Online Resource Center Research Articles

The International Study on Career Choice in Psychiatry: A preliminary report

As part of the WPA Action Plan 2008–2011 1, it was agreed to explore reasons which put medical students off psychiatry. Indeed, over the past three decades, concerns have been raised about difficulties in recruiting medical students into psychiatry 2. It has been shown that poor recruitment is influenced by a number of factors which can be addressed readily 3. Potential psychiatrists fall into three major groups: a) those who choose psychiatry as a speciality prior to joining medical school and stick with this choice (some would have gone into medicine to do psychiatry; this may be linked with direct or in direct exposure to mental illness or to mental health professionals); b) those who decide during medical school, who are likely to be influenced by teachers and quality of clinical attachment and experience; c) those who decide after qualification or change their minds after exposure to other specialities out of interest, for career prospects or work-life balance. We explored these three sets of factors among final year medical students in 20 countries through selected medical schools. Questionnaires were used (in e-mail or paper versions according to the respondents' preferred method of contact) to assess attitudes towards psychiatry (Attitudes Toward Psychiatry - 18 items, ATP-18) and personality traits (International English Mini-Markers), along with questions on teaching methods and exposure to the subject. A total of 2198 students responded. 4.5% of the sample planned to become psychiatrists, with a further 15% considering it as a possible career. Women were more likely to consider psychiatry than men. Key factors associated with choosing psychiatry were personal or family exposure to physical or mental illness. 2.7% of the sample had decided to be a psychiatrist before admission to medical school and three quarters maintained this choice by their final year. The quality and quantity of teaching received was positively correlated with attitudes towards psychiatry. Special study courses, electives, research opportunities and exposure in psychiatry, and university psychiatry clubs were all significantly associated with choice of psychiatry. Clinical experience of seeing and participating in managing acute patients contributed positively too. Career pathways need to be flexible, to encourage especially those who want a better work-life balance to choose psychiatry as a speciality. It is important that the WPA, in conjunction with national associations, set up and maintain an international electives network to expose interested students to clinical, research and policy options, and support student psychiatric clubs and associations. National associations and medical schools should work together to offer medical students attachments to work with researchers and clinicians. The WPA needs to set up an online resource centre to bring stakeholders in recruitment together. Further work is required to explore differences within the same country across the various medical schools and to understand what influences decision making. It would be useful to repeat the study in a few years' time to explore if interventions put in place have borne fruit.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Lessons from the East Palo Alto Community Network

This paper reports the efforts of the East Palo Alto Community Network (“Community Network” for short) and the success of its two programs over the past three years. The first program, Technology Access Points (TAPs), conveniently locates centers in East Palo Alto where residents may access computers, the Internet, fax machines, and copiers. The second program, EPA.net, is an online resource center for the East Palo Alto Community that allows residents to post news articles and event information relevant to the city that often cannot be found anywhere else. The site also contains numerous other online resources for residents. Plugged In outlined four outcomes at the outset of this project to track the success of the Community Network Project:1) Increased Participation of Community Residents in Online Information and Idea Exchange, Leading to Increased Sense of Commitment to the Community.2) Increased Technology Skills and Use of Technology by Staff of Community Based Organizations, Leading to Increased Efficiency and Effectiveness.3) Increased Access to Relevant Information for Community Residents, Leading to Increased Ease in Utilizing Community Services.4) Increased Technology Skills for Community Residents, Leading to Greater Educational and Employment Opportunities.In general, all four outcome goals have been met. Quantitative and qualitative data suggests that both Community Network programs have led to an increase in the number of residents who participate in online information exchange and a subsequent increase in these residents’ sense of connection to the greater East Palo Alto community. Similar data also indicate that there has been an increase in technological skills and thus educational and employment opportunities for residents. Meanwhile, qualitative evidence indicates that the second and third outcome goals, increased technology skills for staff of community based organizations and increased efficiency and effectiveness in such organizations, as well as increased access to relevant information for residents, were also met through the TAPs and EPA.net programs.Our analysis has led us to make five recommendations for improvements in the Community Network project: more aggressive advertisement of EPA.net, stronger outreach to other CBO’s, promoting unused aspects of EPA.net, designating specified places and times for adults in TAPs, and design improvements to the layout of EPA.net. This paper is an adaptation of a report that was written for the Technology Opportunitiees Program (TOP) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, evaluating the Community Network’s use of TOP funding. The plan is to evolve the paper in an academic direction, and we would appreciate comments on relevant other projects to use for comparison. As a preliminary step in this direction, we have included a list of references at the end of the main body of this paper.

