Inquiry into the teaching and learning practice: An ontological-epistemological discourse

Tertiary education has been actively moving over the last two decades from the lecturer-centred to the student-centred approach, focusing more on “what the student does” rather than on “what the student is” or “what the teacher is”. We, as academics, teacher educators, and teachers, do attend many workshops and seminars promoting student-centred learning. However, the question that arises is “are we prepared to truly develop from the conventional lecture-based learning, which is hard to eliminate, to the innovative student-centred learning, which may be hard to accept, adopt, and sustain?” The way we plan, organise and deliver knowledge might be mostly epistemological. However, there exists an ontological stance on how we perceive knowledge and on our belief—informed opinions—of “the most effective pedagogy” in organising and emphasising such knowledge. This paper will present a personal reflective study on the ontological–epistemological discourse that a novice academic experienced in first accepting the idea of a student-centred learning approach, implementing such strategy and in reflecting back on this experience. This study promotes a rethinking of our teaching and learning practice as an ontological and epistemological form of inquiry and generates insights which may be further extended and researched. This paper finally offers a reread of the Experiential Learning Cycle of the Praxis Inquiry, a model established and adopted by the College of Education, Victoria University, Melbourne

Metric for Security Activities assisted by Argumentative Logic

International audienceRecent security concerns related to future embedded systems make enforcement of security requirements one of the most critical phases when designing such systems. This paper introduces an approach for efficient enforcement of security requirements based on argumentative logic, especially reasoning about activation or deactivation of different security mechanisms under certain functional and non-functional requirements. In this paper, the argumentative logic is used to reason about the rationale behind dynamic enforcement of security policies

An Overlooked Aspect of Internationalization: Power Blocs and the “Cultural Other” in the Classroom

As teachers, instructors, and educators, we strive to prepare our students to become global citizens and equip them with a degree of intercultural competence, where they can survive within a global economy and an interconnected world. However, we are sometimes too focused on the broader global picture and often overlook an essential component towards internationalization and globalization: the power blocs that exist inside our classroom. This article serves as a commentary to prompt teachers at schools, instructors at universities, and educators to ensure that a major component of our teaching and learning practice should be focused on blurring the boundaries between students of different/competing power blocs inside the classrooms. Blurring such boundaries is an essential milestone towards promoting tolerance, acceptance, and acknowledgment of the “cultural other” in today\u27s interconnected world

Bilateral simultaneous complete quadriceps rupture following chronic symptomatic tendinopathy: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Quadriceps rupture is a disabling injury mostly seen in men over 40 years of age. Bilateral quadriceps rupture is a rare injury that is often secondary to predisposing medical conditions. Ultrasound is a cheap and reliable tool for diagnosis but is operator dependent. Thus, magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred method of investigation despite its cost and availability. Prompt diagnosis and early surgical repair are needed for an optimal end result.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a healthy 54-year-old Caucasian male farmer who presented with bilateral simultaneous complete quadriceps rupture, which was managed surgically and he was followed up for three years. He was previously under our care for enthesopathy of the quadriceps on both sides. We believe that chronic enthesopathy of the superior pole of patella made his quadriceps susceptible to complete rupture on eccentric loading.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Only a few cases of bilateral simultaneous complete quadriceps rupture in patients with symptomatic enthesopathy have been previously reported. We stress the importance of warning patients of the risk of developing complete tendon rupture when they present with an enthesopathy around the knee.</p

An exploration of the experiences of people living with painful ankle osteoarthritis and the non-surgical management of this condition

Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) of the ankle joint is associated with life-long joint pain and disability if not appropriately managed. There is a dearth of research concerning ankle OA and the impact on those living with the condition. Aim: To explore the experiences of people living with painful OA ankle and their views about the non-surgical management of this condition. Design Qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews. Participants Nine participants, recruited from an orthopaedic clinic at a UK hospital and the general population. All had a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of OA ankle. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify emerging themes. Ethical approval was obtained. Results: Nine semi-structured interviews were undertaken. Eight participants were male, median age = 55 years (IQR = 42.5 - 64.5). Mechanism of onset was due to trauma (falls, repeated inversion injuries or road traffic collisions) (n = 7), or the effects of haemophilia (n = 2). The median duration of symptoms was 2 years (IQR = 1.5 - 10). Data saturation was achieved. Four themes were identified: • Signs and symptoms • Impact on participation • Impact on self-identity & mental wellbeing • Views on non-surgical management Conclusions: This is the first study to explore the experiences of people with symptomatic OA ankle. Our findings suggest that those with OA ankle suffer with severe pain, which has a substantial negative impact on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. The findings of this study may be used to inform future research

