Degrees of disciplinarity in equipping mature students in higher education for engagement and success in lifelong learning

For the mature student, the recognition and validation of prior knowledge, much of which may be tacit, is central to both confidence and further learning. From a theoretical stance the use of interdisciplinary study or applying interdisciplinary approaches within monodisciplinary study should benefit the learning of the mature student. Such approaches also allow the learner to develop skills central to continued lifelong learning. The introduction of interdisciplinarity within part of an undergraduate programme at the University of Sheffield has been monitored over the last four years. The insights provided suggest that mature students may find this approach initially discomforting but this is outweighed by the learning and empowerment it provides. Interdisciplinarity has been equally challenging for the tutors, but their acknowledgement of learning through the process has been a positive outcome

Perceptions of learning and perceptions of being taught: Adult learner reactions to an interactive website

This study examines the reactions of a group of adult learners to an interactive website. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, answers were sought to the roles of recognised prior knowledge and tacit knowledge in both intentional and incidental learning within this medium. Previous experience of the medium appears to have little influence on the perceptions of teaching and learning. However, the extent of the learners' pre-knowledge of the subject matter addressed within the site may be important to their perception of the learning environment. This influences their perceptions of what is relevant knowledge and their recognition of knowledge acquisition. That those with most prior knowledge initially failed to recognise learning is explained within a constructivist context. The need to consider the range, and the effects of the range, of adult learner prior knowledge when designing interactive websites is illustrated

Acute kidney injury risk assessment at the hospital front door: what is the best measure of risk?

Background We examined the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) risk factors in the emergency medical unit, generated a modified risk assessment tool and tested its ability to predict AKI. Methods A total of 1196 patients admitted to medical admission units were assessed for patient-associated AKI risk factors. Subsequently, 898 patients were assessed for a limited number of fixed risk factors with the addition of hypotension and sepsis. This was correlated to AKI episodes. Results In the first cohort, the prevalence of AKI risk factors was 2.1 ± 2.0 per patient, with a positive relationship between age and the number of risk factors and a higher number of risk factors in patients ≥65 years. In the second cohort, 12.3% presented with or developed AKI. Patients with AKI were older and had a higher number of AKI risk factors. In the AKI cohort, 72% of the patients had two or more AKI risk factors compared with 43% of the cohort with no AKI. When age ≥65 years was added as an independent risk factor, 84% of those with AKI had two or more AKI risk factors compared with 55% of those with no AKI. Receiver operating characteristic analysis suggests that the use of common patient-associated known AKI risk factors performs no better than age alone as a predictor of AKI. Conclusions Detailed assessment of well-established patient-associated AKI risk factors may not facilitate clinicians to apportion risk. This suggests that additional work is required to develop a more sensitive validated AKI-predictive tool that would be useful in this clinical setting

The Vehicle, Spring 2004

Table of Contents Mother Nature\u27s PotentialsChristina Leepage 4 The Elephant in the RoomErika Olsenpage 5 Sin of MortalsHeather Harmonpage 6 Autumn GoldBrianne Kennedypage 7 Flight to the SeaBrianne Kennedypage 8 SmileTravis A. Probstpage 9 The BodyLavada Rainierpage 10 GuessTravis A. Probstpage 11 MonopolyCatherine Apodacapage 12 MourningLavada Rainierpage 13 A Premonition During My Sister\u27s PregnancyLavada Rainierpage 14 The Things I LoveSarah Chancepage 15 Flights of BirdsLavada Rainierpage 16 The Slumbering LibrarianJosh Sopiarzpage 16 Untitled (1)Josh Reeleypage 18 Untitled (2)Josh Reeleypage 19 Untitled (3)Josh Reeleypage 20 Self-IntrospectionLiz Toyntonpage 21 Mother\u27s DayCatherine Apodacapage 22 CarolJosh Sopiarzpage 23 PerhapsWillie Griggspage 24 PoemWillie Griggspage 25 In Longing for WealthWillie Griggspage 26 Crisis by DesignCatherine Apodacapage 27 UntitledLiz Toyntonpage 28 SleetCara Moranpage 29https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1081/thumbnail.jp

