bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in calf fecal samples by direct immunofluorescence assay
Authors: Teixeira Weslen Fabricio Pires , Coelho Willian Marinho Dourado , Nunes Cáris Maroni , Meireles Marcelo Vasconcelos
Published: January 2012

The aim of this study was to produce a conjugate containing anti-Cryptosporidium parvum polyclonal antibodies and standardize a Direct Immunofluorescence Assay (DIF) for detecting C. parvum oocysts in fecal samples from calves. In order to obtain anti-C. parvum polyclonal antibodies, two New Zealand rabbits were immunized with a purified solution of C. parvum oocysts and Freund's adjuvant. Purification of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction was performed by means of precipitation in ammonium sulfate and chromatography using a DEAE-cellulose column. The anti-C. parvum polyclonal antibody titer was determined by means of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The rabbit anti-C. parvum IgG fraction was conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate and standardization of the DIF was performed using various dilutions of conjugate on slides positive for C. parvum oocysts. The cross-reactivity of the anti-C. parvum conjugate was tested using oocysts of Cryptosporidium serpentis, Cryptosporidium andersoni, Escherichia coli, Eimeria sp., and Candida sp. An anti-C. parvum conjugate was successfully produced, thus allowing standardization of DIF for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in fecal samples. Cross-reactivity of anti-C. parvum polyclonal antibodies with C. andersoni and C. serpentis was also observed.
Perceptions about the biology of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus among milk producers in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais
Authors: Rocha Christiane Maria Barcellos Magalhães da , Leite Romário Cerqueira , Bruhn Fábio Raphael Pascoti , Guimarães Antônio Marcos , Furlong John
Published: January 2012

One hundred semi-systematized interviews were applied with the aim of surveying the perceptions of milk producers in the municipality of Divinópolis, Minas Gerais regarding the biology of the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Content analysis was conducted on each of the variables surveyed and their descriptions, highlighting the higher frequencies in order to construct profiles of perceptions about each of the matters surveyed. In addition, each of the producers was categorized regarding their readiness to proceed with efficient control, from the assessment of their responses. Among the variables surveyed were the tick lifespan, duration of parasitic life, time of greatest incidence, survival in pastures and egg-laying volume. These questions are considered important for defining the knowledge needed for rational combat. It was concluded that the information needed for adopting effective practices to combat ticks was insufficient among the milk farm properties in Divinópolis. Moreover, the producers interviewed had a good perception of what they observed in their daily routine, but did not have complementary information about the tick life cycle.
Perceptions of milk producers from Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, regarding Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus control
Authors: Rocha Christiane Maria Barcellos Magalhães da , Leite Romário Cerqueira , Bruhn Fábio Raphael Pascoti , Guimarães Antônio Marcos , Furlong John
Published: January 2012

Semi-systematized interviews were conducted with 100 dairy cattle producers in the municipality of Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, with the aim of ascertaining their perceptions regarding the importance of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and of combating it. Content analysis was performed and the frequency distribution of each of the variables was used to construct profiles of the producers interviewed. The production losses caused by ticks were perceived incompletely by the producers, who were unaware of the pathogen transmission caused by the parasite and the indirect losses through combating it, such as the cost of acaricide and labor. The combat operations were performed in a traditional manner, with an excessive number of inefficient treatments that aimed to control the level of infestation at that moment. The quality of the acaricide dipping/spraying applied was affected by the quality of the equipment used to apply the products, lack of knowledge of the mode of action of these products, lack of the specific information needed and lack of motivation caused by unawareness of the disadvantages of chemical combat. It was concluded that the lack of knowledge about combat methods and the acceptance of endemicity of the parasitosis were impediments to changing the realities encountered.
Chances and risks of using rare earth metals
Authors: Zepf Volker , Reller Armin
Published: January 2012

Rare earth elements (REE) have come into focus in many scientific and economic communities as they are required for climate-relevant applications such as wind turbines and hybrid cars. Moreover, these REE have a very broad application arena and are only partly substitutable. For several years the REE were of little economic value, and China’s entry into production brought prices of REE down, which in turn led to the closure of several non-Chinese mines. Next to the unquestionable advantages and positive material characteristics there is one critical issue: currently more than 90% of the global production of REE is mined and produced in China. There is principally no other mine in the world that produces significant quantities for the world market, so that specialists fear that this monopolistic situation could eventually lead to a partial lack of availability of REE. This paper provides some more details concerning REE.
E-waste recycling environmental contamination: Mandoli, India
Authors: Gidarakos Evangelos , Basu Subhankar , Rajeshwari K. V. , Dimitrakakis Emmanouil , Johri Colonel Rakesh
Published: January 2012

