Limited Educational Resources Research Articles

Culturally Sensitive Approaches to Identification and Treatment of Depression among HIV Infected African American Adults: A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Providers' Perspectives.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent among HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals, and is associated with non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), and accelerated disease progression. MDD is underdiagnosed and undertreated among low-income African Americans, who are disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic. To improve detection and treatment of depression among African Americans living with HIV/AIDS, it is important to understand culturally and contextually relevant aspects of MDD and attitudes about mental health treatment. A focus group session was conducted with seven providers and staff at a primary care center that serves a largely African-American community heavily impacted by the HIV epidemic in Washington, DC. Data were analyzed using an inductive approach to distill prominent themes, perspectives, and experiences among participating providers. Five themes emerged to characterize the lived experiences of HIV+ African-American patients: (a) Changes in perceptions of HIV over time; (b) HIV is comorbid with mental illness, particularly depression and substance abuse; (c) Stigma is associated with both HIV and depression; (d) Existing mental health services vary and are insufficient and (e) Suggestions for optimal treatment for comorbid HIV and depression. This study reflects the views of providers from one clinic in this community. Substantial economic disadvantage, pervasive childhood adversity, limited education and limited resources jointly put members of this community at risk for acquisition of HIV and for development of depression and addictions. These contextual factors provide an important reminder that any patient-level depression identification or intervention in this community will have to be mindful of such circumstances.

The application of virtual patient in gynecology and obstetrics clinical teaching

Gynecology and obstetrics is a theoretical and practical subject. It is an important goal for the medical students to develop the clinical thinking ability and operating skills and apply them in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. To overcome the limited teaching resources, the rare clinical skills opportunities caused by doctor-patient relationship tension, virtual patient (VP) combined with clinical teaching was applied in clinical teaching, which can reproduce the real, and bring the students to the role of the clinician, enrich the content of the obstetrics and Gynecology clinical teaching. Along with the reform the teaching faculty with high quality was established, their clinical teaching experiences and innovative thinking were improved significantly. The results were evaluated by means of clinical comprehensive ability test. The present study aimed to establish virtual patients of OBGYN (virtual patient, VP) learning to promote learning of basic knowledge, clinic skills, and thinking ability. Key words: Clinical teaching; Gynecology and obstetrics; Virtual patient

Abstract P1-11-13: An evaluation of mobile mammography outreach in urban and rural communities

Abstract Background: Mobile mammography has been used to reach underserved women in a diverse number of settings. In this work, we demonstrate similarities and differences between rural and urban communities served by a single mobile mammography unit (MMU) affiliated with a comprehensive cancer center in Missouri. Methods: An outreach registry of patients serviced by the MMU was created and includes data from medical records and responses to a brief questionnaire completed at each visit. Data was examined by point of care (urban/rural) to assess the efficacy of mobile mammography as an outreach strategy in each of these environments. Bivariate analyses were used to examine the relationships between demographic characteristics such as age, income, race/ethnicity, education, employment status, marital status, insurance status, and living environment proxy. Results: Between 2006 and 2013, 9480 women received their care on the mobile mammography van. The sample was stratified by point of care (urban vs. rural) served, with majority of the women (86%) residing in urban/suburban St. Louis City/County, and 14% in rural regions. Urban zip codes had a lower percentage of women with income greater than $20,000 (12% v. 21%) and higher percentage of women with income less than $10,000 (49% v. 37%) in comparison to rural communities(p=0.01). There were higher proportions of black women in urban communities (63%) compared to rural communities (10%; p<0.001). Almost half (47%) the women that received mobile mammography in rural zip code were married compared to less than a quarter of women from urban zip codes (24%; p<0.001). Rural communities (83%) had a higher percentage of uninsured women compared to urban communities (67%; p<0.001). Women in urban and rural communities were similar in respect to age, employment status, and education. Conclusions: Mobile mammography has the potential to reach a large population of women with limited educational, financial, and healthcare resources. Future studies will be needed to determine if increasing the range and extent of mobile units, such as this one, would be effective in increasing the screening rates of not only women in Missouri, but also in other portions of this country. Citation Format: Lauren Steward, Susan Kraenzle, Bettina Drake, Sarah Lyons, Melody Goodman. An evaluation of mobile mammography outreach in urban and rural communities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-11-13.