HPV—Beyond Cervical Cancer (Online Resource Center)

The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes more than 99% of all cervical cancers (see Am J Med Resource Center: http://supplements.amjmed.com/2011/HPV/). Exposure to HPV infections occurs in a high proportion of the overall population; however, 2 safe and effective vaccines, HPV2 and HPV4, are approved for the prevention of HPV-16 and HPV-18 infection, the most common causes of cervical cancer. Additionally, HPV4 prevents HPV-6 and HPV-11-related genital warts. While prevention of cervical cancer in women has been the initial aim of vaccination programs, it has now become apparent that HPV causes other types of cancer as well, including vulvar and vaginal cancers in women, penile cancer in men, and anal cancer in both sexes. Furthermore, these viruses have been implicated in head and neck cancers in both men and women as well. It is estimated that HPV-related cancers occur in 10,000 American males annually, suggesting that limiting vaccination programs to females may be underserving a significant proportion of the population. The efficacy of the 2 available vaccines against oncogenic HPV is more than 90% for both cervical and anal intraepithelial neoplasia. For those receiving the HPV4 vaccine, efficacy against genital warts is nearly 90%. Adverse effects are few and include episodes of syncope in the period immediately following vaccination. Benefits of vaccinating males include reduction in disease burden in men and enhanced herd immunity to reduce disease burden in women.

Origins and Development of the National Laboratory System for Public Health Testing

Although not recognized as such, a National Laboratory System (NLS) has existed since the inception of public health laboratory (PHL) testing more than a century ago. The NLS has always relied upon the participation of clinical laboratories, both to report test results that represent public health threats and to submit specimens and isolates to PHLs for additional or confirmatory testing. Historically, a number of factors have hindered the strengthening of the relationships between clinical laboratories and PHLs, but the reality of bioterrorism and subsequent focus on strengthening public-private relationships has stimulated the development of a more robust NLS. Since 2002, there has been substantial strengthening of the NLS through the sharing of lessons learned from several demonstration projects. There is a growing emphasis on defining critical elements of the NLS, including the State Public Health Laboratory System (SPH Laboratory System) and the functions of the Laboratory Program Advisor, a position that every state should have at the center of its laboratory system's capacity-building. Additional strengthening of the NLS is occurring through (1) national biennial measurement of state PHLs' abilities to meet the Core Functions and Capabilities of State PHLs, (2) the new Laboratory System Improvement Program (L-SIP) for the SPH Laboratory System, and (3) sharing ideas to integrate and improve the SPH Laboratory System (e.g., using the L-SIP Online Resource Center). Public health emergencies, such as the recent H1N1 epidemic, illustrate and reinforce the need for a strong NLS within which federal, public health, and clinical (i.e., hospital and private reference) laboratories function in close collaboration.