Technological innovation has resulted in the generation of huge amounts of obsolete electronic equipment. As a result of financial constraints and lack of adequate knowledge, recycling and disposal of e-waste in India is „rudimentary, mostly carried out informally in backyard operations. Considerable amounts of wastes and residues are thus generated and contaminate the soil, air and groundwater of the surrounding environment. In this work, a survey in the Mandoli metal recycling area, in New Delhi, India, has been carried out in order to identify the extent of environmental degradation and associated health effects. Concentrations of copper, aluminium, lead, zinc, nickel, manganese and cadmium in soil samples indicate extensive contamination, compared with the reference site. Groundwater concentrations of manganese, copper, aluminium, chromium (VI) and selenium are beyond the desirable limits of Indian potable water. A survey conducted simultaneously revealed that health impairment of local inhabitants is apparent.
Domination, forcing, array nonrecursiveness and relative recursive enumerability
Authors: Cai Mingzhong , Shore Richard A.
Published: January 2012

We present some abstract theorems showing how domination properties equivalent to being or array nonrecursive can be used to construct sets generic for different notions of forcing. These theorems are then applied to give simple proofs of some known results. We also give a direct uniform proof of a recent result of Ambos-Spies, Ding, Wang, and Yu [2009] that every degree above any in is recursively enumerable in a 1-generic degree strictly below it. Our major new result is that every array nonrecursive degree is r.e. in some degree strictly below it. Our analysis of array nonrecursiveness and construction of generic sequences below ANR degrees also reveal a new level of uniformity in these types of results.
A hierarchy of tree-automatic structures
Authors: Finkel Olivier , Todorčević Stevo
Published: January 2012

We considerωn-automatic structures which are relational structures whose domain and relations are accepted by automata reading ordinal words of lengthωnfor some integern≥ 1. We show that all these structures areω-tree-automatic structures presentable by Muller or Rabin tree automata. We prove that the isomorphism relation forω2-automatic (resp.ωn-automatic forn> 2) boolean algebras (respectively, partial orders, rings, commutative rings, non commutative rings, non commutative groups) is not determined by the axiomatic system ZFC. We infer from the proof of the above result that the isomorphism problem forωn-automatic boolean algebras,n≥ 2, (respectively, rings, commutative rings, non commutative rings, non commutative groups) is neither a-set nor a-set. We obtain that there exist infinitely manyωn-automatic, hence alsoω-tree-automatic, atomless boolean algebras, which are pairwise isomorphic under the continuum hypothesis CH and pairwise non isomorphic under an alternate axiom AT, strengthening a result of [14].
Free radical scavenging activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of mulberry (Morus spp. L., Moraceae) extracts
Authors: Radojkovic Marija , Zekovic Zoran , Vidovic Senka , Kocar Drago , Maskovic Pavle
Published: January 2012

Mulberry (Morus spp. L., Moraceae) fruits, leaves, bark and branch have been
used in traditional medicine as diuretic, hypoglycemic and hypotensive. The
mechanism of their effects is correlated with the content of active
components. Objective of this work was to evaluate and compare antioxidant
properties of different extracts of two Morus species growing in Serbia:
Morus alba L. (white mulberry) and Morus nigra L. (black mulberry). Potential
antioxidant activity, content of antioxidant compounds (phenolics and
flavonoids) and radical scavenging capacity, tested by DPPH method, were
evaluated. The phenolic and flavonoid composition of different Morus extracts
was determined by the HPLC method. The extracts prepared from fruits, leaves
and roots of M. alba and M. nigra exhibited different characteristics. The
highest extraction yield was achieved by M. alba leaves extraction (23.40%).
M. nigra roots extract shown the highest total phenolics (186.30 mg CAE/g),
while highest total flavonoids content (67.37 mg RE/g) was determined for M.
nigra leaves extracts. In addition, black mulberry leaves extracts with the
highest antioxidant activity had the highest phenolic acids contents. The
dominant phenolic components in the samples were rutin and chlorogenic acid.
All investigated mulberry dry extracts shown high content of phenolic
compounds and significant antioxidant activity. This work contributes to
knowledge of the antioxidant properties of Morus species. The obtained
results may be useful in the evaluation of new dietary supplements and food
products.
Comments by the Auditing Standards Committee of the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association on the PCAOB Rulemaking Docket Matter No. 34: PCAOB Release No. 2011-003, Concept Release on Possible Revisions to PCAOB Standards Related to Reports on Audited Financial Statements.
Authors: Brazel Joseph F , Caster Paul , Davis Shawn , Glover Steven M , Janvrin Diane J , Kozloski Thomas M , Pevzner Mikhail
Published: January 2012

