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Interactive Web (interactive + web)
Selected AbstractsInteractive Web-based package for computer-aided learning of structural behaviorCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002X. F. Yuan Abstract This paper presents an innovative Web-based package named CALSB for computer-aided learning of structural behavior. The package was designed to be widely accessible through the Internet, user-friendly by the automation of many input functions and the extensive use of cursor movements, and dynamically interactive by linking all input and output data to a single graphical display on the screen. The package includes an analysis engine based on the matrix stiffness method, so the response of any two-dimensional skeletal structure can be predicted and graphically displayed. The package thus provides a virtual laboratory environment in which the user can "build and test" two-dimensional skeletal structures of unlimited choices to enhance his understanding of structural behavior. In addition, the package includes two other innovative features, structural games and paradoxes. The structural games in the package represent perhaps the first attempt at intentionally combining the learning of structural behavior with joy and excitement, while the structural paradoxes provide a stimulating environment conducive for the development of creative problem solving skills of the user. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 10: 121,136, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.10020 [source] Validity and reliability of the guidelines of the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe for the classification of cerebral palsyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 11 2008Mary Gainsborough MRCPCH The validity and reliability of the guidelines of the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) for the classification of cerebral palsy (CP) were tested by administering 10 written case vignettes via an interactive web-based link to 30 SCPE partners. There was a moderately good level of agreement (,=0.59) about inclusion as a CP case on the SCPE database. Classification by CP subtype differed in two main areas: assigning spastic versus dyskinetic and judgement of distribution of spastic involvement. Agreement on Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level was less good than reported in previous studies. Twenty respondents repeated the test 5 months later and there was good repeatability for case inclusion (,= 0.72) but considerable variation in assignment of CP subtype and GMFCS level. There is a need for further collaborative work and training to improve harmonization of the classification of CP, including examination, application of SCPE guidelines, and register coding. [source] Online support for smoking cessation: a systematic review of the literatureADDICTION, Issue 11 2009Lion Shahab ABSTRACT Aim To examine the efficacy and acceptability of online, interactive interventions for smoking cessation and to identify treatment effect moderators and mediators. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature (1990,2008) was conducted, finding 11 relevant randomized controlled trials. Data were extracted and risk ratios and risk differences estimated with a random effects model. Results There was no evidence of publication bias. Included trials were of variable methodological quality. Web-based, tailored, interactive smoking cessation interventions were effective compared with untailored booklet or e-mail interventions [rate ratio (RR) 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4,2.3] increasing 6-month abstinence by 17% (95% CI 12,21%). No overall effect of interactive compared with static web-based interventions was detected but there was significant heterogeneity, with one study obtaining a clear effect and another failing to find one. Few moderating or mediating factors were evaluated in studies and those that were had little effect. Pooled results suggest that only interventions aimed at smokers motivated to quit were effective (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0,1.7). Fully automated interventions increased smoking cessation rates (RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0,2.0), but evidence was less clear-cut for non-automated interventions. Overall, the web-based interventions evaluated were considered to be acceptable and user satisfaction was generally high. Conclusion Interactive, web-based interventions for smoking cessation can be effective in aiding cessation. More research is needed to evaluate the relative efficacy of interactive web-based interventions compared with static websites. [source] Context in action: Implications for the study of children and adolescentsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 9 2006Christopher C. Henrich Action theories acknowledge the reciprocal nature of the relationship between individual action and social context. In this article, the author discusses various ways that the social context and the individual's actions can interact in childhood and adolescence. From an ecological perspective, emphasis is placed on two main issues: Children and adolescents develop within an interactive web of social contexts, and the examination of some contexts without taking into account others can lead to an incomplete and inaccurate accounting of the role of the social environment. Social contexts are frequently dynamic systems that fluctuate over time, and the extent to which children and adolescents can exert effortful control over changes in contexts varies. Implications of the ecological perspective for action-oriented research are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 62: 1083,1096, 2006. [source] Translating Effective Web-Based Self-Help for Problem Drinking Into the Real WorldALCOHOLISM, Issue 8 2009Heleen Riper Background:, Drinking Less (DL) is a 24/7 free-access anonymous interactive web-based self-help intervention without therapeutic guidance for adult problem drinkers in the community. In a randomized controlled trial (referred to here as DL-RCT), DL has been shown effective in reducing risky alcohol consumption. Objective:, To assess whether the findings of DL-RCT are generalizable to a naturalistic setting (DL-RW) in terms of ability to reach the target group and alcohol treatment response. Methods:, Pretest,posttest study with 6-month follow-up. An online survey was conducted of 378 of the 1,625 people who used DL-RW from May to November 2007. Primary outcome measures were (1) problem drinking, defined as alcohol consumption in the previous 4 weeks averaging >21 or >14 standard units (male/female) per week or ,6 or ,4 units (m/f) on 1 or more days per week; and (2) mean weekly alcohol consumption. DL-RW and DL-RCT data were compared and pooled. