Several studies have shown that the physical state of the phospholipid membrane has an important role in protein-membrane interactions, involving both electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. We have investigated the influence of the interaction of the calcium-depleted, (apo)-conformation of bovine alpha-lactalbumin (BLA) on the integrity of anionic glycerophospholipid vesicles by leakage experiments using fluorescence spectroscopy. The stability of the membranes was also studied by measuring surface tension/molecular area relationships with phospholipid monolayers. We show that the degree of unsaturation of the acyl chains and the proportion of charged phospholipid species in the membranes made of neutral and acidic glycerophospholipids are determinants for the association of BLA with liposomes and for the impermeability of the bilayer. Particularly, tighter packing counteracted interaction with BLA, while unsaturation-leading to looser packing-promoted interaction and leakage of contents. Equimolar mixtures of neutral and acidic glycerophospholipids were more permeable upon protein binding than pure acidic lipids. The effect of lipid structure on BLA-membrane interaction and bilayer integrity may throw new light on the membrane disrupting mechanism of a conformer of human alpha-lactalbumin (HAMLET) that induces death of tumour cells but not of normal cells.

At the University of Bergen (UiB), Norway, the library is given the coordinator responsibility for a project involving faculties, first-year-support, Department of Education and student administrative support. The project aims at making it easy to embed information literacy and academic writing into the curriculum. Develop a digital tool box where academics will find and share teaching activities Harvest experiences and suggest models for physic and digital writing support Suggest competence building measures for teachers and guides of academic writing Academic writing and critical dealing with sources are central skills that students are expected to master after graduating from university. At the same time these are generic skills which need practice, discussion and reflection. However, we know that this part of students' learning is easily neglected in competition with subject teaching. What we have done: The library has established the project in collaboration with two pilot subjects (biology and geography), emphasising digital writing support according to the UiB’s strategic aims and action plans. The two pilot subjects recognise the importance of writing for critical thinking and development of subject knowledge. They will redesign courses in their BA programmes to better align learning outcomes and assessment with learning activities, e.g. writing including peer and teacher feedback. By the time of the conference in June, we will have drafted a framework for typical writing support in the pilots to use for their teaching in the autumn semester. In our presentation we will address these key questions: How does our institution support academic writing? How do we train the trainers? How do we provide integrated teaching of academic writing and IL?

Embarking on planning and design of new library courses, or just even redesigning them, might be challenging in an everyday busy schedule. Especially if you want to try out new digital applications or features that could give the training an edge towards students, often prejudiced to what they can expect from a traditional library course. Ideally you engage colleagues and even students and faculty members in such a process. But how can you allocate enough time and resources to reach such ambitions? The ABC method, developed at University College London, is an effective, engaging and creative approach. In only 90 minutes groups are able to work together hands-on to create a visual storyboard outlining the type and sequence of learning activities aligned with the course’s learning outcomes. Blended learning and co-creation are often encouraged in course design in many educational institutions these days. The ABC method encourage also library instructors to think about e-learning tools, methods for active learning and opportunities for co-creation. Library courses, in difference from regular courses at universities, if often taught as a “one-shot-session”, and they rarely include formal evaluations. We therefore felt the need to adapt the method to better suit these circumstances. We adjusted both agenda and material, but all ideas and principles follow the original method. Evaluation showed good feedback regarding the proportion of participants who intended to change their course design after attending the workshop. This session will present the basic principles of the ABC-method and our experiences working with this approach to blended course planning.

Embarking on planning and design of new library courses, or just even redesigning them, might be challenging in an everyday busy schedule. Especially if you want to try out new digital applications or features that could give the training an edge towards students, often prejudiced to what they can expect from a traditional library course. Ideally you engage colleagues and even students and faculty members in such a process. But how can you allocate enough time and resources to reach such ambitions? The ABC method, developed at University College London, is an effective, engaging and creative approach. In only 90 minutes groups are able to work together hands-on to create a visual storyboard outlining the type and sequence of learning activities aligned with the course’s learning outcomes. Blended learning and co-creation are often encouraged in course design in many educational institutions these days. The ABC method encourage also library instructors to think about e-learning tools, methods for active learning and opportunities for co-creation. Library courses, in difference from regular courses at universities, if often taught as a “one-shot-session”, and they rarely include formal evaluations. We therefore felt the need to adapt the method to better suit these circumstances. We adjusted both agenda and material, but all ideas and principles follow the original method. Evaluation showed good feedback regarding the proportion of participants who intended to change their course design after attending the workshop. This session will present the basic principles of the ABC-method and our experiences working with this approach to blended course planning. (Alternative if workshop: This workshop will give let you plan and design elements of a given course, utilizing the tools and methods of the ABC method.)

No abstract