Recently, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB or Board) issued a concept release to solicit public comment on the potential direction of a proposed standard-setting project on the content and form of reports on audited financial statements. The objective of the concept release was to discuss several alternatives for changing the auditor's reporting model that could increase its transparency and relevance to financial statement users, while not compromising audit quality. To that end, the alternatives included (1) a supplement to the auditor's report, in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the company's financial statements (an “Auditor's Discussion and Analysis”), (2) required and expanded use of emphasis paragraphs in the auditor's report, (3) auditor reporting on information outside the financial statements, and (4) clarification of certain language in the auditor's report. The PCAOB provided for a 102-day exposure period (from June 21 to September 30, 2011) for interested parties to examine and provide comments on the conceptual approaches to rulemaking that might complement the application of Section 105(c)(6). The Auditing Standards Committee of the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association provided the comments in the letter below to the PCAOB on the PCAOB Release No. 2011-003, Concept Release on Possible Revisions to PCAOB Standards Related to Reports on Audited Financial Statements.

Data Availability: Information about and access to the release is available at: http://pcaobus.org/Rules/Rulemaking/Docket034/Concept_Release.pdf
Canada's Dandy Duet: The Performance Collaboration of Ivan Coyote and Rae Spoon
Authors: King Moynan
Published: January 2012

In discussion with Moynan King about the process of creation for You Are Here, a multidisciplinary performance work, Ivan Coyote and Rae Spoon share about the significance of live performance and living outside gender norms. The interview with the artists is published along with two brief excerpts from the script of You Are Here.
Gamma Knife surgery for basal ganglia and thalamic arteriovenous malformations
Authors: Cheng Ching-Hsiao , Crowley R. Webster , Yen Chun-Po , Schlesinger David , Shaffrey Mark E. , Sheehan Jason P.
Published: January 2012

Object

Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) has emerged as the treatment of choice for small- to medium-sized cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in deep locations. The present study aims to investigate the outcomes of GKS for AVMs in the basal ganglia and thalamus.

Methods

Between 1989 and 2007, 85 patients with AVMs in the basal ganglia and 97 in the thalamus underwent GKS and were followed up for more than 2 years. The nidus volumes ranged from 0.1 to 29.4 cm3 (mean 3.4 cm3). The mean margin dose at the initial GKS was 21.3 Gy (range 10–28 Gy). Thirty-six patients underwent repeat GKS for residual AVMs at a median 4 years after initial GKS. The mean margin dose at repeat GKS was 21.1 Gy (range 7.5–27 Gy).

Results

Following a single GKS, total obliteration of the nidus was confirmed on angiograms in 91 patients (50%). In 12 patients (6.6%) a subtotal obliteration was achieved. No flow voids were observed on MR imaging in 14 patients (7.7%). Following single or repeat GKS, total obliteration was angiographically confirmed in 106 patients (58.2%) and subtotal obliteration in 8 patients (4.4%). No flow voids on MR imaging were observed in 18 patients (9.9%). The overall obliteration rates following one or multiple GKSs based on MR imaging or angiography was 68%. A small nidus volume, high margin dose, low number of isocenters, and no history of embolization were significantly associated with an increased rate of obliteration. Twenty-one patients experienced 25 episodes of hemorrhage in 850 risk-years following GKS, yielding an annual hemorrhage rate of 2.9%. Four patients died in this series: 2 due to complications of hemorrhage and 2 due to unrelated diseases. Permanent neurological deficits caused by radiation were noted in 9 patients (4.9%).

Conclusions

Gamma Knife surgery offers a reasonable chance of obliterating basal ganglia and thalamic AVMs and does so with a low risk of complications. It is an optimal treatment option in patients for whom the anticipated risk of microsurgery is too high.
Activity Inference for Ambient Intelligence Through Handling Artifacts in a Healthcare Environment
Authors: Martínez-Pérez Francisco E. , González-Fraga Jose Ángel , Cuevas-Tello Juan C. , Rodríguez Marcela D.
Published: January 2012

Human activity inference is not a simple process due to distinct ways of performing it. Our proposal presents the SCAN framework for activity inference. SCAN is divided into three modules: (1) artifact recognition, (2) activity inference, and (3) activity representation, integrating three important elements of Ambient Intelligence (AmI) (artifact-behavior modeling, event interpretation and context extraction). The framework extends the roaming beat (RB) concept by obtaining the representation using three kinds of technologies for activity inference. The RB is based on both analysis and recognition from artifact behavior for activity inference. A practical case is shown in a nursing home where a system affording 91.35% effectiveness was implemented in situ. Three examples are shown using RB representation for activity representation. Framework description, RB description and CALog system overcome distinct problems such as the feasibility to implement AmI systems, and to show the feasibility for accomplishing the challenges related to activity recognition based on artifact recognition. We discuss how the use of RBs might positively impact the problems faced by designers and developers for recovering information in an easier manner and thus they can develop tools focused on the user.
A response to the critique of gender issues in computer-supported learning
Authors: Gunn Cathy , French Sheila , McLeod Hamish , McSporran Mae , Conole Gráinne
Published: January 2012