Higher Education

Aysha Divan has written a practical and solid guide for students intending to pursue a degree in the biosciences. There are other books out there, like The Chicago Guide to Landing a Job in Academic Biology, but these are more for the Ph.D. candidate looking for a bridge between student and faculty member. Communication Skills is intended for the graduate student practitioner, although an undergraduate would not go wrong in reading and rereading it.Divan is a faculty member and program coordinator at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Leeds University. Her research and program management background give her deep insight into what students need to do in order to become effective bioscientists: success with written, oral, and visual forms of communication. While the author presents checklists, strategies, and annotated examples to help avoid pitfalls, it quickly becomes obvious in reading this book that a career choice in the academic world of biosciences is not going to be pain-free. As higher-education science departments struggle to retain their science majors, having this book available to incoming students (undergraduate and graduate) might well serve both students and universities.Divan attempts to heighten the growing awareness among bioscientists that communication is crucial for funding and promotion success. Chapters 1 through 6 cover different kinds of scientific literature, how to search and retrieve literature, and how to read for understanding. All these are things that you would think graduate students can successfully do, but to our amazement, sometimes they cannot. The author makes it clear that graduate work is most often driven by group research and that “it is important that you learn the ground rules.” One of these rules is maintaining an experimental notebook. While there are many good web-based links given in each chapter, I did not find the experimental notebook link to the Genentech Center for the History of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology to be that useful. The Web site is clunky, and after 30 minutes of searching for James Watson's experimental notebook, I gave up.Chapter 3 is devoted to the idea of ethics in communication and includes copyrighting, proper sharing of data, and that subject of every professor's disdain, plagiarism. I feel that the section on plagiarism is the only part of the book that is noticeably weak. It assumes that students know what plagiarism looks like, in all of its forms, but many do not.Chapter 4 gives an excellent introduction to Web-based resources and how to use PubMed and the Web of Science. The author stresses how important it is to keep records of library searches and, more importantly, how to do it. Divan discusses using the SQR3 reading method to help provide focus for students who read scientific literature like a novel. By taking a reading and breaking it down into manageable questions, it improves how students read and review research.Chapters 7 through 12 discuss the different types of writing that graduate students are expected to do: prospectus, literature reviews, abstracts, and the thesis. As with other chapters, Divan offers detailed checklists that can be photocopied and used by students. For example, there is an extensive checklist for writing a research paper. If students were to actually review their work, making sure that all of the items on this particular checklist were checked off before turning in their research papers, there would be far less need for rewrites (and fewer rereads required of the instructor). There is also a link to Oxford University Publishing's Online Resource Centre to download checklists, figures from the book, and PowerPoint slides that can be adapted for a student's own use.Chapters 13 through 15 focus on why oral and poster presentations are important, how to design presentations for audience involvement, and networking face-to-face and online. I would only suggest providing more examples of good and bad PowerPoint slides. Saying “do not overload your slides with too much text or too many graphics, or both” is not as effective as showing. One other minor complaint is that the book is intended for British students. Some of the language is specific to British university students, but this is a minor quibble; much of what the author writes about applies to American university students as well.Overall, Divan has clearly used her experience working with bioscience students to write an organized strategy for communication success. The author's own communication skills, as evidenced by this guide, are exemplary. Communication Skills serves up a no-nonsense approach to bioscience research with the aim of conveying that graduate work in the biosciences is important, and it is important that it be done right.

Book Review: Staley, C. (2010). Focus on Community College Success. Boston: Wadsworth

Staley, C. (2010). Focus on Community College Success. Boston:DOI: 10.1177/0091552109337254Focus on Community College Success sets out to provide students with the tools to help them through the community college process and into their careers. The textbook style of this book brings the reader through 13 chapters of basic but vital skills ranging from getting the right start (chapter 1) to your future (chapter 13). Constance Staley, the author of Focus on Community College Success, skillfully integrates the knowledge she gained from more than 30 years of teaching into 13 case studies that give essential tools to aspiring and new community college students.Staley features diverse community college students in case studies that exemplify the real-world topics covered in each chapter. Each chapter is structured in a similar pattern, beginning with a list of objectives and then moving on to a readiness quiz (a short quiz that examines the reader's previous knowledge of the chapter content), an introduction to the students and the case study, questions about the case study, advice from the author on pertinent content contained in the chapter, and a reality check quiz (a short quiz that examines knowledge of the chapter content after it has been read). Chapters 1 through 5 explore issues related to starting on the community college path, setting goals, becoming aware of learning styles, managing time and energy, and thinking critically. Chapters 6 through 10 focus on developing technology skills and doing research; engaging, listening, and taking notes in class; developing memory; honing reading and study skills; and learning test-taking skills. Chapters 1 1 through 13 consider the processes of building relationships, choosing a major and career, and creating a future.Focus on Community College Success incorporates online resources and technology. Students are encouraged to download mp3 -format audio summaries of each chapter at a specific Web link provided at the end of the chapter. Throughout the text, students also are guided to an online resource center for online assessments, chapter practice quizzes, and video introductions to students featured in each chapter.The text covers many topics related to surviving the academic and personal aspects of attending college. Regarding academics, students are given guidance in understanding the course syllabus, studying for tests, and taking effective lecture notes. However, the text also includes topics that consider the student holistically, such as motivation and monitoring physical and spiritual health. Key topics designed for the young adult reader include fiscal responsibility, choosing a career path, and advice for noncompleters. Other topics relevant to a young adult authence include technological advances that shape students' college experiences (e.g., online social communities such as Facebook and appropriate management of text messaging).Current and prospective community college students are often first-generation students who may have difficulty finding the guidance and advice needed to feel engaged and successful in the community college environment (Horwedel, 2008; McConnell, 2000). Research has reported that 61% of students entering community colleges are first-generation students (Calkins, 2005). Increasing students' awareness of programs offered on campus opens opportunities for students to use the programs available to them. For example, students are often drawn to the community college mission of access and low cost, and they may benefit from programs such as financial aid and on-site daycare programs. But too often these students are unfamiliar with the process of obtaining assistance in these areas. Focus on Community College Success provides answers to frequently asked financial aid questions as well as contact information for the federal student aid information center. Moreover, the author illuminates how to obtain a free copy of the U. …