Provision of survivorship care for patients with haematological malignancy at completion of treatment: A cancer nursing practice survey study

PurposeMany haematological cancer survivors report long-term physiological and psychosocial effects, which persist far beyond treatment completion. Cancer services have been required to extend care to the post-treatment phase to implement survivorship care strategies into routine practice. As key members of the multidisciplinary team, cancer nurses' perspectives are essential to inform future developments in survivorship care provision. MethodsThis is a pilot survey study, involving 119 nurses caring for patients with haematological malignancy in an Australian tertiary cancer care centre. The participants completed an investigator developed survey designed to assess cancer care nurses' perspectives on their attitudes, confidence levels, and practice in relation to post-treatment survivorship care for patients with a haematological malignancy. ResultsOverall, the majority of participants agreed that all of the survivorship interventions included in the survey should be within the scope of the nursing role. Nurses reported being least confident in discussing fertility and employment/financial issues with patients and conducting psychosocial distress screening. The interventions performed least often included, discussing fertility, intimacy and sexuality issues and communicating survivorship care with the patient's primary health care providers. Nurses identified lack of time, limited educational resources, lack of dedicated end-of-treatment consultation and insufficient skills/knowledge as the key barriers to survivorship care provision. ConclusionCancer centres should implement an appropriate model of survivorship care and provide improved training and educational resources for nurses to enable them to deliver quality survivorship care and meet the needs of haematological cancer survivors.

An Exploratory Study on the Marketing Strategies Adopted by Small Micro and Medium Enterprises in Johannesburg Central Business District

Over the years marketing theory development has been limited and small enterprises often have to rely on marketing models used in big businesses. There are a number of marketing strategies that are currently applied by large companies in South Africa which cannot be implemented by small retailers. This is because of the complexity of some of the marketing strategies alluded above are not suited to small retailers because of their limited educational background and resources. Facing the problem of intense competition, SMME entrepreneurs often have to rely on price and other short term strategies to market and sell their products to the ultimate consumer. Entrepreneurs are constantly faced with challenges that restrict their productivity and economic potential. SMMEs face the challenge of marketing their products and services properly to the right markets in order to get returns from their investments. The data for the study was collected by means of interviews. The study used a judgemental sampling. Findings from the study prove that entrepreneurs rely on word of mouth, reducing prices and other low cost promotional strategies for marketing and sale purposes. The findings indicate that it might be useful for SMME’s to change their promotional strategies to suit the South African consumer market to ensure long term profitability. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n25p118

Resource requirements and costs of developing and delivering MOOCs

<p>Given the ongoing alarm regarding uncontrollable costs of higher education, it would be reasonable to expect not only concern about the impact of MOOCs on educational outcomes, but also systematic efforts to document the resources expended on their development and delivery. However, there is little publicly available information on MOOC costs that is based on rigorous analysis. In this article, we first address what institutional resources are required for the development and delivery of MOOCs, based on interviews conducted with 83 administrators, faculty members, researchers, and other actors in the MOOCspace. Subsequently, we use the ingredients method to present cost analyses of MOOC production and delivery at four institutions. We find costs ranging from $38,980 to $325,330 per MOOC, and costs per completer of $74-$272, substantially lower than costs per completer of regular online courses, by merit of scalability. Based on this metric, MOOCs appear more cost-effective than online courses, but we recommend judging MOOCs by impact on learning and caution that they may only be cost-effective for the most self-motivated learners. By demonstrating the methods of cost analysis as applied to MOOCs, we hope that future assessments of the value of MOOCs will combine both cost information and effectiveness data to yield cost-effectiveness ratios that can be compared with the cost-effectiveness of alternative modes of education delivery. Such information will help decision-makers in higher education make rational decisions regarding the most productive use of limited educational resources, to the benefit of both learners and taxpayers.</p>

Sustainable Use of Technology in Teaching: A Principled Approach

The bewildering pace of change in technology has had a polarizing effect on the teaching profession. Teachers tend to cope in two ways, either by finding the least invasive ways to use technology without interfering with their standard mode of practice, or by embracing technology at every step and turn in new and innovative ways. The former does a disservice to students, but the latter is unsustainable. This research explores the sustainability of using technology in teaching and puts forward principles and guidelines to determine the most effective technology to use in the most sustainable fashion. In this framework, the onus is put on students to complete active learning projects in and outside the classroom. The resulting learning environment and the learning activities employed in the classroom are investigated in this study. Data were collected via field notes, student interviews, researcher journal entries, and student reflections. The findings of this research indicate that a principled approach to the sustainable use of technology in teaching fosters a student-centered orientation which raises student motivation, reduces the affective filter and builds confidence without placing undue pressure on the teacher or on limited educational resources.

