Participatory and Collaborative Digital Mapping to Enhance Disaster Resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Dugar, Sumit; McCallum, Ian; Brown, Sarah; See, Linda; Mechler, Reinhard

2017-04-01

Critical knowledge gaps seriously hinder disaster risk reduction and resilience building efforts, especially in disaster prone least developing countries. The information scarcity is highest at local levels, in terms of the spatial information of risk, resources and capacities of communities. We propose a general procedure that combines community-based participatory mapping processes, which has been widely used by in various government and non-government organization projects in the fields of natural resources management, disaster risk reduction and rural development, and the emerging collaborative digital mapping techniques to tackle this challenge. We demonstrate the value and potential of this general participatory and collaborative digital mapping by conducting a pilot study in the flood prone lower Karnali River basin in Western Nepal. We engaged a range of stakeholders to generate geographic information on resources, capacities and flood risks of pilot communities according to local needs. The new digital community maps are richer in contents, more accurate, and easier to update and share than those produced using conventional Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (VCAs), a variant of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) that is widely used by in various government and non-government organizations. This approach, as an inclusive form of risk knowledge co-generation, can play a critical role in improving evidence-based understanding of disaster risk and enhance disaster resilience worldwide.

Integrating Scientific Content with Context to Connect Educators with the Complexities and Consequences of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, R.; Gosselin, D. C.; Oglesby, R. J.; Larson-Miller, C.; Thomas, J.; Mawalagedara, R.

2011-12-01

Over the past three years the Nebraska Earth Systems Education Network has designed professional development opportunities for K-12 and extension educators that integrates scientific content into the context of helping educators connect society with the complexities and consequences of climate change. Our professional development approach uses learner-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centered strategies to achieve our long-term goal: collaboration of scientists, educators and learners to foster civic literacy about climate change. Two NASA-funded projects, Global Climate Change Literacy for Educators (GCCE, 2009-2012), and the Educators Climatologists Learning Community (ECLC, 2011-2013), have provided the mechanism to provide teachers with scientifically sound and pedagogically relevant educational materials to improve climate and Earth systems literacy among educators. The primary product of the GCCE program is a 16-week, online, distance-delivered, asynchronous course entitled, Laboratory Earth: Human Dimensions of Climate Change. This course consists of four, four-week modules that integrate climate literacy, Earth Systems concepts, and pedagogy focused on active learning processes, building community, action research, and students' sense of place to promote action at the local level to address the challenges of climate change. Overall, the Community of Inquiry Survey (COI) indicated the course was effective in teaching content, developing a community of learners, and engaging students in experiences designed to develop content knowledge. A pre- and post- course Wilcoxan Signed Ranks Test indicated there was a statistically significant increase in participant's beliefs about their personal science teaching efficacy. Qualitative data from concept maps and content mastery assignments support a positive impact on teachers' content knowledge and classroom practice. Service Learning units seemed tohelp teachers connect course learning to their classroom teaching. In addition, qualitative data indicate that teachers' students found service learning to be highly motivational components to learning. The ECLC project, to be initiated in the fall 2011, will build on our GCCE experiences to create a sustainable virtual learning community of educators and scientists. Climate-change issues will serve as a context in which collaborative scientist-educator-teams will develop discrete, locally oriented research projects to facilitate development of confident, knowledgeable citizen-scientists within their classrooms.

A Glimpse into the Effectiveness of L2-Content Cross-Curricular Collaboration in Content-Based Instruction Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo, Yuen Yi

2015-01-01

In content-based instruction (CBI) programmes, students learn content subjects through a second language (L2), so that they can incidentally learn the language. To further facilitate students' L2 development, the collaboration between L2 and content subject teachers has been strongly advocated. Previous research on such kind of collaboration…

Creating and sharing clinical decision support content with Web 2.0: Issues and examples.

PubMed

Wright, Adam; Bates, David W; Middleton, Blackford; Hongsermeier, Tonya; Kashyap, Vipul; Thomas, Sean M; Sittig, Dean F

2009-04-01

Clinical decision support is a powerful tool for improving healthcare quality and patient safety. However, developing a comprehensive package of decision support interventions is costly and difficult. If used well, Web 2.0 methods may make it easier and less costly to develop decision support. Web 2.0 is characterized by online communities, open sharing, interactivity and collaboration. Although most previous attempts at sharing clinical decision support content have worked outside of the Web 2.0 framework, several initiatives are beginning to use Web 2.0 to share and collaborate on decision support content. We present case studies of three efforts: the Clinfowiki, a world-accessible wiki for developing decision support content; Partners Healthcare eRooms, web-based tools for developing decision support within a single organization; and Epic Systems Corporation's Community Library, a repository for sharing decision support content for customers of a single clinical system vendor. We evaluate the potential of Web 2.0 technologies to enable collaborative development and sharing of clinical decision support systems through the lens of three case studies; analyzing technical, legal and organizational issues for developers, consumers and organizers of clinical decision support content in Web 2.0. We believe the case for Web 2.0 as a tool for collaborating on clinical decision support content appears strong, particularly for collaborative content development within an organization.

Keep Up or Fall Behind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramaswami, Rama

2007-01-01

In the race to enable information access and collaboration, institutions are taking advantage of new tools to drive content management innovation. New content management systems (CMS) features and functions are driving true innovation in content management, and enabling information access, sharing, collaboration, and tracking on a scale heretofore…

Global and Local Collaborators: A Study of Scientific Collaboration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pao, Miranda Lee

1992-01-01

Describes an empirical study that was conducted to examine the relationship among scientific co-authorship (i.e., collaboration), research funding, and productivity. Bibliographic records from the MEDLINE database that used the subject heading for schistosomiasis are analyzed, global and local collaborators are discussed, and scientific…

Designing Technology for Content-Independent Collaborative Mobile Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boticki, I.; Wong, Lung Hsiang; Looi, Chee-Kit

2013-01-01

This paper describes the design of a technology platform for supporting content-independent collaborative mobile learning in the classroom. The technical architecture provides mechanisms for assigning different content or materials to students and then guiding them to form groups with other students in which the combination and integration of…

Content-Focused Classrooms and Learning English: How Teachers Collaborate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creese, Angela

2010-01-01

This article looks at the possibilities of content-based instruction in mainstream English secondary schools. It considers the continuum from a language to content focus in classrooms where teachers collaborate. English as an additional language (EAL) and subject curriculum teachers work together to support young people while they simultaneously…

Public/private partners. Key factors in creating a strategic alliance for community health.

