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Many regions around the world are experiencing a gradual paradigm shift away from information technology (IT) use that complements traditional teaching and towards embedded IT use in E-learning that is ubiquitous and pervasive. This has been conceptualized in this article using a framework depicting the affects of these shifts on learning environments that may change schooling and impact society. These trends provide new challenges for educational researchers at national and international levels, requiring attention to the interrelationships among the various components in an educational system. New evidence, which builds on earlier claims of an increasing digital divide between developing and developed countries, has shown that this phenomenon is much more complex than was previously thought. We suggest that a promising way to maximize the knowledge and impact of researching IT in education is to establish longitudinal programmatic research sustained through the establishment of "E-learning observatories," which can bring together expertise across a range of disciplines. A major challenge in forming a clear and coherent strategy for researching IT in education lies in the fact that there are multiple stakeholders with differing aims, goals and objectives. Therefore, reciprocal relationships are needed in which practice informs research and research informs practice with support and guidance from policymakers.

This study compared higher education dental undergraduate student performance in online assessments with performance in traditional paper-based tests and investigated students' perceptions of the fairness and acceptability of online tests, and showed performance to be comparable. The project design involved two parallel cross-over trials, one in Year 3 (n = 132) of the dental curriculum, one in Year 5 (n = 134). A total of 266 students undertook related tests of the same knowledge base in both online and traditional paper formats. Order of presentation of the test form was randomized. One hundred and thirty-two students in Year 3 additionally completed questions concerning their perceptions of the acceptability and fairness of the online examination process. Focus group discussions were held with groups of students (n = 30) from both Year 3 and 5 to explore their perceptions of the online format. The online tests were created using the commercial software package MaxExam (Bristol, UK). The results were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the order of presentation being entered as a variable in the analysis. The results of the study showed that for both Years 3 and 5 students there was a high degree of consistency in performance between the two versions of the tests, although a minority of students performed better in the online version of the test. Over 70% of students rated the online test as acceptable, and 90% felt that the online format did not disadvantage them even in a "high-stakes" situation. From these results, we conclude that online assessment does not confer any disadvantage to students. Students perceive such assessment to be both fair and acceptable, and to have some advantages over the traditional paper-based methods of assessment.

The mechanism of proton transfer (PT) in the aqueous acid-base reaction between the photoacid 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid (HPTS) and acetate is studied. The transfer mechanism is described in terms of the adiabatic PT picture, where solvent fluctuations have played a key role in forming the correct hydrogen-bond configuration and solvent polarization to facilitate PT.

EDITORIAL: Learners and Learning Contexts: Systemic Perspectives on New Alignments during the COVID-19 Digital Challenges and Opportunities/ÉDITORIAL: Apprenant-e-s et contextes d'apprentissage: perspectives systémiques sur les nouveaux alignements au temps des défis et opportunités numériques occasionnés par la COVID-19 This special issue took an unexpected turn with the intrusion of COVID-19 into our lives, forcing the development of alternatives to conventional teaching and learning. From research using similar participatory approaches, they analyze three cases about how teachers responded to COVID-19 challenges in the interrelated areas of curriculum, pedagogy, technology, and community. [Extracted from the article]

We study the mechanism of proton transfer (PT) between the photoacid 8-hydroxy-1,3, 6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid (HPTS) and the base chloroacetate in aqueous solution. We investigate both proton and deuteron transfer reactions in solutions with base concentrations ranging from 0.25M to 4M. Using femtosecond midinfrared spectroscopy, we probe the vibrational responses of HPTS, its conjugate photobase, the hydrated proton/deuteron, and chloroacetate. The measurement of these four resonances allows us to follow the sequence of proton departure from the acid, its uptake by the water solvent, and its arrival at the base. In recent studies it was shown that proton transfer to carboxylate bases proceeds via Grotthuss conduction through a water wire connecting the acid and the base [Mohammed et al., Science 310, 83 (2005);Agnew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46, 1458 (2007);Siwick and Bakker, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 13412 (2007); J. Phys. Chem. B 112, 378 (2008)]. Here we show that, for the weaker base chloroacetate, an alternative channel for proton transfer arises. In this channel the proton is first transferred to the water solvent and only later taken up from the water by the base. We study the base concentration dependence of the two competing channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open ocean predator‐prey interactions are often difficult to interpret because of a lack of information on prey fields at scales relevant to predator behaviour. Hence, there is strong interest in identifying the biological and physical factors influencing the distribution and abundance of prey species, which may be of broad predictive use for conservation planning and evaluating effects of environmental change. This study focuses on a key Southern Ocean prey species, Antarctic krill Euphausia superba, using acoustic observations of individual swarms (aggregations) from a large‐scale survey off East Antarctica. We developed two sets of statistical models describing swarm characteristics, one set using underway survey data for the explanatory variables, and the other using their satellite remotely sensed analogues. While survey data are in situ and contemporaneous with the swarm data, remotely sensed data are all that is available for prediction and inference about prey distribution in other areas or at other times. The fitted models showed that the primary biophysical influences on krill swarm characteristics included daylight (solar elevation/radiation) and proximity to the Antarctic continental slope, but there were also complex relationships with current velocities and gradients. Overall model performance was similar regardless of whether underway or remotely sensed predictors were used. We applied the latter models to generate regional‐scale spatial predictions using a 10‐yr remotely‐sensed time series. This retrospective modelling identified areas off east Antarctica where relatively dense krill swarms were consistently predicted during austral mid‐summers, which may underpin key foraging areas for marine predators. Spatiotemporal predictions along Antarctic predator satellite tracks, from independent studies, illustrate the potential for uptake into further quantitative modelling of predator movements and foraging. The approach is widely applicable to other krill‐dependent ecosystems, and our findings are relevant to similar efforts examining biophysical linkages elsewhere in the Southern Ocean and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]