We find the critique of our paper both interesting and informative. The author raises a number of points as a caution against oversimplification of the issues surrounding gender and computer-supported learning. We fully acknowledge the difficulty of reporting findings from a number of studies and of attempting to define or analyse the complex interaction of already complex concepts such as gender, identity and behaviour within computer-supported learning environments.DOI:10.1080/0968776020100209
Editorial
Authors: Oliver Martin
Published: January 2012

One of the things that makes ALT-J distinctive is its diverse readership. There are people who consider themselves to be practitioners pure and simple; others who only research this area; a fair number who do both.
Understanding the development of teaching and learning resources: a review
Authors: Plewes Louise , Issroff Kim
Published: January 2012

This paper is a literature review of research concerned with the production of learning resources in higher education (HE). It forms part of a larger research project in progress.DOI:10.1080/0968776020100202
How accurately do instructors judge students' attitudes online? A measurement of expectations and level of satisfaction with an Online Information Systems masters program
Authors: Macht Lauren-Nicole , Preece Jenny
Published: January 2012

In order to run a successful educational program, instructors as well as staff members must constantly review and adapt to the expectations, concerns, demographics and satisfaction level of their student consumers. This study was conducted in order to examine these issues in an online educational setting. First, interviews were given to the program instructors in order to determine their opinions about the students' expectations and satisfaction levels. This information was then used to create a student survey that assessed the students' expectations and level of satisfaction. These two sets of results were then compared This comparison revealed that the online instructors did have a good grasp of the online students' expectations, concerns, demographics and satisfaction level. The only areas where the instructors' concepts of student views were slightly less accurate was student concerns and student feelings about the program administration, where the instructors overestimated the level of concern the students had about successfully returning to the learning environment and underestimated the students' satisfaction with the program's administration. This leads us to conclude that, even with the added online factor, instructors strongly understand student expectations, satisfaction levels, demographics and concerns.DOI:10.1080/0968776020100306
Evaluating complex digital resources
Authors: Blake Canan Tosunoglu , Davies Clare , Jones Ann , Morris Erica , Scanlon Eileen
Published: January 2012

Squires (1999) discussed the gap between HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and the educational computing communities in their very different approaches to evaluating educational software. This paper revisits that issue in the context of evaluating digital resources, focusing on two approaches to evaluation: an HCI and an educational perspective. Squires and Preece's HCI evaluation model is a predictive model - it helps teachers decide whether or not to use educational software - whilst our own concern is in evaluating the use of learning technologies. It is suggested that in part the different approaches of the two communities relate to the different focus that each takes: in HCI the focus is typically on development and hence usability, whilst in education the concern is with the learner and teacher use.DOI:10.1080/0968776030110102
An evaluation of learning resources in the teaching of formal philosophical methods
Authors: Stuart Susan A.J. , Brown Margaret I.
Published: January 2012

In any discipline, across a wide variety of subjects, there are numerous learning resources available to students. For many students the resources that will be most beneficial to them are quickly apparent but, because of the nature of philosophy and the philosophical method, it is not immediately clear which resources will be most valuable to students for whom the development of critical thinking skills is crucial. If we are to support these students effectively in their learning we must establish what these resources are how we can continue to maintain and improve them, and how we can encourage students to make good use of them. In this paper we describe and assess our evaluation of the use made by students of learning resources in the context of learning logic and in developing their critical thinking skills. We also assess the use of a new resource, electronic handsets, the purpose of which is to encourage students to respond to questions in lectures and to gain feedback about how they are progressing with the material.DOI:10.1080/0968776030110306
Supporting sustainable e-learning
Authors: Littlejohn Allison
Published: January 2012

This paper draws upon work carried out within phase one of a national forum for support staff, funded by the UK Learning and Teaching Support Network Generic Centre. It sets out themes in current Learning Technology research within the context of institutional practice. It reports the responses of a range of e-learning support staff to new developments in the reuse and sharing of Learning Objects. The article highlights tensions across support units, inconsistencies in support provision and confusion over issues concerning different modes of teaching. It also forewarns a growing gap between institutional practice and research in the development of approaches to sustainable elearning.DOI:10.1080/0968776030110308
Transactional distance in a blended learning environment
Authors: Dron Jon , Seidel Catharine , Litten Gabrielle
Published: January 2012