Challenges to English Language Teachers of Secondary Schools in Iran

This paper investigates obstacles that teachers encounter in teaching English language in secondary schools of Iran. A questionnaire was designed and administered to sample groups for eliciting data. There were 180 EFL teachers from 150 secondary schools that responded to the survey questions. The findings showed that apart from external limitations such as insufficient teaching times and limited teaching resources, English language teachers are disappointed by their low proficiency in speaking English and using technology during teaching times. Teachers showed willingness to receive training in how to plan and perform their teaching more effective and motivate students’ engagement in class activity; also teachers seek effective approach for teaching English.

A Needs Analysis for a Resident Psychotherapy Curriculum

Various academic programs throughout the world are intensifying demands for psychotherapy training. For example, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada now demands that psychiatry residents get competency based trainining in multiple psychotherapy modalities throughout their training. Faculty complain of limited time and limited teaching resources. Residents complain of a lack of skills based, “hands on” supervision. The purpose of this study was to undertake a needs analysis for a new, competency based psychotherapy curriculum in a Canadian psychiatry residency program. A group of residents were surveyed about their perceived learning needs. An online, anonymous survey was distributed to all of the residents in this training program. The survey results suggested the need for a new psychotherapy curriculum—one that is integrated, interactive and based on the Royal College’s Objectives of Training. Innovative delivery methods, including multimedia and review of actual and simulated patients, were preferred. These results suggest that a blended course might be an ideal way to combine an appropriate balance of didactic content with hands on viewing and discussion of previously recorded, actual patient sessions.

Http://www.ijsrpub.com/uploads/papers/IJSRK/IJSRK-Dec2013/IJSRK-13-161.pdf

Cooperatives have a special role for empowering women that provide a critical outlet for women’s empowerment and economic independence, building the way for faster, fairer, and more sustainable socioeconomic status for them. Many studies have recognized that paying attention to the economic aspect should not be considered as the basic means for empowering rural women, because they both suffer from lower psychosocial status, lack of property rights, environmental degradation and limited health and educational resources. In regards of participation women in cooperatives it’s important to investigate psychosocial factors to have successful participation rural women in cooperatives. This study was undertaken to explore the relationships between economic empowerment and social-psychological dimensions of empowerment. In this descriptive cross-sectional study 256 rural women from Hamedan County were selected as sample using Cochran formula and stratified proportionate random sampling technique .The validity of the main scales of questionnaire was approved by a panel of expert judgment. Using Cronbach’s-alpha formula, the reliability of questionnaire assessed (α=0.81). The correlations analysis has showed that there were significant positive relationships between economic empowerment with educational level, mobility, self-confidence, self-reliance and non-economic authority. In addition regression analysis and ANOVA analysis revealed that the main component identified in economic empowerment of rural women is self-confidence and significant psychological difference between groups of women with different level of economic empowerment. The study findings reveal that the effectiveness of any economic program of empowering rural women depends on the success psychosocial dimensions. Key word: socio-psychological indicators, Economic empowerment, Rural Women, Hamedan

Teaching writing as public work: John Macmillan Brown and ‘practical’ composition

John Macmillan Brown, Professor of Classics and English at Canterbury College, was one of the first teachers of writing in a New Zealand university. Here I examine how his composition pedagogy offers a relationship between English instruction, academic success, and professional and public life, which remains relevant and provocative today. I suggest that the move away from Macmillan Brown’s pedagogy can be located in a history of student writing in the New Zealand university and its increasing marginalisation, as a result of limited teaching resources and the challenge of instituting a liberal arts model for university education. Acknowledging the complexity of Macmillan Brown’s ‘practical’ pedagogical project, I also suggest that attention to such teaching might put pressure on histories of the university that prioritise the development of research capacity, and can serve to denaturalise and explain some of our present-day assumptions about the teaching of writing and literacy in the university

The Effect of SNAP Education in Indiana on Fruit, Vegetable and Whole Grain Eating Behaviors

