Chrysallis Research Magazine - Issue 1 - Nov 2015

Page 1



Chrysallis represents a transformative and emergent stage in the life cycle of a butterfly. With the right conditions over time, the egg becomes the larva which transforms to a cocoon and finally a beautiful butterfly ready to flutter its wings.

Conducting research involves

growth, adaptation, evolution, patience and strength as we journey through many challenges in search of solutions. The research cycle and process is similar to the evolution of a butterfly from an egg. It is transformative and eventually leads to a great discovery, product, patent or methodology capable of improving many sectors of life. This research cycle, often strengthens us as individuals and prepares us for the world of academia as well as other careers. Chrysallis Research Magazine is here to bring research to our local, regional and international communities so that individuals can gain knowledge and ideas for educational and practical purposes. The magazine was conceptualized after listening to Miss Virgil Bideau's MPhil seminar on fibroids in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences Seminar series, Semester II, 2014-2015, and further developed in a WhatsApp group chat with research students at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. From the chat, it was the consensus that many of us carry out interesting research in many different areas and that our work remains undiscovered by most of the campus population and our Caribbean communities. In fact, unless individuals read the journals in which we publish our work, or attend our seminar/class presentations, our research remains inaccessible especially to those who would stand to benefit most. As a result of our discussions, we decided to start this magazine to highlight our research endeavours through an online medium thereby making it accessible to individuals locally, regionally and internationally. Our first issue developed under the theme: 'Awakening a passion: transitioning to a research culture' is intended to share various types of research currently in progress or completed by students and faculty across all campuses of The University of the West Indies. From the Cave Hill Campus, readers can look forward to completed research on literacies in the third space and family functioning as it relates to academic success. Ongoing research topics include human security in Barbados, E-commerce in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) in Grenada, uterine fibroids and health equity research in the region. From the Mona, St. Augustine and Open Campus, we have research on antipsychotic therapy in the management of male Cannabis users, a

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~ ~

personal

~

completion times in research course rooms.

~

conference experiences, special advice to students and faculty research developments.

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reflection

of

a

mother

pursuing

graduate

studies,

and

attrition

rates

and

The magazine will also share contributors'

We invite you to read this captivating first issue and to follow us online. Our second issue will be released in Semester 11 of the 2015-2016 academic year under the same theme.

Special

thanks to all team members (past and present) for making this magazine a reality, especially our newest member Mr. Michael Mayers for working on the layout under a very short timeframe. In addition, special thanks to friends and supporters of the magazine, especially Mr. Brendon Duncan and Mr. Christopher Millar for assistance with some of the graphics. We look forward to your feedback as this magazine is solely produced by postgraduate students and is a work in progress.

Follow us on:

Chrysallisresearchmagazine

@Chrysallisresearchmagazine

@ChrysallisRM

Published By: Chrysallis Research Magazine Faculty of Science and Technology The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus P.O. Box 64 Bridgetown, Barbados, 8811000

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License


Table of Contents COMMENTS FROM DEPUTY DEANS ............................................................................................................ 1 Faculty of Humanities & Education .............................................................................................................. 2 Faculty of Medical Sciences ........................................................................................................................ 3 Faculty of Social Sciences .......................................................................................................................... 4 Faculty of Science & Technology ................................................................................................................. 5

COMPLETED RESEARCH: OUR RECENT GRADUATES ................................................................................ 6 Constructing A Third Space: Integrating Students' Out-Of-School Literacies Into A Secondary School Writing Course ............................................................................................................ 7 Family Functioning and Adolescent Academic Success among Sixth Form and Community College students in Barbados and St. Lucia ............................................................................. 10

FEATURED PIECES ................................................................................................................................... 13 A Note of Advice for the New Graduate Student ..........................................................................................14 Part One - Conferencing, Preparation to Arrival: Running the Race of Research ......................................... 17 Tips for Presentations . ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... .. 20

STUDENTS' RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................ 24 A Formative Evaluation of the Internal Component of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) in Grenada ................................................................................................................. 25 The Legal Framework for E-commerce in Trinidad & Tobago ....................................................................... 29 Opportunities for Health Equities Research in the Caribbean ..................................................................... 32 Uterine Fibroids Targeting the Silent Epidemic at the Molecular Level .........................................................35 Human Security for Barbados .................................................................................................................... 37 THE SISTER CAMPUSES ........................................................................................................................... 39 Assessment of Anti psychotic Therapy in the Management of Male Cannabis Users with Psychotic Episodes Presenting to the University Hospital of the West Indies ............................ 40 How Research Fits Into My Life .................................................................................................................. 43


Table of Contents Addressing High Attrition Rates and Long Completion Times through Research Course Rooms . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 46

CONFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 50 Part Two: My Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Annual Conference Experience, Vienna, Austria .............................................................................................. 51 Beyond The Poster and Oral Presentations of the American Society of Horticultural Science Conference, New Orleans ................................................................................. 53 FACULTY RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................. 56

Revitalization of Science Research at The UWI Cave Hill .................................................................... 57 A PhD! What on Earth Were You Thinking? .......................................................................................... 59 Clean Energy Research at Cave Hill ...................................................................................................... 62



Dr. Korah Belgrave Deputy Dean (Outreach and Research) korah.belgrave@cavehill.uwi.edu In the Humanities, we are presently trying to build a research

We appreciate that language undergirds everything we do and, as a result, we have quite a few persons working in the area of Applied Linguistics who are examining the differences between the language varieties of each Caribbean country. This requires the development of successful methods of teaching and learning in the context of each country's linguistic differences and similarities.

Additionally, we are examining gender differences in learning and how to better

teach males in order to encourage their successful development. We hope to develop a Language Bureau, new programmes in Communication Studies and Social Media in the Caribbean, Translation Studies and English as a Second Language (ESL). special faculty in that it is at the core of other disciplines.

The Humanities Faculty is a

Persons can build on and explore

new areas as a result of the humanities foundation and this can lead to regional advancement.

Research Day 2014 Posters (Photo courtesy of Office of Public Information UWI, Cave Hill)

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 2


Comments on Research at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI, Cave Hill Dr. Alok Kumar Coordinator of Doctorate of Medicine Courses alok.kumar@cavehill.uwi.edu The Faculty of Medical Science (FMS) has always been at the forefront of research. The Chronic Disease Research Center (CDRC) has spearheaded research into many of the chronic non-communicable diseases in Barbados. The faculty members and associate faculty members of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, outside of the CDRC, have long been actively involved in research in areas of clinical medicine that are important and relevant to the medical care of the Barbadian people. Emerging infectious diseases such as HIV, dengue, hantavirus, chikungunya and other viral diseases have been one of the major areas of research by faculty members in the clinical side of medicine. The output from the research in the FMS forms a significant proportion of the presentations at the annual research meeting of the regional public health body - the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and results in numerous publications in regional and international peer reviewed medical journals every year. The Faculty has a number of well-established, high profile researchers. With the increasing emphasis on quality research in the faculty, better mentoring and support of our young researchers, it is seen as an emerging hub for research of a high standard in the areas unique to our population. There is an increasing emphasis on good quality research output from the DM graduates in the faculty. These will not only provide better and more evidence based solutions to our local health problems but also develop an increasing body Research Day 2014 Posters (Photo courtesy of Office of Public Information UWI , Cave Hill)

of medical literature of local, regional and international importance providing a better understanding of diseases.

In the coming years, an increase in the number of high quality presentations at regional and international conferences, as well as, publications in peer reviewed journals would go a long way in strengthening the credibility of UWI among international academic and research institutions. With the continuing emphasis on quality research in the areas relevant to local medical issues, UWI is seen to play an increasingly important role in the shaping of local and regional health policies and in the planning of our response to the local and regional emerging public health problems.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 3

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Dr. Wendy Grenade Deputy Dean (Outreach) wendy.grenade@cavehill.uwi.edu UWI is a central pillar of Caribbean development. Through its intellectual

multi-disciplinary faculty that acts as a rich reservoir for research on the critical issues that affect the Caribbean's development. The faculty promotes a research culture and values its research students. Through a wide range of Taught Masters Programmes the Faculty also invests in building human capacity within Barbados, throughout the region and beyond. The Faculty of Social Sciences congratulates the Graduate Student body for its initiative to launch a Graduate Student Magazine. It is our hope that this magazine will contribute positively to fostering a rigorous, dynamic research culture at the Cave Hill Campus of The UWI.

Research Day 2014 Round Table Discussion (Photo courtesy of Office of Public Information UWI , Cave Hill)

INNOVATION & SOCIAL CHAN.

Research Day 2014 Posters (Photo courtesy of Office of Public Information UWI , Cave Hill)

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 4


Comments on how the Faculty of Science & Technology is Contributing to the Research Community

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Dr. Jeanese Badenock Deputy Dean (Outreach and Research) j eanese.badenock@cavehill. uwi.ed u

In a world where laptops, tablets, apps and social media are

mainstays

~

and lengthy dialogues on energy, conservation, food security, health, , transport and defence are common, do we dare ask why we need science? Here at Cave Hill, the Faculty of Science and Technology is a potpourri of researchers engaged in vibrant pursuit of discovery and innovation in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics, Environmental Studies, Meteorology, Mathematics and Physics. Our mission

~ ~ ~

necessitates an intersection with industry and government as we strive to identify viable solutions ~

to Caribbean problems. Some of the more notable research foci include costal reef management ~. (the Sargassum threat), invertebrate biology (the Giant African Snail), renewable energy, sea turtle

~

conservation, biofuel production, plant disease, soil fertility and water analysis and management. ~

Intertwined with these applied areas is pure research into areas such as algorithms, computational ~. chemistry, statistics, synthesis, and theoretical physics.

Our scientists have collaborations

~

with major global institutions and consult for regional and international governments and ~

organisations. The training and mentoring of future scientists is also fundamental to our vision and ~. consequently undergraduate and graduate researchers are a critical part of our research family.

J Research in the Community 2015 at Jubilee Gardens (Photo courtesy of Office of Public Information UWI, Cave Hill)

UWI Graduate Fair 2014 at 3Ws Oval (Photo courtesy of Office of Public Information UWI, Cave Hill)

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 5

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COMPLETED RESEARCH: OUR RECENT GRADUATES About The Authors Faculty of Humanities and Education Pauline Millar holds a PhD in Education, MPhil in Education, BEd (Hons) in Language Arts and Erdiston Teacher's Certificate. Her PhD was supervised by Dr. S. Joel Warrican, Director Academic Programming and Delivery, The UWI, Open Campus. Dr Millar is an educator with twenty-eight years of experience. Nicora Shekera Stubbs holds a PhD in Educational Psychology, an MSc in Counselling Psychology and a BEd in Primary Education. Her PhD was supervised by Dr. Donna-Maria Maynard. Dr. Stubbs is presently a School Psychologist at the Ministry of Education in the Bahamas.

Refer to these references for more details on the authors' work: Milla~ P. & Warrican., S.J. {2015). Constructing a Third Space: Positioning Students-' Out-of-School literacies in the Classroom. In P. Smith & A.Kumi-Yeboah (Eds). Handbook of Research On Cross-Cultural Approaches to language and literacy Development {87-117). Hershey., PA: /GI Global Stubbs., N. {2015). Family Functioning and Academic Self-Efficacy among Sixth Form and Community College Students in Barbados and St. Lucia. The International Journal of learning in Higher Education., Volume 22., Issue 4., pp.35-48.


Methodology

Introduction Students' social and literate interactions are

This study comprised a two-tier design

~ ~

~

becoming increasingly multimodal as they are

which entailed a situational analysis and ~

mediated through technology which links them

follow-up

to music, movies, images and cross-cultural

which emerged from the first phase.

information.

the study encompassed an assessment of ~.

However, the passion displayed

intervention

informed

by

data

~

Thus,

~

by the youth for social media, online reading

the out-of-school literacies of 162 public

~

and

secondary students, the exploration of the

~

digital

communications

by

some

as

of

traditional

a

threat to

print

is

the

acquisition

teachers and the monitoring of the course of

educators acknowledge that contemporary

action required to promote students' written

technologies

acquisition

expression through a blend of academic and

of alphabetic literacy, they are concerned

technologically based forms of literacy to

that exposure to print may be completely

create a third space pedagogy with a class

eclipsed

interactions.

of ten fourteen year old secondary students.

Moreover, they are also intimidated by their

Data were collected using mixed methods

by

literacy.

departmental Discourses of three English ~.

While

may

based

regarded

support the

technological

own lack of facility or familiarity with the

including

purposes

completion of a course of work collaboratively

for which

various

technological

a

survey,

interviews

and

the

devices may be employed. Prensky (2001)

developed with students.

has referred to this as the divide between

inferential statistics were used to report on

"digital

the survey.

natives"

and

"digital

immigrants"

Descriptive and

Interviews were analyzed using

or those who are secure in their use of

discourse analysis, while the interactions

technology and those who are not.

It is this

in third space were examined through the

considerable resistance and misunderstanding

students' writing and their evaluation of the

concerning traditional versus contemporary

course. I traced the development of students

literacies,

as writers, explored their projection of identity

which

in

conducting

an

approach

stimulated an to

my

interest

investigation bridge

this

into

by means of language and observed the

divide.

impact of technology on their work. The data arising from the sources indicated, provided answers to the following research questions Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 7

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~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Constructing A Third Space: Integrating Students' Out-Of-School Literacies Into A Secondary School Writing Course address

which guided the overall project: 1. What are

the

literate

behaviours

of

of

identity

worlds

adolescents? 2. What are the teacher discourses which

literacy of

as

an

formation students

essential within

the

(Moje,

aspect social 2008).

Summary of Findings

may impact on the development of third space?

Students

3. What are the processes in developing third space linkages to literacies in school-based English classes?

The survey confirmed widespread access to the computer by students (92.6%). Students also reported that they were reading either

4. How can students' funds of knowledge

books or digital material (63%) and indicated

be used to develop third space linkages to

a positive attitude towards reading (86%). For

literacies in school-based English classes?

