent solvent-based CO2 capture plant test campaign. Unlike traditional design of experiments methods, SDOE regularly uses information from ongoing experiments to determine the optimum locations in the design space for subsequent runs within the same experiment. However, there are challenges that needmore » to be addressed, including reducing the high computational burden to efficiently update the model, and the need to incorporate the methodology into a computational tool. We address these challenges by applying SDOE in combination with a software tool, the Framework for Optimization, Quantification of Uncertainty and Surrogates (FOQUS) (Miller et al., 2014a, 2016, 2017). The results of applying SDOE on a pilot plant test campaign for CO2 capture suggests that relative to traditional design of experiments methods, SDOE can more effectively reduce the uncertainty of the model, thus decreasing technical risk. Future work includes integrating SDOE into FOQUS and using SDOE to support additional large-scale pilot plant test campaigns.« less
Geoscience as an Agent for Change in Higher Education
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Manduca, C. A.; Orr, C. H.; Kastens, K.
2016-12-01
As our society becomes more aware of the realities of the resource and environmental challenges that face us, we have the opportunity to educate more broadly about the role of geoscience in addressing these challenges. The InTeGrate STEP Center is using three strategies to bring learning about the Earth to a wider population of undergraduate students: 1) infusing geoscience into disciplinary courses throughout the curriculum; 2) creating interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary courses with a strong geoscience component that draw a wide audience; and 3) embedding more opportunities to learn about the methods of geoscience and their application to societal challenges in courses for future teachers. InTeGrate is also bringing more emphasis on geoscience in service to societal challenges to geoscience students in introductory geoscience courses and courses for geoscience majors. Teaching science in a societal context is known to make science concepts more accessible for many learners, while learning to use geoscience to solve real world, interdisciplinary problems better prepares students for the 21stcentury workforce and for the decisions they will make as individuals and citizens. InTeGrate has developed materials and models that demonstrate a wide variety of strategies for increasing opportunities to learn about the Earth in a societal context that are freely available on the project website (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate) and that form the foundation of ongoing professional development opportunities nationwide. The strategies employed by InTeGrate reflect a systems approach to educational transformation, the importance of networks and communities in supporting change, and the need for resources designed for adaptability and use. The project is demonstrating how geoscience can play a larger role in higher education addressing topics of wide interest including 1) preparing a competitive workforce by increasing the STEM skills of students regardless of their major, 2) making higher education more equitable by reducing gaps in participation and achievement in STEM; and 3) using liberal education to prepare students to deal with the complexity, diversity and change that characterize our time.
MO-E-18A-01: Imaging: Best Practices In Pediatric Imaging
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Willis, C; Strauss, K; MacDougall, R
This imaging educational program will focus on solutions to common pediatric imaging challenges. The speakers will present collective knowledge on best practices in pediatric imaging from their experience at dedicated children's hospitals. Areas of focus will include general radiography, the use of manual and automatic dose management in computed tomography, and enterprise-wide radiation dose management in the pediatric practice. The educational program will begin with a discussion of the complexities of exposure factor control in pediatric projection radiography. Following this introduction will be two lectures addressing the challenges of computed tomography (CT) protocol optimization in the pediatric population. The firstmore » will address manual CT protocol design in order to establish a managed radiation dose for any pediatric exam on any CT scanner. The second CT lecture will focus on the intricacies of automatic dose modulation in pediatric imaging with an emphasis on getting reliable results in algorithmbased technique selection. The fourth and final lecture will address the key elements needed to developing a comprehensive radiation dose management program for the pediatric environment with particular attention paid to new regulations and obligations of practicing medical physicists. Learning Objectives: To understand how general radiographic techniques can be optimized using exposure indices in order to improve pediatric radiography. To learn how to establish diagnostic dose reference levels for pediatric patients as a function of the type of examination, patient size, and individual design characteristics of the CT scanner. To learn how to predict the patient's radiation dose prior to the exam and manually adjust technique factors if necessary to match the patient's dose to the department's established dose reference levels. To learn how to utilize manufacturer-provided automatic dose modulation technology to consistently achieve patient doses within the department's established size-based diagnostic reference range. To understand the key components of an enterprise-wide pediatric dose management program that integrates the expanding responsibilities of medial physicists in the new era of dose monitoring.« less
Service learning at dementia care programs: an orientation and training program.
