WorldWideScience

Sample records for education improvement act

  1. Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-44)

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Congress, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-44) was put in place to improve and reauthorize provisions relating to the application of the antitrust laws to the award of need-based educational aid. The contents for this Act is as follows: (1) Short Title; and (2) Extension Relating to the Application of the Antitrust Laws to the…

  2. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: An Overview. CRS Report for Congress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleman, Steven R.

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes several programs to support and improve the education of children with disabilities. The grants to States, preschool, and infants and toddlers programs are formula grant programs that fund special education services. The discretionary grant programs fund research, demonstrations,…

  3. Using Iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles to Improve Teaching Pedagogy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Elizabeth J

    2018-01-15

    Most students entering nursing programs today are members of Generation Y or the Millennial generation, and they learn differently than previous generations. Nurse educators must consider implementing innovative teaching strategies that appeal to the newest generation of learners. The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle is a framework that can be helpful when planning, assessing, and continually improving teaching pedagogy. This article describes the use of iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to implement a change in teaching pedagogy.

  4. The Education Act (Ontario) 1980: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodder, C. J.

    1984-01-01

    Ontario has provided special education legislation through the Education Amendment Act, 1980. Issues related to teacher preparation for special education and program planning and implementation are reviewed. (DF)

  5. Automated Discovery of Speech Act Categories in Educational Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rus, Vasile; Moldovan, Cristian; Niraula, Nobal; Graesser, Arthur C.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper we address the important task of automated discovery of speech act categories in dialogue-based, multi-party educational games. Speech acts are important in dialogue-based educational systems because they help infer the student speaker's intentions (the task of speech act classification) which in turn is crucial to providing adequate…

  6. Title I--improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)--assistance to states for the education of children with disabilities. Final regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-04-09

    The Secretary amends the regulations governing programs administered under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (referred to in these regulations as the Title I program) and the regulations governing programs under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (referred to in these regulations as the IDEA program). These regulations provide States with additional flexibility regarding State, local educational agency (LEA), and school accountability for the achievement of a small group of students with disabilities whose progress is such that, even after receiving appropriate instruction, including special education and related services designed to address the students' individual needs, the students' individualized education program (IEP) teams (IEP Teams) are reasonably certain that the students will not achieve grade-level proficiency within the year covered by the students' IEPs.

  7. Are Economic Development and Education Improvement Associated with Participation in Transnational Terrorism?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbakidze, L; Jin, Y H

    2015-08-01

    Using transnational terrorism data from 1980 to 2000, this study empirically examines the relationships between frequency of participation in transnational terrorism acts and economic development and education improvement. We find an inverse U-shaped association between the frequency of various nationals acting as perpetrators in transnational terrorism acts and per capita income in their respective home countries. As per capita incomes increase from relatively low levels, frequencies of participation in transnational terrorism increase. However, at sufficiently higher levels of per capita income, further increase in per capita income is negatively associated with the rate of participation in transnational terrorism. Education improvement from elementary to secondary is positively correlated with frequency of participation in transnational terrorism events, whereas further improvement from secondary to tertiary level is negatively correlated with participation in transnational terrorism. We also find that citizens of countries with greater openness to international trade, lower degree of income inequality, greater economic freedom, larger proportion of population with tertiary education, and less religious prevalence participate in transnational terrorism events less frequently. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

  8. Study on safety educations against individual causal factors of unsafe acts and specification of target trainees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirose, Ayako; Takeda, Daisuke

    2016-01-01

    Many accidents and incidents are caused by unsafe acts. It is important to reduce these unsafe acts for preventing the accidents. The countermeasures for each causal factor behind unsafe acts are needed, however, comparing with improvement of facilities, workers-oriented measures such as safety educations are not sufficient. Then the purposes of this study are as follows: 1) to investigate the individual factors which have great impact of unsafe acts and the existing safety educations which aim to mitigate the impact of these factors, 2) to specify the target trainees to perform these safety educations. To identify common factors that affect unsafe act significantly, a web survey was conducted to 500 workers who have regularly carried out accident prediction training (i.e. Kiken-Yochi training). They were asked the situation which they were apt to act unsafely by free description. As the result, the following three main factors were extracted: impatience, overconfidence, and bothersome. Also, it was found that there were few existing safety educations which aim to mitigate the impact of these factors except for overconfidence. To specify the target trainees to perform safety educations which aim to mitigate the impact of these three factors, another web survey was conducted to 200 personnel in charge of safety at the workplace. They were asked the features of workers who tended to act unsafely by age group. The relationship between the factor that need to mitigate and the trainee who need to receive the education were clarified from the survey. (author)

  9. Curricular Critique of an Environmental Education Policy Framework: Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Douglas D. Karrow

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The following paper is a curricular critique of an environmental education policy framework called Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow (2009. It is founded upon: (a an examination of the conventional argument for integrated curriculum models and its relevance to K-12 environmental education; and (b utilization of a typology of integrated curriculum models to analyze an environmental education policy framework within the jurisdiction of Ontario, Canada. In conclusion, Ontario’s environmental education policy framework tends toward an integrated curriculum model referred to as ‘selective infusion.’  The implications for integrated curricular practice are identified, with recommendations for improving the policy framework from an integrated curricular perspective.     Key Words: environmental education, integrated curriculum, curriculum critique, education policy.

  10. Bilingual Education Act: Background and Reauthorization Issues. CRS Report for Congress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleman, Steven R.

    The Bilingual Education Act (BEA) title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), is the federal program intended to help children who are limited English proficient (LEP) learn English. BEA activities focus on transitional bilingual education; developmental bilingual education; special alternative instruction (such as English as…

  11. Improving completion rates in adult education through social responsibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wahlgren, Bjarne; Mariager-Anderson, Kristina

    2017-01-01

    Dropout is a serious problem within education. This article reports on an intervention project, titled “New Roles for the Teacher—Increased Completion Rates Through Social Responsibility,” which sought to reduce nonattendance and dropout rates in the Danish adult educational system by improving...... of reducing drop-out rates. As a consequence, the teachers acted more consistently and purposefully to prevent dropout, and a positive effect of the intervention on drop-out rates was documented....

  12. 75 FR 66363 - School Improvement Grants; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA); Title I of the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-28

    ... behavioral supports or taking steps to eliminate bullying and student harassment; or (D) Expanding the school... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [Docket ID ED-2009-OESE-0010] RIN 1810-AB06 School Improvement Grants... Act of 1965, as Amended (ESEA) ACTION: Final requirements for School Improvement Grants authorized...

  13. Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act Best Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaver, Marc S.

    2017-01-01

    Educational institutions continually work to balance between providing students with access to data and protecting copyright owner's exclusive rights. The Copyright Act of 1976, effective in 1978, provided exemptions for live and distance education. As digital technology grew in capability, its capabilities were incorporated in distance education,…

  14. Education for Liberal Democracy: Fred Clarke and the 1944 Education Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ku, Hsiao-Yuh

    2013-01-01

    Fred Clarke (1880-1952), an English educationist, emerged as a leading figure with his liberal approach alongside such key figures as R. H. Tawney and Cyril Norwood in the reform leading to the 1944 Education Act. Many of his reform proposals, which were provided by the new Act, reflected his ideals of liberal democracy. Nevertheless, his…

  15. ACTS for distance education in developing countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalu, A.; Ventre, G.

    1995-08-01

    The need for electrical energy supply in the rural communities of developing countries has been well documented. Equally well known is the potential for photovoltaic in cost effectively meeting this need. A major impediment to fulfilling the need is the lack of indigenous personnel with a knowledgeof photovoltaic systems, and the associated infrastructure required to implement project. Various delivery schemes for providing the needed training to developing countries personnel have been investigated. Various train methods and programs that have been employed to remedy the problem have had significant drawbacks in terms of cost, consistency, impact, reach, and sustainability. The hypothesis to be tested in this project posits that satellite-based distance education using ACTS technologies can overcome these impediments. The purpose of the project is to investigate the applicability of the ACTS satellite in providing distance education in photovoltaic systems to developing countries and rural communities. An evaluation of the cost effectiveness of using ACTS unique technologies to overcome identified problems shall be done. The limitations of ACTS in surmounting distance education problems in developing countries shall be investigated. This project will, furthermore, provide training to Savannah State College faculty in photovoltaic (PV) systems and in distance education configurations and models. It will also produce training materials adequate for use in PV training programs via distance education. Savannah State College will, as a consequence become well equipped to play a leading role in the training of minority populations in photovoltaic systems and other renewables through its Center for Advanced Water Technology and Energy Systems. This communication provides the project outline including the specific issues that will be investigated during the project. Also presented i the project design which covers the participations of the various components of a network

  16. 77 FR 58111 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Office of Postsecondary Education; Higher Education Act (HEA...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-19

    ...; Higher Education Act (HEA) Title II Report Cards on State Teacher Credentialing and Preparation SUMMARY: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) calls for annual reports from states and institutions of higher education (IHEs) on the quality of teacher preparation and state teacher certification...

  17. Education Reform: Ten Years after the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda Driscoll, Joseph B. Berger, Ronald K. Hambleton, Lisa A. Keller, Robert W. Maloy, David Hart, Paul Oh, Victoria Getis, Susan Bowles, Francis L. Gougeon, Kathryn A. McDermott, Andrew Churchill

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available In June 1993, Governor William Weld signed into law the Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA. MERA greatly increased the state role both in funding public education and in guiding the local educational process. The state’s role changed to incorporate setting curriculum frameworks and holding schools accountable for student performance. Because MERA was designed to be a systemic reform of education, all of the various state activities and policies needed to fit together into a coherent whole based on state educational standards.

  18. Six Acts of Miscognition: Implications for Art Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavin, Kevin M.

    2010-01-01

    Employing Lacanian theory as a necessary supplement to contemporary approaches in art education, this article provides a critique and response to art education discourse around "cognition." This response unfolds in six acts: (1) Unknown knowledge, (2) Unmeant knowledge, (3) Missing metaphors, (4) Stupidity, (5) Symptoms and sinthomes, and (6)…

  19. Acting and Teacher Education: Being Model for Identity Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kemal Sinan Özmen

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available This study follows three pre-service teachers during three academic semesters in which they took an acting course for teachers and participated in practicum with a special focus on rehearsing and developing their teacher identities. In order to create the necessary context for them, an acting course for pre-service teacher education was designed in parallel with a model which is based on an influential acting theory. This model, namely the BEING (Believe, Experiment, Invent, Navigate, Generate, was also designed by the researcher. The incentive behind designing a model grounded on acting literature was that the relevant literature does not provide trainers with a universal model which can be referred as a manual for running and monitoring acting courses for teachers. In this case study, this model was also tested in terms of its applicability and functionality in practice. Based on analyses of audio taped interviews, session journals and reflections, the five stages of the BEING Model was found to be highly applicable and functional in terms of reflecting the natural development process of teacher identity development. Pre-service teachers displayed a significant development in communication skills and professional identities. Therefore, the BEING model provides a perspective and a philosophy of benefiting from acting literature for teacher educators with little or no knowledge on acting and theatre

  20. Acting and Teacher Education: Being Model for Identity Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kemal Sinan Özmen

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available This study follows three pre-service teachers during three academic semesters in which they took an acting course for teachers and participated in practicum with a special focus on rehearsing and developing their teacher identities. In order to create the necessary context for them, an acting course for pre-service teacher education was designed in parallel with a model which is based on an influential acting theory. This model, namely the BEING (Believe, Experiment, Invent, Navigate, Generate, was also designed by the researcher. The incentive behind designing a model grounded on acting literature was that the relevant literature does not provide trainers with a universal model which can be referred as a manual for running and monitoring acting courses for teachers. In this case study, this model was also tested in terms of its applicability and functionality in practice. Based on analyses of audio taped interviews, session journals and reflections, the five stages of the BEING Model was found to be highly applicable and functional in terms of reflecting the natural development process of teacher identity development. Pre-service teachers displayed a significant development in communication skills and professional identities. Therefore, the BEING model provides a perspective and a philosophy of benefiting from acting literature for teacher educators with little or no knowledge on acting and theatre.

  1. 76 FR 41246 - Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee, Pesticide Registration Improvement Act Process Improvement...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-13

    ... Committee, Pesticide Registration Improvement Act Process Improvement Workgroup; Notice of Public Meeting...) Process Improvement Work Group. EPA plans to meet its ESA consultation obligations through the pesticide... a pesticide during the registration review process. This meeting of the PRIA Process Improvement...

  2. Continuous Improvement in the Public School Context: Understanding Educator Responses to Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tichnor-Wagner, Ariel; Wachen, John; Cannata, Marisa; Cohen-Vogel, Lora

    2017-01-01

    The last 5 years have witnessed growing support amongst government institutions and educational foundations for applying continuous improvement research (CIR) in school settings. CIR responds to the challenge of implementing effective educational innovations at scale by working with practitioners in local contexts to understand ''what works, for…

  3. Needed: Reincarnation of National Defense Education Act of 1958

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Mary M.; Miller, James R.

    2005-01-01

    This paper reviews the historical and current response of the United States to threats to its world leadership in scientific endeavors, with particular attention to the National Defense Education Act of 1958. The current status of the United States in mathematics, science, and engineering education is reviewed with respect to K-12 student…

  4. Teaching Students with Disabilities: A Review of Music Education Research as It Relates to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Sara K.

    2015-01-01

    This article explores trends in research since the 1975 passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), notes gaps in the literature, and offers suggestions for future directions music education researchers could take in exploring the needs and experiences of music teachers…

  5. Towards new educational potentialities: Review and commentary of the Preliminary draft Act on higher education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madžar Ljubomir

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The Higher Education Act is a long-awaited legal act. A number of uncompleted attempts to prepare it have been undertaken in the course of the last three years. So far without success. Having been and still being a matter of highest social priority, the renewed effort to create and subsequently to enact this act is welcome as a worthwhile and a highly productive endeavor. Welcome also are the main innovations offered by this act, particularly its conspicuous consistency with the Bologna Declaration and other internationally launched and accepted documents. The draft act follows the international documents tracing down the paths of the future development of the educational systems of the European countries and providing for their mutual compatibility. A number of other positive contributions of the draft act are singled out, such as introducing clear and rigorous criteria and procedures for accreditation and quality control, introducing a wide coverage of arts and sciences as a precondition for an institution of higher education to qualify as a university, flexibility in the regime of studying including the domestic and international mobility of the students and requirement for the schools of higher education to have large cores of permanently employed teaching staff. A much larger part of the paper is, however, devoted to critical commentaries. To begin with, the draft is produced without any participation of the private universities, which is seen as a form of discrimination. The organizational pattern of a university is laid out with insufficient clarity and the status of departments (faculties is particularly short of precision and even contradictory. The draft seems to be laden with the old bias towards excessive and potentially disastrous centralization, drastically reducing the decision making capacity of the system. The treatment of the property of the departments (faculties is found inconsistent and legally unfounded. Inconsistency is

  6. State Implementation and Perceptions of Title I School Improvement Grants under the Recovery Act: One Year Later. Online Appendix--State Responses to Open-Ended Questions about the ARRA SIG Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Center on Education Policy, 2012

    2012-01-01

    To learn more about states' experiences with implementing school improvement grants (SIGs) funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Center on Education Policy (CEP) administered a survey to state Title I directors. (Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides federal funds to schools in low-income…

  7. Continuous Improvement in the Public School Context: Understanding How Educators Respond to Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tichnor-Wagner, Ariel; Wachen, John; Cannata, Marisa; Cohen-Vogel, Lora

    2017-01-01

    The last 5 years have witnessed growing support amongst government institutions and educational foundations for applying continuous improvement research (CIR) in school settings. CIR responds to the challenge of implementing effective educational innovations at scale by working with practitioners in local contexts to understand "what works,…

  8. Cancer Pain Management Education Rectifies Patients' Misconceptions of Cancer Pain, Reduces Pain, and Improves Quality of Life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, Su-Jin; Keam, Bhumsuk; Hyun, Min Kyung; Ju Seo, Jeong; Uk Park, Keon; Oh, Sung Yong; Ahn, Jinseok; Lee, Ja Youn; Kim, JinShil

    2018-03-26

    More than half of the patients have reported improper management of breakthrough cancer pain. Empirical evidence is lacking concerning the effectiveness of cancer pain education on breakthrough pain control. This study aimed to examine the effects of individual pain education on pain control, use of short-acting analgesics for breakthrough pain, quality of life outcomes, and rectification of patients' misconceptions regarding cancer pain. A quasi-experimental design was used. In total, 176 (102 inpatients and 74 outpatients) and 163 (93 inpatients and 70 outpatients) cancer patients completed questionnaires on pain intensity, quality of life, use of short-acting medication for breakthrough pain, and misconceptions about cancer pain and opioid use before and immediately and/or seven days after individual pain education. The mean age of the participants was 60.9 years (±11.2), and 56.3% were male. The most common cancers were lung cancer (17.0%), colon cancer (15.9%), and breast cancer (12.5%). The subjects' reasons for attrition were conditional deterioration, death, or voluntary withdrawal (N = 13, 7.4%). Following the education, there was a significant reduction in overall pain intensity over 24 hours (P < 0.001). The outpatients showed more use of short-acting analgesics for breakthrough pain. Sleep quality change was most significantly associated with intervention; other quality of life aspects (e.g., general feelings and life enjoyment) also improved. Pain education also significantly reduced misconceptions regarding cancer pain management. The present educational intervention was effective in encouraging short-acting analgesic use for breakthrough pain, improving quality of life outcomes, and rectifying patients' misconceptions about analgesic use.

  9. 77 FR 3455 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records-Migrant Education Bypass Program Student Database

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records--Migrant Education Bypass Program... (Privacy Act), the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice of a new system of records... called a ``system of records.'' The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized under Title I, Part C...

  10. The Education Act and Excluded Children. Policy Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodgkin, Rachel

    1997-01-01

    Discusses the negative assumptions and outcomes of provisions in Britain's Education Act of 1997 dealing with expulsion of students. Presents some statistics on excluded children; discusses likely outcomes such as increased delinquency, parent-school acrimony, and disparity in schools. Describes the role of teachers' unions in drafting the bill…

  11. 76 FR 58840 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act; Refuge Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act; Refuge Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: To meet the requirements of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 (CVPIA) and subsequent...

  12. ReACT!: An Interactive Educational Tool for AI Planning for Robotics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogmus, Zeynep; Erdem, Esra; Patogulu, Volkan

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents ReAct!, an interactive educational tool for artificial intelligence (AI) planning for robotics. ReAct! enables students to describe robots' actions and change in dynamic domains without first having to know about the syntactic and semantic details of the underlying formalism, and to solve planning problems using…

  13. Statement of Dr. Marilyn L. Miller, Immediate Past President, American Association of School Librarians, a Division of the American Library Association, before the Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities, Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee on Reauthorization of Chapter 2, Education Consolidation and Improvement Act, July 16, 1987.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Marilyn L.

    1988-01-01

    This statement in support of Education Consolidation Improvement Act reauthorization discusses six topics related to school libraries: (1) purpose of school libraries; (2) research supporting need for school libraries; (3) current status; (4) funding realities; (5) deteriorating book collections; and (6) impact of federal aid. An American Library…

  14. Implementing Nunavut Education Act: Compulsory School Attendance Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwarteng, E. Fredua

    2006-01-01

    This paper discusses the implementation of Nunavut compulsory school attendance policy as part of the Nunavut Education Act (2002). Using a bottom-up approach to policy implementation in the literature and the author's six years teaching experience in Nunavut, the paper argues that the compulsory school attendance policy may not achieve its…

  15. The educational orientation for modes of acting of students of the preschool race

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirtha García-Pérez

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The science like a professional institutionalized activity involves: Prolonged education, internalization of moral values, development of styles of thought and acting. From there his impact in the formation of the professional entrusted with offering the children of the babyhood according to the requests of the society, educational integral attention. It is observed in the educational reality than the behavior of the students of the race, not always you love one another with the social requirements presented to this professional in the making, that leads to the need of an educational orientation; With emphasis in the attention to the modes of professional acting of the students of the race bachelor's degree in Preschool Education, for his performance in the different spheres where they interact.

  16. End-of-Year 2010-11 Progress Report to the Legislature: Implementation and Impact of the Workforce Investment Act, Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    CASAS - Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (NJ1), 2012

    2012-01-01

    The Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) provides funding for states and territories to provide instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) to adults in need of these literacy services. California State Budget Act…

  17. Educating Tomorrow's Science Teachers: STEM ACT Conference Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sternheim, Morton M.; Feldman, Allan; Berger, Joseph B.; Zhao, Yijie

    2008-01-01

    This document reports on the findings of an NSF-funded conference (STEM ACT) on the alternative certification of science teachers. The conference explored the issues that have arisen in science education as a result of the proliferation of alternative certification programs in the United States, and to identify the research that needs to be done…

  18. Solutions to Improve Educational Management Quality

    OpenAIRE

    Ramezan Jahanian; Masoomeh Motahari

    2013-01-01

    Nowadays, enhancing the quality in educational systems of different countries has gained especial importance and stand. Improving utilizing and increasing the quality in our country’s educational system is felt too. One of the utilizing factors in education system is to improve the educational management quality.In this article, effective factors in educational management quality and one of its improving solutions, thorough management quality, is analyzed.

  19. 34 CFR 460.1 - What is the purpose of the Adult Education Act?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... sufficient basic education to enable them to benefit from job training and retraining programs and obtain and... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is the purpose of the Adult Education Act? 460.1 Section 460.1 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF...

  20. The Use of Technology to Improve Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nepo, Kaori

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: The primary purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is to ensure free appropriate public education for individuals with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. The statute also mandates student's access and services for students' access to devices and technology as part of the individual education…

  1. Education of the Deaf Act: Background and Reauthorization Issues. CRS Report for Congress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleman, Steven R.

    This summary of the Education of the Deaf Act (Public Law 99-371) discusses the special institutions funded under the act and other issues related to the Act's reauthorization. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (Rochester, New York) and Gallaudet University (District of Columbia) provide postsecondary training for deaf individuals.…

  2. Educational Marginalization: Examining Challenges and Possibilities for Improving Educational Outcomes in Northeastern Kenya

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okilwa, Nathern S. A.

    2015-01-01

    As a developing country in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya has fared comparatively well in educating its young people. The new constitution of Kenya and various acts of parliament identify education as a fundamental human right and mandates the government to provide basic education for all. Consistent with the government's "Vision 2030," most…

  3. How States Can Promote Local Innovation, Options, and Problem-Solving in Public Education. Linking State and Local School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posamentier, Jordan; Lake, Robin; Hill, Paul

    2017-01-01

    State policy plays a critical role in determining whether and how well local education improvement strategies can be implemented. As states rework their education policies under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state and local leaders need a way to assess their current policy environment and identify the changes needed to encourage local…

  4. 20 CFR 627.220 - Coordination with programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act including the Pell grant...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... the Higher Education Act including the Pell grant program. 627.220 Section 627.220 Employees' Benefits... of the Higher Education Act including the Pell grant program. (a) Coordination. Financial assistance programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (the Pell Grant program, the...

  5. The Every Student Succeeds Act: Strengthening the Focus on Educational Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Michelle D.; Winn, Kathleen M.; Reedy, Marcy A.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This article offers (a) an overview of the attention federal policy has invested in educational leadership with a primary focus on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), (b) a summary of the critical role school leaders play in achieving the goals set forth within federal educational policy, and (c) examples of how states are using the…

  6. End-of-Year 2009-10 Progress Report to the California Legislature: Implementation and Impact of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    CASAS - Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (NJ1), 2011

    2011-01-01

    The Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) provide funding for states and territories to provide instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) to adults in need of these literacy services. California State Budget Act…

  7. [Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and improving chess performance in promising young chess-players].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, Francisco J; Luciano, Carmen

    2009-08-01

    Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is shown to be effective in relatively distant fields from the so-called psychological disorders. One of these areas is sport performance improvement. The aim of the current study is to expand the application of brief ACT protocols to improve chess-players' performance. In a previous study, a brief protocol was applied to international-level adult chess-players that was effective. The current study aims to apply an equivalent brief ACT protocol, but in this case, applied in a group format to promising young chess-players. In addition, this brief protocol is compared to a non-intervention control condition. Results show that the ACT brief protocol improved the performance in 5 out of 7 participants, and that none of the chess-players in the control condition reached the established change criterion. The differences between the conditions in chess performance were statistically significant. The results are discussed, emphasizing the replicated impact of a brief ACT protocol on the improvement of chess-players' performance.

  8. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Children With Special Educational Needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipkin, Paul H; Okamoto, Jeffrey

    2015-12-01

    The pediatric health care provider has a critical role in supporting the health and well-being of children and adolescents in all settings, including early intervention (EI), preschool, and school environments. It is estimated that 15% of children in the United States have a disability. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act entitles every affected child in the United States from infancy to young adulthood to a free appropriate public education through EI and special education services. These services bolster development and learning of children with various disabilities. This clinical report provides the pediatric health care provider with a summary of key components of the most recent version of this law. Guidance is also provided to ensure that every child in need receives the EI and special education services to which he or she is entitled. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  9. Improvement of Educational Equity & Teacher Training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María J. Rodríguez

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Educational improvement for equity and professional teacher development are crucial issues concerning the essential right all students have of a good education. Firstly the article proposes a contextual reflection on improvement, some considerations related to well known traditions in the field and particularly the social justice and its relationships and implication for educational politics, curriculum, teaching, teacher and community. Secondly, it claims for the coherence of teacher professional development to educational equity. Different analysis and proposals are outlined related to policies and tasks the public administration should undertake and some dimensions of teacher education are considered attending educational equity criteria. Professional learning communities are described and valued as a hypothetical framework in order to improve equity and teacher education relationships.

  10. School Improvement Grants: Selected States Generally Awarded Funds Only to Eligible Schools. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Final Audit Report. ED-OIG/A05L0002

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Department of Education, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This final audit report covers the results of the review of five State educational agencies' monitoring plans and awarding processes for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and regular School Improvement Grants funds that the State educational agencies awarded for fiscal year 2009 (for use during school year 2010-2011). The objectives…

  11. Reclaiming Self-Determination from the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Michael D.

    2012-01-01

    This paper examines the way the term "self-determination" is used in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. Its main thesis is that the Act does not in fact offer tribal governments self-determination, but instead reaffirms old power configurations that go back to the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.…

  12. 34 CFR 300.4 - Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Act. 300.4 Section 300.4 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES... Definitions Used in This Part § 300.4 Act. Act means the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as...

  13. Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990, P.L. 101-476: A Summary. CRS Report for Congress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleman, Steven R.

    This summary of the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990, Public Law 101-476, identifies how these Amendments extend and expand special education research, demonstration, and training programs of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA authorizes three state formula grant programs and several discretionary grant…

  14. Innovative Outcome Assessment in Graduate Business Education and Continuous Improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chattopadhyay Satya P.

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The changed environment of global economy with painful austerity and restructuring measures causing severe economic dislocations in many diverse parts of the world have brought into focus the usefulness and value of management education in general and graduate management education in particular. The various accrediting bodies in America, Europe and Asia in recent years have shifted their emphasis to ensuring that learning outcomes of students in the program are tied to the goals and missions of the academic institution and meet the needs of the external partners of the academic enterprise that the students go on to serve. This has resulted in rapid advances in the field of innovative outcome assessment, and measurement of competency in performing higher order tasks as well as demonstration of traits related to successful transition into the business world and contribution to the success of the enterprise where the students are employed. The mere assessment/measurement of traits is not the end, but rather the first step in the cycle of continuous improvement in the tradition of the Plan-Do-Study-Act tradition of TQM. The goal is to identify shortcomings or opportunities for improvement via the assessment process and then to “close the loop” by introducing planned changes to improve system performance.

  15. Divided by Loyalty: The Debate Regarding Loyalty Provisions in the National Defense Education Act of 1958

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maher, Brent D.

    2016-01-01

    The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958 was the first federal investment in low-interest student loans and became a precedent for expansion of student loans in the Higher Education Act of 1965. In its controversial loyalty provisions, the NDEA required loan recipients to affirm loyalty to the U.S. government. Between 1958 and 1962,…

  16. Implications of the Employment Equity Act for the higher education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    It is argued that these crucial challenges B specialized higher education legislation and policy developments, the "pool" issue, funding and rationalization, universities as a unique workplace, and the individual legacies of universities B define the space in which the Employment Equity Act may be interpreted in the higher ...

  17. Construction Safety, Health and Education Improvement Act of 1989. Hearing before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred First Congress, First Session on S. 930 To Establish a Clear and Comprehensive Prohibition of Discrimination on the Basis of Disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

    This document reports the oral and written testimony of senators and representatives, administration officials, union officials, contractors' associations, engineers' associations, and construction and consulting companies concerning S. 930, a provision of the Construction Safety, Health and Education Improvement Act of 1989. This provision would…

  18. An Application of the Equal Pay Act to Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Debra H.

    1981-01-01

    The applicability of legal principles governing equal pay and sex discrimination in university settings is discussed. The most objective mechanism that a university can utilize to achieve compliance with the Equal Pay Act would be implementation of a salary system that relies on experience, formal education, and time in grade. (MLW)

  19. Jump-Starting Educational Reform. Implementing British Columbia's Comprehensive School Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldman, Paul

    An educational reform effort to implement a comprehensive school act in British Columbia (Canada) is analyzed with a focus on some sociotechnical and political aspects. An overview of the content, background, and implementation of the reform effort is followed by identification of seven contradictions inherent in the plan. Contradictions are as…

  20. Illinois State Plan: Adult Education and Family Literacy. Under Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illinois Community College Board, 2014

    2014-01-01

    This document contains Illinois' State Plan for Adult Education and Family Literacy under Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 for July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2015. The plan is comprised of the following sections: (1) Eligible agency certifications and assurances; (2) Description of the steps to ensure direct and equitable access;…

  1. 34 CFR 303.6 - Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Act. 303.6 Section 303.6 Education Regulations of the..., Eligibility, and Other General Provisions § 303.6 Act. As used in this part, Act means the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1400) ...

  2. Continuous Improvement in Education. Advancing Teaching--Improving Learning. White Paper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sandra; Hironaka, Stephanie; Carver, Penny; Nordstrum, Lee

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, "continuous improvement" has become a popular catchphrase in the field of education. However, while continuous improvement has become commonplace and well-documented in other industries, such as healthcare and manufacturing, little is known about how this work has manifested itself in education. This white paper attempts…

  3. Improving health outcomes with better patient understanding and education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert John Adams

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Robert John AdamsThe Health Observatory, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Campus, The University of Adelaide, Woodville, South Australia, AustraliaAbstract: A central plank of health care reform is an expanded role for educated consumers interacting with responsive health care teams. However, for individuals to realize the benefits of health education also requires a high level of engagement. Population studies have documented a gap between expectations and the actual performance of behaviours related to participation in health care and prevention. Interventions to improve self-care have shown improvements in self-efficacy, patient satisfaction, coping skills, and perceptions of social support. Significant clinical benefits have been seen from trials of self-management or lifestyle interventions across conditions such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the focus of many studies has been on short-term outcomes rather that long term effects. There is also some evidence that participation in patient education programs is not spread evenly across socio economic groups. This review considers three other issues that may be important in increasing the public health impact of patient education. The first is health literacy, which is the capacity to seek, understand and act on health information. Although health literacy involves an individual’s competencies, the health system has a primary responsibility in setting the parameters of the health interaction and the style, content and mode of information. Secondly, much patient education work has focused on factors such as attitudes and beliefs. That small changes in physical environments can have large effects on behavior and can be utilized in self-management and chronic disease research. Choice architecture involves reconfiguring the context or physical environment in a way that makes it more likely that people will choose certain behaviours. Thirdly

  4. 78 FR 29652 - Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended; Delay of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 34 CFR Part 600 RIN 1840-AD02 Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended; Delay of Implementation Date AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. ACTION: Final regulations; delay of implementation date. SUMMARY: This document...

  5. A care improvement program acting as a powerful learning environment to support nursing students learning facilitation competencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jukema, Jan S; Harps-Timmerman, Annelies; Stoopendaal, Annemiek; Smits, Carolien H M

    2015-11-01

    Change management is an important area of training in undergraduate nursing education. Successful change management in healthcare aimed at improving practices requires facilitation skills that support teams in attaining the desired change. Developing facilitation skills in nursing students requires formal educational support. A Dutch Regional Care Improvement Program based on a nationwide format of change management in healthcare was designed to act as a Powerful Learning Environment for nursing students developing competencies in facilitating change. This article has two aims: to provide comprehensive insight into the program components and to describe students' learning experiences in developing their facilitation skills. This Dutch Regional Care Improvement Program considers three aspects of a Powerful Learning Environment: self-regulated learning; problem-based learning; and complex, realistic and challenging learning tasks. These three aspects were operationalised in five distinct areas of facilitation: increasing awareness of the need for change; leadership and project management; relationship building and communication; importance of the local context; and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Over a period of 18 months, 42 nursing students, supported by trained lecturer-coaches, took part in nine improvement teams in our Regional Care Improvement Program, executing activities in all five areas of facilitation. Based on the students' experiences, we propose refinements to various components of this program, aimed at strengthenin the learning environment. There is a need for further detailed empirical research to study the impact this kind of learning environment has on students developing facilitation competencies in healthcare improvement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Public Law 94-142, Education for All Handicapped Children Act: Some Plain Talk Pursuant to the Role of Institutions of Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frith, Greg

    The presentation addresses the implications of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, for institutions of higher education that are concerned with special education personnel preparation. After a review of literature, the supply and demand situation as it pertains to teachers of exceptional children is discussed and quality…

  7. 16 CFR 1500.88 - Exemptions from lead limits under section 101 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act for...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 101 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act for certain electronic devices. 1500.88 Section... from lead limits under section 101 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act for certain electronic devices. (a) The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) provides for specific lead limits...

  8. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Reauthorization Overview. CRS Report for Congress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleman, Steven R.

    This report provides a review of programs authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and an overview of potential reauthorization issues, as the second session of the 103rd Congress considers revisions to these programs. The Infants and Toddlers Program (Part H of IDEA) provides formula grants to participating States…

  9. A case law review of the individuals with disabilities education act for children with hearing loss or auditory processing disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreisman, Brian M; John, Andrew B

    2010-01-01

    In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), and it has been revised and modified several times. At the time of this writing, this law was most recently amended by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (Pub. L. No. 108-446, 118 Stat. 2647, December 3, 2004), which took effect on July 1, 2005. Colloquially the law is still referred to as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Children with hearing loss or auditory processing disorder (APD) may qualify for services under IDEA. However, a review of the literature found no review of case law for such children. This article provides a comprehensive review of case law involving the IDEA and children with hearing loss or APD from the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. courts of appeals. We conducted a systematic review of case law. A LexisNexis search for cases involving IDEA and children with hearing loss or APDs was conducted. For the purpose of the present case review, all appellate decisions (cases accepted by the U.S. courts of appeals or the U.S. Supreme Court) were included if they found that the child had hearing loss or APD, regardless of the reason for the appeal under IDEA. In the instance of multiple cases that involved the same two parties, these cases are summarized together to provide the legal context. Brief explanations of IDEA and the federal judicial process as it pertains to IDEA disputes are presented. Following these explanations, a chronological review of IDEA appellate cases concerning students with hearing loss or APD is provided. The IDEA cases reviewed focus on three main issues: placement of the child, methodology of teaching, and the provision of services. This case law review provides a helpful summary of higher court cases for educational audiologists and parents of children with hearing loss or APDs, as well as educators, individualized education program team members, school administrators, and legal

  10. Influence of farmers educational level on comprehending, acting-upon and sharing of agro advisories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. J. Chandre Gowda

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Although short messaging service (SMS through mobile phones has quickly gained popularity among most other sectors in India, its potential is not fully realised in the agriculture sector as a cost effective service to reach farmers and elicit desirable action. Despite the cost effectiveness, mobile messaging has remained a challenge in the farming sector in terms of its end use and action as far as extension systems are concerned. While there could be many influencing factors affecting the utility of mobile messages, this study assumed that educational level of farmers could be a major factor. A telephone survey was conducted to ascertain the influence of farmers’ education on the level of utilisation of mobile-based advisories. Farmers with higher education level showed better comprehension of advisories, acted-upon the advisories more promptly and shared the information with fellow farmers more often than those with lower education level. There was a significant association between comprehending, sharing and acting upon advisories. This has implications to achieve enhanced extension reach with higher efficiency in terms of cost and time.

  11. Description of intensity of physical education in a structure educational educate and health-improvement-educate processes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bondar T.S.

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Comparison of intensity of physical education is presented in child's establishments of making healthy and rest and general educational establishments. Questioning of 183 students-practice and analysis of document of the Kharkov regional management is conducted on physical education and sport. It is set that health-improvement-educate process is directed on forming for children and young people of culture of health. It is marked that the result of pedagogical activity in establishments and establishments of education is physical, spiritual and social development of personality of children and young people. Witnessed, that process of physical education in out-of-town child's establishments of making healthy and rest almost in three times more intensive by comparison to general educational establishments and school summer camps. It contingently a presence for the children of plenty of spare time, by the use in practice of camps of non-standard facilities and forms of increase of motive activity of children, by the features of structure health-improvement-educate process.

  12. "No Child Left Behind," the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" and Functional Curricula: A Conflict of Interest?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouck, Emily C.

    2009-01-01

    Is a functional curriculum aligned with the federal education policies of No Child Left Behind (2002) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004)? This article analyzes the alignment, or lack thereof, between this approach to educating secondary students with mild mental impairment and the two main federal education laws…

  13. Postpartum Depression and the Affordable Care Act: Recommendations for Social Work Educators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert H. Keefe

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA mandates ongoing research on postpartum depression; however, very little research has been published in social work journals and in advanced-level textbooks on this topic. This article describes the problem of postpartum depression and argues that social work educators and researchers must pay greater attention to this issue in light of the ACA mandates, so that social workers can provide effective services to postpartum mothers and their children. The Council on Social Work Education’s recently published Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards are considered while making curriculum recommendations on postpartum depression for social work educators.

  14. Curricular improvements for entrepreneurial education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasilache Simona

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Our paper aims at investigating the most adequate methods for developing effective educational tools in entrepreneurial education. Entrepreneurship education should take place during the entire life of an entrepreneur, but the basic knowledge and skills related to this field are acquired starting from the elementary school, and improved during all the educational levels. Through entrepreneurship education, policymakers aim to prepare young people for succeeding on the entrepreneurial path. However, there are few scientific papers that aimed at discussing the available educational tools in Romania which play a role in forming entrepreneurs. Starting from the identified educational needs of young Romanian people under 35, including entrepreneurs and students, which were surveyed based on a questionnaire, we advance several key improvement areas for Romanian business curricula, and suggest critical paths to obtain desired results. The recommendations that we deliver through this paper are based on respondents’ opinions regarding their preference for certain aspects related to educational tools used in entrepreneurial education: learning materials used in universities in order to create an entrepreneurial mindset, the use of learning materials outside of the university curricula, and entrepreneurial skills that should be developed during school. A comparative perspective, examining curricular specificities in most entrepreneurial cultures of Europe, based on information obtained from Entrepreneurship Eurobarometer and Doing Business Indicators, is also included in our study. The main limitations, which arise from the subjective perspective of young entrepreneurs, as well as from the reduced sample volume, are thus corrected. The conclusions of our analysis provide a valuable starting point for educational policies promoting entrepreneurial skills enhancement in the Romanian business students’ population.

  15. 77 FR 33240 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-05

    ... Project water conservation best management practices that shall ``develop criteria for evaluating the... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The...

  16. 75 FR 70020 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-16

    ... office on Central Valley Project water conservation best management practices that shall ``* * * develop... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior ACTION: Notice of Availability. SUMMARY: The...

  17. 76 FR 12756 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-08

    ... office on Central Valley Project water conservation best management practices that shall ``* * * develop... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The...

  18. 77 FR 64544 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-22

    ... Central Valley Project water conservation best management practices that shall ``develop criteria for... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The...

  19. 78 FR 21414 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-10

    ... Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The following Water Management Plans are available for review... establish and administer an office on Central Valley Project water conservation best management practices...

  20. 78 FR 63491 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-24

    ... Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The following Water Management Plans are available for review: Westside... project contractors using best available cost-effective technology and best management practices.'' These...

  1. 76 FR 54251 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-31

    ... and administer an office on Central Valley Project water conservation best management practices that... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The...

  2. 75 FR 38538 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-02

    ... to establish and administer an office on Central Valley Project water conservation best management... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The...

  3. Improved waste management services – Will the Act make a difference?

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Oelofse, Suzanna HH

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available This document focuses on the improved waste management services and the Waste Act 59 of 2008. It provide in formation on the Integrated Waste Management Plans, technical capacity – infrastructure, the backlog in adequate service provision, the facts...

  4. Air Force Personnel Can Improve Compliance With the Berry Amendment and Buy American Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-24

    leather, furs,6 apparel , and shoes • FSG 84 – clothing , individual equipment and insignia • FSG 89 – subsistence (food) If these items are purchased...during the audit by completing Buy American Act training and amending standard operating procedures and internal processes to improve compliance with the...Force Personnel Can Improve Compliance With the Berry Amendment and the Buy American Act F E B R U A R Y 2 4 , 2 0 1 6 Report No. DODIG-2016-051

  5. Quality improvement in neurological surgery graduate medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Scott L; McGirt, Matthew J; Asher, Anthony L; Selden, Nathan R

    2015-04-01

    There has been no formal, standardized curriculum for neurosurgical resident education in quality improvement. There are at least 2 reasons to integrate a formalized quality improvement curriculum into resident education: (1) increased emphasis on the relative quality and value (cost-effectiveness) of health care provided by individual physicians, and (2) quality improvement principles empower broader lifelong learning. An integrated quality improvement curriculum should comprise specific goals and milestones at each level of residency training. This article discusses the role and possible implementation of a national program for quality improvement in neurosurgical resident education. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Improv(ing) the Academy: Applied Improvisation as a Strategy for Educational Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossing, Jonathan P.; Hoffmann-Longtin, Krista

    2016-01-01

    Improvisational theater training (or "improv") is a strategy employed by many business leaders and educators to cultivate creativity and collaboration amid change. Drawing on improv principles such as "Yes, And…" and "Make your scene partners look good," we explore the ways in which educational developers might apply…

  7. 34 CFR 5.1 - Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Act. 5.1 Section 5.1 Education Office of the Secretary...-10) Definitions § 5.1 Act. As used in this part, Act means section 552 of title 5, United States Code, as amended by Pub. L. 90-23, codifying the Act of July 4, 1966, sometimes referred to as the “Freedom...