76.2% of students, Facebook was an important aspect of their regular online interactions.

Undergirding

this

participatory

action

research investigation were the notions of third space, multiliteracies and discourses. Within the context of this research, third space refers to a classroom blend of contemporary and

traditional

literacy

(Bhabha,

1994;

Gutierrez, Rymes & Larson 1995; Soja 1996). The New London Group (1996) proposes that socio-linguistic and technological changes in

Teachers Teachers felt that considerable demands were being made of them which were beyond their ability to manage.

Timetabling issues

witnessed limited or missed opportunities for the use of technology while teacher professional isolation reinforced a fatalistic or resigned attitude towards the vernacular.

communication have influenced the various ways of making meaning. Within this context,

The Classroom

the New London Group (1996) argues for a more all encompassing approach to the teaching of literacy. Discourses (Gee, 2005) examine the ways in which individuals and groups create social reality. In this regard, Gee (2000, 2005) observes that literacy is a sublanguage employed to create, support and negotiate identity within a social context. These

factors

suggest

adolescent literacy

that

pedagogy

Caribbean is

ripe for

renewal and transformation as it seeks to

The

classroom

intervention

highlighted

the need for a collaborative and participatory climate which reinforced the role of literacy in the formation of adolescent identity. Moje, Luke, Davies & Street (2009) have argued that identity as developed through literacy, is contextual, multiplex, socially, spatially and chronologically located. Indeed, in the case of this study, the critical features of voice and stance projected the literate selfhood through Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 8


Constructing A Third Space: Integrating Students' Out-Of-School Literacies Into A Secondary School Writing Course textual and media forms. This was supported by

means

of

a

"grammar

amnesty"

to

reduce

students'

internal

monitoring of language (Krashen, 2003) and to encourage self-expression.

require

courage

and

.

.

•

a

reduced focus on grammar and mechanics intended

will

References Bhabha, H. (1994).

The location of culture.

Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge

Within this

third space, students' writing was multivocal, heteroglossic and performative (Kress, Jewett & Tsatrellis, 2000) in similar ways to the social

Gee, J. (2000).

Teenagers in new times: A

new literacy studies perspective. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 43 (5), 412-423

networking sites enjoyed during students'

Gee, J (2005).

out-of-school

analysis: Theory and method. 2nd ed. London,

experience

experiences. was

Impediments

to

not be

However,

without addressed

the

challenges. were

the

slow internet connection speed, restricted access to online content, students' lack of skills with certain aspects of technology and outdated or malfunctioning equipment.

An introduction to discourse

UK: Routledge Gutierrez, K,

Rymes, B & Larson, J. (1995).

Script, counterscript, and underlife in the classroom: James Brown versus Brown v. Board of Education.

Harvard Educational

Review, 65 ( 3), 445-4 71

These findings imply that if the out-of-school literacies of students are to be used to promote and strengthen literacy instruction then teacher professional development will be

Krashen, S. (2003). Explorations in language acquisition

and

use.

Portsmouth,

NH

Heinemann

required. In various contexts, conceptualizing

Moje, E. (2008). Foregrounding the disciplines

third space and pursuing it as an everyday

in secondary literacy teaching and learning: A

instructional reality, promises to be complex,

call for change. Journal of Adolescent & Adult

demanding,

Literacy, 52 (2), 96-107.

nuanced

and

intense

work.

Prensky, M. (2001 ).

Conclusion

immigrants. On the Horizon, 9 (5), 1-6

Contemporary literacy instruction requires a

sharper pedagogical

vision

to

provide

focus for redefined roles and actions in the global

context

Digital natives, digital

of

burgeoning

Soja, E. (1996). Thirdspace: Journeys to Los Angeles and other real-and-imagined places. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing

multimodal

expression. This will require the transformation

An excerpt of my work can be found in:

of the narrative which reinforces the inherent

Handbook of Research On Cross-Cultural Approaches to language and literacy Development {87-117). Hershe~ PA: /GI Global.

power issues of alphabetic literacy. As one of the teachers observed, "Those questions were really tough."

Sustaining this conversation

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 9


This in

study

examining

constructs,

applied the

several

family

however,

and

the

theories academic

main

theory

undergirding this research is structural family theory (SFT). Developed by Salvador Minuchin (1974), SFT employs a systemic approach to understanding family functioning with special academic performance on stardardised tests

emphasis on the patterns of interactions

overseen

Examinations

within and between subsystems and the family

Council (CXC) who has expressed recent

system as a whole. Two critical constructs

concern regarding the decline in regional

underlying SFT include family cohesion and

performance particularly in English Language

family adaptability. Family cohesion refers to

and Mathematics examinations (Caribbean

the degree of autonomy and bonding existing

Examinations Council, 2014). As a result,

within a family system; balanced cohesion

education systems have looked internally at

reflects healthy family functioning. Whereas,

initiatives geared to boosting teacher morale,

family adaptability describes a family's ability

curriculum reform, best practices and the like;

to reorganise its structure in response to

and from a student perspective, considering

changing circumstances and need (Becvar &

factors

and

Becvar, 2006). Well functioning families are

study habits to improve academic outcomes.

those who apply a balance of structure and

However, there are external factors like the

flexibility in the management and execution of

home environment, also impacting academic

household tasks.

by the Caribbean

such

as

student

motivation

success as confirmed by Johnson (2010).

The

status

of

family

functioning

and

Studies such as that of Annunziata, Hogue,

academic success were assessed among

Faw

the

adolescents ages 17 to 19 years in the sixth

significant positive effects of psychological

form and community college in Barbados

factors

and

and St. Lucia. Differences in adolescents'

family adaptability on academic outcomes.

academic self-efficacy, school engagement

Nevertheless, according to Baker (2006),

and academic performance were examined

there is paucity in the literature as it relates to

according to levels of family cohesion and

this phenomenon in the Caribbean.

family adaptability. The relationship between

and

Liddle including

(2006) family

have

shown

cohesion

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 10


Family Functioning and Adolescent Academic Success among Sixth Form and Community College Students in Barbados and St. Lucia family functioning and academic success was

and those in St. Lucia.

Multi-stage sampling was used to select the 523 participants.

role the family plays in adolescent academic ~.

The study employed a

development. It strengthens the research base

quantitative approach and utilised a survey

and provides empirical data that can inform

research design to examine perceptions of

policies and practices geared to improving

adolescents

the quality of family-life and education in the

concerning

family

functioning,

academic self-efficacy and school engagement. The

survey

instrument

consisted

of:

Caribbean.

the

Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (Olson, Portner & Lavee, 1985), the Self-Efficacy for Learning Form (Zimmerman & Kitsantas, 2007) and the Student Engagement Instrument &

(Appleton,

Reschley,

from

school

Christenson,

2006).

Overall

records

measured

Kim

percentages academic

performance. Data analyses involved one-way analysis analysis,

of

variance,

linear

one-way multivariate

regression

and

multiple

regression tests. Results revealed that adolescents perceived their families as separated and structured, indicating less than ideal family functioning, according to structural family theory.

A

significant relationship was found between family functioning and academic success. Participants

from

~

This research offers insight on the critical ~

further investigated.

families

with

high

and

mid-range cohesion held significantly higher academic self-efficacy beliefs and indicated significantly higher school engagement than those from families with low cohesion.

Also,

adolescents from families with mid-range and low adaptability presented significantly higher academic performance scores than those from families with high adaptability. Results were generally similar for adolescents in Barbados Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 11

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Zimmerman, B. J., & Kitsantas, A. (2007). Reliability and validity of the self-efficacy Annunziata, D., Hogue, A., Faw, L. & Liddle,

for learning form (SELF) scores of college

H. A. (2006). Family functioning and school

students.

success in at-risk inner-city adolescents.

157-163.

Journal

of

Psychology,

215(3),

Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(1 ), 105-113. Appleton, J., Christenson, S.,

Kim,

D.

&

An excerpt of my work can be found in: The

Reschly, A. (2006). Measuring cognitive and

International Journal of Learning in Higher

psychological engagement: Validation of the

Education, Volume 22, Issue 4, pp.35-48.

student engagement instrument. Journal of School Psychology, 44(3), 427-445. Baker, W. A. (2006). Family factors affecting adolescent self-image in Guyana. Loma Linda, CA: Loma Linda University. Becvar, D. &

Becvar, R.J. (2006). Family

therapy: a systemic integration (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Caribbean

Examinations

Council.

(2014).

Report on candidates work in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination. St. Michael, Barbados: Caribbean Examinations Council. Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Olson, D., Portner, J. & Lavee, Y. (1985). Faces Ill manual. Unpublished manuscript, University of Minnesota.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 12



~~

Two years ago I started my tenure as a graduate studies student. I heard the horror

~ stories of other students and I was determined ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

that this would not be my story. These stories

• The requirements or work load expectations • Scheduling conflicts Once again the list goes on.

included issues such as: • Falling

behind

in

schedules

and

assignments, being late with submissions,

There are some valid issues in what were mentioned,

however,

students

should

be

certain that a graduate degree is what they

wasting time; not planning and preparing

want and expect that as this is a higher degree, • Getting caught up in the petty issues

a higher level of commitment and effort will be

• Not focusing on the task at hand • Not

researching

enough

required to achieve it. from

the

It is indeed true that the faculty and staff are not always without fault, however, as students

appropriate, currentjournals

it is in our interest to ensure that where The list is endless.

possible we take steps to mediate to minimize the effect of these problems.

It should be

When I spoke to some of the lecturers

noted that there will be other students who

found out further problems that I did not

suggest that the faculty should correct its own

consider, including and most importantly, not

issues and that it is not the responsibility of the

completing the programme. Apparently many

student. I take the opposite point of view, if the

students get frustrated by many things and do

end result is to get my degree, then everything

not complete their programme. I asked some

pertaining

lecturers, current students and past students

responsibility. Communication with the faculty

for possible reasons for this.

and staff is critical when ensuring that your

Some of the

reasons they gave were: • Organizational issues within the institution

to

that

end

result

is

my

interests are being addressed. This is not to say that I did not all falter at times into one or more of the categories that

• Limited resources from a literary research perspective • Changes in programme

make up the first list.

However, as a new

graduate student the following

are some

suggestions that may assist in avoiding the issues. Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 14


~

• Read your students hand book, faculty

• Document everything, when you are given

book, code of principles and responsibilities,

a receipt for submission of work or anything ~

regulations hand book, thesis guide, and

else, file it and keep it for the duration of your ~.

EVERYTHING ABOUT PLAGIARISM.

programme. Either communicate via email or

There

are many rumors that can mislead the new student, there are even persons who mean well with their advice. However, some of them never started with the facts and therefore procedures that worked for them may not work for you.

Things change, get the facts

from a credible source for your year of entry

confirm conversations with an email. • Make

research

your

best

friend,

get

comfortable with it, learn the required citation style and stick with it, cite and reference everything that is not your original material. Learn how to find the appropriate journals, how to paraphrase and how to quote.

to the programme not theirs. • Balance your campus life and non-campus • Learn how to work in teams without getting

life.

caught up in the interpersonal conflicts. • Submission of assignments in the correct

All

graduate

degrees

require

a

final

form and on time is YOUR responsibility; do

paper, thesis or report for completion.

It is

not leave it to chance or to someone else,

very important that you find out everything

if required contact can be made with the

needed for the write up process early in your

lecturer or faculty office for clarification.

programme from a reliable source (e.g. your programme coordinator, supervisor, thesis

• Plan your use of time.

guide etc.). The faculty states that you should • Start projects early, if not you will run out of time.

get registration advice prior to registering and this is very important in this case as there are

• Participate in classes, meetings, workshops,

strict deadlines for submission based upon

group sessions etc. Ask questions when you

your registration date. Other important points

require clarification.

pertaining to your research include;

It is always better to

assume that if you do not understand, there are others who do not understand as well so rather than remain quiet, seek assistance from the qualified source.

• The research topic o How to choose a valid topic o Is the research material available or within the scope of you the student

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 15

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The research proposal o What are the requirements and deadlines o Supervision

requirements

and

expectations • The research paper o What are the requirements o How does the research paper differ from the research proposal o Plagiarism and how to check using Turnitin o Submission requirements such as I RB approval and deadlines • Answers for many of these questions can be found in the various documents found

on

the

universities

website

(http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/gradstudies/cur rent-students/document-library.aspx)

and

any further clarification should be sought from your course or programme coordinator.

~

Some of the topics discussed above may

~

seem trivial, however these topics are a

~ great source of frustration for students and

~

::n:;:s::nth::::s:: e:~~~~;e~::s :::ea:~

~ reaching the finish line and giving up.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 16


After months or years of research, and very

your area of study.

limited contact with the outside world it is truly

an invaluable resource, connecting you to

a privilege to produce material that is sufficient

everything relevant and timely.

to be shared with scientific communities. This

searching for relevant societies to possibly

opportunity should not be taken for granted.

join, I discovered the Society for Molecular

Presenting at a conference was single handedly

Biology and Evolution (SMBE) and I was sold.

Whilst I was

the most fulfilling opportunity that I have had

A key aspect of preparation is noting

to represent The University of the West Indies,

and meeting deadlines, so timing is crucial,

Cave Hill campus, and it was a pleasure.

I

because, conferences have several deadlines!

believe the name and impact of The UWI

The SMBE 2015 annual meeting deadlines

increases exponentially with each researcher

offered me sufficient time to prepare, as such

who presents at a conference. I was elated to

I decided to go for it.

be able to introduce my work and The UWI to

believe is the abstract deadline, which ensures

the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution

that you get your foot in the door. Give yourself

(SMBE). Finally, attending a conference allows

sufficient time to prepare your abstract and

researchers to be updated on current work

submit on time, since there are seldom second

in a very tangible way as well as to preview

chances.