Lambert-Shute, Jennifer J; Jarrott, Shannon E; Fruhauf, Christine A
2004-01-01
The present paper describes a project that addresses the unique challenge service-learners face at dementia care programs. The project was conducted in conjunction with two courses on aging that offer students a service-learning (S-L) option at a university adult day service (ADS) program that accepts service-learners from these courses. The intervention consisted of two elements: (a) an orientation and follow- up sessions in which students learned about the causes of dementia, the behavioral characteristics exhibited by persons with dementia, and the best methods of interacting effectively with cognitively impaired persons; and (b) a structured scrapbook project for service-learners to exercise their new knowledge and skills. The authors designed the project to increase students' comfort in the dementia care setting and to facilitate students' knowledge of the elderly. The following sections describe the project and its procedures, benefits, and challenges. Recommendations for continuing the project and for adapting the project to other dementia sites are provided.
The learning and mentoring experiences of Paralympic coaches.
Fairhurst, Katherine E; Bloom, Gordon A; Harvey, William J
2017-04-01
Participation in the Paralympic Games has grown substantially, yet the same growth and development has not occurred with empirical literature for coaching in disability sport. The purpose of the current study was to explore Paralympic coaches' perceptions of their learning and educational experiences, including their formal and informal mentoring opportunities. Six highly successful and experienced Paralympic coaches were individually interviewed in this qualitative study. The interview data were analyzed following Braun and Clarke's guidelines for thematic analysis. Results demonstrated that Paralympic coaches faced several challenges to acquire disability specific coaching knowledge and skills. These challenges led the participants to utilize an array of informal learning situations, such as actively seeking mentoring relationships when they first entered the field. After becoming expert coaches, they gave back to their sport by making mentoring opportunities available for aspiring coaches. The results of the current study address the value and importance of mentoring as a structured source of education and career development for aspiring Paralympic coaches. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Bernanke, Joel; McCommon, Benjamin
2018-01-01
Given many competing demands, psychotherapy training to competency is difficult during psychiatric residency. Good Psychiatric Management for borderline personality disorder (GPM) offers an evidence-based, simplified, psychodynamically informed framework for the outpatient management of patients with borderline personality disorder, one of the most challenging disorders psychiatric residents must learn to treat. In this article, we provide an overview of GPM, and show that training in GPM meets a requirement for training in supportive psychotherapy; builds on psychodynamic psychotherapy training; and applies to other severe personality disorders, especially narcissistic personality disorder. We describe the interpersonal hypersensitivity model used in GPM as a straightforward way for clinicians to collaborate with patients in organizing approaches to psychoeducation, treatment goals, case management, use of multiple treatment modalities, and safety. A modification of the interpersonal hypersensitivity model that includes intra-personal hypersensitivity can be used to address narcissistic problems often present in borderline personality disorder. We argue that these features make GPM ideally suited for psychiatry residents in treating their most challenging patients, provide clinical examples to illustrate these points, and report the key lessons learned by a psychiatry resident after a year of GPM supervision.
A National Strategy to Develop Pragmatic Clinical Trials Infrastructure
Guise, Jeanne‐Marie; Dolor, Rowena J.; Meissner, Paul; Tunis, Sean; Krishnan, Jerry A.; Pace, Wilson D.; Saltz, Joel; Hersh, William R.; Michener, Lloyd; Carey, Timothy S.
2014-01-01
Abstract An important challenge in comparative effectiveness research is the lack of infrastructure to support pragmatic clinical trials, which compare interventions in usual practice settings and subjects. These trials present challenges that differ from those of classical efficacy trials, which are conducted under ideal circumstances, in patients selected for their suitability, and with highly controlled protocols. In 2012, we launched a 1‐year learning network to identify high‐priority pragmatic clinical trials and to deploy research infrastructure through the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium that could be used to launch and sustain them. The network and infrastructure were initiated as a learning ground and shared resource for investigators and communities interested in developing pragmatic clinical trials. We followed a three‐stage process of developing the network, prioritizing proposed trials, and implementing learning exercises that culminated in a 1‐day network meeting at the end of the year. The year‐long project resulted in five recommendations related to developing the network, enhancing community engagement, addressing regulatory challenges, advancing information technology, and developing research methods. The recommendations can be implemented within 24 months and are designed to lead toward a sustained national infrastructure for pragmatic trials. PMID:24472114
Pediatric hospitalists and medical education.
