Cooperative or collaborative learning: Is there a difference in university students’ perceptions?

The hypothesis that the same educational objective, raised as cooperative or collaborative learning in university teaching does not affect students’ perceptions of the learning model, leads this study. It analyses the reflections of two students groups of engineering that shared the same educational goals implemented through two different methodological active learning strategies: Simulation as cooperative learning strategy and Problem-based Learning as a collaborative one. The different number of participants per group (eighty-five and sixty-five, respectively) as well as the use of two active learning strategies, either collaborative or cooperative, did not show differences in the results from a qualitative perspective.

Learning for self-regulation: Improving instructional benefits for pupils, teachers, parents, schools, and society at large

Compulsory education laws oblige primary and secondary schools to give each pupil positive encouragement in, for example, social, emotional, cognitive, creative, and ethical respects. This is a fairly smooth process for most pupils, but it is not as easy to achieve with others. A pattern of pupil, home or family, and school variables turns out to be responsible for a long-term process that may lead to a pupil’s dropping out of education. A systemic approach will do much to introduce more clarity into the diagnosis, potential reduction and possible prevention of some persistent educational problems that express themselves in related phenomena, for example low school motivation and achievement; forced underachievement of high ability pupils; concentration of bullying and violent behaviour in and around some types of classes and schools; and drop-out percentages that are relatively constant across time. Such problems have a negative effect on pupils, teachers, parents, schools, and society alike. In this address, I would therefore like to clarify some of the systemic causes and processes that we have identified between specific educational and pupil characteristics. Both theory and practice can assist in developing, implementing, and checking better learning methods and coaching procedures, particularly for pupils at risk. This development approach will take time and require co-ordination, but it will result in much better processes and outcomes than we are used to. First, I will diagnose some systemic aspects of education that do not seem to optimise the learning processes and school careers of some types of pupils in particular. Second, I will specify cognitive, social, motivational, and self-regulative aspects of learning tasks and relate corresponding learning processes to relevant instructional and wider educational contexts. I will elaborate these theoretical notions into an educational design with systemic instructional guidelines and multilevel procedures that may improve learning processes for different types of pupils. Internet-based Information and Communication Technology, or ICT, also plays a major role here. Third, I will report on concrete developments made in prototype research and trials. The development process concerns ICT-based differentiation of learning materials and procedures, and ICT-based strategies to improve pupil development and learning. Fourth, I will focus on the experience gained in primary and secondary educational practice with respect to implementation. We can learn much from such practical experience, in particular about the conditions for developing and implementing the necessary changes in and around schools. Finally, I will propose future research. As I hope to make clear, theory-based development and implementation research can join forces with systemic innovation and differentiated assessment in educational practice, to pave the way for optimal “learning for self-regulation” for pupils, teachers, parents, schools, and society at large.

Het Effect van Online Cognitieve Gedragstherapie op Seksuele Disfuncties bij Vrouwen

Het doel van dit onderzoek is na te gaan in welke mate de online cognitieve gedragstherapie bij vrouwen met seksuele disfuncties effectief is voor wat betreft seksueel functioneren, seksuele lijdensdruk en de houding die de vrouwen hebben ten aanzien van seks. Drie vrouwen (gemiddelde leeftijd 39,6 jaar) met minstens één diagnose van een opwindingsgerelateerde seksuele disfunctie (seksuele interesse/opwindingsstoornis, orgasmestoornis) volgens de criteria van de DSM-5, hebben deelgenomen aan het onderzoek. Er wordt gebruik gemaakt van een single case A-B-fase design: zowel in de controlefase (Fase A) wanneer de proefpersoon nog geen internettherapie krijgt, als in de behandelfase (Fase B) worden verschillende metingen verricht. Hierbij wordt het effect van wel of geen internettherapie binnen één persoon onderzocht door de metingen in de controlefase (Fase A) te vergelijken met de metingen in de behandelfase (Fase B). Elke meting betreft een in te vullen zelfrapportage-vragenlijst (24 items) waarin de drie variabelen worden gemeten. Seksueel functioneren werd gemeten met drie items uit de Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) (Rosen et al., 2000; ter Kuile et al., 2009); seksuele lijdensdruk met de Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised (FSDS-R) (Derogatis et al., 2008; ter Kuile et al., 2009); en de attitude ten aanzien van seks met een zestal items van de Sexual Opion Survey (SOS) (Fisher, Byrne, White, & Kelley, 1988). Middels de randomisatietoets is nagegaan wat het therapie-effect per proefpersoon en het algehele therapie-effect is. Uit de resultaten met betrekking tot het therapie-effect per proefpersoon blijkt dat de behandeling enkel voor de eerste proefpersoon een positief effect lijkt te hebben op het seksueel functioneren. Wat betreft de variabele seksuele lijdensdruk lijkt de behandeling enkel voor proefpersoon 2 een positief effect te hebben. Wat betreft de variabele attitude ten aanzien van seks lijkt er voor alle drie de proefpersonen geen effect van de behandeling aanwezig te zijn. Voor proefpersoon 1 lijkt de attitude ten aanzien van seks tijdens de behandelfase juist te verslechteren in plaats van te verbeteren. Uit de resultaten met betrekking tot het algehele therapie-effect is enkel voor de variabele seksueel functioneren een kleine kans aanwezig dat de behandeling een positief effect heeft.