The most important I

unpublished and budding findings.

Money Talks

ON YOUR MARK PREPARATION

Conferences are quite costly and as the average research student is unable to provide self-funding, it is important to seek financing.

Find the Best Fit for You Preparation is key! Once you have decided that you are ready to spread your wings and fly, it is important that you select your conference wisely. What are you looking for and how do you decide? Your supervisor is usually a good source of guidance, directing you to societies that hold annual meetings and conferences in

Fortunately, at The UWI, postgraduate students have access to the Campus Research Awards through The School of Graduate Studies and Research.

This affords us the opportunities

to apply for funding for many of our research needs including attending and at conferences.

presenting

This award application also

comes with a deadline and

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 17


~ ~ ~

~ ~

various

requirements,

so

preparation are again vital.

timing

and

However, I would encourage other researchers

can attest to

not to be daunted by the grandeur of some of

being a beneficiary of this award and for this, I

these meetings.

am eternally grateful.

beats a trial but a failure" were applicable, it is in this case.

Border Control When

My selection of the word

"Grandeur" was not for dramatic effect, it

travelling

internationally

~

imperative

~

requirements for your destination.

that

If ever the saying "Nothing

you

confirm

the

it

is

travel I was

~. travelling to Vienna, Austria and since I am a

~

citizen of the Commonwealth of Dominica, at

~

the time of my applications and preparation

~. I required a Schengen Visa.

was deliberately chosen because it is an apt description. The SMBE 2015 annual meeting was held in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, Vienna, Austria. Yes folks, it was in an actual palace and for your viewing pleasure here are a few pictures displaying said grandeur.

This meant

~

additional travel cost and application fees

~

associated with obtaining the visa at the

~. nearest embassy which was in St. Lucia.

~

Thankfully, my prayers were answered and the

~ OECS states received a Schengen visa waiver

~. just in time! However, as I am a precautious

~

~ ~ ~ ~

person I prepared a travel document package with the requirements that were still being instituted.

Travel

insurance,

proof

of

accommodation, conference documents, as well as the official visa waiver documents released

by

the

appropriate

The Hofburg Imperial Palace conference rooms.

But let us not put the carriage before the

embassies

horse. Yet another apt saying, since there was

indicating that Dominica had indeed been

no shortage of horse-drawn carriages around

~ added to the list of countries with visa waivers

the Hofburg or Vienna areas.

~. were all in my prepared package.

~

~ GET SET - ALMOST ~

GAME TIME

~

~ Go for It

~ ~

~

Initially I was a bit hesitant to apply to the SMBE 2015 because it was a very large society. Local horse-drawn carriage.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 18


It's Not an Easy Road: Travelling and Arrival After several hours of flying and a six-hour

Scheduling Sessions Prior to the ~ Start of the Conference ~ Most

conferences

utilize

technology

time difference I was in the beautiful Vienna,

and have electronic copies of the schedule

Austria. I would advise that if possible arrive at

available prior to arrival.

least the evening before the commencement of

advisable that you take a look and select

the conference, especially when travelling to a

symposia,

different time zone. I would also recommend

presentations of interest before arriving at

packing one to two days of clothing in your

the conference. I'm fairly certain you are not

hand luggage, or master the art of "packing

expected to fully comprehend everything that

lightly".

is being discussed but whenever in doubt

plenary

talks

It is therefore and

poster

This was particularly useful for me since

it's a great idea to take notes to research

my luggage was delayed and I was jet lagged.

privately or engage in further discussion with

Needless to say I thanked God that I had time

the speakers during breaks. This also allows

prior to the start of the conference to deal with

for networking and exchange of contact

my travel woes so that the next morning I could

information among colleagues. If you feel so

begin my conference experience problem free

inclined the microphone is always open for a

and with fresh clothes on my back.

short period of questions as well.

I had specifically selected a hotel, which

So,

with

deadlines

met,

funding

was sufficiently near to the venue to minimize

received, travel accomplished, settled into

transportation costs. The first thing I will say

accommodation and having my schedule of

about Vienna is that it is surprisingly difficult

conference events planned, I anxiously awaited

to identify a palace. Why you may ask? This is

Day One.

because almost everything looks like a palace along the RingstraBe. Let us have a look. To be continued in Conferences: "Part Two: The Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Annual Conference, Vienna, Austria ."

Buildings along the RingstraBe Vienna, Austria.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 19

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


It may be a simple presentation within

Preparing Your Poster or Oral Presentation Ad Lib • The flow of your presentation should be

and if it is your first presentation as an

as follows: introduction, motivation, brief methodology,

academic ... oh dear! So you have been invited to present your

results

and

analysis,

and

conclusion.

research. How do you start? Add words and

o Your motivation and results should be the

some graphs to a slide? Talk ad lib? Hope

major sections of your presentation.

that the researcher who usually asks the tough

need to focus too much on literature review.

questions, better yet, that everyone in the

Chances are your audience already knows

audience is so speechless by your awesome

the theory and you will be wasting time.

work, that you get a standing ovation?

It is

o Remember you want to keep your central

possible. So iron your nice suits, get your laser

research question at the forefront and leave

pointers, and delve into how to make your

that "my research is important and you

presentation awesome!

should care" impression with the audience.

No

• Don't crowd your slides/posters. You want to keep your audience's attention. o

For oral presentations, your audience

should use the content of your slides as a reference to what you are saying. o For poster presentations, you should have a balance between words, 40%, space, 20% text and 40% graphics. o You can condense your words into diagrams, graphs and pictures. It is easier Being asked to present is inevitable

to explain a picture than a paragraph.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 20


• No need to be too technical.

Prove your

o Grammatical: you have been reading the

technical prowess in the Q&A session if the

document so many times that you can't see

need arises.

that form should be from.

o

Trying to impress with technical jargon

o Furthermore, allow someone who does

can go two ways, (neither of which benefits

not have your technical background to

you):

review your presentation. This person will

- Your audience already knows the terms, maybe even better than you do, and will pick up if you use any of them incorrectly. - You are presenting at a large conference with

a

wide

range

of

topics,

and

information overload will lose those who would like to understand your research. • Your oral presentations should always have an outline so your audience will know what will be covered.

The best kind of outline

is the beamer presentation, where, in the header of your slides, an outline is given

see the grammatical errors and will ask you to explain the unfamiliar terms, which gives you even more practice. • Find out how long your presentation will be and if that time includes a question and answer (Q&A) session. 0

You do not want to prepare for a

30-minute presentation only to realise on the day of the presentation that the actual talk-time is 20 minutes followed by a 10-minute Q&A. You do not want to be speed talking.

which highlights the current topic. This way

• Practise and time your presentation in front

your audience will see where you are and

of a mock audience, which should include

how much you have left.

your supervisor. o

Preparation for your session

your presentation

• Share your presentation with someone for

two

kinds

of

input:

technical

Have your audience not only critique

and

techniques

but ask

questions on the content. Some of these questions just might be asked again by a member of the real audience. You will then

grammatical.

be able to refine your presentation, identify o Technical: your supervisor and co-author can serve as the technical editors.

and correct possible errors, etc.

You

may have omitted an element from an equation, or may not have explained a concept adequately. Chances are they will

o Practise as many times as necessary until you feel comfortable with what you have to say.

see it. It is also best practice to submit to your co-authors for corrections and final approval. Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 21

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


• Finally, you may not have a clue as to which

o If you do not know the answer, you can

computer you have to use when making your

say so without actually saying so.

presentation so save your file in pdf format so

example, you can state that the question

there will be no formatting nightmares.

presented is an interesting direction to take

For

your research and will be noted for further analysis.

If you cannot say this then just

say you do not know but will investigate

• Do not read your slides word for word.

further. It makes no sense trying to make o

Summarize what you have written.

If

you read each slide as is then wouldn't it

up an answer. This could backfire and leave you looking foolish.

be better if you just let the audience read while you remain silent? That is, there is no reason for you to be there in the first place.

• If a question is one which causes major digression, suggest to the person that you can have a discussion after the session.

• Do not highlight or introduce each topic before you go to the actual slide.

When the session is over and the nerves

o You will find yourself repeating when you

settle, do not mull over the errors/mistakes

get to the actual slide or skipping over the

made.

slide itself.

there had lots of practice and you will too. In

o This is when the beamer theme comes in

Remember the best presenters out

time that standing ovation will come.

handy. Your audience will know where you are and they can read your slide while you are also explaining your concepts. • If there is a non-technical error, do not bring it to the audience's attention. They may not have noticed it, and if they did, will not approach you about the mistake you made.

Post Mortem Now the presentation is over and you await

Oral presentation at the Sustainable Energy Technologies (SET 2015) conference, August 2015 in Nottingham UK

your questions. • Answer questions to the best of your ability.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 22


~

References 2012.

Making

Poster

[Online].

Computing

an

Impact

University Services.

with of

your

Liverpool ~

Available: ~.

~ ~ poster.pdf [Accessed July 13, 2015]. ~ BELLMARE, M. F. 2014. 22 Tips for conference and seminar presentations [Online]. Available: ~ http://marcfbellemare.com/wordpress/10053 ~ [Accessed July 4, 2015]. ~ OGREN, M. Making a great poster [Online]. ~ Available: https://biology.mit.edu/sites/default/files/effect ~ ive_posters.pdf [Accessed July 14, 2015]. ~ PHILLIPS, B. 2014. The five most common ~ PowerPoint mistakes ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ https://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/computing

services/printing/making-an-impact-with-your-

Poster presented at the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference June 2015, New Orleans USA

~

Chrysallis Research Magazine Page 23


STUDENTS' RESEARCH About The Authors Faculty of Humanities and Education James E. J. Young is presently a PhD Candidate in Education (Testing, Measurement and Evaluation) supervised by Dr. Grace-Anne Jackman and Dr. Babalola J. Ogunkola. He holds an MEd (Distinction) in Testing, Measurement and Evaluation and a BEd (Hons) in Secondary Science Education.

Faculty of Law Kristi-Ann Baggan is a Master of Laws (LL.M) Candidate in Corporate and Commercial Law. She holds an LEC and LL.B (Hons) and is an Attorney at Law stationed in Trinidad.

Faculty of Medical Sciences Natasha Sobers-Grannum is a PhD Candidate in Public Health supervised by Professor Nigel Unwin. She holds an MPH, PGDip (EPI) and an MBBS. She is presently a lecturer in Epidemiology and Public Health in the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

Faculty of Science and Technology Virgil Bideau is an MPhil Candidate in Biochemistry supervised by Dr. Angela Alleyne. She holds a BSc. (Hons) in Biochemistry and Chemistry.

Faculty of Social Sciences Louise Alison Armstrong is a PhD Candidate in Philosophy of Political Science supervised by Dr. Kristina Hinds-Harrison and Dr. Wendy Grenade. She holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science with Research Specialisation and a BA (Hons) in Global Studies with Global Studies Experience.


Transformation in Educational Assessment

OVERALL - 100% (500 ma rks)

Within the past few decades there has been a shift in the focus and practice of assessment in

the

education

systems

of

countries

worldwide. These changes span a number of developed and developing countries including countries in the Caribbean such as Grenada

Figure 1. Model of the CPEA. Adapted from CPEA Teachers' Handbook (CXC, 2011)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

路~ ~

(Ollivierre, 2006) and Trinidad and Tobago (De

Grenada piloted the CPEA in 2012 and ~

Lisle, 2012). However, the debate concerning

thereafter adopted the CPEA programme of ~.

the end of the primary schooling assessment

assessment as the main assessment tool at the

model also continues in a number of countries

end of primary school as students prepare to

such as Barbados (Hall, 2015).

enter secondary school. Authors have noted

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)

that it is difficult to implement continuous

has been active in restructuring and refocusing

assessment models especially when it is used

the educational assessment landscape in the

in high-stakes examinations (Harlen, 2005). As

Caribbean through assessments such as the

such, it is important to assess the functioning

Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate

and effectiveness of the implementation of the

(CSEC) examination (Griffith, 2009) and the

programme of assessment. This would allow for

Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).

the examination of the strengths and limitations

The CPEA, a continuous assessment model,

that exist within the programme. Therefore the

aims to balance both formative and summative

purpose of this study is to:

assessment, that is assessment done with

I. Consult

intents of improving learning and assessment

parents and students to provide a clear,

done for summarising student performance

evidence-based analysis of their experience

(CXC, 2011, Figure 1 ). (Please see the CPEA

of and attitudes towards the CPEA

handbook for teachers for further details on the CPEA programme. This can be accessed on http://www.cxc.org.)

with

principals,

teachers,

II. Assess the practices and feedback of these stakeholders in order to provide feedback for improvement of the functioning of the CPEA programme. Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 25

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~


A Formative Evaluation of the Internal Component of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) in Grenada

~

student achievement and instilling students

Continuous and Formative ~ Assessment

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

with a passion for life-long learning" (p.398). Many

Continuous assessment has been defined as the ongoing assessment of a learner over a period of time, through which judgments on the abilities of the learners are made so as to

researchers

principles

of

have

formative

noted

that

assessment

the have

been effective in improving student academic outcomes and other personal and interpersonal skills (Brookhart, 2010).

facilitate further learning (Broomes, 2012). The use of continuous assessment rather than a single test or assessment has been adopted since it is believed that continuous

Methodology A

mixed-methods

approach

is

being

assessment provides a more holistic picture

undertaken for this evaluation in order to

of student performance (Hall, 2015). Scores

triangulate

obtained through the continuous assessment

collection

process are often used for both formative

strengths of each method (quantitative and

and summative purposes (Broomes, 2012).

qualitative) to compensate for the weaknesses

However, carefully balancing both formative

of the other (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2009).

and

one

Furthermore, the use of multiple informants

framework can be challenging (Harlen, 2005).

