Thinking Allowed

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showing posts for 'uk'

Critique of UK's AI policy

"AI use cases are not nearly valuable enough to justify the epic expense of training and maintaining the models. Student essays, boilerplate code and SEO pap are not going to cut it. Either specialist models must be trained or generic models must be retrained with codified expertise if they are to...

Medical Education predictions for 2025

blog post image Some predictions for educational technology in healthcare in 2025. Mixed Reality (MR) The hardware for mixed / augmented / virtual reality is becoming more accessible and with it the opportunity for applications. There are many examples of educational technology businesses in this space - Osso...

Markov blankets: can they help explain learning from a systems perspective?

blog post image Every now and then you find something, described a long time ago (in this case 1988), that could have helped you if only you'd known about it. In supporting pharma companies I have used several approaches to explaining why learning is complex, non-linear, and how we should look at it from a systems perspective....

Integrating basic sciences into clerkship rotation utilizing Kern’s six-step model of instructional design: lessons learned

Worked example of curriculum design using Kern's six-step approach. "Background It is generally agreed that basic and clinical sciences should be integrated throughout the undergraduate medical education, however, there is still need for continued formal integration of basic sciences into clinical...
Source: biomedcentral.com

Evidence grows of air pollution link with dementia and stroke risk

Long-term UK study adds to body of research associating pollutants with declining brain health
Source: theguardian.com

AI beats real doctors on 149 remote OSCE-style tests

blog post image "We tested performance in consultations with simulated patients (played by trained actors), compared to those performed by 20 real PCPs using the randomized approach described above. AMIE and PCPs were assessed from the perspectives of both specialist attending physicians and our simulated patients in...
Source: research.google

How the Post Office's Horizon system failed: a technical breakdown

"From bugs to unqualified staff, the Post Office's point-of-sale system was inadequate on many levels." The code was poor from the start and the small team of developers were not up to the job. However, the problems were apparent in 1999 before it was launched. Includes a discussion of the Dalmellington...
Source: theguardian.com

Innovating Pedagogy 2023

blog post image Looking for something innovative to try in 2024? MedEd professionals would benefit by looking through these ideas first. Open University's, Institute of Educational Technology's latest innovating pedagogy report from August 2023. This is the 11th annual report on emerging technologies in education...
Source: open.ac.uk

(We are not) using eHealth Data to Inform CPD for Medical Practitioners

"There is no formal or well-established correlation between individual performance data obtained through eHealth data analysis and CPD planning and programming for medical practitioners; in particular, the literature shows no consistency in type of eHealth data to analyze, software and tools to use,...
Source: nih.gov

Coding excursions

blog post image Anonymity with encryption At Outcomes Engine we are working on techniques to gather data from learners, analyse the data, and share the data whilst maintaining anonymity. I was involved in some work in my previous company (pharmaceutical) with the security of personal data - in our case it was data...

High Pay Centre analysis of FTSE 350 pay ratios • High Pay Centre

Pay inequalities at UK's largest companies remain constant, despite ‘cost of living’ crisis. "The companies with lowest-paid UK employees (based on pay at the 25th percentile) were retailer JD Sports, where the lower quartile threshold was £11,240, pub chain Mitchells & Butlers (£15,161) and...
Source: highpaycentre.org

Cornwall: Nearly £5m awarded to tackle health inequalities

The aim of the work is to enable "more research on issues that affect people in Cornwall".
Source: bbc.com

QR codes to become less convenient?

A sticker with a fraudulent QR code pasted over a legitimate one can lead the unwary to websites that can capture your personal data. Thornaby: Woman targeted in £13k train station QR code scam. Rail firm TransPennine Express has since removed QR codes from all of its station car parks. Is the root...
Source: bbc.com

Digital map created of UK's underground pipes and cables

It is hoped a digital map of power cables, gas pipes and sewers will help avoid accidents.
Source: bbc.com

Was Brexit About Tax Avoidance?

Several years ago I published an article “Is Brexit Really About Tax Avoidance?”, and it’s probably about time to revisit the topic, in the past tense, especially since the Anti Tax Avoidance Directive has now been implemented, and we have the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement to consider....
Source: politax.com

Shared decision making learning package | Shared decision making | Guidance | NICE

"To support implementation of the NICE guideline on shared decision making, Keele University and NICE have worked in partnership to develop an online learning package. This is suitable for all healthcare professionals and aims to equip people with the skills and knowledge they need to have good-quality...
Source: nice.org.uk

GCSE pass rate in UK by gender 2022 | Statista

In 2022, 76.7 percent of female students and 69.8 percent of male students achieved a C/4 grade or higher at GCSE level in the United Kingdom.
Source: statista.com

A legal case to stop sewage pollution: how did we get here?

We are suing the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for not taking effective action on sewage pollution entering our seas. We’ve not taken this step lightly.
Source: mcsuk.org

Spem in alium nunquam habui (Hope in any other, never did I have)

This piece of music is probably like nothing you have ever heard. Maybe because it is nearly 500 years old it feels like it is from another world. Maybe because it is written for eight choirs with five voices each the forty parts it's so complex you'd be pressed even to hum some of the tune afterwards....
Source: wikipedia.org

Tax Filing Websites Caught Sending Users' Financial Data to Facebook - ExtremeTech

Filing status, dependent names, adjusted gross income...once it's on any of these three websites, it's likely in Facebook's hands. ”H&R Block, one of the country’s most recognizable tax filing firms, was found using Meta Pixel to obtain users’ health savings account usage data as well as dependents’...
Source: extremetech.com