The analyses reported here evaluate the effectiveness of SNAP nutrition education on self-reported eating behavior changes in Indiana. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) encourages adequate nutrient intake in low-income population. Promoting adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a major goal. The intervention was provided through lessons, games and demonstrations, either in groups or individually. Data were collected in 92 counties in Indiana from 2008 to 2011. 2109 individuals who attended at least 4 lessons completed the questionnaires before and after the intervention. Amount and variety of fruit and vegetables, whole grain intake and breakfast pattern were evaluated using paired t-test, independent sample t-test, One Way ANOVA Test and McNemar’s Test. Less than half of the participants met the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for these food groups. Amount and variety of fruit and vegetables, whole grain intake and breakfast pattern were evaluated using paired t-test, independent sample t-test, One Way ANOVA Test and McNemar’s Test. Less than half of the participants met the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for these food groups. Less than half of the participants met the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for these food groups. The intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and breakfast frequency showed significant improvement (p<0.001) after the lessons. The largest changes were found in fruits, followed by vegetables and then whole grains. The improvement in fruit variety was higher than vegetable variety. More than half of the participants did not change their breakfast pattern. Almost all gender, races, and age groups improved in all the behaviors (p<0.001), regardless of the number of lessons attended (p<0.001). The analysis demonstrates successful behavioral changes following SNAP-Ed nutrition education. Attention should be given to the 18 years old group, Blacks, White and male participants who tend to had lower intake than other groups. The results suggest that maximizing the number of participants who receive SNAP-Ed rather than the number of classes each participant receives may be the most effective and efficient use of limited educational resources.

Two Hospitals, Two Obstetric Units, One Common Vision for Education

Professional Issues Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program As the nursing profession continues to evolve, evidence‐based practice is crucial for caring for ongoing needs of obstetric patients. Community hospitals often are challenged with limited educational resources, yet have a strong desire to deliver safe, quality care to the patients. In this project, two suburban community hospitals 7 miles apart, with common organizational structure, similar volumes and practices came together with a plan to bridge the resource gap for education regarding women and infants. Proposed Change To form an interdisciplinary committee to bring two obstetric departments from two community hospitals together for nursing education and professional development. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation A committee with members from both hospitals including nursing management, clinical education, nursing staff, diabetes management, and lactation specialists was formed to work on this project. They completed a learning needs assessment and prioritized learning opportunities for staff. They developed the tools, content, policies, and procedures using evidence‐based research and included expert staff from the nursing departments in developing programs. Education topics included maternal complications, such as uterine rupture, postpartum hemorrhage, peripartum and postpartum cardiomyopathy, managing second stage labor, pharmacology, breastfeeding basics, 39‐week‐of‐gestation inductions, water birth, and diabetes management. The educational offerings were implemented using evidence‐based practice to provide the support and foundation for the classes. The committee members worked collaboratively on the projects, promoting cohesive bonds between the departments while breaking down cultural barriers between the hospitals. The members united to strengthen the knowledge and expertise of bedside caregivers to provide safe and effective care for patients. As a result of this collaborative approach to education, the knowledge base of the nursing staff has increased because of the expertise and additional educational offerings provided to them. Implications for Nursing Practice The shared education program has laid the foundation for the collaboration of nursing resources between the two hospitals. Recently, the hospitals began sharing staff within the nursing departments to meet the demands of staffing and patient acuity. Collaborative learning as one unit has provided the nursing staff with the foundation and knowledge to comfortably move between the two hospitals. With the support of leadership and education, the committee continues to plan for additional future educational offerings. The commitment to the patients is represented through the dedication of two community hospitals and two departments, which creates an environment that supports the art and science of nursing care for their patients.

A trial of patient-oriented problem-solving system for immunology teaching in China: a comparison with dialectic lectures

BackgroundThe most common teaching method used in China is lecturing, but recently, efforts have been widely undertaken to promote the transition from teacher-centered to student-centered education. The patient-oriented problem-solving (POPS) system is an innovative teaching-learning method that permits students to work in small groups to solve clinical problems, promotes self-learning, encourages clinical reasoning and develops long-lasting memory. To our best knowledge, however, POPS has never been applied in teaching immunology in China. The aim of this study was to develop POPS in teaching immunology and assess students’ and teachers’ perception to POPS.Methods321 second-year medical students were divided into two groups: I and II. Group I, comprising 110 students, was taught by POPS, and 16 immunology teachers witnessed the whole teaching process. Group II including the remaining 211 students was taught through traditional lectures. The results of the pre- and post-test of both groups were compared. Group I students and teachers then completed a self-structured feedback questionnaire for analysis before a discussion meeting attended only by the teachers was held.ResultsSignificant improvement in the mean difference between the pre- and post-test scores of those in Groups I and II was seen, demonstrating the effectiveness of POPS teaching. Most students responded that POPS facilitates self-learning, helps them to understand topics and creates interest, and 88.12% of students favored POPS over simple lectures. Moreover, while they responded that POPS facilitated student learning better than lectures, teachers pointed out that limited teaching resources would make it difficult for wide POPS application in China.ConclusionsWhile POPS can break up the monotony of dialectic lectures and serve as a better teaching method, it may not be feasible for the current educational environment in China. The main reason for this is the relative shortage of teaching resources such as space, library facilities and well-trained teachers.

