Elderly learners and Massive Open Online Courses: a review

Background: Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become commonplace in the e-learning landscape. Thousands of elderly learners are participating in courses offered by various institutions on a multitude of platforms in many different languages. However, there is very little research into understanding elderly learners in MOOCs. Objective: We aim to show that a considerable proportion of elderly learners are participating in MOOCs and that there is a lack of research in this area. We hope this assertion of the wide gap in research on elderly learners in MOOCs will pave the way for more research in this area. Methods: Pre-course survey data for 10 University of Reading courses on the FutureLearn platform were analyzed to show the level of participation of elderly learners in MOOCs. Two MOOC aggregator sites (Class Central and MOOC List) were consulted to gather data on MOOC offerings that include topics relating to aging. In parallel, a selected set of MOOC platform catalogues, along with a recently published review on health and medicine-related MOOCs, were searched to find courses relating to aging. A systematic literature search was then employed to identify research articles on elderly learners in MOOCs. Results: The 10 courses reviewed had a considerable proportion of elderly learners participating in them. For the over-66 age group, this varied from 0.5% (on the course “Managing people”) to 16.3% (on the course “Our changing climate”), while for the over-56 age group it ranged from 3.0% (on “A beginners guide to writing in English”) to 39.5% (on “Heart health”). Only six MOOCs were found to include topics related to aging: three were on the Coursera platform, two on the FutureLearn platform, and one on the Open2Study platform. Just three scholarly articles relating to MOOCs and elderly learners were retrieved from the literature search. Conclusions: This review presents evidence to suggest that elderly learners are already participating in MOOCs. Despite this, there has been very little research into their engagement with MOOCs. Similarly, there has been little research into exploiting the scope of MOOCs for delivering topics that would be of interest to elderly learners. We believe there is potential to use MOOCs as a way of tackling the issue of loneliness among older adults by engaging them as either resource personnel or learners

Prevalência de hemoglobinas anormais em recém-nascidos da cidade de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

As hemoglobinopatias estão incluídas dentre as doenças hereditárias mais freqüentes nas populações humanas. Estudos realizados em diferentes regiões do Brasil têm demonstrado que as hemoglobinas anormais S e C são as mais prevalentes. Com o objetivo de investigar a prevalência de hemoglobinas anormais no período neonatal, foram analisadas 1.940 amostras de sangue de cordão umbilical provenientes de recém-nascidos de três maternidades da cidade de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. Todas as amostras foram submetidas à eletroforese de hemoglobina em acetato de celulose utilizando tampão Tris-EDTA-Borato pH 8,5. As amostras que apresentaram hemoglobinas anormais foram submetidas à eletroforese em gel de ágar pH 6,2 para confirmação. Foram identificadas 37 (1,91%) amostras com hemoglobinas anormais, das quais 29 (1,50%) com traço falciforme (Hb FAS), 06 (0,31 %) com Hb C, uma (0,05 %) com anemia falciforme (Hb FS) e uma (0,05 %) apresentou Hb Bart's, sugerindo alfa talassemia. Os resultados encontrados evidenciam a necessidade de implantação da triagem de hemoglobinopatias em recém-nascidos na nossa população.Hemoglobinopathies are among the most prevalent hereditary diseases in humans. Studies in different areas of Brazil have identified the prevalence of S and C abnormal hemoglobins. The study analyzed 1,940 cord blood samples of newborns from maternity hospitals in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, to investigate the prevalence of abnormal hemoglobins. All samples were submitted to cellulose acetate electrophoresis using a Tris-EDTA-borate buffer at pH 8.5. Electrophoresis in agar gel pH 6.2 was performed on samples presenting abnormal hemoglobin. Some 37 (1.91%) of the newborns presented hemoglobinopathies, as follows: 29 (1.50%) sickle cell trait (Hb FAS), 6 (0.31%) heterozygous Hb C (Hb FAC), one (0.05%) homozygous Hb S (Hb FS), and one (0.05%) Hb Barts suggestive of alpha thalassemia. The results show the need to implement screening for hemoglobinopathies in the neonatal population

Gendering research in political science

The examination of feminist research on political representation, public policy, and political institutions indicates that a shift in emphasis from the dichotomous variable of sex to the concept of gender is taking place. The shift is incomplete partly because many feminists believe both concepts are necessary to good research design. While mainstream political scientists have become more willing to use sex as a background variable in their research, they have not come to terms with notions of gender, a reluctance that may cause them to make important mistakes in their analysis of politics. Gender is a concept that suggests another major reexamination of what we think about political life. Its implications are insistent and far-reaching, offering a productive means of understanding politics