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Three littlepPigs in a Sandwich: towards characteristics of a Sandwiched 5 storytelling-based Tangible System for Chinese Primary School English
No full textWork towards identifying characteristics of sandwich storytelling based tangible systems for Chinese Primary School English instruction starts with principles determined for Chinese primary school children when learning English. These principles are considered in the context of sandwiched storytelling. A review of a number of tangible projects for education presents the scope of tangible systems as they are applied in education. These lead to emerging themes, such as scale, that determine constraints on interaction design. A snippet from the traditional story the Three Little Pigs is used to reflect on characteristics of the design and implementation of this tangible system
In vitro vitamin K2 and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 combination enhances osteoblasts anabolism of diabetic mice
No full textIn this study, we evaluated the anabolic effect and the underlying cellular mechanisms involved of vitamin K2 (10 nM) and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) (10 nM), alone and in combination, on primary osteoblasts harvested from the iliac crests of C57BL/KsJ lean (+/+) and obese/diabetic (db/db) mice. A lower alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity plus a reduced expression of bone anabolic markers and bone formation transcription factors (osteocalcin, Runx2, Dlx5, ATF4 and OSX) were consistently detected in osteoblasts of db/db mice compared to lean mice. A significantly higher calcium deposits formation in osteoblasts was observed in lean mice when compared to db/db mice. Co-administration of vitamin K2 (10 nM) and 1,25(OH)2D3 (10 nM) caused an enhancement of calcium deposits in osteoblasts in both strains of mice. Vitamins K2 and 1,25(OH)2D3 co-administration time-dependently (7, 14 and 21 days) increased the levels of bone anabolic markers and bone formation transcription factors, with a greater magnitude of increase observed in osteoblasts of db/db mice. Combined vitamins K2 plus 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment significantly enhanced migration and the re-appearance of surface microvilli and ruffles of osteoblasts of db/db mice. Thus, our results illustrate that vitamins K2 plus D3 combination could be a novel therapeutic strategy in treating diabetes-associated osteoporosis
Enhancing content and language integrated learning in post-secondary vocational education
No full textBackground: As the Final Report of the Language Education Review highlights, students\u27 low level of English proficiency seriously affects learning in Hong Kong\u27s tertiary institutions and hinders students\u27 potential to fully benefit from English-medium education. This problem is especially serious in self-funded degree programmes, as the students admitted onto these programmes very rarely have scores above 3 on the DSE examinations. This paper reports on a pilot study conducted at THEi aimed at combining Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and IT innovation to support cognitive and linguistic scaffolding through blended learning.
Methods: The potential benefits of this pedagogical innovation are illustrated in the context of a Year 1 General Education Core Module, The Human Spirit. We investigated learner engagement and the attitudes of teachers and students towards CLIL and blended learning, based on participant observation, Web analytics and survey data [1]. Lectures and tutorials on the human spirit were observed before and during the implementation of CLIL through blended learning, and tutor and student views regarding delivery modes and learning styles were collected during informal discussions throughout the course [2]. Student presentations given in the tutorials, which followed the blended learning component, were also recorded for further study [3]. Google Analytics was used to assess user engagement in e-learning both quantitatively and qualitatively, as the students\u27 work was stored in the system [4]. Forty students selected from among those who were most actively engaged in blended learning were surveyed to explore their perceptions of whether blended learning was more time consuming and more effective than traditional lectures and tutorials.
Results: As the teachers\u27 perceptions of key components of blended learning, such as flipping classes, proved to be ambivalent during the course of the project, blended learning was eventually made optional alongside the traditional delivery mode of lectures and tutorials. Student engagement in blended learning varied from group to group, as reflected in the number of page views and the activities engaged in. Nearly 60% of the students used some form of blended learning and almost 40% tried both the reading and the listening component. The listening component proved to be slightly more popular and was also considered more useful than the reading component, as reflected in the level of user engagement and in a perception survey conducted at the end of the project. More than half of the students expressed that blended learning improved their comprehension of the subject, helped them to develop language proficiency and eased their workload. However, when asked to choose between blended learning and traditional learning, only about half of the respondents preferred this novel delivery mode and over a third remained non-committal.