The Big Challenge: Teaching Large Multi-Level Classes

There are different kinds of classes in our school system. The majority of them are large multilevel classes. The world of the multilevel classroom, despite being an exciting, challenging and richly rewarding one for teachers, is by no means an easy environment, particularly for those entering it for the first time. This paper is intended to provide a particular guide for teachers facing mixed-level classes. It sheds light to the factors which bring to the development of a multilevel classroom and tend to explain the advantages and challenges of these types of classes. It also gives suggestions to the teachers for an appropriate classroom management and shows them some ways how to cope with evaluation and assessment in those types of classes. It also discusses the ways in which an instructor can create a productive learning environment in countries where there are limited resources for teaching. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2012.v2n4p243

Postliteracy in the digital age: The use of mobile phones to support literacy practices in Namibia and Tanzania

This article focuses on individuals emerging from traditional oral cultures with limited education and few economic resources who use mobile telephones to maintain their writing and communication skills, despite the scarcity of reading materials, or a lack of social, economic, political, and cultural incentives. Drawing on two case studies—one of previously disenfranchized citizens participating in a national dialogue in Namibia and one of entrepreneurial women in Tanzania—the authors examine postliteracy practices in adults’ everyday lives, probe these innovative uses of mobile applications, and thus aim to understand the context of the mobile literacy environment. They find that for individuals with limited literacy skills, these phones and applications can offer a vital resource for postliteracy practices, one that gives them a better chance of maintaining and enhancing their previously acquired literacy skills.

EFL Teachers’ Background Knowledge is the Key to Learners’ Needs

This study aimed at examining an unorthodox approach in which teacher trainees observe experienced teachers to benefit from their professional experience instead of the more common practice in which teacher trainees are evaluated through self-reflection and peer review. The target population was 111 teachers randomly selected by 20 teacher trainees teaching English in 20 schools within 6 school districts in Kuwait. A mixed method of questionnaire and observation by the teacher trainees was used for data collection. The results showed a discrepancy between the questionnaire responses and personal observation. The questionnaire responses indicated that the teachers had significant confidence, high competency, and excellent performance. However, classroom observation revealed that EFL teachers had to plan their classes with constraints of limited teaching hours and resources and mixed levels of proficiency and learning environment. Thus, Kuwaiti EFL teachers have the ability, proficiency, and confidence to teach EFL, but lack the required freedom from the educational authorities to implement their methods.

A Taiwan nursing perspective on current imbalances in educating, licensing and hiring new nurses

Level of development in the nursing profession affects healthcare quality and safety. The nursing profession in Taiwan today faces myriad external pressures such as the global financial crisis and rapidly changing national health insurance policies and social issues. For example, cutbacks in nursing manpower at medical institutions and increasingly difficult healthcare working conditions are increasing nurse workloads and turnover, conflict in the workplace, and difficulties in recruiting new nursing staff. Such negative developments directly and negatively impact professional development, healthcare quality, healthcare safety, and workplace morale. In terms of maintaining and enhancing the quality of new nurses entering the profession, rapid growth in numbers of technology schools and nursing students have severely strained insufficient resources and resulted in teaching quality and education outcomes below expectations. Poor passing rates on the national nursing license examination and increasingly high new nurse turnover are now significant negative factors influencing clinical manpower availability. Imbalances among education, licensing, and hiring clearly and negatively impact nursing professional development and social needs and cause the inefficient allocation of limited education resources. This article discusses and analyzes the causes underlying current imbalances in nurse hiring, licensing, and education. We provide the following suggestions: (1) Integrate education and licensing activities based on professional recruitment considerations to promote nursing competent and manpower stability; (2) revise the focus and content of the national license examination to resolve the current disconnect between license examination and hiring needs; (3) redesign curricula, update teaching material, and adjust teaching methods based on professional competencies in order to resolve key education and recruitment problems. All nursing schools should prepare their students well to pass the license examination in order to resolve the current state of inconsistent educational standards, and (4) train international nursing talent to address and reflect international medical care trends and policies in Taiwan. This paper is intended to serve as reference for both policymakers and professionals in the nursing and healthcare fields.