  8. Health Education Specialists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strong, Jessica; Hanson, Carl L; Magnusson, Brianna; Neiger, Brad

    2016-03-01

    The changing landscape of health care as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) may provide new opportunities for health education specialists (HES). The purpose of this study was to survey HES in the United States on their knowledge and attitudes of the ACA and assess their perceptions of job growth under the law. A random sample of 220 (36% response rate) certified HES completed a 53-item cross sectional survey administered online through Qualtrics. Findings were compared to public opinion on health care reform. HES are highly favorable of the law (70%) compared to the general public (23%). A total of 85% of respondents were able to list a provision of the ACA, and most (81%) thought the ACA would be successful at increasing insured Americans. Over half (64.6%) believe job opportunities will increase. Those who viewed the law favorably were significantly more likely to score better on a knowledge scale related to the ACA. HES understand publicized provisions but are uncertain about common myths and specific provisions related to Title IV, "Prevention of Chronic Disease and Improving Public Health." Directed and continuing education to HES regarding the ACA is warranted. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  9. Improving physics education in radiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendee, William R

    2007-08-01

    Concern is growing that the physics education of radiologists is flawed and that without knowledge of physics principles and applications, mastery of the technology of medical imaging is impaired. Furthermore, it is proposed that a mastery of imaging technology is necessary to perfect the clinical acumen of radiologists and to preserve the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of imaging procedures. These issues were the focus of a multiorganizational educational summit on physics education of radiologists held in January 2006 in Atlanta. Recommendations for improving the physics education and knowledge of radiologists that evolved from this summit are presented here, together with progress made to date on their fulfillment.

  10. Improving the working relationship between doctors and pharmacists: is inter-professional education the answer?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Gallagher, Ruth M

    2012-05-01

    Despite their common history, there are many cultural, attitudinal and practical differences between the professions of medicine and pharmacy that ultimately influence patient care and health outcomes. While poor communication between doctors and pharmacists is a major cause of medical errors, it is clear that effective, deliberate doctor-pharmacist collaboration within certain clinical settings significantly improves patient care. This may be particularly true for those patients with chronic illnesses and\\/or requiring regular medication reviews. Moreover, in hospitals, clinical and antibiotic pharmacists are successfully influencing prescribing and infection control policy. Under the new Irish Pharmacy Act (2007), pharmacists are legally obliged to provide pharmaceutical care to their patients, thus fulfilling a more patient-centred role than their traditional \\'dispensing\\' one. However, meeting this obligation relies on the existence of good doctor-pharmacist working relationships, such that inter-disciplinary teamwork in monitoring patients becomes the norm in all healthcare settings. As discussed here, efforts to improve these relationships must focus on the strategic introduction of agreed changes in working practices between the two professions and on educational aspects of pharmaceutical care. For example, standardized education of doctors\\/medical students such that they learn to prescribe in an optimal manner and ongoing inter-professional education of doctors and pharmacists in therapeutics, are likely to be of paramount importance. Here, insights into the types of factors that help or hinder the improvement of these working relationships and the importance of education and agreed working practices in defining the separate but inter-dependent professions of pharmacy and medicine are reviewed and discussed.

  11. Improving the working relationship between doctors and pharmacists: is inter-professional education the answer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Ruth M; Gallagher, Helen C

    2012-05-01

    Despite their common history, there are many cultural, attitudinal and practical differences between the professions of medicine and pharmacy that ultimately influence patient care and health outcomes. While poor communication between doctors and pharmacists is a major cause of medical errors, it is clear that effective, deliberate doctor-pharmacist collaboration within certain clinical settings significantly improves patient care. This may be particularly true for those patients with chronic illnesses and/or requiring regular medication reviews. Moreover, in hospitals, clinical and antibiotic pharmacists are successfully influencing prescribing and infection control policy. Under the new Irish Pharmacy Act (2007), pharmacists are legally obliged to provide pharmaceutical care to their patients, thus fulfilling a more patient-centred role than their traditional 'dispensing' one. However, meeting this obligation relies on the existence of good doctor-pharmacist working relationships, such that inter-disciplinary teamwork in monitoring patients becomes the norm in all healthcare settings. As discussed here, efforts to improve these relationships must focus on the strategic introduction of agreed changes in working practices between the two professions and on educational aspects of pharmaceutical care. For example, standardized education of doctors/medical students such that they learn to prescribe in an optimal manner and ongoing inter-professional education of doctors and pharmacists in therapeutics, are likely to be of paramount importance. Here, insights into the types of factors that help or hinder the improvement of these working relationships and the importance of education and agreed working practices in defining the separate but inter-dependent professions of pharmacy and medicine are reviewed and discussed.

  12. Theoretical framework of community education improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zaúl Brizuela Castillo

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper explains the connection between the approach selected for the analysis and development of community education and the contradictions manifested in its theoretical and practical comprehension. As a result, a comprehensive model for community education, describing the theoretical and methodological framework to improve community education, is devised. This framework is based on a conscious organizing of educative influences applied to the regular task of the community under the coordinate action of social institutions and organization that promote the transformational action of the neighborhood assuming a protagonist role in the improvement of the quality of live and morals related to the socialism updating process. The comprehensive model was proved experimentally at District 59 of San Miguel town; the transformation of the community was scientifically registered together with the information gather by means of observation and interviewing. The findings proved the pertinence and feasibility of the proposed model.

  13. July 2011 Memorandum: Improving EPA Review of Appalachian Surface Coal Mining Operations Under the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and the Environmental Justice Executive Order

    Science.gov (United States)

    Memorandum: Improving EPA Review of Appalachian Surface Coal Mining Operations Under the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and the Environmental Justice Executive Order, July 21, 2011

  14. Recovery Act: States Could Provide More Information on Education Programs to Enhance the Public's Understanding of Fund Use. Report to the Republican Leader, U.S. Senate. GAO-10-807

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashby, Cornelia M.

    2010-01-01

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provides $70.3 billion for three education programs--the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF), Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title I), and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Act requires recipients to be accountable for how these funds…

  15. Internal Resources to Improve the Quality of Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatyana V. Zak

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the situation in the Russian higher education system. The factors affecting the improvement of the quality of higher education are analyzed. The emphasis is on mass universities. The main obstacles to improving the quality of education in these institutions are the Institute of collective reputation and the high costs of the struggle for improving the quality of education.The necessity of focusing on the actuation of the internal resources to improve the quality associated with the change in the educational process: giving students the right to choose the timing exams and training period at university. The implementation of the proposed measures will reduce the opportunity costs associated with quality improvement activities. The proposed change in the organization of the learning process opens the possibility to estimate the activity of universities in terms of medium-term implementation of educational programs. The use of this indicator will not only combine the two different targets of universities, but also to minimize the costs of opportunistic behavior of teachers and management.

  16. Improving science education for sustainable development

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eijck, van M.W.; Roth, W.-M.

    2007-01-01

    In recent issues of noteworthy journals, natural scientists have argued for the improvement of science education [1–4]. Such pleas reflect the growing awareness that high-quality science education is required not only for sustaining a lively scientific community that is able to address global

  17. Recovery Act - Sustainable Transportation: Advanced Electric Drive Vehicle Education Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caille, Gary

    2013-12-13

    The collective goals of this effort include: 1) reach all facets of this society with education regarding electric vehicles (EV) and plug–in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), 2) prepare a workforce to service these advanced vehicles, 3) create web–based learning at an unparalleled level, 4) educate secondary school students to prepare for their future and 5) train the next generation of professional engineers regarding electric vehicles. The Team provided an integrated approach combining secondary schools, community colleges, four–year colleges and community outreach to provide a consistent message (Figure 1). Colorado State University Ventures (CSUV), as the prime contractor, plays a key program management and co–ordination role. CSUV is an affiliate of Colorado State University (CSU) and is a separate 501(c)(3) company. The Team consists of CSUV acting as the prime contractor subcontracted to Arapahoe Community College (ACC), CSU, Motion Reality Inc. (MRI), Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Ricardo. Collaborators are Douglas County Educational Foundation/School District and Gooru (www.goorulearning.org), a nonprofit web–based learning resource and Google spin–off.

  18. Continuous Improvement in Action: Educators' Evidence Use for School Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannata, Marisa; Redding, Christopher; Rubin, Mollie

    2016-01-01

    The focus of the article is the process educators use to interpret data to turn it into usable knowledge (Honig & Coburn, 2008) while engaging in a continuous improvement process. The authors examine the types of evidence educators draw upon, its perceived relevance, and the social context in which the evidence is examined. Evidence includes…

  19. 78 FR 29748 - Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the Department of Education and the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-21

    ... the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)) to individuals convicted of drug trafficking or... drug trafficking or possession of a controlled substance who have been denied Federal benefits by..., which was originally enacted as section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, and which was amended...

  20. The No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Acts: The Uneven Impact of Partially Funded Federal Mandates on Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moores, Donald F.

    2005-01-01

    The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is having a major impact on the education of deaf and hard of hearing children, and in many ways has taken on an importance far in excess of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which has been evolving since 1975. Congress has appropriated less money for both laws than their…

  1. Secondary General Education Teachers' Attitudes toward Inclusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Valerie A.

    2014-01-01

    Since the inception of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, educators have struggled with including students with disabilities in the general education classroom with their nondisabled peers. The inclusion educational model was utilized in this study to explore secondary teachers' attitudes toward inclusive educational…

  2. 76 FR 68766 - Draft Blueprint for Prescriber Education for Long-Acting/Extended-Release Opioid Class-Wide Risk...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-D-0771] Draft Blueprint for Prescriber Education for Long-Acting/ Extended-Release Opioid Class-Wide Risk... announcing the availability of a draft document entitled ``Blueprint for Prescriber Education for the Long...

  3. Continuing education for performance improvement: a creative approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Patti-Ann; Hardesty, Ilana; White, Julie L; Zisblatt, Lara

    2012-10-01

    In an effort to improve patient safety and health care outcomes, continuing medical education has begun to focus on performance improvement initiatives for physician practices. Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) Continuing Nursing Education Accredited Provider Unit has begun a creative project to award nursing contact hours for nurses' participation in performance improvement activities. This column highlights its initial efforts. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

  4. Special Education and Research | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this page please turn JavaScript on. Feature: Dyslexia Special Education and Research Past Issues / Winter 2016 Table of Contents Special Education Services The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act ( ...

  5. Education to Action: Improving Public Perception of Bats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric Hoffmaster

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Public perception of bats has historically been largely negative with bats often portrayed as carriers of disease. Bats are commonly associated with vampire lore and thus elicit largely fearful reactions despite the fact that they are a vital and valuable part of the ecosystem. Bats provide a variety of essential services from pest control to plant pollination. Despite the benefits of bats to the environment and the economy, bats are suffering at the hands of humans. They are victims of turbines, human encroachment, pesticides, and, most recently, white nose syndrome. Because of their critical importance to the environment, humans should do what they can to help protect bats. We propose that humans will be more likely to do so if their perceptions and attitudes toward bats can be significantly improved. In a preliminary study we found some support for the idea that people can be educated about bats through bat oriented events and exhibits, and that this greater knowledge can inspire humans to act to save bats.

  6. Improving Quality Higher Education in Nigeria: The Roles of Stakeholders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asiyai, Romina Ifeoma

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the roles of stakeholders in improving quality of university education in Nigeria. Internal and external stakeholders are identified and the various roles they could play in improving the quality of university education are discussed. The paper contends that continuous and holistic improvement in university education system…

  7. 78 FR 45949 - Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Notice of a New System of Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-30

    ... enrollment data, work history, educational history, affiliations, and other related data, dates of birth... information, station and career history, firearms qualifications, medical history, background investigation... Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-296); USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001 (Pub. L. 107-56); USA PATRIOT Improvement...

  8. Progress and Impact. A Report of Programs Funded for 1995-96 by the Comprehensive Health Education Act of 1990.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terrill, Jerry L.; Connell, Karen

    During the 1995-96 school year, the Colorado Department of Education supported Comprehensive Health Education Programs as authorized by the Comprehensive Health Education Act of 1990. This report summarizes the projects funded under that grant along with additional observations and recommendations regarding the operation of such grants. Grant…

  9. Frameworks for improvement: clinical audit, the plan-do-study-act cycle and significant event audit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillam, Steve; Siriwardena, A Niroshan

    2013-01-01

    This is the first in a series of articles about quality improvement tools and techniques. We explore common frameworks for improvement, including the model for improvement and its application to clinical audit, plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles and significant event analysis (SEA), examining the similarities and differences between these and providing examples of each.

  10. 34 CFR 21.1 - Equal Access to Justice Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Equal Access to Justice Act. 21.1 Section 21.1 Education Office of the Secretary, Department of Education EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE General § 21.1 Equal Access to Justice Act. (a) The Equal Access to Justice Act (the Act) provides for the award of fees and...

  11. Educational Intervention Improves Compliance With AAN Guidelines for Return Epilepsy Visits: A Quality Improvement Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Gary R; Filloux, Francis M; Kerr, Lynne M

    2016-10-01

    In 2011, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) released guidelines for return seizure visits detailing 8 points that should be addressed during such visits. These guidelines are designed to improve routine follow-up care for epilepsy patients. The authors performed a quality improvement project aimed at increasing compliance with these guidelines after educating providers about them. The authors performed a chart review before and after an intervention which included: education regarding the guidelines, providing materials to remind providers of the guidelines, and templates to facilitate compliance. The authors reviewed charts at 2 and 6 months after the intervention. Significant improvement in documentation of 4 of the 8 measures was observed after this educational intervention. This suggests that simple educational interventions may help providers change practice and can improve compliance with new guidelines while requiring minimal time and resources to implement. © The Author(s) 2016.

  12. Recovery Act: Billions of Dollars in Education Credits Appear to Be Erroneous. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Reference Number: 2011-41-083

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Department of the Treasury, 2011

    2011-01-01

    Education credits are available to help offset the costs of higher education for taxpayers, their spouses, and dependents who qualify as eligible students. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) amended the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit (Hope Credit) to provide for a refundable tax credit known as the American Opportunity…

  13. Augmented Virtual Reality: How to Improve Education Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Fernández-Utrilla Miguel, Manuel

    2017-01-01

    This essay presents and discusses the developing role of virtual and augmented reality technologies in education. Addressing the challenges in adapting such technologies to focus on improving students’ learning outcomes, the author discusses the inclusion of experiential modes as a vehicle for improving students’ knowledge acquisition. Stakeholders in the educational role of technology include students, faculty members, institutions, and manufacturers. While the benefits of suc...

  14. Differentiated Accountability Policy and School Improvement Plans: A Look at Professional Development and Inclusive Practices for Exceptional Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Marsha; Black, William R.

    2011-01-01

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB) require that students with disabilities have equal access to general education curricula and contexts. Florida's Differentiated Accountability Program (DAP) is designed to support educators in meeting IDEA and NCLB…

  15. Improving STEM Undergraduate Education with Efficient Learning Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Godsk, Mikkel

    2018-01-01

    The project investigates the potential of Learning Design for efficiently improving STEM undergraduate education with technology. In order to investigate this potential, the project consists of two main studies at Aarhus University: a study of the perspectives of the main stakeholders on Learning...... Design uptake. The project concludes that it is possible to improve STEM undergraduate education with Learning Design for technology-enhanced learning efficiently and that Efficient Learning Design provides a useful concept for qualifying educational decisions....... provided by technology-enhanced learning based on Learning Design, and in particular students’ learning was of a high common interest. However, only the educators were directly interested in Learning Design and its support for design, reuse in their practice and to inform pedagogy. A holistic concept...

  16. Does Expert Advice Improve Educational Choice?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lex Borghans

    Full Text Available This paper reports evidence that an individual meeting with a study counselor at high school significantly improves the quality of choice of tertiary educational field, as self-assessed 18 months after graduation from college. To address endogeneity, we explore the variation in study counseling practices between schools as an instrumental variable (IV. Following careful scrutiny of the validity of the IV, our results indicate a significant and positive influence of study counseling on the quality of educational choice, foremost among males and those with low educated parents. The overall result is stable across a number of robustness checks.

  17. 32 CFR 644.554 - Insurance against loss or damages to buildings and improvements by fire or acts of God.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Insurance against loss or damages to buildings and improvements by fire or acts of God. 644.554 Section 644.554 National Defense Department of... Procedure § 644.554 Insurance against loss or damages to buildings and improvements by fire or acts of God...

  18. Combining clinical microsystems and an experiential quality improvement curriculum to improve residency education in internal medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tess, Anjala V; Yang, Julius J; Smith, C Christopher; Fawcett, Caitlin M; Bates, Carol K; Reynolds, Eileen E

    2009-03-01

    Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's internal medicine residency program was admitted to the new Education Innovation Project accreditation pathway of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education to begin in July 2006. The authors restructured the inpatient medical service to create clinical microsystems in which residents practice throughout residency. Program leadership then mandated an active curriculum in quality improvement based in those microsystems. To provide the experience to every graduating resident, a core faculty in patient safety was trained in the basics of quality improvement. The authors hypothesized that such changes would increase the number of residents participating in quality improvement projects, improve house officer engagement in quality improvement work, enhance the culture of safety the residents perceive in their training environment, improve work flow on the general medicine ward rotations, and improve the overall educational experience for the residents on ward rotations.The authors describe the first 18 months of the intervention (July 2006 to January 2008). The authors assessed attitudes and the educational experience with surveys and evaluation forms. After the intervention, the authors documented residents' participation in projects that overlapped with hospital priorities. More residents reported roles in designing and implementing quality improvement changes. Residents also noted greater satisfaction with the quality of care they deliver. Fewer residents agreed or strongly agreed that the new admitting system interfered with communication. Ongoing residency program assessment showed an improved perception of workload, and educational ratings of rotations improved. The changes required few resources and can be transported to other settings.

  19. The Myth of Free and Barrier-Free Access: India's Right to Education Act--Private Schooling Costs and Household Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Prachi; Noronha, Claire

    2016-01-01

    We examine relative household costs and experiences of accessing private and government schooling under India's "Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009" in the early implementation phase. The Act deems that no child should incur any fee, charges, or expenses in accessing schooling. Private schools are mandated to…

  20. IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL COGNITIVE ACTIVITY STUDENTS IN THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION ON THE BASIS OF VISUALIZATION TECHNOLOGY OF EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliya A. Kolmakova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study is to consider the problem of improving the quality of education in the professional educational organizations.Methods. The scientific and pedagogical analyses of the concepts forming a terminological field of a problem are used. The system, competence-based and personal approaches are used for development of models of cognitive visualization. Questioning of students was carried out to establish the level of development of their informative activity.Results. The constituent parts of the modern educational process and the need to create specific conditions for its implementation are identified and described. The author gives a generalized characteristic of visualization technology of educational information. The application of cognitive visualization models using information and communication technologies are proved. The results showing the evolution of motivational indicators of students’ activity before and after application of LSM and the «Metaplan» in the educational process are presented.Scientific novelty. The pedagogical conditions that allow using information and communication technologies as means of the trainees’ educational informative activity improvement in the professional educational organization are defined. Features of the directed application of methods of cognitive visualization of educational information, both for improvement of educational cognitive activity, and for formation of professional competences of students by profession «A chef, a confectioner» are noted.Practical importance. Use of methods of cognitive visualization in educational process on the example of studying of Chemistry and Biology in the professional educational organization is considered in details. The teaching package providing application of methods of cognitive visualization of educational information for the purpose of improvement of educational cognitive activity of students in the professional educational organization

  1. Principal-Identified Challenges, Needs, and Recommendations for Instructional Leadership in Special Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraft, Rose A. Liddell

    2016-01-01

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, added instructional responsibilities for school principals specific to students with disabilities. However, these laws did not require additional training in special education policy or instruction for principals, despite the existence of…

  2. A Plan-Do-Study-Act Approach to Improving Bowel Preparation Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calderwood, Audrey H; Mahoney, Elaine M; Jacobson, Brian C

    Up to 20% of patients presenting for colonoscopy have inadequate bowel cleanliness. In this study, the Plan-Do-Study-Act quality improvement process was used to improve bowel cleanliness among outpatients undergoing screening colonoscopy at Boston Medical Center. Rates of inadequate bowel cleanliness were assessed at baseline (April 2010 to September 2012), during several rapid-cycle experiments (October 2012 to September 2013), and through an observation phase (October 2013 to September 2015). The baseline rate of inadequate cleanliness was 9% with a target of 5%. Gap analysis identified 3 areas amenable to specific interventions: contacting patients, commitment to the procedure, and complexity and variation in instructions. Rates of inadequate cleanliness decreased to 4% at the end of the last intervention, but began rising for new reasons. Standardizing instructions and the use of navigators improved preparation quality. Bowel cleanliness is the end result of a multistep process with areas for improvement at many levels. Long-term monitoring is required to ensure ongoing success.

  3. Naval Personnel Can Improve Compliance With the Berry Amendment and the Buy American Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-08-12

    Amendment. Introduction 2 │ DODIG-2015-161 • FSG 83—textiles, leather and furs,6 apparel , and shoes; • FSG 84— clothing , individual equipment and insignia...personnel amended standard operating procedures and internal processes to improve compliance with the Berry Amendment. NAWCAD-Lakehurst personnel...corrective action and amended standard operating procedures and internal processes to improve compliance with the Buy American Act. Additionally, NAWCAD

  4. Cell phone–based health education messaging improves health ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SMS), provides new and innovative opportunities for disease prevention and health education. Objective: To explore the use of cell phone–based health education SMS to improve the health literacy of community residents in China. Methods: ...

  5. California Adult Education End-of-Year Progress Report to the Legislature: Implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II. Program Year 2008. July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    CASAS - Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (NJ1), 2009

    2009-01-01

    The Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act provides funding for states and territories to provide instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) to adults in need of these literacy services. California State Budget Act language…

  6. California Adult Education End-of-Year Progress Report to the Legislature: Implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II. Program Year 2009. July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    CASAS - Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (NJ1), 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Title II, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act provides funding for states and territories to provide instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) to adults in need of these literacy services. California State Budget Act language…

  7. Educational Statistics and School Improvement. Statistics and the Federal Role in Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawley, Willis D.

    This paper focuses on how educational statistics might better serve the quest for educational improvement in elementary and secondary schools. A model for conceptualizing the sources and processes of school productivity is presented. The Learning Productivity Model suggests that school outcomes are the consequence of the interaction of five…

  8. 7 CFR 1212.1 - Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Act. 1212.1 Section 1212.1 Agriculture Regulations of..., Consumer Education, and Industry Information Order Definitions § 1212.1 Act. “Act” means the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996, (7 U.S.C. 7411-7425), and any amendments to that Act. ...

  9. Improving Alcohol/Drug Education in Illinois Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield.

    This paper lists guidelines approved by the Illinois State Board of Education for improving alcohol and drug education in the schools. Statistics point out the seriousness of alcohol and drug abuse in terms of human costs to the victim, his/her family, and associates, and the economic costs of health care, accident losses, crime, social programs,…

  10. Health-Improving Potential of Dancing Exercises in Physical Education of Students of Higher Educational Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Т. М. Кравчук

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Research objective: to determine the health-improving potential of dancing exercises used in physical education of female students of higher educational institutions.  Research methods: study and analysis of pedagogical, scientific and methodological literature on the subject matter of the research; observations, questionnaires, functional tests; statistical methods of data reduction. Conclusions. As part of the study, the use of dancing exercises in the physical education of female students of higher educational institutions proved contributing to a significant increase in the level of their physical health in general and improvement of some of its indicators, including strength and life indices, heart rate recovery time after 20 squats. Dancing exercises also boost spirits, improve health and activity of the female students, which the study proved statistically.

  11. 75 FR 15453 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Westlands Water District Drainage Repayment Contract

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Westlands Water District Drainage Repayment Contract AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Proposed Repayment Contract. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation will be initiating negotiations with the...

  12. Education Issues Raised by S.744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Garrett

    2014-01-01

    This brief report summarizes the requirements for undocumented immigrants set forth by the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744). Assuming that S.744 will move forward in Congress, the report also examines issues having to do with certain language, civics and government, and education/training provisions…

  13. Comprehensive Smoking Prevention Education Act of 1981. Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, Ninety-Seventh Congress, Second Session, on S. 1929 to Amend the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to Increase the Availability to the American Public of Information on the Health Consequences of Smoking and Thereby Improve Informed Choice, and for Other Purposes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    This report of the second hearing on the Smoking Prevention Education Act focuses on advertising practices of the tobacco industry; the first hearing dealt with health related issues. The report includes testimony of three panels of witnesses who discussed the effectiveness of European programs in cigarette labeling and consumer education, the…

  14. Improving urban African Americans' blood pressure control through multi-level interventions in the Achieving Blood Pressure Control Together (ACT) study: a randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ephraim, Patti L; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Roter, Debra L; Bone, Lee R; Wolff, Jennifer L; Lewis-Boyer, LaPricia; Levine, David M; Aboumatar, Hanan J; Cooper, Lisa A; Fitzpatrick, Stephanie J; Gudzune, Kimberly A; Albert, Michael C; Monroe, Dwyan; Simmons, Michelle; Hickman, Debra; Purnell, Leon; Fisher, Annette; Matens, Richard; Noronha, Gary J; Fagan, Peter J; Ramamurthi, Hema C; Ameling, Jessica M; Charlston, Jeanne; Sam, Tanyka S; Carson, Kathryn A; Wang, Nae-Yuh; Crews, Deidra C; Greer, Raquel C; Sneed, Valerie; Flynn, Sarah J; DePasquale, Nicole; Boulware, L Ebony

    2014-07-01

    Given their high rates of uncontrolled blood pressure, urban African Americans comprise a particularly vulnerable subgroup of persons with hypertension. Substantial evidence has demonstrated the important role of family and community support in improving patients' management of a variety of chronic illnesses. However, studies of multi-level interventions designed specifically to improve urban African American patients' blood pressure self-management by simultaneously leveraging patient, family, and community strengths are lacking. We report the protocol of the Achieving Blood Pressure Control Together (ACT) study, a randomized controlled trial designed to study the effectiveness of interventions that engage patient, family, and community-level resources to facilitate urban African American hypertensive patients' improved hypertension self-management and subsequent hypertension control. African American patients with uncontrolled hypertension receiving health care in an urban primary care clinic will be randomly assigned to receive 1) an educational intervention led by a community health worker alone, 2) the community health worker intervention plus a patient and family communication activation intervention, or 3) the community health worker intervention plus a problem-solving intervention. All participants enrolled in the study will receive and be trained to use a digital home blood pressure machine. The primary outcome of the randomized controlled trial will be patients' blood pressure control at 12months. Results from the ACT study will provide needed evidence on the effectiveness of comprehensive multi-level interventions to improve urban African American patients' hypertension control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. The Quality Teacher and Education Act in San Francisco: Lessons Learned. Policy Brief 09-2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hough, Heather J.

    2009-01-01

    This policy brief reviews the recent experience of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) with the development and approval of Proposition A. Proposition A (also known as the Quality Teacher and Education Act, or QTEA) included a parcel tax mainly dedicated to increasing teachers' salaries, along with a variety of measures introducing…

  16. Educational Malpractice: Breach of Statutory Duty and Affirmative Acts of Negligence by a School District.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckham, Joseph

    1979-01-01

    A cause of action for educational malpractice may well receive initial judicial recognition through successfully harmonizing allegations of breach of a statutory duty of care and acts of negligence of a type and magnitude that would distinguish a student-plaintiff's injuries from others for whose benefit the statutory duty was created. (Author)

  17. Information Literacy and technology to improve learning and education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mooij, Ton; Smeets, Ed

    2011-01-01

    Mooij, T., & Smeets, E. (2011, 13-16 September). Information Literacy and technology to improve learning and education. Presentation and discussion in a cross-network symposium of networks 16 and 12 at the ‘European Conference on Educational Research’ of the “European Educational Research

  18. 76 FR 76603 - Improving American Indian and Alaska Native Educational Opportunities and Strengthening Tribal...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-08

    ..., including Native language immersion programs, that encourage the learning and development of AI/AN children... Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c). Sec. 3. White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education. (a) Establishment. There is hereby established the White House Initiative on American Indian and...

  19. Continuous Improvement in Nursing Education through Total Quality Management (TQM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tang Wai Mun

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Total Quality Management (TQM has generally been validated as a crucial revolution in the management field. Many academicians believe that the concept of TQM is applicable to academics and provides guiding principles towards improving education. Therefore, an increasing number of educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities have started to embrace TQM philosophies to their curricula.Within the context of TQM, this paper would explore the concept of continuous improvement by using the Deming philosophy. Subsequently, this paper would elaborate on the application of TQM to bring about continuous improvement in the current education system.

  20. 75 FR 75469 - Priority Setting for the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-03

    ... Advisor, Child Health and Quality Improvement, Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority...: Importance has several dimensions: To what extent is the topic important to children's health outcomes... Setting for the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Pediatric Quality...

  1. 34 CFR 401.30 - How do the Indian Self-Determination Act and the Act of April 16, 1934 affect awards under the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How do the Indian Self-Determination Act and the Act of April 16, 1934 affect awards under the Indian Vocational Education Program? 401.30 Section 401.30 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL AND...

  2. Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators. Third Edition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mertler, Craig A.

    2011-01-01

    Written for pre- and in-service educators, this "Third Edition" of Craig A. Mertler's "Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators" introduces the process of conducting one's own classroom- or school-based action research in conjunction with everyday instructional practices and activities. The text provides educators with the…

  3. Information Literacy and technology to improve learning and education

    OpenAIRE

    Mooij, Ton; Smeets, Ed

    2011-01-01

    Mooij, T., & Smeets, E. (2011, 13-16 September). Information Literacy and technology to improve learning and education. Presentation and discussion in a cross-network symposium of networks 16 and 12 at the ‘European Conference on Educational Research’ of the “European Educational Research Association” (EERA), Berlin, Germany.

  4. How to improve medical education website design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisson, Stephen D; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Levine, David

    2010-04-21

    The Internet provides a means of disseminating medical education curricula, allowing institutions to share educational resources. Much of what is published online is poorly planned, does not meet learners' needs, or is out of date. Applying principles of curriculum development, adult learning theory and educational website design may result in improved online educational resources. Key steps in developing and implementing an education website include: 1) Follow established principles of curriculum development; 2) Perform a needs assessment and repeat the needs assessment regularly after curriculum implementation; 3) Include in the needs assessment targeted learners, educators, institutions, and society; 4) Use principles of adult learning and behavioral theory when developing content and website function; 5) Design the website and curriculum to demonstrate educational effectiveness at an individual and programmatic level; 6) Include a mechanism for sustaining website operations and updating content over a long period of time. Interactive, online education programs are effective for medical training, but require planning, implementation, and maintenance that follow established principles of curriculum development, adult learning, and behavioral theory.

  5. Using Data to Improve Educational Practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthijs Koopmans

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Review of the book “Action Research in the Classroom: Helping Teachers Assess and Improve their Work” by Sr. Mary Ann Jacobs and Bruce S. Cooper There are many ways in which research can contribute to the improvement of educational practice, and action research is one of them. Action research bridges the gap that typically separates research from practice by having practitioners conduct specific projects to address their own questions and improve their effectiveness based on the answers they obtain. One of the advantages of this type of research is that results are often immediately accessible and have actionable implications. Thus, action research is a good tool for making improvements to the field based on evidence.

  6. Improving the readability of online foot and ankle patient education materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheppard, Evan D; Hyde, Zane; Florence, Mason N; McGwin, Gerald; Kirchner, John S; Ponce, Brent A

    2014-12-01

    Previous studies have shown the need for improving the readability of many patient education materials to increase patient comprehension. This study's purpose was to determine the readability of foot and ankle patient education materials and to determine the extent readability can be improved. We hypothesized that the reading levels would be above the recommended guidelines and that decreasing the sentence length would also decrease the reading level of these patient educational materials. Patient education materials from online public sources were collected. The readability of these articles was assessed by a readability software program. The detailed instructions provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were then used as a guideline for performing edits to help improve the readability of selected articles. The most quantitative guideline, lowering all sentences to less than 15 words, was chosen to show the effect of following the NIH recommendations. The reading levels of the sampled articles were above the sixth to seventh grade recommendations of the NIH. The MedlinePlus website, which is a part of the NIH website, had the lowest reading level (8.1). The articles edited had an average reduction of 1.41 grade levels, with the lowest reduction in the Medline articles of 0.65. Providing detailed instructions to the authors writing these patient education articles and implementing editing techniques based on previous recommendations could lead to an improvement in the readability of patient education materials. This study provides authors of patient education materials with simple editing techniques that will allow for the improvement in the readability of online patient educational materials. The improvement in readability will provide patients with more comprehendible education materials that can strengthen patient awareness of medical problems and treatments. © The Author(s) 2014.

  7. Financing Secondary Education in Kenya: Exploring Strategic Management Approach for Improving Quality of Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itegi, Florence M.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to explore the influence of strategic planning in improving the quality of education. The quality of education is directly linked to the effort expended in making arrangements or preparations of educational objectives and determining the requisite resources to facilitate the training, instruction or study that leads to the…

  8. The Main Directions of Improving the Management of the Higher Education System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terovanesov Mykhajlo R.

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The article is aimed at determining the mechanisms of improving the management of the system of higher education in the context of the current regulatory support, which will be the means to solve the problem of inefficient functioning, lack of financing, and low quality of higher education. The factors, causing negative impact on development of the higher education system were analyzed, the most important of which are the lack of financing and the shortcomings of the legal support of the education sector. It has been determined that a shortage of funds and lack of communication between the education sphere and employers reduces the efficiency of management of the system of higher education. The legal support of the educational activities requires improvement due to the declarative nature of individual provisions on the management of the system of higher education. Consideration of the legal factor is necessary for regulating the decentralization of management in the education sphere, improvement of financing, perfection of the system of control of the education quality. Ways for decentralizing the management of the education sphere, increasing its effectiveness, and improving the economic status of higher education institutions, have been suggested. The scientific-practical recommendations have been formulated to attract potential consumers of educational services to reforming the higher education system and increasing its effectiveness.

  9. Inclusion of Students with an Intellectual Disability in the General Education Classroom with the Use of Response Cards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Laura S.; Haydon, Todd; Bauer, Anne; Epperly, Anna C.

    2016-01-01

    The passage of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act and the No Child Left Behind Act has highlighted the importance of all students having access to the general education curriculum. Because students with disabilities are being included in the general education classroom in greater numbers, teachers need to implement…

  10. 75 FR 69698 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Criteria for Developing Refuge Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Criteria for Developing Refuge Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: The ``Criteria for Developing Refuge Water Management Plans'' (Refuge...

  11. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT MODEL OF NURSING EDUCATION IN MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITIES TOWARD COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Aziz Alimul Hidayat

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Most of (90,6% nursing education quality in East Java was still low (BAN-PT, 2012. It was because the quality improvement process in nursing education generally was conducted partially (random performance improvement. The solution which might be done was through identifying proper quality improvement model in Nursing Education toward competitive advantage. Method: This research used survey to gain the data. The research sample was 16 Muhammadiyah Universities chosen using simple random sampling. The data were collected with questionnaires of 174 questions and documentation study. Data analysis used was Partial Least Square (PLS analysis technique. Result: Nursing education department profile in Muhammadiyah Universities in Indonesia showed of 10 years establishment, accredited B and the competition level in one city/regency was averagely more than three Universities becoming the competitors. Based on the quality improvement model analysis of nursing education toward competitive advantage on Muhammadiyah Universities, it was directly affected by the focus of learning and operasional process through human resources management improvement, on the other hand information system also directly affected on quality improvement, also affected quality process components; leadership, human resources, focus of learning and operational process. In improving human resources would be directly influenced with proper strategic planning. Strategic planning was directly influenced with leadership. Thus, in improving quality of nursing education, the leadership role of department, proper information system, and thehuman resources management improvement must be implemented.  Conclusion: Quality improvement model in nursing education was directly determined with learning and operational process through human resources management along with information system, strategic planning factors, and leadership. The research finding could be developed in quality

  12. Teachers' Knowledge of Special Education Policies and Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Pamela

    2015-01-01

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) greatly improved the educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Teachers require knowledge of the law to deliver necessary and appropriate services to students with disabilities. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine teachers' knowledge of special education…

  13. A glucocorticoid education group meeting: an effective strategy for improving self-management to prevent adrenal crisis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Repping-Wuts, Han J W J; Stikkelbroeck, Nike M M L; Noordzij, Alida; Kerstens, Mies; Hermus, Ad R M M

    2013-07-01

    To assess self-management in patients receiving glucocorticoid replacement therapy for primary or secondary adrenal failure before and 6 months after a glucocorticoid education group meeting. All patients with primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, treated at the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, were invited by their endocrinologist to participate in a 3-h glucocorticoid education group meeting, consisting of a lecture about the disease and glucocorticoid doses adjustments in case of stress, followed by an instruction on how to inject hydrocortisone i.m. Finally, all participants could practise the i.m. injection and discuss their experience with (imminent) adrenal crises with other patients and the health care providers. Two weeks before the meeting and 6 months after the meeting, patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire about how they would act in six different conditions (e.g. febrile illness or vomiting). Of the 405 patients who were invited, 246 patients (61%) participated. At baseline the response by the participants on the questionnaire was 100% (n=246) and at follow-up 74% (n=183). At follow-up, significantly more participants (P≤0.005) gave the correct answers to how to act in different situations (e.g. self-administration of a glucocorticoid injection and phone contact in case of vomiting/diarrhoea without fever). Moreover, the use of self-management tools, such as having a 'medicine passport (travel document with information about disease and medication) (P=0.007) or SOS medallion (P=0.0007)', increased. A glucocorticoid education group meeting for patients with adrenal failure seems helpful to improve self-management and proper use of stress-related glucocorticoid dose adjustment.

  14. Big data in medical informatics: improving education through visual analytics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaitsis, Christos; Nilsson, Gunnar; Zary, Nabil

    2014-01-01

    A continuous effort to improve healthcare education today is currently driven from the need to create competent health professionals able to meet healthcare demands. Limited research reporting how educational data manipulation can help in healthcare education improvement. The emerging research field of visual analytics has the advantage to combine big data analysis and manipulation techniques, information and knowledge representation, and human cognitive strength to perceive and recognise visual patterns. The aim of this study was therefore to explore novel ways of representing curriculum and educational data using visual analytics. Three approaches of visualization and representation of educational data were presented. Five competencies at undergraduate medical program level addressed in courses were identified to inaccurately correspond to higher education board competencies. Different visual representations seem to have a potential in impacting on the ability to perceive entities and connections in the curriculum data.

  15. Understanding the Everyday Practice of Individualized Education Program Team Members

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartmann, Elizabeth S.

    2016-01-01

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 states that individualized education program (IEP) teams are composed of members with distinct identities, roles, expertise, and histories. Although team members must work together to implement educational and related services for learners with special needs, little is known about…

  16. Unravelling Quality Culture in Higher Education: A Realist Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bendermacher, G. W. G.; oude Egbrink, M. G. A.; Wolfhagen, I. H. A. P.; Dolmans, D. H. J. M.

    2017-01-01

    There is a growing belief that higher education institutions should nurture a "quality culture" in which structural/managerial and cultural/psychological elements act in synergy to continuously improve education. Notwithstanding the positive connotation of the "quality culture" concept, its exact configuration remains subject…

  17. Augmented-Virtual Reality: How to improve education systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Fernandez

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This essay presents and discusses the developing role of virtual and augmented reality technologies in education. Addressing the challenges in adapting such technologies to focus on improving students’ learning outcomes, the author discusses the inclusion of experiential modes as a vehicle for improving students’ knowledge acquisition. Stakeholders in the educational role of technology include students, faculty members, institutions, and manufacturers. While the benefits of such technologies are still under investigation, the technology landscape offers opportunities to enhance face-to-face and online teaching, including contributions in the understanding of abstract concepts and training in real environments and situations. Barriers to technology use involve limited adoption of augmented and virtual reality technologies, and, more directly, necessary training of teachers in using such technologies within meaningful educational contexts. The author proposes a six-step methodology to aid adoption of these technologies as basic elements within the regular education: training teachers; developing conceptual prototypes; teamwork involving the teacher, a technical programmer, and an educational architect; and producing the experience, which then provides results in the subsequent two phases wherein teachers are trained to apply augmented- and virtual-reality solutions within their teaching methodology using an available subject-specific experience and then finally implementing the use of the experience in a regular subject with students. The essay concludes with discussion of the business opportunities facing virtual reality in face-to-face education as well as augmented and virtual reality in online education.

  18. Implementing effective simulation-based education to improve ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Implementing effective simulation-based education to improve maternal ... by IDRC, including the contributions IDRC is making towards Canada's maternal child ... OECD's Development Co-Operation Report highlights critical role of data to ...

  19. USE OF ICT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Zaporozhchenko

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The article outlines the main changes in the education system in recent years; reflectes the new educational opportunities for children with disabilities; identifies the possible ways of use of ICT to improve the quality of inclusive education.

  20. Augmented Virtual Reality: How to Improve Education Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Manuel

    2017-01-01

    This essay presents and discusses the developing role of virtual and augmented reality technologies in education. Addressing the challenges in adapting such technologies to focus on improving students' learning outcomes, the author discusses the inclusion of experiential modes as a vehicle for improving students' knowledge acquisition.…

  1. Chemical Education Research: Improving Chemistry Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudley Herron, J.; Nurrenbern, Susan C.

    1999-10-01

    Chemical education research is the systematic investigation of learning grounded in a theoretical foundation that focuses on understanding and improving learning of chemistry. This article reviews many activities, changes, and accomplishments that have taken place in this area of scholarly activity despite its relatively recent emergence as a research area. The article describes how the two predominant broad perspectives of learning, behaviorism and constructivism, have shaped and influenced chemical education research design, analysis, and interpretation during the 1900s. Selected research studies illustrate the range of research design strategies and results that have contributed to an increased understanding of learning in chemistry. The article also provides a perspective of current and continuing challenges that researchers in this area face as they strive to bridge the gap between chemistry and education - disciplines with differing theoretical bases and research paradigms.

  2. IMPROVING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS AT A HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataliya N. Fedyakova

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: this paper deals with the foreign and domestic experience of creation and use of educational institution management automation systems. The problems of higher educational institutions management are essential in conditions of growing competition between educational institutions. Their complexity and timeliness defines multifunctional activity of higher educational institutions, diversity of funding sources, the variety of forms and types of educational, scientific, industrial and economic activities, the need for monitoring of the market of educational services and the labor market (including the need for employment of graduates, the necessity for adaptation to continuously changing economic conditions. Materials and Methods: system approach and method of comparison were used in analysing the current state of development and organisation of the automated information systems of higher education. These methods were also used to compare the qualitative characteristics of different technologies and methods of creation of the automated information systems. Results: the foreign and domestic educational institution management automation systems SIMS. net, Capita Education, SPRUT, Galaxy of Higher Educational Institution Management”, and “GSVedomosty” were analysed. Disadvantages of the functional module AIS – AWP pertaining to the University Rector of the higher educational institution were found. The improvement of higher educational institution AIS by implementing decision support systems for the management, made on the basis of the model of SaaS (software as a service is discussed. The author developed a model of automated score-rating system to assess the individual performance of students. Discussion and Conclusions: the author tackles the problems of higher educational institution AIS taking into account the specifics of the use of higher educational institution management information systems. They have a practical

  3. Current Status and Issues in Basic Pharmaceutical Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasuhara, Tomohisa

    2017-01-01

    Basic research in pharmaceutical sciences has a long and successful history. Researchers in this field have long given prime importance to the knowledge they have gained through their pharmaceutical education. The transition of pharmacy education to a 6-year course term has not only extended its duration but also placed more emphasis on practical clinical education. The School Education Act (in article 87, second paragraph) determines that "the term of the course, whose main purpose is to cultivate practical ability in clinical pharmacy, shall be six years" (excerpt). The 6-year pharmacy education is an exception to the general 4-year university term determined by the School Education Act. Therefore, the purpose of the 6-year course in pharmacy is clearly proscribed. This is true of the basic course in pharmaceutical education as well; hence, the basic course must be oriented toward developing "practical ability in clinical" education, too. The 6-year pharmacy course, starting from practice (Do), has evolved with the development of a syllabus that includes a model core curriculum (Plan). Furthermore, improvement in the course can be seen by the promoted development of faculty (Act). Now, evidence-based education research will be introduced (Check). This is how the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle in pharmaceutical education is expected to work. Currently, pedagogy research in pharmacy education has just begun, so it is difficult to evaluate at this time whether basic pharmaceutical education does in fact contribute to enhancing the "practical clinical ability" component of pharmaceutical education.