The Role of Disease Management in the Treatment and Prevention of Obesity with Associated Comorbidities

Nearly two thirds of the US population is overweight or obese and those numbers are climbing. Many organizations are beginning to recognize overweight and obesity as severe health threats and to acknowledge that treatment can serve as an important first step in addressing this epidemic. Through its Obesity with Co-morbidities Initiative, the Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) seeks to raise awareness and improve understanding of the role disease management (DM) can play in the treatment and management of obesity with comorbidities. Among the objectives of the Obesity with Co-morbidities Initiative was to develop standard definitions of obesity and obesity with comorbidities and to conduct qualitative research among key DM stakeholders. The first project undertaken and completed by the Obesity with Associated Co-morbidities Steering Committee and work group was to define the term "obesity" for consistent usage within the DM community for the purposes of population-based interventions. As part of this initiative, DMAA partnered with Synovate, a global market research firm, to conduct focus groups and in-depth interviews in order to collect qualitative data on attitudes and practices related to obesity treatment and coverage among key industry stakeholders, including health plans, disease management organizations, employers, and the business community. The findings indicated that obesity was widely recognized as a serious issue, but there remained varying opinions regarding responsibility, health and productivity costs, coverage, and best treatment methods among the participants. DMAA will continue this initiative through 2007 and will continue to develop a knowledge base of obesity guidelines and management practices, create valuable tools and resources including an online resource center, and facilitate partnerships with other organizations involved in the management and prevention of obesity.

Oncology (2nd edn)

