105 research outputs found
Relationship between language learning strategy use and language proficiency among students in Malaysian independent Chinese secondary schools
No full textLiterature on language learning strategy use indicates that high and low proficiency language learners use strategies differently and that these differences are related to
differences in their language proficiency. However, to date, no study has been done in the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (MICSS) to examine the
relationship between language learning strategy use and language proficiency. The current study is timely and relevant as it examined the language learning strategies
employed by high and low language proficiency students, as well as the relationship between language learning strategy use and language proficiency.
The participants in this study were 517 Senior One MICSS students selected based on cluster sampling. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) questionnaire developed by Oxford (1990) was used to elicit data on language learning strategies. The SILL questionnaire consisted of six groups: Memory,Cognitive, Compensation, Metacognitive, Affective and Social. The SILL questionnaire was translated into Chinese language using the parallel translation method so that low English language proficiency students understand the content of the questionnaire. Language proficiency was determined using the Junior level
Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) English language test. In order to find the answers for the differences of strategy group and specific strategies employed by high and low language proficiency students, the mean scores of the six groups of strategies and the mean scores of the 50 specific strategies were first examined and then compared between high and low language proficiency groups by using
Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Furthermore, in order to examine the relationship between language learning strategy use and language proficiency of high and low language proficiency students, the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method was used. A two-step approach proposed by Anderson and Gerbing (1998) was used to construct the measurement and structural models. The structural models were also compared using the multi-group analysis.
The results of the study show that high language proficiency student employed the six strategy groups significantly more frequent than the low language proficiency students. The study also found that high language proficiency students employed a wide range of strategies in their learning of English. While the rank order of the strategy group use did not differ much between the two groups, high language proficiency students often used the specific strategies listed in the SILL questionnaire significantly more frequent than low language proficiency students. The SEM results showed that while language learning strategies consist of six groups, the MICSS students combined four groups of strategies when learning English. The combination of Memory, Cognitive, Metacognitive and Social strategy use contributed
significantly highly to the Grammar performance of low language proficiency students. However, the use of Compensation strategies brought significant moderate
adverse effects on the Grammar performance of low language proficiency students. SEM results also showed that the contribution of the combination of Memory,Cognitive, Metacognitive and Social strategy use to Grammar performance of low language proficiency students was significantly higher than high language proficiency students
Towards a comprehensive model of English as a second language learning and teaching in the Malaysian independent Chinese secondary schools
No full textLow English proficiency among secondary school students is a major concern in Malaysia, especially in the context of the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools since Malaysian students who have spent eleven to thirteen years studying the English language are still not able to master it upon completing secondary schooling. In addition, a significant number of Malaysian graduates are unemployed, and even those who are employed receive complaints from the employers due to their limited English proficiency. It is argued that student-, teacher- and school-level factors may impact on students’ English proficiency. A significant amount of research related to these factors has been conducted, ranging from finding universal trends to identifying differences. These studies have examined the relationships between students’ characteristics, attitudes and motivation, anxiety and self-efficacy as well as conceptions of and approaches to learning; teachers’ characteristics and approaches to teaching; as well as schools’ demographic variables such as instructional time, student-teacher ratio, resources and facilities as well as curriculum and assessment. Researchers have shown that these factors may impact on students’ English proficiency in a single-level model. However, numerous scholars have also argued that these factors may interact with each other and thus focussing on just a single level may not be sufficient to explain the complexity of English language learning and teaching. In addition, limited research has been conducted in the Malaysian context, especially in the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools. This research study examines the student-, teacher- and school-level factors, their interrelationships and their impact on students’ English as a second language proficiency. A quantitative research design was used including questionnaires and assessment checklist to collect data from the respondents. The respondents in this study involved the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools located at the urban areas in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak and Penang, the Senior 1 English language teachers, and all Senior 1 students who were taught by these teachers. A number of scales and demographic items related to student-, teacher- and school-level factors were administered for the purpose of this study. All scales except the demographic items employed in this study were validated, calibrated and verified using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Rasch Analysis. In addition, as many teachers or raters from different schools and classes were involved in rating students’ English language proficiency, their scores were adjusted by modelling rater judgement through the many facets Rasch analysis. The raw scores obtained from the responses in all scales were anchored to obtain the Weighted Likelihood Estimates for use in subsequent analyses which included the analyses for the student- and teacher-level models as well as the hierarchical linear model. The Structural Equation Modelling approach was employed to examine the student- and teacher-level models. For the student-level model, all scales or variables and demographic items were examined with regards to their interrelationships and how they influenced students’ English language proficiency. For the teacher-level model, the interrelationships of the variables and demographic items were examined. In addition, as data collected were of a hierarchical structure, the relationships among the nested variables in school-, teacher- and student-levels, how these variables influenced students’ English language proficiency, and the cross-level interactions of these variables were examined in the hierarchical linear model. Results of the analyses show that student-, teacher- and school-level variables influence students’ English language proficiency. A significant finding from this study is that students’ motivation, attentiveness in class, the use of deep and surface learning approaches as well as the student-focused teaching approaches and the number of students in schools directly influence students’ English language proficiency. The findings further indicate that students who have higher levels of motivation and attentiveness as well as who use deep learning approaches more tend to have higher English proficiency levels. On the other hand, students who use surface learning approaches more tend to have lower English proficiency levels. The findings also indicate that the more teachers use student-focused teaching approaches and the more students schools have, the more likely students achieve at a higher level in English. Furthermore, while the number of story books in the library moderates the effect of students’ attentiveness on their English proficiency negatively, the emphasis in reading skills moderates positively the effect of student-focused teaching approaches on students’ English proficiency. In addition, teachers’ formal professional development activities positively moderate the effect of students’ motivation on students’ English proficiency. Moreover, multiple interrelationships among the student-level variables are identified in the student-level model. Although not as complicated as the student-level model, the results from the teacher-level model also indicate the interrelationships among the teacher-level variables. Thus, the results of this study support the idea that student-, teacher- and school-level factors interact with each other and impact on students’ English language proficiency. This research is particularly meaningful with regards to its contribution to the theoretical, practical and methodological implications in the English language learning and teaching. These findings suggest new courses of action for designing a suitable curriculum for English learners, strategies for teaching and improving teaching skills as well as a better environment for the learning and teaching of English in the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools. The student-, teacher- and school-level factors need to be taken into considerations when one aims to improve students’ English language proficiency.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Education, 2016
Generative Artificial Intelligence in Tertiary Education: Assessment Redesign Principles and Considerations
No full textThe emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT has sparked significant assessment concerns within tertiary education. Assessment concerns have largely revolved around academic integrity issues among students, such as plagiarism and cheating. Nonetheless, it is also critical to consider that generative AI models trained on information retrieved from the Internet could produce biased and discriminatory outputs, and hallucination issues in large language models upon which generative AI acts provide made-up and untruthful outputs. This article considers the affordances and challenges of generative AI specific to assessments within tertiary education. It illustrates considerations for assessment redesign with the existence of generative AI and proposes the Against, Avoid and Adopt (AAA) principle to rethink and redesign assessments. It argues that more generative AI tools will emerge exponentially, and hence, engaging in an arms race against generative AI and policing the use of these technologies may not address the fundamental issues in assessments
Modeling Missed Care: Implications for Evidence‐Based Practice
