ResearchPod

Assessment is a powerful tool in education which can influence the way in which students respond to teaching, and their overall learning experience.  Innovative technologies have also paved the way for alternative assessment formats, including video-based evaluations and interactive tools like VR.

A research team from Singapore Management University conducted a meta-analysis of the existing research on this topic, revealing four growing groups of technology trends relating to learning environments and assessment.

Read their original research :  https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/7595

Despite being toxic when consumed, lead ammunition is still commonly used by traditional game hunters and makes it way into the diet of millions of people worldwide.

Dr Jon M. Arnemo and colleagues from the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences have researched this, and continue to battle to make hunters aware of this great danger.

Read the article in Research Outreach

Read the original research: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87853-5_21

There is currently a mental health epidemic among adolescent girls, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have argued that digital technologies are to blame for this, however, empirical reports have been conflicting, with some research highlighting both positive and negative effects of social technology use on teen emotional health

Dr. Jennifer Silk and Dr. Kiera James at the University of Pittsburgh are clinical psychologists who specialize in the development of affective disorders, such as anxiety, depression and suicidality, in adolescents.  Their research shows that some forms of social technology use, such as texting and videochatting, contributed in positive ways to emotional health in teen girls during the COVID 19 pandemic by promoting a sense of closeness with peers.

Read more about their research:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-023-01040-5

Please note: In this episode we’re talking about the use of social media and similar technologies, and their impact on the wellbeing of teen girls during COVID-19 lockdowns. This includes discussion of mental health crises. Understandably, this may be a sensitive topic for some listeners, so discretion is advised. 

Despite heavy menstrual bleeding, or HMB, affecting many women worldwide, studies into HMB and effective primary care measures remain scarce. 

Professor Joe Kai and a multi-disciplinary team at the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham, UK, have provided invaluable insight into treatments for HMB, and the critical role of the primary care physician, revolutionising understandings of HMB and effective treatment options. 

Read the Research Outreach article: https://researchoutreach.org/articles/valuable-insights-caring-women-heavy-menstrual-bleeding-hmb/ 

Read the original research: https://bjgp.org/content/73/729/e294 

Migrant women can find it challenging to access maternity care for a number of reasons. Chinese women may also encounter poor treatment as a result of racial discrimination and social stigma as further barriers, besides language and communication issues affecting their ability talk about their medical history and current health concerns. 

Dr Sarah Gong at the University of Leicester investigates how this under-researched group interacts with and uses digital health resources. Her research touches on whether digital resources can help pregnant Chinese women access maternity health information, and the co-development of interventions to encourage vaccine uptake.

Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2022.103493

The use and management of fluorine-based chemical pollutants is problematic, making better group approaches and analysis necessary. 

Researchers from the AIST institute, Japan and Örebro University, Sweden have offered novel insight into how these chemicals disproportionally affect younger women, and offer new standards and techniques for better identifying organofluorines, many of which at present remain unknown.

Read the original research: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129025

There is an urgent need to focus on women’s health to identify differences between sexes, including response to medications, to allow effective clinical decisions to be made using a person-centered, evidence-based approach.

At the University of California Irvine in the US, Dr Dequina Nicholas studies the links between reproductive science, metabolism, and immunology and explores how diet may be a missing piece in the puzzle. 

Read more in Research Outreach

Find their original research at :  https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2020.1822797

In recent years, vaping has emerged as an alternative to traditional smoking, with e-cigarette devices forming a key part of plans to reduce smoking rates and associated health risks.

Linsey Haswell and Nathan Gale are part of a team that’s set out to measure the nature and extent of toxicant exposure and potential biological effects from e-cigarette use. The team compared clinical measurements from exclusive e-cigarette consumers with smokers assessing the impacts of vaping, and consider the harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes in a shifting consumer landscape.

For more information on the disclaimers and the study please visit BAT.com.

Read their original research in the journal of Internal and Emergency Medicine.

The ever-chaning nature of cybersecurity threats means that up-to-date skills training is critical.

Dr Liqaa Nawaf from Cardif Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, in collaboration with colleagues from King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, are conducting research into how to make cybersecurity more effective and inclusive, and have launched a year-long project to support women in cybersecurity.  

Read more about the initiative: UK - Saudi Challenge Fund 2022-23

Read the Research Outreach article: researchoutreach.org

Meditation has gained increased popularity in recent years, and is a well-established practice in many Eastern cultures. Why, then, has this remained largely unpractised in schools? 

Dr Veruska Oppedisano and co-authors have been studying the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a meditation intervention in primary schools, with exciting results and direction for future studies. 

Read the original research here:

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765158/full