scholarly journals The art of talking about science: beginning to teach physiology students how to communicate with nonscientists

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-231
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Petzold ◽  
Robert L. Dunbar
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Peer Communication ◽  
Scientific Presentation ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Physiology Students

The ability to clearly disseminate scientific knowledge is a skill that is necessary for any undergraduate student within the sciences. Traditionally, this is accomplished through the instruction of scientific presentation or writing with a focus on peer-to-peer communication at the expense of teaching communication aimed at a nonscientific audience. One of the ramifications of focusing on peer-to-peer communication has presented itself as an apprehension toward scientific knowledge within the general populace. This apprehension can be seen in a variety of venues, including the traditional media, popular culture, and education, which generally paint scientists as aloof and with an inability to discuss scientific issues to anyone other than other scientists. This paper describes a curriculum designed to teach Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology students the tools necessary for communicating complex concepts that were covered during the semester using approachable language. Students were assessed on their word usage in associated writing activities, the student’s ability to reduce complexity of their statements, and performance in an informal scientific presentation to a lay audience. Results showed that this pedagogical approach has increased students’ ability to reduce the complexity of their language in both a written and oral format. This, in turn, led to evaluators reporting greater levels of understanding of the topic presented following the presentation.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Performance Parameters of Cryptographic Algorithms for IOT-based Devices

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 7867-7874
Author(s):  
U. Iftikhar ◽  
K. Asrar ◽  
M. Waqas ◽  
S. A. Ali
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Sensor Networks ◽  
Sensor Networks ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Peer Communication ◽  
Cryptographic Algorithms ◽  
And Performance

Nowadays, terabytes of digital data are generated and sent online every second. However, securing this extent of information has always been a challenging task. Cryptography is a fundamental method for securing data, as it makes data unintelligible for attackers, offering privacy to authorized clients. Different cryptographic algorithms have different speeds and costs that make them suitable for different applications. For instance, banking applications need outrageous security amenities, as they utilize superior algorithms having greater requirements, while gaming applications focus more on speed and cost reduction. Consequently, cryptographic algorithms are chosen based on a client's prerequisites. This study compared DES, AES, Blowfish, and RSA, examining their speed, cost, and performance, and discussed their adequacy for use in wireless sensor networks and peer-to-peer communication.

scholarly journals Building sustainable research capacity at higher learning institutions in Tanzania through mentoring of the Young Research Peers

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Balandya ◽  
Bruno Sunguya ◽  
Daniel W. Gunda ◽  
Benson Kidenya ◽  
Tumaini Nyamhanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Scientific Presentation ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Young Researchers

Abstract Background Sustainability of research culture in Sub-Saharan Africa is threatened in part by the lack of a critical mass of young researchers with the requisite skills and interest to undertake research careers. This paper describes an intensive mentorship programme combining hierarchical (vertical) and peer-to-peer (horizontal) mentoring strategies among young researchers in a resource limited setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A consortium of three partnering large Tanzanian health training institutions (MUHAS, CUHAS and KCMUCo) and two collaborating US institutions (UCSF and Duke University) was formed as part of the five-year Transforming Health Professions Education in Tanzania (THET) project, funded by the NIH through Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI). Within THET, the Community of Young Research Peers (CYRP) was formed, comprising of inter-professional and cross-institutional team of 12 Master-level Young Research Peers and 10 co-opted fellows from the former MEPI-Junior Faculty (MEPI-JF) project. The Young Peers received mentorship from senior researchers from the consortium through mentored research awards and research training, and in turn provided reciprocal peer-to-peer mentorship as well as mentorship to undergraduate students. Results At the end of the first 2 years of the project, all 12 Young Peers were proceeding well with mentored research awards, and some were at more advanced stages. For example, three articles were already published in peer reviewed journals and two other manuscripts were in final stages of preparation. All 12 Young Peers participated in CYRP-wide thematic training workshops on mentoring and secondary data analysis; 11 had undertaken at least three research training short courses in identified areas of need; 9 joined at least one other ongoing research project; 5 made at least one scientific presentation, and 5 participated in at least one submitted grant application. Half of the Young Peers have enrolled in PhD programmes. A collective total of 41 undergraduate students were actively mentored by the Young Peers in research. Conclusion The CYRP has demonstrated to be an effective model for dual vertical and horizontal mentorship in research to young investigators in resource-limited settings. This model is recommended to educators working on developing research competence of early career researchers, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

An exploration of the factors that contribute to learning satisfaction of first-year anatomy and physiology students

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saramarie Eagleton
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Community Support ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Effectiveness ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Learning Satisfaction ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Teaching Anatomy ◽  
Physiology Students

Lecturers have reverted to using a “blended” approach when teaching anatomy and physiology. Student responses as to how this contributes to their learning satisfaction were investigated using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of closed- and open-ended questions that were based on three determinants of learning satisfaction: perceived course learnability, learning community support, and perceived learning effectiveness. Regarding course learnability, students responded positively on questions regarding the relevance of the subject for their future careers. However, students identified a number of distractions that prevented them from paying full attention to their studies. As far as learning community support was concerned, respondents indicated that they were more comfortable asking a peer for support if they were unsure of concepts than approaching the lecturing staff. Most of the students study in their second language, and this was identified as a stumbling block for success. There was a difference in opinion among students regarding the use of technology for teaching and learning of anatomy and physiology. From students' perceptions regarding learning effectiveness, it became clear that students' expectations of anatomy and physiology were unrealistic; they did not expect the module to be so comprehensive. Many of the students were also “grade oriented” rather than “learning oriented” as they indicated that they were more concerned about results than “owning” the content of the module. Asking students to evaluate aspects of the teaching and learning process have provided valuable information to improve future offerings of anatomy and physiology.

Retrieval practice is an efficient method of enhancing the retention of anatomy and physiology information

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Efficient Method ◽  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
Physiology Students ◽  
Initial Retrieval

Although a great deal of empirical evidence has indicated that retrieval practice is an effective means of promoting learning and memory, very few studies have investigated the strategy in the context of an actual class. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a series of very brief retrieval quizzes could significantly improve the retention of previously tested information throughout an anatomy and physiology course. A second purpose was to determine if there were any significant differences between expanding and uniform patterns of retrieval that followed a standardized initial retrieval delay. Anatomy and physiology students were assigned to either a control group or groups that were repeatedly prompted to retrieve a subset of previously tested course information via a series of quizzes that were administered on either an expanding or a uniform schedule. Each retrieval group completed a total of 10 retrieval quizzes, and the series of quizzes required (only) a total of 2 h to complete. Final retention of the exam subset material was assessed during the last week of the semester. There were no significant differences between the expanding and uniform retrieval groups, but both retained an average of 41% more of the subset material than did the control group (ANOVA, F = 129.8, P = 0.00, ηp2 = 0.36). In conclusion, retrieval practice is a highly efficient and effective strategy for enhancing the retention of anatomy and physiology material.

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