This paper presents a case study that describes and discusses the problems encountered during the design and implementation of a blended learning course, largely taught online through a web-based learning environment. Based on Moore’s theory of transactional distance, the course was explicitly designed to have dialogue at its heart. However, the reality of systemic behaviours caused by delivering such a course within a group of conventional further and higher educational institutions has led to an entirely unanticipated reversion to structure, with unpleasant consequences for both quality and quantity of dialogue. The paper looks at some of the reasons for this drift, and suggests that some of the disappointing results (in particular in terms of the quality of the students’ experience and associated poor retention) can be attributed to the lack of dialogue, and consequent increase in transactional distance. It concludes with a description and evaluation of steps currently being taken to correct this behaviour.DOI: 10.1080/0968776042000216219
INQUIRE: a case study in evaluating the potential of online MCQ tests in a discursive subject
Authors: Clarke Sophie , Lindsay Katharine , McKenna Chris , New Steve
Published: January 2012

There has been a wealth of investigation into the use of online multiple-choice questions as a means of summative assessment, however the research into the use of formative MCQs by the same mode of delivery still remains patchy. Similarly, research and implementation has been largely concentrated within the Sciences and Medicine rather than the more discursive subjects within the Humanities and Social Sciences. The INQUIRE (Interactive Questions Reinforcing Education) Evaluation Project was jointly conducted by two groups at the University of Oxford—the Saïd Business School and the Academic Computing Development Team to evaluate the use of online MCQs as a mechanism to reinforce and extend student learning. This initial study used a small set of highly focused MCQ tests that were designed to complement an introductory series of first-year undergraduate management lectures. MCQ is a simple and well-established technology, and hence the emphasis was very much on situating the tests within the student experience. The paper will cover how the online MCQs are intended to fit into the Oxford Undergraduate study agenda, and how a simple evaluation was executed and planned to investigate their usage and impact. The chosen method of evaluation was to combine focus groups with automated online methods of tracking, and the paper discusses the findings of both of these.DOI: 10.1080/0968776042000259564
Don’t write, just mark: the validity of assessing student ability via their computerized peer-marking of an essay rather than their creation of an essay
Authors: Davies Phil
Published: January 2012

This paper reports on a case study that evaluates the validity of assessing students via a computerized peer-marking process, rather than on their production of an essay in a particular subject area. The study assesses the higher-order skills shown by a student in marking and providing consistent feedback on an essay. In order to evaluate the suitability of this method of assessment in judging a student’s ability, their results in performing this peer-marking process are correlated against their results in a number of computerized multiple-choice exercises and also the production of an essay in a cognate area of the subject being undertaken. The results overall show a correlation of the expected results in all three areas of assessment being undertaken, rated by the final grades of the students undertaking the assessment. The results produced by quantifying the quality of the marking and commenting of the students is found to map well to the overall expectations of the results produced for the cohort of students. It is also shown that the higher performing students achieve a greater improvement in their overall marks by performing the marking process than those students of a lower quality. This appears to support previous claims that awarding a ‘mark for marking’ rewards the demonstration of higher order skills of assessment. Finally, note is made of the impact that such an assessment method can have upon eradicating the possibility of plagiarism.DOI: 10.1080/0968776042000259573
e-Learning research: emerging issues?
Authors: Beetham Helen
Published: January 2012

e-Learning research is an expanding and diversifying field of study. Specialist research units and departments proliferate. Postgraduate courses recruit well in the UK and overseas, with an increasing focus on critical and research-based aspects of the field, as well as the more obvious professional development requirements. Following this year’s launch of a National e-Learning Research Centre, it is timely to debate what the field of study should be prioritising for the future. This discussion piece suggests that the focus should fall on questions that are both clear and tractable for researchers, and likely to have a real impact on learners and practitioners. Suggested questions are based on early findings from a series of JISC-funded projects on e-learning and pedagogy.DOI: 10.1080/0968776042000339817
Accessing and engaging with video streams for educational purposes: experiences, issues and concerns
Authors: Bracher Maggie , Collier Richard , Ottewill Roger , Shepard Kerry
Published: January 2012

Video streaming has the potential to offer tutors a more flexible and accessible means of incorporating moving images into learning resources for their students than conventional video. Consideration is given to this assertion by drawing upon the experiences of staff and evidence from students at the University of Southampton in the use of a video, Back Care for Health Professionals, before and after it was streamed. The resulting case study highlights various issues and concerns, both logistical and pedagogic. These include ease of access, the form and frequency of guidance with respect to technical matters, the use of multiple channels of communication to convey key messages about the availability and value of the video, and the provision of demonstrations or ‘tasters’. In other words, what some might regard as the ‘softer’ aspects of technological developments should receive at least as much attention as the ‘harder’.DOI: 10.1080/09687760500104161
From open resources to educational opportunity
Authors: Vijay Kumar M. S.
Published: January 2012

