Abstract: The subscription of Nigeria to MDGs and the attendant efforts of providing qualitative universal basic education by governments made international interventions in the sector visible in all parts of Nigeria. Such intervention is usually technical that tends to provide stakeholders, especially teachers, with internationally tested models that will boost their service delivery and bring improved output from teaching and learning activities. Jolly Phonics is one of such models that aim at teaching reading and writing to pupils at Primary 1&2 with letter sounds that are introduced through child centred strategies of songs, stories and 'actions'. Using Jolly Phonics Project of Zamfara State Universal Basic Education as a reference point, this paper features the critical role of home academics in adapting the model to the local linguistic and cultural environment of the host state.

Abstract: In this study, it is aimed to investigate the symptoms, diagnostic tools and treatment of pediatric patients admitted with acute abdomen symptoms due to Meckel's diverticulum. The patients with surgical complications of Meckel's diverticulum were analyzed retrospectively in terms of age, gender, symptoms, imaging techniques, complications of Meckel’s diverticulum, method of treatment and duration of hospitalization. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. There were 14 patients. Complaints on admission were as follows: abdominal pain, bilious vomiting, abdominal distention, lack of defecation, lethargy, bloody stool, and foul-smelling discharge from the umbilicus. Abdominal x-ray and ultrasonography were performed in all patients. None was diagnostic. Meckel’s diverticulum was a leading point in 7 patients with intussusceptions. Other complications were volvulus (n=4), diverticulitis (n=2) and Meckel's diverticulum perforation (n=1). Patients with ileal resection hospitalized significantly longer when compared to patients who underwent diverticulectomy. Bands extending from the remnants of the omfalomesenteric canal causing obstruction should be kept in mind in patients with sudden onset abdominal pain and ileus if there is no apparent pathology such as intussusception, incarcerated hernia or history of abdominal surgery that can explain the ileus.

Abstract: Although many students are opting for the convenience of online study, there is a paucity of literature documenting the rationale for students’ choice of face-to-face or online learning format. As such, this study examined learner preferences for discussions in reading instruction. The study also compared the discussions generated by different sub-groups of students and explored the variances within students’ discussions generated from online and face-to-face learning formats. The following research questions guided the study: (a) What are learners’ preferences for discussions in reading instruction? (b) Does one discussion format facilitate meaning-making more than the other for various sub-groups and (c) Do patterns of discourse and learners preferences stay consistent across time and learners sub-groups or do differences occur due to diversity? Results indicated that majority of the participants preferred face-to-face discussion format to online discussion format in reading instruction. Participants also professed a belief that face-to-face discussions facilitate meaning-making more than online discussion. While such perception does not apply to all learner groups in the study, the results further showed that patterns of discourse and learners preferences stay consistent across time and learners, but differences occur due to learner diversity. Recommendations are made on how to facilitate learner inclusion and collaborative learning in both learning formats.

Abstract: Young snails of Achatina achatina (Linné, 1750) of 0.33 ± 0.23 g of average live weight and 9.1 ± 0.06 mm average length of shell were subjected to two types of diet. Two diets contained wild and cultivated plants (R1 and R2) and four diets concentrated in flour forms (R3, R4, R5 and RT) of respectively variable calcium content (12.02%, 14.03%, 16.01% and 06.82%). The objective is to compare the organoleptic qualities of the snails’ flesh emanating of the two types of food. The flesh of the concentrated diet are more tender (6.05), juicier (6.32) with an average aftertaste (5.8) while those of the vegetable diet are aromatized with an average of 6. The optimum calcium rates inducing the best tenderness (6.06), juiciness (6) are of 12.02% and of aftertaste (5.9) is diet containing 14.03% of calcium while the flavour (6.6) was obtained a rate of 0.24%.