(teachers, principals, students and parents)

summative

Volante

and

summative be

assessment Beckett

(2011)

assessment

typically

the

within

range

describe

strategies of

to

traditional

paper-and-pencil measures such as "quizzes, tests, exams, essays, or projects that form a portion of a student's final grade" (p.240). The is

emphasis

on

of

grading

summative

and

assessment

from

approaches,

different

allowing

for

data the

in answering the research questions is also intended to strengthen the validity of the findings from the study.

Sample and Data Collection Methods A total of 36 principals, 122 teachers,

student

497 students and 330 parents participated

achievement. Thus it has been criticised for

in the survey having been chosen through

its inability to inform learning. On the other

a multi-stage, random sampling technique.

hand,

Four focus group interviews were carried

formative

'assessment for carried

out with

summarising

findings

assessment also learning'

is

termed

assessment

intentions of

out

with

each

of

the

following

groups:

improving

students, parents and teachers. Eleven (11)

learning. Young and Jackman (2014) note that

principals participated in individual-in-depth

"[u]nlike summative assessment, formative

interviews.

assessment provides the reinforcing support

41 classes implementing the CPEA programme

between learning and instruction and has

were carried out along with the analysis of

proven to be a central component in improving

documents.

Non-participant observations of

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 26


A Formative Evaluation of the Internal Component of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) in Grenada Wherever possible, random selection was

Caribbean

carried out.

Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA):

Examinations

Handbook

Significance of Study

for

School

Council.

(2011 ).

~

Administrators. ~.

~

Retrieved from http://www.cxc.org.

Results from this evaluation are forthcoming. However, the evaluation intends to provide

De Lisle, J. (2012). Secondary school entrance examinations in the Caribbean: Legacy, policy,

empirical data on whether or not the objectives

and evidence within an era of seamless

of the programme are being realised. It can

education. Caribbean Curriculum, 19, 109-143.

provide the

the

Government of

Grenada

participant stakeholders with

and

valuable

Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2009).

information as to ways in which students can gain the most from the CPEA programme.

Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications (9 ed.). Upper Saddle

The

evaluation

River, New Jersey: Pearson Edcuation, Inc.

and

international

can

also

benefit

governments

regional

desiring

to

s.

A.

implement the CPEA programme or other

Griffith,

similar programmes.

Examinations Council: Leading and Facilitating Transformation

(2009). in

The

Caribbean

Secondary

Education.

Journal of Eastern Caribbean Studies, 34 (2), 40-55. Hall, M. T. (2015). An Examination into the Validity of Secondary School Entrance Scores in

Predicting

the

Academic

Success

of

Secondary Aged Students. Current Issues in Photo compliments teachers of primary schools in Grenada.

Education,

18

(1 ).

Retrieved

from

http://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/articl e/view/1343.

References Brookhart,

Susan

M.

(2010).

Formative

assessment strategies for every classroom: An

Harlen, W. (2005). Teachers' summative assessment practices and assessment for

ASCD action tool. ASCD.

learning

tensions

and

~

synergies.

The

Curriculum Journal, 16(2), 207-223. Broomes, D. (2012). Understanding Continuous Assessment. The Caribbean Examiner, 10(1 ), 18-20.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 27

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Ollivierre, I. F. (2006). Improving Continuous Assessment of and for Student Learning: Some practical guidelines to help Grenadian schools and teachers. CEC/DFID/Ministry of Education Grenada Continuous Assessment Project. Volante, L., & Beckett, D. (2011 ). Formative assessment and the contemporary classroom: Synergies and tensions between research and practice. Canadian Journal of Education, 34, 239-255. Young, J. E., & Jackman, M. G. A. (2014). Formative assessment in the Grenadian Lower Secondary School: Teachers' perceptions, attitudes and practices. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 21 (4), 398-411.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 28


Within the past decade the potential for

a large enough demand for E-commerce in the

profit in the market of electronic commerce

Caribbean. This can be attributed to the lack of

has grown exponentially. There are many forms of E-commerce, some more predominant than others. (See below)

::~:~:::: ~n::r::!~~::::::::~~~~bean ~ This

scepticism

warranted ( Main Forms of E-commerce )

I

the

some

instances ~

assumption

that ~

(Largest category)

transactions. The fundamental principles of

Consumers purchase goods or servkes from businesses onllne

modern E-commerce law of non-discrimination,

828 Businesses

technological

C2C

t o 8 uslnC:SSH

Businesses purchase goods or servkes from other businesses onune

\

on

in

regard to domestic law governing electronic

82C

[D--

based

is

consumers are not adequately protected with

to ~ = r s

G2B

~

Consumers to Consumers

Consumers purchase goods or servkes from olher consu mers onllne

I

G2C

Govemment

Government

to Businesses

to Consumers

Governments offer

Governments offer

servkeS to vbuslnesses onllne

services to consumers onli\

B

C Traditional Commerce

Consumers purchase goods or services from other countries onilne

Consumers research needs onilne from businesses with an online presence

and

functional

~ ~ ~

Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic ~ (1996)

and

thereafter

in

the ~

UNCITRAL Model Law on E-signatures (2001 ),

~

which were both adopted by Trinidad and

~

Tobago in 2011.

~

In International E-commerce

neutrality

~

~:~i:~:en~:mv:: i=~to~d:~=~n~~o~:I UT::: ~ Commerce

I

~ ~

2011,

the

Electronic

Transactions

Act Chap. 22:05 was passed to give legal

~

date Parts V, VI, VIII, IX and X have not yet been

~

Commonwealth Caribbean there has been

;::e:r~tel:::::i:ig~::~::".:~ ::::::~:: ~ :~ :~:i~~~o~"!: ::t :~;e :r:~I~:: ~~~ ~ ~;;:~::: i:~~g:t:f~:c7.erely half of the Act ~

somewhat of a lag in its development. Not

There is an undeniable need for Part VIII

~

many businessmen choose to set up an online

to come into effect as it deals with consumer

store due to a perceived fear that there is not

protection and the rights of the online shopper ~

transactions for online businesses operating

Diagram Produced By Author

0

While

E-commerce

has

become

well

established in first world countries, in the

9

2

1

~

1 :~

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 29

~

~ ~


to rescind the contract formed online. Part IX is

Despite the setbacks observed the most

also of particular importance to be proclaimed

fundamental

as it deals with contravention and enforcement,

to

which will prevent businesses from providing

thus far can be demonstrated in the law

false and misleading information, obstruction

relating to formation of contracts online.

of an audit, and breach of confidentiality and

Analogous to

sets out the penalties than can be imposed as a

traditional commerce, there must be an offer,

result.

acceptance, intention to create legal relations

the

and noteworthy development

legal

framework

of

E-commerce

contract law pertaining

to

A number of Caribbean countries have

and consideration. While to a limited extent,

adopted similar legislation as it is important to

traditional contract law will be applicable such

have harmonization of laws to increase legal

as with the treatment of consideration, the Act

predictability of E-commerce. Other Caribbean

provides invaluable clarification on the way

countries have even adopted such legislation

with which to treat offer and acceptance of

much earlier than Trinidad and Tobago such

electronic transactions.

as Bermuda in 1999, more than a decade

However,

it

is

advisable

that

online

before Trinidad and Tobago. The Cayman

businesses frame their offer as an invitation

Islands adopted comparable law since 2000,

to treat which is an invitation to make offers

which could be as a result of their close ties

and to do business. An invitation to treat is

to the United Kingdom and their involvement

of no effect in law and cannot ripen into a

in offshore banking which require proper laws

contract by 'acceptance'. The common law

on E-commerce to be established. Barbados

regards this as no different from a store owner

adopted similar legislation in 2001, possibly

who displays goods in a shop window marked

due to the better infrastructure of Information

with prices, where an offer is made when

Technology.

the customer walks to the cashier with the

The question arises whether Trinidad and

product and pays. Thereby in an electronic

Tobago adopted the law so much later than

transaction, the customer makes the offer to

other Caribbean countries due to inadequate

buy the product by adding it to their cart and

infrastructure for E-commerce. Research has

proceeding to checkout on the website, and

shown that electronic payment systems are

the online business may accept this offer by

problematic as local banks found there were

receiving the purchase price and processing

not enough online merchants in the Caribbean

the product for shipment to the customer.

to warrant investment in the systems required

While many benefits are to be realised from

for online payment. The local banks also face

the use of E-commerce in Trinidad and Tobago,

the risk and potential loss that stem from

the level of E-commerce adoption attained by

fraudulent online transactions.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 30


local

businesses

is dependent upon

the

Caribbean

in

order

to

determine

where

~

powerful

Trinidad and Tobago falls on the spectrum of ~

influence on the success of their E-commerce

rate of implementation. In addition to looking ~.

initiatives. Therefore, there is a demand and

at the law, I gathered information through the

appreciation for the use of E-commerce in

use of case studies done in the Caribbean

Trinidad and Tobago but the enactment of

and

legislation is nonetheless of grave necessity to

better assert the reasoning behind the rate of

address legal issues arising from the adoption

adoption of E-commerce and a legal framework

of E-commerce.

to support it.

industry structure which

has a

specifically

Trinidad

and

Tobago

to

The lack of development with regard to the legal framework for E-commerce in Trinidad and Tobago can be concluded from the fact that the UNCITRAL Model Laws were only adopted in 2011 and only half of the Electronic Transactions Act is of legal effect as of 2012 while the other half has been neglected for the past three years and counting. This suggests that

despite

local

businesses

adopting

E-commerce practices to an extent, there has been slow and inadequate development in the legal framework for E-commerce in Trinidad and Tobago. A note from the author: In writing this article I found that in order to form a proper analysis of the development of the legal framework for E-commerce in Trinidad and Tobago, it was prudent to first establish the foundation on which legal milestones have been achieved with regard to this area of law. I examined the first legislative texts on the subject matter and gathered information on its adoption in Trinidad and Tobago. After this, I formed a comparative analysis of the domestic laws proposed and proclaimed throughout the Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 31

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


~

Achievement of health equity has been

In Jamaica, fees for the use of public health

~ at the forefront of the global health agenda

care facilities served as a barrier to access

~

in recent years.

Many Caribbean countries

for many poor citizens and were thus removed

~

are signatories to the landmark Rio Political

in 2008. In Barbados where health care is

Declaration 2011 in which they express their

provided free at the point of delivery, some

commitment to "achieve social and health

argue that the poor are as likely to receive

equity through action on social determinants

services as the wealthy.

of health and well-being1." According to the

waiting times in the public sector relative

Centre for Disease Control (CDC), "health

to private care, and the greater availability

equity is achieved when every person has

in the private sector of investigations such

the opportunity to attain his or her full health

as ultrasounds, one may hypothesize that

potential

disadvantaged

there may be a disparity in the quality

from achieving this potential because of

of care received between rich and poor.

social position or other socially determined

Infant mortality rate, (the number of babies

circumstances 2 ."

who die below one year), increases as the

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

and

no

one

is

Health

inequities

are

Given the long

reflected in differences in length and quality

mother's level of education decreases 5 •

of life; disability and death; severity of disease

2006 in the United States, adults with less

and access to treatment. In this paper we ask

than a high school degree were 50% less likely

whether such inequities exist in Caribbean

to have visited a doctor in a 12 month period

countries and explore mechanisms by which

compared to those with at least a bachelor's

research can inform efforts to achieve equity

degree 5 •

in health.

in many Caribbean nations was pivotal to

When social factors ( e.g. poverty, education

In

The introduction of free education

improving

the

health

outcomes of

these

and gender) which are amenable to change,

populations while reducing inequities between

contribute to ill health, then inequities exist. In

rich and poor. Availability of education is

many parts of the world, the poor are less likely

as critical as quality, thus we may express

to receive services 3 • Low socioeconomic status

concern from an equity perspective when

(SES) is associated with an increased risk

private

schools

for many diseases, including cardiovascular

public

schools.

disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic respiratory

differences in life expectancy and quality of

diseases, cervical cancer and mental distress4 •

life for those exposed to private versus public

systematically Are

there

outperform systematic

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 32


education

in

their

formative

years?

Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

In several

The public health group in the Faculty of

countries of the English-speaking Caribbean,

Medical Sciences at Cave Hill, in collaboration

almost half of health spending is purported

with the Chronic Disease Research Centre,

to be out-of pocket payment. This represents

are seeking to describe the state of health

a significant weakness in the health system

inequities in the Caribbean.

In a systematic

structures since this is a mode of financing

review of health inequities in diabetes, we

that has been noted to hinder the goals

found women were one and a half times more

of universal health coverage8 •

likely to have diabetes than mens. Women were

expenditures rise faster than economic growth,

also three times more likely to be obese, less

small island developing states will continue to

physically active while men were four times

struggle to adequately finance health without

more likely to smokes.

comprehensive and stakeholder informed plans

Our most alarming

finding however was the scarcity of studies

As health

to guide strategy.

done on any of the other disparities such as

Our medical research emphasis in the

education, health care system access and

Caribbean has focused largely on individuals

income

7

•

Through a grant administered by

and

disease,

but

process

and

outcome

the National Institutes of Health (NIH) we are

evaluation research of health systems and

continuing to explore what is known about

supporting policies are also needed.

health inequities in the areas of asthma,

Barbados, the new sweet drink tax provides

depression and breast and prostate cancer.

a

This work is being done in collaboration

policy-makers to collaborate in process and

with colleagues at the Mona Campus of The

outcome evaluation research to determine

University of the West Indies and the Sullivan

the efficiency in implementation and usage

Alliance in the United States (U.S.), as part

as well effectiveness of the tax in reducing

of the U.S. Caribbean Alliance for Health

soft drink consumption.