  4. The Educational Toolbox: Kick Start Your Educational Program in Quality Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Rebecca L; Medbery, Rachel L; Vandermeer, Thomas J; Morris, Jon B; Kelz, Rachel R

    2015-01-01

    To disseminate materials and learning from the proceedings of the Association of Program Directors 2014 Annual Meeting workshop on the integration of quality improvement (QI) education into the existing educational infrastructure. Modern surgical practice demands an understanding of QI methodology. Yet, today׳s surgeons are not formally educated in QI methodology. Therefore, it is hard to follow the historical mantra of "see one, do one, teach one" in the quality realm. Participants were given a brief introduction to QI approaches. A number of concrete examples of how to incorporate QI education into training programs were presented, followed by a small group session focused on the identification of barriers to incorporation. Participants were provided with a worksheet to help navigate the initial incorporation of QI education in 3 steps. Participants were representative of all types of training programs, with differing levels of existing QI integration. Barriers to QI education included lack of resident interest/buy-in, concerns over the availability of educational resources (i.e., limited time to devote to QI), and a limited QI knowledge among surgical educators. The 3 steps to kick starting the educational process included (1) choosing a specific method of QI education, (2) incorporation via barrier, infrastructure, and stakeholder identification, and (3) implementation and ongoing assessment. Recent changes in the delivery of surgical care along with the new accreditation system have necessitated the development of QI education programs for use in surgical education. To continue to make surgery safer and ensure optimal patient outcomes, surgical educators must teach each resident to adopt quality science methodology in a meaningful way. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. New governance in education and dynamics for improvement: pressure versus commitment

    OpenAIRE

    Antonio Bolívar

    2015-01-01

    The article defends the thesis that, in the second modernity, we are facing new post-bureaucratic ways of education governance to achieve improvements. The so-called "educational restructuring" assumes, in fact, a new "governance" of education, which includes - among others - deregulation, commercialization and introduction of management principles of business scope. Are analyzed two routes of developing to generate improvement: one that favors competition, using commercial image as regulatin...

  6. Employment of Active Learning at HEIs in Bangladesh to Improve Education Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chowdhury, Faieza

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, education quality and quality assessment have received a great deal of attention at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Bangladesh. Most of the HEIs in Bangladesh face severe resource constraints and find it difficult to improve education quality by improving inputs, such as better infrastructure and modernized classroom…

  7. A clinical nurse specialist-led intervention to enhance medication adherence using the plan-do-check-act cycle for continuous self-improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Cynthia L

    2010-01-01

    A clinical nurse specialist-led intervention to improve medication adherence in chronically ill adults using renal transplant recipients as an exemplar population is proposed. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews of chronically ill and transplant patients indicate that patient-specific characteristics not only are poor and inconsistent predictors for medication nonadherence but also are not amenable to intervention. Adherence has not meaningfully improved, despite meta-analyses and systematic narrative reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) dealing with medication nonadherence in acutely and chronically ill persons and RCTs dealing with transplant patients. Interventions with a superior potential to enhance medication adherence must be developed. Use of a clinical nurse specialist-led continuous self-improvement intervention with adult renal transplant recipients is proposed. Continuous self-improvement focuses on improving personal systems thinking and behavior using the plan-do-check-act process. Electronic medication monitoring reports, one of several objective measures of medication adherence, are used by the clinician to provide patient feedback during the check process on medication-taking patterns. Continuous self-improvement as an intervention holds promise in supporting patient self-management and diminishing the blame that clinicians place on patients for medication nonadherence. Using an objective measure of medication adherence such as an electronic monitoring report fosters collaborative patient-clinician discussions of daily medication-taking patterns. Through collaboration, ideas for improving medication taking can be explored. Changes can be followed and evaluated for effectiveness through the continuous self-improvement process. Future studies should include RCTs comparing educational and/or behavioral interventions to improve medication adherence.

  8. Implementing and Sustaining School Improvement. The Informed Educator Series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Protheroe, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    This "Informed Educator" examines research-proven strategies for implementing and sustaining school improvement by looking at the key elements of the process, enabling conditions for improvement, issues of school culture, and implementation. It also looks at school turnarounds and how to sustain school improvement once reforms are implemented.

  9. Improvement of educational quality in VET: Who is next?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Venne, L. van de; Honingh, M.E.; Genugten, M.L. van; Bruijn, E. de; Billett, S.; Onstenk, J.

    2017-01-01

    Educational quality is a recurrent theme in the Dutch Vocational and Educational Training (VET) sector. Given the major transformations in school governance and the increased autonomy of schools and school boards, it is important to address whether schools and school boards are able to improve

  10. Improving Academic Writing in Nursing Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattsson, Janet

    2016-01-01

    Background: At a specialist nursing education in intensive care, located at a University college in Sweden, there was a desire among the faculty to develop their ability to support specialist nursing students in their academic development, as well as in their academic writing, to improve the overall quality of the master theses. A quality…

  11. An educational approach to improve outcomes in acute kidney injury (AKI): report of a quality improvement project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Gang; Baines, Richard; Westacott, Rachel; Selby, Nick; Carr, Susan

    2014-03-20

    To assess the impact of a quality improvement project that used a multifaceted educational intervention on how to improve clinician's knowledge, confidence and awareness of acute kidney injury (AKI). 2 large acute teaching hospitals in England, serving a combined population of over 1.5 million people. All secondary care clinicians working in the clinical areas were targeted, with a specific focus on clinicians working in acute admission areas. A multifaceted educational intervention consisting of traditional didactic lectures, case-based teaching in small groups and an interactive web-based learning resource. We assessed clinicians' knowledge of AKI and their self-reported clinical behaviour using an interactive questionnaire before and after the educational intervention. Secondary outcome measures included clinical audit of patient notes before and after the intervention. 26% of clinicians reported that they were aware of local AKI guidelines in the preintervention questionnaire compared to 64% in the follow-up questionnaire (χ²=60.2, pquality improvement project utilising a multifaceted educational intervention improved awareness of AKI as demonstrated by changes in the clinician's self-reported management of patients with AKI. Elements of the project have been sustained beyond the project period, and demonstrate the power of quality improvement projects to help initiate changes in practice. Our findings are limited by confounding factors and highlight the need to carry out formal randomised studies to determine the impact of educational initiatives in the clinical setting.

  12. The Role of the National Laboratory in Improving Secondary Science Education

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    White,K.; Morris, M.; Stegman, M.

    2008-10-20

    While the role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers in our education system is obvious, their role in our economic and national security system is less so. Our nation relies upon innovation and creativity applied in a way that generates new technologies for industry, health care, and the protection of our national assets and citizens. Often, it is our science teachers who generate the excitement that leads students to pursue science careers. While academia provides these teachers with the tools to educate, the rigors of a science and technology curriculum, coupled with the requisite teaching courses, often limit teacher exposure to an authentic research environment. As the single largest funding agency for the physical sciences, the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science plays an important role in filling this void. For STEM teachers, the DOE Academies Creating Teacher Scientists program (ACTS) bridges the worlds of research and education. The ACTS program at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), one of several across the country, exemplifies the value of this program for participating teachers. Outcomes of the work at BNL as evidenced by the balance of this report, include the following: (1) Teachers have developed long-term relationships with the Laboratory through participation in ongoing research, and this experience has both built enthusiasm for and enriched the content knowledge of the participants. (2) Teachers have modified the way they teach and are more likely to engage students in authentic research and include more inquiry-based activities. (3) Teachers have reported their students are more interested in becoming involved in science through classes, extra-curricular clubs, and community involvement. (4) Teachers have established leadership roles within their peer groups, both in their own districts and in the broader teaching community. National laboratories are making an important contribution to the

  13. Medical simulation-based education improves medicos' clinical skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhaoming; Liu, Qiaoyu; Wang, Hai

    2013-03-01

    Clinical skill is an essential part of clinical medicine and plays quite an important role in bridging medicos and physicians. Due to the realities in China, traditional medical education is facing many challenges. There are few opportunities for students to practice their clinical skills and their dexterities are generally at a low level. Medical simulation-based education is a new teaching modality and helps to improve medicos' clinical skills to a large degree. Medical simulation-based education has many significant advantages and will be further developed and applied.

  14. Integrating Planning, Assessment, and Improvement in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherlock, Barbara J.

    2009-01-01

    Based on Penn State's popular "Innovation Insights" series, this book brings together in one handy reference nearly a decade of tried and true insights into continuous quality improvements in higher education. Their five-step model for integrating planning, assessment, and improvement moves plans off the shelf and into the weekly and daily…

  15. Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance: Using Research and Data to Understand and Improve Educator Preparation and Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest, 2018

    2018-01-01

    Research shows that teachers affect student learning more than any other factor. The Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, a collaborative partnership of educators, policymakers, and researchers, seeks to improve educator quality through research and analytic technical support. Initially focused on Texas, the alliance has expanded to include…

  16. Improving Teacher Education through Action Research. Routledge Research in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hui, Ming-Fai, Ed.; Grossman, David L., Ed.

    2011-01-01

    There has been a dearth of studies on teacher educators using action research to improve their own practice. This book is the first systematic study of a group of teachers examining and enhancing their own practice through the inquiry process of action research. This book presents a broad overview of a variety of methodologies that can be used to…

  17. The History and State of Neonatal Nursing Quality Improvement Practice and Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukla, Aniko; Dowling, Donna A; Dolansky, Mary A

    2018-03-01

    Quality improvement has evolved rapidly in neonatal nursing. This review outlines the history and current state of quality improvement practice and education in neonatal nursing. The future of neonatal nursing includes a stronger emphasis on quality improvement in advanced practice education that promotes doctoral projects that result in clinical improvements. A collective focus will ensure that neonatal nurses not only deliver evidence-based care, but also continually improve the care they deliver.

  18. Effectiveness of Nutrition Education vs. Non-Nutrition Education Intervention in Improving Awareness Pertaining Iron Deficiency among Anemic Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusoff, Hafzan; Wan Daud, Wan Nudri; Ahmad, Zulkifli

    2013-01-01

    This study was carried out to compare the effect between nutrition education intervention and non-nutrition education intervention on awareness regarding iron deficiency among schooling adolescents in Tanah Merah, one of rural district in Kelantan, Malaysia. This study which was started in year 2010 involved 280 respondents (223 girls, 57 boys, age: 16 yr) from schools in Tanah Merah. The selection criteria were based on hemoglobin level (Hb = 7 - 11.9 g/dL for girls; Hb = 7 - 12.9 g/dL for boys). They were divided into 2 groups. The first group received nutrition education package (Nutrition education, NE), whereas another group was entitled to receive non-nutrition education intervention (Non-Nutrition Education, NNE) (supplement only). Both interventions were implemented for 3 months. The changes in awareness among respondents of both groups were evaluated using multi-choices questionnaire. Nutrition education receiver group (NE) demonstrated improvement in awareness at post-intervention. No substantial improvement was demonstrated by the counterpart group (NNE). Multimedia nutrition education program conducted at school setting was in fact practical and effective in improving awareness on iron deficiency among anemic adolescents.

  19. Improving physician-patient communication about cancer pain with a tailored education-coaching intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Street, Richard L; Slee, Christina; Kalauokalani, Donna K; Dean, Dionne Evans; Tancredi, Daniel J; Kravitz, Richard L

    2010-07-01

    This study examined the effect of a theoretically grounded, tailored education-coaching intervention to help patients more effectively discuss their pain-related questions, concerns, and preferences with physicians. Grounded in social-cognitive and communication theory, a tailored education-coaching (TEC) intervention was developed to help patients learn pain management and communication skills. In a RCT, 148 cancer patients agreed to have their consultations audio-recorded and were assigned to the intervention or a control group. The recordings were used to code for patients' questions, acts of assertiveness, and expressed concerns and to rate the quality of physicians' communication. Patients in the TEC group discussed their pain concerns more than did patients in the control group. More active patients also had more baseline pain and interacted with physicians using participatory decision-making. Ratings of physicians' information about pain were higher when patients talked more about their pain concerns. The study demonstrates the efficacy of a theoretically grounded, coaching intervention to help cancer patients talk about pain control. Coaching interventions can be effective resources for helping cancer patients communicate about their pain concerns if they are theoretically grounded, can be integrated within clinical routines, and lead to improve health outcomes. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM ACTIVITIES OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. M. Sultalieva

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. The aim of the article is the improvement of quality assessment system of higher education institutions in the aspect of management. The problems of quality improvement are revealed and classified. The analysis of criteria assessment sets used to define the efficiency of higher education institutions activity is carried out. The components of quality of higher education institutions activity are specified. The structural model of quality assessment system of higher education institutions activity is offered. The analysis of macro environment of a university based on the method of strategic management is carried out, i.e. PEST analysis. As a result of the research a new model of macro criteria model of quality assessment system of higher education institutions, characterizing quality management as an approach to university efficiency is offered, moreover, this system can define the level of its competitiveness in the aspect of quality management. 

  1. 75 FR 20346 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-19

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records AGENCY: Federal Student Aid, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of an altered system of records. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 552a, the Chief Operating...

  2. Guiding and Modelling Quality Improvement in Higher Education Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    The article considers the process of creating quality improvement in higher education institutions from the point of view of current organisational theory and social-science modelling techniques. The author considers the higher education institution as a functioning complex of rules, norms and other organisational features and reviews the social…

  3. Improving Completion Rates in Adult Education through Social Responsibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahlgren, Bjarne; Mariager-Anderson, Kristina

    2017-01-01

    Dropout is a serious problem within education. This article reports on an intervention project, titled "New Roles for the Teacher--Increased Completion Rates Through Social Responsibility," which sought to reduce nonattendance and drop-out rates in the Danish adult educational system by improving teachers' competences. This goal was…

  4. Using multifaceted education to improve management in acute viral bronchiolitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murch, Hannah; Oakley, Juliette; Pierrepoint, Marcus; Powell, Colin

    2015-07-01

    To establish current bronchiolitis management across hospitals in Wales, improve compliance with national guidelines and standardise evidence-based clinical practice. A complete audit cycle with implementation of a multifaceted education bundle prior to the follow-up audit. Twelve acute paediatric departments between 1 November and 31 December in 2012 and 2013. All infants under 12 months with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis. The first audit assessed management of bronchiolitis with reference to both the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) guidelines and local hospital guidelines. Following analysis and dissemination of these results, an education bundle was implemented nationwide, with completion of the audit cycle to assess change. Compliance with SIGN recommendations for investigation, treatment and discharge. Compliance with the education bundle requirements also assessed in 2013. Data were collected for 1599 infants. The education bundle was delivered in all hospitals. The level of severity, defined by oxygen saturations in air at presentation, length of stay and paediatric intensive care unit transfers, was equivalent for both years. Mean compliance percentage (95% CI) across Wales significantly improved between 2012 and 2013, with compliance with investigations increasing from 50% (46% to 53%) to 71% (68% to 74%), with management increasing from 65% (61% to 68%) to 74% (71% to 77%), and overall compliance improving from 38% (37% to 39%) to 59% (56% to 62%) in 2013. This audit demonstrated a significant improvement in compliance following implementation of our educational bundle. This has enabled improvement in standardised and evidence-based patient care across Wales. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  5. The balancing act between the constitutional right to strike and the constitutional right to education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H J (Jaco Deacon

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available While the South African Constitution enshrines both children's right to a basic education and teachers' right to strike, conflict between these two often occurs when the way in which teachers' unions conduct strike actions detracts from learners' education. This article identifies the parties affected by industrial action in the school context, and then proceeds to examine educators' right to strike as defined by the provisions of the Labour Relations Act. The unique implications of picketing in the education environment are then discussed, covering relevant questions such as where pickets may be held, the issue of picketing rules as well as unprotected pickets. Even though we are faced with a qualified right to strike as opposed to an unqualified right to education, the South African reality seems to be that striking teachers are handled with kid gloves. It is therefore concluded that the vast range of existing laws regulating protest action should be applied more effectively. One of the most important aspects should be the picketing rules, which should clearly determine whether picketing in fact contributes to resolution of the dispute, and how learners' interests and rights may best be actualised.

  6. Changing academic culture to improve undergraduate STEM education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suchman, Erica L

    2014-12-01

    Improving undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education requires faculty with the skills, resources, and time to create active learning environments that foster student engagement. Current faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure practices at many universities do not measure, reward, nor encourage faculty pursuit of these skills. A cultural change is needed to foster improvement. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Rural Districts Left Behind? Rural Districts and the Challenges of Administering the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yettick, Holly; Baker, Robin; Wickersham, Mary; Hupfeld, Kelly

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to inform the upcoming and overdue reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by exploring whether rural school districts face disadvantages as they attempt to follow the law's provisions and, if so, if the law's rural-specific section ameliorates these disadvantages. The research drew upon…

  8. Improving Teacher-Made Assessments in Technology and Engineering Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Jesse W.; Moye, Johnny J.; Gareis, Christopher R.; Hylton, Sarah P.

    2018-01-01

    In the interest of learning how to effectively use the technological literacy standards and of adhering to education regulation, this article focuses on efforts to improve the professional teaching practices of Technology and Engineering Education (TEE) teachers by using the Gareis and Grant (2015) process with respect to "Standards for…

  9. A Research Focused on Improving Vocalisation Level on Violin Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parasiz, Gökalp

    2018-01-01

    The research aimed to improve vocalisation levels of music teacher's candidates on performance works for violin education moving from difficulties faced by prospective teachers. At the same time, it was aimed to provide new perspectives to violin educators. Study group was composed of six 3rd grade students studying violin education in a State…

  10. Patient perspectives about bariatric surgery unveil experiences, education, satisfaction, and recommendations for improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groller, Karen D; Teel, Cynthia; Stegenga, Kristin H; El Chaar, Maher

    2018-02-17

    Following bariatric surgery, up to 35% of patients struggle with strict regimens and experience weight recidivism within 2 years [1-5]. Accredited weight management centers (WMC) must provide educational programs and support patients in lifestyle changes before and after surgery. Educational programs, however, may not be evidence-based or patient-centered and may vary in curriculum, approach, and educator type [6]. To obtain patient descriptions about the weight loss surgery (WLS) experience, including education, satisfaction, and recommendations for improvement. Participants were recruited from a university hospital-based WMC in Pennsylvania. This qualitative descriptive study used purposive sampling and inductive content analysis. A NEW ME-VERSION 2.0, encompassed themes from semistructured interviews with 11 participants (36% male). Theme 1: Programming and Tools, explained how individuals undergoing WLS found support through educational programming. Theme 2: Updates and Upgrades, identified issues surrounding quality of life and challenges before and after surgery. Theme 3: Lessons Learned and Future Considerations, identified satisfaction levels and recommendations for improving the WLS experience. Participants reported positive experiences, acknowledging educational programs and extensive WMC resources, yet also offered recommendations for improving educational programming. Patient narratives provided evidence about the WLS experience. Achievement of weight goals, adherence to rules, and improved health status contributed to perceptions of WLS success. Participants encouraged educators to identify expected outcomes of educational programming, monitor holistic transformations, foster peer support, and use technology in WMC programming. Results also validated the need for the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program's education requirement (standard 5.1). Future educational research could help develop best practices in WLS

  11. Improving collaborative learning in online software engineering education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neill, Colin J.; DeFranco, Joanna F.; Sangwan, Raghvinder S.

    2017-11-01

    Team projects are commonplace in software engineering education. They address a key educational objective, provide students critical experience relevant to their future careers, allow instructors to set problems of greater scale and complexity than could be tackled individually, and are a vehicle for socially constructed learning. While all student teams experience challenges, those in fully online programmes must also deal with remote working, asynchronous coordination, and computer-mediated communications all of which contribute to greater social distance between team members. We have developed a facilitation framework to aid team collaboration and have demonstrated its efficacy, in prior research, with respect to team performance and outcomes. Those studies indicated, however, that despite experiencing improved project outcomes, students working in effective software engineering teams did not experience significantly improved individual achievement. To address this deficiency we implemented theoretically grounded refinements to the collaboration model based upon peer-tutoring research. Our results indicate a modest, but statistically significant (p = .08), improvement in individual achievement using this refined model.

  12. The Case for Improving U.S. Computer Science Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nager, Adams; Atkinson, Robert

    2016-01-01

    Despite the growing use of computers and software in every facet of our economy, not until recently has computer science education begun to gain traction in American school systems. The current focus on improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. School system has disregarded differences within STEM…

  13. Improving surgical site infection prevention practices through a multifaceted educational intervention.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Owens, P

    2015-03-01

    As part of the National Clinical Programme on healthcare-associated infection prevention, a Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) working group developed a quality improvement tool for prevention of surgical site infection (SS). We aimed to validate the effectiveness of an educational campaign, which utilises this quality improvement tool to prevent SSI in a tertiary hospital. Prior to the SSI educational campaign, surgical patients were prospectively audited and details of antibiotic administration recorded. Prophylactic antibiotic administration recommendations were delivered via poster and educational presentations. Post-intervention, the audit was repeated. 50 patients were audited pre-intervention, 45 post-intervention. Post-intervention, prophylaxis within 60 minutes prior to incision increased from 54% to 68% (p = 0.266). Appropriate postoperative prescribing improved from 71% to 92% (p = 0.075). A multifaceted educational program may be effective in changing SSI prevention practices.

  14. Online Education Improves Dementia Knowledge: Evidence From an International Intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annear, Michael J

    2018-03-01

    Dementia education disseminated through massive open online courses (MOOCs) has the potential to improve knowledge and care provision among health professionals and lay people. The potential learning effects of a dementia MOOC were assessed using a reliable and valid measure with international volunteers ( N = 3,649) who completed the measure before and after online education. Evaluation of learning effects suggests that the MOOC significantly increased dementia knowledge by at least 17% across six cohorts. Knowledge was improved by the MOOC in three ways: it significantly improved overall understanding of dementia for diverse cohorts; it reduced knowledge disparity within occupational and lay cohorts; and it reduced knowledge disparity across occupational and lay cohorts. The capacity of a dementia MOOC to significantly improve knowledge and reach a wide audience may lead to population-level improvements in understanding about dementia. This may foster improvements in treatment and quality of care for people with dementia.

  15. Improving critical thinking and clinical reasoning with a continuing education course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Dina Monteiro; Pimenta, Cibele Mattos; Lunney, Margaret

    2009-03-01

    Continuing education courses related to critical thinking and clinical reasoning are needed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. This study evaluated a 4-day, 16-hour continuing education course conducted in Brazil.Thirty-nine nurses completed a pretest and a posttest consisting of two written case studies designed to measure the accuracy of nurses' diagnoses. There were significant differences in accuracy from pretest to posttest for case 1 (p = .008) and case 2 (p = .042) and overall (p = .001). Continuing education courses should be implemented to improve the accuracy of nurses' diagnoses.

  16. Oversight Hearing on the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965: Hilo, Hawaii. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session (Hilo, HI, July 1, 1991).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education.

    In one of a series of hearings held in communities around the nation on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met to hear testimony from higher education professionals, business people, and students in the state of Hawaii. In particular the witnesses, grouped in seven panels, testified…

  17. Quality improvement education to improve performance on ulcerative colitis quality measures and care processes aligned with National Quality Strategy priorities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, Laurence; Moreo, Kathleen

    2015-01-01

    Studies on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have reported suboptimal approaches to patient care. In the United States, the findings have motivated leading gastroenterology organizations to call for initiatives that support clinicians in aligning their practices with quality measures for IBD and priorities of the National Quality Strategy (NQS). We designed and implemented a quality improvement (QI) education program on ulcerative colitis in which patient charts were audited for 30 gastroenterologists before (n = 300 charts) and after (n = 290 charts) they participated in QI-focused educational activities. Charts were audited for nine measures, selected for their alignment with four NQS priorities: making care safer, ensuring patient engagement, promoting communication, and promoting effective treatment practices. Four of the measures, including guideline-directed vaccinations and assessments of disease type and activity, were part of the CMS Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS). The other five measures involved counseling patients on various topics in ulcerative colitis management, documentation of side effects, assessment of adherence status, and simplification of dosing. The gastroenterologists also completed baseline and post-education surveys designed to assess qualitative outcomes. One of the educational interventions was a private audit feedback session conducted for each gastroenterologist. The sessions were designed to support participants in identifying measures reflecting suboptimal care quality and developing action plans for improvement. In continuous improvement cycles, follow-up interventions included QI tools and educational monographs. Across the nine chart variables, post-education improvements ranged from 0% to 48%, with a mean improvement of 15.9%. Survey findings revealed improvements in self-reported understanding of quality measures and intentions to apply them to practice, and lower rates of perceived significant barriers to high

  18. Intercultural bilingual education in Nicaragua: Contextualisation for improving the quality of education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valiente Catter, Teresa

    2011-12-01

    For the past 35 years, various models of intercultural bilingual education (IBE) have been implemented in Latin American schools and adult education. While Spanish is the official language in Nicaragua, many indigenous languages, such as Miskito and Sumo-Mayangna, are also spoken - especially in the Atlantic coastal region. The Nicaraguan Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport recognises the need for a flexible curriculum that reflects individual local and regional linguistic and socio-cultural characteristics, through the use of mother tongue and second language learning. The contextualisation model applied in the Atlantic coastal region of Nicaragua is therefore based on the use of a languages strategy in preparing textbooks and basic technical materials with an IBE approach, as part of the process of improving the quality of education. Thus intercultural communication is enhanced, and the need to strengthen the systematic teaching of languages, differentiating between mother tongue, second language and foreign language, is recognised. As well as explaining the contextualisation process in detail, this article discusses the conceptual differences between intercultural bilingual education (IBE) and bilingual intercultural education (BIE). The paper concludes with several recommendations for the further development of BIE in Latin America.

  19. School Library Resources, Textbooks, and Other Instructional Materials. Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1972. Title II Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

    Narrative reports submitted by individual State Departments of Education relating to the operation of their respective Title II Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs are synthesized in this document. Information is provided about six aspects of the programs: 1) state management of ESEA Title II programs; 2) program development; 3)…

  20. Partnering with diabetes educators to improve patient outcomes

    OpenAIRE

    Burke SD; Sherr D; Lipman RD

    2014-01-01

    Sandra D Burke,1,2 Dawn Sherr,3 Ruth D Lipman3 1American Association of Diabetes Educators, Chicago, IL, USA; 2University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, Urbana, IL, USA; 3Science and Practice, American Association of Diabetes Educators, Chicago, IL, USA Abstract: Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease that affects millions worldwide. The paradigm of diabetes management has shifted to focus on empowering the person with diabetes to manage the disease successfully and to improv...

  1. Improving business IQ in medicine through mentorship and education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Austin D

    2014-09-01

    Business intelligence in the field of medicine, particularly with physicians, has been an abstract concept at best with no objective metric. Furthermore, in many arenas, it was taboo for medical students, residents, and physicians to discuss the business and finances of their work for fear that it would interfere with their sacred duties as health care providers. There has been a substantial shift in this philosophy over the last few decades with the growth and evolution of the health care industry in the United States. In 2012, health care expenditures accounted for 17.2% of the United States Gross Domestic Product, averaging $8915 per person. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in March of 2010 sent a clear message to all that change is coming, and it is more important now than ever to have physician leaders whose skills and knowledge in business, management, and health care law rival their acumen within their medical practice. Students, residents, and fellows all express a desire to gain more business knowledge throughout their education and training, but many do not know where to begin or have access to programs that can further their knowledge. Whether you are an employed or private practice physician, academic or community based, improving your business intelligence will help you get a seat at the table where decisions are made and give you the skills to influence those decisions.

  2. Streamline and Improve the Targeting of Education Tax Benefits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Institute for College Access & Success, 2014

    2014-01-01

    This one-page document presents The Institute for College Access & Success' (TICAS') recommendations for ways to improve the targeting of higher education tax benefits. The TICAS white paper, "Aligning the Means and the Ends: How to Improve Federal Student Aid and Increase College Access and Success," recommends almost entirely…

  3. Acts of Research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nelund, Sidsel

    place mostly in seminars and articles, in which knowledge is often discussed as an intrinsic quality of the artwork. Acts of Research, however, is devoted to studying the rise of knowledge production in contemporary art from the perspective of artistic, curatorial and educational research...... described as knowledge producers and exhibitions and art works as instances of knowledge production. Acts of Research: Knowledge Production in Contemporary Arts between Knowledge Economy and Critical Practices analyses this development. The academic discussion of knowledge production in the arts has taken...... with an awareness of larger political, economic, geographical and art-related aspects. The concept of ‘acts of research’ is suggested as a way to understand knowledge production as a creative act in which research carried out in relation to a specific material challenges and resists the protocols of conventional...

  4. Final priority; technical assistance to improve state data capacity--National Technical Assistance Center to improve state capacity to accurately collect and report IDEA data. Final priority.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-20

    The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Technical Assistance to Improve State Data Capacity program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on an identified national need to provide technical assistance (TA) to States to improve their capacity to meet the data collection and reporting requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We intend this priority to establish a TA center to improve State capacity to accurately collect and report IDEA data (Data Center).

  5. Contemporary Technologies to Improve the Quality of Education When Training Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibgatullina, Alfiya

    2015-01-01

    The article considers contemporary technologies to improve the quality of teachers' education (as exemplified by the training of foreign language teachers). The author presents analysis of the "quality of education" concept, proposes and analyzes the criteria for assessing the quality of education of future foreign language teachers.…

  6. 76 FR 16818 - Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Standard Criteria for Ag and Urban Water Management Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-25

    ... Valley Project water conservation best management practices (BMPs) that shall develop Criteria for... project contractors using best available cost- effective technology and best management practices.'' The... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Standard...

  7. Quality Function Deployment Application for Improving Quality of Education in Business Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagnak, Muhittin; Ada, Nesrin; Kazancoglu, Yigit; Tayaksi, Cansu

    2017-01-01

    There is an increasing competition between universities globally to attract students. At this point, to compete, it is imperative for the universities to improve the quality of education provided for their stakeholders, including students, parents, and employers. For improving the quality of education, first of all, the universities should make…

  8. Improvement of Clinical Skills through Pharmaceutical Education and Clinical Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishizaki, Junko

    2017-01-01

    Professors and teaching staff in the field of pharmaceutical sciences should devote themselves to staying abreast of relevant education and research. Similarly those in clinical pharmacies should contribute to the advancement of pharmaceutical research and the development of next generation pharmacists and pharmaceuticals. It is thought that those who work in clinical pharmacies should improve their own skills and expertise in problem-finding and -solving, i.e., "clinical skills". They should be keen to learn new standard treatments based on the latest drug information, and should try to be in a position where collecting clinical information is readily possible. In the case of pharmacists in hospitals and pharmacies, they are able to aim at improving their clinical skills simply through performing their pharmaceutical duties. On the other hand, when a pharmaceutical educator aims to improve clinical skills at a level comparable to those of clinical pharmacists, it is necessary to devote or set aside considerable time for pharmacist duties, in addition to teaching, which may result in a shortage of time for hands-on clinical practice and/or in a decline in the quality of education and research. This could be a nightmare for teaching staff in clinical pharmacy who aim to take part in such activities. Nonetheless, I believe that teaching staff in the clinical pharmacy area could improve his/her clinical skills through actively engaging in education and research. In this review, I would like to introduce topics on such possibilities from my own experiences.

  9. Building High-Performing and Improving Education Systems: Teachers. Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slater, Liz

    2013-01-01

    There is overwhelming evidence that teachers have the most effect on pupil outcomes (closely followed by the quality of leadership). The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) concluded that: (1) teachers were central to school improvement; (2) in order to improve the quality and fairness of education, teachers had to be…

  10. DIGITAL SIMULATIONS FOR IMPROVING EDUCATION: Learning Through Artificial Teaching Environments

    OpenAIRE

    Reviewed by Özlem OZAN

    2009-01-01

    DIGITAL SIMULATIONS FOR IMPROVING EDUCATION:Learning Through Artificial Teaching EnvironmentsGibson, David, Ed.D.; Information Science Reference, Hershey, PA,SBN-10: 1605663239, ISBN-13: 9781605663234, p.514 Jan 2009Reviewed byÖzlem OZANFaculty of Education, Eskişehir Osmangazi University,Eskisehir-TURKEYSimulations in education, both for children and adults,become popular with the development of computer technology, because they are fun and engaging and allow learners to internalize knowledg...

  11. Improving student-perceived benefit of academic advising within education of occupational and physical therapy in the United States: a quality improvement initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Lisa J; Parish, Robin

    2017-01-01

    Academic advising is a key role for faculty in the educational process of health professionals; however, the best practice of effective academic advising for occupational and physical therapy students has not been identified in the current literature. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess and improve the faculty/student advisor/advisee process within occupational and physical therapy programs within a school of allied health professions in the United States in 2015. A quality improvement initiative utilizing quantitative and qualitative information was gathered via survey focused on the assessment and improvement of an advisor/advisee process. The overall initiative utilized an adaptive iterative design incorporating the plan-do-study-act model which included a three-step process over a one year time frame utilizing 2 cohorts, the first with 80 students and the second with 88 students. Baseline data were gathered prior to initiating the new process. A pilot was conducted and assessed during the first semester of the occupational and physical therapy programs. Final information was gathered after one full academic year with final comparisons made to baseline. Defining an effective advisory program with an established framework led to improved awareness and participation by students and faculty. Early initiation of the process combined with increased frequency of interaction led to improved student satisfaction. Based on student perceptions, programmatic policies were initiated to promote advisory meetings early and often to establish a positive relationship. The policies focus on academic advising as one of proactivity in which the advisor serves as a portal which the student may access leading to a more successful academic experience.

  12. Improving student-perceived benefit of academic advising within education of occupational and physical therapy in the United States: a quality improvement initiative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa J. Barnes

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Academic advising is a key role for faculty in the educational process of health professionals; however, the best practice of effective academic advising for occupational and physical therapy students has not been identified in the current literature. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to assess and improve the faculty/student advisor/advisee process within occupational and physical therapy programs within a school of allied health professions in the United States in 2015. A quality improvement initiative utilizing quantitative and qualitative information was gathered via survey focused on the assessment and improvement of an advisor/advisee process. The overall initiative utilized an adaptive iterative design incorporating the plan-do-study-act model which included a three-step process over a one year time frame utilizing 2 cohorts, the first with 80 students and the second with 88 students. Baseline data were gathered prior to initiating the new process. A pilot was conducted and assessed during the first semester of the occupational and physical therapy programs. Final information was gathered after one full academic year with final comparisons made to baseline. Defining an effective advisory program with an established framework led to improved awareness and participation by students and faculty. Early initiation of the process combined with increased frequency of interaction led to improved student satisfaction. Based on student perceptions, programmatic policies were initiated to promote advisory meetings early and often to establish a positive relationship. The policies focus on academic advising as one of proactivity in which the advisor serves as a portal which the student may access leading to a more successful academic experience.

  13. Especially for Teachers: The Connection. An Invitation to School Improvement in North Carolina, 3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

    North Carolina's educational reform effort is composed of three related programs--the Basic Education Program (BEP), the School Improvement and Accountability Act (Senate Bill 2), and a new system of state accreditation. Information about the complementary and interdependent connection among the three programs is provided in this publication. The…

  14. Introduction: Educative innovation and teaching improvement: path and some ideas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Miralles Martínez

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Educative innovation has to be the main field of research on Education. Research on education has to be coalesced with innovation in order to prevent the division between scientific research and teaching. Therefore, both have to be conceived at the same time taking into account teaching and its challenges during the research processInnovation consists in a process of planning and improvement. Innovation implies a change in school practices: to design and built them. However, changes are difficult to set and need time. Furthermore, schools' organization is difficult to change because its complexity and its resistance to change.The aim of this paper is to set out the main issues on innovation on education. How to think education and innovation to learn how to do something new on education? We suggest building a collective project with the engagement of the school’s staff. Furthermore, we recommend to create working groups and that their results on innovation will be disseminate to the rest of the teachers; as well as, to involve all teachers in building a working atmosphere based on experiences’ exchanges and collaboration among peers. We do suggest that those teachers, which innovate in their classrooms, should be promoted to new positions and be encouraged. Therefore, teaching improvement and a better education could be reaching.

  15. Profiles of Change: Lessons for Improving High School Physical Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    This feature has told stories of high school physical educators who have refused to accept the status quo of high school physical education programs. They have identified problems, initiated innovations in their own classes, implemented changes beyond their classes, and moved toward institutionalizing improvements throughout their programs and…

  16. Improving Ethical Attitudes or Simply Teaching Ethical Codes? The Reality of Accounting Ethics Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Robyn Ann; O'Leary, Conor

    2015-01-01

    Ethical instruction is critical in accounting education. However, does accounting ethics teaching actually instil core ethical values or simply catalogue how students should act when confronted with typical accounting ethical dilemmas? This study extends current literature by distinguishing between moral/ethical and legal/ethical matters and then…

  17. Brief biopsychosocially informed education can improve insurance workers? back pain beliefs: Implications for improving claims management behaviours

    OpenAIRE

    Beales, Darren; Mitchell, Tim; Pole, Naomi; Weir, James

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Biopsychosocially informed education is associated with improved back pain beliefs and positive changes in health care practitioners? practice behaviours. OBJECTIVE: Assess the effect of this type of education for insurance workers who are important non-clinical stakeholders in the rehabilitation of injured workers. METHODS: Insurance workers operating in the Western Australian workers? compensation system underwent two, 1.5 hour sessions of biopsychosocially informed education fo...

  18. Feasibility of motivational interviewing delivered by a glaucoma educator to improve medication adherence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Paul F; Bremer, Robert W; Ayala, A J; Kahook, Malik Y

    2010-10-05

    Adherence to glaucoma treatment is poor, potentially reducing therapeutic effects. A glaucoma educator was trained to use motivational interviewing (MI), a patient-centered counseling style, to improve adherence. This study was designed to evaluate whether MI was feasible in a busy ophthalmology practice. Feasibility was assessed using five criteria from the National Institutes of Health Behavior Change consortium: fidelity of intervention components to MI theory; success of the training process; delivery of MI-consistent interventions by the glaucoma educator; patient receipt of the intervention based on enrollment, attrition, and satisfaction; and patient enactment of changes in motivation and adherence over the course of the intervention. A treatment manual was designed by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in health psychology, public health, and ophthalmology. The glaucoma educator received 6 hours of training including role-play exercises, self-study, and individual supervision. His MI-related knowledge and skills increased following training, and he delivered exclusively MI-consistent interventions in 66% of patient encounters. 86% (12/14) of eligible patients agreed to be randomized into glaucoma educator support or a control condition. All 8 patients assigned to the glaucoma educator completed at least 2 of 6 planned contacts, and 50% (4/8) completed all 6 contacts. Patients assigned to the glaucoma educator improved over time in both motivation and adherence. The introduction of a glaucoma educator was feasible in a busy ophthalmology practice. Patients improved their adherence while participating in the glaucoma educator program, although this study was not designed to show a causal effect. The use of a glaucoma educator to improve glaucoma patients' medication adherence may be feasible at other ophthalmology clinics, and can be implemented with a standardized training approach. Pilot data show the intervention can be implemented with fidelity, is

  19. Quality Improvement in Virtual Higher Education: A Grounded Theory Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahdiuon, Rouhollah; Masoumi, Davoud; Farasatkhah, Maghsoud

    2017-01-01

    The article aims to explore the attributes of quality and quality improvement including the process and specific actions associated with these attributes--that contribute enhancing quality in Iranian Virtual Higher Education (VHE) institutions. A total of 16 interviews were conducted with experts and key actors in Iranian virtual higher education.…

  20. The Role of the School Nurse in the Special Education Process: Part 2: Eligibility Determination and the Individualized Education Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shannon, Robin Adair; Yonkaitis, Catherine Falusi

    2017-07-01

    This is the second of two articles outlining the professional school nurse's role in the special education process for students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act of 2004 mandates the special education process: identification, full and individual evaluation, eligibility determination, and development of the individual education program (IEP), including special education placement. Part 1 focused on the importance of the school nurse's role in student identification, response to intervention, and the full and individual evaluation. Part 2 highlights the school nurse's vital and unique contribution to the subsequent special education steps of eligibility determination, IEP development, and special education services placement and minutes.

  1. Improving blood transfusion practice by regular education in the United Arab Emirates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sajwani, F H

    2012-07-01

    A cross-match to transfused unit ratio of less than 2.0 is frequently used to assess performance in many hospital blood banks. This brief report was initiated to evaluate the practice at a local hospital and to emphasize the importance of regular educational sessions to improve blood transfusion practice. Retrospective data on cross-match : transfused (C : T) ratio of all departments was collected and educational sessions were given to improve practice. Thereafter, a new set of data was collected and change in practice was assessed. Initial data showed total (C : T) ratio of 1.95. After medical staff education, analysis showed clinically significant improvement in blood utilization practice with a (C : T) ratio of 1.60. This brief report indicates the importance of regular physician education, the potential role of blood transfusion committee, and the need to implement clear guidelines for blood transfusion. © 2012 American Association of Blood Banks.

  2. Comprehensive Smoking Prevention Education Act of 1981. Hearing before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-Seventh Congress, Second Session, on S. 1929 to Amend the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to Increase the Availability to the Americna Public of Information on the Health Consequences of Smoking and Thereby Improve Informed Choice, and for Other Purposes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

    These proceedings detail the first of two hearings on the Comprehensive Smoking Prevention Education Act of 1981. This report of the first hearing focuses on health related issues. The report presents testimony from representatives of the administration, from a panel of scientists, and from representatives of the American Cancer Society, American…

  3. From Learning Cultures to Educational Cultures: Values and Judgements in Educational Research and Educational Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biesta, Gert

    2011-01-01

    This article outlines a new approach to the study of learning and the improvement of education. The approach consists of two elements: a theory of learning cultures and a cultural theory of learning. Learning cultures are different from learning contexts or learning environments in that they are to be understood as the social practices through…

  4. Improving the Quality of Radiographs in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Utilizing Educational Interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Ashish O; Rorke, Jeanne; Abubakar, Kabir

    2015-08-01

    We aimed to develop an educational tool to improve the radiograph quality, sustain this improvement overtime, and reduce the number of repeat radiographs. A three phase quality control study was conducted at a tertiary care NICU. A retrospective data collection (phase1) revealed suboptimal radiograph quality and led to an educational intervention and development of X-ray preparation checklist (primary intervention), followed by a prospective data collection for 4 months (phase 2). At the end of phase 2, interim analysis revealed a gradual decline in radiograph quality, which prompted a more comprehensive educational session with constructive feedback to the NICU staff (secondary intervention), followed by another data collection for 6 months (phase 3). There was a significant improvement in the quality of radiographs obtained after primary educational intervention (phase 2) compared with phase 1 (p quality declined but still remained significantly better than phase 1. Secondary intervention resulted in significant improvement in radiograph quality to > 95% in all domains of image quality. No radiographs were repeated in phase 3, compared with 5.8% (16/277) in phase 1. A structured, collaborated educational intervention successfully improves the radiograph quality and decreases the need for repeat radiographs and radiation exposure in the neonates. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  5. Free Appropriate Public Education for Students with Disabilities: Requirements under Section 504 of the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973." Revised

    Science.gov (United States)

    US Department of Education, 2007

    2007-01-01

    Section 504 of the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973" protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funds. The Section 504 regulation requires a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified person with a disability who is in the school…

  6. Preoperative patient education: can we improve satisfaction and reduce anxiety?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaime Ortiz

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients' knowledge deficits concerning anesthesia and the anesthesiologist's role in their care may contribute to anxiety. The objective of this study was to develop anesthesia patient education materials that would help improve patient's satisfaction regarding their knowledge of the perioperative process and decrease anxiety in a community hospital with a large Spanish-speaking population. METHODS: A survey (Survey A in English and Spanish was administered to all adult anesthesiology preoperative clinic patients during a 4-week period. The data were analyzed and then a patient education handout was developed in both English and Spanish to assist with our patients' major concerns. A second survey (Survey B was administered that was completed after the education handout had been put into use at the clinic. The survey asked for basic demographic information and included questions on satisfaction with regard to understanding of anesthesia as well as worries regarding surgery and pain. RESULTS: In the patients who received the handout, statistically significant improvement was found in the questions that asked about satisfaction with regard to understanding of type of anesthesia, options for pain control, what patients are supposed to do on the day of surgery, and the amount of information given with regard to anesthetic plan. There was no difference in anxiety related to surgery in patients who received the educational handout compared to those patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Patient education handouts improved patient's satisfaction regarding their knowledge of the perioperative process but did not reduce anxiety related to surgery.