Since MIT’s bold announcement of the OpenCourseWare initiative in 2001, the content of over 700 of its courses have been published on the Web and made available for free to the world. Important infrastructure initiatives have also been launched recently with a view to enabling the sustainable implementation of these educational programmes, through strengthening organizational capacity as well as through building open, standards-based technology. Each of these initiatives point to a rich palette of transformational possibilities for education; together with the growing open source movement, they offer glimpses of a sustainable ecology of substantial and quality educational resources. This discussion piece will highlight some of the educational opportunity presented by MIT’s current information technology-enabled educational agenda and related initiatives, along with their strategic underpinnings and implications. It will address various dimensions of their impact on the form and function of education. It will examine how these ambitious programmes achieve a vision characterized by an abundance of sustainable, transformative educational opportunities, not merely pervasive technology.DOI: 10.1080/09687760500376512
Reviewers for Volume 13
Authors: Seale Jane , Oliver Martin , Conole Grainne
Published: January 2012

We would like to thank the following reviewers for their contribution to Volume 13 of ALT-J:DOI: 10.1080/09687760500480033
Browsing while reading: effects of instructional design and learners’ prior knowledge
Authors: Müller-Kalthoff Theimo , Möller Jens
Published: January 2012

One of the key reasons that multimedia, and particularly hypertext systems, are gaining in importance is that they inspire hopes of optimizing learners’ processes of knowledge construction. The present study is concerned with the respective influence of individual learner variables (i.e. particularly domain-specific prior knowledge) on the use of different design attributes. Thirty-six university students worked through a hierarchically structured two-part hypertext about the psychology of memory under two experimental browsing conditions (reduced versus free browsing). Results show that deeper-level comprehension (i.e. structural knowledge) was predicted by the interaction of experimental condition and prior knowledge, but that simply retaining facts was not. Participants with low prior knowledge performed better on the comprehension test if they had worked on the version with reduced access. Moreover, the version with reduced access helped to reduce feelings of disorientation. The measure of disorientation also appeared to be closely linked with the individual’s computer experience, self-concept of computer ability and subject-related interest. The main implications for educational practice relate to the design of an adaptive multimedia and hypertext learning system and the successful learning with it.DOI: 10.1080/09687760600668602
Evaluating a virtual learning environment in the context of its community of practice
Authors: Ellaway Rachel , Dewhurst David , McLeod Hamish
Published: January 2012

The evaluation of virtual learning environments (VLEs) and similar applications has, to date, largely consisted of checklists of system features, phenomenological studies or measures of specific forms of educational efficacy. Although these approaches offer some value, they are unable to capture the complex and holistic nature of a group of individuals using a common system to support the wide range of activities that make up a course or programme of study over time. This paper employs Wenger’s theories of ‘communities of practice’ to provide a formal structure for looking at how a VLE supports a pre-existing course community. Wenger proposes a Learning Architecture Framework for a learning community of practice, which the authors have taken to provide an evaluation framework. This approach is complementary to both the holistic and complex natures of course environments, in that particular VLE affordances are less important than the activities of the course community in respect of the system. Thus, the VLE’s efficacy in its context of use is the prime area of investigation rather than a reductionist analysis of its tools and components. An example of this approach in use is presented, evaluating the VLE that supports the undergraduate medical course at the University of Edinburgh. The paper provides a theoretical grounding, derives an evaluation instrument, analyses the efficacy and validity of the instrument in practice and draws conclusions as to how and where it may best be used.DOI: 10.1080/0968776042000216192
Understanding and making practice explicit
Authors: Conole Gráinne
Published: January 2012

This issue contains four, on the face of it, quite different papers, but on looking a little closer there are a number of interesting themes running through them that illustrate some of the key methodological and theoretical issues that e-learning researchers are currently struggling with; central to these is the issue of how do we understand and make practice explicit?DOI: 10.1080/09687760600836944
Making connections: reflection, feedback and support
Authors: Seale Jane
Published: January 2012

Hansell (1974) conceptualized seven different connections or attachments that we have to the world in which we live: attachments that consist of connections to other people, to a social role as well as to a system of meaning. For many, learning is at the heart of the process of making connections, particularly meaningful connections (Horton, 2000). If this is true, then it leads us to consider the extent to which educators, the systems they work in and the tools they use have a role to play in helping learners make those meaningful connections. For example, Scherer (2002, p. 5) suggests that educational systems have a responsibility to:DOI: 10.1080/09687760601129489
An information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled method for collecting and collating information about pre-service teachers’ pedagogical beliefs regarding the integration of ICT
Authors: Vallance Michael
Published: January 2012

This paper describes a method that utilized technology to collect and collate quantitative and qualitative data about pre-service teachers’ use of networked technologies during a 12-week undergraduate course, and the impact of this use on their pedagogical beliefs regarding the integration of information and communications technology (ICT). The technologies used captured and analysed students’ spoken and written communication while engaging in four synchronous online tasks, and also collected evaluation data from online interviews, surveys and diaries. The richness of data afforded by this ICT-enabled method enabled the research to produce a rich narrative of how the students used the technology and provided evidence of a change in pre-service teachers’ pedagogical beliefs during the course.
ERRATUM
Authors: Sharpe Rhona
Published: January 2012