Disparities

(USCAHDR).

considerations is a look at which income,

the

education

As

Research

the

Caribbean

Group joins

global

fertile

ground

and

for

gender

researchers

In and

Important in these groups

are

most

momentum towards identifying and tackling

impacted by the introduction of this tax.

health inequities there is much to be learnt

Research in this area could inform policy

from

development and implementation in many of

countries

who

are

successfully

addressing some of these issues. Protecting

the other Caribbean countries.

those of lower socioeconomic position from

In support of the global momentum toward

vulnerabilities due to health, will ultimately

health equity, researchers have a responsibility

be a governmental responsibility and will

to contribute sound evidence that can inform

be

policy, examine potential disparities and arm

achieved

through

strong

leadership

and political commitment to the ideals of

policy makers with the data needed for Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 33

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


~

evidenced-based decision-making.

Strategic

4. National

Center

for

Health

Statistics.

~ leadership, strong political will and sustainable ~. financing strategies are critical, if decisions

Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville,

are to be efficiently implemented. The aim must

MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human

be the development and maintenance of health

Services, Centers for Disease Control and

systems based on the fundamental principles

Prevention; 2007.

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Health, United States, 2007 With Chartbook on

of primary health care. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. "Of all the forms of inequality,

5. Brennan Ramirez LK, Baker EA, Metzler M.

injustice in health care is the most shocking

Promoting Health Equity: A Resource to Help

and inhumane." The presence of inequities in

Communities Address Social Determinants of

health, threaten to erode the gains of the past

Health. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and

thus addressing these must be a priority for all

Human Services, Centers for Disease Control

the nations of the Caribbean.

and Prevention; 2008.

References

6. Sobers-Grannum N, Murphy MM, Nielsen A, Guell C, Samuels TA, Bishop L, et al. (2015)

1. World Conference on Social Determinants of Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 21 October 2011

Available

at:

http://www.who.int/sdhconference/declaration

Female Gender Is a Social Determinant of Diabetes in the Caribbean: A

Systematic

Review and Meta- Analysis. PLoS ONE 10(5): e0126799. doi:10.1371 / journal.pone.0126799

/Rio_political_declaration.pdf 7. 2. Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Health Equity. Centers for Disease Control

Available

at:

http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/healthequi

A, Guell C, Samuels TA, Bishop L, et al. (2015) Health Inequities in diabetes, its risk factors and adverse outcomes in populations living in the Caribbean: a systematic review. West Indian Med J Vol 64, Supplement (2), 2015

ty/ 3. Rowe RE, Garcia J, Davidson LL. Social and ethnic inequalities in the offer and uptake of prenatal screening and diagnosis in the UK: a systematic

Sobers-Grannum N, Murphy MM, Nielsen

review.

Public

Health.

2004

8. Roberts, M., Hsaio, W., Berman, P., & Reich, M. (2008). Getting Health Reform Right: A Guide to Improving Performance and Equity. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.

Apr;118(3):177-89.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 34


Uterine leiomyomata (UL) or fibroids are the

threatening

conditions

which

most commonly occurring tumours in women

surgical procedures. Such symptoms include

of reproductive ages.

They are benign and

infertility, abnormal uterine bleeding that can

develop from single cells in the smooth muscle

lead to anaemia, as well as pelvic pain and

tissues of the uterus. They can range from 2mm

pressure[3, 4]. Several treatment options are

in diameter to 15cm and larger. There are four

available however the only cure for fibroids

types of fibroids (Figure 1 ): the most commonly

is a hysterectomy[5]. This disease has been

occurring fibroids are subserosal and they

found to be prevalent in Barbadian women

are located beneath the serosa, submucosal

and to put this into perspective at least one

which are located beneath the mucous lining,

hysterectomy is performed daily at the Queen

pedunculated fibroids which are attached to the

Elizabeth

uterus via a stalk and intramural which develop

Communication). Therefore the disease poses

within the uterine walls [1].

a significant public health issue in Barbados

hospital

in

Barbados

(Personal

and the wider Caribbean, since several literary sources as well as physicians have cited that Uterine Fibroids

women of African descent have a higher Folloplon tube

I

incidence of this disease than women of other ethnicities [6]. Uterine fibroids are thought to be associated with high steroid hormone levels, obesity and ethnicity among other factors [7]. Our research at Cave Hill seeks to investigate the allelic distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or mutations in genes linked to obesity and steroid hormones.

Figure 1: Types and locations of fibroids on uterus[2]

Despite their benign nature, fibroids are responsible for a range of symptoms and the degrees of severity for this condition may range from mild symptoms to potentially life

We use molecular

biology techniques to genotype (determine genetic

make-up)

a sample of

Barbadian

women to identify whether there is a significant link between the particular genotypes and fibroid development. Interest in this study stems from the fact that the occurrence of Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 35


~

fibroids is quite prevalent in black women.

2. Uterine Fibroids. 201 O; Available from:

~ It will be the first study of its type in the ~. Caribbean, seeking to analyse the molecular

http: //www. medic in enet. com/uterine

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

fibroids/article.htm

level variations which exist in women with the condition as compared to women of

3. Flake, G.P., J. Andersen, and D. Dixon,

reproductive age who do not have these

Etiology

conditions.

Leiomyomas: A Review. Environmental Health

Overall by the completion of this research an

attempt

would

have

been

made

and

Pathogenesis

of

Uterine

Perspectives, 2003. 111 (8): p. 103-1054.

to

correlate UL formation with oestrogen levels

4. Baird, D.D. and D.B. Dunson, Why is Parity

and cytogenetic mutations at the gene level

Protective for Uterine Fibroids. Epidemiology,

particularly in Fatty Acid Synthase Gene (FASN)

2003. 14(2): p. 24-249.

and Cytochrome P 450 181 (CYP181) genes. We hope that the results of the study

5. Ishikawa, H., et al., Progesterone is Essential

will allow for a better understanding of UL

for

Maintenance

and

Growth

of

Uterine

formation in Barbadian women based on the

Leiomyoma. Endocrinology, 2010. 151 (6): p.

genes being investigated. This may provide an

2433-2422.

understanding of whether the condition is as a

F., et al., A possible role of

result of genotypic makeup or whether it may

6. Amant,

be a lifestyle consequence. Knowledge from

the

this research will contribute to the database of

polymorphism in the pathobiology of uterine

the pathobiology of this disorder particularly

leiomyomas from black South African women:

in the Caribbean.

a pilot study. Acta obstetricia et gynecologica

Information obtained from the study, will

cytochrome

P450c17 a

gene

(CYP17)

Scandinavica, 2004. 83(3): p. 234-239.

assist in better genetic counselling if the condition is found to be of genotypic origin or

7. Denschlag,

D.,

allow for more informed dietary and lifestyle

distribution

options if the correlation is found to be

catechol-0-methyltransferase, and cytochrome

non-genotypic.

P450 17 gene polymorphisms in Caucasian

of

et

estrogen

al.,

Genotype

receptor-alpha,

women with uterine leiomyomas. Fertility and sterility, 2006. 85(2): p. 462-467.

References 1. Stewart, E.A., Uterine Fibroids. The Lancet, 2001.357:p.293-298

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 36


Are you, as a human, secure?

What do

you think of when you hear the term 'human security'?

Do you think of freedom from

domestic violence and rape? Do you think of it as having a consistent source of income? Is it

sacrificing the state. In fact, acting in the

access to adequate and timely health care? Or,

best interests of people does not have to be

is it something else entirely? What is the role of

divorced from the best interests of the state.

the Barbadian state in your human security?

The pursuit of human security can lead a state

Over time, security has been perceived

towards its own security and development.

and defined in different ways, by different

However, there remains debate in theory and

actors. This is because as the context and the

practice about what exactly is involved in the

priorities change, so too do the threats and the

pursuit of human security; about where its

threatened.

limits should be regarding identification of

One of the ways in which security is

threats, how they are ranked, and who should

being defined right now by development

be cast in the role of the protector of humans.

institutions, governments, and academics,

My work delves into this human security

is with the term 'human security'.

This

debate and primarily asks: What is the role

term, popularized in 1994 by the United

of the state in human security in Barbados?

Nations Development Programme (UNDP),

It seeks to take this international concept,

represents a comprehensive concept that

unpack it, and understand how it applies to

views the human species as that which is to

small island context and the citizen-state

be protected from diverse threats. Not only

interrelationship. The sovereign state is held

from explicit, immediate threats to peoples'

as the primary actor for its citizens' human

lives - but also from threats to the quality

security, on the basis of the internationally

and standard of their lives.

recognized

For the UNDP,

responsibility that sovereignty

there are seven areas that comprise human

confers for protection of citizens. Yet, what

security: community, economic, environment,

exactly is contained in that responsibility

food, health, personal, and political. Human

and can a micro-state fulfill the responsibility

security is a human-centric approach to

to its citizens in light of the challenges and

security, and an update to the state-centric

limitations unique to micro-states?

approach. It elevates the importance of the

questions arise when confronting the topic,

These

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 37


~

and are important to locate responses in order

use of the term within academia and the

~ to create more tailored knowledge. ~. Part of this endeavour to understand

development sector, it is a term that those within other sectors are not as familiar with

human security for the Barbadian context

or likely to use in referring to their day-to-day

has been the conducting of interviews with

lives. It may be possible that standardizing the

individuals from different segments of society

language to name the concerns, using human

to appreciate their experiences and insights.

security language, can raise the local profile

These include individuals heralding from the

of human security. Yet, perhaps the language

private sector and the development sector.

used should be drawn from the bottom-up

Whilst the interview process is ongoing, there

rather than assigned top-down. Delving into

are two early findings I would like to share.

the terminology poses insights into how issues

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First, that there is no standard definition of 'security'.

Each interviewee understood the

term differently, and consequently focused on different threats or actors.

are framed, and what political attention they are able to garner. These two general findings point to the

For some the

need to probe existing understandings before

focus was state-centric, while for others the

responses can be drawn to the role of the state

focus was human-centric.

That is, focused

in human security in Barbados. Understanding

on protecting the state or on protecting the

precisely what human security means for

human. This highlights that the goal of what

Barbados, and the role of a small-island's state

should be secured is not uniform. The very

in its provision, can contribute towards the

definition of security is unavoidably influenced

design of a roadmap for state and non-state

by

interventions.

individuals'

characteristics,

such

as

background and by area of work. Having those

Human security is an undeniably important

diverse interpretations of what 'security' is can

subject that resonates with

be problematic, because they determine the

all walks of life.

expectations of solutions and responsibility.

regardless of religious beliefs, skin colour,

Mapping the different interpretations for the

sex, gender, income level, or any other such

Barbadian context can contribute towards a

distinction that is used to categorize humans

comprehensive framework to address (human)

into separate groups. I hope that my work will

security.

make a contribution towards Barbados by

Second, that there are human security concerns,

even

though

the

term

'human

security' was uncommon. Some of the types of

people from

Everyone has a right to it

promoting awareness of human security, its definition, its parameters, and its implications on the lives of every person.

security threats identified by the interviewees can be categorized into the areas of human security, as outlined by the UNDP. Despite the Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 38


THE SISTER CAMPUSES About The Authors The Mona Campus Faculty of Medical Sciences Peta-Gaye Thomas is a PhD Candidate in Pharmacology supervised by Dr. Maxine Gossell-Williams. She holds an MPhil in Pharmacology and a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology. She is a part-time Assistant Lecturer and a Laboratory Demonstrator at the Mona Campus.

The St. Augustine Campus Faculty of Engineering Marcia Nathai-Balkissoon is a PhD Candidate in Industrial Engineering supervised by Professor Kit Fai Pun. She holds an MSc in Engineering Management and a BSc in Industrial Engineering and is presently a Lecturer in the Department of Management Studies, The UWI St. Augustine Campus.

The Open Campus Dr. Ngoni Chipere holds a PhD in Experimental Psycholinguistics from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. After his postdoctoral studies, he moved to The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus where he served as Lecturer in Language Arts and Literacy in the School of Education from 2004 to 2008. He then moved to the Open Campus where he served as Programme Coordinator until 2015. He is presently the Planning and Development Officer in the Department of Planning and Institutional Research (PAIR) at The UWI Open Campus.


There is anecdotal evidence that patients with psychotic disorders who use cannabis are harder to manage at the hospital; generally requiring higher doses of antipsychotic drugs. by

poor medication

as well

A study was conducted at the University

as genetic variability as it relates to the

Hospital of the West Indies in Jamaica. This

metabolism of psychotropic agent (Hasnain, et

study aimed to assess the impact of cannabis

al., 2009; Naber, et al., 2005; Mitchell, 2000).

use on the efficacy of antipsychotic drugs in

This is a worrisome fact, for once a diagnosis

male patients who were 18-40 years old and

of a psychotic illness has been made, the use

who were either diagnosed with schizophrenia

of antipsychotic medications is an eminent

or schizophreniform disorder. These patients

and

unless

also tested positive for cannabis use and were

contraindicated (Uchida, et al., 2011; Kerna, et

admitted to the psychiatric ward of the hospital

al., 2010).

between February and May 2013. Severity of

almost

compliance,

unavoidable

factor,

There is a high prevalence rate of cannabis

the psychotic symptoms was assessed using

use amongst Jamaican males, many of whom

the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).

have been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder

Consequent to the findings from the BPRS,

and are receiving prescription medication

patients were prescribed seven days of an

for the same (Thomas, et al., 2015). It is not

oral

known from the literature exactly how cannabis

chlorpromazine,

interacts with antipsychotic medications. One

olanzapine), which was standardized using

known fact however, is that patients who use

chlorpromazine equivalent (CPZE).

cannabis have higher risks of exaggerated

were reassessed using the BPRS, three and

symptoms and/or relapse if they have been

seven days after the start of the therapy.

diagnosed

Statistical analysis involved repeated measures

with

psychosis.

However,

the

underlying pathophysiology remains unclear

antipsychotic

medication

(haloperidol,

risperidone,

quetiapine, Patients

analysis of variance.

(Schofield, et al., 2006; Arseneault, et al., 2004).