  7. Cognitive Education in Four Canadian Prisons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volpe, Richard; And Others

    1985-01-01

    This article reports the evaluation of a cognitive education course designed for inmates in Canadian federal penitentiaries. Reports from school instructors indicate that participating inmates showed improvement in their ability to communicate and discuss ideas and were more able to stop and think before acting on a problem. (Author/CT)

  8. Brief biopsychosocially informed education can improve insurance workers' back pain beliefs: Implications for improving claims management behaviours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beales, Darren; Mitchell, Tim; Pole, Naomi; Weir, James

    2016-11-22

    Biopsychosocially informed education is associated with improved back pain beliefs and positive changes in health care practitioners' practice behaviours. Assess the effect of this type of education for insurance workers who are important non-clinical stakeholders in the rehabilitation of injured workers. Insurance workers operating in the Western Australian workers' compensation system underwent two, 1.5 hour sessions of biopsychosocially informed education focusing on understanding and identifying barriers to recovery of injured workers with musculoskeletal conditions. Back pain beliefs were assessed pre-education, immediately post-education and at three-month follow-up (n = 32). Self-reported and Injury Management Advisor-reported assessment of change in claims management behaviours were collected at the three-month follow-up. There were positive changes in the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (p = 0.009) and Back Beliefs Questionnaire (p = 0.049) immediately following the education that were sustained at three-month follow-up. Positive changes in claims management behaviours were supported by self-reported and Injury Management Advisor-reported data. This study provides preliminary support that a brief biopsychosocially informed education program can positively influence insurance workers' beliefs regarding back pain, with concurrent positive changes in claims management behaviours. Further research is required to ascertain if these changes result in improved claims management outcomes.

  9. Cell phone-based health education messaging improves health literacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Runsen; Xiang, Yueying; Han, Tieguang; Yang, Guo-An; Zhang, Yuan

    2016-03-01

    The ubiquity of cell phones, which allow for short message service (SMS), provides new and innovative opportunities for disease prevention and health education. To explore the use of cell phone-based health education SMS to improve the health literacy of community residents in China. A multi-stage random sampling method was used to select representative study communities and participants ≥ 18 years old. Intervention participants were sent health education SMSs once a week for 1 year and controls were sent conventional, basic health education measures. Health literacy levels of the residents before and after the intervention were evaluated between intervention and control groups. Public health literacy scores increased 1.5 points, from 61.8 to 63.3, after SMS intervention for 1 year (P<0.01); the increase was greater for males than females (2.01 vs. 1.03; P<0.01) and for Shenzhen local residents than non-permanent residents (2.56 vs. 1.14; P<0.01). The frequency of high health literacy scores was greater for the intervention than control group (22.03% to 30.93% vs. 22.07% to 20.82%). With health literacy as a cost-effective index, the cost-effectiveness per intervention was 0.54. SMS may be a useful tool for improving health literacy.

  10. Physician education programme improves quality of diabetes care ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives. To determine if a physician education programme and a structured consultation schedule would improve the quality of diabetes patient care in a diabetes clinic. Setting. Two tertiary care diabetes clinics at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria. Study design. Quasi-experimental controlled before-and-after study. Methods.

  11. Improving Science Education through Accountability Relationships in Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wildy, Helen; Wallace, John

    1997-01-01

    Presents a contrast between bureaucratic and professional models of accountability and their impact on the science education enterprise. Topics include improving performance, climate of trust, principles and consequences, demonstrating acceptance of responsibilities, and feedback. Concludes that it is necessary to develop the skills and processes…

  12. Is Education Associated with Improvements in General Cognitive Ability, or in Specific Skills?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritchie, Stuart J.; Bates, Timothy C.; Deary, Ian J.

    2015-01-01

    Previous research has indicated that education influences cognitive development, but it is unclear what, precisely, is being improved. Here, we tested whether education is associated with cognitive test score improvements via domain-general effects on general cognitive ability ("g"), or via domain-specific effects on particular cognitive…

  13. SUCCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTER CRIME ACT (UU ITE NO.11 2008 (A Case Study in the Higher Education Institution in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rizki Yudhi Dewantara

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Computer crime rate grow rapidly along with the development of the digital world that has touched almost all aspects of human life. Institutions of higher education cannot be separated from the problem of computer crime activities. The paper analyses the implementation of Indonesia Computer Crime Act (UU ITE NO.11 2008 in the Higher Education Institution in Indonesia. It aims to investigate the level of computer crimes that occurred in the higher education institution environment and the act (UU ITE 11, 2008 successfully applied to prevent the crime that would arise. In this research, the analysis using Descriptive Statistics, Binary logistic regression. This paper also describes the success implementation of the Information System Security Policy (ISSP as a computer crime prevention policy in higher education institution in Indonesia. In factor of act, clarity of objectives and purpose of the UU ITE 11, 2008 was low, the communication and socialization activities are still low to the society especially to the higher education institution, moreover the control process has been running on UU ITE 11, 2008, but at a low level. Keywords: computer crime, computer crime act, public policy implementation  ABSTRAK  Kejahatan Komputer berkembang pesat sejalan dengan perkembangan dunia digital, pada institusi perguruan tinggi tidak dapat dipisahkan dari bagian kejahatan computer. Penelitian ini merupakan analisis kesuksesan penerapan undang-undang kejahatan komputer (UU ITE 11, 2008 di institusi perguruan tinggi di Indonesia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat kejahatan komputer yang terjadi pada lingkungan institusi perguruan tinggi dan kesuksesan penerapan undang-undang kejahatan komputer untuk mencegah tindakan kejahatan komputer yang mungkin dapat terjadi maupun menangani kejahatan yang sedang terjadi. Berdasarkan tujuan penelitian, digunakan pendekatan quantitative dengan beberapa uji statistic antara lain analisis statistic

  14. A Proposed Educational Model to Improve the Operations of Knowledge-Exchange between MOE and Higher Education Institutions in Jordan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Husni Ana,am Ali Salem

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to build a proposed educational model for improving knowledge-exchange processes between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education institutions in Jordan. The sample of the study consisted of (301 educational leaders: (158 academic staff members from the Faculty of Educational Sciences – University of Jordan – and the Faculty of Education in Yarmouk University; and (143 members from the center of Jordanian Ministry of Education for the academic year 2016/2017. To achieve the aims of the study, the researcher built a questionnaire, consisting of (88 items as tool for collecting data. The research tool was checked for its validity and reliability semantics. To analyze the data, means and standard deviation were used. The results of the study showed that the educational leaders rated the degree of practicing knowledge-exchange processes between Jordanian Ministry of Education and Higher Education institutions in Jordan as (moderate. Also, they rated the obstacles that face knowledge-exchange processes as (moderate. The study concluded with a proposed educational model for improving knowledge-exchange processes between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education institutions in Jordan, and recommended to be approved and applied in Jordan. Keywords: A Proposed educational model, Knowledge-exchange processes, Practicing degree, Obstacles, Jordanian Universities, Jordanian Ministry of Education

  15. Improving resident engagement in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives at the bedside: the Advocate for Clinical Education (ACE).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schleyer, Anneliese M; Best, Jennifer A; McIntyre, Lisa K; Ehrmantraut, Ross; Calver, Patty; Goss, J Richard

    2013-01-01

    Quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) are essential competencies in residency training; however, the most effective means to engage physicians remains unclear. The authors surveyed all medicine and surgery physicians at their institution to describe QI/PS practices and concurrently implemented the Advocate for Clinical Education (ACE) program to determine if a physician-centered program in the context of educational structures and at the point of care improved performance. The ACE rounded with medicine and surgery teams and provided individual and team-level education and feedback targeting 4 domains: professionalism, infection control, interpreter use, and pain assessment. In a pilot, the ACE observed 2862 physician-patient interactions and 178 physicians. Self-reported compliance often was greater than the behaviors observed. Following ACE implementation, observed professionalism behaviors trended toward improvement; infection control also improved. Physicians were highly satisfied with the program. The ACE initiative is one coaching/feedback model for engaging residents in QI/PS that may warrant further study.

  16. Do educational interventions improve nurses' clinical decision making and judgement? A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Carl; Stapley, Sally

    2011-07-01

    Despite the growing popularity of decision making in nursing curricula, the effectiveness of educational interventions to improve nursing judgement and decision making is unknown. We sought to synthesise and summarise the comparative evidence for educational interventions to improve nursing judgements and clinical decisions. A systematic review. Electronic databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO, Social Sciences Citation Index, OpenSIGLE conference proceedings and hand searching nursing journals. Studies published since 1960, reporting any educational intervention that aimed to improve nurses' clinical judgements or decision making were included. Studies were assessed for relevance and quality. Data extracted included study design; educational setting; the nature of participants; whether the study was concerned with the clinical application of skills or the application of theory; the type of decision targeted by the intervention (e.g. diagnostic reasoning) and whether the evaluation of the intervention focused on efficacy or effectiveness. A narrative approach to study synthesis was used due to heterogeneity in interventions, study samples, outcomes and settings and incomplete reporting of effect sizes. From 5262 initial citations 24 studies were included in the review. A variety of educational approaches were reported. Study quality and content reporting was generally poor. Pedagogical theories were widely used but use of decision theory (with the exception of subjective expected utility theory implicit in decision analysis) was rare. The effectiveness and efficacy of interventions was mixed. Educational interventions to improve nurses' judgements and decisions are complex and the evidence from comparative studies does little to reduce the uncertainty about 'what works'. Nurse educators need to pay attention to decision, as well as pedagogical, theory in the design of interventions. Study design and

  17. Improving Postsecondary STEM Education: Strategies for Successful Interdisciplinary Collaborations and Brokering Engagement with Education Research and Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouwma-Gearhart, Jana; Perry, Kristen H.; Presley, Jennifer B.

    2014-01-01

    This article describes factors that influence the success of collaborations involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and Education faculty at research-focused universities who work toward postsecondary STEM education improvement. We provide insight into how interdisciplinary faculty may successfully collaborate given…

  18. Is the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act Really Beneficial to the Poorer Children in India? An Analysis with Special Reference to the Admission of Poorer Children in Public Unaided Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheruvalath, Reena

    2015-01-01

    It is proposed to examine whether the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act can achieve its major objective of ensuring education for all children in India. Indian parents like to enter their wards into private schools because they believe that the standard of education in the public schools is poor. The act strengthens this…

  19. Translational educational research: a necessity for effective health-care improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGaghie, William C; Issenberg, S Barry; Cohen, Elaine R; Barsuk, Jeffrey H; Wayne, Diane B

    2012-11-01

    Medical education research contributes to translational science (TS) when its outcomes not only impact educational settings, but also downstream results, including better patient-care practices and improved patient outcomes. Simulation-based medical education (SBME) has demonstrated its role in achieving such distal results. Effective TS also encompasses implementation science, the science of health-care delivery. Educational, clinical, quality, and safety goals can only be achieved by thematic, sustained, and cumulative research programs, not isolated studies. Components of an SBME TS research program include motivated learners, curriculum grounded in evidence-based learning theory, educational resources, evaluation of downstream results, a productive research team, rigorous research methods, research resources, and health-care system acceptance and implementation. National research priorities are served from translational educational research. National funding priorities should endorse the contribution and value of translational education research.

  20. ACTS – SUCCESS STORY

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. ACTS – SUCCESS STORY. Totally 103 experiments were conducted and the programme succeeded in the areas. Medicine; Education; Defence; Emergency Response; Maritime and Aeronautical Mobile Communications; Science and Astronomy.

  1. Student Voices Speak Quality Assurance: Continual Improvement in Online Social Work Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Secret, Mary; Bentley, Kia J.; Kadolph, Jessie C.

    2016-01-01

    As social work education expands instruction through the rise of distance education, educators seek new ways to improve quality in online courses. Quality assurance standards and student feedback offer valuable insights to ensure satisfying and effective online learning experiences. An examination of these two assessment approaches concurrently in…

  2. Diabetic foot workshop: Improving technical and educational skills for nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aalaa, Maryam; Sanjari, Mahnaz; Shahbazi, Samimeh; Shayeganmehr, Zahra; Abooeirad, Maryam; Amini, Mohammad Reza; Adibi, Hossien; Mehrdad, Neda

    2017-01-01

    Diabetes mellitus as one of the most common metabolic disorders has some complications, one of the main ones is diabetic foot (DF). Appropriate care and education prevents 85% of diabetic foot amputations. An ideal management to prevent and treat diabetic foot necessitates a close collaboration between the health team members and the diabetic patient. Therefore, improving nurses' knowledge about DF care and advancement in the quality of care provided by the nurses could significantly improve diabetic foot prevention and management. Therefore, the aim of DF workshop was to improve technical and educational skills of the nurses to prevent and manage diabetic foot. Considering the vital role of the nurses in providing DF care, EMRI decided to conduct Diabetic foot workshop for them. The following five steps were designed for the 14 coordinating sessions in the workshop: Goals definition, deciding about attendees, location selection, creating agenda, and developing a follow-up plan. "Diabetic Foot Workshop for Nurses" provides appropriate training to DF nurses at the national level; and combining theory and practice in this workshop not only increases nurses' knowledge, but also improves their skills in the field of the diabetic foot. Providing education and care to patients by DF nurse specialists instead of general nurses could be an important output of this workshop, which may lead to DF prevention and amputation decrease in the long term.

  3. Understanding Leadership Paradigms for Improvement in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flumerfelt, Shannon; Banachowski, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This research article is based on the Baldrige National Quality Program Education Criteria for Performance Excellence's conceptualization of improvement as a dual cycle/three element initiative of examining and bettering inputs, processes, and outputs as driven by measurement, analysis and knowledge management work. This study isolates a…

  4. Improving Business Communication in the Field of Management in Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cvetka Peterlin

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Research Question (RQ: The topic area of this research study is to improve the quality of business communication in education.Purpose: This article presents a framework of procedures to improve business communication in a public institution in the field of education and its aim is to involve all fields of management. The added value relates to the field of business communication inside and outside a public institution.The focus of this research is based on the administrative management of the institution in relation to business communication and quality management with an emphasis on preparing the documentation to comply with the quality management system ISO 9001:2008.Method: Interview.Results: All employees whose work is related to administrative management of the institution will be considered as indicators to improve the quality management, communication excellence and ethical principles and are going to be informed in written form. The results of this research study will be evaluated at least once a year. Thefindings indicate a willingness to engage employees to improve thecurrent state of business communication.Organization: The institute carries out business communication among all employees involved in the implementation of basic education activities within the institution but also externally. Employees are aware that the equality of business communication is the basis for communication both in the business world, the workplace, at home, and abroad.Society: To ensure users satisfaction of the education services provided by the public education institution, it is necessary to create a user-friendly environment in business communication, which is trusted by users. Business excellence, good communication, and values will convince society to look at the institution as competitive, devoted to ethical values and professional work.Originality: The research is based on personal experience within the workplace and is currently limited to one

  5. The Keys to Effective Schools: Educational Reform as Continuous Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawley, Willis D., Ed.

    2006-01-01

    Working in tandem with the powerful National Education Association's KEYS initiative (Keys to Excellence in Your Schools), this second edition focuses on how to change a school's organizational structure and culture to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Each chapter, revised and updated to address continuous improvement and narrowing…

  6. Contextual Factors in Education: Improving Science and Mathematics Education for Minorities and Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Michael, Ed.; Griffin, Peg, Ed.

    This book summarizes research on the various ways that students' cultural backgrounds and innate ways of learning affect academic achievement. It also offers descriptions and recommendations for improving science and mathematics education for minorities and women, based on successful programs, that take these differences into account. The focus is…

  7. Educational Information Quantization for Improving Content Quality in Learning Management Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rybanov, Alexander Aleksandrovich

    2014-01-01

    The article offers the educational information quantization method for improving content quality in Learning Management Systems. The paper considers questions concerning analysis of quality of quantized presentation of educational information, based on quantitative text parameters: average frequencies of parts of speech, used in the text; formal…

  8. Effects on in-service education on improving science teaching in Swaziland

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stronkhorst, Robert; van den Akker, Jan

    2006-01-01

    This paper discusses the findings of an evaluative and interpretive study into the potential of in-service education to improve science education in Swaziland. Short-term and long-term effects of an in-service intervention are evaluated in terms of changes in classroom processes. The teaching

  9. Just-in-Time Training: A Novel Approach to Quality Improvement Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knutson, Allison; Park, Nesha D; Smith, Denise; Tracy, Kelly; Reed, Danielle J W; Olsen, Steven L

    2015-01-01

    Just-in-time training (JITT) is accepted in medical education as a training method for newer concepts or seldom-performed procedures. Providing JITT to a large nursing staff may be an effective method to teach quality improvement (QI) initiatives. We sought to determine if JITT could increase knowledge of a specific nutrition QI initiative. Members of the nutrition QI team interviewed staff using the Frontline Contextual Inquiry to assess knowledge regarding the specific QI project. The inquiry was completed pre- and post-JITT. A JITT educational cart was created, which allowed trainers to bring the educational information to the bedside for a short, small group educational session. The results demonstrated a marked improvement in the knowledge of the frontline staff regarding our Vermont Oxford Network involvement and the specifics of the nutrition QI project. Just-in-time training can be a valuable and effective method to disseminate QI principles to a large audience of staff members.

  10. Assistive Technology at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga: Providing Pre-Service Educators with the Opportunity to Utilize Assistive Technology as an Instructional Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crider, Tiffani Kay; Johnston, Linda; Rutledge, Valerie; Doolittle, Amy L.; Beard, Larry

    2014-01-01

    With the legal mandates described in the Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Amendments (IDEIA) of 2004 and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, educators must meet the needs of all students in their inclusive classrooms. Today's diverse classrooms include students with a wide range of abilities. The…

  11. Improving Learner Handovers in Medical Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warm, Eric J; Englander, Robert; Pereira, Anne; Barach, Paul

    2017-07-01

    Multiple studies have demonstrated that the information included in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation fails to reliably predict medical students' future performance. This faulty transfer of information can lead to harm when poorly prepared students fail out of residency or, worse, are shuttled through the medical education system without an honest accounting of their performance. Such poor learner handovers likely arise from two root causes: (1) the absence of agreed-on outcomes of training and/or accepted assessments of those outcomes, and (2) the lack of standardized ways to communicate the results of those assessments. To improve the current learner handover situation, an authentic, shared mental model of competency is needed; high-quality tools to assess that competency must be developed and tested; and transparent, reliable, and safe ways to communicate this information must be created.To achieve these goals, the authors propose using a learner handover process modeled after a patient handover process. The CLASS model includes a description of the learner's Competency attainment, a summary of the Learner's performance, an Action list and statement of Situational awareness, and Synthesis by the receiving program. This model also includes coaching oriented towards improvement along the continuum of education and care. Just as studies have evaluated patient handover models using metrics that matter most to patients, studies must evaluate this learner handover model using metrics that matter most to providers, patients, and learners.

  12. Pursuing Improvement in Clinical Reasoning: The Integrated Clinical Education Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jessee, Mary Ann

    2018-01-01

    The link between clinical education and development of clinical reasoning is not well supported by one theoretical perspective. Learning to reason during clinical education may be best achieved in a supportive sociocultural context of nursing practice that maximizes reasoning opportunities and facilitates discourse and meaningful feedback. Prelicensure clinical education seldom incorporates these critical components and thus may fail to directly promote clinical reasoning skill. Theoretical frameworks supporting the development of clinical reasoning during clinical education were evaluated. Analysis of strengths and gaps in each framework's support of clinical reasoning development was conducted. Commensurability of philosophical underpinnings was confirmed, and complex relationships among key concepts were elucidated. Six key concepts and three tenets comprise an explanatory predictive theory-the integrated clinical education theory (ICET). ICET provides critical theoretical support for inquiry and action to promote clinical education that improves development of clinical reasoning skill. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(1):7-13.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  13. The System of Teacher Education Management in Great Britain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chychuk, Antonina

    2015-01-01

    The system of teacher education management, namely, forms and principles of teacher education management according to the normative base (Education Reform Act (1988); Education Act (1992; 1993; 1996; 1997; 2002); School Standards and Framework Act (1998); Higher Education Act (2004), etc.), monitoring and participation of the public in its…

  14. Albert Einstein Distinguished Educators Fellowship Act of 1994. Report To Accompany S. 2104. 103D Congress, 2d Session, Senate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

    This document contains the text of the "Albert Einstein Distinguished Educators Fellowship Act of 1994" (S. 2104) along with related analysis. The bill establishes a Department of Energy (DOE) fellowship program for math and science teachers that provides them opportunities to work at DOE labs in order to enhance coordination and…

  15. Teachers' Perceptions of the Educational Platform--Is There a Connection between School Improvement and Regional Educational Development?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boström, Lena; Dalin, Rolf

    2016-01-01

    This research examined teachers' attitudes in a school development project, The best regional educational system in the world which focuses on regional development and school improvement. The project was performed in counties in Mid Sweden, which have a lower educational level and school achievements and a competence escape compare with other…

  16. Combined didactic and scenario-based education improves the ability of intensive care unit staff to recognize delirium at the bedside.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devlin, John W; Marquis, Francois; Riker, Richard R; Robbins, Tracey; Garpestad, Erik; Fong, Jeffrey J; Didomenico, Dorothy; Skrobik, Yoanna

    2008-01-01

    While nurses play a key role in identifying delirium, several authors have noted variability in their ability to recognize delirium. We sought to measure the impact of a simple educational intervention on the ability of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to clinically identify delirium and to use a standardized delirium scale correctly. Fifty ICU nurses from two different hospitals (university medical and community teaching) evaluated an ICU patient for pain, level of sedation and presence of delirium before and after an educational intervention. The same patient was concomitantly, but independently, evaluated by a validated judge (rho = 0.98) who acted as the reference standard in all cases. The education consisted of two script concordance case scenarios, a slide presentation regarding scale-based delirium assessment, and two further cases. Nurses' clinical recognition of delirium was poor in the before-education period as only 24% of nurses reported the presence or absence of delirium and only 16% were correct compared with the judge. After education, the number of nurses able to evaluate delirium using any scale (12% vs 82%, P judge-nurse agreement (Spearman rho) for the presence of delirium was relatively high for both the before-education period (r = 0.74, P = 0.262) and after-education period (r = 0.71, P < 0.0005), the low number of nurses evaluating delirium before education lead to statistical significance only after education. Education did not alter nurses' self-reported evaluation of delirium (before 76% vs after 100%, P = 0.125). A simple composite educational intervention incorporating script concordance theory improves the capacity for ICU nurses to screen for delirium nearly as well as experts. Self-reporting by nurses of completion of delirium screening may not constitute an adequate quality assurance process.

  17. From classroom to online teaching: experiences in improving statistics education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Porter

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available This study used reflective practitioner methodology to investigate how to improve the quality of statistical education. During the study, this methodology, curricula, pedagogical practices, assessment and a framework for learning to learn statistics were all developed as means of improving the quality of statistical education. Also documented was the move from being a classroom teacher of statistics to a teacher who is developing learning resources for online delivery to students. For a classroom teacher, flexible delivery has meant drawing on the sights, sounds, movement, quiet and live shows. By contrast, the online teacher feels the constraints of translating activity based programs to technologically based programs. As more students have chosen to rely on online materials rather than classroom activities, the focus of improving quality has been extended to the enrichment of online resources, so that the learning experience is not second to that of the classroom.

  18. Leadership lessons from military education for postgraduate medical curricular improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edler, Alice; Adamshick, Mark; Fanning, Ruth; Piro, Nancy

    2010-03-01

    quality medical education includes both teaching and learning of data-driven knowledge, and appropriate technical skills and tacit behaviours, such as effective communication and professional leadership. But these implicit behaviours are not readily adaptable to traditional medical curriculum models. This manuscript explores a medical leadership curriculum informed by military education. our paediatric anaesthesia residents expressed a strong desire for more leadership opportunity within the training programme. Upon exploration, current health care models for leadership training were limited to short didactic presentations or lengthy certificate programmes. We could not find an appropriate model for our 1-year fellowship. in collaboration with the US Naval Academy, we modified the 'Leadership Education and Development Program' curriculum to introduce daily and graduated leadership opportunities: starting with low-risk decision-making tasks and progressing to independent professional decision making and leadership. Each resident who opted into the programme had a 3-month role as team leader and spent 9 months as a team member. At the end of the first year of this curriculum both quantitative assessment and qualitative reflection from residents and faculty members noted significantly improved clinical and administrative decision making. The second-year residents' performance showed further improvement. medical education has long emphasised subject-matter knowledge as a prime focus. However, in competency-based medical education, new curriculum models are needed. Many helpful models can be found in other professional fields. Collaborations between professional educators benefit the students, who are learning these new skills, the medical educators, who work jointly with other professionals, and the original curriculum designer, who has an opportunity to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of his or her model. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010.

  19. Balanced Scorecard: A Strategy for the Quality Improvement of Islamic Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilyasin, Mukhamd; Zamroni

    2017-01-01

    The main issue in improving the quality of Islamic Higher Education is to increase the competence and professionalism of teachers and education personnel to achieve its vision and mission in the middle of the complexity of the demands of society and the changing times. so that the quality of education and governance of Islamic Religion clean and…

  20. Improving the emergency response by education and training

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakey, J.R.A.

    1998-01-01

    The issue of communication between professionals and the wide public is discussed. It is concluded that we should encourage education about the understanding of risks and hazards. We must support education about our own subject and we should contribute to the development of the national curriculum. Above all we should try to help individual school teachers. We should try to provide a radiological protection input to courses on hazards and safety culture for undergraduates. We should try to improve the status of the profession and to ensure awareness of the profession in universities. We should see ourselves as partners with the media but we must learn interview technique. (P.A.)

  1. Improving Special Education Teacher Retention: Implications from a Decade of Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Billingsley, Bonnie S.

    2002-01-01

    A review of the research on the shortage of special education teachers and the role of attrition leads to eight recommendations to improve special educators' work environments and increase retention. Four of these recommendations are: hire certified teachers; use salaries and bonuses as incentives to remain; develop responsive induction programs…

  2. The Role of Christian Educational Institutions in Improving Economic Self-Reliance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nwosu, Constance C.

    2012-01-01

    This article argues that Christian educational institutions in Africa can play a major role in improving economic self-reliance within the continent, if those who establish Christian universities there take time to plan the programs and activities in those institutions. Specifically, it argues that with proper planning of quality education--the…

  3. Airway Clearance Techniques (ACTs)

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Data Requests Get Involved X close Advocate Our goal is to educate policy makers about the needs ... Reform Could Impact People With CF The Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act Our Advocacy ... Assistance Services Find Resources: CF Foundation Compass Insurance Get ...

  4. Exploring primary care activities in ACT teams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderlip, Erik R; Williams, Nancy A; Fiedorowicz, Jess G; Katon, Wayne

    2014-05-01

    People with serious mental illness often receive inadequate primary and preventive care services. Federal healthcare reform endorses team-based care that provides high quality primary and preventive care to at risk populations. Assertive community treatment (ACT) teams offer a proven, standardized treatment approach effective in improving mental health outcomes for the seriously mentally ill. Much is known about the effectiveness of ACT teams in improving mental health outcomes, but the degree to which medical care needs are addressed is not established. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which ACT teams address the physical health of the population they serve. ACT team leaders were invited to complete an anonymous, web-based survey to explore attitudes and activities involving the primary care needs of their clients. Information was collected regarding the use of health screening tools, physical health assessments, provision of medical care and collaboration with primary care systems. Data was analyzed from 127 team leaders across the country, of which 55 completed the entire survey. Nearly every ACT team leader believed ACT teams have a role in identifying and managing the medical co-morbidities of their clientele. ACT teams report participation in many primary care activities. ACT teams are providing a substantial amount of primary and preventive services to their population. The survey suggests standardization of physical health identification, management or referral processes within ACT teams may result in improved quality of medical care. ACT teams are in a unique position to improve physical health care by virtue of having medically trained staff and frequent, close contact with their clients.

  5. 75 FR 38510 - Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Personnel Development to Improve...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Personnel... word ``scholar'' in the Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants (84.325T) priority in....html . Dated: June 25, 2010. Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative...

  6. improving education programme at pmtct sites in liberia

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    among the HIV positive mother under 6 months, in order to improve nutritional education program at PMTCT sites level. A total of 90 ... practice among the HIV positive mothers of child under 6 months in terms of nutrition and infant feeding. Keywords: .... the replacement feeding is the sustainability of this. Even though they ...

  7. Joint Professional Military Education: Timing is Everything. Getting the Commander What He Needs

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Schweikert, A

    2004-01-01

    ... getting it. It begins with the premise that although the Joint Professional Military Education system has significantly improved since the inception of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 and the creation...

  8. Improving continuing medical education by enhancing interactivity: lessons from Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faghihi, Seyed Aliakbar; Khankeh, Hamid Reza; Hosseini, Seyed Jalil; Soltani Arabshahi, Seyed Kamran; Faghih, Zahra; Parikh, Sagar V; Shirazi, Mandana

    2016-04-01

    Continuing Medical Education (CME) has been considered as a lifelong commitment for doctors to provide the optimal care for patients. Despite a long history of creating CME programs, outcomes are far from ideal. The present qualitative study aims to clarify the barriers affecting effectiveness of the CME programs in Iran based on the experiences of general practitioners. Sixteen general practitioners were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews and field observations concerning experiences with CME. The study was performed using a qualitative content analysis method. The codes, categories and themes were explored through an inductive process in which the researchers moved from specific to general. The participants' experiences identified a number of barriers, particularly insufficient interaction with the instructors; additional problems included the teachers' use of an undifferentiated approach; unreal and abstract CME; and ignorance of the diverse reasons to participate in CME. Based on the study results, there are multiple barriers to effective implementation of CME in Iran. The key barriers include insufficient interaction between the trainees and providers, which must be considered by other stakeholders and program designers. Such interactions would facilitate improved program design, invite more specific tailoring of the education to the participants, allow for more effective educational methods and set the stage for outcome evaluation from the learners actually applying their new knowledge in practice. Replication of these findings with another sample would improve confidence in these recommendations, but these findings are broadly consistent with findings in the educational literature on improving the efficacy of CME.

  9. Adult Basic Education: Aligning Adult Basic Education and Postsecondary Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2008

    2008-01-01

    In 2007, the 80th Texas Legislature included a rider to the General Appropriations Act for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The rider directed the agency to coordinate with the Texas Education Agency to develop and implement plans to align adult basic education with postsecondary education. The Coordinating Board, in collaboration…

  10. Improving Service Quality in Technical Education: Use of Interpretive Structural Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debnath, Roma Mitra; Shankar, Ravi

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the relevant enablers and barriers related to technical education. It seeks to critically analyze the relationship amongst them so that policy makers can focus on relevant parameters to improve the service quality of technical education. Design/methodology/approach: The present study employs the…

  11. Quality Education Improvement: Yemen and the Problem of the "Brain Drain"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muthanna, Abdulghani

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of the problems that hinder improvement of the quality of education in Yemen, with a particular focus on higher education institutions. It discusses in particular the problem of the brain drain and why this phenomenon is occurring in Yemen. Semi-structured interviews with three professors at higher education…

  12. Preoperative teaching and stoma marking in an inpatient population: a quality improvement process using a FOCUS-Plan-Do-Check-Act model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimnicki, Katherine M

    2015-01-01

    Preoperative teaching and stoma marking are supported by research and included in clinical practice guidelines from the WOCN Society and others. Using a FOCUS-Plan-Do-Check-Act model of Total Quality Management, a multidisciplinary team was formed that developed a flow chart outlining the process of care for patients undergoing planned ostomy surgery that included an educational intervention that enabled staff nurses to perform preoperative stoma site marking and education. After 3 months, we found a statistically significant increase in the number of surgical patients who received these evidence-based interventions (14% vs 64%; χ = 9.32; P = .002).

  13. The Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Act of the People's Republic of China: an awareness assessment among workers at foreign-invested enterprises.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yongming, Shou; Rongzhu, Lu; Jie, Lin; Yan, Xu; Zhu, Yiliang; Schweigert, Michael

    2011-01-01

    The Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Act (ODPC-Act) of the People's Republic of China came into effect on May 1, 2002. Given the scope of foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in China and an unabated increasing trend of foreign investment, compliance with the ODPC-Act among FIEs is of particular interest, yet little is known. The extent to which an employer educates its workforce to understand the ODPC-Act may be a measure of an employer's compliance. Based on a 25-item questionnaire survey, we found that among 166 workers from three FIEs in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, the majority had little knowledge regarding the ODPC-Act; many were unaware of their rights granted under the ODPC-Act. They were also unable to recognize employers' potential violations of the ODPC-Act. Improving FIE workers' awareness of the ODPC-Act is desirable.

  14. Simple educational intervention will improve the efficacy of routine antenatal iron supplementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senanayake, Hemantha M; Premaratne, Samanthi P; Palihawadana, Thilina; Wijeratne, Sumeda

    2010-06-01

    Sri Lanka has a policy of free provision of iron supplements to pregnant women. However, iron deficiency anemia remains common in pregnancy. We tested the hypothesis that educating women regarding improving bioavailability could improve the efficacy of iron supplementation. The education focused on how best supplements could be taken and on how they should be stored. We carried out a study using a quasi-experimental design on a group of women attending for antenatal care at a suburban University Obstetric Unit in Sri Lanka. The control group had care free of charge including iron supplementation and antihelminthic therapy. In addition, the study group received an education in small groups regarding maximizing bioavailability of iron. Hemoglobin and iron status of the women were compared between the groups at recruitment and at 34 weeks of gestation. The two groups were equally matched in demographic data, and hemoglobin and iron status. There were significant differences between the two groups at 34 weeks in the hemoglobin levels, serum ferritin levels, anemia rates and the number with low ferritin (P tablets in ways that improved their bioavailability. A simple health education improved the efficacy of iron supplementation in this population. Such interventions should be an integral part of iron supplementation programs, especially in populations whose habits tend to reduce the bioavailability of iron.

  15. Some Thoughts on the Equal Pay Act and Coaching Salaries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boring, Phyllis

    This paper discusses the Equal Pay Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as it applies to women athletic coaches and physical education teachers. The following points are considered: (1) application of the Equal Pay Act; (2) advantage of voluntary compliance with the Equal Pay Act; (3) factors used to measure "equal work"; (4)…

  16. Improving Financial Literacy : case Study of Financial Education in Schools in Estonia

    OpenAIRE

    Rabtsinski, Deniss

    2010-01-01

    The thesis discusses the problem of low financial literacy levels that people have in today's world and how financial literacy levels can be improved through school education. It is identified that financial literacy is a complex problem requiring a complex solution (which is yet to be discovered). Financial education can only be part of this complex solution. Even so, financial education encounters similar problems as traditional education: the decay of knowledge and effective retention of l...

  17. Improving Student Teachers' Knowledge-Base in Language Education through Critical Reading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulumba, Mathias Bwanika

    2016-01-01

    The emergence of the digital era is redefining education and the pedagogical processes in an unpredictable manner. In the midst of the increased availability of print and online resources, the twenty-first century language teacher educator expects her (or his) student teachers to be reading beings if they are to improve their knowledge-base in…

  18. 77 FR 67348 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records-Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Center Case Tracking...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-09

    ....S.C. 791 et seq.; the Equal Pay Act, 29 U.S.C. 206(d); the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records--Alternative Dispute Resolution... with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act), the Department of Education...

  19. Planning ability improves in a yogic education system compared to a modern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rangan, R; Nagendra, H R; Bhat, G Ramachandra

    2008-07-01

    Planning skills play a key role in higher developmental processes. The Tower of London test not only measures planning skills, but also the ability to execute plans. Yoga practices aim to bring about higher development. Can a Yoga-based education system be shown to meet this challenge? This study was aimed at comparing a Modern Education System (MES) with the ancient Yoga-based system of education, the Gurukula Education System (GES), in developing planning skills. Forty-nine boys with ages ranging from 11 to 13 years were selected from each of two residential schools, one MES and the other GES, providing similar ambience and daily routines. The boys were matched for age and socio-economic status. The GES educational program is based around integrated yoga modules while the MES provides a conventional modern education program. Planning and executive abilities were assessed using the Tower of London test at the start and the end of an academic year. Within groups, the pre-post test differences were significant for both groups. However, the between-groups results showed improvement in the GES group compared to the MES group at a P education improve planning and execution skills in school boys, GES is more effective of the two systems.

  20. Administrative Barriers to Improving Undergraduate Education. Accent on Improving College Teaching and Learning, 6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genthon, Michele; Joscelyn, Mary K., Ed.

    Chief academic officers at 1,053 institutions of higher education across the United States were surveyed about the barriers to improving teaching and learning. Using factor analysis, responses were reduced to nine general problem areas. In order of importance from most important to least important, the problems identified were: financial support,…

  1. A virtual patient educational activity to improve interprofessional competencies: A randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoemaker, Michael J; de Voest, Margaret; Booth, Andrew; Meny, Lisa; Victor, Justin

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to determine whether an interprofessional virtual patient educational activity improved interprofessional competencies in pharmacy, physician assistant, and physical therapy graduate students. Seventy-two fifth semester pharmacy (n = 33), fourth semester physician assistant (n = 27) and fourth semester physical therapy (n = 12) graduate students participated in the study. Participants were stratified by discipline and randomized into control (n = 38) and experimental groups (n = 34). At baseline and at study completion, all participants completed an original, investigator-developed survey that measured improvement in selected Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies and the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). The experimental group had statistically significantly greater odds of improving on a variety of IPEC competencies and RIPLS items. The use of a single, interprofessional educational activity resulted in having a greater awareness of other professions' scopes of practice, what other professions have to offer a given patient and how different professions can collaborate in patient care.

  2. Barriers to Full Participation in the Individualized Education Program for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamzarian, Arpi; Menzies, Holly M.; Ricci, Leila

    2012-01-01

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) mandates that schools facilitate parent participation in planning the Individual Education Program (IEP). However, culturally and linguistically diverse parents are less likely to feel fully included in the IEP process. In this article we examine three sources of cross-cultural…

  3. General Education Default and Student Benefit in Inclusive Learning Environments: An Analysis for School Leaders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menard, Lauren A.

    2011-01-01

    A contextual analysis of the general education default and student benefit is presented from the perspective of school-based compliance with federal mandates from IDEIA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act] of 2004. A goal was to inform school administrators striving to develop and maintain effective, inclusive learning…

  4. Publishing activities improves undergraduate biology education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Michelle K

    2018-06-01

    To improve undergraduate biology education, there is an urgent need for biology instructors to publish their innovative active-learning instructional materials in peer-reviewed journals. To do this, instructors can measure student knowledge about a variety of biology concepts, iteratively design activities, explore student learning outcomes and publish the results. Creating a set of well-vetted activities, searchable through a journal interface, saves other instructors time and encourages the use of active-learning instructional practices. For authors, these publications offer new opportunities to collaborate and can provide evidence of a commitment to using active-learning instructional techniques in the classroom.

  5. Does educating nurses with ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention guidelines improve their compliance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aloush, Sami M

    2017-09-01

    This study aimed to compare the compliance with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)-prevention guidelines between nurses who underwent an intensive educational program and those who did not, and to investigate other factors that influence nurses' compliance. A 2-group posttest design was used to examine the effect of the VAP-prevention guidelines education on nurses' compliance. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The overall nurses' compliance scores were moderate. There was no statistically significant difference in compliance between the nurses who received VAP education and those who did not (t[100] = -1.43; P = .15). The number of beds in the unit and the nurse-patient ratio were found to influence nurses' compliance. Education in VAP-prevention guidelines will not improve nurses' compliance unless other confounding factors, such as their workload, are controlled. It is imperative to reduce nurses' workload to improve their compliance and enhance the effectiveness of education. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Appendix: The Dream Act of 2009--111th Congress, 1st Session, S.729

    Science.gov (United States)

    New Directions for Student Services, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This article describes the Development, Relief, and Educational for Alien Minors Act of 2009 or the "DREAM Act of 2009." The authors of the bill aim to amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to permit States to determine State residency for higher education purposes and to authorize the cancellation…

  7. Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacLeish, M. Y.; Moreno, N. P.; Tharp, B. Z.; Denton, J. J.; Jessup, G.; Clipper, M. C.

    2001-01-01

    The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institute's activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institution Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students--especially those from underrepresented groups--to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. GPE 2020: Improving Learning and Equity through Stronger Education Systems. Strategic Plan 2016-2020

    Science.gov (United States)

    Global Partnership for Education, 2016

    2016-01-01

    The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) addresses the most significant education challenges faced by developing countries through supporting governments to improve equity and learning by strengthening their education systems. GPE is a global fund and a partnership focused entirely on education in developing countries. The partnership has a…

  9. Improvement of the public administration system of higher educational establishments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrei Vyacheslavovich Romin

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available During research found that state regulation of higher education establishments activity is a special branch of the state, during which its authorities with the help of planning, organizing, monitoring is carried out the current regulation of the activities of higher education establishments, provide organization (integrationof the total interaction of students and teachers. Proposed to allocate the financial strategy of higher educational establishments as a major in strategic management of the higher education system. In this regard, it argued that the integration capacity of the university to the regional reproductive system will optimize government funding of higher educational establishments. Also, it helps to determine the main directions of further economic and financial development of the higher education system, prioritizing the development of already existing educational and training facilities in different regions of the state, the provision of appropriate state support for higher education establishments, which training necessary specialists for the state’s economy. The improvement the public administration system of a high school should be carried out through the formation of a coordination mechanism for higher education establishments. The introduction of this mechanism will provide an opportunity to identify the main activities of the higher education establishments adapt to the operating conditions of the region, based on the trends in the development of higher education, and to provide the basic needs of the labor market in the relevant specialists.

