Fit-for-Purpose Road Recycling? Triaxial Evaluation of Bitumen Stabilized RAP and Secondary Materials

2021 ◽  
pp. 551-562
Author(s):  
K. J. Jenkins ◽  
C. E. Rudman ◽  
N. A. Mazibuko
Keyword(s):  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Secondary Materials

Fit for Purpose: Using a Distance Education Approach to Support Underperforming Schools in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Irene McKay
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Learner Performance ◽  
Poor Learner ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Content Support

This article explores the South African government’s national school workbook intervention aimed at addressing poor learner performance in the context of teacher under-preparedness and curriculum reform. It shows how the workbooks use a distance education approach to provide pedagogical and content support for teachers, albeit in the context of classroom teaching, to compensate for teachers’ pedagogical challenges. This article uses a mixed methods research approach to explore how teachers, learners and parents used the workbooks and shows that while the distance educational design scaffolded teaching, additional support is necessary to enable the intervention to be more impactful. 

BioMeT and algorithm measures: A proposed standardized evaluation framework (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Godfrey ◽  
Jennifer Goldsack ◽  
Pamela Tenaerts ◽  
Clara Aranda ◽  
Azad Hussain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Audit Trail ◽  
Digital Medicine ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Monitoring Technologies

UNSTRUCTURED Technology is advancing at extraordinary rates with novel data being generated which could potentially revolutionary different therapeutic areas of medicine. However, adoption is medicine is hampered by a lack of trust, particularly for biometric monitoring technologies (BioMeTs) where a key question facing frontline healthcare professionals is are BioMeTs fit for purpose? Here, we discuss pragmatic barriers and guidance regarding BioMeTs, cumulating in a proposed guidance framework to better inform their development and deployment in digital medicine. Furthermore, the framework proposes a process to establish an audit trail of BioMeTs (hardware and algorithms), to instil trust amongst multidisciplinary users.

Optimizing electronic capture of patient-reported outcome measures in oncology clinical trials: lessons learned from a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (17) ◽  
pp. 1195-1204
Author(s):  
Florence D Mowlem ◽  
Brad Sanderson ◽  
Jill V Platko ◽  
Bill Byrom
Keyword(s):  
Patient Reported Outcome Measures ◽  
Patient Reported Outcome ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Oncology Clinical Trials ◽  
Anticancer Treatment ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Electronic Implementation

Aim: To understand the impact of anticancer treatment on oncology patients’ ability to use electronic solutions for completing patient-reported outcomes (ePRO). Materials & methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven individuals who had experienced a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Results: Participants reported that the following would impact the ability to interact with an ePRO solution: peripheral neuropathy of the hands (4/7), fatigue and/or concentration and memory issues (6/7), where they are in a treatment cycle (5/7). Approaches to improve usability included: larger, well-spaced buttons to deal with finger numbness, the ability to pause a survey and complete at a later point and presenting the recall period with every question to reduce reliance on memory. Conclusion: Symptoms associated with cancers and anticancer treatments can impact the use of technologies. The recommendations for optimizing the electronic implementation of patient-reported outcome instruments in this population provides the potential to improve data quality in oncology trials and places patient needs at the forefront to ensure ‘fit-for-purpose’ solutions.

scholarly journals Fit for Purpose? Exploring the Role of Freedom of Information Laws and Their Application for Watchdog Journalism

2021 ◽  
pp. 194016122110067
Author(s):  
Mária Žuffová
Keyword(s):  
Differential Treatment ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Press ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
The Law ◽  
Ground Delays ◽  
Democratic Principles ◽  
State Relations

Despite great volume of research into press–state relations, we know little about how journalists use information that has been generated through independent bureaucratic processes. The present study addresses this gap by investigating the role of freedom of information (FOI) laws in journalism practice. By surveying journalists ( n = 164), interviewing activists and civil servants ( n = 7) and submitting FOI requests to twenty-one ministerial departments in the United Kingdom, this study explores press-state interactions and the limits of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) application to advance the media’s monitorial function. The results show that journalists perceive FOIA as an essential tool for their work. However, they often described their experience as negative. They reported refusals lacking legal ground, delays, not responding at all or differential treatment. In response to gating access, journalists might also adopt tactics that use loopholes in the law. The press-state interactions, already marked by suspicion, thus, continue to perpetuate distrust. These findings might have implications for journalism practices, FOIAs’ potential for government oversight and democracy. In particular, the differential treatment of requests undermines equality under the law, one of the fundamental democratic principles. The study concludes with several policy recommendations for FOIA reform to meet journalists’ needs better.

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