scholarly journals Defining and Measuring Excellence in the Changing World of Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Jannah Walters Nerren ◽  
Christina Sinclair ◽  
Nan Barker ◽  
Mark Reid ◽  
Gina Anderson

This paper presents a collection of case stories from five Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) within colleges of education, four from institutions in Texas and one from California, to present a micro cross-sectional narrative interpretation of what constitutes excellence in educator preparation. The broad framework utilized in this interpretation focuses on the individual approaches used by each institution for creating and sustaining positive cultures of data-informed decision-making, with the ultimate objective of continuous program improvement, while also meeting the accreditation expectations of each institution.

SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401668761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Shemwell Kaplan ◽  
Erica M. Brownstein ◽  
Kristall J. Graham-Day

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Standards requires educator preparation programs (EPPs) to ensure instruments used to assess their candidates are both valid and reliable. Due to size and limited financial resources, this task may be challenging for some EPPs. In an effort to address CAEP’s expectations, 26 EPPs in one state formed a collaboration to develop and implement an instrument for use during student teaching, and then conducted analyses of its data to determine the validity and reliability. This article uses a case study methodology to investigate the EPPs’ motivations for participating in the collaboration, and the benefits, challenges, and learning that resulted from participation. The findings, principally related to aspects of individual program improvement, have implications not only for EPPs pursuing CAEP accreditation but also for any higher education institutions interested in collaborative assessment development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Beniwal ◽  
Chandrakala Singh

Aging is a series of processes that begin with life and continue throughout the lifecycle. It represents the closing period in the lifespan, a time when the individual looks back on life, lives on past accomplishments and begins to finish off his life course. It represents the accumulation of changes in person over time. The study aims to investigate the health status of senior citizens. The present study was carried out in Hisar and Sirsa district of Haryana state. A total of 400 elderly equally representing both males and females of age group 65-70 years were selected randomly for the study. Modified inventory developed by Khan and Lal (2011) was used to assess health status of senior citizens. The results of the study elucidated that health status of senior citizens depicted that 54.25 per cent of the total respondents had average health status followed by good (25.25%) and poor health status (20.50%). The most common health problems reported by the senior citizens were joint pains, back pains, blood pressure, and chest pain etc. Gender wise comparison of total sample further pointed out that females were poor in their health against males.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Brigo ◽  
Simona Lattanzi ◽  
Giorgia Giussani ◽  
Laura Tassi ◽  
Nicola Pietrafusa ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The Internet has become one of the most important sources of health information, accessed daily by an ever-growing number of both patients and physicians, seeking medical advice and clinical guidance. A deeper insight into the current use of the Web as source of information on epilepsy would help in clarifying the individual attitude towards this medium by Internet users. OBJECTIVE We investigated views towards the Internet in a sample of Italian healthcare specialists involved in epilepsy field, to explore factors which explained the influence of information found on the internet. METHODS This study was a self-administered survey conducted in a group of members of the Italian Chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) in January 2018. RESULTS 184 questionnaires were analyzed. 97.8% of responders reported to seek online information on epilepsy. The Internet was most frequently searched to obtain new information (69.9%) or to confirm a diagnostic or therapeutic decision (37.3%). The influence of consulting the Internet on clinical practice was associated with registration to social network(s) (OR: 2.94; 95%CI: 1.28-6.76; p=0.011), higher frequency of Internet use (OR: 3.66; 95%CI: 1.56-9.21; p=0.006) and higher confidence in reliability of online information (OR: 2.61; 95%CI: 1.09-6.26; p=0.031). No association was found with age, sex, years in epilepsy practice or easiness to find online information. CONCLUSIONS Internet is frequently used among healthcare professionals involved in the epilepsy to obtain information about this disease. The attitude of being influenced by the Internet for diagnostic and/or therapeutic decisions in epilepsy is independent on age and years of experience in epilepsy, and probably reflects an individual approach towards the Web.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Rahman Jazieh ◽  
Khadega A. Abuelgasim ◽  
Husam I. Ardah ◽  
Mohammad Alkaiyat ◽  
Omar B. Da’ar

Abstract Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common among cancer patients and it may reflect the individual and societal beliefs on cancer therapy. Our study aimed to evaluate the trends of CAM use among patients with cancer between 2006 and 2018. Methods We included 2 Cohorts of patients with cancer who were recruited for Cohort 1 between 2006 and 2008 and for Cohort 2 between 2016 and 2018. The study is a cross-sectional study obtaining demographic and clinical information and inquiring about the types of CAM used, the reasons to use them and the perceived benefits. We compared the changes in the patterns of CAM use and other variables between the two cohorts. Results A total of 1416 patients were included in the study, with 464 patients in Cohort 1 and 952 patients in Cohort 2. Patients in Cohort 2 used less CAM (78.9%) than Cohort 1 (96.8%). Cohort 1 was more likely to use CAM to treat cancer compared to Cohort 2 (84.4% vs. 73%, respectively, p < 0.0001,); while Cohort 2 used CAM for symptom management such as pain control and improving appetite among others. Disclosure of CAM use did not change significantly over time and remains low (31.6% in Cohort 1 and 35.7% for Cohort 2). However, physicians were more likely to express an opposing opinion against CAM use in Cohort 2 compared to Cohort 1 (48.7% vs. 19.1%, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion There is a significant change in CAM use among cancer patients over the decade, which reflects major societal and cultural changes in this population. Further studies and interventions are needed to improve the disclosure to physicians and to improve other aspects of care to these patients.