PubMed

Nelson, J C; Rashid, H; Galvin, V G; Essien, J D; Levine, L M

1999-04-01

The rapidly evolving American health system creates economic and societal incentives for public and private health organizations to collaborate. Despite the apparent benefits of collaboration, there is a paucity of information available to help local agencies develop partnerships. This study, itself a collaboration between a school of public health (SPH) and a Georgia health district, was undertaken to identify critical factors necessary to successfully initiate and sustain a public/private community health collaboration. Professional staff at the SPH conducted 26 standardized interviews involving participants from Cobb and Douglas counties Boards of Health; Promina Northwest (now known as Wellstar), a not-for-profit health system; and community stakeholders. Content analysis of each interview question was performed and comparisons were made both within each group and across groups. Trends were identified in the following key areas: vision of health care for Cobb and Douglas counties, forces driving collaboration, strengths of each organization, critical negotiating issues, and potential community gain resulting from the partnership. A shared vision between potential collaborators facilitates communication regarding strategies to achieve common goals. A previous history of working together in limited capacities allowed the partners to develop trust and respect for one another prior to entering negotiations. These factors, when taken in conjunction with each organization's strong leadership and knowledge of the community, build a strong foundation for a successful partnership.

Describing the continuum of collaboration among local health departments with hospitals around the community health assessments.

PubMed

Wilson, Kristin D; Mohr, Lisa Buettner; Beatty, Kate E; Ciecior, Amanda

2014-01-01

Hospitals and local health departments (LHDs) are under policy requirements from the Affordable Care Act and accreditation standards through the Public Health Accreditation Board. Tax exempt hospitals must perform a community health needs assessment (CHNA), similar to the community health assessment (CHA) required for LHDs. These efforts have led to a renewed interest in hospitals and LHDs working together to achieve common goals. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of levels of joint action leading toward collaboration between LHDs and hospitals and describe collaboration around CHAs. Local health departments were selected on the basis of reporting collaboration (n = 26) or unsure about collaboration (n = 29) with local hospitals. Local health departments were surveyed regarding their relationship with local hospitals. For LHDs currently collaborating with a hospital, a collaboration continuum scale was calculated. Appropriate nonparametric tests, chi-squares, and Spearman's rank correlations were conducted to determine differences between groups. A total of 44 LHDs responded to the survey (80.0%). Currently collaborating LHDs were more likely to be interested in accreditation and to refer to their CHA 5 or more times a year compared to the unsure LHDs. In the analysis, a collaboration continuum was created and is positively correlated with aspects of the CHA and CHA process. This study is the first attempt to quantify the level of collaboration between LHDs and hospitals around CHAs. Better understanding of the levels of joint action required may assist LHDs in making informed decisions regarding deployment of resources on the path to accreditation.

Using the Mountain Pine Beetle Infestation of the Rocky Mountain West to Develop a Collaborative, Experiential Course on Science Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, L.; Morse, M.; Maxwell, R. M.; Cottrell, S.; Mattor, K.

2016-12-01

An ongoing NSF-WSC project was used as a launchpad for implementing a collaborative honors course at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and Colorado State University (CSU). The course examined current physical and social science research on the effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) on regional social and hydro-ecological systems in the Rocky Mountain West. In addition to general classroom content delivery, community outreach experience and development for the participating undergraduate students was integrated into the course. Upon learning about ongoing MPB research from project PIs and researchers, students were guided to develop their own methodology to educate students and the community about the main project findings. Participants at CSM and CSU worked together to this end in a synchronous remote classroom environment. Students at both universities practiced their methods and activities with various audiences, including local elementary students, other undergraduate and graduate peers, and delivered their activities to sixth-grade students at a local outdoor lab program (Windy Peak Outdoor Lab, Jefferson County, CO). Windy Peak Outdoor Lab has integrated the student-developed content into their curriculum, which reaches approximately 6,000 students in the Jefferson County, CO school district each year. This experiential learning course will be used as a template for future Honors STEM education course development at CSM and was a unique vessel for conveying the studied effects of the MPB to a K-12 audience.

Partners in Public Health: Public Health Collaborations With Schools of Pharmacy, 2015.

PubMed

DiPietro Mager, Natalie A; Ochs, Leslie; Ranelli, Paul L; Kahaleh, Abby A; Lahoz, Monina R; Patel, Radha V; Garza, Oscar W; Isaacs, Diana; Clark, Suzanne

To collect data on public health collaborations with schools of pharmacy, we sent a short electronic survey to accredited and preaccredited pharmacy programs in 2015. We categorized public health collaborations as working or partnering with local and/or state public health departments, local and/or state public health organizations, academic schools or programs of public health, and other public health collaborations. Of 134 schools, 65 responded (49% response rate). Forty-six (71%) responding institutions indicated collaborations with local and/or state public health departments, 34 (52%) with schools or programs of public health, and 24 (37%) with local and/or state public health organizations. Common themes of collaborations included educational programs, community outreach, research, and teaching in areas such as tobacco control, emergency preparedness, chronic disease, drug abuse, immunizations, and medication therapy management. Interdisciplinary public health collaborations with schools of pharmacy provide additional resources for ensuring the health of communities and expose student pharmacists to opportunities to use their training and abilities to affect public health. Examples of these partnerships may stimulate additional ideas for possible collaborations between public health organizations and schools of pharmacy.

A Recommendation Algorithm for Automating Corollary Order Generation

PubMed Central

Klann, Jeffrey; Schadow, Gunther; McCoy, JM

2009-01-01

Manual development and maintenance of decision support content is time-consuming and expensive. We explore recommendation algorithms, e-commerce data-mining tools that use collective order history to suggest purchases, to assist with this. In particular, previous work shows corollary order suggestions are amenable to automated data-mining techniques. Here, an item-based collaborative filtering algorithm augmented with association rule interestingness measures mined suggestions from 866,445 orders made in an inpatient hospital in 2007, generating 584 potential corollary orders. Our expert physician panel evaluated the top 92 and agreed 75.3% were clinically meaningful. Also, at least one felt 47.9% would be directly relevant in guideline development. This automated generation of a rough-cut of corollary orders confirms prior indications about automated tools in building decision support content. It is an important step toward computerized augmentation to decision support development, which could increase development efficiency and content quality while automatically capturing local standards. PMID:20351875

A recommendation algorithm for automating corollary order generation.

PubMed

Klann, Jeffrey; Schadow, Gunther; McCoy, J M

2009-11-14

Manual development and maintenance of decision support content is time-consuming and expensive. We explore recommendation algorithms, e-commerce data-mining tools that use collective order history to suggest purchases, to assist with this. In particular, previous work shows corollary order suggestions are amenable to automated data-mining techniques. Here, an item-based collaborative filtering algorithm augmented with association rule interestingness measures mined suggestions from 866,445 orders made in an inpatient hospital in 2007, generating 584 potential corollary orders. Our expert physician panel evaluated the top 92 and agreed 75.3% were clinically meaningful. Also, at least one felt 47.9% would be directly relevant in guideline development. This automated generation of a rough-cut of corollary orders confirms prior indications about automated tools in building decision support content. It is an important step toward computerized augmentation to decision support development, which could increase development efficiency and content quality while automatically capturing local standards.

Inter-organizational collaboration projects in the public sector: a balance between integration and demarcation.

