Approximately 1.1 billion people currently live in countries where consanguineous marriages are customary, and among them one in every three marriages is between cousins. Opinions diverge between those warning of the possible health risks to offspring and others who highlight the social benefits of consanguineous marriages. A consanguinity study group of international experts and counselors met at the Geneva International ConsanguinityWorkshop from 3 rd to 7 th May 2010 to discuss the known and presumptive risks and benefits of close kin marriages, and to identify important future areas for research on consanguinity.The group highlighted the importance of evidence-based counselling recommendations for consanguineous marriages, and of undertaking both genomic and social research in defining the various influences and outcomes of consanguinity. Technological advances infor rapid high-throughput genome sequencing (HTS), and for the identification of copy number variants by comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) offer a significantn unprecedented opportunity to identify genotype-phenotype correlations focusing on autozygosity, the hallmark of consanguinity. The ongoing strong preferential culture of close kin marriages in many societies, and among migrant communities in Western countries, merits an equivalently detailed assessment of the social and genetic benefits of consanguinity in future studies.

Although empirical validation of teacher self-efficacy in face-to-face environments continues, it remains a relatively new construct in online education. This literature review, which was conducted over academic databases and which examined work published in the past 15 years, explores three areas of research about teacher self-efficacy in online education: (1) ease of adopting online teaching, (2) online teaching self-efficacy in comparison to demographic and experience variables and (3) changes in teacher self-efficacy in professional development scenarios where self-efficacy was measured before and after treatment. Research studies demonstrate agreement (or no discernible disagreement) in the importance of system/ curriculum quality in the implementation of online learning and the recognition that a measure of self-efficacy in online pedagogy has not yet been empirically derived. Researchers continue to examine the balance of technological and pedagogical knowledge that supports the development of teacher self-efficacy, the role of learner self-efficacy in teacher self-efficacy and whether teacher self-efficacy differs fundamentally in online education. In addition, it seems clear that empirical validation of the association of teacher self-efficacy and student success has yet to occur in online education with the rigour seen in face-to-face modes of delivery.

Administrators at a large midwestern university recognized that their World Wide Web site was rapidly becoming an important factor in recruiting new students. They also expected this Web site to serve many different types of information needs for existing students,faculty, staff, and alumni. An interdisciplinary team of faculty, graduate students, and staff was formed to evaluate the existing Web site. A group from this teamfirst conducted a needs analysis to determine the kinds of irrfarmation the target population was seeking. This analysis led to the creation of a new information structure for the Web site. Usability tests of the both the new and old designs were conducted on paper. Users were able to find answers to frequently asked questions much more rapidly and successfully with the new information structure. This structure was further refined through additional usability tests conducted on the Web itself. This descriptive case study illustrates the value of user-centered design and usability testing of World Wide Web sites.

PurposeA literature review of 28 data literacy, education articles from 2010 to 2018 was conducted to gain a better understanding of the current state of data literacy research.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of ERIC, Education Source, and JSTOR was conducted. Articles were included in this literature review if they focused on “data literacy” for K-12 teachers or leaders.FindingsResults demonstrated that the concept of data literacy has become more concrete, but there is still disagreement about the parameters of the construct. While data literacy was shown to be gaining in importance, training from schools of education were focused heavily on assessment literacy. Four recommendations are made as follows: (1) create skill-focused educator prep programs, (2) encourage opportunities for collaboration, (3) model data use from both quantitative and qualitative sources and (4) investigate the role of technology and big data on data literacy.Research limitationsThe scope of this literature review was very narrow and, as such, does not fully encapsulate data-driven decision-making in K-12 education overall.Originality/valueData literacy is important for both teachers and leaders, as educational environments strive to better understand individual learners and improve learning outcomes. This literature review looks to pull together the current status of data literacy research with hopes of inspiring more targeted research that influences training practices for both teachers and leaders.

Construction of an online learning community is an important approach to enhance the learning of online students. An online community differs from a traditional face-to-face (FTF) social learning community. The studies currently available have been conducted over short periods of time, have focussed on an analysis of end products, and do not consider the individual (the self). Therefore, they have failed to provide a comprehensive understanding of online communities. It is not clear how online participants should present themselves and how they should perform or interact in an online community. Online self, online self-presentation, online social presence and online interaction are important issues to be considered in the study of these communities. This paper examines an online learning community from the sociological and social learning aspects. It discusses Goffman's self-presentation, Short's social presence, and social interaction, points out the weaknesses that exist in current studies of online learning communities, and suggests future studies in online learning community.