The field of Oncology contributes to many medical and surgical specialities, and is also a highly specialised field in its own right. Despite appearing extensively throughout the preclinical and clinical medical course, oncology can be a daunting subject for medical undergraduates. Teaching of the subject can be spread throughout their training, and the student has to draw together these various components of the subject. Text books written on the subject are largely aimed at post-graduate level, making challenging reading for people approaching the field for the first time. Oncology (second edition) by Max Watson, Ann Barrett, Roy Spence, and Chris Twelves is a text book written with the aim of providing concise and updated knowledge of adult medical and clinical oncology for undergraduate medical students, junior doctors, general practitioners, as well as hospital staff working in the care and treatment of patients with cancer. The nineteen chapters of this text book cover an extensive array of subjects within oncology, drawing on the authors' expertise in the fields of palliative medicine, surgery, as well as clinical and medical oncology. The general structure of the text consists of a bullet-point format, highlighted text boxes emphasising ‘key facts', ‘future possibilities' and a summary at the end of every chapter. References are also given for further reading. Additionally, ‘stop and think' and ‘test yourself' sections within the chapters have been aimed at challenging students' knowledge and posing ethical and clinical decisions that occur in oncology, although not all of these sections I found were particularly useful. The initial chapters of this book are devoted to cancer epidemiology and pathogenesis, as well as a general introduction to the clinical aspects of oncology, which include chapters on diagnosis and treatment. A particularly useful inclusion in these chapters is the explanation of various national cancer screening programmes in the UK. The chapter on cancer pathogenesis, however, is too brief and should have, perhaps, included more information on cancer biology, such as explanations of oncogenes and tumour-suppressor genes. Separate chapters have been dedicated to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which explain very well the mechanisms behind these therapies, their clinical indications and side effects. The chapter on chemotherapy and biological therapies includes useful tables summarising clinical information on the chemotherapy drugs, as well as explanations of the newer cancer therapies, such as the small-molecule inhibitory drugs and the monoclonal antibody therapies. The brief chapter on oncological surgery is a good addition as surgical interventions in diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients both in the curative and palliative setting is not always explained in oncology text books. A chapter on communicating with cancer patients has also been included, which gives important points and strategies to clinicians related to breaking the bad news to patients. The remaining chapters of the book are dedicated to various cancers with in-depth chapters dedicated to the common cancers: lung, colon and breast. More general chapters cover the gynaecological, upper gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers. Also included are chapters on tumours of the central nervous system, skin, and head and neck, as well as sarcomas. Haematological malignancies have also been well explained, in a devoted chapter. These chapters gives a good background knowledge to each of the tumours, in addition to explaining its natural history, patient signs and symptoms, diagnosis and current treatment modalities. Simplified-staging systems for the cancers have also been included and are given in a table format. The management of clinical problems related to specific cancers, such as paraneoplastic effects, are addressed, and a small chapter at the end of the text book also covers emergencies general oncological. For many of the described cancers, a typical case history of a patient has also been included to set the information given about the cancer in a clinical context. These chapters devoted to the individual cancers follow the same concise format as seen in the introductory chapters to the text book and provide enough information to the readers that this text book is aimed at. Generally, the chapters cover many of the cancers that medical students are expected to have knowledge of. However, the subject of cancers occurring in immunosuppressed patients has not been discussed and would have been a useful additional chapter. I also felt that the chapters sometimes lack illustrations, especially of clinical signs. The Online Resource Centre that accompanies this book offers case studies and multiple-choice questions on lung, colorectal, breast, ovarian and prostate cancers, however these additional resources do not add much to the information in the text book. Overall, I thought that this was a well-planned and written text book that successfully covers a broad range of cancers and relevant topics in oncology in concise, but sufficient detail, for its intended readers and would be a very useful guide to the clinical aspects of Oncology.

Websites of note

Websites of note

Trade-Offs of Using Adjuncts

Today's department chairs are attempting to “do more with less,” in response to budget cuts, disappearing faculty lines, legislators and administrators who think faculty have it too easy, and an increasingly diverse student population which wants classes offered at non-traditional times. In such times, hiring adjunct professors to help cope seems to be the best way to respond to these demands. Too often, though, the crunch of time does not allow for careful weighing of the advantages and disadvantages of hiring adjuncts. In this article, I lay out some of the tradeoffs of the apparently simple act of finding “someone to cover the course.” Concerns about the tradeoffs in the use of part-time and adjunct faculty are not new to the American Political Science Association. In 1997, APSA was one of 10 academic associations that accepted the invitation of the American Historical Association to convene in Washington, D.C., to discuss the “growing use of part-time and adjunct faculty.” In my comments, I will rely heavily upon their articulation of the tradeoffs of using adjuncts as well as the Department Chair Online Resource Center sponsored by the American Council on Education. [Note: APSA has subsequently joined with other associations to form the Coalition on the Academic Workforce (CAW) to explore issues related to academic employment of adjuncts. See www.academicworkforce.org].

