Bioterrorism and the college campus: Student perceptions of emergency preparedness

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Diane L. Smith, PhD, OTR/L ◽  
Stephen J. Notaro, PhD ◽  
Stephanie A. Smith, MS
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Emergency Planning ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Perceived Preparedness ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the current perceptions of college students in regard to the emergency management of bioterrorism.Design: University students enrolled in Community Health courses were recruited to participate in a paper or online survey to determine their perceptions regarding likelihood of a bioterrorist attack, preparedness of the university, and preparedness of the students.Participants: Of the 309 students recruited, 265 (85.9 percent) participated in the survey.Interventions: Data from the surveys were entered into an SPSS dataset for analysis.Main outcome measure: Perceived preparedness of the university for a bioterrorism emergency.Results: Students perceived that there was a low likelihood of a bioterrorist attack at the university. Only 17.6 percent of the students felt that the university was prepared for a large-scale emergency and only 24.1 percent felt that the students were prepared. One third of the students did not know that the university had policies in place for a bioterrorist attack and 88.3 percent did not know where to go for information in the event of a bioterrorist attack. Only 9.2 percent had visited the campus emergency planning Web site.Conclusions: Effort must be made by universities to determine the appropriate amount of education to the students regarding emergency preparedness based on the cost-benefit to the university and the student body. Suggestions from students included a mandatory workshop for incoming freshman, involvement of campus emergency planning with student organizations, and increased marketing of the campus emergency Web site.

scholarly journals Student Perceptions of a Trial of Electronic Text Matching Software: A Preliminary Investigation

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-43
Author(s):  
D. Green ◽  
◽  
I. Lindemann ◽  
K. Marshall ◽  
G. Wilkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

It is accepted that using electronic detection methods has benefits within an overall strategy to promote academic integrity in an institution. Little attention has been paid to obtaining student perceptions to evaluate the cost/benefit of using such methods. This study reports on the evaluation of a trial of Turnitin software. 728 students responded to a survey about their thoughts on plagiarism and being involved in the trial. This study found that students were generally unsure about the benefits and whether the university should use the software. In particular, two groups of students showed significant differences to the rest of the students sampled. While Non English Speaking Background (NESB) students reported higher levels of perceived usefulness of the software, they also reported higher levels of anxiety about the impact on them. Law students reported lower levels of perceived usefulness of the software and higher levels of concern and mistrust. The impact of such perceptions on the learning environment needs to be investigated. Special attention may be needed in introducing such software to different groups of students in order to limit possible deleterious effects and enhance potential benefits.

scholarly journals Implementation of personal response units in very large lecture classes: Student perceptions

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Large Lecture ◽  
Introductory Science ◽  
The University ◽  
Large Lecture Classes

<span>This article reports on a large scale implementation of personal response units in three introductory science courses at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. An online survey of students was conducted to gather their perceptions on the uses of the devices, triangulated by participant observation of the classes and email interviews with the instructors. Although the students' perceptions were generally favourable, problems associated with implementation were widespread. Advantages and disadvantages of the technology are discussed along with suggestions for its use.</span>

scholarly journals The Impact of Embedded iPad Use on Student Perceptions of Their Digital Capabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Elphick
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Digital capabilities are recognized as key skills that students must possess to learn and work in our increasingly digital world and have been the subject of a growing focus over recent years. Similarly, smartphones and, to a lesser degree, tablets are now ubiquitous within the student body, and many academics are beginning to leverage these devices for the purposes of learning and teaching in higher education. To further explore the possibilities of mobile technology, the iPilot project was created to explore the effects that embedded iPad use had on undergraduate students’ creativity, ability to collaborate with their peers and their perception of their digital capabilities. Focusing on the digital capabilities aspect of the project, this paper explores the results gathered. While the results are mixed, when combined with data taken from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Digital Experience Tracker, it does appear that using iPads in the university classroom can have a positive impact on certain digital behaviors and students’ perceptions of their digital skills.