  10. Reporting Data with "Over-the-Counter" Data Analysis Supports Improves Educators' Data Analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rankin, Jenny Grant

    2014-01-01

    The benefits of making data-informed decisions to improve learning rely on educators correctly interpreting given data. Many educators routinely misinterpret data, even at districts with proactive support for data use. The tool most educators use for data analyses, which is an information technology data system or its reports, typically reports…

  11. Benchmarking as an Instrument for Improvement of Quality Management in Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narimantas Kazimieras Paliulis

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Conditioned by globalisation and constant change, higher education institutions (HEIs are forced to pursue new instruments for quality assurance in higher education. States seem to pursue this aim by attempting to create an efficiently operating system of higher education that satisfies needs of diverse societal groups. Quality dimension is the most important element of efficient and effective higher education. From the perspective of a state, assessment and monitoring of quality are instruments for the management of processes of higher education. The article substantiates these statements using the evolution of the dimension of quality in the European and Lithuanian higher education in the course of the Bologna Process. The article also presents a benchmarking method and discusses its development and application tendencies in business organisations. Also, it looks at possibilities to apply this method in higher education. The main aim of this article is to explore benchmarking as an effective instrument for the improvement of performance quality in HEIs and complement the already implemented quality management systems. Another aim is to suggest this method to national agencies for quality assurance in higher education for monitoring and analysis of qualitative changes on the systematic level. The object of the article is the improvement of performance quality in HEIs. Benchmarking is proposed for the use in higher education on the institutional level as an instrument that complements presently introduced quality management systems in Lithuanian HEIs. This way, it will contribute to the formation of the culture of quality in higher education.

  12. Radiation protection education and training in Switzerland: What can be improved?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jahn, Swen-Gunnar

    2013-01-01

    In the frame of the amendment of the Swiss radiation protection regulations (StSV) the radiation protection education and training system is checked whether there is a need for improvement measures or the regulations have to be revised. Experiences, the comparison with other education and training systems and international developments were compiled and evaluated The responsible expert group with participants from authorities and instructors decided that no fundamental changes are necessary. In the contribution two items are discussed: The mandatory external consulting of licensees by acknowledged radiation protection experts - as required by the EU BSS (basic safety standards) with the definition of a radiation protection expert (RPE) - bears more disadvantages than advantages. On the other hand the improvement potential with respect to clearness and courtesy of requirements for radiation protection education and training in Switzerland were considered in the frame of WU-BSS revision.

  13. Gender and AIDS: time to act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greig, Alan; Peacock, Dean; Jewkes, Rachel; Msimang, Sisonke

    2008-08-01

    Gender has long been recognized as being key to understanding and addressing HIV and AIDS. Gender roles and relations that structure and legitimate women's subordination and simultaneously foster models of masculinity that justify and reproduce men's dominance over women exacerbate the spread and impact of the epidemic. Notions of masculinity prevalent in many parts of the world that equate being a man with dominance over women, sexual conquest and risk-taking are associated with less condom use, more sexually transmitted infections, more partners, including more casual partners, more frequent sex, more abuse of alcohol and more transactional sex. They also contribute to men accessing treatment later than women and at greater cost to public health systems. The imperative of addressing the gender dimensions of AIDS has been clearly and repeatedly articulated. Many interventions have been shown to be effective in addressing gender-related risks and vulnerabilities including programmes designed to reach and engage men, improve women's legal and economic position, integrate gender-based violence prevention into HIV services, and increase girls' access to secondary and tertiary education. Despite this, the political will to act has been sorely lacking and not nearly enough has been done to hold governments and multilateral institutions to account. This paper argues that we can no longer simply pay lip service to the urgent need to act on what we know about gender and AIDS. Simply put, it is time to act.

  14. Science Teacher Education in Australia: Initiatives and Challenges to Improve the Quality of Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treagust, David F.; Won, Mihye; Petersen, Jacinta; Wynne, Georgie

    2015-02-01

    In this article, we describe how teachers in the Australian school system are educated to teach science and the different qualifications that teachers need to enter the profession. The latest comparisons of Australian students in international science assessments have brought about various accountability measures to improve the quality of science teachers at all levels. We discuss the issues and implications of government initiatives in preservice and early career teacher education programs, such as the implementation of national science curriculum, the stricter entry requirements to teacher education programs, an alternative pathway to teaching and the measure of effectiveness of teacher education programs. The politicized discussion and initiatives to improve the quality of science teacher education in Australia are still unfolding as we write in 2014.

  15. The Study to Improve Tsunami Preparedness Education in Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakamoto, Mayumi; Tanırcan, Gülüm; Kaneda, Yoshiyuki; Puskulcu, Seyhun; Kumamoto, Kunihiko

    2016-04-01

    more knowledge on tsunami, tsunami class was provided by BU/DPEU using tsunami booklet and videos. The class was evaluated by before/after class tests and the result showed improvement on students' knowledge. The result showed the necessity to integrate tsunami education materials in school disaster education curriculum.

  16. Video-assisted palatopharyngeal surgery: a model for improved education and training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allori, Alexander C; Marcus, Jeffrey R; Daluvoy, Sanjay; Bond, Jennifer

    2014-09-01

    Objective : The learning process for intraoral procedures is arguably more difficult than for other surgical procedures because of the assistant's severely limited visibility. Consequently, trainees may not be able to adequately see and follow all steps of the procedure, and attending surgeons may be less willing to entrust trainees with critical portions of the procedure. In this report, we propose a video-assisted approach to intraoral procedures that improves lighting, visibility, and potential for effective education and training. Design : Technical report (idea/innovation). Setting : Tertiary referral hospital. Patients : Children with cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency requiring surgery. Interventions : Video-assisted palatoplasty, sphincteroplasty, and pharyngoplasty. Main Outcome Measures : Qualitative and semiquantitative educational outcomes, including learner perception regarding "real-time" (video-assisted surgery) and "non-real-time" (video-library-based) surgical education. Results : Trainees were strongly in favor of the video-assisted modality in "real-time" surgical training. Senior trainees identified more opportunities in which they had been safely entrusted to perform critical portions of the procedure, corresponding with satisfaction with the learning process scores, and they showed greater comfort/confidence scores related to performing the procedure under supervision and alone. Conclusions : Adoption of the video-assisted approach can be expected to markedly improve the learning curve for surgeons in training. This is now standard practice at our institution. We are presently conducting a full educational technology assessment to better characterize the effect on knowledge acquisition and technical improvement.

  17. 75 FR 13735 - Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-Special Focus Competition: Program...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-- Special Focus Competition: Program for North American Mobility in Higher Education ACTION: Extension; Notice... of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Special Focus Competition: Program for North American Mobility in...

  18. Readability of Patient Education Materials in Hand Surgery and Health Literacy Best Practices for Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadden, Kristie; Prince, Latrina Y; Schnaekel, Asa; Couch, Cory G; Stephenson, John M; Wyrick, Theresa O

    2016-08-01

    This study aimed to update a portion of a 2008 study of patient education materials from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Web site with new readability results, to compare the results to health literacy best practices, and to make recommendations to the field for improvement. A sample of 77 patient education documents were downloaded from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Web site, handcare.org, and assessed for readability using 4 readability tools. Mean readability grade-level scores were derived. Best practices for plain language for written health materials were compiled from 3 government agency sources. The mean readability of the 77 patient education documents in the study was 9.3 grade level. This reading level is reduced from the previous study in 2008 in which the overall mean was 10.6; however, the current sample grade level still exceeds recommended readability according to best practices. Despite a small body of literature on the readability of patient education materials related to hand surgery and other orthopedic issues over the last 7 years, readability was not dramatically improved in our current sample. Using health literacy as a framework, improvements in hand surgery patient education may result in better understanding and better outcomes for patients seeing hand surgeons. Improved understanding of patient education materials related to hand surgery may improve preventable negative outcomes that are clinically significant as well as contribute to improved quality of life for patients. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Reasons for Divorce and Recollections of Premarital Intervention: Implications for Improving Relationship Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Shelby B.; Rhoades, Galena K.; Stanley, Scott M.; Allen, Elizabeth S.; Markman, Howard J.

    2014-01-01

    The study presents findings from interviews of 52 divorced individuals who received the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) while engaged to be married. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study sought to understand participant reasons for divorce (including identification of the “final straw”) in order to understand if the program covered these topics effectively. Participants also provided suggestions based on their premarital education experiences so as to improve future relationship education efforts. The most commonly reported major contributors to divorce were lack of commitment, infidelity, and conflict/arguing. The most common “final straw” reasons were infidelity, domestic violence, and substance use. More participants blamed their partners than blamed themselves for the divorce. Recommendations from participants for the improvement of premarital education included receiving relationship education before making a commitment to marry (when it would be easier to break-up), having support for implementing skills outside of the educational setting, and increasing content about the stages of typical marital development. These results provide new insights into the timing and content of premarital and relationship education. PMID:24818068

  20. Reasons for Divorce and Recollections of Premarital Intervention: Implications for Improving Relationship Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Shelby B; Rhoades, Galena K; Stanley, Scott M; Allen, Elizabeth S; Markman, Howard J

    2013-06-01

    The study presents findings from interviews of 52 divorced individuals who received the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) while engaged to be married. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study sought to understand participant reasons for divorce (including identification of the "final straw") in order to understand if the program covered these topics effectively. Participants also provided suggestions based on their premarital education experiences so as to improve future relationship education efforts. The most commonly reported major contributors to divorce were lack of commitment, infidelity, and conflict/arguing. The most common "final straw" reasons were infidelity, domestic violence, and substance use. More participants blamed their partners than blamed themselves for the divorce. Recommendations from participants for the improvement of premarital education included receiving relationship education before making a commitment to marry (when it would be easier to break-up), having support for implementing skills outside of the educational setting, and increasing content about the stages of typical marital development. These results provide new insights into the timing and content of premarital and relationship education.

  1. Taking an educational psychology course improves neuroscience literacy but does not reduce belief in neuromyths.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soo-Hyun Im

    Full Text Available Educators are increasingly interested in applying neuroscience findings to improve educational practice. However, their understanding of the brain often lags behind their enthusiasm for the brain. We propose that educational psychology can serve as a bridge between basic research in neuroscience and psychology on one hand and educational practice on the other. We evaluated whether taking an educational psychology course is associated with increased neuroscience literacy and reduced belief in neuromyths in a sample of South Korean pre-service teachers. The results showed that taking an educational psychology course was associated with the increased neuroscience literacy, but there was no impact on belief in neuromyths. We consider the implications of these and other findings of the study for redesigning educational psychology courses and textbooks for improving neuroscience literacy.

  2. Taking an educational psychology course improves neuroscience literacy but does not reduce belief in neuromyths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Joo-Yun; Dubinsky, Janet M.

    2018-01-01

    Educators are increasingly interested in applying neuroscience findings to improve educational practice. However, their understanding of the brain often lags behind their enthusiasm for the brain. We propose that educational psychology can serve as a bridge between basic research in neuroscience and psychology on one hand and educational practice on the other. We evaluated whether taking an educational psychology course is associated with increased neuroscience literacy and reduced belief in neuromyths in a sample of South Korean pre-service teachers. The results showed that taking an educational psychology course was associated with the increased neuroscience literacy, but there was no impact on belief in neuromyths. We consider the implications of these and other findings of the study for redesigning educational psychology courses and textbooks for improving neuroscience literacy. PMID:29401508

  3. Taking an educational psychology course improves neuroscience literacy but does not reduce belief in neuromyths.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Soo-Hyun; Cho, Joo-Yun; Dubinsky, Janet M; Varma, Sashank

    2018-01-01

    Educators are increasingly interested in applying neuroscience findings to improve educational practice. However, their understanding of the brain often lags behind their enthusiasm for the brain. We propose that educational psychology can serve as a bridge between basic research in neuroscience and psychology on one hand and educational practice on the other. We evaluated whether taking an educational psychology course is associated with increased neuroscience literacy and reduced belief in neuromyths in a sample of South Korean pre-service teachers. The results showed that taking an educational psychology course was associated with the increased neuroscience literacy, but there was no impact on belief in neuromyths. We consider the implications of these and other findings of the study for redesigning educational psychology courses and textbooks for improving neuroscience literacy.

  4. Re-Culturing Educator Preparation Programs: A Collaborative Case Study of Continuous Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snow, Jennifer; Dismuke, Sherry; Zenkert, A. J.; Loffer, Carolyn

    2017-01-01

    Teacher educators at one institution of higher education collaborated to reculture systems for a focus on continuous improvement even within mounting accountability pressures. A framework of social network theory allowed for themes to develop around layered interactions of faculty, processes, and professional capital. Findings focused on people,…

  5. Organizational and curricular support and efficiency of educational and health-improving activity complexes in the physical education process of students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olena Andrieieva

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: to develop organizational and methodological support of the activity of educational and health-improving complexes in the physical education process of students in physical education and to test its effectiveness. Material & Methods: questioning with the purpose of determining the motivation of students, their observance of a healthy lifestyle, the peculiarities of leisure activities; testing the level of theoretical knowledge of students; G. L. Apanasenko methodology (2011 to assess the level of physical health. The pedagogical experiment involved 161 students who studied at the I–IV courses of the University of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine. Results: pedagogical conditions that determine the participation of students in extracurricular activities in physical education are revealed. Conclusion: the positive influence of the introduction of the model of the activity of educational and health-improving complexes on the degree of involvement of students in extracurricular activities has been established, in turn, has helped to raise their level of health, theoretical awareness, motivation and skills of leisure.

  6. Educational gaps and solutions for early-career nurse managers' education and participation in quality improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djukic, Maja; Kovner, Christine T; Brewer, Carol S; Fatehi, Farida; Jun, Jin

    2015-04-01

    The objective of this study was to examine early-career frontline nurse managers' (FLNMs') reported educational preparedness and participation in quality improvement (QI). Frontline nurse managers are vitally important for leading QI. However, it is not well known if they have adequate knowledge and skills to lead this important function. We examined cross-sectional survey data from 42 FLNMs using descriptive statistics. About 30% of FLNMs reported being very prepared across 12 measured QI skills by schools or employers and 35% reported participating in a specific clinical effort to improve patient care on their unit more than once a month. More than 50% reported having good organizational support for QI, but only about 30% reported being rewarded for their contributions to QI. Our study highlights opportunities for development in QI for FLNMs and offers some solutions for nurse executives that can bridge the educational gaps.

  7. A Practice Improvement Education Program Using a Mentored Approach to Improve Nursing Facility Depression Care-Preliminary Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chodosh, Joshua; Price, Rachel M; Cadogan, Mary P; Damron-Rodriguez, JoAnn; Osterweil, Dan; Czerwinski, Alfredo; Tan, Zaldy S; Merkin, Sharon S; Gans, Daphna; Frank, Janet C

    2015-11-01

    Depression is common in nursing facility residents. Depression data obtained using the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 offer opportunities for improving diagnostic accuracy and care quality. How best to integrate MDS 3.0 and other data into quality improvement (QI) activity is untested. The objective was to increase nursing home (NH) capability in using QI processes and to improve depression assessment and management through focused mentorship and team building. This was a 6-month intervention with five components: facilitated collection of MDS 3.0 nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and medication data for diagnostic interpretation; education and modeling on QI approaches, team building, and nonpharmacological depression care; mentored team meetings; educational webinars; and technical assistance. PHQ-9 and medication data were collected at baseline and 6 and 9 months. Progress was measured using team participation measures, attitude and care process self-appraisal, mentor assessments, and resident depression outcomes. Five NHs established interprofessional teams that included nursing (44.1%), social work (20.6%), physicians (8.8%), and other disciplines (26.5%). Members participated in 61% of eight offered educational meetings (three onsite mentored team meetings and five webinars). Competency self-ratings improved on four depression care measures (P = .05 to depression scores did not change while medication use declined, from 37.2% of residents at baseline to 31.0% at 9 months (P care processes, achieved medication reductions, and was well received. Application to other NH-prevalent syndromes is possible. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

  8. Designing an Educational Website to Improve Quality of Supportive Oncology Care for Women with Ovarian Cancer: An Expert Usability Review and Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClellan, Molly A; Karumur, Raghav Pavan; Vogel, Rachel Isaksson; Petzel, Sue V; Cragg, Julie; Chan, Daniel; Jacko, Julie A; Sainfort, François; Geller, Melissa A

    A broad-based research team developed a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant educational website for women with ovarian cancer to improve the quality of supportive oncology care. Prior to a randomized clinical trial of the website, initial usability testing was implemented to evaluate the website. The initial review found that 165/247 checklist items had sufficient information to allow for evaluation with the website achieving an overall score of 63%. By category, lowest scores were for the Home Page, Task Orientation, Page Layout & Visual Design, and Help, Feedback & Error Tolerance. Major issues thought to potentially impede actual usage were prioritized in redevelopment and the second usability review, conducted by the same expert, saw an improvement in scores. Incorporating usability concepts from the start of development, fulfilling the positive expectations of end-users and identifying technical and personal factors that optimize use may greatly enhance usage of health websites.

  9. Options to improve energy efficiency for educational building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahan, Mafruha

    The cost of energy is a major factor that must be considered for educational facility budget planning purpose. The analysis of energy related issues and options can be complex and requires significant time and detailed effort. One way to facilitate the inclusion of energy option planning in facility planning efforts is to utilize a tool that allows for quick appraisal of the facility energy profile. Once such an appraisal is accomplished, it is then possible to rank energy improvement options consistently with other facility needs and requirements. After an energy efficiency option has been determined to have meaningful value in comparison with other facility planning options, it is then possible to utilize the initial appraisal as the basis for an expanded consideration of additional facility and energy use detail using the same analytic system used for the initial appraisal. This thesis has developed a methodology and an associated analytic model to assist in these tasks and thereby improve the energy efficiency of educational facilities. A detailed energy efficiency and analysis tool is described that utilizes specific university building characteristics such as size, architecture, envelop, lighting, occupancy, thermal design which allows reducing the annual energy consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of various aspects of an educational building's energy performance can be complex and can require significant time and experience to make decisions. The approach developed in this thesis initially assesses the energy design for a university building. This initial appraisal is intended to assist administrators in assessing the potential value of energy efficiency options for their particular facility. Subsequently this scoping design can then be extended as another stage of the model by local facility or planning personnel to add more details and engineering aspects to the initial screening model. This approach can assist university planning efforts to

  10. 76 FR 17997 - Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-31

    ... entitled ``Treasury/IRS 42.888--Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Records.'' DATES: Comments must be... with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Program pursuant... and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-152) (Affordable Care Act). The qualifying...

  11. Expanding Educators' Contributions to Continuous Quality Improvement of American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nora, Lois Margaret; Pouwels, Mellie Villahermosa; Irons, Mira

    2016-01-01

    The American Board of Medical Specialties board certification has transformed into a career-long process of learning, assessment, and performance improvement through its Program for Maintenance of Certification (MOC). Medical educators across many medical professional organizations, specialty societies, and other institutions have played important roles in shaping MOC and tailoring its overarching framework to the needs of different specialties. This Commentary addresses potential barriers to engagement in work related to MOC for medical school (MS) and academic health center (AHC) educators and identifies reasons for, and ways to accomplish, greater involvement in this work. The authors present ways that medical and other health professions educators in these settings can contribute to the continuous improvement of the MOC program including developing educational and assessment activities, engaging in debate about MOC, linking MOC with institutional quality improvement activities, and pursuing MOC-related scholarship. MS- and AHC-based educators have much to offer this still-young and continually improving program, and their engagement is sought, necessary, and welcomed.

  12. Parent Involvement and Extended Learning Activities in School Improvement Plans in the Midwest Region. Issues & Answers. REL 2011-No. 115

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kochanek, Julie Reed; Wraight, Sara; Wan, Yinmei; Nylen, Leslie; Rodriguez, Sheila

    2011-01-01

    According to the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), commonly referred to as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, Title I schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years are required to develop or revise school improvement plans aimed at boosting student achievement.…

  13. A Collaborative Governance Approach to Improving Tertiary Education in Papua New Guinea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldridge, Kaye; Larry, Lisa; Baird, Jeanette; Kavanamur, David

    2018-01-01

    Tertiary education in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is in a critical state, as the sector struggles to address increased demand for student places with severely curtailed capacity. Recent thinking about improving public services in PNG has emphasized "whole of sector" or collaborative governance. Such an approach in tertiary education has the…

  14. Improving shared decision-making in chronic lymphocytic leukemia through multidisciplinary education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocque, Gabrielle B; Williams, Courtney P; Halilova, Karina I; Borate, Uma; Jackson, Bradford E; Van Laar, Emily S; Pisu, Maria; Butler, Thomas W; Davis, Randall S; Mehta, Amitkumar; Knight, Sara J; Safford, Monika M

    2018-03-01

    New treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with excellent response rates and varying toxicity profiles have emerged in recent years, creating an opportunity for a patient's personal preferences to contribute to treatment decisions. We conducted a prospective, quasi-experimental pre- and post-evaluation of a multilevel educational program and its impact on knowledge of CLL and shared decision-making (SDM). We educated patients, lay navigators, nurses/advanced practice providers (APPs), and physicians. Patients were evaluated for change in patient activation, distress, desired role in decision-making, perception of decision-making, satisfaction with oncologist explanation of treatment choice, and knowledge of CLL. Lay navigators, nurses/APPs, and physicians were evaluated for change in CLL knowledge and perception of decision-making. Forty-four patients, 33 lay navigators, 27 nurses/APPs, and 27 physicians participated in the educational program. We observed trends toward improved patient activation, with 68% before education versus 76% after education reporting a Patient Activation Measure (PAM) score of 3 or 4. The percentage of patients desiring and perceiving SDM trended upward from 47% to 67% and from 35% to 49%, respectively. The percentage of patients understanding that CLL is incurable increased from 80% to 90%, as did reporting awareness of signs of progression (64% to 76%). Patients' satisfaction with their oncologists' explanations of therapy increased significantly from 83% to 95% (p = .03). CLL knowledge increased after education for lay navigators (36% vs 63%) and nurses/APPs (35% vs 69%), and remained high for physicians (85% vs 87%). Nurses/APPs and physicians perceived at least some patient involvement in decision-making at baseline, whereas 12% of patients and 23% of lay navigators perceived that physicians made decisions independently. This project demonstrated trends toward improvements in patient engagement, prognostic awareness

  15. School-Based Educational Intervention to Improve Children's Oral Health-Related Knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, Holly; Dawett, Bhupinder; Leighton, Paul; Rose-Brady, Laura; Deery, Chris

    2015-07-01

    To evaluate a brief oral health promotion intervention delivered in schools by a primary care dental practice, aimed at changing oral health care knowledge and oral health-related behaviors in children. Cohort study with pretest-posttest design. Three primary schools. One hundred and fifty children (aged 9-12 years). Children received a 60-minute theory-driven classroom-based interactive educational session delivered by a dental care professional and received take-home literature on oral health. All children completed a questionnaire on oral health-related knowledge and self-reported oral health-related behaviors before, immediately after, and 6 weeks following the intervention. Children's dental knowledge significantly improved following the intervention, with improvement evident at immediate follow-up and maintained 6 weeks later. Significantly more children reported using dental floss 6 weeks after the intervention compared with baseline. No significant differences were detected in toothbrushing or dietary behaviors. School-based preventative oral health education delivered by primary care dental practices can generate short-term improvements in children's knowledge of oral health and some aspects of oral hygiene behavior. Future research should engage parents/carers and include objective clinical and behavioral outcomes in controlled study designs. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  16. Engineering Ethics Education on the Basis of Continuous Education to Improve Communication Ability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahara, Kenji; Kajiwara, Toshinori

    The paper proposes the engineering ethics education method for students on the basis of continuous education to improve communication ability. First, through a debate, the students acquire the fundamental skills required to marshal their arguments, to construct the rebuttals and to summarize the debates. Secondly, the students study the fundamental techniques to make a presentation on technical subjects related to electrical engineering. Following these classes, in the lecture of engineering ethics, the students probe the cause of each accident and consider the better means for avoiding such an accident, each other. In most cases, the students can express right and commonsensical opinions from an ethical standpoint. However, they can hardly make judgments when the situations such as the human relations in the above accidents are set concretely. During the engineering ethics class, the students come to know that human relations behind the case make the ethical matters more complicated. Furthermore, they come to understand that facilitating daily communications with co-workers and/or bosses is very important in order to avoid the accidents. The recognition of the students is just the results of the continuous education through three years. It can be said that the engineering ethics education thus constructed makes the students raise such spontaneous awareness and their ethical qualities as engineers.

  17. Using evidence to improve satisfaction with medication side-effects education on a neuro-medical surgical unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahrens, Susan L; Wirges, Ashley M

    2013-10-01

    Patient satisfaction is viewed as a significant indicator of quality of care. More specifically, improving patient satisfaction related to communication about medications and potential side effects can improve healthcare outcomes. Patient satisfaction scores related to medication side effects on a neuro-medical surgical unit were monitored following a quality improvement program. These patients frequently experience cognitive impairment and functional difficulties that can affect the way they understand and handle medications. The purpose of this quality improvement practice change was to (a) develop an educational approach for post acute neurosurgical patients and (b) evaluate whether the use of the approach is successful in improving patient satisfaction scores related to medication education on side effects. The quality improvement program interventions included (a) patient informational handouts inserted into admission folders, (b) nurse education about the importance of providing education on side effects to patient and discussion of their involvement with the program, (c) unit flyers with nurse education, and (d) various communications with bedside nurses through personal work mail and emails. The primary focus was for nurses to employ the "teach back" method to review and reinforce the medication side-effect teaching with patients. Evaluation of the data showed an increase in patient satisfaction after the implementation of the "Always Ask" program.

  18. Improving patient knowledge about sacral nerve stimulation using a patient based educational video.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeppson, Peter Clegg; Clark, Melissa A; Hampton, Brittany Star; Raker, Christina A; Sung, Vivian W

    2013-10-01

    We developed a patient based educational video to address the information needs of women considering sacral nerve stimulation for overactive bladder. Five semistructured focus groups were used to identify patient knowledge gaps, information needs, patient acceptable terminology and video content preferences for a patient based sacral nerve stimulation educational video. Each session was transcribed, independently coded by 2 coders and examined using an iterative method. A 16-minute educational video was created to address previously identified knowledge gaps and information needs using patient footage, 3-dimensional animation and peer reviewed literature. We developed a questionnaire to evaluate participant sacral nerve stimulation knowledge and therapy attitudes. We then performed a randomized trial to assess the effect of the educational video vs the manufacturer video on patient knowledge and attitudes using our questionnaire. We identified 10 patient important domains, including 1) anatomy, 2) expectations, 3) sacral nerve stimulation device efficacy, 4) surgical procedure, 5) surgical/device complications, 6) post-procedure recovery, 7) sacral nerve stimulation side effects, 8) postoperative restrictions, 9) device maintenance and 10) general sacral nerve stimulation information. A total of 40 women with overactive bladder were randomized to watch the educational (20) or manufacturer (20) video. Knowledge scores improved in each group but the educational video group had a greater score improvement (76.6 vs 24.2 points, p <0.0001). Women who watched the educational video reported more favorable attitudes and expectations about sacral nerve stimulation therapy. Women with overactive bladder considering sacral nerve stimulation therapy have specific information needs. The video that we developed to address these needs was associated with improved short-term patient knowledge. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc

  19. IMPROVING THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS BASED ON THE USE OF INFORMATION LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandra B. Kriger

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers with the development of effective educational process, using leaning management system. The analysis of the results of the use Blackboard Learning System for the organization of educational activities to the university students. Built process models of learning (ideal and real on the basis of their proposals on the improvement of the educational process. 

  20. Family Education as an Element to Improve Quality of Life of Children with Special Needs

    OpenAIRE

    Kokle-Narbuta, Iveta

    2015-01-01

    The current research aims to analyse the importance of family education in improving life quality of children with special needs. Nowadays our society aim for sustainable development which means equal rights and possibilities for all the citizens but reality shows a different situation, especially it concerns children with special needs. Family education could be one of possible ways how to improve the quality of life. In the current article the author looks on family education as a solution ...

  1. A Soft Systems Methodology Perspective on Data Warehousing Education Improvement

    OpenAIRE

    R. Goede; E. Taylor

    2012-01-01

    This paper demonstrates how the soft systems methodology can be used to improve the delivery of a module in data warehousing for fourth year information technology students. Graduates in information technology needs to have academic skills but also needs to have good practical skills to meet the skills requirements of the information technology industry. In developing and improving current data warehousing education modules one has to find a balance in meeting the expectations of ...

  2. Examining educators of the deaf as "highly qualified" teachers: roles and responsibilities under IDEA and NCLB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luft, Pamela

    2008-01-01

    Educators of the deaf were long considered "highly qualified" if they obtained state licensure from approved deaf education programs. But the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) redefined qualifications based on core academic content areas, without recognizing disability-specific expertise. NCLB's reauthorization will provide opportunities for examining definitions of "highly qualified" and ensuring that both general and special educators are appropriately prepared. Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, educators of the deaf are primarily responsible for supporting implementation of each assigned student's individualized education program. When done skillfully and knowledgeably, IEP execution maximizes learning outcomes, and therefore would support NCLB mandates for improved student achievement. Instead of academic attainment alone, the primary "qualification" of educators of the deaf should be training and expertise in providing communication, learning, and assistive technology supports that allow access to academic content and, ultimately, address deaf students' historical underachievement.

  3. Strengthening Mathematics And Science Education (SMASE) For Improving The Quality Of Teachers in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuaibu, Zainab Muhammad

    2016-04-01

    The education system in Nigeria, especially at the basic education level, teachers who teach mathematics and science need to be confident with what they are teaching, they need to have appropriate techniques and strategies of motivating the pupils. If these subjects are not taught well at the basic education level its extraordinarily hard to get them (pupils/students) back to track, no matter what will be done in the secondary and tertiary level. Teachers as the driving force behind improvements in the education system are in the best position to understand and propose solutions to problems faced by students. Teachers must have access to sustainable, high quality professional development in order to improve teaching and student learning. Teachers' professional development in Nigeria, however, has long been criticized for its lack of sustainability and ability to produce effective change in teaching and students achievement. Education theorists today believe that a critical component of educational reform lies in providing teachers with various opportunities and supports structures that encourage ongoing improvement in teachers' pedagogy and discipline-specific content knowledge. However, the ongoing reforms in education sector and the need to refocus the Nigeria education system towards the goal of the National Economical Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS) demand that the existing In-service and Education Training (INSET) in Nigeria be refocused. It is against this premise that an INSET programme aimed at Strengthening Mathematics And Science Education (SMASE) for primary and secondary school teachers was conceived. The relevance of the SMASE INSET according to the Project Design Matrix (PDM) was derived from an In-service aimed at enhancing the quality of teachers in terms of positive attitude, teaching methodology, mastery of content, resource mobilization and utilization of locally available teaching and learning materials. The intervention of

  4. Using the "No Child Left Behind Act" To Improve Schools in Your State: A Tool Kit for Business Leaders. Information Resources for Business Leadership To Increase Student Achivement under the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001."

    Science.gov (United States)

    Business Roundtable, Washington, DC.

    This tool kit is intended to help business leaders seize specific opportunities to partner with educators and political leaders in the next year to implement reforms called for by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which provides new accountability measures and resources to raise the achievement of students throughout the United States. The…

  5. Vizuální akty ve výukové komunikaci. / Visual acts in instructional communication.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuzana Šalamounová

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available This empirical study describes the functions of visual acts of meaning in the educational communication between teachers and their pupils. The study understands visual acts to be visual messages that have meaning for participants of communication. The data was gathered through direct observation of 32 classes of humanities subjects at lower secondary schools. Visual acts were firstly divided into topic visual acts (which convey events, objects or thoughts directly related to the topic of conversation and interactive visual acts (which can be characterized as contact messages. In the context of lessons, topic visual acts are presented as a tool for conceptualisation of educational content. On the other side, interactive visual acts are described as a mechanism which participates in establishing the setting of educational communication. Although visual acts of meaning often have the same functions and structure, it transpires that their nature is highly individualized and it can be seen as a sign of a teacher’s professional identity.

  6. Parent Involvement and Extended Learning Activities in School Improvement Plans in the Midwest Region. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2011-No. 115

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kochanek, Julie Reed; Wraight, Sara; Wan, Yinmei; Nylen, Leslie; Rodriguez, Sheila

    2011-01-01

    According to the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), commonly referred to as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, Title I schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years are required to develop or revise school improvement plans aimed at boosting student achievement.…

  7. S. 1958: This Act may be cited as the Nuclear Facilities Occupational Safety Improvement Act of 1989. Introduced in the Senate of the United States, One Hundredth First Congress, First Session, November 21, 1989

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1989-01-01

    S. 1958 is a bill to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to improve and enforce standards for employee health and safety at Department of Energy nuclear facilities, and for other purposes

  8. "Act in Good Faith."

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Robert B.

    1979-01-01

    It is argued that the Supreme Court's Bakke decision overturning the University of California's minority admissions program is good for those who favor affirmative action programs in higher education. The Supreme Court gives wide latitude for devising programs that take race and ethnic background into account if colleges are acting in good faith.…

  9. Influential Factors for the Improvement of Peer Education in Adolescents: A Narrative Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marzieh Azizi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Context Peer education is an effective strategy for improving adolescents’ health. It focuses on the improvement of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs among adolescents with regards to different healthcare issues and empowers them to make informed decisions. This review study aimed to determine factors that promote peer education among adolescents. Evidence Acquisition In this narrative review, electronic databases including Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed (including Medline, Web of Science, Scientific Information Database, and Scopus were searched. Articles published between 1991 and 2016 were retrieved and undergone abstract and full-text appraisal. Lastly, 53 articles were selected and used to write this review. Results The factors influencing the promotion of peer education among adolescents were classified as follow: ‘characteristics of peer educators’: personal, skills and communication characteristics; ‘characteristics of the educational program’: theoretical foundations, program transparency, program sustainability, adolescents’ comprehensive participation, and evaluation and monitoring; and ‘structural characteristics of the educational program’: supportive structure, and financial-official structure. Conclusions Taking into account the importance of adolescence and issues surrounding this period, the important role of peer education in the promotion of adolescents’ health should be emphasized.

  10. Atrial electrogram interpretation improves after an innovative education program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, Julie L; Currey, Judy; Considine, Julie

    2015-01-01

    To avoid adverse patient outcomes from inappropriate treatment, it is recommended that an atrial electrogram (AEG) be recorded whenever atrial arrhythmias develop in patients after cardiac surgery. However, AEGs are not commonly performed because nurses lack knowledge about differentiating atrial rhythms on AEGs. To investigate whether completing a novel online evidence-based education program on interpreting AEGs would improve critical care nurses' AEG interpretation. Specialized critical care nurses were taught about obtaining and interpreting atrial rhythms on AEGs using a 42-minute online mini-movie. AEG interpretation was assessed pre and two and eight weeks post-intervention. AEG interpretation increased two weeks post intervention and was retained at eight weeks. Some participants used this newly acquired knowledge to interpret arrhythmias that were not taught during the education program. Accurate interpretation of AEGs is an easy skill for specialized critical care nurses to learn via an online education program.

  11. H.R. 754: A Bill to make improvements in the Black Lung Benefits Act. Introduced in the House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, First session

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-12-31

    This bill proposes changes in the Black Lung Benefits Act with the intent of improving the existing legislation. Changes are proposed in sections of the act referring to: benefit overpayment; evidence; survivor benefits; responsible operator; attorney fees; administration; refilling; construction; and effective dates.

  12. Developing a framework for evaluating the impact of Healthcare Improvement Science Education across Europe: a qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Lillo-Crespo

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Purpose Frontline healthcare professionals are well positioned to improve the systems in which they work. Educational curricula, however, have not always equipped healthcare professionals with the skills or knowledge to implement and evaluate improvements. It is important to have a robust and standardized framework in order to evaluate the impact of such education in terms of improvement, both within and across European countries. The results of such evaluations will enhance the further development and delivery of healthcare improvement science (HIS education. We aimed to describe the development and piloting of a framework for prospectively evaluating the impact of HIS education and learning. Methods The evaluation framework was designed collaboratively and piloted in 7 European countries following a qualitative methodology. The present study used mixed methods to gather data from students and educators. The framework took the Kirkpatrick model of evaluation as a theoretical reference. Results The framework was found to be feasible and acceptable for use across differing European higher education contexts according to the pilot study and the participants’ consensus. It can be used effectively to evaluate and develop HIS education across European higher education institutions. Conclusion We offer a new evaluation framework to capture the impact of HIS education. The implementation of this tool has the potential to facilitate the continuous development of HIS education.

  13. Digital education reform for improving interaction between students and instructors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Qiansong; Li, Yuanjie; Zheng, Lixin

    2017-08-01

    Nowadays it is difficult to attract undergraduate students' interesting to put sufficient time to learn major courses in China, which are too hard for them to quick grasp and fully understanding. Here we report a digital education reform for improving interactions between students and instructors, in which we transform the abstract, obscure and boring knowledge, such as physical, mathematical, electronic or optical concepts into direct and dynamic 3-D model and flash. Therefore, this method can convert theoretical concepts into easy understanding pictures. Our several years' experience shows that this education mode can make students' willing to think and practice, then it is helpful for attracting their learning interests. Most students benefit from this education mode which can greatly enhance their understanding abilities.

  14. The relationship between the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) and hospital profitability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Younis, Mustafa Z

    2006-01-01

    The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) reduced the payment for fees for service providers and reduced the subsidy paid by the government for teaching hospitals. Since the passage of such cost containment measures, debates regarding their impact on hospitals, graduate medical education, and access to health care were raised. The need to examine the effect of such payment reduction on hospital profitability was widely ignored. We examined the relationship between the BBA and hospital profitability by using return on assets to measure profitability, by running an ordinary least squares regression for 1996 as pre-BBA and 1999 as post-BBA. We controlled for variables that were not included in previous literature, such as disproportionate share hospital status, critical access hospital status, and graduate medical education, measured by teaching hospitals to measure the effect of BBA cuts on teaching hospitals. Furthermore we incorporated several economic, financial, and utilization variables in the model. We used 1996 and 1999 data in our analysis to bridge potential effects of the BBA. To locate hospitals that changed ownership status we cross-matched the Medicare Cost Report data with the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. We found that overall hospital profitability declined as a result of the introduction of the BBA; however, small rural hospitals that converted to critical access status enjoyed improvement in financial status over the period of our study. Hospitals that converted to for-profit status did not improve in financial status, and showed a lower earning after the conversation. Our results show that the BBA had a negative effect on hospitals because of cuts in its reimbursement policy, except for critical access hospitals, which show improvement because of their exemption from the prospective payment system. Our study differs from others by using national comprehensive data for years that focus exclusively on the Balanced Budget Act period. We

  15. 75 FR 39669 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-12

    ...In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice proposing to revise the system of records notice for the Hotline Complaint Files of the Inspector General (18-10-04), 64 FR 30157-59 (June 4, 1999). The Department proposes to amend this system of records notice by: (1) Adding that a purpose of the system is to report on complaints and allegations related to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RATB) as established by the ARRA (Pub. L. 111- 5); (2) adding a new routine use to allow the disclosure of ARRA- related complaints and allegations to the RATB; (3) adding a new routine use to allow for disclosure of information in connection with response and remedial efforts in the event of a data breach in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements in M-07-16 (May 22, 2007); (4) revising the routine use ``Disclosure to Public and Private Sources in Connection with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)'' to allow the disclosure of information to an educational institution or a school that is or was a party to an agreement with the Secretary of Education pursuant to the HEA; and (5) updating the address of the System Manager.

  16. Applying Systems Thinking to Improve Special Education in Ohio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levenson, Nathan

    2012-01-01

    This report was written at the request of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, to inform the discussion of state-level policy makers and other stakeholders on how to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of services provided to Ohio's students with special needs. It is critical for Ohio to find…

  17. ‘PUBLIC COMMUNICATION’ EDUCATION AND EXTENSION: civic skills to talk and act on polis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heloiza Helena Matos e Nobre

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Academia has a triple mission: research, education, and extension. This paper deals with ‘public communication’ as a matter for education and extension. The idea is that there is no citizenship or democracy without the training on ‘public communication’ abilities. Only citizens who are able to speak and act at the public sphere can participate on the social life. Such abilities are twofold: parliamentary (how to speak and executive (how to act. The paper shows how is possible to effectively communicate through silent acts, as well as how ‘public communication’ can have a “dark side of the force”. Finally, it states that all ‘public communication’ should lead to peaceful living and social cohesion.   KEYWORDS: public communication; education; extension; training; civic skills.     RESUMO A Academia tem uma tripla missão: pesquisa, educação e extensão. Este artigo trata da "comunicação pública" como uma questão de educação e extensão. A ideia é que não há cidadania ou democracia sem um treinamento em habilidades de ‘comunicação pública'. Apenas os cidadãos que são capazes de falar e agir na esfera pública podem participar na vida social. Essas habilidades são de dois tipos: parlamentar (como falar e executivo (como agir. O artigo mostra como é possível comunicar de forma eficaz através de atos silenciosos, bem como a «comunicação pública» pode ter um "lado negro da força". Finalmente, afirma que toda "comunicação pública" deve levar a uma convivência pacífica e à coesão social.   PALAVRAS-CHAVE: comunicação pública; Educação; extensão; Treinamento; competências cívicas.     RESUMEN La academia tiene una triple misión: investigación, educación y extensión. Este trabajo se ocupa de la ‘comunicación pública’ como una cuestión de educación y extensión. La idea es que no hay democracia ni ciudadanía sin el entrenamiento en habilidades de ‘comunicación p

  18. Determining the Role of Language and Culture in First Nations Schools: A Comparison of the First Nations Education Act with the Policy of the Assembly of First Nations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morcom, Lindsay A.

    2014-01-01

    In this article, I explore the incongruence between the federal government's proposed First Nations Education Act and the approach of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) regarding language and culture education. I also examine research concerning potential outcomes of their approaches to determine what would be most beneficial to learners.…

  19. Nurse Reinvestment Act. Public Law.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC.

    This document contains the text of the Nurse Reinvestment Act, which amends the Public Health Service Act to address the increasing shortage of registered nurses by instituting a series of policies to improve nurse recruitment and nurse retention. Title I details two initiatives to boost recruitment of nurses. The first initiative includes the…

  20. Towards Effective Educational Politics through Improving the Performance Measurement System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuuli Reisberg

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Educational field is impelled to increase performance and quality, financial discipline, strategic behaviour and its goals in order to enhance “effectiveness”. As a result the incorporation of private sector management practices into the educational field is taking place. But it is important to notice that a proliferation of private managerial practices into the educational field goes along with a conflict-laden and contradictory process. Education provides an important area of implementation for techniques of performance evaluation aimed at improving the performance of public services. One of the most common conceptual frameworks in measuring organisational performance takes the form of a production function where the educational institution is seen as analogous to a company transforming inputs into outputs and outcomes through a production process. But the problems and the vagueness in determining educational system’s inputs, outputs and outcomes cause difficulties in making political decisions and that is why clear policy prescriptions have been difficult to derive. The purpose of this article is to create a discussion whether performance measurement should be a part of decision-making in educational politics. The authors debate about incorporating private sector management practices into the educational field. The debate is based on the example of evaluating the social impact in the educational field and the performance of teachers’ work in the educational system. The article consists of three parts. Firstly, the theoretical background of the performance measurement in educational field is discussed. Secondly, the important criteria for performance measurement design and political issues are argued. Thirdly, the evaluated shortcomings in Estonian educational organisations, which restrict them to be effective, are brought out. Relieving some of these shortcomings could be in authority of Estonian educational politics.