No full textBackground: There is a growing nursing literature that views missed care as an inevitable consequence of work intensification associated with the rationing of nursing and material resources available to deliver care. Global studies recognize that missed care is now ubiquitous, although studies tend to be conducted in one region, rather than nationwide. This study seeks to understand the Australian context of missed care. Aims: To explore self-reported reasons for missed care and to identify the main factors for predicting missed care within a sample of Australian nurses and midwives working in public and private hospitals in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. Methods: A nonexperimental, descriptive method using Kalisch's (2006) MISSCARE survey was used. Responses from 1,195 nursing and midwifery staff with differing qualifications, English language skills, and Australian employment settings were analyzed using Rasch analysis and then modeled using the Structural Equation Modeling. Results: The frequency of missed care on the morning shift directly impacted on higher priority care missed during the afternoon shift. Staff skill mix imbalances and perceived inadequacy of staff numbers for the work demands further exacerbated all aspects of care during afternoon shifts. Other major factors associated with missed care were the different clinical work settings and staff to patient ratios. Linking Evidence to Action: The incidences, types, and reasons behind missed care are a multidimensional construct which can be predicted when known significant factors behind missed care are simultaneously accounted for.Ian Blackman, Che Yee Lye, I Gusti Ngurah Darmawan, Julie Henderson, Tracey Giles, Eileen Willis, Luisa Toffoli, Lily Xiao, Claire Verral
A psychometric evaluation of an item bank for an English readingcomprehension tool using Rasch analysis
No full textThis study reports the psychometric evaluation of an item bank for an Assessment for Learning (AfL) tool to assess primary school students’ reading comprehension skills. A pool of 46 primary 1 to 6 reading passages and their accompanying 522 multiple choice and short answer items were developed based on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment framework. They were field-tested at 27 schools in Singapore involving 9834 students aged between 7 and 13. Four main com- prehension processes outlined in PIRLS were assessed: focusing on and retrieving ex- plicitly stated information, making straightforward inferences, interpreting and inte- grating ideas and information, and evaluating and critiquing content and textual ele- ments. Rasch analysis was employed to examine students’ item response patterns for (1) model and item fit; (2) differential item functioning (DIF) about gender and test platform used; (3) local item dependence (LID) within and amongst reading passages; and (4) distractor issues about options within the multiple-choice-type items. Results showed that the data adequately fit the unidimensional Rasch model across all test levels with good internal consistency. Psychometric issues found amongst items were primarily related to ill-functioning distractors and local dependence on items. Problem- atic items identified were reviewed and subsequently amended by a panel of assess- ment professionals for future recalibration. This psychometrically and theoretically sound item bank is envisaged to be valuable to developing comprehensive classroom AfL tools that provide information for the English reading comprehension instruc- tional design in the Singaporean context
Personalised Professional Development in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
No full textDespite the affordances of professional development (PD) in teaching and learning in facilitating quality teaching and contributing to students’ learning outcomes, there is merit in exploring educators’ needs by enabling conditions to further develop their existing knowledge and practices. In fact, it is vital that PD in teaching and learning in higher education (HE) actively engages and meets instructor individual needs. This paper explores PD within the HE context and identifies corresponding categories common and in relation to quality teaching. Based on the review, most PD in teaching and learning could be identified within one of four categories that contribute to quality teaching: (1) assessment approaches; (2) instructional approaches; (3) communication and delivery approaches; and (4) affective responses. Equally important, instructor agency should be supported by encouraging instructors to identify and manage their PD needs via validated measures, which this review found lacking within the literature. With the expectation that such a measure would provide insights into the refinements of current PD in teaching and learning provisions, and enable HE institutions to facilitate PD in teaching and learning to better meet and fulfil instructor individual needs, it is recommended that such a measure be developed and deployed to identify instructors’ needs
Publication productivity of Malaysian researchers in the field of Computer Science and Information Technology
No full textSearches made in the CD-ROM databases, COMPENDEX (1987-1999), IEL (IEE/IEEE Electronic Library) (1988-1999) and INSPEC (1990-1998) revealed a total of 389 publications contributed by Malaysian researchers in the field of computer science and information technology. The trend in output indicates rapid growth that is expected to continue in future. A total of 458 unique Malaysian authors contributed to the 389 publications. Collaboration between two authors was the dominant authorship pattern. Single-authored or more than 3-authored works were rare. The active authors were affiliated to a few institutions, with the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Malaya accounting for the highest number of publications, either in the form of journalarticles or papers in conference proceedings. The most active research areas include simulation system, control engineering, computer-assisted instruction, programming techniques, expert systems, asynchronous transfer mode, image processing, software engineering and digital signal processing and applications
