Stories about Mammals

Dear students!
I actually thought that you would start posting yourselves about mammals but as far as noone has actually done it yet, I guess that may be you are experiencing troubles in creating a new post and thus am doing that myself at the moment.
So here is the post where you are to upload your stories about mammals. Everybody is most welcome to add pictures and videos to the post in order to make it more interesting. I am as well looking forward to others commenting on the stories of your coursemates:)
Hope to see your stories here as soon as possible and see you all tomorrow in flesh at our class.
Warmest regards,
Irina

Online Journal

Dear students!
As I have mentioned in the letter, I would like you to post here and report on your assignment on online journals. Those who have posted here and added at least one comment will be considered present at our virtual class:) I am looking forward to your posts:)

Online Dictionaries

Dear VetMed students!
Here is the list of likns to online dictionaries we talked about in class:
http://ilmainensanakirja.fi/sanakirja/ (general, finnish and other languages)
http://www.bio-medicine.org/Medicine-Dictionary/ (Bio-medical dictionary)
http://www.yourdictionary.com/dictionary-articles/veterinary-medical-dictionary.html (veterinary medicine dictionary)
http://www.merriam-webster.com/ (general monolingual dictionary)
http://kaannos.com/haku-sanakirjasta-suomi-englanti-mies.htm (general, Finnish and other languages)
http://www.mondofacto.com/dictionary/medical.html (Medical monolingual dictionary)
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/glossary/glossary.asp (veterinary medicine glossary)
http://www.beelib.com/(Biology Electronic Encyclopedia)
http://www.abbyyonline.ru/ (general, Russian and other languages)

Ducks and ducklings...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1193151/Get-feet-The-moment-duckling-trodden-mother-went-water-time.html
mallard - Anas platyrhynchos (sinikaelpart)

The leopard and a mouse

to remind you that if you really want something, it is always worth a try... the winners are the ones who do not know some things are impossible :)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1190772/What-squeak-Daring-mouse-whos-boss-scares-leopard-steals-lunch.html

Questionnaire about pet first aid

My presentation is about pet first aid. It would be nice, if you could answer some questions:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cmNFWWV6dThiWEFYNEFMd0xLamwyVGc6MA..

Polo horse mystery solved: too much selenium

http://in.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINTRE53R71020090428

Questionnaire about Persian cats

I'm making my presentation about Persian cats and I would like you to answer some questions:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cmxSVHpiNHFNbjdNbkZ6TmxYMlg5T0E6MA


Thank you!

Questionnaire about animal protection

I'm making my presentation about animal protection and I would like you to answer some questions:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cFozLXAwMUhiQmlHR0c0T2tfbDhrTnc6MA..

Enjoy!

Video: 21 polo horses die mysteriously

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=102289&videoChannel=1

Questionnaire about urogenital system

Helen questionnarie about urogenital system:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?key=pykk5uqNnWwtxwENGpaOvKA

Questionnaire about urogenital systenm

Helen questionnarie about urogenital system:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?key=pykk5uqNnWwtxwENGpaOvKA

Questionary

I´m making a presentation about horses and I would really like you to take this small quiz.

The link is below:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cGNhc3RZMEhqRU5sTTgwalFVUDd4TlE6MA..

Thank you!

Schedule for May:

May 4th and 11th - presentations (PPT, vocabulary list, feedback list and abstract - we'll discuss that April 27th).
May 18th - final test (Test II, format similar to Test I).
May 25th - discussion of the tests and term.
Homereading (40 pages, vocabulary with 80 phrases) - as soon as you are ready. Give me a notice (an e-mail?).
Final grade: Test I, TestII, PPT presentation (speaking and communicating skills), attendance and homework (the ones required have to be submitted).

eLearning: circulatory system

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072919345/student_view0/chapter34/elearning.html#

study aids, animations, tests, glossary - wonderful!
1) Post a comment on what you worked with, why you chose that item and whether it was worth it.
2) Choose 15 phrases fot the vocabulary list (Test II, I'll make the final choice from what you suggested).

Nb! Essential Study Partner (on the right - when you move the mouse on the text, the parts/movements are shown on the graph. The glossary is also there (words with hyperlinks), a separate pop-up.)