Achieving Energy Saving through Proxying Applications on behalf of Idle Devices

Several studies in the past have revealed that network end user devices are left powered up 24/7 even when idle just for the sake of maintaining Internet connectivity. Network devices normally support low power states but are kept inactive due to their inability to maintain network connectivity. The Network Connectivity Proxy (NCP) has recently been proposed as an effective mechanism to impersonate network connectivity on behalf of high power devices and enable them to sleep when idle without losing network presence. The NCP can efficiently proxy basic networking protocol, however, proxying of Internet based applications have no absolute solution due to dynamic and non-predictable nature of the packets they are sending and receiving periodically. This paper proposes an approach for proxying Internet based applications and presents the basic software architectures and capabilities. Further, this paper also practically evaluates the proposed framework and analyzes expected energy savings achievable under-different realistic conditions.

Effectiveness of Community versus Hospital Eye Service follow-up for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration with quiescent disease (ECHoES): a virtual non-inferiority trial

OBJECTIVES: To compare the ability of ophthalmologists versus optometrists to correctly classify retinal lesions due to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

DESIGN: Randomised balanced incomplete block trial. Optometrists in the community and ophthalmologists in the Hospital Eye Service classified lesions from vignettes comprising clinical information, colour fundus photographs and optical coherence tomographic images. Participants' classifications were validated against experts' classifications (reference standard).

SETTING: Internet-based application.

PARTICIPANTS: Ophthalmologists with experience in the age-related macular degeneration service; fully qualified optometrists not participating in nAMD shared care.

INTERVENTIONS: The trial emulated a conventional trial comparing optometrists' and ophthalmologists' decision-making, but vignettes, not patients, were assessed. Therefore, there were no interventions and the trial was virtual. Participants received training before assessing vignettes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome-correct classification of the activity status of a lesion based on a vignette, compared with a reference standard. Secondary outcomes-potentially sight-threatening errors, judgements about specific lesion components and participants' confidence in their decisions.

RESULTS: In total, 155 participants registered for the trial; 96 (48 in each group) completed all assessments and formed the analysis population. Optometrists and ophthalmologists achieved 1702/2016 (84.4%) and 1722/2016 (85.4%) correct classifications, respectively (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.25; p=0.543). Optometrists' decision-making was non-inferior to ophthalmologists' with respect to the prespecified limit of 10% absolute difference (0.298 on the odds scale). Optometrists and ophthalmologists made similar numbers of sight-threatening errors (57/994 (5.7%) vs 62/994 (6.2%), OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.57; p=0.789). Ophthalmologists assessed lesion components as present less often than optometrists and were more confident about their classifications than optometrists.

CONCLUSIONS: Optometrists' ability to make nAMD retreatment decisions from vignettes is not inferior to ophthalmologists' ability. Shared care with optometrists monitoring quiescent nAMD lesions has the potential to reduce workload in hospitals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN07479761; pre-results registration.

Sustainable Business Models – What Do Management Theories Say?

Literature describing the notion and practice of business models has grown considerably over the last few years. Innovative business models appear in every sector of the economy challenging traditional ways of creating and capturing value. However, research describing the theoretical foundations of the field is scarce and many questions still remain. This article examines business models promoting various aspects of sustainable development and tests the explanatory power of two theoretical approaches, namely the resource based view of the firm and transaction cost theory regarding their emergence and successful market performance. Through the examples of industrial ecology and the sharing economy the author shows that a sharp reduction of transaction costs (e.g. in the form of internet based systems) coupled with resources widely available but not utilised before may result in fast growing new markets. This research also provides evidence regarding the notion that these two theoretical approaches can complement each other in explaining corporate behaviour.

Technology is Set to Change Real Estate Forever

Major developments in the technological environment can become commonplace very quickly. They are now impacting upon a broad range of information-based service sectors, as high growth Internet-based firms, such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Airbnb, and financial technology (Fintech) start-ups expand their product portfolios into new markets. Real estate is one of the information-based service sectors that is currently being impacted by this new type of competitor and the broad range of disruptive digital technologies that have emerged. Due to the vast troves of data that these Internet firms have at their disposal and their asset-light (cloud-based) structures, they are able to offer highly-targeted products at much lower costs than conventional brick-and-mortar companies.