  1. New governance in education and dynamics for improvement: pressure versus commitment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Bolívar

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The article defends the thesis that, in the second modernity, we are facing new post-bureaucratic ways of education governance to achieve improvements. The so-called "educational restructuring" assumes, in fact, a new "governance" of education, which includes - among others - deregulation, commercialization and introduction of management principles of business scope. Are analyzed two routes of developing to generate improvement: one that favors competition, using commercial image as regulating device, and another addressed to the commitment and collaboration of the actors (SAHLBERG, 2011. The first pressing from the outside, and the second seeking an implication from within. The performing pressures have their intrinsic limitations, so if requires the establishment of a culture conducive to learning (HARGREAVES and FULLAN, 2014. There are other alternative routes that Hargreaves and Shirley (2012 qualify as a "fourth way", which ensure good learning for all cannot be only imposing object. A logic of committed and professional autonomy is an alternative route, supported by means of participation of persons to whom professionalism is recognized to make decisions.

  2. 78 FR 2418 - Privacy Act; Notification of New Privacy Act System of Records, Pre-Purchase Homeownership...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-11

    ...); prior experience completing pre-purchase counseling or education; regular access to a computer and... New Privacy Act System of Records, Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact... of record is the Pre-Purchase Homeownership Counseling Demonstration and Impact Evaluation Random...

  3. Osteoporosis education improves osteoporosis knowledge and dietary calcium: comparison of a 4 week and a one-session education course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laslett, Laura L; Lynch, Joan; Sullivan, Thomas R; McNeil, Julian D

    2011-08-01

    Education is ideal for osteoporosis because many risk factors are modifiable. However, the efficacy of shortened education courses compared to a standard 4 week course for improving osteoporosis knowledge and healthy behaviours is not known. This study aimed to assess whether education changed knowledge and healthy behaviours over 3 months of follow-up; and whether changes in these outcomes were different between participants receiving the different education courses. Adults aged ≥ 50 years presenting to Emergency with mild to moderate trauma fractures received either the Osteoporosis Prevention and Self-Management Course (OPSMC) (4 × 2.5 h) (n = 75) or a one-session course (1 × 2.5 h) (n = 71) in a non-randomised prospective study with single-blinded allocation. Participants completed questionnaires measuring osteoporosis knowledge, dietary calcium, physical activity, calcium and exercise self-efficacy, and osteoporosis medications at baseline and 3 months. Data were analysed using mixed models and GEE regression models. Osteoporosis knowledge and calcium from food (% of RDI) increased from baseline to 3 months in both groups (P osteoporosis medications increased between baseline and 3 months in the OPSMC group while decreasing in the one-session group (P = 0.039). There were no differences between the groups or over time in physical activity, calcium or exercise self-efficacy. Osteoporosis education (either the OPSMC or the one-session course) improved osteoporosis knowledge and calcium intake after 3 months. Participants attending the OPSMC maintained medication compliance. We were unable to determine other differences between the courses. This study confirms the value of osteoporosis education for improving osteoporosis knowledge. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases © 2011 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  4. Education in a homeless shelter to improve the nutrition of young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousey, Yvonne; Leake, Jacquelyn; Wdowik, Melissa; Janken, Janice K

    2007-01-01

    To improve the nutritional status of homeless children by implementing an educational program for their mothers and the cafeteria staff at a homeless shelter. Program evaluation including before and after measures of mothers' nutritional knowledge and nutritional quality of foods served in the cafeteria. Fifty-six mothers with children aged 18 months to 6 years and 3 cafeteria staff. Four nutrition classes developed by a registered nutritionist were taught to mothers by clinic nurses; 3 nutrition classes were taught to the cafeteria staff by the nutritionist. Mothers scored higher on posttests than on pretests, indicating improved nutritional knowledge. Minimal differences in the nutritional quality of foods served to residents were observed after staff education. This project demonstrates the challenges of altering the nutritional status of children in a homeless shelter. Despite mothers showing better knowledge of nutritional requirements for children, the types of food served in the cafeteria were an obstacle to them in practicing what they had learned. The cafeteria staff's ability to demonstrate their learning was impeded by the constraints of food donations. Educational strategies may need to be augmented by policies to improve the nutritional status of children in homeless shelters.

  5. The Teaching Gap: Best Ideas from the World's Teachers for Improving Education in the Classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stigler, James W.; Hiebert, James

    This book is an action plan for improving education in the U.S, focusing on the key role of teachers in this improvement. It offers a detailed comparison of the educational methods of Germany, Japan, and the United States. The analysis begins with an international study of mathematics teaching in the three countries that was conducted as part of…

  6. Improving Student Outcomes in Higher Education: The Science of Targeted Intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harackiewicz, Judith M; Priniski, Stacy J

    2018-01-04

    Many theoretically based interventions have been developed over the past two decades to improve educational outcomes in higher education. Based in social-psychological and motivation theories, well-crafted interventions have proven remarkably effective because they target specific educational problems and the processes that underlie them. In this review, we evaluate the current state of the literature on targeted interventions in higher education with an eye to emerging theoretical and conceptual questions about intervention science. We review three types of interventions, which focus on the value students perceive in academic tasks, their framing of academic challenges, and their personal values, respectively. We consider interventions that (a) target academic outcomes (e.g., grades, major or career plans, course taking, retention) in higher education, as well as the pipeline to college, and (b) have been evaluated in at least two studies. Finally, we discuss implications for intervention science moving forward.

  7. 75 FR 2523 - Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Arts in Education Model Development...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for... Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The Arts in Education Model Development and...

  8. PRISON EDUCATION IN POLAND: SPECIFICS AND CHALLENGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daria Becker-Pestka

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The problems presented in the text refer to the education of convicts in Poland. It has been based on current Polish legal regulations, statistical data and specialist literature. The problems which refer to the education of convicts in Poland are regulated by the Act of 6th June 1997, the Executive Penal Code, the Act on the Education System and executive acts to the above-mentioned regulations. The current situation in the labour market requires people to acquire education and to improve their qualifications. People without education, who are excluded from the access to professional development and in-service training, find themselves in an extremely difficult situation. The lack of qualification and vocational skills usually leads to exclusion from the labour market. People who serve their sentences in prisons find themselves in a particularly difficult situation, because their lack of education may push them back into crime. A very positive tendency that may be observed in Poland is a growing demand for prison education. Convicts may acquire knowledge and raise their qualifications at various levels and in various fields. They may follow the curricula at the level of a primary or secondary school; they may pass their Matura certificate and, after the consent of relevant authorities, they can continue their education at the university level. Convicts may also learn a new profession, change their professional qualifications or acquire new additional skills during specialist courses. The qualifications acquired in this way shall meet current demand in the labour market, and convicts may find employment after they leave prisons. Education allows them to improve their self-esteem and self-reliance, to catch up with any deficiencies and to work on their self-discipline. At the same time, education offers opportunities to expand knowledge, to return to the society and to the labour market. It is important for convicts to obtain opportunities for

  9. Formal Nutritional Education Improves Weight Loss in Bariatric Patients Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangieri, Christopher Wesley; Strode, Matthew A

    2016-12-01

    Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an increasingly performed procedure in the bariatric surgery armamentarium. This study evaluates our experience with LSG at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) during the time period of 2008-2010. We found that the inclusion of formal nutritional education significantly increased our weight loss results following LSG. This is a retrospective review from our LSG caseload from 2008 to 2010. During that time, we performed 159 LSG. In our review, we performed comparative data of all operative years during 2008-2010 for up to 3 years postoperatively. Our main focus was in regard to weight loss as measured by percentage of excess body weight loss (%EWL), percentage of total weight loss (%TWL), and percentage of excess BMI loss (%EBL). We also evaluated the effect of LSG on diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) postoperatively. We found an improvement in our %EWL, %TWL, and %EBL rates in our LSG cases following the inclusion of formal nutritional education. There was a mean increase in %EWL of 15 %, %TWL of 7 %, and %EBL of 21 %, which were statistically significant, that was present at all postoperative years of follow-up. We determined the only variable that changed in our bariatric program starting in 2010 was the inclusion of formal nutritional education. We also found a statistically significant improvement in resolution of HTN with the inclusion of formal nutritional education. The addition of formal nutritional education can enhance weight loss following bariatric surgery. We have shown a significant improvement in weight loss results following LSG with the implementation of formal nutritional education; this is the only study to our knowledge evaluating formal nutritional education and LSG.

  10. Web Accessibility of the Higher Education Institute Websites Based on the World Wide Web Consortium and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Najma H.

    2014-01-01

    The problem observed in this study is the low level of compliance of higher education website accessibility with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The literature supports the non-compliance of websites with the federal policy in general. Studies were performed to analyze the accessibility of fifty-four sample web pages using automated…

  11. Improving the Status of Women in the Third World: A Challenge to Adult Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Elmer J.

    Adult educators face a challenge if they are to aid in the improvement of the status of women in the Third World. Women in developing countries, especially those in rural and poverty areas, are often restricted to second class educational and work opportunities. Adult educators could contribute to the reduction of such discrimination in the…

  12. The education of kind in the educational professional's initial formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josefa Caridad López-Ferrera

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In the context Cuban they visualize improvements in relation to the woman in the sociocultural and educational, but still the treatment is necessary to the focus of kind in the pedagogic technical training, as from the educational influence and takes of conscience for the human development. The purpose of this work is to reflect about the relations of kind with the intensity of transforming the knowledge on kind and it excluding and patriarchal modes of acting stereotyped, in modes of equity, solidarity, tolerance and respect that you favor the formation of a free professional of prejudices, taboos and to surpass the culture of die inherited; I eat civic of high self-esteem and realization, with capability of influencing the social development, for the attributes it has been in educated, and forming human complete, happy, critical, reflexive and ethical beings, than contribute to the perfecting of the social project Cuban.

  13. Apropos of the Quality Management in Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. G. Kislov

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper is devoted to introduction and implementation of quality management system in the sphere of Russian higher education. The research demanded the prehistory observation of the above processes, their legal bases analysis, as well as setting the existing practices of the state control and supervision of education in compliance with the principles of TQM (Total Quality Management. Different normative acts and documents have been reviewed concerning accreditation of higher educational establishments, and determining the state policy of quality improvement of the higher school functioning. The author emphasizes that participation of different organizations - including educational ones – in certification procedures and competitions in the quality sphere is considered voluntary according to the Russian legislation. However, for getting the state accreditation educational establishments have no other way apart from setting the internal structures responsible for students training quality. The above structures in educational establishments look rather strange and alien duplicating in their best the state control and supervision system. They appear to be quite expansive for educational establishments and demanding extra time and effort from the staff. In conclusion the author points out that the state policy forcing the quality management issues reflects the interests of certain social groups, namely those who directly participate in external supervision of higher educa- tional institutions. The research findings can be applied while correcting the educational policy of the Russian Federation, and developing the concepts of regulatory legal acts in the higher educational sphere.

  14. Clinical Performance Measures and Quality Improvement System Considerations for Dental Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkinson, Joseph W; Zeller, Gregory G

    2017-03-01

    Quality improvement and quality assurance programs are an integral part of providing excellence in health care delivery. The Dental Quality Alliance and the Commission on Dental Accreditation recognize this and have created standards and recommendations to advise health care providers and health care delivery systems, including dental schools, on measuring the quality of the care delivered to patients. Overall health care expenditures have increased, and the Affordable Care Act has made health care, including dentistry, available to more people in the United States. These increases in cost and in the number of patients accessing care contribute to a heightened interest in measurable quality improvement outcomes that reflect efficiency, effectiveness, and overall value. Practitioners and administrators, both in academia and in the "real world," need an understanding of various quality improvement methodologies available in order to select approaches that support effective monitoring of the quality of care delivered. This article compares and contrasts various quality improvement approaches, programs, and systems currently in use in order to assist dental providers and administrators in choosing quality improvement methodologies pertinent to their practice or institution.

  15. Education

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Belue, Lisa

    2002-01-01

    .... Unequal access to quality education leaves millions ill equipped for today's workplace. The "No Child Left Behind Act" is an effective point of departure, yet it too fails to adequately address the myriad issues affecting quality education...

  16. Nonformal Education in Improving Quality of Life of Underprivileged Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Al Mamun

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the role of Non-formal Primary Education (NFPE in improving the quality of the life of underprivileged children in Bangladesh considering their economic, health, environmental issues and life skills. It uses a mixed method approach of research where three NGOs which run NFPE programs were selected purposefully. Data were derived from six NGO officers, nine teachers, ninety students and eighteen guardians by using two sets of questionnaires for NGO officers and teachers, an interview schedule for guardians and 9 focus group discussions with the students. The findings show that there is no income generating program initiated by the organizations for the learners along with education. So, the scope of their income has reduced. But their daily life behavior and skills have improved. Besides, their awareness on health and environmental issues have increased. The findings lead to some recommendations which will give insights to policy makers and professionals engaged in this field.

  17. Using Mobile Phones to Improve Educational Outcomes: An Analysis of Evidence from Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valk, John-Harmen; Rashid, Ahmed T.; Elder, Laurent

    2010-01-01

    Despite improvements in educational indicators, such as enrolment, significant challenges remain with regard to the delivery of quality education in developing countries, particularly in rural and remote regions. In the attempt to find viable solutions to these challenges, much hope has been placed in new information and communication technologies…

  18. Leading Educational Change and Improvement at Scale: Some Inconvenient Truths about System Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Alma; Jones, Michelle

    2017-01-01

    The challenges of securing educational change and transformation, at scale, remain considerable. While sustained progress has been made in some education systems (Fullan, 2009; Hargreaves & Shirley, 2009) generally, it remains the case that the pathway to large-scale, system improvement is far from easy or straightforward. While large-scale…

  19. Open Educational Resources as a Tool to Improve Language Education Effectiveness in the Russian Higher Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Sidorenko

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available An attempt of Russian universities to move forward to the leading positions in the world rankings has resulted in some initiatives to enhance their activities on the market of education services. Under these conditions, foreign language proficiency is no longer a luxury and it is becoming an important tool to implement goals of university development. In this regard, new methods and techniques of foreign language teaching are highly demanded, which would significantly improve the language competency of both students and faculty members. A search for effective methods to enhance foreign language teaching makes analyze Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs open educational platforms and consider an opportunity for these platforms to be integrated into the existing system of foreign language teaching in Russian higher education institutions. Based on the research findings, the author concludes that it is irrational to use the resources as embedded components without significant adjustment to the conditions existing in the current higher education system.

  20. 75 FR 7459 - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Improving Literacy Through...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-19

    ... information literacy, information retrieval, and critical-thinking skills of students; facilitating Internet... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal...

  1. Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families Annual Performance Report, Year IV (1990-1992).

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNulty, Brian A.; And Others

    This report on the fourth year of Colorado's participation in Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act describes major accomplishments in preparing for full implementation of Part H in Year 5. Accomplishments in the following areas are discussed: state definition of developmental delay, central directory, timetables for serving…

  2. Enhancing the Federal Government's Capacity to Support the Improvement of Education through Research and Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawley, Willis D.

    1990-01-01

    Discusses the federal government's role in educational research and development, in particular, the capacity of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Considers how the federal government's capacity to support the development, dissemination, and implementation of education-related knowledge can be significantly enhanced by incremental…

  3. A multi-state assessment of employer-sponsored quality improvement education for early-career registered nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djukic, Maja; Kovner, Christine T; Brewer, Carol S; Fatehi, Farida K; Seltzer, Joanna R

    2013-01-01

    Increasing participation of registered nurses (RNs) in quality improvement (QI) is a promising strategy to close the health care quality chasm. For RNs to participate effectively in hospital QI, they must have adequate QI knowledge and skills. This descriptive study assessed employer-sponsored QI education and RNs' preparedness across a wide range of QI steps and processes. RNs from 15 U.S. states who were employed in hospitals and were initially licensed to practice in 2007 to 2008 were surveyed. Fewer than one third of respondents reported being very prepared across all measured QI topics. More than half reported receiving zero hours of training in these same topics in the last year. Lack of educational offerings on the topic was the top reason respondents gave for not obtaining QI training. The QI education offered by employers to RNs could be substantially improved. Nurse educators play a critical role in making these improvements. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  4. Economic analysis of certain legal solutions in the Draft Mediation Act

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mojašević Aleksandar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The Mediation Act has been applied in the Republic of Serbia since 2005. In the past period, the application of this Act has pointed out to a number of drawbacks and deficiencies in the system of resolving disputes through mediation. The dominant features of the current mediation system are some inadequate legal solutions, poor organization and insufficient preparation of the courts to internalize mediation, failure to provide relevant information about mediation to litigants and other participants in the judicial process, insufficient judicial training and education of lawyers and parties on mediation and other ADR methods, etc. Considering that the primary purpose of mediation is to diminish the litigation caseload and reduce the costs of court proceedings, the basic goal of introducing mediation into the Serbian legal system has not been accomplished. In order to improve the mediation system, the Serbian authorities launched a public debate in 2010 on designing a new legislative act which would eliminate the shortcomings of previous act and improve the efficiency of mediation. After nearly four years, the extensive debate and confrontation of different mediation concepts led to adopting a new Draft Mediation Act in 2013. As compared to the applicable 2005 Mediation Act, the Draft Mediation Act contains some innovations, such as the enforceability of a mediation agreement under specific conditions and the opportunity of introducing mandatory mediation in some cases. In this paper, the author analyzes the above issues on the basis of findings of economic theory and the results of the empirical study on the efficiency of mediation in Serbia in civil matters. In this context, the author argues that the achievement of the above objectives (to reduce the caseload and legal costs] calls for establishing a sustainable mediation system. In addition to instituting good legal solutions (such as mandatory mediation], the system should be supported by

  5. Process Improvement Education with Professionals in the Addiction Treatment Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulvermacher, Alice

    2006-01-01

    Continuing education is being provided to professionals in the addiction treatment field to help them develop skills in process improvement and better meet the needs and requests they encounter. Access and retention of individuals seeking addiction treatment have been two of the greatest challenges addiction treatment professionals face.…

  6. Using Physical Education to Improve Literacy Skills in Struggling Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wachob, David A.

    2014-01-01

    Literacy skills are an essential part of academic performance. When physical educators collaborate with classroom teachers to address these skills, student engagement in the learning process can greatly improve. This article begins by reviewing the growing issues surrounding student literacy and its impact on academic performance. The discussion…

  7. How can the gap between educations and student incubators be bridged at higher educational institutes?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomassen, Mette Lindahl; Rasmussen, Jan Erik Røjkjær; Brandt, Erika Zimmer

    2015-01-01

    ). It is in the DNA of some educational institutes like Babson and in some educational programs like the business degrees to work with entrepreneurship. But it comes natural for a minority of the total student body to see them self as entrepreneurs and act as such. At some educations and educational institutes...... are not naturally cultivated. At these educations and for these students there is a large gap between their education and the opportunity of becoming an entrepreneur or intrapreneur (a person who spots opportunities in existing organisations and act on them resulting in value creation), manifesting itself in a lack...... opportunities and as an extension of this clarify to the students the purpose and relevance of the student incubators increasing the likelihood of students joining them and getting support in acting on their entrepreneurial opportunities....

  8. Improving Instructional Leadership Behaviors of School Principals by Means of Implementing Time Management Training Sessions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yu

    2013-01-01

    The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 increases school accountability and requires educators to improve student academic outcomes using evidence-based practice. One factor that contributes to desirable school outcomes is principals' instructional leadership behaviors. Principals who allocate more time to instructional leadership behaviors are more…

  9. Hemoaction game: an educational step to improve hemophilia children and nurses self-efficacy

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    NOOASHIN BEHESHTIPOOR

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available As hemophilia is a chronic bleeding disease and can interfere with daily performance of children, these children require continuous training to prevent bleeding and take timely action (1. Since children nurses play an important role in the education of involved children and their Selfefficacy and also due to today’s approach which is using educational computer games, the use of educational games in respect to teach hemophilia children how to have self-efficacy can be effective (2. Hemoaction game is a computerized educational game designed by the World Federation of Hemophilia to educate hemophilia disease and related procedures to the care of children with hemophilia. By the use of this game children with hemophilia (aged 8-12 and also nursing experts were educated how to increase self efficacy. Nursing School of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences has used this game for the first time after its publishing, in the world (3. The results of the mentioned study demonstrates that after the Hemophilia disease and its related procedures were instructed to children with hemophilia and nursing experts in order to know how to increase patients’ self efficacy by modern approaches, self efficacy of hemophilia children and nurses were both improved. This educational method is a novel way to enhance both Hemophilia children and nursing staff, as major participants in routine and lifelong education process, self-efficacy. Due to nurses’ important role in improving children with hemophilia self-efficacy by different instructions and world leading educational approaches towards use of modern technology in education, using Hemoaction educational game, published by World Federation of Hemophilia and used by Nursing and Midwifery College of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences for the first time, can fulfill hemophilia children needs of care.

  10. National standards of pharmaceutical education in the context of reforming legislation of higher education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    І. M. Alieksieieva

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Socially significant steps of Ukraine in the issue of European integration are measures to reform the legislation on higher education in the context of the Bologna process, namely: the adoption of the National Qualifications Framework and the new edition of the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education." The National Qualifications Framework (NQF, 2011 provides for "the introduction of European standards and principles to ensure the quality of education, taking into account the requirements of the labor market to the competence of specialists." According to formal characteristics, NQF is a matrix with static support elements – descriptors, which determine the vector of movement to a specific goal. The legal basis for the modernization of educational activities and standards of higher education was the new edition of the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education" (2014. The purpose of the article is a scientific and analytical study of the process of forming national standards for higher education, in particular, the standards of pharmaceutical higher education. Materials and methods. The study was based on the analysis of normative and legal and other normative acts on higher education, the issues of standardization of higher education and the systematization of qualifications, as well as scientific developments on this issue. Methods of research – bibliographic, linguistic, contextual, substantive-legal, comparative-legal, generalization, description of results. Results. Updating the wording of the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education," which is the basic normative legal act of higher legal action in higher education, the adjustment of its basic principles, concepts and approaches, objectively entailed the renewal of the entire regulatory and legal framework regulating the organization of higher education. Equally, this also affected the standards of higher education. This issue in the Act is reserved Section III: Standards of educational activity and

  11. Online education improves pediatric residents' understanding of atopic dermatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craddock, Megan F; Blondin, Heather M; Youssef, Molly J; Tollefson, Megha M; Hill, Lauren F; Hanson, Janice L; Bruckner, Anna L

    2018-01-01

    Pediatricians manage skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (AD) but report that their dermatologic training is inadequate. Online modules may enhance medical education when sufficient didactic or clinical teaching experiences are lacking. We assessed whether an online module about AD improved pediatric residents' knowledge and changed their clinical management of AD. Target and control cohorts of pediatric residents from two institutions were recruited. Target subjects took a 30-question test about AD early in their residency, reviewed the online module, and repeated the test 6 months and 1 year later. The control subjects, who had 1 year of clinical experience but had not reviewed the online module, also took the test. The mean percentage of correct answers was calculated and compared using two-sided, two-sample independent t tests and repeated-measures analysis of variance. For a subset of participants, clinical documentation from AD encounters was reviewed and 13 practice behaviors were compared using the Fisher exact test. Twenty-five subjects in the target cohort and 29 subjects in the control cohort completed the study. The target cohort improved from 18.0 ± 3.2 to 23.4 ± 3.4 correctly answered questions over 1 year (P online module about AD demonstrated statistically significant improvement in disease-specific knowledge over time and had statistically significantly higher scores than controls. Online dermatology education may effectively supplement traditional clinical teaching. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. A New School for Brats: Improving the K-12 Education of Military Connected Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    Schools: How Technology Can Transform Education (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2012), ProQuest Ebook Central. 33 allowing the...Hack Education , April 25, 2015. http://hackeducation.com/2015/04/25/factory-model. West, Darrell M. Digital Schools: How Technology Can Transform ...BRATS: IMPROVING THE K–12 EDUCATION OF MILITARY-CONNECTED CHILDREN by Robert G. Stimis September 2017 Thesis Advisor: Rodrigo Nieto

  13. Variables Affecting a Level of Practice and Quality of Educational Quality Assurance in Basic Education Schools

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    Jakkapong Prongprommarat

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The purposes of this research were to study the Level of Practice and Quality of Educational Quality Assurance in Basic Education Schools of the Office of the Basic Education Commission. The sample consisted of 60 secondnary schools in Office of the basic Education Commission in the provinces of Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Burirum, Surin and Khon Kaen were drawn by using proportionally with the number of teachers in each school. The data were collected by using (1 the questionnaire on the acting of educational quality assurance in basic education schools. (2 the record form the external assessment of the office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment, (3 the questionnaire on the director leadership, (2 test of the directors and teachers attitudes towards educational quality assurance, (5 test of the directors and teachers inquirying motive, (6 test of the directors and teachers working responsibility, and (7 the questionnaire on the directors and teachers cooperative. The statistical methods used to analysis the data were mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and path analysis. The findings revealed that: 1. The level of acting of educational quality assurance in basic education schools was at a high level. There was just a fairly difference in acting of educational quality assurance in basic education schools. 2. The level of external quality assessment in basic education schools was at a good level. There was just a little difference in external quality assessment in basic education schools. 3. The variables affecting level of acting of educational quality assurance in basic education schools were the level of the school directors attitudes towards educational quality assurance (β = 0.10, the level of the school directors working responsibility (β = 0.13, the level of the teacher attitudes towards educational quality assurance (β = 0.23 and the level of the teachers inquirying motive (β = 0.49 These four

  14. An educational initiative to improve medical student awareness about brain death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Ariane; Howard, Jonathan; Watsula-Morley, Amanda; Gillespie, Colleen

    2018-04-01

    Medical student knowledge about brain death determination is limited. We describe an educational initiative to improve medical student awareness about brain death and assess the impact of this initiative. Beginning in July 2016, students at our medical school were required to attend a 90-min brain death didactic and simulation session during their neurology clerkship. Students completed a test immediately before and after participating in the initiative. Of the 145 students who participated in this educational initiative between July 2016 and June 2017, 124 (86%) consented to have their data used for research purposes as part of a medical education registry. Students correctly answered a median of 53% of questions (IQR 47-58%) on the pretest and 86% of questions (IQR 78-89%) on the posttest (p initiative (18% of students were comfortable performing a brain death evaluation before the initiative and 86% were comfortable doing so after the initiative, p initiative and 76% were comfortable doing so after the initiative, p initiative, but awareness and comfort dealing with brain death improved significantly after this initiative. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Formal hepatitis C education enhances HCV care coordination, expedites HCV treatment and improves antiviral response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubega, Samali; Agbim, Uchenna; Surjadi, Miranda; Mahoney, Megan; Khalili, Mandana

    2013-08-01

    Formal Hepatitis C virus (HCV) education improves HCV knowledge but the impact on treatment uptake and outcome is not well described. We aimed to evaluate the impact of formal HCV patient education on primary provider-specialist HCV comanagement and treatment. Primary care providers within the San Francisco safety-net health care system were surveyed and the records of HCV-infected patients before and after institution of a formal HCV education class by liver specialty (2006-2011) were reviewed retrospectively. Characteristics of 118 patients who received anti-HCV therapy were: mean age 51, 73% males and ~50% White and uninsured. The time to initiation of HCV treatment was shorter among those who received formal education (median 136 vs 284 days, P non-1 genotype (OR 6.17, 95% CI 2.3-12.7, P = 0.0003) and receipt of HCV education (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.1-7.9, P = 0.03) were associated with sustained virologic treatment response. Among 94 provider respondents (response rate = 38%), mean age was 42, 62% were White, and 63% female. Most providers agreed that the HCV education class increased patients' HCV knowledge (70%), interest in HCV treatment (52%), and provider-patient communication (56%). A positive provider attitude (Coef 1.5, 95% CI 0.1-2.9 percent, P = 0.039) was independently associated with referral rate to education class. Formal HCV education expedites HCV therapy and improves virologic response rates. As primary care provider attitude plays a significant role in referral to HCV education class, improving provider knowledge will likely enhance access to HCV specialty services in the vulnerable population. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Innovative model of delivering quality improvement education for trainees – a pilot project

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    Kannan Ramar

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: After incorporating quality improvement (QI education as a required curriculum for our trainees in 2010, a need arose to readdress our didactic sessions as they were too long, difficult to schedule, and resulting in a drop in attendance. A ‘flipped classroom’ (FC model to deliver QI education was touted to be an effective delivery method as it allows the trainees to view didactic materials on videos, on their own time, and uses the classroom to clarify concepts and employ learned tools on case-based scenarios including workshops. Methods: The Mayo Quality Academy prepared 29 videos that incorporated the previously delivered 17 weekly didactic sessions, for a total duration of 135 min. The half-day session clarified questions related to the videos, followed by case examples and a hands-on workshop on how to perform and utilize a few commonly used QI tools and methods. Results: Seven trainees participated. There was a significant improvement in knowledge as measured by pre- and post-FC model test results [improvement by 40.34% (SD 16.34, p<0.001]. The survey results were overall positive about the FC model with all trainees strongly agreeing that we should continue with this model to deliver QI education. Conclusions: The pilot project of using the FC model to deliver QI education was successful in a small sample of trainees.

  17. Water transfer and major environmental provisions of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act: A preliminary economic evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loomis, John B.

    1994-06-01

    Increasing block water pricing, water transfer, and wildlife refuge water supply provisions of the Central Valley Project (CVP) Improvement Act are analyzed in terms of likely farmer response and economic efficiency of these provisions. Based on a simplified partial equilibrium analysis, we estimate small, but significant water conservation savings due to pricing reform, the potential for substantial water transfers to non-CVP customers in severe drought years when the water price exceeds 110 per acre foot (1 acre foot equals 1.234 × 103 m3) and positive net benefits for implementation of the wildlife refuge water supply provisions. The high threshold water price is partly a result of requiring farmers to pay full cost on transferred water plus a surcharge of 25 per acre foot if the water is transferred to a non-CVP user. The act also sets an important precedent for water pricing reform, water transfer provisions, and environmental surcharges on water users that may find their way to other Bureau of Reclamation projects.

  18. 77 FR 45235 - Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-31

    ... our country, tearing down the barriers that kept persons with disabilities from securing their fullest... included in our national life. Because every American deserves access to a world-class education, we have... Education implemented new standards for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will help...

  19. Acts of Improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dagmar Wujastyk

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In Sanskrit medical literature, rasāyana is defined as one of eight subject areas of medicine. The proclaimed aim of rasāyana therapies is to preserve or promote health and well-being, but also to prolong life, to halt degeneration caused by aging, to rejuvenate and to improve cognitive function. The term “rasāyana” describes the therapies that together constitute this branch of medicine; the methodology and regimen of treatment; and the medicinal substances and formulations used in these therapies. In Indian alchemical literature, the Sanskrit term “rasāyana” is predominantly used to describe the final stages of alchemical operations, i.e.  all that is involved in the taking of elixirs for attaining a state of spiritual liberation in a living body. Rasāyana in this sense describes a series of related processes, including the preparation of the elixir; the preparation of the practitioner; the intake of the elixir and finally, the process of transformation the practitioner undergoes after intake of the elixir. In my paper, I present examples of rasāyana sections from a selection of medical and alchemical treatises to explore their connections and divergences. I also discuss how the connections between medical and alchemical rasāyana sections reflect the development of iatrochemistry in alchemical literature.

  20. Establishing a convention for acting in healthcare simulation: merging art and science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanko, Jill S; Shekhter, Ilya; Kyle, Richard R; Di Benedetto, Stephen; Birnbach, David J

    2013-08-01

    Among the most powerful tools available to simulation instructors is a confederate. Although technical and logical realism is dictated by the simulation platform and setting, the quality of role playing by confederates strongly determines psychological or emotional fidelity of simulation. The highest level of realism, however, is achieved when the confederates are properly trained. Theater and acting methodology can provide simulation educators a framework from which to establish an acting convention specific to the discipline of healthcare simulation. This report attempts to examine simulation through the lens of theater arts and represents an opinion on acting in healthcare simulation for both simulation educators and confederates. It aims to refine the practice of simulation by embracing the lessons of the theater community. Although the application of these approaches in healthcare education has been described in the literature, a systematic way of organizing, publicizing, or documenting the acting within healthcare simulation has never been completed. Therefore, we attempt, for the first time, to take on this challenge and create a resource, which infuses theater arts into the practice of healthcare simulation.

  1. Education Isn’t Education: The Creativity Response or How to Improve the Learning Curve in Our Society

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Brunnhuber

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Despite rising expenditure and general enrolment rates on a global level, educational output is stagnating, if not declining. There is increasing empirical evidence that we need a completely different approach to enhancing the learning curve; this holds true for early childhood, primary education, secondary education and higher education. Most existing educational programs do not tap into the full creative potential of our minds and our brains and often lead to suboptimal outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole. Findings in clinical psychology, neurobiology and social psychology are not sufficiently considered when setting up appropriate educational programs. It is not the cognitive part of the curriculum that makes a difference, but rather the non-cognitive features (including stress management, impulse control, self-regulation, emotional attachment etc. that improve creativity. A ‘six-pack’ of features, including exercise, nutrition, social contact, mindfulness-based practices, sleeping well, and multi-sensory learning, is introduced as part of a ‘creativity response’. They are simple, affordable, evidence-based and efficient strategies that can be implemented promptly without additional costs, increasing our learning curve.

  2. Medicaid's Role in Financing Health Care for Children with Behavioral Health Care Needs in the Special Education System: Implications of the Deficit Reduction Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandell, David S.; Machefsky, Aliza; Rubin, David; Feudtner, Chris; Pita, Susmita; Rosenbaum, Sara

    2008-01-01

    Background: Recent changes to Medicaid policy may have unintended consequences in the education system. This study estimated the potential financial impact of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) on school districts by calculating Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health care expenditures for school-aged children in general and children in special…

  3. 75 FR 33608 - Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-14

    ...In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice proposing to revise the system of records notice for the Investigative Files of the Inspector General (18-10-01), 68 FR 38154 (June 26, 2003). The Department proposes to amend this system of records notice by: (1) Adding a new routine use to allow reporting on the activities of the Inspector General regarding American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RATB) as established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5); (2) adding a new routine use to allow for disclosure of information in connection with response and remedial efforts in the event of a data breach in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements in M-07-16 (May 22, 2007); (3) revising routine uses ``(12) Disclosure to the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency'' and ``(13) Disclosure for Qualitative Assessment Reviews'' to allow reporting on the activities of the Inspector General to the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (formerly the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency) as established by the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-409); (4) revising the routine use ``(4) Disclosure to Public and Private Sources in Connection with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended (HEA)'' to allow the disclosure of information to an educational institution or a school that is or was a party to an agreement with the Secretary of Education pursuant to the HEA; and (5) updating the system location addresses. This system of records provides essential support for investigative activities of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) relating to the Department's programs and operations, enabling the OIG to secure and maintain the necessary information and to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies as appropriate.

  4. The Majority Rule Act. EdSource Election Brief: Proposition 26.

    Science.gov (United States)

    EdSource, Inc., Palo Alto, CA.

    This article summarizes "The Majority Rule Act for Smaller Classes, Safer Schools and Financial Accountability" (Proposition 26). The Majority Rule Act deals with the percentage vote that a school district, county office of education, or community college, needs in an election to authorize local general-obligation bonds for school…

  5. Educational Leadership and Comprehensive Reform for Improving Equity and Access for All

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olcay Yavuz

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Disparities in college access for underrepresented urban students are one of the most urgent educational problems of America’s education system. In response to growing national concern, this longitudinal study investigated how school leaders worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to implement research-supported student services in order to improve college access for underrepresented urban students. The quantitative investigation showed that when educational leaders and key stakeholders worked collaboratively to deliver comprehensive student services, urban students in a high-poverty school district experienced measurable benefits in terms of their college enrolment. This study may be of particular value to policymakers, school leaders, and educators concerned with the low college access rates of students in urban schools, as well as to those who are seeking to understand what works better to prepare urban students for post-secondary education.

  6. "In Loco Emporium": Immigrant Youth and Educators in the Social Contracts of Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Lisa

    2013-01-01

    For adults training to be professional educators, the phrase, "in loco parentis," communicates the intention that schools and educators are meant to act in the role of the parent, commonly interpreted to mean acting in accordance with what is optimal for the development of the child or young person. The limits of this relationship have…

  7. A repeated short educational intervention improves asthma control and quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plaza, Vicente; Peiró, Meritxell; Torrejón, Montserrat; Fletcher, Monica; López-Viña, Antolín; Ignacio, José María; Quintano, José Antonio; Bardagí, Santiago; Gich, Ignasi

    2015-11-01

    We assessed the effectiveness of an asthma educational programme based on a repeated short intervention (AEP-RSI) to improve asthma control (symptom control and future risk) and quality of life. A total of 230 adults with mild-to-moderate persistent uncontrolled asthma participated in a 1-year cluster randomised controlled multicentre study. The AEP-RSI was given in four face-to-face sessions at 3-month intervals, and included administration of a written personalised action plan and training on inhaler technique. Centres were randomised to the AEP-RSI (intervention) group or usual clinical practice group. Specialised centres using a standard educational programme were the gold standard group. A significant improvement in the Asthma Control Test score was observed in all three groups (pQuality of Life Questionnaire scores (0.95±1.04 and 0.89±0.84 versus 0.52±0.97, respectively). The AEP-RSI was effective in improving asthma symptom control, future risk and quality of life. Copyright ©ERS 2015.

  8. Ideation Training via Innovation Education to Improve Students' Ethical Maturation and Social Responsibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorsteinsson, Gisli

    2013-01-01

    This paper will represent the pedagogy of Innovation Education in Iceland that is a new school policy within the Icelandic school system. In Innovation Education (IE) students are trained to identify needs and problems in their environment and to find solutions: this is referred to as the process of ideation. The main aim is to improve their…

  9. The Support Educational Commitee Participation in the Pedagogical Approach of an Educational Integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angélica Fontana-Hernández

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Educational services are essential to social and economical development of people, mainly to the progress of all sectors of society. Establishing actions that can promote the participation of various social groups is essential to improve their quality of life and building more respectful and fair human rights without any discrimination or exclusion. In recent years, the Costa Rican education system has undergone significant changes due to the pedagogical approach of inclusive education in which students with educational needs may require different support and specialized resources for training and development. For this, the Basic Educational Division of the Center for Teaching and Research in Education, generated a concern of investigating the participation of the Committee of Educational Support in the process of educational integration, thus, determine the functions performed in the educational context, under the rules of the 7600 Equal Opportunity Act for people with disabilities, which is the entity that corresponds to regulate access to education by identifying the support required for students with educational needs and, advice and trains, administrative staff in schools both public and private in the country. In addition, there is also a concern for exploring the role of the Special Education teacher for this Committee, as well as learning the perceptions of teachers and parents about the functions performed by the committee.

  10. Continuous Improvement in Online Education: Documenting Teaching Effectiveness in the Online Environment through Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purcell, Jennifer W.; Scott, Heather I.; Mixson-Brookshire, Deborah

    2017-01-01

    Teaching observations are commonly used among educators to document and improve teaching effectiveness. Unfortunately, the necessary protocols and supporting infrastructure are not consistently available for faculty who teach online. This paper presents a brief literature review and reflective narratives of educators representing online education…

  11. Will Mobile Diabetes Education Teams (MDETs in primary care improve patient care processes and health outcomes? Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gucciardi Enza

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is evidence to suggest that delivery of diabetes self-management support by diabetes educators in primary care may improve patient care processes and patient clinical outcomes; however, the evaluation of such a model in primary care is nonexistent in Canada. This article describes the design for the evaluation of the implementation of Mobile Diabetes Education Teams (MDETs in primary care settings in Canada. Methods/design This study will use a non-blinded, cluster-randomized controlled trial stepped wedge design to evaluate the Mobile Diabetes Education Teams' intervention in improving patient clinical and care process outcomes. A total of 1,200 patient charts at participating primary care sites will be reviewed for data extraction. Eligible patients will be those aged ≥18, who have type 2 diabetes and a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c of ≥8%. Clusters (that is, primary care sites will be randomized to the intervention and control group using a block randomization procedure within practice size as the blocking factor. A stepped wedge design will be used to sequentially roll out the intervention so that all clusters eventually receive the intervention. The time at which each cluster begins the intervention is randomized to one of the four roll out periods (0, 6, 12, and 18 months. Clusters that are randomized into the intervention later will act as the control for those receiving the intervention earlier. The primary outcome measure will be the difference in the proportion of patients who achieve the recommended HbA1c target of ≤7% between intervention and control groups. Qualitative work (in-depth interviews with primary care physicians, MDET educators and patients; and MDET educators’ field notes and debriefing sessions will be undertaken to assess the implementation process and effectiveness of the MDET intervention. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01553266

  12. Improving teamwork between students from two professional programmes in dental education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leisnert, L; Karlsson, M; Franklin, I; Lindh, L; Wretlind, K

    2012-02-01

    In Sweden, the National Board of Health and Welfare forecasts a decrease in dentists with 26% and an increase in dental hygienists with 47% until the year of 2023. This, together with changes in both epidemiology, especially of dental caries, and political priorities, calls for an effective and well-developed cooperation between dentists and dental hygienists in future dentistry. Hence, the aim of this project was to investigate whether highlighting teamwork during the undergraduate studies of dental students and dental hygiene students could improve the students' holistic view on patients as well as their knowledge of and insight into each other's future professions. Thirty-four dental students and 24 dental hygiene students participated in the study. At the beginning of their final year in undergraduate education, a questionnaire testing the level of knowledge of the dental hygienists' clinical competences was completed by both groups of students. In addition, activities intending to improve teamwork quality included the following: (i) a seminar with a dentist representing the Public Dental Health Services in Sweden, (ii) dental students as supervisors for dental hygiene students, (iii) planning and treatment for shared patients and (iv) students' presentations of the treatments and their outcomes at a final seminar. The project was ended by the students answering the above-mentioned questionnaire for the second time, followed by an evaluation of the different activities included in the study. The knowledge of dental hygienists' competences showed higher scores in almost all questions. Both groups of students considered the following aspects important: seminars with external participants, dental students acting as supervisors and planning and treating shared patients. By initiating and encouraging teamwork between dental students and dental hygiene students, it is possible to increase knowledge on dental hygienists' competence and also to develop and strengthen a

  13. Small Community Training & Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Operators Small Systems Small Community Training & Education education, training and professional implement the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). • EPA Environmental Education Center

  14. Teaching and educational scholarship in Tanzania: faculty initiative to improve performance of health professions' students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mkony, Charles A; O'Sullivan, Patricia S; Owibingire, Sirra S; Fyfe, Molly V; Omer, Selma; Freeman, Phyllis; Makubi, Abel; Mloka, Doreen A; Portillo, Carmen J; Leyna, Germana H; Tarimo, Edith; Kaaya, Ephata E; Macfarlane, Sarah B

    2012-01-01

    Well-educated and competent health professionals influence the health system in which they work to improve health outcomes, through clinical care and community interventions, and by raising standards of practice and supervision. To prepare these individuals, training institutions must ensure that their faculty members, who design and deliver education, are effective teachers. We describe the experience of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in encouraging improvements in the teaching capacity of its faculty and postgraduate students triggered by a major institutional transition to competency-based education. We employed a multi-stage process that started by identifying the teaching and learning needs and challenges of MUHAS students and faculty. Collaborating with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), MUHAS responded to these needs by introducing faculty to competency-based curricula and later to strategies for long term continuing improvement. We demonstrate that teaching faculty members are keen for local institutional support to enable them to enhance their skills as educators, and that they have been able to sustain a program of faculty development for their peers.