A water-soluble ruthenium glycosylated porphyrin catalyst for carbenoid transfer reactions in aqueous media with applications in bioconjugation reactions
No full textWater-soluble [RuII(4-Glc-TPP)(CO)] (1, 4-Glc-TPP ) = meso-tetrakis(4-(β-D-glucosyl)phenyl)porphyrinato dianion) is an active catalyst for the following carbenoid transfer reactions in aqueous media with good selectivities and up to 100% conversions: intermolecular cyclopropanation of styrenes (up to 76% yield), intramolecular cyclopropanation of an allylic diazoacetate (68% yield), intramolecular ammonium/ sulfonium ylide formation/[2,3]-sigmatroptic rearrangement reactions (up to 91% yield), and intermolecular carbenoid insertion into N-H bonds of primary arylamines (up to 83% yield). This ruthenium glycosylated porphyrin complex can selectively catalyze alkylation of the N-terminus of peptides (8 examples) and mediate N-terminal modification of proteins (four examples) using a fluorescent-tethered diazo compound (15). A fluorescent group was conjugated to ubiquitin via 1-catalyzed alkene cyclopropanation with 15 in aqueous solution in two steps: (1) incorporation of an alkenic group by the reaction of N-hydroxysuccinimide ester 19 with ubiquitin and (2) cyclopropanation of the alkene-tethered Lys 6 ubiquitin (23) with the fluorescentlabeled diazoacetate 15 in the presence of a catalytic amount of 1. The corresponding cyclopropanation product (24) was obtained with -55% conversion based on MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The products 23, 24, and the N-terminal modified peptides and proteins were characterized by LC-MS/MS and/or SDS-PAGE analyses. © 2010 American Chemical Society.link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Increasing antiviral treatment uptake improves survival in patients with HBV-related HCC
No full textBackground & Aims: Antiviral treatment is known to improve survival in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet, the treatment uptake in CHB patients remains low. We aimed to report the secular trend in antiviral treatment uptake from 2007-2017, and to compare the effect of different nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) initiation times (before vs. after HCC diagnosis) on survival. Methods: A 3-month landmark analysis was used to compare overall survival in patients not receiving NA treatment (i.e. no NA), patients receiving NAs after their first HCC treatment (i.e. post-HCC NA), and patients receiving NAs <= 3 months before their first HCC treatment (i.e. pre-HCC NA). A propensity score-weighted Cox proportional hazards model was used to balance clinical characteristics between the 3 groups and to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Results: The uptake of antiviral treatment in HCC patients increased from 47.3% in 2007 to 98.3% in 2017. The pre-HCC NA group contributed mostly to the uptake rate, which increased from 72.7% to 96.0% in the past decade. In addition, 3,843 CHB patients (407 no NA; 2,932 pre-HCC NA; 504 post-HCC NA) with HCC, receiving at least 1 type of HCC treatment, were included in the analysis. Lack of NA treatment at the time of HCC diagnosis increased the risk of death (weighted HR 3.05; 95% CI 2.70-3.44; p<0.001). The impact of the timing of NA treatment was insignificant (weighted HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.78-1.04; p = 0.161). Conclusions: The uptake of antiviral treatment in HCC patients increased over the past decade. NA treatment, regardless of whether it was initiated before or after HCC diagnosis, improved survival. It is never too late to initiate NA treatment, even after HCC diagnosis. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).ope
Travelling music: the madrigal Morir non può 'l mio core by Giovanni Battista Nanino and its textual and musical transformations
No full textAmong Giovanni Maria Nanino’s compositions, the madrigal Morir non può ’l mio core (text possibly by Benedetto Pannini), published for the first time in his first book of madrigals (editio princeps lost, first surviving reprint Venice 1579) and followed by a reply by the author himself (the second part of the madrigal, Morir può ’l vostro core, published in 1586 in his third book of madrigals), stands out not only for its extraordinary European success, but also for having given rise, in the decades following its publication, to a kaleidoscope of intertextual phenomena of various kinds. For this reason, it was chosen as a paradigmatic case study for an investigation on some modes of compositional assimilation and textual adaptation typical of the decades between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Reprinted at least three times (1579, 1582, 1605) together with all the other madrigals of the first book, it not only reappeared in a number of collective printed collections of the time (see the celebrated Musica Divina, printed 8 times between 1583 and 1634, and the Spoglia amorosa, printed 6 times between 1584 and 1607), but underwent several subsequent re-elaborations including, in the field of secular music, the canzonetta by his pupil Felice Anerio (1586), which reproduces the text of the madrigal almost faithfully and takes up the profile of most of the motifs used by Nanino, representing a particularly significant example of compositional reception. In addition to this, several re-textualised versions of the first and second parts of the original madrigal (All yee that ioy in wayling, Watson 1590; Laetamini in Domino, Vecchi 1604; Si corpus hoc mortale / Nolite contristari, Herrer 1609; Dilectus meus mihi, Cavaglieri 1616) and a contrafactum of the canzonetta derived from it (Pearle, christal, gold and ruby, Morley 1597) are also known.
