The aim of this study was to design a program based on connectivism for creating personal learnin... more The aim of this study was to design a program based on connectivism for creating personal learning environments (PLEs) to develop EFL prospective teachers' instructional performance. The study started with a review of literature and previous studies related to instructional performance; connectivism; and PLEs. The researcher designed two instruments; namely, a) an assessment form for prospective teachers' lesson plans, and b) an observation checklist for prospective teachers' lesson implementation competencies. The researcher then designed the study's proposed program. A group of 7 participants enrolled in 2 nd year, general education, English Department, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University (2019-2020) participated in the study. They were trained through the proposed program's tasks on creating PLEs, and on designing lesson plans and conducting lesson presentations in light of the connections within their PLEs. Data sources included documentation, observation, interviews, and physical artifacts in addition to the quantitative data concluded via administration of the study's instruments. The participants' scores on the pre and post-applications were statistically analyzed using z-test. In addition, a qualitative analysis of each case regarding their PLEs, PLPs, and PLNs was conducted. Both the quantitative
The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of selenium (Se) alone or combined with carbamaze... more The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of selenium (Se) alone or combined with carbamazepine (CBZ) against the adverse effects induced by the chemoconvulsant pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) in the cortex of adult male rats. Electrocorticogram (ECoG) and oxidative stress markers were implemented to evaluate the differences between treated and untreated animals. Animals were divided into five groups: control group that received i.p. saline injection, PTZ-treated group that received a single i.p. injection of PTZ (60 mg/kg) for induction of seizures followed by a daily i.p. injection of saline, Se-treated group that received an i.p. injection of sodium selenite (0.3 mg/kg/day) after PTZ administration, CBZ-treated group that received orally CBZ (80 mg/kg/day) after PTZ administration, and combination (Se plus CBZ)-treated group that received an oral administration of CBZ (80 mg/kg/day) followed by an i.p. injection of sodium selenite (0.3 mg/kg/day) after PTZ administration. Quantitative analyses of the ECoG indices and the neurochemical parameters revealed that Se and CBZ have mitigated the adverse effects induced by PTZ. The main results were decrease in the number of epileptic spikes, restoring the normal distribution of slow and fast ECoG frequencies and attenuation of most of the oxidative stress markers. However, there was an increase in lipid perioxidation marker in combined treatment of CBZ and Se. The electrophysiological and neurochemical data proved the potential of these techniques in evaluating the treatment's efficiency and suggest that supplementation of Se with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may be beneficial in ameliorating most of the alterations induced in the brain as a result of seizure insults and could be recommended as an adjunct therapy with AEDs.
The aim of this study was to design a program based on connectivism for creating personal learnin... more The aim of this study was to design a program based on connectivism for creating personal learning environments (PLEs) to develop EFL prospective teachers' instructional performance. The study started with a review of literature and previous studies related to instructional performance; connectivism; and PLEs. The researcher designed two instruments; namely, a) an assessment form for prospective teachers' lesson plans, and b) an observation checklist for prospective teachers' lesson implementation competencies. The researcher then designed the study's proposed program. A group of 7 participants enrolled in 2 nd year, general education, English Department, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University (2019-2020) participated in the study. They were trained through the proposed program's tasks on creating PLEs, and on designing lesson plans and conducting lesson presentations in light of the connections within their PLEs. Data sources included documentation, observation, interviews, and physical artifacts in addition to the quantitative data concluded via administration of the study's instruments. The participants' scores on the pre and post-applications were statistically analyzed using z-test. In addition, a qualitative analysis of each case regarding their PLEs, PLPs, and PLNs was conducted. Both the quantitative
The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of selenium (Se) alone or combined with carbamaze... more The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of selenium (Se) alone or combined with carbamazepine (CBZ) against the adverse effects induced by the chemoconvulsant pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) in the cortex of adult male rats. Electrocorticogram (ECoG) and oxidative stress markers were implemented to evaluate the differences between treated and untreated animals. Animals were divided into five groups: control group that received i.p. saline injection, PTZ-treated group that received a single i.p. injection of PTZ (60 mg/kg) for induction of seizures followed by a daily i.p. injection of saline, Se-treated group that received an i.p. injection of sodium selenite (0.3 mg/kg/day) after PTZ administration, CBZ-treated group that received orally CBZ (80 mg/kg/day) after PTZ administration, and combination (Se plus CBZ)-treated group that received an oral administration of CBZ (80 mg/kg/day) followed by an i.p. injection of sodium selenite (0.3 mg/kg/day) after PTZ administration. Quantitative analyses of the ECoG indices and the neurochemical parameters revealed that Se and CBZ have mitigated the adverse effects induced by PTZ. The main results were decrease in the number of epileptic spikes, restoring the normal distribution of slow and fast ECoG frequencies and attenuation of most of the oxidative stress markers. However, there was an increase in lipid perioxidation marker in combined treatment of CBZ and Se. The electrophysiological and neurochemical data proved the potential of these techniques in evaluating the treatment's efficiency and suggest that supplementation of Se with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may be beneficial in ameliorating most of the alterations induced in the brain as a result of seizure insults and could be recommended as an adjunct therapy with AEDs.
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