Using Electronic Resources to Support Problem-Based Learning

Students acquire skills in problem solving and critical thinking through the process as well as team work on problem-based learning courses. Many courses have started to involve the online learning environment and integrate these courses with electronic resources. Teachers use electronic resources in their classes. To overcome the problem of the limited teaching resources, electronic resources can help students to engage in self-learning more easily. This study addresses electronic resources usage in problem-based learning. Therefore, the aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between the capability to use electronic resources and problem-based learning performance. A quantitative analysis was conducted through the structural equation modeling approach in order to indicate the direction and relationship between these constructs. To conclude, this study suggests that tutor support, peer participation, and internet search capability should be conceptualized as forming part of an important learning context. Further, the results indicate that both peer participation and internet search capability are required to facilitate the development of problem-solving skills.

Commentary: Learning-style theories debunked, but still guiding educational practice

My children taught me that computers run on smoke and when the smoke comes out of the processor chips they will not work anymore. Although the fallacy is obvious, the logic is seductive. The long running credence in learning-style theories in education now looks as ephemeral as the phlogiston theory of the middle ages [1] or my children's assertion about computer function. My initial alert to the demise of learning theories came from Gary Stix writing in Scientific American [2], where he proclaimed that the notion that each child has a particular learning style is a myth. “The notion that a pupil tends to learn better by favoring a particular form of sensory input—a visual learner as opposed to one who listens better—has not received much validation in actual studies. For this and other myths, public perceptions appear to have outstripped the science. Uta Frith, a neuroscientist who chaired a British panel that looked at the promise of neuroeducation, urges parents and educators to tread cautiously. There is huge demand by the general public to have information about neuroscience for education. As a consequence, there an enormous supply of totally untested, untried, and not very scientific methods” [2]. A part of the history of creating learning-style theories is by extrapolation from the personality theory of the analytical psychologist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Jung's ideas were incorporated into the Myers–Briggs psychological test dating from the 1940s; a test that is still widely used. The Myers–Briggs test categorizes people into groups such as introvert and extrovert. However this test, just like learning styles, is backed by little supportive evidence from objective studies [3]. Even so the idea of classifying people into types has great appeal. Proponents of learning-style assessment contend that optimal instruction requires tailoring instruction after an assessment of learning style; typically evaluating the sort of information presentation they prefer (words, pictures, or speech. The learning-styles view has had a great influence at all levels ranging from kindergarten to graduate school. Pashler et al. [3] conclude that students can learn equally well using a variety of learning styles and students do not learn better when their preferred learning styles are used. The most common hypothesis about learning styles is the meshing hypothesis [3], which exhorts teachers to mesh learning with the preferences of the learner (i.e., provide a visual learner with visual presentations). It is no surprise that many commercial enterprises continue to publish learning-styles tests and guidebooks for teachers, and provide professional development workshops. Pashler et al. [3] set out to find evidence for learning styles that met scientific criteria. Students must be divided into groups on the basis of their measured learning styles and then students must be randomly assigned to receive one instructional mode. It is to be expected if learning styles are valid that learning will show an optimum when learning style matches learning mode. It was easy enough to find that the literature provided ample evidence that children and adults will express preferences about how they prefer information to be presented to them. However, although the literature on learning styles is enormous, very few studies used a randomized experimental methodology. Those that did commonly found results that flatly contradicted the popular meshing hypothesis. There is no evidence to justify incorporating learning-styles assessments into general educational practice. “Thus, limited education resources would better be devoted to adopting other educational practices that have a strong evidence base, of which there are an increasing number” [3]. Nature famously abhors a vacuum so what has entered the place of learning styles? Some people of course have simply not given them up and this echoes the words of Max Planck “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up” [4]. The next generation will adhere to practices based on the evidence of MRI brain scans and objectively proven practices, perhaps using music in a synergistic manner [2]. However, for the time being it seems that no theory of learning has a clear right to dictate practice. The blended learning we are providing may be as good as it gets.