Exploring the global decline of music education

This article seeks to explain the disjuncture between the decline of music education in schools and the importance music has in popular youth culture and in creativity within the new knowledge economy. The data discussed in this article have been derived from analyses of major documents on curriculum reform as well as e-mail responses from music educators around the world. This analysis reveals that these music educators agree with the perception of a demise in music education around the world, as well as the significance of the disjuncture alluded to. The four major reasons found for the decline in music education are: (1) the model of curriculum supported in educational reforms; (2) an emphasis on standardized evaluation; (3) less resources available; and (4) a wrong approach on music advocacy.     

"It Was Fine, if You Wanted to Leave": Educational Ambivalence in a Nova Scotian Coastal Community 1963–1998

This article reports on a study of schooling in southwest Nova Scotia. Using Bourdieu's concepts of cultural capital and habitus, I analyze rural men's relationships involving identity, work, place, and schooling to explain continuing high male dropout rates and local traditions of ambivalence and resistance to schooling. I conclude that the tension between formal schooling and place is endemic in many rural communities and that qualitative migration analysis can reveal the complexity of relationships between learning and leaving.     

Do borderline nuclear changes in gynaecological cytlogy constitute a reliable reporting category?

Fourteen laboratories participated in a national slide exchange study to investigate whether borderline nuclear changes (BNC) constitute a reliable reporting category. Slides were submitted by participating laboratories, having achieved a 100% intralaboratory consensus at the primary screener, checker, and medical levels. Sets of seven slides were examined in laboratories for 1 week, and exchanges were undertaken over a 6-month period. Each laboratory was requested to submit three consensus opinions on each slide at the primary screener, checker, and medical levels.
Response patterns for submitted slides achieving a reporting category consensus at the 50 and 80% consensus levels indicated that negative, BNC, and mild dyskaryosis are distinct and comparable categories. Similarly, the two subcategories of BNC with or without human papillomavirus (HPV) are nearly as distinct as the overall BNC category.
The percentage of submitted slides achieving consensus at consensus levels between 50 and 80% produced variable findings with regard to the practical success of the main reporting categories. The negative category was reasonably successful, whereas mild dyskaryosis was consistently poor. Borderline nuclear changes were successful at the 50% consensus level but showed a rapid decline by the 65% consensus level. The reason(s) for this remains speculative but indicates a possible potential of BNC to work successfully with additional training and education.
Reporting practices were not consistent among the laboratories and differences were identified between medical and nonmedical staff. A high use of the BNC category was noted in slides that failed to achieve consensus. A national study assessing all grades of abnormalities would appear essential.     

Training in zoo biology,captive breeding,and conservation

Different types of training in zoo biology, captive breeding, and conservation are discussed and the availability of a variety of programs documented. Emphasis is given to the need for more training in general, and especially for less-developed countries where zoos have much potential yet to be realized. The aims, structure, content, and impact of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust's International Training Program are examined.     

Reactions of zoo visitors to free-ranging monkeys

This study assessed the potential of two types of primate exhibit both for enhancing zoo visitors' interest, knowledge, and enjoyment and for promoting conservation education. Visitors' reactions to a free-ranging group of cotton-top tamarins were compared with their responses to caged tamarins in three ways: 1) timing how long visitors spent at each exhibit, 2) recording the comments made by visitors about the exhibits, and 3) asking visitors to respond to questionnaires about the two exhibits. The results showed that the free-ranging group of tamarins provoked wider comment from members of the public than caged groups and that visitors were willing to spend much more time looking for and watching monkeys in trees than monkeys in cages. Visitors felt that improvements in the animals' welfare were obtained from allowing them to live free in the trees, thought that they could learn more from such groups than from caged animals, and enjoyed seeing the free-ranging tamarins more than the monkeys in cages. These results suggest that developing more naturalistic zoo exhibits can have considerable benefits not only for the animals involved, but also for public education in conservation issues. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

