In a series of physiological experiments, a total of 203 neurons at the Area 17/18 border were recorded with a callosal link either demonstrated by antidromic or transsynaptic activation from stimulating electrodes located in the homotopic contralateral hemisphere (CH), or in the splenial segment of the corpus callosum (CC). Forty-four percent of the transcallosal cells could also be driven from stimulating electrodes in or just above the lateral geniculate nucleus (OR1). The majority (69%) of transcallosal neurons were classifiable as belonging to the complex family (B and C cells) and most of these were found in the supragranular laminae and in lamina 4A. The ocular dominance distribution of transcallosal cells was trimodal, consisting of roughly equal numbers of monocularly dominated and binocularly balanced neurons. Estimates of conduction time and synaptic delay were obtained for neurons driven from CH, CC, and from OR1, and in most instances the response latency was short enough to suggest a monosynaptic input from either the ipsi- or contra-lateral hemisphere. The distribution of transcallosal conduction times showed that S cells, as a class, had significantly faster conduction than cells of the complex family but otherwise there was no obvious signs of multimodality in the distribution curve. An analysis of the synaptic delays in transcallosal activation produced a mean of 0.6 to 0.7 ms but some were too short to be consistent with a transsynaptic drive, suggesting that some cells with an antidromic drive may have been included in the transsynaptic category. Results are interpreted in terms of the contribution made by the corpus callosum to stereoscopic vision.

<p><em>Student academic success and positive satisfaction in first year health sciences programs is shaped by their transition experience. An introduction to core knowledge, study skills, and engagement with staff and students has historically been overlooked, but this has been newly recognised as a contributor to first year success, especially with mass higher education of students from diverse backgrounds. The University of South Australia ‘Preparing for Health Sciences’ workshop was designed to assist the student transition into health science programs. The workshop improved confidence and enthusiasm in starting university (56% pre- and 95% post-workshop), and 97% considered the workshop effective overall. Introduction to biological principles was widely considered to be beneficial (87%). The attrition rate after the first semester in 2014 was 7.6%, which is appreciably lower than the standard 12% in science-based courses. These findings demonstrate that an introductory workshop does greatly assist in the transition of students into their health science programs.</em></p>

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Addressing the many changing learning needs, styles and readiness of students, along with changing environments and advances in technology, the "lectorial" as an educational method was introduced to first-year university students undertaking a science course in 2016 and 2017. It was deemed an innovative and radical development from the traditional classroom. Reported by de la Harpe and Prentice ( 2011) after an extensive study of their Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology students undertaking undergraduate courses, the lectorial featured the use of flexible multi-media learning spaces, an accessible online interactive platform that engaged students with the content before the face-to-face lectorial and an active and conducive large-class environment, which allowed for optimal engagement with content, peers and staff. Moreover, the lectorial was identified as a strategy to reduce boredom in classrooms, a universal experience of university students. It is different from a flipped classroom (Milman, 2012), in that the learner is exposed to the content outside the classroom and is able to identify and address areas of strength and weakness and engage in various activities involving authentic case scenarios.