PubMed

Löfström, Mikael

2010-01-01

For several years, the development of the Swedish public sector has been accompanied by a discussion about inter-organizational collaboration, which has been examined in several national experiments. The experience, however, indicates significant difficulties in implementing collaboration in local authorities' regular activities. This article argues that organizing inter-organizational collaboration in projects tends to be counterproductive, since the purpose of this collaboration is to increase the integration of local authorities. This article is based on case studies of three different collaboration projects. Each project is analyzed in relation to the way collaboration is organized within the project and how the relationship to the local authorities' activities is designed. The outcome of these studies shows that while collaboration projects increase integration between the responsible authorities, the integration stays within the projects. This is due to the fact that the projects were designed as units separate from the responsible authorities. As a result, the collaboration that occurs in the projects is not implemented in the local authorities' activities, and the viability of the increased integration of different responsible authorities does not extend beyond the projects. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Developing a Taxonomy of Characteristics and Features of Collaboration Tools for Teams in Distributed Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

Motion URL: http://www.blackberry.com/products/blackberry/index.shtml Software Name: Bricolage Company: Bricolage URL: http://www.bricolage.cc...Workflow Customizable control over editorial content. Bricolage Bricolage Feature Description Software Company Workflow Allows development...content for Nuxeo Collaborative Portal projects. Nuxeo Workspace Add, edit, delete, content through web interface. Bricolage Bricolage

Measuring Local Public Health and Primary Care Collaboration: A Practice-Based Research Approach.

PubMed

Gyllstrom, Elizabeth; Gearin, Kimberly; Nease, Donald; Bekemeier, Betty; Pratt, Rebekah

2018-06-07

To describe the degree of public health and primary care collaboration at the local level and develop a model framework of collaboration, the Community Collaboration Health Model (CCHM). Mixed-methods, cross-sectional surveys, and semistructured, key informant interviews. All local health jurisdictions in Colorado, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin. Leaders from each jurisdiction were identified to describe local collaboration. Eighty percent of local health directors completed our survey (n = 193), representing 80% of jurisdictions. The parallel primary care survey had a 31% response rate (n = 128), representing 50% of jurisdictions. Twenty pairs of local health directors and primary care leaders participated in key informant interviews. Thirty-seven percent of jurisdictions were classified as having strong foundational and energizing characteristics in the model. Ten percent displayed high energizing/low foundational characteristics, 11% had high foundational/low energizing characteristics, and 42% of jurisdictions were low on both. Respondents reported wide variation in relationship factors. They generally agreed that foundational characteristics were present in current working relationships but were less likely to agree that relationships had factors promoting sustainability or innovation. Both sectors valued working together in principle, yet few did. Identifying shared priorities and achieving tangible benefits may be critical to realizing sustained relationships resulting in population health improvement. Our study reveals broad variation in experiences among local jurisdictions in our sample. Tools, such as the CCHM, and technical assistance may be helpful to support advancing collaboration. Dedicated funding, reimbursement redesign, improved data systems, and data sharing capability are key components of promoting collaboration. Yet, even in the absence of new reimbursement models or funding mechanisms, there are steps leaders can take to build and sustain their relationships. The self-assessment tool and the CCHM can identify opportunities for improving collaboration and link practitioners to strategies.

A Technology Enhanced Learning Model for Quality Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherly, Elizabeth; Uddin, Md. Meraj

Technology Enhanced Learning and Teaching (TELT) Model provides learning through collaborations and interactions with a framework for content development and collaborative knowledge sharing system as a supplementary for learning to improve the quality of education system. TELT deals with a unique pedagogy model for Technology Enhanced Learning System which includes course management system, digital library, multimedia enriched contents and video lectures, open content management system and collaboration and knowledge sharing systems. Open sources like Moodle and Wiki for content development, video on demand solution with a low cost mid range system, an exhaustive digital library are provided in a portal system. The paper depicts a case study of e-learning initiatives with TELT model at IIITM-K and how effectively implemented.

Local health department leadership strategies for healthy built environments.

PubMed

Kuiper, Heather; Jackson, Richard J; Barna, Stefi; Satariano, William A

2012-01-01

The built environment is an important but less-recognized health determinant, and local health departments need expanded guidance to address it. In such situations, leadership is particularly relevant. To assess whether and how local public and environmental health leaders increase their departments' health-promoting impact on built environment design, and what pitfalls they should avoid. Mixed-methods employing cross-sectional surveys and a comparative case study. Local public and environmental health departments. PARTICIPANTS SURVEY: A total of 159 (89%) health officers, health directors, and environmental health directors from all 62 local jurisdictions in California. Case-Study: Three departments, 12 cases, 36 health and land-use professionals, and 30 key informants. The study measured the influence of leadership practices on health departments' built environment-related collaborations, land use activities, policy developments, and contributions to physical changes. Quantitative multivariate linear and logistic regression were used. Case-study content analysis and pattern-matching, which related strong and weak leadership practices to outcomes, were also employed. Departments having highly innovative leaders with positive attitudes had greater odds of achieving physical changes to the built environment (OR: 4.5, 3.4, respectively). Leadership that most prepared their departments for built environment work (by updating staffing, structure, and strategy) tripled interagency and cross-sector collaboration (OR: 3.4). Leadership of successful departments consistently (1) established and managed a healthy built environment vision, (2) cultivated innovation, (3) supported, empowered and protected staff, (4) directly engaged in land use and transportation processes, (5) established direct contacts with directors in other departments, and (6) leveraged their professional reputation. Inconsistency in these practices was twice as common among failure as success cases (80%, 43%). Local health leadership underlies public and environmental health departments' community design efforts and should receive technical support and targeted resources to do so effectively.

Effect of collaborative testing on learning and retention of course content in nursing students.

PubMed

Rivaz, Mozhgan; Momennasab, Marzieh; Shokrollahi, Paymaneh

2015-10-01

Collaborative testing is a learning strategy that provides students with the opportunity to learn and practice collaboration. This study aimed to determine the effect of collaborative testing on test performance and retention of course content in nursing students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. This quasi-experimental study was carried out on 84 students enrolled in the course of Medical-Surgical 2 in Spring 2013 and Fall 2013 semesters. The control group consisting of 39 students participated in the first mid-term exam in an individual format. The intervention group, on the other hand, consisted of 45 students who took the test in a two-stage process. The first stage included an individual testing, while the second stage was a collaborative one given in groups of five individuals chosen randomly. Four weeks later, in order to investigate retention of the course content, both groups took part in the second mid-term exam held individually. The study findings showed significant difference between the mean scores in the intervention group in the Fall 2013 semester (p=0.001). Besides, a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups regarding the tests mean scores (p=0.001). Moreover, retention of course content improved in the collaborative group (p=0.001). The results indicated an increase in test performance and a long-term learning enhancement in collaborative testing compared with the traditional method. Collaborative testing, as an active learning technique and a valuable assessment method, can help nursing instructors provide the alumni with strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities at healthcare environments.

