Development of a Tool to Assess Inference-Making and Reasoning in Biology

Making inferences and reasoning with new scientific information is critical for successful performance in biology coursework. Thus, identifying students who are weak in these skills could allow the early provision of additional support and course placement recommendations to help students develop their reasoning abilities, leading to better performance and less attrition within biology courses.

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Practicability and effectiveness of the unassisted HIV self-testing compared to the directly assisted HIV self-testing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Randomized Implementation Trial

10.21203/rs.3.rs-19502/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Serge Tonen-Wolyec ◽

Charles Kayembe Tshilumba ◽

Salomon Batina-Agasa ◽

Roland Marini Djang’eing’a ◽

Marie-Pierre Hayette ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Democratic Republic ◽

Linkage To Care ◽

Correct Interpretation ◽

Successful Performance ◽

Self Testing ◽

Willingness To Buy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Republic Of The Congo ◽

Self Test ◽

Additional Support

Abstract Background. HIV self-testing (HIVST) may be use free or assisted by health care workers. The aim of this trial was to assess the practicability and effectiveness of unassisted HIVST (UH) versus directly assisted HIVST (DAH) in field settings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Methods. A non-inferiority evaluation using a blood-based HIV self-test was conducted in Kisangani, DRC. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to UH or DAH. Practicability was defined as the successful performance and the correct interpretation of the result. The linkage to care and the willingness to buy self-test constituted the outcome for HIVST effectiveness. Results. The rate of successful performance of the test was same (93.2%) in UH and DAH. The rate of correct interpretation of the results was 86.9% in UH versus 93.2% in DAH yielding the difference of -6.3% (95% CI: -10.8 to 2.5). UH significantly decreased the rate of correct interpretation of results as compared to DAH (aRR: 0.60 [95% CI: 0.36 to 0.98]; P=0.019). None significant difference was found between two arms in evaluating the linkage to care. Willingness to buy HIV self-test was higher in UH as compared to DAH (92.3% versus 74.1%; aRR: 4.20 [95% CI: 2.42 to 7.32]; P<0.001). Conclusion. This study demonstrates that both UH and DAH show high level of practicability and effectiveness for HIVST. However, additional support tools will be need to improve the practicability of the test in UH. Taken together, UH as well as DAH should improve access to HIV testing in DRC. Trial registration: PACTR201904546865585. Registered 03 April 2019 - Retrospectively registered, https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=6032

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Critical thinking in Norwegian upper secondary biology education: The cases of complementary-alternative-medicine and health claims in the media

Nordic Studies in Science Education ◽

10.5617/nordina.485 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 61-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sverre Pettersen

Keyword(s):

Alternative Medicine ◽

Scientific Information ◽

Health Sciences ◽

Health Claims ◽

Complementary Alternative Medicine ◽

Health News ◽

Upper Secondary ◽

The Media ◽

Biology Courses ◽

Secondary Biology

By definition, complementary alternative medicine (CAM) treatments are not scientifically proven. Scientific deficient health claiming news seems to flourish in the media. The aims of this questionnaire study was to explore: (1) attitudes towards CAM among 3rd year students of the health sciences in Norway, who either have immersed themselves in the 2nd and 3rd year upper secondary biology courses, or taken the 1st year compulsory natural science course, exclusively, and (2) these students’ skills in requesting for scientific information in highly deficient health news briefs. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of positive attitude towards the use of CAM treatments between the two health sciences student categories, and most students in both categories “failed” in the test set out to measure their skills in requesting for scientific information in four highly scientific deficient health news briefs. The results suggest that teaching of the Norwegian upper secondary biology courses does probably not contribute extensively to pupils’ development of scepticism towards CAM, and skills in evaluating health claims, scientifically.

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