Ultra-resistant schizophrenia and potentiation strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s834-s834 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Khouadja ◽  
R. Ben Soussia ◽  
S. Younes ◽  
A. Bouallagui ◽  
I. Marrag ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Resistance ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Clinical Excellence ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
Psychiatric Department ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University

IntroductionTreatment resistance to clozapine is estimated at 40–70% of the treated population. Several clozapine potentiation strategies have come into clinical practice although often without evidence-based support.ObjectiveThe aim of our work was to identify the potentiation strategies in ultra-resistant schizophrenia depending on the subtype of schizophrenia.MethodologyThis is a prospective study conducted on patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia, based on DSM-IV-TR criteria, and hospitalized in the psychiatric department of the university hospital in Mahdia, Tunisia. The study sample consisted of patients meeting the resistant schizophrenia criteria as defined by national institute for clinical excellence (NICE), and the prescription of clozapine for 6 to 8 weeks was shown without significant improvement.Resultswe have collected 10 patients. The mean serum level of clozapine was 462.25 mg/L. The potentiation strategies were different depending on the subtype of schizophrenia. For the undifferentiated schizophrenia, we have chosen ECT sessions. For the disorganized schizophrenia, we opted for amisulpiride and aripiprazole. For the paranoid forms, we have chosen the association of risperidone and ECT. A psychometric improvement was noted in BPRS ranging from 34 to 40%.ConclusionEvery potentiation strategy entails a cost, whether it is an additional monetary cost, adverse effects or greater stress to caregivers. The cost/benefit equation should be thoroughly evaluated and discussed before commencing a strategy.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Evaluating Perceived Emergency Preparedness and Household Preparedness Behaviors: Results from a CASPER Survey in Fairfax, Virginia

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-228
Author(s):  
Rennie W. Ferguson ◽  
Shawn Kiernan ◽  
Ernst W. Spannhake ◽  
Benjamin Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Perceived Preparedness ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Public Health Emergency Response ◽  
Household Preparedness ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTObjectives:Using data collected from a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) conducted in Fairfax Health District, Virginia, in 2016, we sought to assess the relationship between household-level perceived preparedness and self-reported preparedness behaviors.Methods:Weighted population estimates and 95% confidence intervals were reported, and Pearson’s chi-squared test was used to investigate differences by group.Results:Examining responses to how prepared respondents felt their household was to handle a large-scale emergency or disaster, an estimated 7.4% of respondents (95% CI: 4.3–12.3) reported that their household was “completely prepared,” 37.3% (95% CI: 31.4–43.7) were “moderately prepared,” 38.2% (95% CI: 31.6–45.2) were “somewhat prepared,” and 14.4% (95% CI: 10.2–20.0) were “unprepared.” A greater proportion of respondents who said that their household was “completely” or “moderately” prepared for an emergency reported engaging in several behaviors related to preparedness. However, for several preparedness behaviors, there were gaps between perceived preparedness and self-reported readiness.Conclusions:Community assessments for public health preparedness can provide valuable data about groups who may be at risk during an emergency due to a lack of planning and practice, despite feeling prepared to handle a large-scale emergency or disaster.

The Role of Information Technology in Quality Education

2000 ◽  
pp. 177-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. David Garson
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Instructional Strategy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Programmed Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
On Line ◽  
Future Of Education ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University

Discusses the rise of information technology functions in higher education and the related advent of quality standards for on-line education. The limited nature of existing guidelines is emphasized, particularly in the dimension of establishing authentic relationships, empowerment of faculty and students, and the inculcation of critical thinking. The Borkian vision of the future of education is summarized and contrasted with the limits if not failure of the legacies of past large-scale educational investments in programmed learning and in computer simulation. The drift toward mandated standards in on-line/distance education is discussed as well as the tension of this with empowerment concepts. Further contrast is drawn between the competing models of the university as “community of scholars” and as “marketplace of consumers.” Cost-cutting motives for on-line course delivery are explored in some detail, raising issues about radical proposals to restructure university teaching functions. A hybrid model, involving both computer-mediated and face-to-face methods, is seen as the superior instructional strategy, but the cost of this model raises the danger that a two-tier educational system will emerge – a more expensive upper tier with sound traditional education supplemented with the benefits of electronic media, and a cheaper, inferior tier dispensing programmed training to meet objectives far narrower than the traditional goals of liberal education.

Asymmetric Accountability: An Experimental Investigation of Biases in Evaluations of Governments’ Election Pledges

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (13-14) ◽  
pp. 2207-2234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Naurin ◽  
Stuart Soroka ◽  
Niels Markwat
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Political Behavior ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Survey Experiments ◽  
The Cost

Governments often fulfill election pledges to remain in power; yet, it is unclear how pledge fulfillment and breakage actually affect public support for government. This article explores the tendency for governments to be penalized for unfulfilled pledges more than they are rewarded for fulfilled pledges. In two large-scale highly realistic online survey experiments ( N = 13,000, 10,000), performed at the beginning and middle of a government’s term in office, respondents are presented with a range of (real) election pledges. We find that broken pledges often are more important to government evaluations than fulfilled pledges, and that pledge fulfillment can produce decreases in support from nonsupporters that more than offset the marginal gains among supporters. Findings provide valuable evidence on asymmetries in political behavior, and a unique account of the “cost of ruling,” the seemingly inevitable tendency for governments to lose support during their time in office.