The investigation of this composition, music in voyage par exellence, and its European dissemination, reception and assimilation, starts from a meticulous survey of all its attestations and has been conducted in an interdisciplinary manner by combining the analysis of the musical construct and its relationship with the different texts set to music from time to time with that of the context from which they arose, revealing a variety of reworking processes that have involved modifications to the musical text and/or the intoned text motivated by linguistic, cultural, political or doctrinal needs that were different from time to time. Particular attention has been paid to the text-music relationship in the madrigal and in each subsequent re-textualization and to the relationship between the original text and each of the substitute texts. The article is accompanied by two appendices that present the madrigal by Giovanni Maria Nanino and the canzonetta by Felice Anerio with the original text and all the texts subsequently subjected to music, facilitating direct comparison.
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Tra le composizioni di Giovanni Maria Nanino il madrigale Morir non può ’l mio core (il cui testo è attribuito dubitativamente a Benedetto Pannini), pubblicato per la prima volta nel suo primo libro di madrigali (editio princeps perduta, prima ristampa superstite Venezia 1579) e seguito da una ‘risposta’ dello stesso autore (la seconda parte del madrigale, Morir può ’l vostro core, pubblicata nel 1586 nel suo terzo libro di madrigali), si distingue non solo per la sua straordinaria fortuna europea, ma anche per aver dato luogo, nei decenni successivi alla sua pubblicazione, a un caleidoscopio di fenomeni intertestuali di vario genere. Per questa ragione, esso è stato scelto come caso studio paradigmatico per un'indagine su alcuni modi dell'assimilazione compositiva e dell'adattamento testuale tipici dei decenni a cavallo fra Cinque e Seicento.
Ristampato almeno tre volte (1579, 1582, 1605) insieme a tutti gli altri madrigali del primo libro, non solo ricomparve in numerose raccolte collettive a stampa dell’epoca (si vedano la celebre raccolta Musica Divina, stampata otto volte tra il 1583 e il 1634, e la Spoglia amorosa, stampata sei volte tra il 1584 e il 1607), esso subì diverse rielaborazioni successive tra cui, in ambito profano, la canzonetta del suo allievo Felice Anerio (1586), che riproduce quasi fedelmente il testo del madrigale e riprende il profilo di gran parte dei motivi utilizzati da Nanino, rappresentando un esempio particolarmente significativo di ricezione compositiva. Oltre a ciò, sono note anche diverse versioni ri-testualizzate della prima e della seconda parte del madrigale originale (All yee that joy in wayling, Watson 1590; Laetamini in Domino, Vecchi 1604; Si corpus hoc mortale / Nolite contristari, Herrer 1609; Dilectus meus mihi, Cavaglieri 1616) e un contrafactum della canzonetta da esso derivata (Pearle, Christal, Gold and Ruby, Morley 1597).
L’indagine su questa composizione, musica in viaggio per eccellenza, e sulla sua diffusione, ricezione e assimilazione europea, muove da una meticolosa ricognizione di tutte le sue attestazioni ed è stata condotta in maniera interdisciplinare combinando l'analisi del costrutto musicale e del suo rapporto con i diversi testi di volta in volta messi in musica con quella del contesto dal quale sono scaturiti, rivelando una varietà di processi di rielaborazione che hanno comportato modifiche del testo musicale e/o del testo intonato motivate da esigenze linguistiche, culturali, politiche o dottrinali di volta in volta diverse. Particolare attenzione è stata riservata al rapporto testo-musica nel modello madrigalistico e in ciascuna successiva ri-testualizzazione e alla relazione che intercorre fra il testo originale e ciascuno dei testi sostitutivi. L’articolo è corredato da due appendici che presentano il madrigale di Giovanni Maria Nanino e la canzonetta di Felice Anerio con il testo originale e tutti i testi successivamente sottoposti alla musica, agevolando il confronto diretto
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