Constructing a syllabus is an important component of the course design process. The following materials reflect a research-supported framework to help create a pathway to success in your course. Each semester, Innovative Learning reviews the syllabus framework, identifying needed updates and resources.

The Word files linked below outline Required and Recommended components for your syllabus. Many of these components are already in your Brightspace shell. They just need updates specific to your course. The files below include language that comes directly from University policies or is suggested by the University Senate or specific units. Other demo language reflects an autonomy-supportive classroom that can influence student perception and performance (Young-Jones, Levesque, Fursa & McCain 2019). Italicized text indicates notes to instructors. Plain text provides examples of language.

Tips for creating your syllabus:

• Don’t revise what you don’t have to. The University Policies and Statements and Student Services widget in the Brightspace shell are updated each semester and automatically populated. You may add additional resources that might help your students to your syllabus.

Once your syllabus is complete, please also upload it to Purdue’s Course Insights syllabus archiving system. For questions related to the syllabus framework, email innovativelearningteam@purdue.edu.

Note: The Purdue syllabus guidelines are influenced by Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT) and the resources available through Purdue’s Brightspace learning management system (LMS). It also addresses criteria of the valid and reliable syllabus rubric published by the University of Virginia Center for Teaching Excellence (Palmer, Bach & Streifer 2017). Components fall under five categories: 1) Essential course information, instructor contact information, and course description, 2) Specific, student-centered learning outcomes and objectives that are clear, articulated and measurable (Bristol et al 2019), 3) Assessment strategies for all graded assignments that make explicit connections between learning outcomes, activities, and content, 4) Pedagogical approaches and activities that help students achieve the course outcomes and objectives, and 5) Policies and approaches that foster engaging, student-centered learning environments.

References

Adena Young-Jones, Chantal Levesque, Sophie Fursa & Jason McCain (2019): Autonomy-supportive language in the syllabus: supporting students from the first day. Teaching in Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2019.1661375.

Levesque-Bristol, C., Flierl, M., Zywicki, C., Parker, L.C., Connor, C., Guberman, D., Nelson, D., Maybee, C., Bonem, E., FitzSimmons, J., & Lott, E. (2019). Creating Student-Centered Learning Environments and Changing Teaching Culture: Purdue University’s IMPACT Program. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).

Palmer, M. S., Bach, D. J., & Streifer, A. C. (2014). Measuring the promise: A learning‐focused syllabus rubric. To Strengthen the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, 33 (1), 14-36.

The Syllabus area of the myCourses course template is organized into the following sections:

1. Course Information and Expectations
2. Instructor Contact Information
3. Course Requirements and Resources
4. Activities and Assignments
5. Assessment and Grading
6. Course Policies
7. Course Schedule

Much of the information needed for the Course Information and Expectations section—particularly the all-important learning outcomes and assessment methods—should be taken directly from the official Course Outline Form for your assigned course(s). Your department chair or program head can provide you with the form(s) and guidance on what is and is not modifiable in the transition to a course syllabus. If you are designing a new course, however, you will need to successfully complete the RIT course proposal process. 

Before completing the Course Policies section, we encourage you to first consult our companion webpage, RIT Policies for Your Syllabus. The External Resources section (below) provides helpful information, advice, and examples for developing the remaining sections of your syllabus.

Regardless of where you are in the syllabus-design process, you can always request one-on-one consultations with an Instructional Design Researcher and Consultant.

To get a sense of who is truly in control of LPI Capital Bhd (KLSE:LPI), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 45% stake, private companies possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Institutions, on the other hand, account for 28% of the company's stockholders. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about LPI Capital Bhd.

See our latest analysis for LPI Capital Bhd

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About LPI Capital Bhd?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that LPI Capital Bhd does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of LPI Capital Bhd, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

LPI Capital Bhd is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Consolidated Teh Holdings Sdn Berhad with 43% of shares outstanding. Public Mutual Berhad is the second largest shareholder owning 9.4% of common stock, and Sompo Asset Management Co.,Ltd. holds about 8.5% of the company stock.

Story continues

A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 2 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 52% stake.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of LPI Capital Bhd

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also provide immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in LPI Capital Bhd. It is a pretty big company, so it is generally a positive to see some potentially meaningful alignment. In this case, they own around RM182m worth of shares (at current prices). If you would like to explore the question of insider alignment, you can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 23% stake in LPI Capital Bhd. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 45%, of the LPI Capital Bhd stock. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Be aware that LPI Capital Bhd is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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KUALA LUMPUR: LPI Capital Bhd said it will remain focused on business growth to offset an expected compression in margins following the implementation of Phase 2A of the market liberalisation plan.