  15. Marketing Educational Improvements via International Partnerships under Brain Drain Constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashton, Weslynne; Wagman, Liad

    2015-01-01

    We study the dynamics in an educational partnership between a university and a developing region. We examine how the university achieves its goals to improve and advertise its offerings while recruiting a cohort of students from the developing region and maintaining a sustainable relationship with the region and its students. We show that mutually…

  16. A 30-Minute Physical Education Program Improves Students' Executive Attention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubesch, Sabine; Walk, Laura; Spitzer, Manfred; Kammer, Thomas; Lainburg, Alyona; Heim, Rudiger; Hille, Katrin

    2009-01-01

    Physical activity is not only beneficial to physical health but also to cognitive functions. In particular, executive functions that are closely related to learning achievement can be improved by acute and recurring physical activity. We examined the effects of a single 30-min physical education program in contrast to a 5-min movement break on…

  17. Acting and Reacting: Youth's Behavior in Corrupt Educational Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabic-El-Rayess, Amra

    2014-01-01

    With its broader employability to the issues of underperformance that may emerge in educational systems internationally, this empirical study redefines and expands Albert Hirschman's theory of voice, exit, and loyalty within higher education. The article formulates a new education-embedded theoretical framework that explains reactionary behaviors…

  18. Improving advanced cardiovascular life support skills in medical students: simulation-based education approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamidreza Reihani

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: In this trial, we intend to assess the effect of simulation-based education approach on advanced cardiovascular life support skills among medical students. Methods: Through convenient sampling method, 40 interns of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in their emergency medicine rotation (from September to December 2012 participated in this study. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS workshops with pretest and post-test exams were performed. Workshops and checklists for pretest and post-test exams were designed according to the latest American Heart Association (AHA guidelines. Results: The total score of the students increased significantly after workshops (24.6 out of 100 to 78.6 out of 100. This demonstrates 53.9% improvement in the skills after the simulation-based education (P< 0.001. Also the mean score of each station had a significant improvement (P< 0.001. Conclusion: Pretests showed that interns had poor performance in practical clinical matters while their scientific knowledge, such as ECG interpretation was acceptable. The overall results of the study highlights that Simulation based-education approach is highly effective in Improving ACLS skills among medical students.

  19. Current State of Economic Returns from Education in China's Ethnic Regions and Explorations into Ways of Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lijun, Zhang; Fei, Wang

    2010-01-01

    Economic development and social progress in China's ethnic minority regions depend on improvements in population attributes brought about by education. Developing education in China's ethnic regions is a project of fundamental significance for realizing sustainable economic and social development in the ethnic regions. Improving the economic…

  20. IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEM OF COMPENSATION OF NPR OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrey E. Shklyaev

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problem of formation of effective system of remuneration of scientific and pedagogical staff of the University. The characteristic of different systems of remuneration of teachers of Russian higher educational institutions. Formulated some proposals for improving the effectiveness of the remuneration system of the NRP of the University. The suggested remuneration system makes it possible to relate the amount of salary of each individual teacher’s or employee’s performance with educational institutions in General and his personal labour contribution in particular.

  1. Reimagining Instructional Leadership and Organizational Conditions for Improvement: Applied Research Transforming Early Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacchiano, Debra; Klein, Rebecca; Hawley, Marsha Shigeyo

    2016-01-01

    Despite concerted efforts to improve children's learning by improving classrooms, results have been lackluster. There is a growing understanding that a sole focus on teachers and classrooms is insufficient. Yet, the field has not systematically explored how to help early childhood education settings become organizations designed for powerful…

  2. Creating Sustainable Education Projects in Roatán, Honduras through Continuous Process Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raven, Arjan; Randolph, Adriane B.; Heil, Shelli

    2010-01-01

    The investigators worked together with permanent residents of Roatán, Honduras on sustainable initiatives to help improve the island's troubled educational programs. Our initiatives focused on increasing the number of students eligible and likely to attend a university. Using a methodology based in continuous process improvement, we developed…

  3. ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

    OpenAIRE

    Yuliia M. Shepetko

    2011-01-01

    The urgency of the material stated in article, is caused by requirements for use of information and communication technologies for educational process, in particular the electronic textbook which can facilitate perception of the information, diversify work forms, interest by technical possibilities. The article aims to proof the necessity of  electronic textbooks use as effective tool for improving the quality of education. Use of the electronic textbook at training will effectively and posit...

  4. IMPROVING MEDICAL EDUCATION: SIMULATING CHANGES IN PATIENT ANATOMY USING DYNAMIC HAPTIC FEEDBACK

    OpenAIRE

    Yovanoff, Mary; Pepley, David; Mirkin, Katelin; Moore, Jason; Han, David; Miller, Scarlett

    2016-01-01

    Virtual simulation is an emerging field in medical education. Research suggests that simulation reduces complication rates and improves learning gains for medical residents. One benefit of simulators is their allowance for more realistic and dynamic patient anatomies. While potentially useful throughout medical education, few studies have explored the impact of dynamic haptic simulators on medical training. In light of this research void, this study was developed to examine how a Dynamic-Hapt...

  5. THE PROJECT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND METHODICAL MANAGEMENT AUTOMATIZATION IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AS A TERM OF EDUCATION PROCESS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Анна Игоревна Яценко

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the practice of information technologies implementation in the educational process according to the condition of educational informatization. The actuality of main article concept is confirmed by the trend of widespread introduction of information technologies in education both from the state and from business. Taking into account the increased attention to acquiring of high results in the educational process, the information technology tools allows to significantly improve the quality of education. In this regard, the article provides examples of various information systems using in order to administer educational process, their advantages and disadvantages. In consequence, the author formulates the problem of lack of integrated information systems. However, the development of information technologies is oriented towards a worldwide network, which has an access to a vast audience of users. Educational institutions are involved in the electronic process supported by an electronic environment of the educational development. As a result of the issue study above and the modern trends review in the article the author suggests a project description of educational organization management optimization with the help of the integrated information system use on the Internet.

  6. The Michigan Consumer Protection Act of 1976. Consumer Education Training Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monsma, Charles

    This guide for secondary teachers is designed to identify and illustrate specified illegal practices identified in the Michigan Consumer Protection Act of 1976. The guide also explains procedures that a consumer or law-enforcement agency can take to enforce the provisions of this law. Since the act is a broad one, students learn not only about…

  7. Final Scientific/Technical Report [Recovery Act: Districtwide Geothermal Heating Conversion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chatterton, Mike [McKinstry, Meridian, ID (United States)

    2014-02-12

    The Recovery Act: Districtwide Geothermal Heating Conversion project performed by the Blaine County School District was part of a larger effort by the District to reduce operating costs, address deferred maintenance items, and to improve the learning environment of the students. This project evaluated three options for the ground source which were Open-Loop Extraction/Re-injection wells, Closed-Loop Vertical Boreholes, and Closed-Loop Horizontal Slinky approaches. In the end the Closed-Loop Horizontal Slinky approach had the lowest total cost of ownership but the majority of the sites associated with this project did not have enough available ground area to install the system so the second lowest option was used (Open-Loop). In addition to the ground source, this project looked at ways to retrofit existing HVAC systems with new high efficiency systems. The end result was the installation of distributed waterto- air heat pumps with water-to-water heat pumps installed to act as boilers/chillers for areas with a high ventilation demand such as they gymnasiums. A number of options were evaluated and the lowest total cost of ownership approach was implemented in the majority of the facilities. The facilities where the lowest total cost of ownership approaches was not selected were done to maintain consistency of the systems from facility to facility. This project had a number of other benefits to the Blaine County public. The project utilizes guaranteed energy savings to justify the levy funds expended. The project also developed an educational dashboard that can be used in the classrooms and to educate the community on the project and its performance. In addition, the majority of the installation work was performed by contractors local to Blaine County which acted as an economic stimulus to the area during a period of recession.

  8. Implementation of Authentic Learning and Assessment through STEM Education Approach to Improve Students’ Metacognitive Skills

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilman Anwari

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The important aspects of improving metacognitive skills are knowledge, intelligence, experience, and practice. STEM education is considered to be one of the most influential approaches to encouraging students to be self-regulated learners. In STEM education lessons, students are provided many opportunities to develop their thinking skills (metacognitive skills, critical and creative thinking. The goals of this study were to identify the effects of STEM education in the improvement of metacognitive skills, and to investigate metacognitive activities in STEM education. The participants were middle school students in the third year. The research instrument was the Metacognitive Activities Inventory (MCAI, used to identify changes in metacognitive skills before and after the lessons. Furthermore, portfolios were used to record students’ learning processes and help them reflect on their thinking and the tasks. The results show no significant changes in metacognitive skills. However, STEM education engages students in metacognitive activities. Therefore, implementation of STEM education in the classroom provides opportunities to students for understanding the importance of the integration of different disciplines and its applications. In addition, STEM education can increase students’ interest in science lessons.

  9. Improving Educator Development by Innovation in Teaching Activity via web 2.0

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saadah Abdullah, Nurhanim; Aziz, Mohd Ismail Abd; Ismail, Affero; Hashim, Suhaizal

    2017-05-01

    Preparing insightful teaching and learning materials for a lesson does need the effort from the educators. Educators should make some research of suitable ways to improve their teaching and learning sessions. In this 21st century, technologies are widely used as tools for education. Even so, there are educators that willing to support and some who do not agree to change. The aim of this study is to develop an innovation teaching materials by applying web 2.0 tools. The intention is to broaden knowledge and in the same time getting response and feedback from people regarding the teaching and learning session materials produced with proper instruction. Action research was used to give a structured flow of this study. The outcome of this study was encouraging and the reflection of this study can help educators in improvising their teaching and learning sessions and materials using action research.

  10. From Curricular Justice to Educational Improvement: What Is the Role of Schools' Self-Evaluation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampaio, Marta; Leite, Carlinda

    2017-01-01

    This article presents a study that aimed to understand the contributions of self-evaluation (SE) processes towards the development of curricular and social justice and educational improvement. The study focuses on data collected from the schools' external evaluation (SEE) process and from the TEIP programme (Educational Territories of Priority…

  11. Current Challenges to Teacher Education in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Staugaard, Hans Jørgen; Rasmussen, Palle

    and other subjects. But the university colleges are not part of the regular university sector, so teacher education is still generally separated from the research-based university tradition. Currently this fact is much debated. Two main types of arguments are being put forward for relocating teacher...... education to universities. One is that it will improve the subject knowledge of teacher and thus enable them to raise the skill levels of Danish students in core subjects. This is deemed necessary in the wake of international comparative surveys of achievement (like the PISA). Another argument is that many......Until recently, teacher education in Denmark for primary and lower secondary school (the Folkeskole) was organised in separate teacher training colleges. During the last ten years two comprehensive reforms of the system of medium cycle higher education have been implemented, first the act...

  12. Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Program to Improve Children's Chewing Habits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Nanae; Hayashi, Fumi; Yoshiike, Nobuo

    2016-01-01

    This quasi-experimental study determined whether the nutrition education program we developed to promote chewing food properly influenced children's chewing habits successfully. Four kindergarten classes in Japan (150 children, aged 5-6 years) were studied; one class received the educational program in the classroom and at home (Group A) and three classes received the program in the classroom only (Group B). The educational program was integrated into the classes' daily curriculum for five weeks. It included storytelling with large picture books, chewing consciously while eating lunch, singing a song with gestures, and greetings before and after meals (both groups). Group A also used a paper textbook and was provided information by the leaflet to encourage guardians to implement the program at home. Chewing habits before and after intervention were evaluated: (1) guardians completed seven questionnaire items related to chewing habits and chewing movement and (2) the number of chews and time spent eating the test meal were measured by a portable chewing sensor. Both approaches improved the children's chewing habits; however, no difference was found between the two groups. We concluded that this intervention could be used to improve chewing habits in young children even without active involvement of their guardians.

  13. Reframing conceptual physics: Improving relevance to elementary education and sonography majors

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaFazia, David Gregory

    This study outlines the steps taken to reframe the Waves and Periodicity unit within a conceptual physics course. Beyond this unit reframing process, this paper explores the activities that made up the reframed unit and how each was developed and revised. The unit was reframed to improve relevance of the activities to the Elementary Education and Diagnostic Medical Sonography majors who make up the bulk of the course roster. The unit was reframed around ten design principles that were built on best practices from the literature, survey responses, and focused interviews. These principles support the selection of a biology-integrated themed approach to teaching physics. This is done through active and highly kinesthetic learning across three realms of human experience: physical, social, and cognitive. The unit materials were designed around making connections to students' future careers while requiring students to take progressively more responsibility in activities and assessments. Several support strategies are employed across these activities and assessments, including an energy-first, guided-inquiry approach to concept scaffolding and accommodations for diverse learners. Survey responses were solicited from physics instructors experienced with this population, Elementary Education and Sonography program advisors, and curriculum design, learning strategies, and educational technology experts. The reframed unit was reviewed by doctoral-level science education experts and revised to further improve the depth and transparency with which the design principles reframe the unit activities. The reframed unit contains a full unit plan, lesson plans, and full unit materials. These include classroom and online activities, assessments, and templates for future unit and lesson planning. Additional supplemental materials are provided to support Elementary Education and Sonography students and program advisors and also further promote the reframed unit materials and design

  14. Improving medical graduates' training in palliative care: advancing education and practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Head BA

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Barbara A Head,1 Tara J Schapmire,1 Lori Earnshaw,1 John Chenault,2 Mark Pfeifer,1 Susan Sawning,3 Monica A Shaw,3 1Division of General Internal Medicine, Palliative Care and Medical Education, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 2Kornhouser Health Sciences Library, University of Louisville, 3Undergraduate Medical Education Office, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA Abstract: The needs of an aging population and advancements in the treatment of both chronic and life-threatening diseases have resulted in increased demand for quality palliative care. The doctors of the future will need to be well prepared to provide expert symptom management and address the holistic needs (physical, psychosocial, and spiritual of patients dealing with serious illness and the end of life. Such preparation begins with general medical education. It has been recommended that teaching and clinical experiences in palliative care be integrated throughout the medical school curriculum, yet such education has not become the norm in medical schools across the world. This article explores the current status of undergraduate medical education in palliative care as published in the English literature and makes recommendations for educational improvements which will prepare doctors to address the needs of seriously ill and dying patients. Keywords: medical education, palliative care, end-of-life care

  15. Can outcome-based continuing medical education improve performance of immigrant physicians?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castel, Orit Cohen; Ezra, Vered; Alperin, Mordechai; Nave, Rachel; Porat, Tamar; Golan, Avivit Cohen; Vinker, Shlomo; Karkabi, Khaled

    2011-01-01

    Immigrant physicians are a valued resource for physician workforces in many countries. Few studies have explored the education and training needs of immigrant physicians and ways to facilitate their integration into the health care system in which they work. Using an educational program developed for immigrant civilian physicians working in military primary care clinics at the Israel Defence Force, we illustrate how an outcome-based CME program can address practicing physicians' needs for military-specific primary care education and improve patient care. Following an extensive needs assessment, a 3-year curriculum was developed. The curriculum was delivered by a multidisciplinary educational team. Pre/post multiple-choice examinations, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE), and end-of-program evaluations were administered for curriculum evaluation. To evaluate change in learners' performance, data from the 2003 (before-program) and 2006 (after-program) work-based assessments were retrieved retrospectively. Change in the performance of program participants was compared with that of immigrant physicians who did not participate in the program. Out of 28 learners, 23 (82%) completed the program. Learners did significantly better in the annual post-tests compared with the pretests (p educators, facing the challenge of integrating immigrant physicians to fit their health care system, may consider adapting our approach. Copyright © 2011 The Alliance for Continuing Medical Education, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

  16. A Closer Look: The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balmer, Mary

    2013-01-01

    School districts may be affected by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 with regard to fixed assets management and education entities. The act avoids the scheduled increases to individual income tax rates for most Americans and extends a host of expired and expiring tax provisions for both individuals and businesses. The provisions described…

  17. Improving Student Readiness to Overcome IT-Related Obstacles During Pedagogical Interaction in Post-Soviet Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dmitry Luchaninov

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The relevance of the study deals with the importance of improvement of student readiness to overcome IT-related obstacles in post-Soviet social studies education. In this regard, this paper aims at identifying the concept of pedagogical interaction in the information and educational environment and revealing the effective use of pedagogical interaction to improve student readiness to overcome IT-related obstacles. The leading research method used to solve the problem is teaching project, which allows an integrated treatment of methodology in developing student readiness to overcome IT-related obstacles. The paper presents such methods as creating positive motivation, arranging interactive educational cognitive and practical student activities and boosting the personal educational environment; it is shown that a distinctive feature of pedagogical interaction is the acquaintance of students with various elements of the information and educational environment, leading to the development of student readiness to overcome IT-related obstacles; it is found out that the use of pedagogical interaction in the information and educational environment ensures the purposefulness and efficiency of educational process; it is justified that using interactive means of information and educational environment in the context of arrangement of pedagogical interaction can enrich educational process, develop specific student skill that will definitely help them in future professional activities. The research materials are of practical value to the further expansion of functional and methodical aspects of using interactive media in the information and educational environment.

  18. Improving AIDS Care After Trauma (ImpACT): Pilot Outcomes of a Coping intervention Among HIV-Infected Women with Sexual Trauma in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sikkema, Kathleen J; Mulawa, Marta I; Robertson, Corne; Watt, Melissa H; Ciya, Nonceba; Stein, Dan J; Cherenack, Emily M; Choi, Karmel W; Kombora, Matapelo; Joska, John A

    2018-03-01

    Improving AIDS Care after Trauma (ImpACT), a coping intervention for HIV-infected women with sexual abuse histories, was evaluated for feasibility and potential efficacy in a public clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. Sixty-four participants were enrolled prior to starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). After completing baseline assessments, participants were randomly assigned to standard of care (SoC: three adherence counseling sessions) or ImpACT (SoC plus four individual and three group sessions). Participants completed assessments at 3 months (after individual sessions) and 6 months post-baseline. In exploratory analysis of primary outcomes, ImpACT participants, compared to SoC, reported greater reductions in avoidance and arousal symptoms of PTSD and greater increases in ART adherence motivation at 3 months. Clinically significant decreases in overall PTSD symptoms were also demonstrated at 3 months. These effects continued as trends at the 6-month assessment, in addition to increases in social/spiritual coping. In analysis of secondary outcomes, high levels of non-adherence to ART and poor care engagement were evident at 6 months, with no differences between study arms. A trauma-focused, culturally-adapted individual intervention delivered by a non-specialist in the HIV care setting is feasible and acceptable. Preliminary findings suggest ImpACT has potential to reduce PTSD symptoms and increase ART adherence motivation, but a more intensive intervention may be needed to improve and maintain care engagement among this population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02223390.

  19. Self-Assessment Methods in the Higher Education Quality Improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jitka SMUTNÁ

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Organizational performance is maximized when it is based on the management and sharing of knowledge within a culture of continuous learning, innovation and improvement. The methodology embodies the principle of self-evaluation or self-assessment. The higher education institutions would learn from feedback by reviewing impact of strategies and actions, trends in results and by comparing through benchmarking. The focus of this paper is the implementation of EFQM excellence model in the higher education (HE sector. This paper describes the specific issues in implementing the model in HE institutions, with a particular focus on the choice of self-assessment methodology. The early signs are that EFQM excellence model self-assessment can help to produce a more customer-oriented culture in HE institutions, providing that the lessons learned from the wider public sector are put into practice.

  20. Patient Safety and Quality Improvement in Otolaryngology Education: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gettelfinger, John D; Paulk, P Barrett; Schmalbach, Cecelia E

    2017-06-01

    Objective The breadth and depth of patient safety/quality improvement (PS/QI) research dedicated to otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) education remains unknown. This systematic review aims to define this scope and to identify knowledge gaps as well as potential areas of future study to improved PS/QI education and training in OHNS. Data Sources A computerized Ovid/Medline database search was conducted (January 1, 1965, to May 15, 2015). Similar computerized searches were conducted using Cochrane Database, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Review Methods The study protocol was developed a priori using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Articles were classified by year, subspecialty, Institute of Medicine (IOM) Crossing the Chasm categories, and World Health Organization (WHO) subclass. Results Computerized searches yielded 8743 eligible articles, 267 (3.4%) of which met otolaryngology PS/QI inclusion criteria; 51 (19%) were dedicated to resident/fellow education and training. Simulation studies (39%) and performance/competency evaluation (23.5%) were the most common focus. Most projects involved general otolaryngology (47%), rhinology (18%), and otology (16%). Classification by the IOM included effective care (45%), safety/effective care (41%), and effective and efficient care (7.8%). Most research fell into the WHO category of "identifying solutions" (61%). Conclusion Nineteen percent of OHNS PS/QI articles are dedicated to education, the majority of which are simulation and focus on effective care. Knowledges gaps for future research include facial plastics PS/QI and the WHO category of "studies translating evidence into safer care."

  1. School-based sleep education program improves sleep and academic performance of school-age children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Reut; Somerville, Gail; Bergmame, Lana; Fontil, Laura; Paquin, Soukaina

    2016-05-01

    The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based sleep education program aimed at improving the sleep and academic performance of school-age children. Using a community-based participatory research approach, we created a school-based sleep education program, "Sleep for Success"™ (SFS), composed of four distinct modules that addressed the children, their family and community, the school staff, and decision makers within the school setting. Implementation was carried out in three elementary schools. Seventy-one students participated in the evaluation of the program. The effectiveness of the SFS program was evaluated using non-randomized controlled before-and-after study groups (intervention and control) assessed over two time points (pre- and post-program implementation). Before (baseline) and after implementation, sleep and academic performance were measured using actigraphy and report card marks, respectively. In the intervention group, true sleep was extended by 18.2 min per night, sleep efficiency improved by 2.3%, and sleep latency was shortened by 2.3 min, and report card grades in mathematics and English improved significantly. No changes were noted in the control group. Participation in the sleep education program was associated with significant improvements in children's sleep and academic performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Program to improve the effectiveness of education and professional activities of college students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.V. Vlaskina

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available We describe a training program on “Psychology of effective professional activity”, realized on the basis of the Ural College of the Beauty Industry. The purpose of this discipline is to improve the effectiveness of education and professional activities of college students acquiring professions of “Human-Human” type. To improve effectiveness of education and professional activities, this program provides formation of professionally important qualities of students. The results of the program can be: students’ acquisition of knowledge required for the effective performance of professional activities (ways to prevent burnout, increase self-confidence, etc.; mastery of professional skills (planning, simulation, etc.; formation of professionally important qualities (stress, tolerance, etc.; increasing the efficiency of their professional activities.

  3. Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention to Improve the Patient Safety Attitudes of Intern Pharmacists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walpola, Ramesh L; Fois, Romano A; McLachlan, Andrew J; Chen, Timothy F

    2017-02-25

    Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of a face-to-face educational intervention in improving the patient safety attitudes of intern pharmacists. Methods. A patient safety education program was delivered to intern pharmacists undertaking The University of Sydney Intern Training Program in 2014. Their patient safety attitudes were evaluated immediately prior to, immediately after, and three-months post-intervention. Underlying attitudinal factors were identified using exploratory factor analysis. Changes in factor scores were examined using analysis of variance. Results. Of the 120 interns enrolled, 95 (78.7%) completed all three surveys. Four underlying attitudinal factors were identified: attitudes towards addressing errors, questioning behaviors, blaming individuals, and reporting errors. Improvements in all attitudinal factors were evident immediately after the intervention. However, only improvements in attitudes towards blaming individuals involved in errors were sustained at three months post-intervention. Conclusion. The educational intervention was associated with short-term improvements in pharmacist interns' patient safety attitudes. However, other factors likely influenced their attitudes in the longer term.

  4. Education and the Economy: Boosting New Jersey's Economy by Improving High School Graduation Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alliance for Excellent Education, 2011

    2011-01-01

    Building on its previous work examining education and the economy, the Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance), with generous support from State Farm[R], analyzed the economies of all fifty states and the District of Columbia to determine the economic benefits that states could see by improving high school graduation rates. Using a…

  5. Education and the Economy: Boosting New Hampshire's Economy by Improving High School Graduation Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alliance for Excellent Education, 2011

    2011-01-01

    Building on its previous work examining education and the economy, the Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance), with generous support from State Farm[R], analyzed the economies of all fifty states and the District of Columbia to determine the economic benefits that states could see by improving high school graduation rates. Using a…

  6. Education and the Economy: Boosting New Mexico's Economy by Improving High School Graduation Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alliance for Excellent Education, 2011

    2011-01-01

    Building on its previous work examining education and the economy, the Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance), with generous support from State Farm[R], analyzed the economies of all fifty states and the District of Columbia to determine the economic benefits that states could see by improving high school graduation rates. Using a…

  7. Education and the Economy: Boosting New York's Economy by Improving High School Graduation Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alliance for Excellent Education, 2011

    2011-01-01

    Building on its previous work examining education and the economy, the Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance), with generous support from State Farm[R], analyzed the economies of all fifty states and the District of Columbia to determine the economic benefits that states could see by improving high school graduation rates. Using a…

  8. The development of national standards for adult educators in Namibia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Justin; Richardson, Brent H.

    2012-06-01

    Since gaining independence from South Africa in 1990, Namibia has placed considerable emphasis on education, including adult learning. As a means of improving the quality of adult learning, the Namibian Ministry of Education commissioned the development of national standards in 2010 to express competency requirements for adult educators. Particular attention was paid to the views of adult learners who participated through thirty focus groups. The participatory process revealed that the work of an adult educator is more complex and demanding than had previously been appreciated. The required competencies were categorised under four headings: (1) Knowledge as an adult educator, (2) Practice as an adult educator, (3) Relationships as an adult educator and (4) Ethics and professionalism as an adult educator. The Namibia Qualifications Authority, acting under its legislative mandate of setting occupational standards for occupations, jobs, posts and positions, approved the national standards in 2011.

  9. Benchmarking as a Global Strategy for Improving Instruction in Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Karen L.

    This paper explores the concept of benchmarking in institutional research, a comparative analysis methodology designed to help colleges and universities increase their educational quality and delivery systems. The primary purpose of benchmarking is to compare an institution to its competitors in order to improve the product (in this case…

  10. School Accountability Systems and the Every Student Succeeds Act. Re:VISION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Mike

    2016-01-01

    The "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) replaced the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (NCLB) in December 2015, substantially changing the federal role in education and how schools across the country will be held accountable. For state policymakers, designing new ESSA-compliant accountability systems is a significant…

  11. Turkish School Students and Global Warming: Beliefs and Willingness to Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilinc, Ahmet; Boyes, Edward; Stanisstreet, Martin

    2011-01-01

    One aim of environmental education is to persuade people to act in more pro-environmental ways. However, there is not a linear relationship between environmental knowledge "in general" and a willingness to act pro-environmentally. This research explores, using a specially-devised questionnaire, Turkish school students' beliefs about the…

  12. 25 CFR 273.38 - Equal quality and standard of education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Equal quality and standard of education. 273.38 Section... EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT PROGRAM EDUCATION CONTRACTS UNDER JOHNSON-O'MALLEY ACT Funding Provisions § 273.38 Equal quality and standard of education. Contracts with State education agencies or school districts...

  13. A study on the improvement of the legal system concerning Korean Atomic Energy Act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Il Un; Jung, Jong Hak; Kim, Jae Ho; Moon, Jong Wook; Kim, In Sub

    1998-03-01

    Cause-effect analysis, adjustment, and generalization of the current atomic energy act are contents of this research. These are to be based on the legal theory. Analysis of the current atomic energy act from the viewpoint of constitutional law and administrative law. Review of the other domestic legal systems which have similar problems as the atomic energy act has. Inquiry about the operation of nuclear legal systems of foreign nations

  14. A study on the improvement of the legal system concerning Korean Atomic Energy Act

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Il Un; Jung, Jong Hak; Kim, Jae Ho; Moon, Jong Wook; Kim, In Sub [Chungnam National Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-03-15

    Cause-effect analysis, adjustment, and generalization of the current atomic energy act are contents of this research. These are to be based on the legal theory. Analysis of the current atomic energy act from the viewpoint of constitutional law and administrative law. Review of the other domestic legal systems which have similar problems as the atomic energy act has. Inquiry about the operation of nuclear legal systems of foreign nations.

  15. ELECTRONIC TEXTBOOK AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuliia M. Shepetko

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available The urgency of the material stated in article, is caused by requirements for use of information and communication technologies for educational process, in particular the electronic textbook which can facilitate perception of the information, diversify work forms, interest by technical possibilities. The article aims to proof the necessity of  electronic textbooks use as effective tool for improving the quality of education. Use of the electronic textbook at training will effectively and positively affect process of preparation of students taking into account the means of organization of educational process, structure, methodological requirements. Application of the electronic textbook at training will promote the further development of informative motivation of students.

  16. Identifying effective pathways in a successful continuous quality improvement programme: the GEDAPS study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodicoat, Danielle H; Mundet, Xavier; Gray, Laura J; Cos, Xavier; Davies, Melanie J; Khunti, Kamlesh; Cano, Juan-Franciso

    2014-12-01

    Continuous quality improvement programmes often target several aspects of care, some of which may be more effective meaning that resources could be focussed on these. The objective was to identify the effective and ineffective aspects of a successful continuous quality improvement programme for individuals with type 2 diabetes in primary care. Data were from a series of cross-sectional studies (GEDAPS) in primary care, Catalonia, Spain, in 55 centres (2239 participants) in 1993, and 92 centres (5819 participants) in 2002. A structural equation modelling approach was used. The intervention was associated with improved microvascular outcomes through microalbuminuria and funduscopy screening, which had a direct effect on microvascular outcomes, and through attending 2-4 nurse visits and having ≥1 blood pressure measurement, which acted through reducing systolic blood pressure. The intervention was associated with improved macrovascular outcomes through blood pressure measurement and attending 2-4 nurse visits (through systolic blood pressure) and having ≥3 education topics, ≥1 HbA1c measurement and adequate medication (through HbA1c). Cholesterol measurement, weight measurement and foot examination did not contribute towards the effectiveness of the intervention. The pathways through which a continuous quality improvement programme appeared to act to reduce microvascular and macrovascular complications were driven by reductions in systolic blood pressure and HbA1c, which were attained through changes in nurse and education visits, measurement and medication. This suggests that these factors are potential areas on which future quality improvement programmes should focus. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Health Improvement and Educational Attainment in Secondary Schools: Complementary or Competing Priorities? Exploratory Analyses From the School Health Research Network in Wales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Littlecott, Hannah J; Long, Sara; Hawkins, Jemma; Murphy, Simon; Hewitt, Gillian; Eccles, Gemma; Fletcher, Adam; Moore, Graham F

    2018-01-01

    Implementing health improvement is often perceived as diverting resource away from schools' core business, reflecting an assumption of a "zero-sum game" between health and education. There is some evidence that health behaviors may affect young people's educational outcomes. However, associations between implementation of school health improvement and educational outcomes remains underinvestigated. The study linked school-level data on free school meal (FSM) entitlement, educational outcomes, and school attendance, obtained from government websites, with data from the School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ) on health improvement activity collected in Wales (2015/2016). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and linear regression models tested the extent of association between health improvement activity and attendance and educational outcomes. SEQ data were provided by 100/115 network schools (87%), of whom data on educational performance were obtained from 97. The percentage of pupils entitled to FSM predicted most of the between-school variance in achievement and attendance. Linear regression models demonstrated significant positive associations of all measures of health improvement activity with attainment at Key Stage (KS) 3, apart from mental health education in the curriculum and organizational commitment to health. Student and parent involvement in planning health activities were associated with improved school attendance. There were no significant associations between health improvement and KS4 attainment. Implementing health improvement activity does not have a detrimental effect on schools' educational performance. There is tentative evidence of the reverse, with better educational outcomes in schools with more extensive health improvement policies and practices. Further research should investigate processes by which this occurs and variations by socioeconomic status.

  18. Linking agriculture and nutrition education to improve infant and young child feeding: Lessons for future programmes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muehlhoff, Ellen; Wijesinha-Bettoni, Ramani; Westaway, Elizabeth; Jeremias, Theresa; Nordin, Stacia; Garz, Julia

    2017-10-01

    Agriculture and food systems play a central role in nutrition by supplying nutritious, healthy and affordable foods. When integrated with nutrition education for behaviour change, agricultural interventions that supply diverse affordable foods from all food groups have great scope for improving young child and family diets. In 2014, process reviews were conducted in Cambodia and Malawi of food security projects that provided agricultural support and community-based nutrition education on improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF). In both countries, household visits were carried out with mothers/caregivers, and interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with purposively selected project stakeholders (53 in Cambodia, 170 in Malawi), including government staff from the agriculture and health sectors. Results highlight that adoption of improved IYCF practices was facilitated by participation in nutrition education and practical cooking sessions, and supportive family and community structures. Barriers faced by families and caregivers were identified, such as women's workload and lack of access to high quality foods, namely fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and animal source foods. Implementation challenges regarding coordination of cross-sectoral targeting strategies and capacities of extension services to sustain community-based IYCF nutrition education need to be addressed to improve programme effectiveness and impact. The project lessons from Cambodia and Malawi are useful for integrated agriculture-IYCF nutrition education programmes to help ensure better young child nutrition outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. American surgery and the Affordable Care Act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stain, Steven C; Hoyt, David B; Hunter, John G; Joyce, Geoffrey; Hiatt, Jonathan R

    2014-09-01

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) attempts to change the way we finance and deliver health care by coordinating the delivery of primary, specialty, and hospital services in accountable care organizations. The ways in which accountable care organizations will develop and evolve is unclear; however, the effects on surgeons and their patients will be substantial. High-value care in the ACA emphasizes quality, safety, resource use and appropriateness, and the patient's experience of care. Payment will be linked to these principles. Department chairs overseeing a clinical enterprise in academic medical centers now must add financial and quality measures to the traditional missions of education, research, and clinical service. At a time when surgical training is in dramatic evolution, with work hour limitations for residents and an emphasis on quality, productivity, and increasing oversight of trainees for faculty, residency programs will need to meet the increasing demands of an aging population and newly insured patients under the ACA. The American College of Surgeons, with its century-long commitment to quality improvement, research-based standards, and performance measurement and verification, has begun its Inspiring Quality Campaign, is developing new educational tools, and is preparing proposals for payment reform based on surgeons' participation in quality programs.

  20. Making the Most of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Helping States Focus on School Equity, Quality and Climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penuel, William; Meyer, Elizabeth; Valladares, Michelle Renée

    2016-01-01

    Staff in State Departments of Education are diligently reviewing and revising their state accountability systems to meet the new requirements and opportunities of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA is the latest reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the primary federal bill guiding K-12 education policy. As a…

  1. Improving Educational Outcomes by Providing Educational Services through Mobile Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hosam Farouk El-Sofany

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The use of Computers, Networks, and Internet has successfully enabled educational institutions to provide their students and instructors with various online educational services. With the recent developments in M-learning and mobile technology, further possibilities are emerging to provide such services through mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. By providing the educational services using wireless and mobile technologies, the educational institutions can potentially bring great convenience to those off-campus students who do not always have time to find Internet enabled computers to get the important educational information from their academic institutions. With the mobile or M-educational services, both the students and the instructors can access the services anytime and anywhere they want. This paper discusses those M-educational services that can be moved to the mobile platform and then presents the system prototype and architecture that integrate these services into the mobile technology platform. The paper will conclude with a description of the formative evaluation of the system prototype.

  2. How to Improve the Quality of Teaching in the Course of Network Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiao Na

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper expounds the characteristics and advantages of modern distance education. On this basis, this paper puts forward the limitations and deficiencies of the current educational practice, and analyzes the reasons that affect the quality of education. On the basis of analyzing the reasons, solutions to the problems in the course of work are put forward according to working experience and practice. The realization of the virtual experiment will ease difficulties and pressures effectively, which the various modern distance education in colleges and universities generally faced in funds, venues and equipment and other aspects. So carrying out the virtual experimental teaching is timeless and beyond the constraint of space, and help to improve the quality of teaching. Therefore, the virtual experiment will become an inevitable trend in the practice teaching of modern distance education.

  3. Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education Fiscal Year 1983 Awards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (ED), Washington, DC.

    Information on fiscal year 1983-1984 awards made through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education is provided. A list of recipients of new and continuation comprehensive program awards and final year dissemination awards is presented, along with new Mina Shaughnessy Scholars. For each new and continuation recipient, a statement of…

  4. Japanese lesson study in mathematics its impact, diversity and potential for educational improvement

    CERN Document Server

    Isoda, Masami; Stephens, Max

    2007-01-01

    In Before It''s Too Late: A Report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (2000) in the US, the authors quote from James Stigler''s conclusions from various videotape research studies of mathematics teaching: "The key to long-term improvement [in teaching] is to figure out how to generate, accumulate, and share professional knowledge". Japanese Lesson Study has proved to be one successful means. This book supports the growing movement of lesson study to improve the quality of mathematics education from the original viewpoints of Japanese educators who have been engaging in lesson study in mathematics for professional development and curriculum implementation. This book also illustrates several projects related to lesson study in other countries.

  5. Physical Education as a means of health and working efficiency improvement of population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khasanova Rezeda R.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article historical and contemporary influence of physical education (PE and sport instances are shown in economic indices. The notion “health”, as well as the influence of physical education and sport at its level, is given. Health-detrimental behavior (malnutrition, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse and smoking can be the cause of chronic diseases and have a significant influence on health of citizens. Experimental data, which approve that bad working conditions and health-detrimental behavior can discourage productivity and extend the periods of temporary incapacity for work, are marked. In addition, there is an access to the majority of the adult population, which provides a perfect opportunity for healthy lifestyle campaign. Consequently, the campaigns aimed at health improvement of the employable population at their working places, have potentials for a wide population segment engagement, which cannot be accessible for other medical campaigns. Experimental data on increase in labour productivity and economic effectiveness improvement by means of physical education are given; the latter was applied to people at their work during the soviet period, when the large-scale research was made. The necessity of physical education integration in the productive process is proved, which will finally have a positive impact on the whole economy.

  6. Integration of mobile technology in educational materials improves participation: creation of a novel smartphone application for resident education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Christiana M; Tan, Sanda A

    2015-01-01

    Traditional education consists of didactics and book learning. Recently, technology has been integrated into graduate medical education, primarily in the form of simulation. The primary aim of this study was to investigate if a novel smartphone application using technology to engage learners would improve participation in an educational activity when compared with a daily e-mail format and how this use translated to performance on standardized testing. The UF Surgery App (App), which is a smartphone application, was developed to deliver 2 questions from a general surgery educational database every weekday from October to February 2013. The App, developed for iOS, featured a notification alarm and a reminder icon to actively engage the learner. Learners who used the App responded to multiple-choice questions and were provided instantaneous feedback in the form of a correct answer with an explanation. The response rate and answers were collected prospectively and compared with the American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination score. University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, a university teaching hospital. A total of 46 general surgical residents were enrolled in a university training program. Participation was voluntary. Overall, 26 of 46 (57%) residents participated. Of the users, 70% answered more than 20% of the questions, while 46% responded to more than 70% of questions. The percentage of correct answers on the App was positively correlated with standardized score (p = 0.005), percentage correct (p = 0.02), and percentile (p = 0.034) on the ABSITE examination. Technology can be used to actively engage residents. Deployment of this novel App improved participation over a daily question-answer e-mail format, and answers correlated with standardized test performance. The effect of the App on overall education is unclear, and a multi-institutional study has been initiated. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. All

  7. Evaluation of a novel educational strategy, including inhaler-based reminder labels, to improve asthma inhaler technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basheti, Iman A; Armour, Carol L; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z; Reddel, Helen K

    2008-07-01

    To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a brief intervention about inhaler technique, delivered by community pharmacists to asthma patients. Thirty-one pharmacists received brief workshop education (Active: n=16, CONTROL: n=15). Active Group pharmacists were trained to assess and teach dry powder inhaler technique, using patient-centered educational tools including novel Inhaler Technique Labels. Interventions were delivered to patients at four visits over 6 months. At baseline, patients (Active: 53, CONTROL: 44) demonstrated poor inhaler technique (mean+/-S.D. score out of 9, 5.7+/-1.6). At 6 months, improvement in inhaler technique score was significantly greater in Active cf. CONTROL patients (2.8+/-1.6 cf. 0.9+/-1.4, p<0.001), and asthma severity was significantly improved (p=0.015). Qualitative responses from patients and pharmacists indicated a high level of satisfaction with the intervention and educational tools, both for their effectiveness and for their impact on the patient-pharmacist relationship. A simple feasible intervention in community pharmacies, incorporating daily reminders via Inhaler Technique Labels on inhalers, can lead to improvement in inhaler technique and asthma outcomes. Brief training modules and simple educational tools, such as Inhaler Technique Labels, can provide a low-cost and sustainable way of changing patient behavior in asthma, using community pharmacists as educators.

  8. Kant and education. Reflections regarding the act of teaching.

    OpenAIRE

    William Fernando Hernández Buitrago,

    2013-01-01

    This article is a reflection on Kant 's work and its implications for education. At first there is a distinction between subjectivism and subjectivity to explain what the dogmatism of reality. The conception of the educational as an exercise from which should enable the understanding of reality and the adequacy of maximum objective laws allows , in youth , training in autonomy. This leads to the idea that the student must become the architects of their training process . Educating is, in this...

  9. Quality in-training initiative--a solution to the need for education in quality improvement: results from a survey of program directors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelz, Rachel R; Sellers, Morgan M; Reinke, Caroline E; Medbery, Rachel L; Morris, Jon; Ko, Clifford

    2013-12-01

    The Next Accreditation System and the Clinical Learning Environment Review Program will emphasize practice-based learning and improvement and systems-based practice. We present the results of a survey of general surgery program directors to characterize the current state of quality improvement in graduate surgical education and introduce the Quality In-Training Initiative (QITI). In 2012, a 20-item survey was distributed to 118 surgical residency program directors from ACS NSQIP-affiliated hospitals. The survey content was developed in collaboration with the QITI to identify program director opinions regarding education in practice-based learning and improvement and systems-based practice, to investigate the status of quality improvement education in their respective programs, and to quantify the extent of resident participation in quality improvement. There was a 57% response rate. Eighty-five percent of program directors (n = 57) reported that education in quality improvement is essential to future professional work in the field of surgery. Only 28% (n = 18) of programs reported that at least 50% of their residents track and analyze their patient outcomes, compare them with norms/benchmarks/published standards, and identify opportunities to make practice improvements. Program directors recognize the importance of quality improvement efforts in surgical practice. Subpar participation in basic practice-based learning and improvement activities at the resident level reflects the need for support of these educational goals. The QITI will facilitate programmatic compliance with goals for quality improvement education. Copyright © 2013 American College of Surgeons. All rights reserved.

