Transgenic crops among the most controversial "science and society" issues of recent years. Because of the complex techniques involved in creating these crops and the polarized debate over their risks and beliefs, a critical need has arisen for accessible and balanced information on this technology. World Wide Web sites offer several advantages for disseminating information on a fast-changing technical topic, including their global accessibility; and their ability to update information frequently, incorporate multimedia formats, and link to networks of other sites. An alliance between two complementary web sites at Colorado State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln takes advantage of the web environment to help fill the need for public information on crop genetic engineering. This article describes the objectives and features of each site. Viewership data and other feedback have shown these web sites to be effective means of reaching public audiences on a complex scientific topic.

How can various features of internet‐based instruction be adapted to help students with different learning styles to grasp important science concepts? Are there ways of defining and measuring these differences that instructors without much background in educational psychology might find easier to apply than some of the better‐known examples? How can a better understanding of student characteristics help instructors and developers prioritize further development of internet‐based lessons? Resident students in a genetics course were required to complete internet‐based lessons originally developed for distance learning. Students who agreed to participate in this study completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST), which was used to sort them into groups with similar “approaches to studying,” a concept that includes motivations (intrinsic or extrinsic), intentions (to process the information at either a deep or surface level), and whether their study methods are organized or disorganized. Later in the semester, students’ evaluations of the internet lessons were analyzed to determine how learners with different style or approach characteristics used six lesson features. This analysis, which includes five semesters of data, helped the instructor and instructional designer determine what changes would be helpful to many students, but especially those who are struggling with the concepts and not confident about their study skills or academic abilities. Additional insights came from asking students to estimate what percentage of their total learning in the course came from the internet lessons compared to lectures, labs, and other sources.

The availability of hypertext and animation has a promising impact on education. With an increasing number of online courses and degrees offered through the Internet and a rapidly increasing enrollment in such courses, it is important to assess and understand how the use of Web-based features can affect or contribute toward learning. In this research, we propose a model to study the effect of hypertext and animation on online learning.

Successful transformation of a plant is assessed with several criteria that the transgenic plant must meet. These criteria and how they are met are described. The introduction of a transgene into the chromosome in a plant cell can be accomplished with several methods described in this lesson. This is lesson seven in a 10-lesson series found in the Library of Crop Technology (http://croptechnology.unl.edu) designed to teach the basics of the plant genetic engineering process. The objectives of this lesson are as follows.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is an essential tool in the management of renal failure in patients who are critically ill. Though its utilization has increased globally, it is a resource-intensive, costlier modality of dialysis. [1][2][3][4] Furthermore, its usage is highly variable owing to the heterogeneity of patients and physicians, as well as the paucity of evidence to guide practice. 5 These characteristics make it a prime target for high-value care through standardization of practice. At our institution, we assessed utilization patterns of CRRT and established evidence-based guidelines to standardize process flow and promote meaningful use.Methods | A multidisciplinary task force was organized in October 2015 to assess CRRT utilization patterns. Interventions were implemented throughout fiscal year (FY) 2016, including the creation of evidence-based guidelines that: (1) clarified each physician's role in the initiation, maintenance, and cessation of CRRT; (2) defined indications to start therapy with a focus on patient goals of care; (3) described situations where CRRT would be medically inappropriate; (4) mandated daily cross-disciplinary communication between medical teams and key stakeholders; and (5) provided guidance on discontinuing CRRT. Additional measures to minimize excess laboratory tests and promote awareness of CRRT were also implemented. Comparisons between preintervention (FY 2014(FY -2015 and postintervention (FY 2016(FY -2017) cohorts were made with the independent samples t test for continuous variables, and Pearson