Presenting its outlook for 2023, the insurer said it remains confident of its ability to adapt and innovate despite the insurance industry facing rising claims and reinsurance costs.

It noted also the global political and economic uncertainties and rapidly changing operating models.

"The LPI Group’s prudent underwriting approach and diversified business development channels will facilitate it to weather the numerous challenges in FY2023," it added in a statement.

In the fourth quarter of FY22 ended Dec 31, 2022, LPI said net profit was RM83.57mil, 14.47% improved from RM73.07mil in the previous corresponding quarter.

This came on the back of revenue of RM433.17mil in 4QFY22, up from RM429.04mil in 4QFY21.

According to the group, the improved quarterly performance was mainly contributed by an increase in investment income and a lower provision for fair value losses on investment.

For the full year, LPI's net profit came to RM276.61mil, down from RM344.68mil a year earlier.

The company's earnings per share dropped to 69.43 sen FY22 as compared with 86.52 sen in FY21.

The company reported revenue of RM1.66bil for the year under review, 3.5% lower from RM1.72bil in FY21.

The group announced a second interim dividend of 35 sen per share amounting to RM139.4mil despite the lower profitability in FY22.

This brings LPI's total dividend payout in FY22 to 60 sen a share or RM239mil, representing 86.4% of the group's net profit attributable to shareholders.

"In FY2022, the group’s performance was affected by significant changes to the operating environment as the domestic economy reopened following two years of pandemic-related restrictions under the Movement Control Order (MCO).

"While the resumption of business and social activities catalysed a return to growth, it also gave rise to insurance claims returning to pre-pandemic level following a significant decline over the past two years," said LPI.

It said its wholly owned subsidiary Lonpac Insurance Bhd continued to see an increase in claims frequency and value with its claims incurred ratio deteriorating to 40.5% from 37.7% in the previous corresponding quarter.

"With management expense ratio at 18% and commission ratio at 7.6%, Lonpac’s combined ratio for the 4th quarter of FY22 rose to 66.1% against 62.8% reported in the previous corresponding Quarter.

"With the higher claims experience, the Underwriting Profit of Lonpac was 4.5% lower at RM91mil against RM95.3mil achieved in FY2021," said LPI.

Over the last 20 years, the use of cannabidiol (CBD) to treat epileptic seizures has gained traction, particularly where anti-seizure medications have failed. CBD’s anticonvulsant properties are well-known; however, a new study has highlighted a previously unknown way CBD reduces seizures, especially in people with treatment-resistant epilepsy.

In very basic physiological terms, electrical impulses travel down a neuronal pathway until they reach a gap, or synapse. Here, neurotransmitters are released and traverse the gap, either exciting or inhibiting the next cell in line.

To function properly, neuronal circuits require coordination between synaptic excitation and inhibition. Dysfunction in the excitatory-inhibitory (E:I) ratio can result in seizures. While it is known that G-protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), present on the surface of neuronal cells, regulates the E:I ratio, the exact mechanism by which it does so is not well understood.

Likewise, how CBD, the non-euphoric component of cannabis, suppresses seizure activity at a molecular level is poorly understood. It is thought that CBD acts as an antagonist, blocking the effects of the lipid lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), a naturally occurring GPR55 agonist.

Previous double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trials undertaken in the US have demonstrated that CBD reduces spontaneous recurrent seizures and regulates the E:I ratio in acute seizures. The efficacy of these trials has led the FDA to approve a plant-derived, purified form of CBD to treat seizure disorders.

A study led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine used rodents to test the relationship between LPI and GPR55 as a potential modulator of E:I ratio and the impact that CBD has on both.

Researchers confirmed a previous finding that CBD blocks the ability of LPI to amplify nerve signals in the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with epilepsy.

But they also discovered something previously unknown: when LPI interacts with GPR55, it weakens the signals that suppress seizures. This means that the LPI-GPR55 pathway can result in a positive feedback loop whereby seizures increase LPI-GPR55 signaling, producing more seizures and increasing levels of LPI-GPR55. The process continues in a vicious cycle, providing one explanation for prolonged seizure activity.