Ellis, R., Goodyear, P., O’Hara, A. & Prosser, M. (2007) The university student experience of face-to-face and online discussions: coherence, reflection and meaning, Alt-J, 15(1), 83–97.DOI: 10.1080/09687760701482549
Developing e-learning experiences and practices: the importance of context
Authors: Seale Jane K.
Published: January 2012

This is my last editorial before I step down from the ALT-J editorial team. Rhona Sharpe and Frances Bell, will form the new ALT-J editorial team and I wish them the best of luck in developing the direction of ALT-J in the future. I would also like to thank the rest of outgoing editorial team, the ALT-J editorial board, the reviewers and authors that I have worked with over the last six issues of ALT-J, who each in their way has contributed to furthering our knowledge and understanding of the relationship between technology and learning.DOI: 10.1080/09687760701850141
Academics' use of courseware materials: a survey
Authors: Laurillard Diana , Swift Betty , Darby Jonathan
Published: January 2012

Learning technology has yet to enter the mainstream of higher education. The UFC-funded Teaching and Learning Technology (TLT) programme is attempting to change this by sponsoring projects concerned with courseware production and delivery. These efforts could be thwarted if the Not Invented Here syndrome prevents the use of technology-based teaching and learning materials outside the originating departments. To gain a clearer understanding of why academics have been rejecting much existing courseware, and to establish the extent of the Not Invented Here syndrome, we carried out a survey of 800 academics in eight UK universities. The survey proved to be exceptionally revealing.DOI:10.1080/0968776930010102
Reviews
Authors: Richards Stephen
Published: January 2012

Compact Disc Interactive (CD-I) is a new electronic publishing medium for multimedia information. Unlike conventional publishing media such as paper and film, CD-I provides an interactive method of accessing stored information and controlling its subsequent display on a TV screen. CD-I revolutionizes the publishing of all sorts of material such as music, text, images, computer graphics, film and video. It also adds many capabilities not possible with traditional publication media. Until recently, however, the only widely available textbook on CD-I was Preston's Compact Disc-Interactive: A Designer's Overview, published in 1988 by Kluwer Technical Books. Now, with the recent release of CD-I in Europe, three new books on the technology have become available. They form part of The CD-I Series produced by Philips Interactive Media Systems (UK) and published by the Addison-Wesley. All three have 1992 imprints.DOI:10.1080/0968776930010109
Technology and plagiarism
Authors: Jacobs Gabriel
Published: January 2012

In many disciplines within higher education, there has been a steady move over the last decade or so away from traditional examinations at the end of courses. Such examinations are seen as inherently unfair, partly because only in rare circumstances can a single set of timed tests genuinely reflect the content of an entire course, and partly because factors extraneous to normal intellectual capabilities, such as a headache, may unexpectedly depress a student's mark. Modularization may go some way to easing educationists' anxieties on this score, but will not in itself completely dispel the perceived problems. Other than dispensing with testing altogether (there are advocates of such an approach), there are only two ways of overcoming, or at least cushioning, the potentially unrepresentative effects of a final examination on which all or a significant part depends. Hie first is to test in the traditional manner but at intervals throughout a course, with the consequent periodic examination results making up the final assessment, or counting towards it. The second way - which has recently gained considerable ground - is to introduce continuous assessment of work done outside the examination room (essays, dissertations, projects, assignments, group work and so forth) either as the sole set of criteria for the final mark or, again, as forming part of it.DOI: 10.1080/0968776930010201
Designing an interactive multimedia instructional environment: The Civil War Interactive
Authors: Cates Ward M. , Fontana Lynn A. , White Charles S.
Published: January 2012

This article describes the rationales behind the design decisions made in creating The Civil War Interactive, an interactive multimedia instructional product based on Ken Burns''s film series The Civil War.DOI:10.1080/0968776930010202
Student reaction to parallel hypertext and menu-based interfaces
Authors: Ramaiah C. K. , Sulaiman Mubarak , Meadows A. J.
Published: January 2012

It is often necessary to consider the question of what sort of interface is most useful for retrieving information from a particular land of database. A small database of text-based but multi-faceted items is used here in order to compare ease and speed of retrieval from two commonly used combinations of interface — HyperCard on an Apple Macintosh and dBase III+ on a PC. For the restricted range of tasks employed here, the latter combination appears to be more acceptable to students with limited computer experience. However, in more general terms, the acceptability of an interface for information retrieval depends on what particular aspect of information retrieval is being emphasized, and what conceptual frameworks students bring to their tasks.DOI:10.1080/0968776930010203
Design issues in the production of hyper-books and visual-books
Authors: Catenazzi Nadia , Landoni Monica , Gibb Forbes
Published: January 2012