Collaborative Localization Algorithms for Wireless Sensor Networks with Reduced Localization Error

PubMed Central

Sahoo, Prasan Kumar; Hwang, I-Shyan

2011-01-01

Localization is an important research issue in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Though Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to locate the position of the sensors, unfortunately it is limited to outdoor applications and is costly and power consuming. In order to find location of sensor nodes without help of GPS, collaboration among nodes is highly essential so that localization can be accomplished efficiently. In this paper, novel localization algorithms are proposed to find out possible location information of the normal nodes in a collaborative manner for an outdoor environment with help of few beacons and anchor nodes. In our localization scheme, at most three beacon nodes should be collaborated to find out the accurate location information of any normal node. Besides, analytical methods are designed to calculate and reduce the localization error using probability distribution function. Performance evaluation of our algorithm shows that there is a tradeoff between deployed number of beacon nodes and localization error, and average localization time of the network can be increased with increase in the number of normal nodes deployed over a region. PMID:22163738

Relevance and application of TEACH-VIP: perspective from a developing nation--India.

PubMed

Malhotra, Sumit

2008-01-01

TEACH-VIP (Training, Educating and Advancing Collaboration in Health on Violence and Injury Prevention) was developed by the World Health Organization in response to the need for formal training materials and curriculum relating to violent injuries. The course is meant for utilization in diverse settings and by different nations to raise awareness among professionals about this public health issue. TEACH-VIP is designed so that the content can be customized to local scenarios and needs, to make it more locally relevant. This article examines the relevance and application of the course within the Indian setting. It focuses on three violence issues covered in TEACH-VIP: gender-based violence, child and adolescent sexual abuse and self-inflicted harm, reviewing evidence from local research studies, suggesting points for adaptation and highlighting the multiple stakeholder responses. Such local adaptations would serve the major objective of TEACH-VIP by facilitating the prevention of violence and injury through the training of a variety of personnel.

Collaborative encoding and memory accuracy: examining the effects of interactive components of co-construction processes.

PubMed

Foley, Mary Ann; Fried, Adina Rachel; Cowan, Emily; Bays, Rebecca Brooke

2014-01-01

In 2 experiments, the effect of collaborative encoding on memory was examined by testing 2 interactive components of co-construction processes. One component focused on the nature of the interactive exchange between collaborators: As the partners worked together to create descriptions about ways to interact with familiar objects, constraints were imposed on the interactions by requiring them to take turns (Experiment 1) or to interact without constraints (Experiment 2). The nature of the relationship between partners was manipulated as well by including 2 pair types, friends or unfamiliar peers (Experiments 1 and 2). Interactive component effects were found to influence spontaneous activations through content analyses of participants' descriptions, the patterns of false recognition errors, and the relationship between content and errors. The findings highlight the value of examining the content of participants' collaborative efforts when assessing the effects of collaborative encoding on memory and point to mechanisms mediating collaboration's effects. Because the interactions occurred within the context of an imagery generation task, the findings are also intriguing because of their implications for the use of guided imagery techniques that incorporate co-construction processes.

Bringing Astronomy Activities and Science Content to Girls Locally and Nationally: A Girl Scout and NIRCam Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, Larry A.; Higgins, M. L.; McCarthy, D. W.; Lebofsky, N. R.

2012-01-01

In 2003, the University of Arizona's (UA) NIRCam E/PO team (NASA James Webb Space Telescope) and the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council began a long-term collaboration to bring astronomy activities and concepts to Girl Scout leaders, staff, and volunteers and, in turn, to their councils and girls, i.e., to train the trainers. Nationally, our goal is to reach leaders in all councils. To date, this program has reached nearly 200 adults from 39 councils nationwide (plus Guam and Korea), bringing together leaders, UA graduate students, and NIRCam scientists and educators to experience Arizona's dark skies. Locally, our goal is to provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education to girls of all ages throughout southern Arizona. To accomplish this in astronomy, we have additional ongoing collaborations with the Planetary Science Institute, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and, most recently with the Amphitheater School District. One of the programs that we have been recently emphasizing is Family Science and Astronomy Nights. These programs can be run at our local Girl Scout facility or can be incorporated into programs that we are running in local schools. Our near-term goal is to provide a series of interconnected activities that can be done in classrooms, in afterschool programs, as part of the Family Science and Astronomy Nights, or in summer astronomy camps. Our long-term goal is to empower girls ultimately to become leaders who are excited about the night sky and can take lead roles presenting activities and facilitating astronomy nights. Our poster will display a variety of the activities we have refined and developed through this progam: scale models of the Solar System and beyond, classifying Solar System objects, a portable human orrery, observing the night sky with and without telescopes, constellation transformations, and constellation sorting cards.NIRCam E/PO website: http://zeus.as.arizona.edu/ dmccarthy/GSUSA

Exploring teachers' beliefs and knowledge about scientific inquiry and the nature of science: A collaborative action research project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazio, Xavier Eric

Science curriculum reform goals espouse the need to foster and support the development of scientific literacy in students. Two critical goals of scientific literacy are students' engagement in, and developing more realistic conceptions about scientific inquiry (SI) and the nature of science (NOS). In order to promote the learning of these curriculum emphases, teachers themselves must possess beliefs and knowledge supportive of them. Collaborative action research is a viable form of curriculum and teacher development that can be used to support teachers in developing the requisite beliefs and knowledge that can promote these scientific literacy goals. This research study used a collective case study methodology to describe and interpret the views and actions of four teachers participating in a collaborative action research project. I explored the teachers' SI and NOS views throughout the project as they investigated ideas and theories, critically examined their current curricular practice, and implemented and reflected on these modified curricular practices. By the end of the research study, all participants had uniquely augmented their understanding of SI and NOS. The participants were better able to provide explanatory depth to some SI and NOS ideas; however, specific belief revision with respect to SI and NOS ideas was nominal. Furthermore, their idealized action research plans were not implemented to the extent that they were planned. Explanations for these findings include: impact of significant past educational experiences, prior understanding of SI and NOS, depth of content and pedagogical content knowledge of the discipline, and institutional and instructional constraints. Nonetheless, through participation in the collaborative action research process, the teachers developed professionally, personally, and socially. They identified many positive outcomes from participating in a collaborative action research project; however, they espoused constraints to implementing innovative actions. Indeed, local school cultures were barriers to the participants' development. A model of teacher development embracing all the developmental areas is presented---an integration of social, personal, and professional development. Implications and recommendations for future research on teachers' beliefs and knowledge, as well as the viability of collaborative action research to facilitate teacher and curriculum development are presented.

Factors influencing perceived sustainability of Dutch community health programs.