Ottolini, Mary C
2014-07-01
Pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) is moving toward becoming an American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) subspecialty, roughly a decade after its formal inception in 2003. Education has played a central role as the field has evolved. Hospitalists are needed to educate trainees, medical students, residents, fellows, and nurse practitioner and physician assistant students in inpatient pediatric practice. Continuous professional development is needed for hospitalists currently in practice to augment clinical skills, such as providing sedation and placing peripherally inserted central catheter lines, and nonclinical skills in areas such as quality improvement methodology, hospital administration, and health service research. To address the educational needs of the current and future state of PHM, additional training is now needed beyond residency training. Fellowship training will be essential to continue to advance the field of PHM as well as to petition the ABP for specialty accreditation. Training in using adult educational theory, curriculum, and assessment design are critical for pediatric hospitalists choosing to advance their careers as clinician-educators. Several venues are available for gaining advanced knowledge and skill as an educator. PHM clinician-educators are advancing the field of pediatric education as well as their own academic careers by virtue of the scholarly approach they have taken to designing and implementing curricula for unique PHM teaching situations. PHM educators are changing the educational paradigm to address challenges to traditional education strategies posed by duty hour restrictions and the increasing drive to shorten the duration of the hospitalization. By embracing learning with technology, such as simulation and e-learning with mobile devices, PHM educators can address these challenges as well as respond to learning preferences of millennial learners. The future for PHM education is bright. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.
Choi, Yoonha; Liu, Tiffany Ting; Pankratz, Daniel G; Colby, Thomas V; Barth, Neil M; Lynch, David A; Walsh, P Sean; Raghu, Ganesh; Kennedy, Giulia C; Huang, Jing
2018-05-09
We developed a classifier using RNA sequencing data that identifies the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern for the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We addressed significant challenges, including limited sample size, biological and technical sample heterogeneity, and reagent and assay batch effects. We identified inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity, particularly within the non-UIP group. The models classified UIP on transbronchial biopsy samples with a receiver-operating characteristic area under the curve of ~ 0.9 in cross-validation. Using in silico mixed samples in training, we prospectively defined a decision boundary to optimize specificity at ≥85%. The penalized logistic regression model showed greater reproducibility across technical replicates and was chosen as the final model. The final model showed sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 88% in the test set. We demonstrated that the suggested methodologies appropriately addressed challenges of the sample size, disease heterogeneity and technical batch effects and developed a highly accurate and robust classifier leveraging RNA sequencing for the classification of UIP.
Building a Workforce for Future Health Systems: Reflections from Health Policy and Systems Research.
Javadi, Dena; Tran, Nhan; Ghaffar, Abdul
2018-05-24
The era of the Sustainable Development Goals calls for multidisciplinary research and intersectoral approaches to addressing health challenges. This presents a unique opportunity for multidisciplinary fields concerned with complex systems. Those working in system-oriented fields such as health policy and systems research (HPSR) and health services research must be forward-thinking in optimizing their collective ability to address these global challenges. The objective of this commentary was to share reflections on challenges and strategies in managing the HPSR workforce in order to stimulate dialogue and cross-learning across similar fields. The following strategies are discussed here: definitional clarity of expected competencies and coordination across HPS researchers, national investment in HPSR, institutional capacity for coproduction of knowledge across different types of actors, and participatory leadership. Creative approaches in training, financing, developing, and leading the diverse workforce required to strengthen health systems can pave the way for its full-time and part-time members to work together. © Health Research and Educational Trust.
Structured Kernel Subspace Learning for Autonomous Robot Navigation.