Efficient Security and Privacy Enhancing Solutions in Untrusted Environments

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

The impact of Open Access outside of European Universities

The Open Access movement has encouraged the availability of publicly-funded research papers, data and learning content for barrier-free use of that content without payment by the user. The impact of increasing availability of content to researchers in European universities is understood in terms of easier access to previous research and greater exposure for new research results, bringing benefits to the research community itself. A new culture of informal sharing is evident within the teaching and learning communities and to some extent also within the research community, but as yet the growth in informal sharing has not had a major effect upon the use of formal publication choices. This briefing paper explores the impact of open access upon potential users of research outputs outside the walls of research-led European universities, where the economic value of open access may be even greater than the academic value within universities. The potential impact of open access is understood in many communities but requires a greater volume of open access content to be available for the full potential to be realised. More open access content will become available as the opportunities in open, internet-based digital scholarship are understood. This briefing paper was written in cooperation with SPARC Europe. All links provided in footnotes in this Briefing Paper are to studies available in open access.

How valuable is web 2.0 to music criticism? An investigation into the role of web 2.0 and social media in the reception of Benjamin Britten's operas

The internet is deeply integrated with many people's day to day lives, including that of musicians and musicologists. In this thesis, the impact of the internet on classical music criticism in the Web 2.0 age is examined. Using the examples of Britten's operas, Gloriana and Peter Grimes, an overview of their critical reception is examined, using printed reviews found in The Times since their premières, internet based reviews of two specific performances, and the reactions to these performances on Twitter. Theories of media behaviour including de Mul's view of the 'ludic self' are used in order to explain the content found in reviews in conjunction with citizen journalism, of which blogging is an extension. While there are some consistencies between the print reviews and those online, there are stylistic differences, and wider repercussions for the world of criticism in the wake of the democratisation of culture, as critics find their previously regarded authority obsolete to some. Music criticism is no longer the reserve of the musicologists

This Is a Gorgeous-looking Movie”: Multimodal Interplay between Commentary and Subject Materials in Movie Review Entertainment

The present thesis is a study of movie review entertainment (MRE) which is a contemporary Internet-based genre of texts. MRE are movie reviews in video form which are published online, usually as episodes of an MRE web show. Characteristic to MRE is combining humor and honest opinions in varying degrees as well as the use of subject materials, i.e. clips of the movies, as a part of the review. The study approached MRE from a linguistic perspective aiming to discover 1) whether MRE is primarily text- or image-based and what the primary functions of the modes are, 2) how a reviewer linguistically combines subject footage to her/his commentary?, 3) whether there is any internal variation in MRE regarding the aforementioned questions, and 4) how suitable the selected models and theories are in the analysis of this type of contemporary multimodal data. To answer the aforementioned questions, the multimodal system of image—text relations by Martinec and Salway (2005) in combination with categories of cohesion by Halliday and Hasan (1976) were applied to four full MRE videos which were transcribed in their entirety for the study. The primary data represent varying types of MRE: a current movie review, an analytic essay, a riff review, and a humorous essay. The results demonstrated that image vs. text prioritization can vary between reviews and also within a review. The current movie review and the two essays were primarily commentary-focused whereas the riff review was significantly more dependent on the use of imagery as the clips are a major source of humor which is a prominent value in that type of a review. In addition to humor, clips are used to exemplify the commentary. A reviewer also relates new information to the imagery as well as uses two modes to present the information in a review. Linguistically, the most frequent case was that the reviewer names participants and processes lexically in the commentary. Grammatical relations (reference items such as pronouns and adverbs and conjunctive items in the riff review) were also encountered. There was internal variation to a considerable degree. The methods chosen were deemed appropriate to answer the research questions. Further study could go beyond linguistics to include, for instance, genre and media studies.

Crowdfunding for non-commercial initiatives

Organizations and individuals dealing with non-commercial initiatives are in permanent search for funding. Crowdfunding is an alternative way of collecting funds from general public through Internet-based platforms, which is currently gaining popularity all over the world. There are several research initiatives in that field that show the influence of different factors on the success of campaigns, both with commercial and non-commercial objectives. Non-profit nature of the project is named among key predictors of positive outcome. In this context, the purpose of this work is to check whether the tendencies detected by scholars are valid for non-commercial initiatives, especially those having socially aware objectives, posted on the Belarusian crowdfunding platform Ulej. The method used for validation of the research hypotheses is binary logistic regression and statistical test. The results showed that the dependent variable success is influenced by such independent variables as the funding goal, the sum collected, the number of sponsors and the average pledge. On the other hand, the effect of the duration period is not significant. Inferential analysis shows that there is no difference in the level of success between commercial and non-commercial projects and that social orientation does not increase the likelihood of meeting financial goals. The findings are opposite to those provided in literature. However that could be explained by the short period of functioning of platform and the small number of projects.