PubMed

Vermeer, A J M; Van Assema, P; Hesdahl, B; Harting, J; De Vries, N K

2015-09-01

We assessed the perceived sustainability of community health programs organized by local intersectoral coalitions, as well as the factors that collaborating partners think might influence sustainability. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 31 collaborating partners of 5 community health programs in deprived neighborhoods in the southern part of the Netherlands. The interview guide was based on a conceptual framework that includes factors related to the context, the leading organization, leadership, the coalition, collaborating partners, interventions and outcomes. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and content analyzed using NVivo 8.0. Participants in each of the programs varied in their perceptions of the sustainability of the program, but those people collaborating in pre-existing neighborhood structures expressed relatively high faith in their continuation. The participating citizens in particular believed that these structures would continue to address the health of the community in the future. We found factors from all categories of the conceptual framework that were perceived to influence sustainability. The program leaders appeared to be crucial to the programs, as they were frequently mentioned in close interaction with other factors. Program leaders should use a motivating and supportive leadership style and should act as 'program champions'. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Stakeholder Interaction in Participatory Land Restoration in Iceland: Environmental Officers' Challenges and Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berglund, Brita; Hallgren, Lars; Aradóttir, Ása L.

2015-08-01

Participatory approaches involve stakeholder interaction but environmental agency employees engaged in participatory undertakings often lack training for interaction tasks. This study explored how district officers at the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) experienced and dealt with stakeholder interaction in participatory land restoration. We made semi-structured interviews with all district officers with at least 1-year experience; seven in total. A thematic content analysis revealed five challenges facing the officers in their interaction activities and seven strategies that they used to deal with these challenges. The core challenge was to establish and maintain contacts with farmers and other stakeholders as it enabled the SCSI to support and influence their land restoration practices. Other challenges were to: accomplish SCSI's objectives; represent the SCSI and the government; have adequate skills, knowledge, and background; and deal with one's own emotions. Four of the strategies seemed to promote collaboration: create win-win scenarios; "go local"; direct and positive communication; and motivation and knowledge sharing. The other strategies: supportive district officer team; self-reliance and personal background; and self-control supported the officers in their interaction tasks. Factors undermining their collaboration efforts included insufficient time and other resources, an unsupportive organizational culture and a legal duty to assess the condition of vegetation cover on farmland. Increased resource allocation to the SCSI's local operations, more attention to emotional issues, and efforts to develop a more flexible and learning organizational culture that supports collaboration could counteract these factors.

Stakeholder Interaction in Participatory Land Restoration in Iceland: Environmental Officers' Challenges and Strategies.

PubMed

Berglund, Brita; Hallgren, Lars; Aradóttir, Ása L

2015-08-01

Participatory approaches involve stakeholder interaction but environmental agency employees engaged in participatory undertakings often lack training for interaction tasks. This study explored how district officers at the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) experienced and dealt with stakeholder interaction in participatory land restoration. We made semi-structured interviews with all district officers with at least 1-year experience; seven in total. A thematic content analysis revealed five challenges facing the officers in their interaction activities and seven strategies that they used to deal with these challenges. The core challenge was to establish and maintain contacts with farmers and other stakeholders as it enabled the SCSI to support and influence their land restoration practices. Other challenges were to: accomplish SCSI's objectives; represent the SCSI and the government; have adequate skills, knowledge, and background; and deal with one's own emotions. Four of the strategies seemed to promote collaboration: create win-win scenarios; "go local"; direct and positive communication; and motivation and knowledge sharing. The other strategies: supportive district officer team; self-reliance and personal background; and self-control supported the officers in their interaction tasks. Factors undermining their collaboration efforts included insufficient time and other resources, an unsupportive organizational culture and a legal duty to assess the condition of vegetation cover on farmland. Increased resource allocation to the SCSI's local operations, more attention to emotional issues, and efforts to develop a more flexible and learning organizational culture that supports collaboration could counteract these factors.

Evolving the NCSA CyberCollaboratory for Distributed Environmental Observatory Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, J.; Liu, Y.; Minsker, B.; Futrelle, J.; Downey, S.; Kim, I.; Rantanen, E.

2007-12-01

Since 2004, NCSA's Cybercollaboratory, which is built on top of the open source Liferay portal framework, has been evolving as part of NCSA's efforts to build national cyberinfrastructure to support collaborative research in environmental engineering and hydrological sciences and allow users to efficiently share contents (sensors, data, model, documents, etc.) in a context-sensitive way (e.g., providing different tools/data based on group affiliation and geospatial contexts). During this period, we provided the CyberCollaboratory to users in CLEANER (Collaborative Large-scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research, now WATer and Environmental Research Systems (WATERS) network) Project Office and several CLEANER /WATERS testbed projects. Preliminary statistics shows that one in four users (among over 400 registered users) provided contents with many other reading/accessing those contents (such as messages, documents, wikis). During the course of this use, and in evaluation by others including representatives from the CUAHSI (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science) community, we have received significant feedback on issues of usability and suitability to various communities involved in environmental observatories. Much of this feedback applies to collaborative portals in general and some reflect a comparison of portals with newer Web 2.0 style social -networking sites. For example, users working in multiple groups found it difficult to get an overview of all of their activities and found differences in group layouts to be confusing. Users also found the standard account creation and group management processes cumbersome compared to inviting people to be friends on social sites and wanted a better sense of presence and social networks within the portal. The fragmentation of group documents between local stores, the portal document repository and email, and issues of "lost updates" was another significant concern. This poster reviews the usability feedback, identifies key issues that hinder traditional portal-based collaboration environments, and presents design changes made to the Cybercollaboratory to address them. Feedback on the effectiveness of the new design from hydrologists and environmental researchers and preliminary results from a formal usability study will also be presented.

Authoring and Enactment of Mobile Pyramid-Based Collaborative Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manathunga, Kalpani; Hernández-Leo, Davinia

2018-01-01

Collaborative learning flow patterns (CLFPs) formulate best practices for the orchestration of activity sequences and collaboration mechanisms that can elicit fruitful social interactions. Mobile technology features offer opportunities to support interaction mediation and content accessibility. However, existing mobile collaborative learning…

An interprofessional diabetes experience to improve pharmacy and nursing students' competency in collaborative practice.

PubMed

Pittenger, Amy L; Westberg, Sarah; Rowan, Mary; Schweiss, Sarah

2013-11-12

To improve pharmacy and nursing students' competency in collaborative practice by having them participate in an interprofessional diabetes experience involving social networking. An existing elective course on diabetes management was modified to include interprofessional content based on Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competency domains. Web-based collaborative tools (social networking and video chat) were used to allow nursing and pharmacy students located on 2 different campuses to apply diabetes management content as an interprofessional team. Mixed-method analyses demonstrated an increase in students' knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the other profession and developed an understanding of interprofessional communication strategies and their central role in effective teamwork. Interprofessional content and activities can be effectively integrated into an existing course and offered successfully to students from other professional programs and on remote campuses.

Collaboration: Because It's Good for Children & Families: A Wisconsin Resource Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haglund, Jill; Larson, Nola

This resource guide provides a rationale for collaboration among social agencies and answers some of the questions about cooperation and collaboration between Head Start programs and local school districts. Steps in the process in developing interagency agreements are outlined to assist local education agencies and Head Start programs in…

Social and Collaborative Interactions for Educational Content Enrichment in ULEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Araújo, Rafael D.; Brant-Ribeiro, Taffarel; Mendonça, Igor E. S.; Mendes, Miller M.; Dorça, Fabiano A.; Cattelan, Renan G.