Kim, Eunwoo; Choi, Sungjoon; Oh, Songhwai
2018-02-14
This paper considers two important problems for autonomous robot navigation in a dynamic environment, where the goal is to predict pedestrian motion and control a robot with the prediction for safe navigation. While there are several methods for predicting the motion of a pedestrian and controlling a robot to avoid incoming pedestrians, it is still difficult to safely navigate in a dynamic environment due to challenges, such as the varying quality and complexity of training data with unwanted noises. This paper addresses these challenges simultaneously by proposing a robust kernel subspace learning algorithm based on the recent advances in nuclear-norm and l 1 -norm minimization. We model the motion of a pedestrian and the robot controller using Gaussian processes. The proposed method efficiently approximates a kernel matrix used in Gaussian process regression by learning low-rank structured matrix (with symmetric positive semi-definiteness) to find an orthogonal basis, which eliminates the effects of erroneous and inconsistent data. Based on structured kernel subspace learning, we propose a robust motion model and motion controller for safe navigation in dynamic environments. We evaluate the proposed robust kernel learning in various tasks, including regression, motion prediction, and motion control problems, and demonstrate that the proposed learning-based systems are robust against outliers and outperform existing regression and navigation methods.
Racism in nursing education: a reflective journey.
Markey, Kathleen; Tilki, Mary
This article discusses the personal and professional journey of discovery experienced by a nurse lecturer as a result of engagement in a project exploring the impact of racism in the nursing classroom. The findings of the study demonstrated the existence and complexity of racism, the impact of racism on student learning, the limitations of lecturers in recognizing and addressing racism and organizational factors which perpetuate institutional racism. The authors describe the insight gained from the research process and how this has influenced the practice of the first author and how reflection and mentorship by the second author have challenged personal ethnocentricity, encouraged new ways of thinking, enhanced confidence and encouraged experiential teaching strategies. The article highlights the ways in which nurse lecturers might become culturally competent and in particular addressing issues of racism in the classroom and enabling learning which is applicable in practice.
Benzley, Steven E
2006-04-01
This paper presents an academic project that addresses the issue of international corruption in the engineering and construction industry, in a manner that effectively incorporates several learning experiences. The major objectives of the project are to provide the students a learning activity that will 1) make a meaningful contribution within the disciplines being studied; 2) teach by experience a significant principle that can be valuable in numerous situations during an individual's career, and 3) engage the minds, experiences, and enthusiasm of the participants in a real ethical challenge that is prevalent in all of their chosen professional fields. The paper describes the full details of the project, the actual implementation of it during Winter Semester 2005, the experiences gained during the initial trial, and the modifications and improvements incorporated for future implementation.
Lee, Marshala; Newton, Helen; Smith, Tracey; Crawford, Malena; Kepley, Hayden; Regenstein, Marsha; Chen, Candice
2016-01-01
Rural communities disproportionately face preventable chronic diseases and death from treatable conditions. Health workforce shortages contribute to limited health care access and health disparities. Efforts to address workforce shortages have included establishing graduate medical education programs with the goal of recruiting and retaining physicians in the communities in which they train. However, rural communities face a number of challenges in developing and maintaining successful residency programs, including concerns over financial sustainability and the integration of resident trainees into existing clinical practices. Despite these challenges, rural communities are increasingly interested in investing in residency programs; those that are successful see additional benefits in workforce recruitment, access, and quality of care that have immediate and direct impact on the health of rural communities. This commentary examines the challenges and benefits of rural residency programs, drawing from lessons learned from the Health Resources and Services Administration's Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program.
The European Project Semester at ISEP: the challenge of educating global engineers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Malheiro, Benedita; Silva, Manuel; Ribeiro, Maria Cristina; Guedes, Pedro; Ferreira, Paulo
2015-05-01
Current engineering education challenges require approaches that promote scientific, technical, design and complementary skills while fostering autonomy, innovation and responsibility. The European Project Semester (EPS) at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP) (EPS@ISEP) is a one semester project-based learning programme (30 European Credit Transfer Units (ECTU)) for engineering students from diverse scientific backgrounds and nationalities that intends to address these goals. The students, organised in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, are challenged to solve real multidisciplinary problems during one semester. The EPS package, although on project development (20 ECTU), includes a series of complementary seminars aimed at fostering soft, project-related and engineering transversal skills (10 ECTU). Hence, the students enrolled in this programme improve their transversal skills and learn, together and with the team of supervisors, subjects distinct from their core training. This paper presents the structure, implementation and results of the EPS@ISEP that was created in 2011 to apply the best engineering practices and promote internationalisation and engineering education innovation at ISEP.