  10. Improving Educational Outcomes by Providing Educational Services through Mobile Technology

    OpenAIRE

    Hosam Farouk El-Sofany

    2013-01-01

    The use of Computers, Networks, and Internet has successfully enabled educational institutions to provide their students and instructors with various online educational services. With the recent developments in M-learning and mobile technology, further possibilities are emerging to provide such services through mobile devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. By providing the educational services using wireless and mobile technologies, the educational institutions can potentially bring great co...

  11. Shut Out: Denial of Education to Homeless Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Lorraine; Christiansen, Guy

    The Stewart B. McKinney Act of 1987 was intended to remove barriers and ensure access to education for homeless children. But despite a 1988 consent decree, the United States Department of Education (DOE) has failed to comply with its statutory duties to implement the Act, the states have also failed to implement the Act adequately, and homeless…

  12. Does the Flipped Classroom Improve Learning in Graduate Medical Education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riddell, Jeff; Jhun, Paul; Fung, Cha-Chi; Comes, James; Sawtelle, Stacy; Tabatabai, Ramin; Joseph, Daniel; Shoenberger, Jan; Chen, Esther; Fee, Christopher; Swadron, Stuart P

    2017-08-01

    The flipped classroom model for didactic education has recently gained popularity in medical education; however, there is a paucity of performance data showing its effectiveness for knowledge gain in graduate medical education. We assessed whether a flipped classroom module improves knowledge gain compared with a standard lecture. We conducted a randomized crossover study in 3 emergency medicine residency programs. Participants were randomized to receive a 50-minute lecture from an expert educator on one subject and a flipped classroom module on the other. The flipped classroom included a 20-minute at-home video and 30 minutes of in-class case discussion. The 2 subjects addressed were headache and acute low back pain. A pretest, immediate posttest, and 90-day retention test were given for each subject. Of 82 eligible residents, 73 completed both modules. For the low back pain module, mean test scores were not significantly different between the lecture and flipped classroom formats. For the headache module, there were significant differences in performance for a given test date between the flipped classroom and the lecture format. However, differences between groups were less than 1 of 10 examination items, making it difficult to assign educational importance to the differences. In this crossover study comparing a single flipped classroom module with a standard lecture, we found mixed statistical results for performance measured by multiple-choice questions. As the differences were small, the flipped classroom and lecture were essentially equivalent.

  13. Positioning Continuing Education: Boundaries and Intersections between the Domains Continuing Education, Knowledge Translation, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitto, Simon; Bell, Mary; Peller, Jennifer; Sargeant, Joan; Etchells, Edward; Reeves, Scott; Silver, Ivan

    2013-01-01

    Public and professional concern about health care quality, safety and efficiency is growing. Continuing education, knowledge translation, patient safety and quality improvement have made concerted efforts to address these issues. However, a coordinated and integrated effort across these domains is lacking. This article explores and discusses the…

  14. Emotional Laour in Teaching Secondary Physical Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ye Hoon Lee

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Teaching physical education is an emotion-laden context which requires physical education teachers to engage in emotional labor in order to foster their well-being, as well as student’s outcomes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictability of emotional labour strategies on job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion among secondary physical education teachers in South Korea. Specifically, the four forms of emotional labour (i.e., surface acting, deep acting, genuine positive expression, and genuine negative expression were hypothesized to have different influences on job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Method: A total of 225 full-time physical education teachers were invited to participate in the paper-pencil survey. The questionnaires contained items measuring the four forms of emotional labour, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction which had been modified to fit the physical education setting. Results: The results indicated that surface acting, genuine positive expression, and genuine expression was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion whereas only genuine positive expression was significantly associated with job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Finally, emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between surface acting and job satisfaction, genuine positive expression and job satisfaction, and genuine negative expression and job satisfaction. Conclusion: These results suggest that emotional labour plays a critical role on physical education teachers’ well-being and job attitude.  Keywords: emotional regulation, physical education teacher, genuine expression, Asian culture, surface acting

  15. The Quality of MOOCs: How to improve the design of open education and online courses for learners?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stracke, Christian M.

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents the current status of Open Education and MOOCs and discusses their quality following the main question: How can we introduce new design and evaluation methods and personalization strategies to improve the learning quality of Open Education? First, the dimensions of Open Education

  16. Recommendations for Improving The Quality of Masters and Doctorate Education in Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zekai ŞEN

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In Turkey, while academic staff is assessed quantitively, assessment on quality takes place only about students.evaluations are always applied mechanically through western standards without considering our cultural qualities. In this process, the staff member quality standards of Western countries stay outside theTurkish boundarie. Therefore, with every attempt to increase the quality of higher education, students' and research asisstants' quality is improved but the aimed quality is never realised. In fact, the quality improvement in an institution should start from the top so that the reflections of this improvement should be seen in those under their and total quality augmentation Dynamics should arise. InTurkey, instead of total quality, the quality of the lower level workers is thought to be improved and not much is realised as a result of performing all the plans, projects and educational settings without considering the quality of higher ranking academicians. As a consequence of this mentioned situation masters and Ph. D.thesis done in Turkish universities can not provide reflections in international domain. Turkey thinks to compensate the gap by sending its youngsters in an unplanned manner to especially the USA. Even the M.Sc. and PH.D. thesis supervised by those who were educated in the USA and got academic titles there can not gain international quality. By the authorities, the sole reason for this is always clamied to be the inquality of the students. In this study it will be focused that the reson for this problem does not take it's source from the quality of the students but the academic staff eventhough they were educated abroad. It will also be mentioned that the main reasons why the masters and Ph.D. thesis can not gain an international quality are the quality of the academicians is only linked to the academic promotion and eventhough in theory the promotions appear to be scientific , in practice they are usually out of

  17. Occupational Health and Safety ACT NO. 6331 and Status Assessment in this Perspective, the Role of ÇASGEM at Education and Research

    OpenAIRE

    Karaman, Esra

    2015-01-01

    In this study, basic knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 6331 and in this regard legal rights and obligations of employers and employees was given. It was informed with this study health and safety problems originated from work, often experienced occupational accidents and occupational diseases and provided information about their causes. It was referred Labour and Social Security Training and Research Centre ( ÇASGEM ) 's missions and conducted education and research on ...

  18. Proposal of Instruction Process for Improvement of Language Activities in Technology Education Course

    OpenAIRE

    山本, 智広; 山本, 利一

    2012-01-01

    This study is a proposal of instruction process for improvement of language activities in the technology education course in the junior high school in Japan. In this study, two efforts were carried out for the technology concerning material and processing. The first effort was the extraction of the learning situations that develop abilities of thinking, judgment and expression through language activities peculiar to the technology education course. The second effort was the verification o...

  19. Application of Computational Intelligence to Improve Education in Smart Cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomede, Everton; Gaffo, Fernando Henrique; Briganó, Gabriel Ulian; de Barros, Rodolfo Miranda; Mendes, Leonardo de Souza

    2018-01-18

    According to UNESCO, education is a fundamental human right and every nation's citizens should be granted universal access with equal quality to it. Because this goal is yet to be achieved in most countries, in particular in the developing and underdeveloped countries, it is extremely important to find more effective ways to improve education. This paper presents a model based on the application of computational intelligence (data mining and data science) that leads to the development of the student's knowledge profile and that can help educators in their decision making for best orienting their students. This model also tries to establish key performance indicators to monitor objectives' achievement within individual strategic planning assembled for each student. The model uses random forest for classification and prediction, graph description for data structure visualization and recommendation systems to present relevant information to stakeholders. The results presented were built based on the real dataset obtained from a Brazilian private k-9 (elementary school). The obtained results include correlations among key data, a model to predict student performance and recommendations that were generated for the stakeholders.

  20. TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION AS TOOL OF MARKETING POLICY OF THE BRITISH EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ш В Тагирова

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The growth of academic mobility of students, professors, professionals, experts, as well as educational programs and institutions has led to the emergence of new forms of educational services in the global education market - transnational (cross-border education. International branch campuses, distance learning, joint educational programs, educational services of commercial providers are the most common types of transnational education and act as an effective tool of a national marketing strategy to promote a national education system in education global market

  1. 76 FR 31790 - Federal Seed Act Regulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-02

    ... improvements in the noxious-weed seed tolerances using modern statistical applications. The AOSA has already... the introductory text. 0 B. Removing the word ``act'' and adding in its place the word ``Act'', and by...'' in paragraph (c)(2) introductory text. Sec. 201.41 [Amended] 0 6. In Sec. 201.41, paragraph (a), the...

  2. A pragmatic comparison of two diabetes education programs in improving type 2 diabetes mellitus outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorland, Katherine; Liddy, Clare

    2014-03-28

    Although it is clear that education programs constitute key elements of improved diabetes management, uncertainty exists regarding the optimal method of delivering that education. In addition to the lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate delivery methods for these programs, there is a paucity of research which evaluates these methods in terms of specific clinical outcomes. This pragmatic study compares the effectiveness of two distinct diabetes education programs in improving clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a primary care setting. The two diabetes education classes (n = 80 enrolled) retrospectively evaluated were 'the ABC's of Diabetes' (one 2-hour didactic teaching session) and 'Conversation Maps' (3 highly interactive weekly classes, 6 hours in total). Eligible participants (n = 32) had their charts reviewed and outcome measures (i.e., glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c), low density lipoprotein (LDL), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and weight) recorded 1 year prior to and 6 months following the class. Pre- and post-class outcome measures were compared. A trend towards lower HbA1c was observed after completion of both classes, with an average reduction of 0.2%, and 0.6% after 6 months in the 'ABC's of Diabetes' class and 'Conversation Maps' class respectively. A significant decrease in weight was observed 6 months after the 'ABC's of Diabetes' class (p = 0.028), and in LDL after the 'Conversation Maps' class (p = 0.049). Patients with HbA1c ≥ 8% showed a drop of 1.1% in HbA1c 3 months after either class (p = 0.004). No significant difference in outcomes was found between the two diabetes education classes assessed. There was a trend towards improved glycemic control after both classes, and patients with high HbA1c levels demonstrated statistically significant improvements. This indicates that shorter sessions using didactic teaching methods may be equally

  3. A strategic approach to quality improvement and patient safety education and resident integration in a general surgery residency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Heron, Colette T; Jarman, Benjamin T

    2014-01-01

    To outline a structured approach for general surgery resident integration into institutional quality improvement and patient safety education and development. A strategic plan to address Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Clinical Learning Environment Review assessments for resident integration into Quality Improvement and Patient Safety initiatives is described. Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation is an independent academic medical center graduating three categorical residents per year within an integrated multi-specialty health system serving 19 counties over 3 states. The quality improvement and patient safety education program includes a formal lecture series, online didactic sessions, mandatory quality improvement or patient safety projects, institutional committee membership, an opportunity to serve as a designated American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project and Quality in Training representative, mandatory morbidity and mortality conference attendance and clinical electives in rural surgery and international settings. Structured education regarding and participation in quality improvement and patient safety programs are able to be accomplished during general surgery residency. The long-term outcomes and benefits of these strategies are unknown at this time and will be difficult to measure with objective data. © 2013 Published by Association of Program Directors in Surgery on behalf of Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

  4. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF BUSINESS HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDENTS LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT PLAN (SLOAP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoran Ivanovski

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This study presents new vision how to upgrade business higher education at the Faculty of Economics at University of Tourism and Management in Skopje (UTMS. This paper is result of analyses of best practices of leading higher education institutions as well authors experience in higher education and business education and practice. The UTMS is orientated to introduce best practices and objective standards in order to offer high-quality business education for its students. UTMS has mission for permanent implementation of quality improvement measures as a way to achieve high professional and academic standards and become part of prosperous and respective Universities. In order to achieve this goal, UTMS plan to use additional measures, outcomes assessment as a way to measure institutional effectiveness, as well as effective technique for identifying where changes and improvements are necessary. UTMS has developed Students Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan (SLOAP as a way to reach this goal.Based on permanent analysis of students needs as well as business sector suggestions about desirable level of knowledge, skills and competence of the students from Faculty of Economics, gained from conducted evaluations, UTMS decide to make additional improvement and development of business education. This process have 4 phases: 1 evaluation of students attitude towards curricula and the instructors efficiency, 2preparation of the SLOAP (Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan document, 3 implementation of two direct measures from the SLOAP through assessment analysis and action planning, and 4 monitoring changes and improvements made as a result of action planning.The first phase was completed in spring semester 2012, as well as second one with development of Comprehensive Exam and Capstone Course as direct measures. Complete SLOAP also has indirect measures like student satisfaction inventory, course evaluations, alumni, and employers’ surveys, and a

  5. Education Industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-01-01

    themes: No Child Left Behind Act reauthorization, international competitiveness, and recruiting and retention of quality teachers. The US education ...industry stakeholders and require difficult choices. A more centralized education system has many advantages , and the US should move in that direction...between math and science skills, innovation and creativity, and international education , as all these areas are integral to future success. Finally

  6. Practical Recommendations to Improve the Quality of Training and Methodical Support of Professional Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grebennikov, Valery V.; Grudtsina, Ludmila Yu.; Marchuk, Nikolay N.; Sangadgiev, Badma V.; Kudyashev, Nail K.

    2016-01-01

    The research urgency is caused by the transition to the knowledge society and new demands for training and methodical provision of professional pedagogical education. The purpose of this paper is to develop practical recommendations to improve the quality of training and methodical support of professional pedagogical education. The leading…

  7. Medicaid’s Role in Financing Health Care for Children With Behavioral Health Care Needs in the Special Education System: Implications of the Deficit Reduction Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandell, David S.; Machefsky, Aliza; Rubin, David; Feudtner, Chris; Pita, Susmita; Rosenbaum, Sara

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND Recent changes to Medicaid policy may have unintended consequences in the education system. This study estimated the potential financial impact of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) on school districts by calculating Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health care expenditures for school-aged children in general and children in special education in particular. METHODS Medicaid claims and special education records of youth ages 6 to 18 years in Philadelphia, PA, were merged for calendar year 2002. Behavioral health care volume, type, and expenditures were compared between Medicaid-enrolled children receiving and not receiving special education. RESULTS Significant overlap existed among the 126,533 children who were either Medicaid enrolled (114,257) or received special education (27,620). Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health care was used by 21% of children receiving special education (37% of those Medicaid enrolled) and 15% of other Medicaid-enrolled children. Total expenditures were $197.8 million, 40% of which was spent on the 5728 children in special education and 60% of which was spent on 15,092 other children. CONCLUSIONS Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health services disproportionately support special education students, with expenditures equivalent to 4% of Philadelphia’s $2 billion education budget. The results suggest that special education programs depend on Medicaid-reimbursed services, the financing of which the DRA may jeopardize. PMID:18808472

  8. Can a District-Level Teacher Salary Incentive Policy Improve Teacher Recruitment and Retention? Policy Brief 13-4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hough, Heather J.; Loeb, Susanna

    2013-01-01

    In this policy brief, Heather Hough and Susanna Loeb examine the effect of the Quality Teacher and Education Act of 2008 (QTEA) on teacher recruitment, retention, and overall teacher quality in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). They provide evidence that a salary increase can improve a school district's attractiveness within their…

  9. Turning education into action: Impact of a collective social education approach to improve nurses' ability to recognize and accurately assess delirium in hospitalized older patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Travers, Catherine; Henderson, Amanda; Graham, Fred; Beattie, Elizabeth

    2018-03-01

    Although cognitive impairment including dementia and delirium is common in older hospital patients, it is not well recognized or managed by hospital staff, potentially resulting in adverse events. This paper describes, and reports on the impact of a collective social education approach to improving both nurses' knowledge of, and screening for delirium. Thirty-four experienced nurses from six hospital wards, became Cognition Champions (CogChamps) to lead their wards in a collective social education process about cognitive impairment and the assessment of delirium. At the outset, the CogChamps were provided with comprehensive education about dementia and delirium from a multidisciplinary team of clinicians. Their knowledge was assessed to ascertain they had the requisite understanding to engage in education as a collective social process, namely, with each other and their local teams. Following this, they developed ward specific Action Plans in collaboration with their teams aimed at educating and evaluating ward nurses' ability to accurately assess and care for patients for delirium. The plans were implemented over five months. The broader nursing teams' knowledge was assessed, together with their ability to accurately assess patients for delirium. Each ward implemented their Action Plan to varying degrees and key achievements included the education of a majority of ward nurses about delirium and the certification of the majority as competent to assess patients for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method. Two wards collected pre-and post-audit data that demonstrated a substantial improvement in delirium screening rates. The education process led by CogChamps and supported by educators and clinical experts provides an example of successfully educating nurses about delirium and improving screening rates of patients for delirium. ACTRN 12617000563369. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. [Preparation and effect of a behavioral science-based education program for sleep improvement among medical students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueda, Masumi; Adachi, Yoshiko; Hayama, Junko; Yamagami, Toshiko

    2008-01-01

    The present study aimed to investigate a simple education program that is effective for sleep improvement among medical students who will be medical doctors in the future. The education program applied in the present study was developed for sleep improvement based on behavioral science and changes in knowledge and sleeping habits were observed. Subjects were 6th-year medical students of 2002 and 2003. Students of 2002 attended a program including a 90-minute lecture and a 2-week practice learning session, and students of 2003 attended only the lecture. In the lecture, behavior therapy for chronic insomnia was explained using a booklet. In the practice learning session, students set a target behavior for improvement and conducted self-monitoring of their sleep and the targeted behavior. Changes in knowledge about sleep, attitude toward the therapy, sleep, and sleep-related habits were observed and compared between the 2 groups of subjects immediately and 2-weeks after the lecture. It was found that after both programs subjects had more knowledge about sleep than before. In the program including practice learning session, subjects' attitude for managing patients changed from before the lecture to after the lecture, and after the practice learning session. It was found that more than half of the students thought that they could provide sleep guidance based on the behavior therapy. Regarding the subjects' sleep, significant improvements were observed for "having nightmares upon falling asleep," "sleepiness during daytime," "sense of getting a sound sleep," and "mood upon waking up." Regarding sleep-related habits, significant improvements were observed for "taking a nap," "dozing off," and "eating breakfast." On the other hand, only the lecture subjects improved irregularity of bedtime and sleeping time. Although an increase in knowledge and improvement of sleep were observed among students who attended only the lecture, a further increase in knowledge and improvement

  11. Kant and education. Reflections regarding the act of teaching.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Fernando Hernández Buitrago,

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This article is a reflection on Kant 's work and its implications for education. At first there is a distinction between subjectivism and subjectivity to explain what the dogmatism of reality. The conception of the educational as an exercise from which should enable the understanding of reality and the adequacy of maximum objective laws allows , in youth , training in autonomy. This leads to the idea that the student must become the architects of their training process . Educating is, in this sense , constantly and relentlessly assume our human condition as a " to be " , but mostly as a "must " . When we fulfill requirements , we mark our behaviors and actions that have nothing to do with the ends we seek . So the adoption of attitudes and doctrines with assimilation not make unrelated indoctrination and education as a process of manipulation instruction and dehumanize humans.

  12. Expanding Public/Private Partnerships For Improving Basic Education through School Sponsorship in the Dominican Republic. Final Report. Basic Education and Policy Support Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig, Patricia; Kane, Michael

    The Basic Education and Policy Support Activity (BEPS), a new five-year initiative sponsored by United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Center for Human Capacity Development, is designed to improve the quality, effectiveness, and access to formal and nonformal basic education. BEPS operates through both core funds and buy-ins…

  13. Does Targeted Education of Emergency Physicians Improve Their Comfort Level in Treating Psychiatric Patients?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda J Walker

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: We determined if targeted education of emergency physicians (EPsregarding the treatment of mental illness will improve their comfort level in treatingpsychiatric patients boarding in the emergency department (ED awaiting admission.Methods: We performed a pilot study examining whether an educational interventionwould change an EP’s comfort level in treating psychiatric boarder patients (PBPs. Weidentified a set of psychiatric emergencies that typically require admission or treatmentbeyond the scope of practice of emergency medicine. Diagnoses included majordepression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar affective disorder, generalanxiety disorder, suicidal ideation, and criminal behavior. We designed equivalentsurveys to be used before and after an educational intervention. Each survey consistedof 10 scenarios of typical psychiatric patients. EPs were asked to rate their comfort levelsin treating the described patients on a visual analogue scale. We calculated summaryscores for the non intervention survey group (NINT and intervention survey group (INTand compared them using Student’s t-test.Results: Seventy-nine percent (33/42 of eligible participants completed the preinterventionsurvey (21 attendings, 12 residents and comprised the NINT group. Fiftyfivepercent (23/42 completed the post-intervention survey (16 attendings, 7 residentscomprising the INT group. A comparison of summary scores between ‘NINT’ and ‘INT’groups showed a highly significant improvement in comfort levels with treating thepatients described in the scenarios (P = 0.003. Improvements were noted on separateanalysis for faculty (P = 0.039 and for residents (P = 0.012. Results of a sensitivityanalysis excluding one highly significant scenario showed decreased, but still importantdifferences between the NINT and INT groups for all participants and for residents, butnot for faculty (all: P = 0.05; faculty: P = 0.25; residents: P = 0

  14. Widening Participation in Higher Education: A Play in Five Acts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitman, Tim

    2017-01-01

    Policies and programs to address higher education disadvantage reveal four distinct approaches, each revealing certain assumptions about the nature of educational disadvantage. These are: creating mass higher education systems; redistributing or allocating certain places to disadvantaged students; changing the cultural practices of institutions;…

  15. Sport supporting act: terminology issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petr Vlček

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The text deals with terminology issues from an interdisciplinary point of view. It is based on two different disciplines, law and kinanthropology, in an area of their overlap. AIM: The aim of the author is to point out some possible legislative problems, which could arise due to the current reading of the sport supporting act (Act no. 115/2001. The second aim of the author is to contribute to the discussion of kinantropologists (possibly also the educational researchers and lawyers and to stress the importance of the systematic approach to terminology formulation. METHODS: The author uses the method of language interpretation. We also use the basic analytical methods, induction and deduction, while we stress the systematic approach to the term formulation. RESULTS: The analysis of the sport supporting act terminology shows some specific legislative problems, which could arise due to the definition of sport in the sport supporting act. The author discusses a possible alternative solution. CONCLUSION: According to the opinion of the author, clear, obvious and unified terminology of kinantropologists as specialists in their discipline should represent a source, from which other sciences could derive their terminology. Defined and inexpert terminology used in other disciplines should not be used as an argument for its adopting in kinanthropology.

  16. Assistive Technologies for Improving Communication of Hearing Impairment in the Higher Education in Panama

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lineth Alain

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The ability to communicate, specifically the gift of hearing, is a necessity often taken for granted. A lack of sense of hearing affects the intellectual and emotional development of the human being who suffers from it. It prevents the fluid exchange of knowledge, thoughts and ideas that allow personal growth and development. This article emerges due to an interest in providing assistive technologies that can be considered to improve communication among hearing impaired and normal hearing listeners in the class-room of a higher education level in the Republic of Panama. Information has been compiled from various primary and secondary sources highlighting the communication problem facing this group of disabled people. Information about the situation of hearing impairment, laws, organizations, the reality with the higher education system, and finally, we will talk about Information and Communication Technologies (TICs that will work as technology support in order to improve communication in the classroom in higher education among normal-hearing and deaf people.

  17. Improving Geoscience Education through the PolarTREC Teacher Research Experience Model (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warburton, J.; Timm, K.; Larson, A. M.

    2010-12-01

    Teacher Research Experiences (TRE’s) are not new. For more than a decade, the National Science Foundation (NSF) as well as other federal agencies have been funding programs that place teachers with researchers in efforts to invigorate science education by bringing educators and researchers together through hands-on experiences. Many of the TRE’s are successful in providing a hands-on field experience for the teachers and researchers however many of the programs lack the resources to continue the collaborations and support the growing network of teachers that have had these field experiences. In 2007, NSF provided funding for PolarTREC—Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, a program of the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS). PolarTREC is a TRE where K-12 teachers participate in polar field research, working closely with scientists as a pathway to improving science education. In just three years, it has become a successful TRE. What makes PolarTREC different than other the teacher research experience programs and how can others benefit from what we have learned? During this presentation, we will share data collected through the program evaluation and on how PolarTREC contributes to the discipline of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and pedagogy through a model program conceived and organized according to current best practices, such as pre-research training, mentoring, support for classroom transfer, and long-term access to resources and support. Data shows that PolarTREC’s comprehensive program activities have many positive impacts on educators and their ability to teach science concepts and improve their teaching methods. Additionally, K-12 students polled in interest surveys showed significant changes in key areas including amount of time spent in school exploring research activities, importance of understanding science for future work, importance of understanding the polar regions as a person

  18. How to Do Things with Words: Speech Acts in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasparatou, Renia

    2018-01-01

    Originating from philosophy and science, many different ideas have made their way into educational policies. Educational policies often take such ideas completely out of context, and enforce them as general norms to every aspect of education; even opposing ideals make their way into school's curricula, teaching techniques, assignments, and…

  19. Concept Evaluation Using the PDSA Cycle for Continuous Quality Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laverentz, Delois Meyer; Kumm, Sharon

    As concept-based nursing education gains popularity, there is little literature on how to sustain quality after initiation of the curriculum. Critical appraisal of concepts in a university program revealed varying definitions, attributes, and exemplars resulting in student confusion. The Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle for continuous quality improvement was used for concept evaluation. The goals of the evaluation project were: 1) to develop common definition and attributes for concepts and 2) to develop horizontal and vertical leveling of exemplars to build on prior student learning. The continuous quality improvement process can be used to prevent "concept creep" and ensure internal consistency of concept definitions, attributes, and exemplars.

  20. Leveraging the power of music to improve science education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowther, Gregory J.; McFadden, Tom; Fleming, Jean S.; Davis, Katie

    2016-01-01

    We assessed the impact of music videos with science-based lyrics on content knowledge and attitudes in a three-part experimental research study of over 1000 participants (mostly K-12 students). In Study A, 13 of 15 music videos were followed by statistically significant improvements on questions about material covered in the videos, while performance on 'bonus questions' not covered by the videos did not improve. Video-specific improvement was observed in both basic knowledge and genuine comprehension (levels 1 and 2 of Bloom's taxonomy, respectively) and after both lyrics-only and visually rich versions of some videos. In Study B, musical versions of additional science videos were not superior to non-musical ones in their immediate impact on content knowledge, though musical versions were significantly more enjoyable. In Study C, a non-musical video on fossils elicited greater immediate test improvement than the musical version ('Fossil Rock Anthem'); however, viewers of the music video enjoyed a modest advantage on a delayed post-test administered 28 days later. Music video viewers more frequently rated their video as 'fun', and seemed more likely to revisit and/or share the video. Our findings contribute to a broader dialogue on promising new pedagogical strategies in science education.

  1. Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA's Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA) is a mechanism with which EPA can patent its inventions and license them to companies, through which innovative technologies can enter the marketplace to improve the environment and human health.

  2. Educational needs for improving self-care in heart failure patients with diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, EunSeok; Clark, Patricia C; Reilly, Carolyn Miller; Higgins, Melinda; Lobb, Maureen; Smith, Andrew L; Dunbar, Sandra B

    2012-01-01

    To explore the need for self-monitoring and self-care education in heart failure patients with diabetes (HF- DM patients) by describing cognitive and affective factors to provide guidance in developing effective self-management education. A cross-sectional correlation design was employed using baseline patient data from a study testing a 12-week patient and family dyad intervention to improve dietary and medication-taking self-management behaviors in HF patients. Data from 116 participants recruited from metropolitan Atlanta area were used. Demographic and comorbidities, physical function, psychological distress, relationship with health care provider, self-efficacy (medication taking and low sodium diet), and behavioral outcomes (medications, dietary habits) were assessed. Descriptive statistics and a series of chi-square tests, t tests, or Mann-Whitney tests were performed to compare HF patients with and without DM. HF-DM patients were older and heavier, had more comorbidities, and took more daily medications than HF patients. High self-efficacy on medication and low-sodium diet was reported in both groups with no significant difference. Although HF-DM patients took more daily medications than HF, both groups exhibited high HF medication-taking behaviors. The HF-DM patients consumed significantly lower total sugar than HF patients but clinically higher levels of sodium. Diabetes educators need to be aware of potential conflicts of treatment regimens to manage 2 chronic diseases. Special and integrated diabetes self-management education programs that incorporate principles of HF self-management should be developed to improve self-management behavior in HF-DM patients.

  3. THE ROLE OF QUALITY METHODS IN IMPROVING EDUCATION PROCESS: CASE STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragan Pavlović

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology for applying the Lean Six Sigma method on the educational process. After defining defects that have negative influence on the final quality evaluation of higher education and how these defects can be remedied, the Pareto analysis is done, and that is used for establishing a vital minority of the exams that are critical for examination of faculty. The next step is the Statistical Process Control (SPC analysis that is performed on the exams that are classified as vital minority in Pareto analysis. Ishikawa diagram shows a relation between considered consequence (small number of passed exams and all factors that influence this consequence. Based on the results of implementation of the Lean Six Sigma method in the educational process and implementation of all suggested improvements, the comparative overview of Pareto analysis is given for 2009/2010 and 2012/2013 academic year at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Niš.

  4. Precursor models construction at preschool education: an approach to improve scientific education in the classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SABRINA PATRICIA CANEDO- IBARRA

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to explore young children scientific precursor models construction and how the designed teaching strategy was successful for improving science learning at preschool in a social context. We describe how 6 years old children built a precursor model of flotation based on density. The exploratory study used a qualitative data collection and analysis following a pre-interview, instructional process and post-interview design. On analyzing children’s answers after the instructional period, we realized that several children were led to both the construction of a precursor model and a general qualitative upgrade in reasoning. We conclude that learning activities were effective and that the approach used in this study may help expand and improve teaching and learning of scientific concepts in preschool education

  5. Shaping Up? Three Acts of Education Studies as Textual Critique

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDougall, Julian; Walker, Stephen; Kendall, Alex

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents a study of dominant educational discourses through textual critique and argues that such an approach enables education studies to preserve an important distinction from teacher training. The texts deconstructed here are specific to English education, but the discourses at work have international relevance as the rhetorics of…

  6. Alaska: Improving Referrals of Victims of Maltreatment to the IDEA Part C Program. State Spotlight: Data Sharing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derrington, Taletha; Peters, Mary Louise; Mauzy, Denise; Ruggiero, Robert

    2015-01-01

    This 2015 state spotlight document describes how Alaska Part C improved the referral of children from Child Welfare to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C Program by an automated transfer of data from Child Welfare to Part C for substantiated cases of child maltreatment (i.e., child abuse and/or neglect).

  7. SMILE: Simple, Mental Health, Initiative in Learning and Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, L J

    2011-12-01

    SMILE is a Simple, Mental health, Initiative in Learning and Education. SMILE was a pilot project introduced into an undergraduate clinical nursing program, Southern Cross University, Australia 2010. The program aimed to improve the knowledge and skills of third-year nursing students participating in their first clinical placement in mental healthcare. Complementary to the clinical nursing program and the university curriculum, SMILE provided further training and support for student learning in mental healthcare. The SMILE project was a structured 15-day education program that covered the following topics: suicide prevention; psychosis; drugs and alcohol education; mental state exam; families and carers in mental health; and the Mental Health Act. The education sessions were one hour in duration. The educational material and resources were created from current research, literature and health service policy. A problem-based learning approach was used to support this education project. The dynamic factor related to SMILE was that it was based in the field. SMILE enabled the students to bridge a theory-practice gap and expand upon their current knowledge base as well as participate in ward activity. Twenty students attending their first clinical placement in mental healthcare participated in SMILE and were asked to complete a pre- and post- evaluation questionnaire before starting and upon completion of the 15-day project. The students participating in SMILE reported a greater understanding of mental healthcare issues and expressed a developing knowledge base and improved practical skill level. SMILE was a positive initiative that provided valuable feedback and opportunity to improve on clinical education in mental healthcare.

  8. Strategies to Improve Students’ Educational Achievement Motivation at Guilan University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdokht Taheri

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In view of the fact that motivation is linked directly to the learning process and educational achievement, this study endeavored to identify strategies to improve students’ educational achievement motivation at Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: To conduct this descriptive-analytical study, 368 students from Guilan University of Medical Sciences were selected using simple random sampling from 2013-2014. All of the Guilan University of Medical Sciences’ students met the general eligibility criteria except guest students. The questionnaire included five domains of economic, socio-cultural, educational, geo-regional, and personality factors in educational achievement motivation. Through using descriptive and inferential statistics (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, the compiled data were analyzed at the significance level of 0.05. Results: Data analysis revealed that socio-cultural factors have the maximum score (64.14 ± 9.92 and geo-regional factors have the minimum score (19.01±3.63 on the participants’ educational achievement motivation. What is more, a significant difference was revealed between educational field and educational effective factors as well as educational level and educational effective factors (p<0.011, p<0.004, respectively. Conclusion: Given that the socio-cultural factors had the maximum score on the students’ educational achievement motivation, it is recommended that university officials take these factors into account, and attempt to plan to provide appropriate strategies to enhance their students’ motivation, specifically their educational achievement motivation.

  9. Treatment Fidelity: Special Educators' Perceptions of Measures Used to Monitor the Implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorne, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 requires empirically based interventions to be used when treating chronic problem behaviors. The fundamental part of behavior modification is the ability to demonstrate that behavior change occurred due to the intervention. This can only be accomplished when the intervention is…

  10. Educational system based on the TAPP checklist improves the performance of novices: a multicenter randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poudel, Saseem; Kurashima, Yo; Tanaka, Kimitaka; Kawase, Hiroshi; Ito, Yoichi M; Nakamura, Fumitaka; Shichinohe, Toshiaki; Hirano, Satoshi

    2018-05-01

    Despite recent developments in surgical education, obstacles including inadequate budget, limited human resources, and a scarcity of time have limited its widespread adoption. To provide systematic training for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, we had previously developed and validated a checklist to evaluate the recorded performance of transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair. We had also developed an educational system that included didactic materials based on the TAPP checklist and incorporated remote evaluation and feedback system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational impact of the TAPP education system on novice surgeons. Residents and surgeons from participating hospitals, who had performed 0 or 1 TAPP procedure, were randomly assigned to the intervention group (IG), who trained using this new educational tool, and the control group (CG), who trained using the conventional system. Their surgical videos were rated by blinded raters. All participants performed their first case prior to randomization. The primary outcome was improvement of TAPP checklist score from the first to the third case. Eighteen participants from 9 institutes were recruited for this study. Seven participants in the IG and 5 participants in the CG were included in the final analysis. The participants in the IG demonstrated significant improvement in their TAPP performance (p = 0.044) from their first case to their third case, whereas their counterparts in the CG failed to make any significant progress during the same period (p = 0.581). The new TAPP educational system was effective in improving the TAPP performance of novice surgeons.

  11. A Review of Research on the Educational Benefits of the Inclusive Model of Education for Special Education Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hicks-Monroe, Sherry L.

    2011-01-01

    The practice of inclusion is not a new idea to the educational setting; it is a newer term. Before No Child Left Behind, during the 1970s students with disabilities were mainstreamed into the general education population under Public Law 94-142. Public law 94-142, which was renamed to Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), required…

  12. Effect of different single-session educational modalities on improving medical students' ability to demonstrate proper pressurized metered dose inhaler technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dominelli, Giulio S; Dominelli, Paolo B; Rathgeber, Steven L; Webster, Sheila B

    2012-05-01

    Pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) remain important therapeutic options for obstructive lung diseases. The ability to instruct and evaluate inhaler technique is a crucial skill that all medical professionals should possess; unfortunately, many professionals lack proficiency with pMDIs. We aimed to determine if brief education interventions of differing modalities can positively affect medical students' skills over the long term. The baseline ability of medical students and first year residents to use pMDIs was scored via a 10-point scoring system. Students were randomized to receive no education, one-on-one instruction, or video instruction. Students were then retested immediately after the education and at the 3-month mark for retention of acquired skills. Video, one-on-one and the placebo groups modalities statistically improved the average medical student's score in the immediate retesting (7.5 and 7.4 vs. 4.7, p grades at the immediate recall significantly improved for both modalities. During retention testing, only video education had a statistically significant improvement in pass rate over the control group, as defined by an average score of 7 or better (8 vs. 1, p improve medical students' ability to use pMDIs in short-term testing. However, only video education retained significant improvement compared with control after 3 months. This suggests that compared with traditional one-on-one teaching, video education is an effective means of teaching medical students how to improve their pMDI technique.

  13. School Improvement in High-Capacity Schools: Educational Leadership and Living-Systems Ontology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Coral; Sackney, Larry

    2016-01-01

    Although school improvement continues to present as an unresolved educational problem, the required changes are relatively straightforward. Essentially, schools need to be retooled with students' experiences and high-quality instruction at the center of the design. In this article, we present the findings of research into the leadership of…

  14. Accreditation of Medical Education Programs: Moving From Student Outcomes to Continuous Quality Improvement Measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blouin, Danielle; Tekian, Ara

    2018-03-01

    Accreditation of undergraduate medical education programs aims to ensure the quality of medical education and promote quality improvement, with the ultimate goal of providing optimal patient care. Direct linkages between accreditation and education quality are, however, difficult to establish. The literature examining the impact of accreditation predominantly focuses on student outcomes, such as performances on national examinations. However, student outcomes present challenges with regard to data availability, comparability, and contamination.The true impact of accreditation may well rest in its ability to promote continuous quality improvement (CQI) within medical education programs. The conceptual model grounding this paper suggests accreditation leads medical schools to commit resources to and engage in self-assessment activities that represent best practices of CQI, leading to the development within schools of a culture of CQI. In line with this model, measures of the impact of accreditation on medical schools need to include CQI-related markers. The CQI orientation of organizations can be measured using validated instruments from the business and management fields. Repeated determinations of medical schools' CQI orientation at various points throughout their accreditation cycles could provide additional evidence of the impact of accreditation on medical education. Strong CQI orientation should lead to high-quality medical education and would serve as a proxy marker for the quality of graduates and possibly for the quality of care they provide.It is time to move away from a focus on student outcomes as measures of the impact of accreditation and embrace additional markers, such as indicators of organizational CQI orientation.

  15. Nigeria's national health act 2014: a review of some of its ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nigeria's National Health Act 2014 was enacted on the 31st of October, 2014. The Act which provides a legal framework for the regulation and management of Nigeria's national health system, bristles with implications such as the need for improved political commitment by government to the health of Nigerians, improved ...

  16. Implementing a Course Review Process for a Continuous Quality Improvement Model for a Medical School Curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Cassandra S; Andrade, Amy; Walker-Winfree, Lena

    2018-01-01

    In 1901, Abraham Flexner, a research scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, visited 155 medical schools in the United States and Canada to assess medical education. Flexner's recommendations became the foundation for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation, a voluntary, peer-reviewed quality assurance process to determine whether a medical education program meets established standards. The Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, a historically Black college/university (HBCU) established the Office of Curriculum Evaluation and Effectiveness in 2013 to ensure the consistent monitoring of the medical education program's compliance with accreditation standards. The motto and logo, LCME 24/7, highlight the school's emphasis on meeting accreditation standards. The school uses the 1994 Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle for Learning and Improvement for continuous review of course content, outcomes, and evaluations. This process identifies strengths, challenges, and opportunities for innovative steps for continuous quality improvements to the curriculum.

  17. Preventing infection in general surgery: improvements through education of surgeons by surgeons.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McHugh, S M

    2011-08-01

    Surgical patients are at particular risk of healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) due to the presence of a surgical site leading to surgical site infection (SSI), and because of the need for intravascular access resulting in catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI). A two-year initiative commenced with an initial audit of surgical practice; this was used to inform the development of a targeted educational initiative by surgeons specifically for surgical trainees. Parameters assessed during the initial audit and a further audit after the educational initiative were related to intra- and postoperative aspects of the prevention of SSIs, as well as care of peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) in surgical patients. The proportion of prophylactic antibiotics administered prior to incision across 360 operations increased from 30.0% to 59.1% (P<0.001). Surgical site dressings were observed in 234 patients, and a significant decrease was found in the percentage of dressings that were tampered with during the initial 48h after surgery (16.5% vs 6.2%, P=0.030). In total, 574 PVCs were assessed over the two-year period. Improvements were found in the proportion of unnecessary PVCs in situ (37.9% vs 24.4%, P<0.001), PVCs in situ for >72h (10.6% vs 3.1%, P<0.001) and PVCs covered with clean and intact dressings (87.3% vs 97.6%, P<0.001). Significant improvements in surgical practice were established for the prevention of SSI and CRBSI through a focused educational programme developed by and for surgeons. Potentially, other specific measures may also be warranted to achieve further improvements in infection prevention in surgical practice.

  18. Role of short-acting nitroglycerin in the management of ischemic heart disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boden, William E; Padala, Santosh K; Cabral, Katherine P; Buschmann, Ivo R; Sidhu, Mandeep S

    2015-01-01

    Nitroglycerin is the oldest and most commonly prescribed short-acting anti-anginal agent; however, despite its long history of therapeutic usage, patient and health care provider education regarding the clinical benefits of the short-acting formulations in patients with angina remains under-appreciated. Nitrates predominantly induce vasodilation in large capacitance blood vessels, increase epicardial coronary arterial diameter and coronary collateral blood flow, and impair platelet aggregation. The potential for the prophylactic effect of short-acting nitrates remains an under-appreciated part of optimal medical therapy to reduce angina and decrease myocardial ischemia, thereby enhancing the quality of life. Short-acting nitroglycerin, administered either as a sublingual tablet or spray, can complement anti-anginal therapy as part of optimal medical therapy in patients with refractory and recurrent angina either with or without myocardial revascularization, and is most commonly used to provide rapid therapeutic relief of acute recurrent angina attacks. When administered prophylactically, both formulations increase angina-free walking time on treadmill testing, abolish or delay ST segment depression, and increase exercise tolerance. The sublingual spray formulation provides several clinical advantages compared to tablet formulations, including a lower incidence of headache and superiority to the sublingual tablet in terms of therapeutic action and time to onset, while the magnitude and duration of vasodilatory action appears to be comparable. Furthermore, the sublingual spray formulation may be advantageous to tablet preparations in patients with dry mouth. This review discusses the efficacy and utility of short-acting nitroglycerin (sublingual spray and tablet) therapy for both preventing and aborting an acute angina attack, thereby leading to an improved quality of life. PMID:26316714

  19. Harvesting Social Change: A Peace Education Program in Three Acts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cann, Colette N.

    2012-01-01

    This article narrates the story of how a peace education program, over the course of a year, shifts from a more traditional form of peace education as conflict resolution skill building to a critical form of peace education. The path of this journey was neither straight nor direct; rather it meandered through an iteration of itself that actually…

  20. The Need for Media Education in Democratic Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoddard, Jeremy

    2014-01-01

    Despite the potential for media and technology to act as a democratizing force and the challenges to democracy posed by partisanship and the explosion of political media spending, media education and the preparation of active citizens in schools is virtually nonexistent. This essay presents the case for revitalizing media education for the age of…