制药工程“微生物学实验”课程的项目化教学探索与实践

为了培养学生的自主学习能力和实践创新能力,按照工程教育专业认证要求基于成果导向教育(outcome based education, OBE)理念设计课程教学,将制药工程微生物学实验课实验教学项目设置成入门、进阶和自主3种项目等级。实验项目内容由浅入深、逐级递进、层层相关,教学过程以学生为中心,并结合线上教学手段和竞赛机制的支持。实践结果表明,经过项目化教学改革,在教师教学和学生学习成效两个方面均得到明显提升,学生在论文撰写能力、动手能力等方面也有了明显的进步,值得后续进一步总结和推广。     

The results of a close follow-up of trainees to gain a good blood collection practice

BackgroundPhlebotomy is one of the most important steps in the preanalytical phase of a clinical laboratory process. In order to decrease phlebotomy errors, this specific procedure should be taught in detail by laboratory organizations. Our study aims to practice the training program on venous blood sampling and observe the close follow-up results.MethodsIn this observational study, 127 students who started their summer internship in Antalya Education and Research Hospital were given a one-day theoretical phlebotomy training in accordance with the Venous Blood Sampling Guidelines. After the theoretical training, phlebotomy applications of 10 students who were working in the field of out-patient blood sampling were observed both with and without their knowledge. A comprehensive checklist related to phlebotomy was created by the trainers in Antalya Education and Research Hospital and the observers answered each question as yes or no. For the statistical analysis, IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 was used.ResultsAfter the theoretical education, the trainees were observed but no significant difference was found between the first and the second informed observations (p = 0.125). The students were observed three times more in the following week without their knowledge. There was a statistically significant difference between the first and the third unannounced observations (p=0.001).ConclusionsIn order to perform phlebotomy correctly, apart from theoretical education, a close follow-up is necessary too.     

Could 2021–2030 be the decade to couple new human values with ecological restoration? Valuable insights and actions are emerging from the Colombian Amazon

Looking ahead to the United Nations' 2021–2030 Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, we would like to ponder and discuss two fundamental goals to improve, mainstream, and scale up ecological restoration. The first is to cultivate alternative visions of the human dimension in relation to ecological restoration and other restorative activities. The second is to develop shared protocols for planning, revamping, and monitoring the progress of social goals related to ecological restoration within the social construction theoretical framework, based on three interrelated dimensions: stakeholder‐based problem definition, social representations, and legitimation. We draw on ongoing work in Caquetá (Colombian Amazonia) to consider how these dimensions may be incorporated into tangible restoration practices. Caquetá is facing the highest deforestation rates in the Amazonian region due to a highly volatile sociopolitical context and recent armed conflicts that have claimed thousands of victims to date. We conclude that the work in Caquetá demonstrates a process of social construction that effectively couples new human values with ecological restoration. Our work also provides evidence that the human dimension of restoration is a central issue in the restoration of human, social, and ecosystem health and must be integrated into the framework of the coming Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.     

全国大学生生命科学竞赛数据分析与展望

全国大学生生命科学竞赛至今已举办三届,赛事组织好、规模大、参与度高,对促进生命科学教育与研究具有重要作用。文中简述全国大学生生命科学竞赛的模式与现状,并基于前三届竞赛数据分地区分年度统计分析报名数据和竞赛成绩,同时结合生命科学领域的新变化新认识进行展望,以更好地推动赛事发展。     

以环境育人为理念的本科教学实验室管理模式探讨

本科教学实验室是开展本科生实验教学的主要场所,如何通过实验室的管理有效提升学生实验素养值得探索。文中主要介绍了将“6S (整理 (Seiri)、整顿 (Seiton)、清扫 (Seiso)、清洁 (Seiketsu)、素养 (Shitsuke)、安全 (Safety) 六项要素) 管理”理念引入本科教学实验室管理的应用实践与效果,特别是实验室环境管理、实验室安全管理、物品定位管理、试剂和耗材管理、学生培训和考核等方面的具体做法。通过实施“6S管理”,实验室环境得以改善,学生的实验素养得到提高,本科实验教学的质量得到改善和提高,达到环境育人的目的。这为高校教学实验室的建设和有效管理提供可推广、可操作的经验。