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis was performed to analyze and compare changes in drinking from baseline to follow-up. Results:, In the DL-RW group, 18.8% (n = 71) were drinking successfully within the limits of the Dutch guideline for low-risk drinking (p < 0.001) 6 months after baseline (ITT). The DL-RW group also decreased its mean weekly alcohol intake by 7.4 units, t(377) = 6.67, p < 0.001, d = 0.29. Drinking reduction in DL-RW was of a similar magnitude to that in the DL-RCT condition in terms of drinking within the guideline [,2(1) = 1.83, CI: 0.82,3.00, p = 0.18, RD = 0.05, OR = 1.55] and mean weekly consumption (a negligible difference of d = 0.03 in favor of DL-RW group). Conclusion:, The results from DL-RCT and DL-RW were similar, and they demonstrate that web-based self-help without therapeutic guidance is feasible, well accepted, and effective for curbing adult problem drinking in the community. [source] Strategies reported used by instructors to address student alternate conceptions in chemical equilibriumJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2005Jeff S. Piquette This study explores general-chemistry instructors' awareness of and ability to identify and address common student learning obstacles in chemical equilibrium. Reported instructor strategies directed at remediating student alternate conceptions were investigated and compared with successful, literature-based conceptual change methods. Fifty-two volunteer general chemistry instructors from 50 U.S. colleges and universities completed an interactive web-based instrument consisting of open-ended questions, a rating scale, classroom scenarios, and a demographic form. Survey respondents who provided responses or described remediation strategies requiring further clarification were identified (n,=,6); these respondents amplified their views in separate, researcher-led semistructured phone interviews. All 52 responding chemistry instructors reported and identified common student areas of difficulty in chemical equilibrium. They reported employing a variety of strategies to address and attempt to remediate students' alternate conceptions; however, these self-reported strategies rarely included all four necessary conditions specified by Posner, Strike, Hewson, and Gertzog (Science Education, 66, 211,217, 1982) to stimulate conceptual change. Instructor-identified student alternate conceptions were congruent with literature-reported alternate conceptions of chemical equilibrium, thus providing validation support for these compilations. Implications for teaching and further research are also highlighted. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 1112,1134, 2005 [source] VIRS: A visual tool for identifying restriction sites in multiple DNA sequencesBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 5 2009Xiang Chen Abstract VIRS (A visual tool for identifying restriction sites in multiple DNA sequences) is an interactive web-based program designed for restriction endonuclease cut sites prediction and visualization. It can afford to analyze multiple DNA sequences simultaneously and produce visual restriction maps with several useful options intended for users' customization. These options also perform in-depth analysis of the restriction maps, such as providing virtual electrophoretic result for digested fragments. Different from other analytical tools, VIRS not only displays visual outputs but also provides the detailed properties of restriction endonucleases that are commercially available. All the information of these enzymes is stored in our internal database, which is updated monthly from the manufacturers' web pages. It is freely available online at http://bis.zju.edu.cn/virs/index.html. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009 [source] eDrug: a dynamic interactive electronic drug formulary for medical studentsBRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Simon R. J. Maxwell What is already known about this subject ,,Delivering education about an ever-increasing number of prescribable drugs to medical students represents a major challenge. ,,Drug names are generally not logical or intuitive, and many students find learning them akin to learning a foreign language. ,,Pharmacology and therapeutics teaching is struggling for visibility in some integrated medical curricula. What this study adds ,,Development of electronic tools allowing web delivery of a restricted student formulary facilitates dynamic access to core learning materials, improves the profile of this aspect of the curriculum and is highly appreciated by students. Aims Prescribing drugs is a key responsibility of a doctor and requires a solid grounding in the relevant scientific disciplines of pharmacology and therapeutics (PT). The move away from basic science disciplines towards a more system-based and integrated undergraduate curriculum has created difficulties in the delivery of PT teaching in some medical schools. We aimed to develop a web-based strategy to overcome these problems and improve the PT learning experience. Methods We designed and introduced ,eDrug', a dynamic interactive web-based student formulary, as an aid to teaching and learning of PT throughout a 5-year integrated medical curriculum in a UK medical school of 1300 students. This was followed by a prospective observational study of student-reported views about its impact on their PT learning experience. Results eDrug was rated highly by students and staff, with the main benefits being increased visibility of PT in the curriculum, clear identification of core drugs, regular sourcing of drug information via direct links to accredited sources including the British National Formulary, prioritization of learning, immediate access and responsiveness. It has also served as a focus of discussion concerning core PT learning objectives amongst staff and students. Conclusions Web-based delivery of PT learning objectives actively supports learning within an integrated curriculum. [source] | ||||||||||