Findings suggest that CBD effectively short-circuits this feedback loop, restoring the E:I ratio, thereby further increasing CBD's value as an anticonvulsant treatment.

“Our results deepen the field’s understanding of a central seizure-inducing mechanism, with many implications for the pursuit of new treatment approaches,” said Richard Tsien, chair of the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at NYU Langone Health and corresponding author of the study.

Given that E:I imbalances are found in other conditions, the findings of this study have the potential for wider application.

“The study also clarified, not just how CBD counters seizures, but more broadly how circuits are balanced in the brain,” Tsien said. “Related imbalances are present in autism and schizophrenia, so the paper may have a broader impact.”

The new study was published in Neuron.

Source: NYU Langone Health via EurekAlert!

A study reveals a previously unknown way in which cannabidiol (CBD), a substance found in cannabis, reduces seizures in many treatment-resistant forms of pediatric epilepsy.

Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the new study found that CBD blocked signals carried by a molecule called lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI). Found in brain cells called neurons, LPI is thought to amplify nerve signals as part of normal function, but can be hijacked by disease to promote seizures.

Published online February 13 in Neuron, the work confirmed a previous finding that CBD blocks the ability of LPI to amplify nerve signals in a brain region called the hippocampus. The current findings argue for the first time that LPI also weakens signals that counter seizures, further explaining the value of CBD treatment.

"Our results deepen the field's understanding of a central seizure-inducing mechanism, with many implications for the pursuit of new treatment approaches," said corresponding author Richard W. Tsien, chair of the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at NYU Langone Health.

"The study also clarified, not just how CBD counters seizures, but more broadly how circuits are balanced in the brain," added Tsien. "Related imbalances are present in autism and schizophrenia, so the paper may have a broader impact."

The study results build on how each neuron "fires" to send an electrical pulse down an extension of itself until it reaches a synapse, the gap that connects it to the next cell in a neuronal pathway. When it reaches the cell's end before the synapse, the pulse triggers the release of compounds called neurotransmitters that float across the gap to affect the next cell in line. Upon crossing, such signals either encourage the cell to fire (excitation), or apply the brakes on firing (inhibition). Balance between the two are essential to brain function; too much excitation promotes seizures.

The new study looked at several rodent models to explore mechanisms behind seizures, often by measuring information-carrying electrical current flows with fine-tipped electrodes. Other experiments looked at the effect of LPI by genetically removing its main signaling partner, or by measuring the release of LPI following seizures.

The tests confirmed past findings that LPI influences nerve signals by binding to a protein called G-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), on neuron cell surfaces. This LPI-GPR55 presynaptic interaction was found to cause the release of calcium ions within the cell, which encouraged cells to release glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter. Further, when LPI activated GPR55 on the other side of the synapse, it weakened inhibition, by decreasing the supply and proper arrangement of proteins necessary for inhibition. Collectively, this creates a "dangerous" two-pronged mechanism to increase excitability, say the authors.

The research team found that either genetically engineering mice to lack GPR55, or treating mice with plant-derived CBD prior to seizure-inducing stimuli, blocked LPI-mediated effects on both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. While prior studies had implicated GPR55 as a seizure-reducing target of CBD, the current work provided a more detailed, proposed mechanism of action.

The authors propose that CBD blocks a "positive feedback loop" in which seizures increase LPI-GPR55 signaling, which likely encourages more seizures, which in turn increases levels of both LPI and GPR55. The proposed vicious cycle provides one process that could explain repeated epileptic seizures, although future studies are needed to confirm this.

Further, the current study examined the plant-based cannabinoid CBD, but the authors note that LPI is part of signaling network that includes "endocannabinoids" like 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) that occur naturally in human tissues. LPI and 2-AG target receptors also regulated by CBD, but have different actions at the synapse. While LPI amplifies incoming electrical signals, endocannabinoids like 2-AG respond to increases in brain activity by dialing down the release of neurotransmitters from nerve cells. Interestingly, LPI and 2-AG can be converted into each other through actions of enzymes.

"Theoretically, the brain could control activity by toggling between pro-excitatory LPI and the restorative actions of 2-AG," said first study author Evan Rosenberg, Ph.D., a post-doctoral scholar in the Tsein's lab. "Drug designers could inhibit the enzymes that underpin LPI production or promote its conversion to 2-AG, as an additional approach to control seizures. LPI could also serve as a biomarker of seizures or predictor of clinical responsiveness to CBD, providing an area of future research."