2017-01-01

This article presents a social and collaborative model for content enrichment in Ubiquitous Learning Environments. Designed as a loosely coupled software architecture, the proposed model was implemented and integrated into the Classroom eXperience, a multimedia capture platform for educational environments. After automatically recording a lecture…

Evaluation as a Collaborative Activity to Learn Content Knowledge in a Graduate Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Bob; Arbogast, Janet; Kafer, Lindsey; Chen, Julianna

2014-01-01

Teaching graduate students to conduct evaluations is typically relegated to evaluation methods courses. This approach misses an opportunity for students to collaboratively use evaluation skills to explore content. This article examines a graduate course, Issues in Adult Basic Education, in which students learned evaluation methods concurrently…

Piloting a nationally disseminated, interactive human subjects protection program for community partners: unexpected lessons learned from the field.

PubMed

Solomon, Stephanie; Bullock, Sherita; Calhoun, Karen; Crosby, Lori; Eakin, Brenda; Franco, Zeno; Hardwick, Emily; Holland, Samuel; Leinberger-Jabari, Andrea; Newton, Gail; Odell, Jere; Paberzs, Adam; Spellecy, Ryan

2014-04-01

Funders, institutions, and research organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for human subjects protections training programs for those engaged in academic research. Current programs tend to be online and directed toward an audience of academic researchers. Research teams now include many nonacademic members, such as community partners, who are less likely to respond to either the method or the content of current online trainings. A team at the CTSA-supported Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research at the University of Michigan developed a pilot human subjects protection training program for community partners that is both locally implemented and adaptable to local contexts, yet nationally consistent and deliverable from a central administrative source. Here, the developers of the program and the collaborators who participated in the pilot across the United States describe 10 important lessons learned that align with four major themes: The distribution of the program, the implementation of the program, the involvement of community engagement in the program, and finally lessons regarding the content of the program. These lessons are relevant to anyone who anticipates developing or improving a training program that is developed in a central location and intended for local implementation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Piloting a Nationally Disseminated, Interactive Human Subjects Protection Program for Community Partners: Unexpected Lessons Learned from the Field

PubMed Central

Bullock, Sherita; Calhoun, Karen; Crosby, Lori; Eakin, Brenda; Franco, Zeno; Hardwick, Emily; Leinberger‐Jabari, Andrea; Newton, Gail; Odell, Jere; Paberzs, Adam; Spellecy, Ryan

2014-01-01

Abstract Funders, institutions, and research organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for human subjects protections training programs for those engaged in academic research. Current programs tend to be online and directed toward an audience of academic researchers. Research teams now include many nonacademic members, such as community partners, who are less likely to respond to either the method or the content of current online trainings. A team at the CTSA‐supported Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research at the University of Michigan developed a pilot human subjects protection training program for community partners that is both locally implemented and adaptable to local contexts, yet nationally consistent and deliverable from a central administrative source. Here, the developers of the program and the collaborators who participated in the pilot across the United States describe 10 important lessons learned that align with four major themes: The distribution of the program, the implementation of the program, the involvement of community engagement in the program, and finally lessons regarding the content of the program. These lessons are relevant to anyone who anticipates developing or improving a training program that is developed in a central location and intended for local implementation. PMID:24720349

Financing intersectoral health promotion programmes: some reasons why collaborators are collaborating as indicated by cost-effectiveness analyses.

PubMed

Johansson, Pia; Tillgren, Per

2011-03-01

Intersectoral collaboration is an important part of many health promotion programmes. The reasons for the local organisations to collaborate, i.e. to finance programmes, are presumably based on benefits they derive from the collaboration. The aim of this study is to discuss whether subsector financial analyses based on data from cost-effectiveness analyses reflect incentives of collaborating organisations in two intersectoral health promotion programmes. Within economics, financial incentives are important reasons for actions. The financial incentives of collaborators are exemplified with two subsector financial analyses containing avoided disease-related costs as estimated in two cost-effectiveness analyses, on an elderly safety promotion programme (Safe Seniors in Sundbyberg) and on a diabetes prevention programme (Stockholm Diabetes Prevention Program, SDPP) from Stockholm, Sweden. The subsector financial analyses indicate that there are financial incentives for the key local community organisation, i.e. the local authority, to collaborate in one of the programmes but not the other. There are no financial benefits for other important community organisations, such as non-governmental organisations. The reasons for collaborating organisations to collaborate within intersectoral health promotion programmes extend beyond financial benefits from averted disease. Thus, the reported subsector financial analyses are only partial reflections of the incentives of collaborators, but they might be used as a starting point for discussions on cost sharing among potential intersectoral collaborators.

Project UNITY: Cross Domain Visualization Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, J.; Havig, P.

UNITY is an International Cooperative Research and Development (ICR&D) project between the United States and Great Britain under the Research and Development Projects (RDP) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). UNITYs objectives are to develop and evaluate the operational concepts and requirements for undertaking combined operations: a) pursuant to the interests of mission partners, b) develop, experiment, and demonstrate, transitionable emergent technologies, capabilities, or concepts, which facilitate the sharing of information and products between mission partners, and c) identify and define additional emerging technologies that may need to be developed to support current and future military information sharing. Collaboration between coalition partners is essentially for accurate and timely decision making in the ever increasing nature and tempo of global security. The purpose for this project is to develop engineering solutions in order to further investigate the human factors issues that arise while sharing information in a collaborative environment where security is an issue. The biggest difference between existing available solutions are in the presentation and interaction with the interface on both ends of the collaboration in order to preserve the expressed intent of shared situation awareness while also enabling markups and content on one screen that the other collaborator does not see and vice versa. The UNITY project stresses collaboration differently than all known realtime collaboration software in production, aka groupware, on the market today. The tradition of What You See Is What I See (WYSIWIS) as in typical implementations of shared whiteboards simply do not address the need for local and private information to be displayed in context with shareable data. This paper addresses the concerns, problems, and some solutions for shared 3D visualization and 2D tabular visualizations which are explored and presented within the space situation awareness problem set.

Health governance by collaboration: a case study on an area-based programme to tackle health inequalities in the Dutch city of the Hague.

PubMed

Plochg, Thomas; Schmidt, Melanie; Klazinga, Niek S; Stronks, Karien

2013-12-01

Area-based programmes are seen as a promising strategy for tackling health inequalities. In these programmes, local authorities and other local actors collaborate to employ health promoting interventions and policies. Little is known about the underlying processes of collaborative governance. To unravel this black box, we explored how the authority of The Hague, The Netherlands, developed a programme tackling health inequalities drawing on a collaborative mode of governance. Case study drawing on qualitative semi-structured interviews and document review. Data were inductively analysed against the concept of collaborative governance. The authority's ambition was to co-produce a programme on tackling health inequalities with local actors. Three stages could be distinguished in the governing process: (i) formulating policy objectives, (ii) translating policy objectives into interventions and (iii) executing health interventions. In the stage of formulating policy objectives, the collaboration led to a reframing of the initial objectives. Furthermore, the translation of the policy objectives into health interventions was rather pragmatic and loosely based on health needs and/or evidence. As a result, the concrete actions that ensued from the programme did not necessarily reflect the initial objectives. In a local system of health governance by collaboration, factors other than the stated policy objectives played a role, eventually undermining the effectiveness of the programme in reducing health inequalities. To be effective, the processes of collaborative governance underlying area-based programmes require the attention of the local authority, including the building and governing of networks, a competent public health workforce and supportive infrastructures.