Author(s):  
Keerthana Dhandapani ◽  
Bhagyalakshmi Kodavanji ◽  
Vinodini Nithyananda Madom Anantharaya ◽  
Nayanatara Arun Kumar

Abstract Objectives Infertility has disastrous consequences, particularly for women. Causes of infertility in developed countries have been investigated but there is a significant lack of data among Indian female population. The aim of the present study was to analyze the causes and the proportion of the individual factors contributing to infertility, considering the age factor. Methods The data of 204 infertile women (18–45 years) were collected from the files in tertiary care hospitals. Causes and age of infertile women were grouped. The prevalence of each cause was evaluated. Data analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 17.0. Results Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) was the most common (14.71%) cause of female infertility. Ovulatory dysfunctions (25.55%) were the foremost cause in primary infertility, whereas in secondary infertility, uterine factors (26.86%) were most common. The incidence of primary and secondary infertility was more evident in patients who were more than 30 years of age. Conclusions Causes of infertility vary according to the age. The causes of female infertility were unexplained infertility, ovulatory disorders and uterine factors most commonly affecting women at ≤30 years.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Nora A. Althumiri ◽  
Mada H. Basyouni ◽  
Ali F. Duhaim ◽  
Norah AlMousa ◽  
Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽  
...  

Background: Food waste and food insecurity may co-exist in various balances in developing and developed countries. This study aimed to explore the levels of food waste and food insecurity, the factors associated with them, and their relationships at the household and individual levels in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via computer-assisted phone interviews in January 2021. Quota sampling was utilized to generate balanced distributions of participants by gender across all the administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection included household demographics, food waste and disposal, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Results: Out of the 2807 potential participants contacted, 2454 (87.4%) completed the interview. The mean age was 31.4 (SD = 11.7; range = 18–99) and 50.1% were female. The weighted prevalence of uncooked food waste in the last four weeks was 63.6% and the cooked food waste was 74.4%. However, the food insecurity weighted prevalence at the individual level (FIES) was 6.8%. In terms of food insecurity at the household level (HFIAS), 13.3% were in the “severely food insecure” category. Moreover, this study found that “moderately food insecure” households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste uncooked food (relative risk (RR) = 1.25), and the “mildly food insecure” (RR = 1.21) and “moderately food insecure” (RR = 1.17) households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste cooked food. However, “food secure” households were associated with a decreased likelihood to waste cooked food (RR = 0.56). Finally, this study identified four household factors associated with food waste and three household factors that were associated with “severe food insecurity.” Conclusions: This first national coverage study to explore food waste and food insecurity at the individual level and household level, identified household factors associated with food waste and food insecurity and identified new associations between food waste and food insecurity in Saudi Arabia. The associations found between food waste and food insecurity are potential areas of intervention to reduce both food waste and food insecurity at the same time, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to food waste and food security.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 205920431984735
Author(s):  
Roger T. Dean ◽  
Andrew J. Milne ◽  
Freya Bailes

Spectral pitch similarity (SPS) is a measure of the similarity between spectra of any pair of sounds. It has proved powerful in predicting perceived stability and fit of notes and chords in various tonal and microtonal instrumental contexts, that is, with discrete tones whose spectra are harmonic or close to harmonic. Here we assess the possible contribution of SPS to listeners’ continuous perceptions of change in music with fewer discrete events and with noisy or profoundly inharmonic sounds, such as electroacoustic music. Previous studies have shown that time series of perception of change in a range of music can be reasonably represented by time series models, whose predictors comprise autoregression together with series representing acoustic intensity and, usually, the timbral parameter spectral flatness. Here, we study possible roles for SPS in such models of continuous perceptions of change in a range of both instrumental (note-based) and sound-based music (generally containing more noise and fewer discrete events). In the first analysis, perceived change in three pieces of electroacoustic and one of piano music is modeled, to assess the possible contribution of (de-noised) SPS in cooperation with acoustic intensity and spectral flatness series. In the second analysis, a broad range of nine pieces is studied in relation to the wider range of distinctive spectral predictors useful in previous perceptual work, together with intensity and SPS. The second analysis uses cross-sectional (mixed-effects) time series analysis to take advantage of all the individual response series in the dataset, and to assess the possible generality of a predictive role for SPS. SPS proves to be a useful feature, making a predictive contribution distinct from other spectral parameters. Because SPS is a psychoacoustic “bottom up” feature, it may have wide applicability across both the familiar and the unfamiliar in the music to which we are exposed.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Javad vatani ◽  
Zahra Khanikosarkhizi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Shahabi Rabori ◽  
mohammad khandan ◽  
Mohsen aminizadeh ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Safety climate is a common insight of staff that indicates individuals’ attitudes toward safety and priority of safety at work. OBJECTIVES: Nursing is a risky job where paying attention to safety is crucial. The assessment of the safety climate is one of the methods to measure the safety conditions in this occupation. The aim of this study was to assess the safety climate of rehabilitation nurses working in hospitals in Tehran. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study which was carried out on 140 rehabilitation nurses selected from all hospitals and clinics in Tehran in 2019. To collect the required data, a two-section questionnaire was used. The first section was related to demographic factors and the second part (22 statements) was to measure the safety climate using nurses’ safety climate assessment questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS V16 using independent t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test at the 5% level. RESULTS: Findings showed that the total mean of safety climate was 3.06±0.56. According to the results, a significant difference was found between the positive and negative satisfaction of nurses with safety climates (P-value = 0.03), communication with nurses (P-value = 0.01) and supervisors’ attitude (P-value = 0.02). Furthermore, a significant difference in safety climate between the individual with the second job and the individual without second could be observed (P-value = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the safety climate was not at an acceptable level. Thus, it is essential to introduce safety training courses (e.g. safety, work-rest balance, and so on) and to improve the safety performance at work.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document