D engue and its more virulent form-dengue hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome-are regarded as severe health hazards in many tropical and subtropical regions. This paper offers a preliminary overview of community participatory approaches to dengue prevention in Sarawak, one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Dengue is a vector-borne virus spread by the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It is found in both urban and rural areas and is estimated to infect 20 million people annually (Okanurak, Sernmani, and Indaratna 1997). Dengue, and particularly its more severe form, is on the increase and has spread alarmingly in the last 30 years-it can now be found in 44 countries, up from 9 in the 1970s. In Southeast Asia the disease has reached pandemic proportions, badly affecting Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia (Economist 1998:38). In 1995 there were 6,520 cases of dengue reported in Malaysia and 370 people were diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever. Despite preventative campaigns, the number of cases continues to rise (Ahmad et al. 1997:139; Rigau-Perez et al. 1999:375). The major symptoms of dengue include abdominal pain, headaches, rash-like flushes, vomiting, and nausea; symptoms that resemble influenza in many respects and can
Collaborative creativity is an essential skill for unleashing university students’ skills in team building during complex problem-solving. The aim of this descriptive quantitative research was to examine undergraduate students’ perspectives regarding their collaborative creativity experience as game creators for a gamification group assignment within a university-wide elective course on learning disabilities. The Assessment Scale of Creative Collaboration (ASCC) questionnaire was completed by 14 students. The results provide insightful perspectives by undergraduate students regarding their experience in collaborative creativity during game creation. The findings from the closed-ended questions of the ASCC demonstrate that most of the students valued the diversity of knowledge and skills of their team members, shared different ideas, adapted their ideas and practices according to the project difficulties, trusted their team members, co-constructed the game together, overcame conflicts in positive ways, developed multiple versions of their game, and coordinated well for their team project. Data from the open-ended questions of the ASCC, which provided detailed but nuanced perspectives of the students, were analysed thematically. Three main themes were identified: the positive aspects of gamification, the constraints related to the gamification project, and teamwork and collaborative problem-solving approaches. This study provides evidence on the feasibility of game creation that is embedded within gamification group projects for fostering collaborative creativity among undergraduate students. Gamification has the potential in supporting the acquisition of 21st century learning and innovation skills in higher education. Implications of the application of gamification in higher education are discussed.
Reflexivity has been recognised as a crucial strategy in the knowledge generating process and applied in qualitative research to legitimate, validate and question research practices and representation, as well as evaluating the quality of qualitative research. Reflexivity in the social work literature have impacted in research and practice. However, the effect of researcher’s perspectives on the data collection and interpretation process by using reflexivity has not been examined in the mental health research in Malaysia. Thus, this paper aims to explore the role of methodological reflexivity in a qualitative research with Chinese women with mental health problems in a residential care setting in Malaysia. The researcher’s and participants’ interaction and experiences, as well as emotional context during interviews that affect the data interpretation and data collection process are discussed. Greater understanding on their experiences in the care centre has been generated by focusing on these women as an “abled-body” rather than people with disabilities. Recognition of the researcher’s feelings and experiences have enriched the research method and analysis, as well as informing the practice for social workers, health practitioners, and students who work with women with mental health problems.
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