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 40


Assessment of Antipsychotic Therapy in the Management of Male Cannabis Users with Psychotic Episodes Presenting to the University Hospital of the West Indies

60

~ CPZEl

Patient Recruitment

so

.._CPZE2

40

20

10

STATISTICS

Day 1

Day 3

Repeated Measures Analysisof Variance

Day 7

Assessment Days

Figure 1: Procedure for the recruitment of patients and conduction of the research

Figure 2: Significant improvement was seen in psychotic symptoms for patients in the CPZE2 group (p=0.01) while no significant difference was seen for CPZE1 (p=0.93) . No significant difference between groups on day 1 (p=0 .44)

Twenty patients were recruited, mean age of

disorders,

26.00 卤 5.96 years.

Patients were grouped

anti psychotic medications. As such, it appears

based on the CPZE dose given on day 1

that cannabis use may affect management of

into CPZE1 (100-300 mg; n=8) and CPZE2

these patients negatively; requiring initiation

(375-888.8 mg; n=12). There was no significant

of treatment with CPZE doses greater than 300

difference in the BPRS scores between the

mg for better therapeutic outcomes for this

groups at the beginning of the study. However

patient population.

over the seven day study period, only patients in

the

CPZE2

group

showed

may

require

higher

doses

of

Additionally, with the decriminalization of

significant

cannabis in Jamaica, the negative impacts of

improvement, measured by the change in

cannabis smoking will be of greater concern.

BPRS score over the seven days [F=7.12, df=2

Further studies by our group have focused on

p=0.01].

the clinical impacts of this finding.

This study confirms for the first time that male cannabis users presenting with psychotic

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 41

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

路~

~

~.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


7. Thomas, P-G., Gossell-Williams, M., Sewell, C.A., Wendel, W.D., McGrowder, D., Martin, 1. Arseneault, L., Cannon, M., Witton, J., Murray, R.M.

(2004). TCausal association

between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence. Br J Psychiatry, 184, 110-117. 2. Hasnain, .M,, Vieweg, W.V., Fredrickson, S.K., Beatty-Brooks, M., Fernandez, A., & Pandurangi, A.K. (2009). Clinical monitoring and management of the metabolic syndrome in patients receiving atypical antipsychotic medications. Primary Care Diabetes, 3, 5-15.

J. (2015). The impact of cannabis use on the dosage of antipsychotic drugs for patients admitted on the psychiatric ward at the University Hospital of the West Indies. WIMJ Open, 1(1), 22. 8. Uchida,

H.,

Suzuki,

T.,

Takeuchi,

H.,

Arenovich, T., Mamo, D.C. (2011 ). Lowdose vs standard dose of antipsychotics for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull, 37, 788-799.

3. Kerna, V., Nosalova, G., Ondrejka, I. (2010). Metabolic risk in selected second generation antipsychotics. Bratislavske Lekarske Listy, 111,640. 4. Mitchell, P.B.

(2000).

Therapeutic drug

monitoring of psychotropic medications. Br J Clin Pharmacol, 49, 303-312. 5. Naber, D., Riedel, M., Klimke, A., Vorbach, E., Lambert, M., Kuhn, K., et al. (2005). Randomized olanzapine

double vs.

blind

clozapine

comparison on

of

subjective

well-being and clinical outcome in patients with

schizophrenia.

Acta

Psychiatrica

Scandinavica, 111, 106-15. 6. Schofield,

D.,

Tennant,

C.,

Nash,

L.,

Degenhardt, L., Cornish, A., Hobbs, C., et al. (2006). Reasons for cannabis use in psychosis. Aust NZ J Psychiatry, 40, 570-574.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 42


I

know a

programme.

student enrolled

in

a

PhD

when her supervisor's mentoring helped her

She began while holding a

to grow, and began to translate into published

full-time industry job that required her to work

work that was being used by others.

well into the small hours several nights every week.

In addition, she was committed to

devoting time to her kindergarten-age son and her husband. She had courses to do as part of

Can We Compartmentalise the Parts of Our Lives?

the PhD requirements, and she found herself

When she finally started her academic

studying for the first time in several years.

teaching career, she learned a baby was on the

Also, to effectively perform her research, she

way! She wondered if life could get any more

needed to become au courant with Information

challenging. Learning to operate in an entirely

Technology advances.

new and academic setting while dealing with

She had never worked harder yet she

the ups and downs of pregnancy was tough.

felt that she just could not do well enough.

She really appreciated the encouragement and

She would revisit her work, engage with the

support of her Supervisor and her Department

research from another angle, then rewrite or

Head during those months. She slowed down

revise it. She often told her husband it was too

on her research and focused on her teaching,

difficult to stay on this frustrating path; she

telling herself she would get back on track after

wanted to cut ties and walk away. However,

she had her little one. She applied research

reading about the challenges of PhD work and

about emerging approaches in teaching and

having heart-to-heart talks with recent PhD.

learning to help to make her students' learning

graduates helped her to forge ahead. It took a

relevant and enjoyable.

long time for her to recognise that the critique of her work and even her thought processes should not be construed as fault-finding directed towards her, personally. Instead, she was being challenged to push her research skills to new levels. She had a lot of growing to do before she could come to terms with that. She also finally recognised how academic

Here is a " Quick and Dirty" Approach to Organising Competing Work Demands (Photo courtesy of the author)

research connected with the wider society Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 43


~

One academic family member advised her to

Many Graduate Students ~ Juggle Family Commitments ~

~

withdraw from her PhD programme, but she knew she would never return if she stepped

When her baby was born sick, she and

out. Getting her PhD would be necessary to

her family just took things one day at a time

stay in academia, she reflected. She needed

~ as they sought further medical support. She

her job to handle baby's ongoing expenses.

~

focused on her teaching and moved slowly

In a way, she also needed the job to maintain

~

with the PhD. Surgery followed toward the end

her sanity (it allowed a shift from the chaos

~ of the year, but a problem in the ICU caused

~

of her real life). How grateful she was when

brain damage to the little one, and she and

her supervisor became her most supportive

~

her family found themselves dealing with a

contact!

~. comatose one year old for whom many doctors

~

predicted a persistent vegetative state.

~

and her husband began researching brain

She

In her private life most friends and

extended family stayed away, perhaps finding it too uncomfortable to face the upheaval and uncertainty that resided in her home.

When

~ injury, learning a myriad of approaches to help

~

her supervisor asked for detailed updates on

their baby regain her senses, have a chance to

her daughter's progress, she treasured his

~

progress beyond a feeding tube, bear the touch

emails like a lifeline.

~ of loved ones, learn to move arms and legs,

~

and vocalise sounds.

~

she had been honing in the PhD programme

Those research skills

~ were paying huge dividends, but developing

~

and delivering a rehabilitation programme

~

for baby and following up with doctors and

~ therapists while seeing to their six year old son

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From his example, she

learned better how to support, motivate and empower students by showing one's humanity.

Set Aside Time to Plan No longer having the luxury of flexibility, she had to plan.

If she wanted to keep her

and continuing to fulfil work duties took every

lecturing job, she would not only have to teach

minute that she and her husband had.

well, but she would have to publish as well. She loved to teach so she decided to conduct and publish teaching and learning research. In this way, she would be able to use her research to improve her teaching as well as to share insights and make suggestions for improved approaches to teaching, even as she achieved the publications required in academia. earn a PhD, research was needed.

To

With her

supervisor's support, she planned the structure Our Work and Research Commitments Can Be Threatened by Personal Challenges (Photo courtesy of the author)

of her research so that her passion about her subject would be translated into publishable Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 44


work that would be useful in industry. Although

and (2) to comprehensively plan how to do so.

~

she had published journal articles before,

I continue my PhD research under Prof. ~

the upheaval in her personal life had left her

Pun's capable and empathetic supervision ~.

insecure. Now, she was terrified that her

at

articles would be rejected, branding her a

Manufacturing

failure. Valuing her supervisor's critique, she

has taken longer than I once envisioned but ~.

resumed researching and writing. Eventually

I plan to cross the finish line soon. As with

news of accepted papers followed, and she

many graduate students, I also have a full

felt that she was beginning to glean order from

and demanding personal life. I am a mother

chaos.

and wife, blessed with an amazing husband

the

Department

of

Mechanical

Engineering.

My

and

journey ~

who truly partners with me. My son is thriving and is an expert in his sister's therapies and in video games.

My daughter is now three

and a half years old, and is today learning to make sounds and move her limbs. She loves nursery rhymes and pop music and has a delightful laugh that would rival any toddler. She has come to love our touch, cooing for as much physical contact as she can coax from Make the Next Day More Productive by Planning and Prioritising Tomorrow 's Work (Photo courtesy of the author)

us. We no longer feed her through a tube, but now give bottle feeds and spoon-fed chunky purees. With her as our constant motivator, we learned to define our problems and set

Conclusion The story I have shared is mine, and though it is deeply personal, I feel that it might be useful for graduate research students who feel inundated and unable to focus or deliver on

~

stretch goals, explore our options, set out our course of action, share outcomes, and make revisions based on results. That, I believe, is exactly what any good researcher is expected to do.

their mandates. I hope that research students take away the message that we are capable of achieving more than we think may be possible. Lecturing at the Department of Management Studies at UWI, St. Augustine, I see many students who face seemingly insurmountable challenges. I want to encourage them: (1) to believe that they can conquer those challenges Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 45

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


findings

Introduction

to

many

social

and

economic

challenges. Where necessary, such individuals In September 2015, The UWI Open Campus will start offering two professional doctorates: the Doctor of Educational Leadership in Higher Education

and the

Doctor of

Educational

Leadership in Schools and Education Systems. Unlike research doctorates, which have a large research component and a small taught component, professional doctorates have a large taught component and a small research component. This structural difference between the two types of programmes reflects a functional seek

difference:

primarily

who can

to

research develop

doctorates

professionals

create new knowledge whereas

professional

doctorates

seek

primarily

to

develop professionals who can understand this knowledge and apply it in practical contexts. The two types of doctorates are therefore interdependent, with professional doctorates providing an "informing channel" that enables

should also be able to conduct small research projects findings.

and

communicate

their

research

Accordingly, the new UWI Open

Campus professional doctorates will require students not only to acquire a broad scholarly understanding of their discipline, but also to carry out a small research project and publish their research findings. In order to guarantee the successful completion of these research projects, The UWI Open Campus has developed a highly structured approach to research supervision.

The approach has been used

successfully to guide the online supervision of Master's research projects and is now being extended to professional doctorates. Elements of the approach should be of interest to The UWI research community because they address the problems of high attrition rates and long completion times that affect research doctorates across The UWI and internationally.

research to inform practice (Gill and Hoppe, 2009).

The literature on doctoral studies

indicates that the number of professional doctorates is increasing as the knowledge economy grows (Wildy et al, 2015).

Attrition Rates and Completion Times Universities across the world are concerned

The demand for professional doctorates is

with the large proportion of students who either

particularly great in the context of developing

drop out of their research programmes or take

economies, which have an urgent need for

too long to complete.

individuals with the capacity to apply research

universities, for example, attrition rates range

In US and Canadian

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 46


Addressing High Attrition Rates and Long Completion Times through Research Course Rooms from 13% to 51% and average 30% (Council

students to adhere to a strict timeline.

of Graduate Studies, 2007). According to the

timeline typically features milestones that

same source, completion rates within 6 years of

take the form of graded assignments based

commencing a doctoral programme range from

on

20% to 49% and average 36%.

project, such as research questions, research

While figures

actual

components

of

the

The

research

from The UWI were not available to the author at

proposals and thesis chapters.

the time of writing, similar concerns have been

students and supervisors are often provided

raised over the performance of UWI research

with just-in-time guidance and resources in

students (Jackson, 2014). High attrition rates

order to assist with the achievement of each

and long completion times have been attributed

milestone.

to supervisor and student variables. To begin

resources effectively constitute a course with

with, the quality of supervision has been

many elements of a regular taught course.

The timeline,

In addition,

milestones and

identified as a major determinant of attrition

The following short list of research course

rates and completion times (Pitchforth et al,

rooms may be of interest to the reader: the

2012; Pyhalto et al 2012; Wao & Onwuegbuzie,

research capacity-building courses of Durban

2011; Council of Graduate Schools, 2009;

University of Technology; the Proposal Seminar

Gardner,

Bair &

and Dissertation Seminar suite of the University

Haworth, 1999). Secondly, the incoming skills

of Cincinnati; the Applied Dissertation Service

that students bring with them to the research

suite of Nova South Eastern University; the

project have also been associated with attrition

Dissertation Seminar of Columbia University;

rates and completion times (Pitchforth et al,

the Advanced

2012; Pyhalto et al 2012 and Humphry et al

Georgia University and the Graduate Thesis

2011 ).

Proposal

2008;

Lovitts,

2001

and

Incoming skills include skills in the

Research

Seminar

of

Seminar of West Indiana

University

language of study; writing skills; reading skills;

South East. The UWI Open Campus has also

quantitative

been offering similar courses for its Master's

skills;

disciplinary

expertise;

research skills and time management skills.

students since 2011. Based on the success of these courses, the Open Campus has designed

Thesis Course Rooms A number of solutions have been proposed to address this problem. One approach is the use of research course rooms. These courses seek to reduce the variability in the quality of research supervision and incoming skills by providing a high degree of structure to the research project. Among other measures, structure is often imposed by requiring

a series of five course rooms for students in the new professional doctorate programmes. Two course rooms are offered prior to the start of the research project (which is run over three semesters) and three course rooms are offered in tandem with the research project.