The Vehicle, Spring 2004

Table of Contents Mother Nature\u27s PotentialsChristina Leepage 4 The Elephant in the RoomErika Olsenpage 5 Sin of MortalsHeather Harmonpage 6 Autumn GoldBrianne Kennedypage 7 Flight to the SeaBrianne Kennedypage 8 SmileTravis A. Probstpage 9 The BodyLavada Rainierpage 10 GuessTravis A. Probstpage 11 MonopolyCatherine Apodacapage 12 MourningLavada Rainierpage 13 A Premonition During My Sister\u27s PregnancyLavada Rainierpage 14 The Things I LoveSarah Chancepage 15 Flights of BirdsLavada Rainierpage 16 The Slumbering LibrarianJosh Sopiarzpage 16 Untitled (1)Josh Reeleypage 18 Untitled (2)Josh Reeleypage 19 Untitled (3)Josh Reeleypage 20 Self-IntrospectionLiz Toyntonpage 21 Mother\u27s DayCatherine Apodacapage 22 CarolJosh Sopiarzpage 23 PerhapsWillie Griggspage 24 PoemWillie Griggspage 25 In Longing for WealthWillie Griggspage 26 Crisis by DesignCatherine Apodacapage 27 UntitledLiz Toyntonpage 28 SleetCara Moranpage 29https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1081/thumbnail.jp

The fallacy of the bolted horse: changing our thinking about mature-age Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students

The aim of this paper is to critically review and analyse the public representations of mature-age university students in developed and some developing nations and how they compare to the public representations of mature-age Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students in Australia (‘students’ also refers to graduates unless the context requires specificity). Relevant texts were identified by reviewing education-related academic and policy literature, media opinion and reportage pieces, conference proceedings, and private sector and higher education reviews, reports and submissions. What this review reveals is striking: very few commentators are publicly and unambiguously encouraging, supporting and celebrating mature-age Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students. This strongly contrasts with the discussions around mature-age university students in general, where continuous or lifelong learning is acclaimed and endorsed, particularly as our populations grow older and remain healthier and there are relatively lower numbers of working-age people. While scholars, social commentators, bureaucrats and politicians enthusiastically highlight the intrinsic and extrinsic value of the mature-age student’s social and economic contributions, the overarching narrative of the mature-age Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student is one of ‘the horse has bolted’, meaning that it is too late for this cohort and therefore society to benefit from their university education. In this paper we examine these conflicting positions, investigate why this dichotomy exists, present an alternative view for consideration and make recommendations for further research into this area

The Vehicle, Fall 2003

Table of Contents Blame It on My BirthsignMichael Doizanpage 4 Like a BanjoKaitlyn Kingstonpage 6 A BubbleMaria Santoyopage 7 UntitledLiz Toyntonpage 8 She Said It Was Stuck in the FenceGreg Holdenpage 11 Thanksgiving Table CharactersKrystal Heringpage 12 This Is My LandKorah Winnpage 13 Bleeding HeartsKaitlyn Kingstonpage 14 SoldierEmily Rapppage 17 HomelessLaTasha Harrispage 18 InfinitiLindsey Nawojskipage 19 Gone Until ForeverAndy Whytepage 20 On My WayKristin Bornpage 27 GloryJay Popepage 28 Untitled (1)Trevor Moorepage 29 Nature\u27s MoratoriumMatt McCarthypage 29 Untitled (2)Trevor Moorepage 30 Eternal ChildAmy Towerypage 31 FingersJosh Sopiarzpage 31 She Likes JazzMario Podeschipage 32 Back Alley FarmsScott E. Lutzpage 33 Biographiespage 35https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1078/thumbnail.jp

Incisional hernia following colorectal cancer surgery according to suture technique: Hughes Abdominal Repair Randomized Trial (HART).

BACKGROUND: Incisional hernias cause morbidity and may require further surgery. HART (Hughes Abdominal Repair Trial) assessed the effect of an alternative suture method on the incidence of incisional hernia following colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: A pragmatic multicentre single-blind RCT allocated patients undergoing midline incision for colorectal cancer to either Hughes closure (double far-near-near-far sutures of 1 nylon suture at 2-cm intervals along the fascia combined with conventional mass closure) or the surgeon's standard closure. The primary outcome was the incidence of incisional hernia at 1 year assessed by clinical examination. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed. RESULTS: Between August 2014 and February 2018, 802 patients were randomized to either Hughes closure (401) or the standard mass closure group (401). At 1 year after surgery, 672 patients (83.7 per cent) were included in the primary outcome analysis; 50 of 339 patients (14.8 per cent) in the Hughes group and 57 of 333 (17.1 per cent) in the standard closure group had incisional hernia (OR 0.84, 95 per cent c.i. 0.55 to 1.27; P = 0.402). At 2 years, 78 patients (28.7 per cent) in the Hughes repair group and 84 (31.8 per cent) in the standard closure group had incisional hernia (OR 0.86, 0.59 to 1.25; P = 0.429). Adverse events were similar in the two groups, apart from the rate of surgical-site infection, which was higher in the Hughes group (13.2 versus 7.7 per cent; OR 1.82, 1.14 to 2.91; P = 0.011). CONCLUSION: The incidence of incisional hernia after colorectal cancer surgery is high. There was no statistical difference in incidence between Hughes closure and mass closure at 1 or 2 years. REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN25616490 (http://www.controlled-trials.com)