Abstract: Tertiary education aims to develop specialist knowledge and the graduates' ability toapply the knowledge and skills to function effectively in their chosen career or work.Employers have criticised tertiary education when graduates cannot workco-operatively or independently in the work setting and teachers look for alternativesto lecturing to help develop these abilities. Cooperative learning (CL) is one suchmethod and this paper reports on a literature review and pilot study which exploredthe use of CL in a tertiary setting. The study was guided by three questions: 1) Whatarea the teacher's conceptions of effective learning and teaching? 2) How are theyusing CL and what is their role? 3) How are they assessing CL classes?Data was collected through in-depth interviews, using semi-structured questions,with three female and one male teacher from different disciplines in an urbanpolytechnic. Responses to each question were analysed thematically for recurringcodes and these were grouped into categories. Effective teaching was seen aswhere teachers facilitated the learning process by selecting appropriate teachingmethods, fostering classroom climate and monitoring learning. Effective learning waswhere students were actively engaged in the learning process and demonstratedtheir understanding and application of knowledge and skills. CL was used in avariety of ways and their role was to use strategies to foster the learning processand monitor learning. Assessment involved both individual and group presentations.Issues related to cooperative learning are discussed and recommendations forteaching made

Abstract: We hypothesized that the use of an Action Plan might assist self management for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).A pilot process and randomized, controlled study were undertaken to evaluate an action plan that provided advice on management of usual care and exacerbations, together with a booklet on self management. Fifty six subjects with COPD recruited through general practitioners (GPs) completed the six month study, 27 in the control group and 29 in the intervention group. The control group received usual care from their GP and the intervention group received a booklet and Action Plan from their practice nurse plus a supply of prednisone and antibiotic from their GP.The two groups were demographically similar with a mean age of 68 yrs. The resources were well received by GPs, practice nurses and the intervention group subjects. After six months there were no differences in quality of life scores or pulmonary function. There were significant changes in self management behaviour in the intervention group compared to controls. In response to seterioting symptoms, 34 versus7% (p= 0.014) initiated prednisone treatment and 44 versus 7 % (p=0.002 initiated antibiotics.Subjects in the intervention group readily adopted self management skills but did not shpw any difference in quality of life or lung function parameters. A larger prospective controlled clinical trial of this approach is warranted

Abstract: An existential phenomenological approach is used to study the experience of six adults hospitalised with acute mental illness which they considered contribute to the stress of, or coping with mental illness. The phenomenological research methods used is described. The analysis of the data reveals that consumers of acute mental health care view being controlled as contributing to the stress of mental illness, and caring as contributing to them coping with mental illness. The implications of these findings for nursing practice and further research are discussed