This paper describes an ongoing research project in the area of electronic books. After a brief overview of the state of the art in this field, two new forms of electronic book are presented: hyper-books and visual-books. A flexible environment allows them to be produced in a semi-automatic way starting from different sources: electronic texts (as input for hyper-books) and paper books (as input for visual-books). The translation process is driven by the philosophy of preserving the book metaphor in order to guarantee that electronic information is presented in a familiar way. Another important feature of our research is that hyper-books and visual-books are conceived not as isolated objects but as entities within an electronic library, which inherits most of the features of a paper-based library but introduces a number of new properties resulting from its non-physical nature.DOI:10.1080/0968776930010205
Enabling learning through technology: some institutional imperatives
Authors: McCartan Audrey , Watson Barbara , Lewins Janet , Hodgson Margaret
Published: January 2012

The imminent completion of many Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP) projects means that a considerable number of courseware deliverables will soon be available to Higher-Education (HE) institutions. The Higher Education Funding Council's intention in funding the Programme (HEFCE Circulars, 8/92, 13/93) was to ensure their integration into academic curricula by providing institutions with an opportunity to review their 'teaching and learning culture' with regard to the embedding of learning technology within their institutional practice. Two recent workshops, conducted with a representative sample of newly appointed academic staff in connection with the evaluation of materials to be included in a staff development pack whose purpose is to encourage the use of IT in teaching and learning (TLTP Project 7), strongly suggested that the availability of courseware alone was insufficient to ensure its integration into educational practice. The establishment of enabling mechanisms at the institutional level, as well as within departments, was crucial to ensure the effective use of learning technology.DOI:10.1080/0968776950030115
Editorial
Authors: Jacobs Gabriel
Published: January 2012

By chance - or probably not so, as I shall explain in a moment - the papers which appear in this issue of ALT-J all deal, directly or indirectly, with investigations into how students interact with computers, and how they might learn most effectively.DOI:10.1080/0968776950030201
Approaches to knowledge-transfer systems
Authors: Pilipenko Oleg P. , Komissarova Helena
Published: January 2012

The use of computer technology in instruction is based on known approaches to instruction, and also promotes new approaches. Contemporary problems in instruction tend to be determined by intensive information-flow and the short timescale of the relevance of information.DOI:10.1080/0968776950030204
Editorial
Authors: Whitelock Denise
Published: January 2012

In this special conference issue of ALT- J, a number of recurrent themes emerge. These include the integration of information and communication technology systems to assist in the teaching of a given higher-education curriculum. A number of papers address the questions which are on all our lips, such as: How, when and where should we embark on such a teaching exercise and, perhaps more importantly, at what cost? Ryan et al, Zhao et al and Lavelle offer useful insights into the setting up of computer-based resources for the teaching of economics, design and contract law, while Mozzon-McPherson's study demonstrates how Internet resources can enhance the process of language learning. However, an interesting finding from many of the teaching experiments is that in spite of students' enthusiasm for these new teaching technologies, they do not wish to see the traditional lecture totally replaced by computerlearning sessions. Students recognize the advantages of working at their own pace, but still feel more comfortable with the tried and trusted lecture. They do not want to be distanced from their tutors, and the students from the study by Ryan et al suggested that their CBL sessions should in future be supervised by subject specialists.DOI:10.1080/0968776960040101
Online learning for design students
Authors: Zhao Zhengmai , Cook John , Higgen Nick
Published: January 2012

During the last five years, many changes have taken place in undergraduate Design education in the UK. The main force behind these changes has been the dramatic increase in the number of students without a commensurate increase in teaching staff. Typically, many Design departments are now teaching at student-staff ratios of up to 50:1 compared with the 10:1 typical of Design courses only a few years ago. With the more recent reductions in highereducation funding, combined with the added pressures on staff to raise their research profile and also become income generators, the problems relating to increased student numbers have been further exacerbated. The authors of this paper believe that in the current educational climate, the only way to maintain and promote the quality of the educational provision is to make teaching and learning more productive and efficient by harnessing modern technology.DOI:10.1080/0968776960040111
Establishing a support service for educational technology within a university
Authors: Longstaffe J. A. , Williams P. J. , Whittlestone K. D. , Hammond P. M. , Edwards J.
Published: January 2012

Over the past decade it has become increasingly apparent that computer technology is extremely effective in the support of teaching and learning. It has also become obvious that without proselytization and support, the adoption of this new method of teaching is patchy and frequently inappropriate. The raising of awareness, the training of staff and the provision of informed advice and support are necessary to facilitate the appropriate development of technology-supported learning within an institution.DOI:10.1080/0968776960040113