Driving the E­Type initiative as the ALL Species Project picks up speed

As its ultimate goal the ALL Species Foundation aims to produce an electronic Encyclopaedia of Life, by making all biodiversity data accessible through freely sharing information, knowledge and technology. One of the first five-year thrusts on which the ALL Species Project (ALL) (Smith & Klopper, 2002) is embarking, is the so-called E-Type Initiative (ETI). The principal goal of the ETI is to reproduce the largest number of primary type specimens on the world wide web (www), through a decentralised network of electronic nodes, in the most cost-effective way and in the shortest time frame. Another crucial aspect of the ETI is the digitisation of accompanying original descriptions for the WWW, whenever possible. As part of contributions to bridging the divide that exists between developed and developing worlds, the building of capacity and repatriation of data to countries of source will form integral components of the ETI. The specific minimal target will be to image at least 50% of the primary biological type specimens in the next five years and to make all the images easily and freely available. This will be achieved through: * Identifying individual and collective incentives and benefits for participating institutions; * Developing an active knowledge network of collaborators; * Developing an on-line resource centre of best practices, methodologies, guidelines and tools; * Developing white paper(s) on the economic and scientific value of e-types; and by * Leveraging these white papers to generate funding for imaging and training. To achieve the target of imaging 50% of all primary types of widely accepted taxa, about 850,000 entities in all, the ETI has enlisted the support of those organisations with the largest number of type specimens and will emphasise first those taxa for which it is easiest to produce images. To gain initial momentum and thereby ensure measurable success, it was decided to concentrate first on preserved collections held by herbaria (http://www.all-species.org). In addition, ancillary data pages such as protologues and descriptions will also be linked to the images simultaneously or successively. Over the years the complexities of type specimens, the type method and typification in general as applied to botany have generated a considerable amount of scientific discussion (see for example Smith & Van Wyk, 1995, and references therein). This has resulted in an almost inordinate body of text allocated to this methodology, scattered in various sections of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) (Greuter & al., 2000). Without attempting to repeat it here verbatim, it warrants mention that types (that is physical specimens) are intended to fix the names of plants. Why digitise and create access to type specimens first, especially since we know that the quality of at least some leaves much to be desired (Burgoyne & Smith, 1998; Smith, 1990)? The answer lies in that most, if not all, taxonomic endeavour strongly relies on availability of type specimens for fixing existing or assigning new names to taxa. It is one of the cornerstones that, broadly speaking, taxonomists use to describe (or not describe) diversity. Digitisation is another important step towards creating electronic information pages on all taxa (for example for identification purposes), and it will limit (although not entirely prevent) the handling of sometimes very fragile historically important specimens. (Many other advantages of having digitised types easily accessible have been sent to etype@all-species.org by various participants in the debate.) It is often argued that type specimens are not necessarily the most representative of the morphology of a particular taxon-so why bother with types? It seems prudent to start with those specimens that create the link between the name (nomenclature) and the biology of a taxon. In time, additional specimens more adequately reflecting the morphological and distributional variation in a taxon could be added to the suite of specimens available electronically. However, although time-consuming to mask, sensitive distributional information on the type (and other) specimens of certain popular groups, such as orchids and cycads, should perhaps be deliberately obscured from mischievous views.

Transforming Learning Support: An Online Resource Centre for a Diverse Student Population