The Cost of Hypertermia: Nine Years Experience at the Radiation Therapy Department of the Turin University

1994 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 327-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Gabriele ◽  
Roberto Orecchia ◽  
Eugenia Madon ◽  
Maria Grazia Ruo Redda ◽  
Gian Luca Sannazzari
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Palliative Treatment ◽  
National Health System ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Elective Treatment ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University ◽  
Therapy Department

Background In this paper the authors try to quantify the expenditure for the equipment, staff, treatment per patient and research, sustained at the Radiation Therapy Department of the University of Turin for the treatment of cancer with hyperthermia Methods Two hyperthermic computerized devices are available: the SAPIC SV03 multifrequencies system (915, 434 and 2-30 MHz) for external hyperthermia, and the SACEM system. working only with the frequency of 915 MHz, for interstitial and intracavitary heating. From September 1983 to December 1991, 408 patients have been treated with hyperthermia, for a total number of treated sites of 483; 2960 heating sessions were performed, with a average of six sessions per patient. Results The overall cost of our “hyperthermia project” was about 2,000,000,000 Italian liras; the equipment cost was estimated at 1,258,650,000 Liras (839,100 US$), and the cost per treatment and per heat session at about 3,985,200 (2676 US$) and 664,200 liras (443 US$), respectively. The cost of the research program can be estimated in 175,000,000 liras (116,666 US$). The National Health System provides for a partial reimbursement of 2,000,000 liras (1,333 US$) for each course of hyperthermia. Taking into account the mean expected life expectancy and increasing purchases for replacement of equipment, these costs increase 10% each year. As regards the cost-benefit problem, using the Rees formula it varies from 1112 US$ when hyperthermia is used as elective treatment to 3380 US$ when hyperthermia is used as palliative treatment. Conclusions Hyperthermia is, in our experience, an expensive therapy.

The cost of sustainability in higher education: staff and student views of a campus food culture

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 376-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Shaw ◽  
Teresa Capetola ◽  
Justin T. Lawson ◽  
Claire Henderson-Wilson ◽  
Berni Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Short Paper ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Barrier ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The University

Purpose This study aims to investigate the sustainability of the food culture at Deakin University and to determine what the barriers to increasing the sustainability of food on the Burwood campus may be. Design/methodology/approach An online survey of staff and students from the Faculty of Health at the Burwood campus of Deakin University (n = 697) was undertaken. The survey included questions relating to eating habits on campus, views on the current food culture, food security, food disposal, visions for the future and demographic information. In addition, a short paper-based survey was developed for the ten food outlets on campus. Findings The results show that although sustainability considerations are important to staff and students, cost is the main issue and is a significant barrier to the development of a more sustainable food culture. It is also a significant barrier to staff and students making healthy choices when it comes to the purchase of food on campus. However, sustainable food initiatives such as community gardens could help alleviate this barrier and also contribute to improving student engagement. Research limitations/implications The online survey was limited to the Faculty of Health, and, therefore, a potential bias exists towards individuals who may have an interest in health. This should be considered when interpreting the results. Originality/value This research demonstrates that although cost may be a barrier to universities improving the sustainability of their food culture, there are other ways in which universities can create an environment that embraces sustainable food production to benefit both the environment and the university community.

scholarly journals Economies of Scale: Research-Driven Social Impact in the Housing Studio

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Haar ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
University Of Michigan ◽  
Neighborhood Development ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Design Build ◽  
The University

"How do we engage and envision “bottom-up” social change in the context of the academic design studio? What does it look like, and how is it taught? This paper shares a novel research-based studio engaged with large-scale projects in the city of Detroit that diverges from the small-scale, often design-build projects most often undertaken in community- based practice in the academy. Framed by the context of a research-intensive academic institution—the University of Michigan—the pedagogy asks how can we educate students in the potential for social impact and capacity-building at scale? In parallel, how can we leverage the research capacities of a large student body to advance the study of affordable housing and neighborhood development in the context of a city such as Detroit?"

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