Interprofessional mental health training in rural primary care: findings from a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Heath, Olga; Church, Elizabeth; Curran, Vernon; Hollett, Ann; Cornish, Peter; Callanan, Terrence; Bethune, Cheri; Younghusband, Lynda

2015-05-01

The benefits of interprofessional care in providing mental health services have been widely recognized, particularly in rural communities where access to health services is limited. There continues to be a need for more continuing interprofessional education in mental health intervention in rural areas. There have been few reports of rural programs in which mental health content has been combined with training in collaborative practice. The current study used a sequential mixed-method and quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impact of an interprofessional, intersectoral education program designed to enhance collaborative mental health capacity in six rural sites. Quantitative results reveal a significant increase in positive attitudes toward interprofessional mental health care teams and self-reported increases in knowledge and understanding about collaborative mental health care delivery. The analysis of qualitative data collected following completion of the program, reinforced the value of teaching mental health content within the context of collaborative practice and revealed practice changes, including more interprofessional and intersectoral collaboration. This study suggests that imbedding explicit training in collaborative care in content focused continuing professional education for more complex and chronic health issues may increase the likelihood that professionals will work together to effectively meet client needs.

Recounting a Common Experience: On the Effectiveness of Instructing Eyewitness Pairs

PubMed Central

Vredeveldt, Annelies; van Koppen, Peter J.

2018-01-01

Pairs of eyewitnesses with a content-focused interaction style remember significantly more about witnessed incidents. We examined whether content-focused retrieval strategies can be taught. Seventy-five pairs of witnesses were interviewed thrice about an event. The first and third interview were conducted individually for all witnesses. The second interview was individual, collaborative without instruction, or collaborative with instruction. Pairs in the latter condition were instructed to actively listen to and elaborate upon each other's contributions. The strategy instruction had no effect on retrieval strategies used, nor on the amount or accuracy of reported information. However, pairs who spontaneously adopted a content-focused interaction style during the collaborative interview remembered significantly more. Thus, our findings show that effective retrieval strategies cannot be taught, at least not with the current instructions. During the second interview, we observed collaborative inhibition and error pruning. When considering the total amount of information reported across the first two interviews, however, collaboration had no inhibitory effect on correct recall, yet the error pruning benefits remained. These findings suggest that investigative interviewers should interview witnesses separately first, and then interview pairs of witnesses collaboratively. PMID:29593599

What Rural Women Want the Public Health Community to Know About Access to Healthful Food: A Qualitative Study, 2011.

PubMed

Carnahan, Leslie R; Zimmermann, Kristine; Peacock, Nadine R

2016-04-28

Living in a rural food desert has been linked to poor dietary habits. Understanding community perspectives about available resources and feasible solutions may inform strategies to improve food access in rural food deserts. The objective of our study was to identify resources and solutions to the food access problems of women in rural, southernmost Illinois. Fourteen focus groups with women (n = 110 participants) in 4 age groups were conducted in a 7-county region as part of a community assessment focused on women's health. We used content analysis with inductive and deductive approaches to explore food access barriers and facilitators. Similar to participants in previous studies, participants in our study reported insufficient local food sources, which they believe contributed to poor dietary habits, high food prices, and the need to travel for healthful food. Participants identified existing local activities and resources that help to increase access, such as home and community gardens, food pantries, and public transportation, as well as local solutions, such as improving nutrition education and public transportation options. Multilevel and collaborative strategies and policies are needed to address food access barriers in rural communities. At the individual level, education may help residents navigate geographic and economic barriers. Community solutions include collaborative strategies to increase availability of healthful foods through traditional and nontraditional food sources. Policy change is needed to promote local agriculture and distribution of privately grown food. Understanding needs and strengths in rural communities will ensure responsive and effective strategies to improve the rural food environment.

What Rural Women Want the Public Health Community to Know About Access to Healthful Food: A Qualitative Study, 2011

PubMed Central

Zimmermann, Kristine; Peacock, Nadine R.

2016-01-01

Introduction Living in a rural food desert has been linked to poor dietary habits. Understanding community perspectives about available resources and feasible solutions may inform strategies to improve food access in rural food deserts. The objective of our study was to identify resources and solutions to the food access problems of women in rural, southernmost Illinois. Methods Fourteen focus groups with women (n = 110 participants) in 4 age groups were conducted in a 7-county region as part of a community assessment focused on women’s health. We used content analysis with inductive and deductive approaches to explore food access barriers and facilitators. Results Similar to participants in previous studies, participants in our study reported insufficient local food sources, which they believe contributed to poor dietary habits, high food prices, and the need to travel for healthful food. Participants identified existing local activities and resources that help to increase access, such as home and community gardens, food pantries, and public transportation, as well as local solutions, such as improving nutrition education and public transportation options. Conclusion Multilevel and collaborative strategies and policies are needed to address food access barriers in rural communities. At the individual level, education may help residents navigate geographic and economic barriers. Community solutions include collaborative strategies to increase availability of healthful foods through traditional and nontraditional food sources. Policy change is needed to promote local agriculture and distribution of privately grown food. Understanding needs and strengths in rural communities will ensure responsive and effective strategies to improve the rural food environment. PMID:27126555

The Library Web Site: Collaborative Content Creation and Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Robert

2008-01-01

Oakland University's Kresge Library first launched its Web site in 1996. The initial design and subsequent contributions were originally managed by a single Webmaster. In 2002, the library restructured its Web content creation and management to a distributed, collaborative method with the goal of increasing the amount, accuracy, and timeliness of…

Promoting Reading Comprehension, Content Learning, and English Acquisition through Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klingner, Janette K.; Vaughn, Sharon

1999-01-01

Describes procedures for teaching Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), in which students of mixed reading and achievement levels work in small, cooperative groups to assist one another in applying reading strategies to facilitate their comprehension of content-area text. Discusses whole-class instruction of CSR strategies, implementing CSR in…

Measuring Learner's Performance in E-Learning Recommender Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghauth, Khairil Imran; Abdullah, Nor Aniza

2010-01-01

A recommender system is a piece of software that helps users to identify the most interesting and relevant learning items from a large number of items. Recommender systems may be based on collaborative filtering (by user ratings), content-based filtering (by keywords), and hybrid filtering (by both collaborative and content-based filtering).…

Socially Shared Metacognitive Regulation during Reciprocal Peer Tutoring: Identifying Its Relationship with Students' Content Processing and Transactive Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Backer, Liesje; Van Keer, Hilde; Valcke, Martin

2015-01-01

Although successful collaborative learning requires socially shared metacognitive regulation (SSMR) of the learning process among multiple students, empirical research on SSMR is limited. The present study contributes to the emerging research on SSMR by examining its correlation with both collaborative learners' content processing strategies and…

Look Who's Talking - The Role of the IARPC Collaborations Website in Supporting Mutli-Institution Dialog on Arctic Research Imperatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starkweather, S.; Stephenson, S. N.; Rohde, J. A.; Bowden, S.