The diverse student population at large multi-campus universities requires English language and academic skills support which is targeted to their needs and easily accessible. The Online Student Resource Centre website, developed at Monash University, provides opportunities for students, no matter where they are, to make contact with staff and to access information, but more significantly offers a suite of stand-alone tutorials and downloadable resources, using NetObjects Fusion as the platform. These derive from some 100 print booklets covering academic writing, reading, listening, speaking, grammar and study skills/exam strategies. This paper outlines the process and philosophy of development of these tutorials, based on a constructivist framework, with guided and self-directed learning paths designed to accommodate a range of learning styles. Two tutorials are analysed to highlight some of the pedagogical challenges in translating print resources for the online environment. The paper concludes by reporting on a pilot evaluation of the two tutorials. Transformation d’un support d’enseignement: un centre de ressources en ligne pour une population variée d’étudiants. Les populations trés variées d’étudiants dans les grand campus multiples de certaines universités exigent une langue anglaise et des compétences académiques adaptés À leurs besoins et facilement accessible. Le centre de ressources en ligne pour les étudiants grÂce au site web, mis au point À Monash University fournit aux étudiants, où qu’ils soient, des occasions de contacts avec les enseignants et d’accès À l’information, mais de facon plus significative, offre une série d’actions de tuteurs alors que les étudiants sont seuls et de ressources que l’on peut télécharger utilisant la fusion d’objet du Net comme platforme. Ceux ci sont extraits d’une centaine de livrets imprimés concernant l’écriture, la lecture, l’écoute, la parole, la grammaire et les compétences pour les études et les stratégies des examens. L’article donne les grandes lignes et la philosophie du développement de ces exercices de tutorat, basés sur un cadre constructiviste comportant des cheminements d’apprentissage guidés et dirigés par les étudiants pour faire face À toute une série de styles d’apprentissages. On analyse 2 exercices de tutorat pour mettre en valeur certaines challenges pédagogiques en traduisant des ressources imprimés pour un environnement on ligne. L’article se termine par le rapport d’une évaluation pilote de ces 2 exercices. Veränderte Lernhilfen: Ein Online Resource Centre für unterschiedliche Studentengruppen. Unterschiedliche Studentengruppen an grossen Campus Universitäten benötigen Unterstützung in der englischen Sprache und bei der Verbesserung der akademischen Fähigkeiten, die auf ihre Bedürfnisse zugeschnitten und einfach zugänglich ist. Das Online Student Resource Centre, das auf der Webseite von der Monash Universität entwickelt wurde, bietet den Studenten Gelegenheit, unabhängig von ihrem Wohnort, sich mit den Lehrern in Verbindung zu setzen und Informationen abzurufen, aber darüber hinaus bietet es ein Forum für Tutorials and kopierfähiges Informationsmaterial unter Anwendung von NetObjects Fusion als Plattform. Dieses Unterstützungsmaterial stammt von 100 gedruckten Büchern über die Disziplinen, wissenschaftliches Schreiben, Lesen, Hören, Sprechen, Grammatik und Lernfähigkeiten /Prüfungsstrategien. Dieser Artikel beschreibt den Prozess und die Philosophie, die der Entwicklung dieser Tutorials zugrunde liegen und auf einem ausbaufähigen System basieren und mit vorgegebenen und selbst bestimmten Lernpfaden so angelegt sind, dass sie mehrere Lernstile berücksichtigen. Zwei Tutorials werden analysiert um an ihnen einige der pädagogischen Herausforderungen zu verdeutlichen, die bei der übertragung von gedrucktem Material in das online Lernfeld entstehen. Der Artikel endet mit einem Bericht über die Pilot Evaluierung dieser beiden Tutorials.

EGovernment in Victoria ‐ evolution of a resource centre

In 1995 the Victorian Government set an ambitious target to have all suitable government services online by the end of 2001. A knowledge management process was put in place to share government online learnings as they evolved. One of the outputs of this knowledge management process was the Government Online Resource Centre ‐ a web based repository made available to the Victorian Public Sector on the Victorian Government Intranet. This resource was subsequently published on the Internet in December 2000. In March 2002, the Victorian Government launched ‘Putting People at the Centre’ ‐ the Victorian Government's eGovernment vision. The Resource Centre was relaunched as the eGovernment Resource Centre. Governments and organisations worldwide are now actively seeking out this website to promote their eGovernment programmes.

Trial Period Extended for Online Resource Center

Anthropology NewsVolume 41, Issue 2 p. 15-15 Trial Period Extended for Online Resource Center First published: 07 July 2009 https://doi.org/10.1111/an.2000.41.2.15.1AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume41, Issue2February 2000Pages 15-15 RelatedInformation

The Economics of the Welfare State.

conomics of the Welfare State discusses the different parts of the welfare system,in particular, cash benefits, the health service and education. The text argues that the welfare state exists not just to help the underprivileged, but also for efficiency reasons in areas where private markets would be inefficient or would not exist at all. The book has a separate chapter on the economics of higher education and it contains increased references to developments in the EU. Also included are a number of largely forward looking topics: - extended discussion of insurance to cover disability and long-term care - challenges to the welfare state including demographic change, globalization, changes in family structure and changes in the structure of jobs - debates about the welfare state Suitable for students of both economics related disciplines, the book encourages greater accessibility for students and contains a non-technical appendix in every chapter, diagrams, additional readings, worked examples and end of chapter discussion questions. ONLINE RESOURCE CENTRE Includes PowerPoint slides, web links and further reading.