Lab: counting the heartbeat.

http://www.ucopenaccess.org/courses/CPBioLabs/gen_course/gen_weblab09_video.html
Watch the procedure and see if there's anything else of interest:
animal circulatory systems
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/AnimalHearts.html

If the lab video does not open (it takes some time), try to navigate from the http://www.ucopenaccess.org

Heart and cardiovascular system:

heartbeat (size principle) interactive:
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/heart_size/frames.html
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1796&aid=2951

Fun? Prejudice shaken:

Watch the video and read the stories.
http://www.susan-boyle.com/video/Susan-Boyle-on-Britain-Got-Tale
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-rosenbaum/the-untold-susan-boyle-st_b_188719.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8005767.stm

What's the moral of the story in your mind?

Questions for the questionnaire:

As discussed in last month's issue, there are three potential types of information:
Information we are primarily interested in-that is, dependent variables.
Information which might explain the dependent variables-that is, independent variables.
Other factors related to both dependent and independent factors which may distort the results and have to be adjusted for - that is, confounding variables.
Let us take as an example a national survey to find out students' factors predicting the level of certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes at the end of their undergraduate medical course. The dependent factors include the students' level of relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The independent factors might include students' learning styles, GCSE and A level grades, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, etc. Confounding variables might include the types and quality of teaching in each medical school.
Sometimes, additional questions are used to detect the consistency of the subject's responses. For example, there may be a tendency for some to tick either "agree" or "disagree" to all the questions. Additional contradictory statements may be used to detect such tendencies.
Wording of individual questionsThe way questions are phrased is important and there are some general rules for constructing good questions in a questionnaire.
· Use short and simple sentencesShort, simple sentences are generally less confusing and ambiguous than long, complex ones. As a rule of thumb, most sentences should contain one or two clauses. Sentences with more than three clauses should be rephrased.
· Ask for only one piece of information at a timeFor example, "Please rate the lecture in terms of its content and presentation" asks for two pieces of information at the same time. It should be divided into two parts: "Please rate the lecture in terms of (a) its content, (b) its presentation."
· Avoid negatives if possible
Negatives should be used only sparingly. For example, instead of asking students whether they agree with the statement, "Small group teaching should not be abolished," the statement should be rephrased as, "Small group teaching should continue." Double negatives should always be avoided.
· Ask precise questionsQuestions may be ambiguous because a word or term may have a different meaning. For example, if we ask students to rate their interest in "medicine," this term might mean "general medicine" (as opposed to general surgery) to some, but inclusive of all clinical specialties (as opposed to professions outside medicine) to others.
Another source of ambiguity is a failure to specify a frame of reference. For example, in the question, "How often did you borrow books from your library?" the time reference is missing. It might be rephrased as, "How many books have you borrowed from the library within the past six months altogether?"
· Ensure those you ask have the necessary knowledge
For example, in a survey of university lecturers on recent changes in higher education, the question, "Do you agree with the recommendations in the Dearing report on higher education?" is unsatisfactory for several reasons. Not only does it ask for several pieces of information at the same time as there are several recommendations in the report, the question also assumes that all lecturers know about the relevant recommendations.
· Level of detailsIt is important to ask for the exact level of details required. On the one hand, you might not be able to fulfil the purposes of the survey if you omit to ask essential details. On the other hand, it is important to avoid unnecessary details. People are less inclined to complete long questionnaires. This is particularly important for confidential sensitive information, such as personal financial matters or marital relationship issues.
· Sensitive issues
It is often difficult to obtain truthful answers to sensitive questions. Clearly, the question, "Have you ever copied other students' answers in a degree exam?" is likely to produce either no response or negative responses. Less direct approaches have been suggested.
Firstly, the casual approach: "By the way, do you happen to have copied other students' answers in a degree exam?" may be used as a last part of another decoy question.
Secondly, the numbered card approach: "Please tick one or more of the following items which correspond to how you have answered degree examination questions in the past." In the list of items, include "copy from other students" as one of many items.
Thirdly, the everybody approach: "As we all know, most medical students have copied other students' answers in degree exams. Do you happen to be one of them?"
Fourthly, other people approach. This approach was used in the recent medical student survey. In this survey, students were given the scenario, "John copies answers in a degree exam from Jean." They were then asked, "Do you feel John is wrong, what penalty should be imposed for John, and have you done or would you consider doing the above?"
· Minimise bias