The

course rooms provide step-by-step guidance and just-in-time resources for each stage of the research process, from the selection of a Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 47

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


research topic to the submission of the

Conclusion

research report. This brief article has outlined the approach to

Critique

research

supervision

that

the

Open

Campus plans to use for two new professional

The use of research course rooms has been

doctorates in order to minimise attrition

criticised as a 'hand-holding' approach to

and completion times. It is hoped that these

research supervision. Two counter-arguments

programmes

can be raised. Firstly, variation in the quality of

practice across the Caribbean education

supervision creates inequity in the provision of

sector. Limitations in space do not permit a

quality supervision.

fuller discussion and readers are referred to

Research course rooms

reduce this equity by ensuring that certain

will

foster

research-based

Chipere (2015a and 2015b).

minimum standards of quality in research supervision are observed.

Secondly, it was

indicated earlier that international attrition rates can be as high as 50%.

This figure

represents thousands of personal disasters for the students concerned.

Another critique is that the

lock-step approach found in research course rooms may not be appropriate for research doctorates. While this may be true, the stages in the research process that are captured by research course rooms are fairly standard across research projects.

programmes, please visit: http://www.open.uwi.edu/graduate/programmes

The figure also

represents an economic loss that the region can ill-afford.

For more information on the new doctorate

Students should

still be able to benefit from the guidelines and resources provided by each research course room while following individual research paths.

References Bair, C. R., & Haworth, J. G. (2005). Doctoral student attrition and persistence: A meta-synthesis of research. In Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (pp. 481-534). Springer Netherlands. Chipere, N. (2015a). Developing Online Doctoral Programmes. International Journal on E-Learning, 14(2), 121-161. Chipere, N. (2015b). A Concept Paper on the Use of On-line Research Support Courses to Support Research Supervision. Presentation at the Board for Graduate Studies and Research, UWI, May 2015. Council for Graduate Schools (2007). Ph.D. Completion and Attrition: Analysis of Baseline Program Data from the Ph.D. Completion Project. Council for Graduate Schools.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 48


Addressing High Attrition Rates and Long Completion Times through Research Course Rooms Humphrey, R., Marshall, N., & Leonardo, L. (2012). The impact of research training and research codes of practice on submission of doctoral degrees: An exploratory cohort study. Higher education quarterly, 66(1 ), 47-64. Jackson, Y. (2014). Reshaping the Graduate Research Programme at UWI. UWI Board for Graduate Studies and Research. Lovitts, B. E. (2001 ). Leaving the ivory tower: the causes and consequences of departure from doctoral Study (Lanham, MD, Rowman & Littlefield). Pitchforth, J., Beames, S., Thomas, A., Falk, M., Farr, C., Gasson, S., & Mengersen, K. (2012). Factors affecting timely completion of a PhD: a complex systems approach. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 12(4), 124-135. Powell, S. & Long, E. (2005). Professional Doctorate Awards in the UK. Lichfield: UK Council for Graduate Education. Pyhalto, K., Toom, A., Stubb, J., & Lonka, K. (2012). Challenges of Becoming a Scholar: A Study of Doctoral Students' Problems and Well-Being. International Scholarly Research Notices in Education, 2012. Wao, H. 0., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2011 ). A mixed research investigation of factors related to time to the doctorate in education. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 6, 115-134. Wildy, H., Peden, S., & Chan, K. (2015). The rise of professional doctorates: case studies of the Doctorate in Education in China, Iceland and Australia. Studies in Higher Education, 40(5), 761-774.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 49

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~



GO - AND WE'RE OFF

refreshing not being met with blank stares or frowns but with intrigue. Without failure each

The Race is not for the Swift

encounter left me enlightened, encouraged, intrigued or inspired.

Once I had successfully located the venue, it was time to rock and roll. Registration was just a mild indicator of the number of scientists attending this meeting.

However, I mentally

prepared myself for a full house given that the line-up included: 4 plenary talks, a Walter-Fitch symposium, 28 scientific symposia and 750 poster presentations.

Upon receiving my

poster, I of course hurried to my designated room, which was quite difficult to find since there were ten rooms for poster presentations

Author at poster displays.

spread across the palace. Don't be fooled into thinking attending a conference is a walk in the park, "down time" or a vacation. I assure you

Endurance is Key

IT IS NOT! From the moment I unraveled my

SMBE had a very packed schedule from

poster and mounted it, the inquiring eyes of

8:15am ending between 6 and 9 pm daily.

fellow presenters and perusing attendees were

However, there were several opportunities

upon me.

and events to network and socialize with other

Over the next few days there were four

attendees. The welcome reception, lunch and

poster presentation sessions, during which my

coffee breaks, alternative poster presentations

work and I were exposed to the questioning,

and the final conference dinner all provided

discussions, and suggestions of all sorts

cherished

of scientific minds and it was amazing!

and to network.

particularly looked forward to this academic

conference alone,

experience the most; being exposed to people

experience it alone. From arrival at the Vienna

who are capable of understanding my work.

International airport, thanks to a mistake with

When reciting my presentation topic, it was

the taxi service my first ally was made whilst

moments to forge

relationships

Although I travelled to this I was destined not to

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 51


Next at the welcome reception with a delicate balance of pleasant smiles and just a hint of "I'm here alone" on my face, others in the same predicament were drawn to my table and so it began, relationships that would keep me on my toes for the days to come and beyond.

Networking is a requirement when

attending a conference, it is one of the richest gatherings of fellow scientists that you will ever experience and if you're looking for the

Fun shots of author.

next step academically or career wise this is an exceptional opportunity.

Personally, I

encountered quite a range of people, from fellow research students to research magazine editors, sponsors, company representatives and supervisors from all around the world.

Just a Bit of Fun My last apt but modified saying is, "All work and no play makes Jill a dull and exhausted girl." Fortunately, in Vienna the days are long and caffeine is in abundance. So even after a long day or during a long break scheduled for activities I was able to experience the real Vienna and it was beautiful. Essentially, travelling to the SMBE 2015 annual meeting was an exceptional experience on all fronts and I would advise all researchers to work hard and once you are ready to share it with the world, GET ON YOUR MARK ... GET SET,ANDGO!

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 52


The American Society of Horticultural Science Conference

designated pick-up location outside of the

2015

the time on their watches.

Earlier this year, I received a research award from The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus School of Graduate Studies and Research to attend and present at the 112th American

Society of

Horticultural Science

(ASHS) Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was my second international conference as a postgraduate student at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus and it was indeed an amazing experience. The conference was ideal for networking with professionals in my field as well as keeping abreast with other research interests. The location of this conference was phenomenal as I had never before seen such a rich preservation of history and culture that was so well marketed by a country.

hotel and met two unsure faces checking There began the

networking process as I inquired whether they were waiting to go on the same tour. One of these persons is a postgraduate student at the University of Arkansas who recently completed undergraduate work in turf grasses. We boarded the tour bus and waited to start our tour. During this time, the silence on the bus was broken as the tour guide inquired about our homelands. I was most surprised to hear that the tour guide spent fond time in her younger years on the Grenadine island of Bequia, and a retired Professor and his wife recently completed a cruise to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, my home country. Therein began further networking as persons inquired about my country and my research. There were nine persons on the bus of mixed ages ranging from undergraduate and postgraduate

Networking on the Conference Tours

students to new and retired professors and lecturers. While listening to the very intricate details of New Orleans pre and post Hurricane

I arrived in New Orleans the day before

Katrina, we exchanged research areas of

the conference officially started, settled and

interest, including lettuce, earthworms, turf

recovered from the journey.

grasses and sweet potatoes.

The next day, I

It was a close

anxiously went to the hotel tour desk to confirm

knit group and everyone shared information on

that the conference tour to the Laura and Oak

their research. That night, was the beginning

and Alley Plantations was still scheduled. After

of many nights of dining and explorations with

receiving a positive response, I went to the

my fellow researchers from that very bus tour Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 53

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~


~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Beyond The Poster and Oral Presentations of the American Society of Horticultural Science Conference, New Orleans to the historic creole andslave plantations.

thoughts of how I could improve my present research work.

Inside the Children's Room of the Laura Plantation, Louisiana (Photo Taken By Author)

An Example of Posters on Display at the ASHS 2015 Conference (Photo Taken By Author)

Having previously attended an international conference, I learned that the best way to establish links is to ask questions and continue discussions on work presented after the actual presentation time. Therefore, I did exactly this and as a result now have contacts with persons 300 Year Old Oak Trees Planted by Unknown Person at the Oak and Alley Plantation, Louisiana (Photo Taken By Author)

in my field at the Louisiana State University, University of Florida, University of the Virgin

Attending Oral & Poster Sessions: The Power of Questions and Discussions

Islands, and Purdue University among others. I remember listening to two presentations from the Louisiana State University and immediately jotting down ideas for my work which stemmed

The following day, after collecting my registration package, I anxiously went through the conference programme in my booklet to verify my poster abstract and allotted session. After this, I wore my name badge which was stringed by mardi gras beads ... after all we were in New Orleans. I then placed an asterisk next to every session related to my work in

from their presentations. After that session, I remained to chat further with the presenters and exchanged contact information. Similarly, a lecturer at another university inquired about my work after reading and listening to me explain the details of my study using the poster and left contact information for further long-term communication.

sweet potatoes and other research interests such as cover crops, bio-stimulants, rooting investigations, service learning and student engagement. My journey began as I ventured to the oral and poster sessions on these topics. At these sessions, I listened, read and viewed intently as I heard exciting findings and methodologies which even stimulated

The Question Segment of an Oral Presentation at ASHS 2015(Photo Taken By Author)

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 54


Beyond The Poster and Oral Presentations of the American Society of Horticultural Science Conference, New Orleans

路.,

f

,-1':'路

.

'"

-

,

-~

-

.

by participating in tours, receptions/cocktails, dinners, workshops and oral

.I

!

' t

questions, discussions and interactions and

路 111

('-vi,1路 .u'. Ill .,.

with researchers and professionals through

and

poster

sessions.

01 ' 1

L_

Representing The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus at ASHS 2015 (Photo Taken By Ahmad Shah Mohammadi Sr.)

this

Maintaining Correspondence: Realising the Potential Benefits of Networking at Academic Conferences

methodological

The power of this networking is vital as

improvement ideas for my own work which

we prepare for a life of academia or other

was prompted by exposure to similar studies,

career endeavours.

sharing of my present research findings,

the graduate students and I are utilizing the

and addressing the questions posed to me

power of technology.

by my colleagues.

Another way to network

via email to ensure that we have resettled

with professionals in the research arena

to our campus sites and research projects.

is

sessions.

Maintaining these links will assist in building our

At this conference, I attended the career

network and enhance our professional lives,

workshop where my Curriculum Vitae (CV)

perhaps even creating career opportunities

was critically assessed and pointers given on

and collaborations on research projects.

how to improve and better present my skills

would encourage any graduate student to

and qualifications. Such workshops prove

share their research at these conferences

beneficial

establishment

as the experience is beneficial and a part of

of global contacts as the professor who

our growth as researchers in our respective

evaluated my CV left his business card with me

fields, as well as socially.

for future correspondence. Our conversations

research

continued at the Conference and Graduate

exchange contacts with the purpose of not only

Student Receptions where through this one

lifelong friendships but research opportunities

professor, I met five other graduate students

and partnerships.

and a professor who was actually recruiting

many events offered at the conference, to be

students for Assistantships at his university.

courageous and initiate conversations, ask

These conferences are not just ideal for

questions and socialize with fellow researchers

networking on an academic level but also on a

and professionals.

professional, career level. The key is to engage

great prospects.

Workshop and Social Events The

most

conference

to

rewarding was

attend

and

aspect

the

special

again

workshop

allow

of

findings,

Since the conference, We are communicating

I

It helps to share

hear similar work

and

The key is to attend as

The results can only hold

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 55

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


FACULTY RESEARCH About The Authors Dr. Angela T. Alleyne is a lecturer in Biochemistry at the UWI Cave Hill Campus and Chair of the Faculty committee on commercialization of research products and services (CoRPS). She is a researcher in DNA diagnostics of plant disease and is also the Coordinator of the MSc Biosafety programme. The MSc in Biosafety programme trains persons in the field of genetically modified organisms (GMO's). Dr Alleyne holds a PhD in Biology (yam anthracnose phytotoxin characterisation), an MPhil in Biology (purification and extraction of yam anthracnose phytotoxin) and a BSc in Biochemistry from The University of the West Indies. She also did a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Nebraska on molecular markers in bean rust. Dr. Coreen J Leacock lectures in Mathematics Education and Research Methods in the School of Education at the Cave Hill campus of The University of the West Indies. She is the Academic Coordinator of the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education, the body that administers the initial teacher training programme in the region. She also coordinates the Graduate Research Seminar Series in the School of Education. Dr Leacock holds a PhD in Education and an MPhil in Educational Research, both from the University of Cambridge and a B. Ed (Hons) from The UWI. Dr. Tom Rogers is a lecturer in Renewable Energy at the UWI Cave Hill Campus. His research focuses on the use of clean energy systems for small island states. He is involved with teaching three courses on the Campus's Renewable Energy Management MSc programme, namely: Energy Sources and clean energy systems; solar energy, and; wind energy. He is an active member of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association, which promotes the transition to 100% renewables in Barbados. Dr. Rogers holds a PhD in Performance Assessment of Micro-wind Turbines in the Built Environment (Nottingham, UK), an MSc. in Renewable Energy Systems Technology (Loughborough, UK) and a BEng in Engineering Design and Appropriate Technology (Warwick, UK).


The Faculty of Science and Technology at Cave Hill has a rich history of research and

Cave Hill postgraduate students on this the first edition of their magazine.

innovation dating back to its establishment

Scientific research as a driver of economic

as a Faculty of Natural Sciences in the

growth in the 21st century is a common

1960's.

theme

Past

research These

strides

were

include

made the

and in

innovation several

of

both

nationally

and

internationally;

areas.

so it is timely that we re-visit this dimension

solar

of scientific research here at the UWI Cave

development of

stills for water distillation, solar heating for

Hill

drying of vegetables; the establishment of

environment where scientific research thrives

marine

is

environmental

research

through

campus.