Conclusions: The results of this pilot project indicate that using blended learning in combination with CLIL may be effective, but factors such as pedagogical constraints, learner motivation and teacher/student attitudes and agendas must be carefully considered for pedagogical innovation to succeed
L2 Cantonese pragmatic development of Pakistani pre-school children in Hong Kong
No full textWorks by Berman & Slobin (1994), Ninio &Snow (1996) and Blum-Kulka & Snow (2002), Rose (2000 &2009) and Achiba (2003) have suggested that the study of pragmatic development, for example, request forms used by children will provide important information on the discourse abilities of children. Many of the previous studies were done in English speaking contexts where English was learnt by the target children as L1 or L2. Not much research on L2 Cantonese pragmatic development of preschool children has been conducted. In this presentation, we reported some significant findings of a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of L2 Cantonese request development of 90 Pakistani children (aged 3-5 and 30 in each group) who studied in mainstream kindergartens in Hong Kong*. Data were collected through role play between the researcher and the target children. The L2 Cantonese pragmatic development of the Pakistani participants were observed by comparing data collected in times 1 and 2; with a time gap of six months. Data were coded and analyzed by making reference to Blum-Kulka and her associates in the Cross Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (CCSARP). Results showed that (i) less than 5% of the youngest group (aged 3) could speak very little Cantonese when they first entered Cantonese medium kindergartens in Hong Kong; (ii) a variety of request strategies emerged from these children after six months (data in time 2), and their pattern of development of Cantonese request strategies was very similar to that of the older Pakistani children (aged 4 in time 1) and Cantonese-speaking peers (aged 3 in time 1); and (iii) social variables such as familiarity and imposition have influenced the use of request forms by the participants. These findings will be further discussed in relation to works on pragmatics and second language development of young children
A comparative curricular inquiry of teacher education programs of Chinese as a foreign language in China and Australia
No full textAdsorption removal of amantadine in reclaimed water at trace level by carbonaceous materials
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Deletion of Candida albicans PHO112 reduces phytase activity, hyphal development, and attenuates virulence
No full textObjective: To investigate the functional roles of PHO112 in Candida albicans phytase activity, hyphal development, and virulence. Methods: C. albicans PHO112 null mutants were created by a PCR-based gene targeting method using gene-specific primers. C. albicans PHO112 reintegrants were created by transforming the full length PHO112 gene into the C. albicans PHO112 null mutants. Phytase activity in C. albicans PHO112 null mutants was determined by quantifying the amount of released inorganic phosphate from sodium phytate using ammonium molybdate. The ability to form hyphae was evaluated in YPD medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum at 37oC (hyphal-inducing conditions). Adhesion to buccal epithelial cells (BECs) was evaluated by counting the number of attached fungal cells to Gram’s stained BECs under light microscope. Fungal pathogenicity was determined using reconstituted oral human epithelial (ROHE) tissues, and histological changes of the tissues were observed under light microscope after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. Results: C. albicans PHO112 null mutants were created and verified by PCR and genomic Southern hybridization. C. albicans PHO112 null mutants exhibited the following phenotypic properties (P \u3c 0.05) with respect to the wild type counterparts: (1) a reduction of ~25% of phytase activity; (2) a reduction of ~22% of hyphal growth under hyphal-inducing conditions; (3) a reduction of ~22% of adhesion to BECs; and (4) an inability to infect ROHE tissues. Conclusions: The collective data of the present study suggest that C. albicans PHO112 contributes to phytase activity, hyphal development, and fungal virulence. The ability to inhibit the novel virulence trait may provide another antifungal strategy in the fight against this common human fungal pathogen in clinical settings