"Family Education and Support" program for families at psychosocial risk: the role of implementation process

This paper analyses the implementation characteristics of the Family Education and Support program, a theory-driven, needs-based, and evidence-based positive parenting program originally developed for the Andalusian family preservation services. The implementation process of 34 trials of the FAF program with 155 participants was analyzed. Cluster analyses were also performed to explore variability in implementation conditions from a comprehensive perspective. Results showed different implementation profiles that moderated the FAF effectiveness (namely lengthier interventions, higher program fidelity, and practitioners' positive perceptions and satisfaction with the program). The relevance of examining implementation process across several trials is discussed in order to distinguish core and non-core FAF components, as well as the need for combining faithful and adaptable implementations that guarantee the ecologic validity of evidence-based positive parenting programs.

Professional development programs in health promotion : tools and processes to favor new practices

Developing innovative interventions that are in sync with a health promotion paradigm often represents a challenge for professionals working in local public health organizations. Thus, it is critical to have both professional development programs that favor new practices and tools to examine these practices. In this case study, we analyze the health promotion approach used in a pilot intervention addressing children’s vulnerability that was developed and carried out by participants enrolled in a public health professional development program. More specifically, we use a modified version of Guichard and Ridde’s (Une grille d’analyse des actions pour lutter contre les inégalités sociales de santé. In Potvin, L., Moquet, M.-J. and Jones, C. M. (eds), Réduire les Inégalités Sociales en Santé. INPES, Saint-Denis Cedex, pp. 297– 312, 2010) analytical grid to assess deductively the program participants’ use of health promotion practices in the analysis and planning, implementation, evaluation, sustainability and empowerment phases of the pilot intervention. We also seek evidence of practices involving (empowerment, participation, equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability) in the intervention. The results are mixed: our findings reveal evidence of the application of several dimensions of health promotion (equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability), but also a lack of integration of two key dimensions; that is, empowerment and participation, during various phases of the pilot intervention. These results show that the professional development program is associated with the adoption of a pilot intervention integrating multiple but not all dimensions of health promotion. We make recommendations to facilitate a more complete integration. This research also shows that the Guichard and Ridde grid proves to be a thorough instrument to document the practices of participants.

PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY AMONG INFANTS IN WESTERN KENYA USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS

Vitamin A (VA) deficiency (VAD) is a major nutritional public health problem among children under-5-years-old in the developing world including Kenya. A community-based cross-sectional survey among 1,630 children (aged 6-23 mos) was undertaken in Western Kenya. A questionnaire was administered to collect demographic, socio-economic and dietary intake information. Prevalence of low retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentrations was assessed using Dried Blood Spot (DBS) methodology. Analysis of RBP was carried out using rapid enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) was carried out using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to estimate VA and sub-clinical inflammation statuses, respectively. Values were adjusted for influence of inflammation using CRP (CRP >5 mg/L) and population prevalence of VAD (RBP <0.825 μmol/L, biologically equivalent to 0.70 μmol/L retinol) estimated. Anthropometric data gave three indices: stunting, wasting and underweight—all of which took age and sex into consideration. Mean (geometric± SD) concentration of RBP was adequate (1.56±0.79μmol/L) but the inflammation-adjusted mean (±SE) prevalence of VAD was high (20.1±1.1%) in this population. The level of CRP was within normal range (1.06±4.95 mg/L) whilst 18.4±0.9% of the children had subclinical inflammation (CRP>5 mg/L). Intake of VA capsule (VAC) by a child was a predictor of VAD with children who have not taken VA during the past 1 year prior to the survey having a 30% increased risk of VAD (OR (CI): 1.3 (1.1-1.7); p=0.025. Additionally, age of the child was a predictor with older children (18-23 mos) having a 30 % increased risk of VAD (OR (CI): 1.3 (1.1-1.9); p=0.035); the caretaker’s knowledge on VA and nutrition was also a predictor of VAD with children whose caretaker’s had poor knowledge having a 40 % increased risk of VAD (OR (CI): 1.4 (1.0-1.9); p=0.027. A child’s district of residence was also a significant predictor of VAD. Prevalence of VAD in this sample of infants was high. Predictors of VAD included child intake of VAC in the last 1 year before the survey, older children, children whose caretakers had poor VA and nutritional knowledge and a child’s district of residence. There is a need to improve knowledge on nutrition and VA of caretakers; undertake a targeted VAC distribution, particularly in children older than 1 year and above and use a sustainable food-based intervention in the areas with severe VAD.