People tend to answer questions in a way they perceive to be socially desired or expected by the questioner and they often look for clues in the questions. Many apparently neutral questions can potentially lead to bias. For example, in the question, "Within the past month, how many lectures have you missed due to your evening job?" students may perceive the desired responses to be "never" to the first question. This question could be rephrased as, "Within the past month, how many times did your evening job commitment clash with lectures? How many times did you give priority to your evening job?" Take another example. The question, "Please rate how useful the following text-books are. Please also state whether they are included in your lecturer's recommended reading list?" There is a risk that the students may perceive that they should rate books recommended by lecturers more favourably than those not recommended by their lecturers. This risk may be minimised by putting the second question later on in the questionnaire.
Length of questionnaire
There are no universal agreements about the optimal length of questionnaires. It probably depends on the type of respondents. However, short simple questionnaires usually attract higher response rates than long complex ones. In a BMJ survey of stroke survivors both the response rate and the proportion of completed forms were higher for a shorter questionnaire (six questions with a visual analogue scale) compared with a longer and more complex questionnaire (with 34 questions).
Arranging the questions
The order of the questions is also important. Some general rules are:
Go from general to particular.
Go from easy to difficult.
Go from factual to abstract.
Start with closed format questions.
Start with questions relevant to the main subject.
Do not start with demographic and personal questions.
It is useful to use a variety of question format as shown in box 2 to maintain the respondents' interest. When a series of semantic differential scales are used, it may be a good idea to mix positive negative - for example, interesting to dull - with negative positive - for example, useless to useful - scales. This might make the respondents think more and avoid the tendency to tick the same response for every question.Filter questions are useful to ensure that respondents answer only relevant questions. However, avoid a highly complex filter regime. Make good use of arrows and boxes to clarify the filter regime.
Introduction, personalised letter, and ending
It seems a good idea to have either a personalised covering letter or at least an introduction explaining briefly the purpose of the survey, the importance of the respondents' participation, who is responsible for the survey, and a statement guaranteeing confidentiality.
A personalised letter can be easily generated using mail-merge on a word processor. It is also important to thank the respondent at the end of the questionnaire.
How to administer the questionnaires
There are several ways of administering questionnaires. They may be self administered or read out by interviewers. Self administered questionnaires may be sent by post, email, or electronically online. Interview administered questionnaires may be by telephone or face to face.
Advantages of self administered questionnaires include:
Cheap and easy to administer.
Preserve confidentiality.
Can be completed at respondent's convenience.
Can be administered in a standard manner.
Advantages of interview administered questionnaires include:
Allow participation by illiterate people.
Allow clarification of ambiguity.
The exact method of administration also depends on who the respondents are. For example, university lecturers may be more appropriately surveyed by email; older people by telephone interviews; train passengers by face to face interviews.
Piloting and evaluation of questionnaires
Given the complexity of designing a questionnaire, it is impossible even for the experts to get it right the first time round. Questionnaires must be pretested - that is, piloted - on a small sample of people characteristic of those in the survey. In a small survey, there might be only pretesting of the drafted questionnaire. In a large survey, there may be three phases of piloting. In the first phase we might ask each respondent in great detail about a limited number of questions: effects of different wordings, what they have in mind when they give a particular answer, how they understand a particular word, etc. In the second phase the whole questionnaire is administered by interviewers. Analysis of the responses and the interviewers' comments are used to improve the questionnaire. Ideally, there should be sufficient variations in responses among respondents; each question should measure different qualities - that is, the responses between any two items should not be very strongly correlated - and the non-response rate should be low. In the third phase the pilot test is polished to improve the question order, filter questions, and layout.
Conclusions
Questionnaires must be carefully designed to yield valid information. Meticulous attention must be paid to ensure that individual questions are relevant, appropriate, intelligible, precise, and unbiased. The order of the questions must be carefully arranged, and the layout of the questionnaire must be clear. It is wise to draft a clear personalised covering letter. Questionnaires must first be piloted and evaluated before the actual survey.
http://student.bmj.com/back_issues/0601/education/187.html

Decide which expressions to choose for Test II (post them as Comments below here - with translations into Estonian, total around 40-50?):

Online questionnaires

for your powerpoint presentation should try to get information about either what people know and do not know or how they feel about something you are going to discuss in your presentation. Any other reasons you can think of? Or maybe find out if they know some terminology you are going to use?
How to design a questionnaire
http://student.bmj.com/back_issues/0601/education/187.html

Vets have met,

and I hope you'll enjoy it! I thought it might be a good idea to create a space where you can post your online-questionnaires and add a little comment, maybe?
So, welcome. Also it is a bit less formal way to ask about things you need to know (concerning English, mostly?).