The experiences and non surgical management of people living with ankle osteoarthritis

Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the ankle joint is associated with lifelong joint pain and disability if not properly managed. This often impacts on an individual’s physical functioning and quality of life. Recent OARSI reviews of the year have emphasised the dearth of research in the treatment of painful ankle OA compared to knee and hip OA. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of people living with painful OA ankle and their views about the non surgical management of this condition. Gaining an understanding of their experiences and the impact it has will help inform future research into the management of this condition. Methods: Design: A qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews. Sample: Nine participants were recruited from an orthopaedic clinic at a NHS (National Health Service) hospital in the UK and the general population. All participants had a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of OA ankle. All had either received non surgical treatments or were on a waiting list to receive surgical treatment. Data Analysis: Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify emerging themes and concepts that surfaced across the transcripts of the participants. NHS and University ethical approval was obtained. Results: Nine semi-structured interviews were undertaken. Eight of the participants were male, median age = 55 years (IQR = 42.5 - 64.5). Mechanism of onset was due to trauma (falls, repeated inversion injuries or road traffic collisions) (n = 7), or the effects of haemophilia (n = 2). The median duration of symptoms was 2 years (IQR = 1.5 - 10). Data saturation was achieved. Four themes were identified: Symptoms; Impact on function, social activities and quality of life (QoL); Impact on mental wellbeing and self-identity; Management and treatment. Symptoms: The findings indicate that OA ankle pain had a substantial negative impact on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, with many participants describing their pain in emotive terms such as ‘terrible’ and ‘horrendous’. Pain was the main issue for all participants in terms of the type, intensity and persistence of the pain. All participants reported symptoms of swelling and instability of the ankle. Impact on function, social activities and quality of life: The symptoms the participants experienced impacted on their function and social life. Additionally, the anticipation of these symptoms stopped them participating in social activities with friends and family, which adversely affected these relationships and had a negative impact on their QoL. Participants who also had concomitant painful OA hip or knee, felt that the greatest impact on their QoL was due to their ankle pain. Impact on mental wellbeing & self identity: The pain experienced from OA ankle appeared to affect the participants’ mental wellbeing, with most reporting feelings of anxiety and depression related to their pain and the impact on their function and social life. Participants discussed how living with OA ankle impacted on their self identity, perceiving this as a loss of self worth, which led to feelings of depression. Management and treatment: All participants had received various non surgical interventions including heat, exercise, external ankle supports, orthoses, medication and corticosteroid injections. Some found them helpful, whereas others had short lived benefit. Participants in this study, whose radiological changes were not substantial, felt that their condition was not taken seriously by their medical team and that this was the reason few treatment options were offered. They all highlighted the need for an effective non-surgical treatment. Conclusions: This is the first study to explore the experiences of people with symptomatic OA ankle. Our findings suggest that those with OA ankle suffer with severe pain, which has a substantial negative impacton a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. Although there is a wide range of conservative interventions available, they do not seem to be effective in the management of this condition. The participants’ mixed experience of the non-surgical management of their OA ankle was likely due to an absence of guidance on its treatment. The findings of this study should be used to inform future research

Forensic science in Ghana: A review

The use of forensic science continues to grow across the world. In Ghana, major advancements took off in2011, including the introduction of modern DNA profiling and the establishment of an automated fingerprint identification system. These developments have led to some positive impacts on the delivery of justice, including the exoneration of a wrongly incarcerated individual. However, a review of the policy-related aspects of forensic science shows gaps in legislation, governance, service provision, quality assurance and accreditation, education and research. An important recommendation to improve forensic science in Ghana is the creation of a “national policy strategy”, a blueprint informed by relevant stakeholders, best practice from other countries and the status of the field. Resolutions to the policy issues identified in this review will ensure a more robust application of forensic science in delivering safe justice and enhancing public security

Education Within the Middle East and North African Prisons

This chapter explores prison education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with a particular focus on Lebanese prisons and prison education. The chapter takes Roumieh prison in Lebanon as a case study to operationalize Knowles' theory of andragogy. The chapter discusses the nature and types of curricula, learner-facilitator relationship, educational delivery methods and security favored by Knowles' theory that can promote a fairly successful prison education practice in MENA. In particular, the chapter submits that the application of Knowles' theory to prison education in MENA would lead ultimately to prisoners grieving over lost opportunities in past years, come to terms with their present life, and become intrinsically motivated to correctly invest in their own future. </jats:p