Disciplines such as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which involve concepts not included in the high-school curriculum, are very challenging for many first year university students. These subjects are particularly difficult for students accustomed to surface learning strategies involving memorization and recall of facts, as a deeper understanding of the relationship between concepts is needed for successful transfer to related areas and subsequent study. In this article, we explore an activity in a very large first year Molecular Biology course, in which students create multiple-choice questions related to targeted learning outcomes, and then answer and evaluate one another's questions. This activity encompasses elements of both self- and peer-assessment and the generative tasks of creating questions and producing written feedback may contribute to a deeper understanding of the material. We make use of a free online platform to facilitate all aspects of the process and analyze the effect of student engagement with the task on overall course performance. When compared to previous semester's cohorts, we observe a pronounced improvement in class performance on exam questions targeting similar concepts to the student-generated questions. In addition, those students that engage to a greater extent with the activity perform significantly better on the targeted exam questions than those who are less active, yet all students perform similarly on a set of isolated control questions appearing on the same exam. © 2018 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46:306-317, 2018.

The present longitudinal study examined the reciprocal relationships among students' academic buoyancy, their perceptions of school support (learning support, teacher relational support, school belonging, and classroom management), and their motivation and engagement (perseverance, perceived competence, valuing of school) across 1 year of school. Using information from a large sample of secondary school students (Grades 7-11) in New South Wales, Australia (N = 71,681 students, K = 292 schools), the current study examined a series of single-level (students) and doubly-latent multilevel (students and schools) cross-lagged structural equation models. At the student level, results revealed a reciprocal relationship among students' sense of school belonging and academic buoyancy. There were also several significant directional paths at the student level, such that academic buoyancy predicted students' motivation, engagement, and perceptions of school support 1 year later. At the school level, there were no significant reciprocal effects, but there were significant directional effects such that schools with higher average classroom management and school belonging tended to also have higher average academic buoyancy 1 year later. These findings contribute to ongoing research into ways researchers and educators may support and optimize student-and whole-school academic buoyancy. Educational Impact and Implications StatementThe results of the present investigation suggest that academic buoyancy holds several significant relationships with positive and adaptive academic constructs, including students' perceptions of school support as well as their academic motivation and engagement. Such findings suggest that targeting academic buoyancy through educational interventions (e.g., interventions that promote psychological flexibility) and classroom practices (e.g., academic buoyancy inventories) may hold significant benefits for a variety of students' experiences at school. Moreover, results demonstrate potential avenues to support whole-school buoyancy through developing students' sense of belonging and cultivating structured school environments. Thus, helping students to feel safe and included may also help them to navigate and manage academic setbacks and challenges in school.

ObjectiveThis study compared the costs and patient movements of a new hospital protocol to discontinue contact precautions for patients with non-multiresistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (nmMRSA), based on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of pathogens with current practice. MethodsA hybrid simulation model was constructed and analysed over a 12-month time horizon. Six multidrug-resistant organisms and influenza were modelled concurrently where infected patients competed for isolation beds. Model inputs included pathogen incidence, resources for WGS, staff and contact precautions, hospital processes, room allocations and their associated costs. Data were sourced from aggregated records of patient admissions during 2017–18, clinical records and published reports. ResultsThe WGS protocol resulted in 389 patients isolated (44% of current practice), 5223 ‘isolation bed days’ (56%) and 268 closed-bed days (88%). Over 1 year, the mean (±s.d.) total cost for the WGS protocol was A$749243±126667; compared with current practice, the overall cost savings were A$690864±300464. ConclusionUsing WGS to inform infection control teams of pathogen transmission averts patients from isolation rooms and reduces significant resources involved in implementing contact precautions. What is known about the topic?There are an estimated 265000 hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in Australia each year. WGS can accurately identify the genetic lineage among HAIs and determine transmission clusters that can help infection control staff manage patients. Economic appraisals are lacking to inform whether pathogen genomics services should be adopted within already-stretched hospital budgets. What does this paper add?An isolation protocol using pathogen genomics to provide additional information on the relatedness of a pathogen between colonised patients showed favourable results for healthcare costs and patient flow. Using WGS, in a confirmatory role, to discontinue certain patients from contact precautions and isolation rooms resulted in cost savings of A$690864 across 1 year for a single major hospital. What are the implications for practitioners?Using pathogen WGS services for infection control potentially curbs hospital spending, averts patient isolations and improves patient flow within hospitals.