The

21st century

more multidisciplinary and

academic

consists

of

the development of the MAREMP, later the

teams rather than the single effort of individual

CERMES

Sea

research scientists. The CoRPS in light of this

Turtle Project; and use of resistant varieties in

awakening and re-vision of research in the 21st

agriculture to fight plant disease; among many

century was formed to address ideas by all

others. The present and past scientists used

stakeholders on the manner by which we can

theoretical aspects of their scientific research

better communicate our research, services and

to assist the wider Barbadian and Caribbean

academic products to the wider community.

communities that they serve. It is therefore

The committee comprises faculty from the

quite fitting that the theme for this magazine, is

three departments Chair-Dr. Angela Alleyne

termed, "Awakening a Passion".

The Faculty

(Biological and Chemical Sciences), Dr. Paul

may be seen by some as a sleeping giant but

Walcott and Dr. Thomas Rogers-(Computer

it is now poised to reawaken and share its

Science and Mathematics) and also the Faculty

research again with the wider community. The

projects officer Ms. Natasha Corbin.

programme,

the

Barbados

recent initiative by the Dean of the Faculty, in

The committee has looked at efforts and

the establishment of committees to address

international best practice taken by Universities

commercialization

its

in recent years to commercialize their research

funding is a step in this direction. The Faculty

and products.Several new initiatives have been

committee on "Commercialization of research,

proposed ranging from the promotion of short

products and services" or CoRPS, as it is

technical courses, to the establishment of a

better known was formed in 2015. As Chair of

scientific museum, science faculty tours, to the

the committee we therefore congratulate the

development of custom software products.

of

research

and

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 57

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


~

All of these proposals, among others are

~ being discussed with the faculty leaders. ~. Nevertheless, the CoRPS has identified

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

challenges carefully

that by

any

need

to

be

university

considered making

this

paradigm shift to commercialize scientific research. These include adequate funding and effective management of the scientific research process and in addition, a careful analysis of the conflictual nature of commerce and academic endeavours need to be carefully managed in these circumstances. Therefore, tasked

with

this

initiative the

committee

undertook a SWOT analysis addressing areas of strength, weaknesses and opportunities in operationalizing these activities in the faculty.

These results are currently being

analysed and discussed.

The committee

and its stakeholders realize that the benefits to the faculty, the community and the region will be greatly enhanced by their efforts and are proud to be part of this exciting time and opportunity for the support of science once again.

It recognizes as a Science faculty

we are poised to reawaken "a light shining in the west" at The UWI Cave Hill campus in the newly rebranded Faculty of Science and Technology.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 58


Congratulations! You made a decision to

universities it is a DPhil). The degree is usually

obtain a doctoral degree; you applied and

conferred on individuals who have completed

got accepted into a programme!

requisite course work and a substantial piece

you are: a graduate student!

Now here

And perhaps

wondering: what on earth was I thinking!

of academic research.

If

In their book How to Get a PhD, Estelle

this speaks to you, then you are not alone.

Phillips and Derek Pugh explain that when

Many PhD candidates at some point in time ask

you have a PhD you are expected to be

themselves that question. The answer often

knowledgeable in your field, able to contribute

lies in the reasons for your making the decision

to the development of the field and to gain

in the first place.

the respect of your peers through your

People have different reasons for pursuing

scholarly work.

This of course places a

a PhD: perhaps to hone their research skills or

serious responsibility on you. This means that

to be respected in the academic community or

by the time you have acquired your degree,

simply to have the title Doctor. Indeed, I know

you should have acquired the knowledge that

an individual who decided to pursue a PhD so

would allow you to speak with some conviction

that he could wear the puffy headdress worn

and authority on issues in your chosen field.

by some members of the academic community

So as you can see, though a PhD is a research

who hold this esteemed qualification! Whatever

oriented degree, you are expected to explore

the reason, you are probably determined to be

the field beyond the boundaries of your

successful!

research. This you can do by reading widely in

Now, doing a PhD, even under the best conditions, is no walk in the park!

But some

your research area and in related areas. What do you read:

Current research, issues and

have embarked on this journey with unrealistic

debates; as well as seminal works! You should

and na路,ve expectations, only to make things

immerse yourself in the literature of the field,

unnecessarily stressful. So, in the interest of

becoming familiar and knowledgeable; mull it

ensuring your success, and preserving your

over; interrogate other people's viewpoints;

sanity, I will here offer some friendly tips and

formulate your own position; and through

suggestions.

your research, provide empirical evidence on

Perhaps the first thing to which you should pay attention is the meaning of PhD.

PhD

stands for Doctor of Philosophy (in some UK

the basis of which you articulate conclusion, implications and informed opinions. It is this realisation that leads many to the "What on Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 59

~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


earth was I thinking?" question.

analytical approaches because they never

So, what can you do to ensure that you gain

did them before, and hence never learn to

the knowledge and skills that would make you

do these for themselves. They fail to acquire

worthy of the PhD degree that you intend to

the skills of planning and executing rigorous

earn? Here are some useful tips.

research that they can share with others in

- Always choose an area about which you are passionate. Do not allow anyone - friends, family or supervisors - to coerce you into a field in which you have no passion. There will come a time when the only thing that keeps you going on your journey to the PhD is that passion.

and the respected title of Doctor, you will be expected to be in possession of such skills

'

and to maintain the esteem of your peers,

you should demonstrate competence at conducting research. - Be prepared to share. A grave weakness

- Choose a piece of research that is do-able. Na路ive beginners tend to have lofty notions about what they want to do. It often sounds really great until they have to answer practical questions such as what data will you collect and from whom?

Students may hold on to

overly ambitious (and sometimes impractical) research

their field. After you have acquired a PhD

ideas, to their own

detriment.

Remember that your PhD research is training for the earth-moving research that you plan to carry out after you obtain your degree. You have a finite time to complete the work, so choose something that is worthwhile, interesting and do-able within the time and

among

some

PhD

students

is

their

unwillingness or inability to share their work within the academic community. shy!

Do not be

Take every opportunity to speak or

write about your work.

Find appropriate

conferences

you

at

which

can

make

presentations. Seek out avenues to publish in your field. It does not matter how interesting or potentially earth-shattering your research findings, if you do not "put it out there", it is useless.

It is like making a stunning outfit

and then hanging it up in the wardrobe.

If

no one sees it or wears it, its beauty and fine craftsmanship is wasted! Work hard to develop sharp research skills so that you can

resources that you have.

share your work with confidence. - Work to hone your research skills.

Some

students complete a PhD and leave with very little more than they brought to the endeavour. They read very little and consequently fail to develop critical reading skills, necessary for critiquing and producing good academic work.They avoid certain data collection and

- Don't take yourself too seriously.

Be

prepared to laugh at yourself and learn from your mistakes. No matter how earnest and prepared you may be, things can go awry quickly!

Equipment can fail! People can

refuse to cooperate! This is all part of the

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 60


PhD journey.

Be prepared to meet these

roadblocks with patience, creativity, and a sense of humour.

Allow yourself fifteen

seconds to feel sorry for yourself, do not wallow!

It may not matter that you falter;

that is expected along this journey.

What

matters is that you get up and move on. Have a good laugh (ok, and maybe a huge chunk of cheesecake!), then get on with your work. Think of the reward at the end! So, you are a graduate student! Now what? I say, embrace the challenge. Whatever you were thinking when you applied, whatever reason you

had for setting

out on this

adventure, see that as your destination, and enjoy the journey towards that ultimate goal.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 61

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~


The Caribbean has some of the highest

The high regional energy costs provide a fantastic opportunity for innovation and entrepreneurship within the energy sector. For Barbados, this is starting to become

total Gross Domestic Product on electricity

apparent, with significant progress in its solar

generation alone. This greatly inhibits regional

PV market (7.5MW installed in just 5 years),

development and impoverishes its citizens.

its electric vehicle market (over 100 EVs

Fortunately, the region has some of the best

imported in less than 3 years) and its lighting

renewable energy resources in the world.

market (widespread adoption of LED lighting

By way of illustration, suppose we have two

throughout the island). Emera Caribbean have

identical

systems

stated their desire to help the island transition

(Figure 1 ), one installed in Germany and the

to become an e-showcase for the world, with

other in Barbados. The electricity generated by

realistic prospects of a completely electric

the Barbadian PV system will be nearly twice

transportation system, industry leading energy

as much per year as the system installed in

efficient hotels, and plug-in cruise ships; all

Germany. Additionally, a wind turbine installed

powered from clean energy sources. Achieving

on the rural east coast of Barbados would

this would help eliminate the island's heavy

generate the same amount of energy as an

fuel import bill and save hard-earned foreign

identical wind turbine installed in the very best

exchange resources (Figure 2).

solar

photovoltaic

(PV)

offshore location in Europe. S0.45 '.E

~

Current level of PV installation

Germany - 470 Watts/cap ita Barbados - 26 Watts/capita

• C

1 i

- Germany

S0.25

..,~

S0.15

~

S0.0'5

•0 .!!

200

.!I

150 100

~

so

::.

~

~

250

~

:i:

- Barbados

300

fi c-

~ ....~

0 Jan

l

Feb Mar Apr May Jun

S0. 39

SO.«> S0. 35 S0.30

S0.20

>0.17

C ::I 50.11

S0.10

S0.00

50.2 5

50.24

FAC ($0.20/kWh)

+

5008

T

S0.09

C ::I

50. 10

S0.17

C ::I 50.12 50.o7

50.03

50.04

S0.03

S0.04

Onshore wi nd

Geothermal

Hydro

Biomass

Solar PV

Figure 2: Expected average lifetime cost of electricity from renewables compared with the Barbados Fuel Adjustment Clause (FAC) for 2014.

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct Nov Dec

Figure1 : Output comparison of two identical PV systems, one in Germany the other in Barbados.

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 62


Research and development can play a

on solar PV performance in the Caribbean,

~

from ~

crucial part in this process with research

optimisation

opportunities in a wide variety of areas,

biodigesters, the effect of electric vehicles on ~.

including:

the Barbados electricity grid, and the future

• Technical:

How

can

clean

energy

technologies designed for cooler climates be adapted to our tropical climate? How do we get the most out of solar modules that are highly sensitive to elevations in temperature? Can biodigester designs be modified to the different types of feedstock and climatic conditions found in the Caribbean? What type of wind turbine blades work best for Barbados wind conditions? • Policy/Law: What policy or regulation or legislation works best to help transition towards 100% renewables? How can policy ensure that the island benefits the most from any transition? How can government, education

and

industry work

together?

How can policy act as a catalyst to allow innovation and entrepreneurship within the energy sector? • Economic: What incentives work best to promote the uptake of renewables? Which technologies

are

proven

and

hold

the

greatest potential to meet the economic, environmental and social needs of society? How do we finance this transition? This list is by no means exhaustive. As energy is so tightly wound into the very fabric of a society's existence, there really is a multitude of research opportunities in this area. Here at Cave Hill we are already conducting research

of

biogas

production

~

~ in Renewable Energy Management, students ~ must conduct a capstone research project. Some of the previous research topics include: ~ • Design and testing of an active cooling ~ system for a solar PV installation ~ • Willingness-to-pay study for renewable ~ energy in the Barbados water network • Distributed vs utility-scale solar PV systems ~ for isolated grids ~ • Study of micro-inverters vs string optimiser ~ systems for solar PV modules • Wind farm assessment of the planned ~ Barbados Green Energy Complex ~ • Biodiesel as a cost reduction strategy for the ~ campus vehicle fleet ~ • A study of energy efficiency awareness in Trinidad ~ • Impact of subsidies on the Trinidad energy ~ sector, and ~ • Energy production using microbial fuel cells ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ impact of climate change on our region's

energy systems. As part of our MSc programme

Chrysallis Research Magazine Page 63


~

By

exploring

research

problems

~ applicable to local conditions, encouraging ~. partnership with local government and

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

industry, and strengthening our research methods, the Cave Hill campus is making strong headway with developing its research capacity

into

clean

energy

systems.

You can keep up to date with all of our activities by following us on twitter here: https://twitter.com/UWICHEERE

Figure 3: 12 kWp solar PV system on the roof of UWI Cave Hill Physics block

Chrysallis Research Magazine I Page 64


Special Thanks Past Members: Jacinth Browne (Assistant Editor), Diana Weekes-Marshall (Assistant Editor), Nadia Corbin Babb, Elie Knaizeh and Nicora Stubbs Friends of the Magazine: Brendon Duncan (Graphic Designer - Logo, banner), Christopher Millar (Assistance with cover), Janell Allen (Assistance with graphics), Shakira Grannum (Proofreading of final draft) Campus Coordinators: Prof. Eddy Ventose (Cave Hill), Prof. Denise Eldemire-Shearer (Mona), Prof. Julie Meeks (Open Campus), Prof. Kit Fai Pun (St. Augustine) Administrative and Other Staff: Mrs. Gail Carter-Payne (Graduate Studies and Research, Cave Hill), Dr. Colin Depradine (Cave Hill), Dr. Jeanese Badenock (Cave Hill), Prof. Joseph Branday (Cave Hill), Dr. Maxine Gossell-Williams (Mona), Christianne Walcott (Cave Hill), M. Ingrid lton (Sidney Martin Library, Cave Hill) OSCAR, Office of Public Information (Cave Hill): Janet Caroo, Chelston Lovell, Lisa Yarde

Special thanks to all contributorsl


About Chrȳsallis

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Chrȳsallis is a research magazine created by graduate students at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

2nd Issue THEME: “Awakening a Passion: Transitioning to a Research Culture”

The Purpose

Due Date: JANUARY 16TH 2016

To share the findings of research projects which are investigated in the Caribbean.

Submit To: editorchrysallis@gmail.com

Article Guidelines: www.tinyurl.com/chrysallisrm

Sections include: 

Students’ Research

Featured Pieces

Completed Research

Conferences

The Sister Campuses

Faculty Research


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