2015-12-01

The IARPC Collaborations website (www.iarpccollaborations.org) was developed to support collaborative implementation of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee's (IARPC) 5-Year Plan for Arctic Research. The Plan describes an ambitious agenda for advancing understanding of the changing Arctic, a challenge that requires innovative approaches to integrate disparate research activities. IARPC was created by Congress to address this integration with a mandate that includes developing interagency collaboration and outside partnerships, specifically those with the State of Alaska, indigenous communities, academia, industry and non-governmental organizations. The IARPC Collaborations website was introduced in October of 2014 as an innovative means to address IARPC's mandate. It is an open, social networking platform with member-driven content and features to support dialog and milestone tracking. In its first year, IARPC Collaborations has attracted more than 600 members. Member-supplied content added to the site includes more than 575 research planning documents and scientific presentations and 300 updates on research plans and resources; all content is tagged with descriptive keywords to expedite discovery and elucidate connectivity across members and topics. Applying a social network analysis to metadata from the site reveals the strength and nature of this connectivity. This analysis demonstrates that Collaboration Team phone meetings remain the dominant form of communication. Dialog on the site through comment forums has been slow to emerge despite its merits of persistence and transparency. While more than 80 members have used the comment features at least once, the strong centrality of the IARPC Secretariat to website dialog is apparent. An analysis of content keywords demonstrates the potential for improved dialog based on overlapping interests as revealed by trending topics like "sea ice prediction", "traditional knowledge" and "permafrost carbon". Less than one year into launch, this analysis of IARPC's experiment in collaborative integration reveals the enduring strengths of traditional collaboration tools like secretariat support and phone meetings; the full potential of IARPC's social networking tools remains to be seen.

The Video Collaborative Localization of a Miner's Lamp Based on Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks for Underground Coal Mines.

PubMed

You, Kaiming; Yang, Wei; Han, Ruisong

2015-09-29

Based on wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs) deployed in an underground coal mine, a miner's lamp video collaborative localization algorithm was proposed to locate miners in the scene of insufficient illumination and bifurcated structures of underground tunnels. In bifurcation area, several camera nodes are deployed along the longitudinal direction of tunnels, forming a collaborative cluster in wireless way to monitor and locate miners in underground tunnels. Cap-lamps are regarded as the feature of miners in the scene of insufficient illumination of underground tunnels, which means that miners can be identified by detecting their cap-lamps. A miner's lamp will project mapping points on the imaging plane of collaborative cameras and the coordinates of mapping points are calculated by collaborative cameras. Then, multiple straight lines between the positions of collaborative cameras and their corresponding mapping points are established. To find the three-dimension (3D) coordinate location of the miner's lamp a least square method is proposed to get the optimal intersection of the multiple straight lines. Tests were carried out both in a corridor and a realistic scenario of underground tunnel, which show that the proposed miner's lamp video collaborative localization algorithm has good effectiveness, robustness and localization accuracy in real world conditions of underground tunnels.

Collaborative testing as a learning strategy in nursing education.

PubMed

Sandahl, Sheryl S

2010-01-01

A primary goal of nursing education is to prepare nurses to work collaboratively as members of interprofessional health care teams on behalf of patients. Collaborative testing is a collaborative learning strategy used to foster knowledge development, critical thinking in decision making, and group processing skills. This study incorporated a quasi-experimental design with a comparison group to examine the effect of collaborative testing as a learning strategy on student learning and retention of course content as well as group process skills and student perceptions of their learning and anxiety. The setting was a baccalaureate nursing program; the sample consisted of two groups of senior students enrolled in Medical-Surgical Nursing II. Student learning, as measured by unit examination scores, was greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Retention of course content, as measured by final examination scores, was not greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Student perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, with students reporting increased learning as a result of the collaborative testing experiences. Despite the lack of data to support increased retention, collaborative testing may be a learning strategy worth implementing in nursing education. Students reported more positive interactions and collaboration with their peers, skills required by the professional nurse.

Developing community-based preventive interventions in Hong Kong: a description of the first phase of the family project.

PubMed

Stewart, Sunita M; Fabrizio, Cecilia S; Hirschmann, Malia R; Lam, Tai Hing

2012-02-07

This paper describes the development of culturally-appropriate family-based interventions and their relevant measures, to promote family health, happiness and harmony in Hong Kong. Programs were developed in the community, using a collaborative approach with community partners. The development process, challenges, and the lessons learned are described. This experience may be of interest to the scientific community as there is little information currently available about community-based development of brief interventions with local validity in cultures outside the West. The academic-community collaborative team each brought strengths to the development process and determined the targets for intervention (parent-child relationships). Information from expert advisors and stakeholder discussion groups was collected and utilized to define the sources of stress in parent-child relationships. Themes emerged from the literature and discussion groups that guided the content of the intervention. Projects emphasized features that were appropriate for this cultural group and promoted potential for sustainability, so that the programs might eventually be implemented at a population-wide level. Challenges included ensuring local direction, relevance and acceptability for the intervention content, engaging participants and enhancing motivation to make behavior changes after a brief program, measurement of behavior changes, and developing an equal partner relationship between academic and community staff. This work has public health significance because of the global importance of parent-child relationships as a risk-factor for many outcomes in adulthood, the need to develop interventions with strong evidence of effectiveness to populations outside the West, the potential application of our interventions to universal populations, and characteristics of the interventions that promote dissemination, including minimal additional costs for delivery by community agencies, and high acceptability to participants.

A Comprehensive Survey of Preclinical Microbiology Curricula Among US Medical Schools.

PubMed

Melber, Dora J; Teherani, Arianne; Schwartz, Brian S

2016-07-15

A strong foundational understanding of microbiology is crucial for the 21st century physician. Given recent major advances in medical microbiology, curricular changes will likely be needed. Before transforming curricula, we must first obtain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary medical student microbiology education. We disseminated a 38-question survey to microbiology course directors and curriculum deans at 142 US medical schools accredited by the Liason Committee on Medical Education. Survey questions focused on course leadership, curricular structure, course content, and educator perceptions about microbiology education locally and nationally. One hundred and four (73%) of 142 schools completed the survey. Ninety-four (90%) schools identified a course director. Of these, 48% were led by microbiologists alone, 23% co-led by a microbiologist and a clinician, 20% by a clinician alone, and 8% by a laboratory medicine physician with or without a co-director. At 55 (53%) schools, the curricula were organized in a single block or course and at 47 (45%) it was integrated into other curricula. Areas of emerging importance, such as antimicrobial stewardship, global health, infection control, and the microbiome, were addressed at 66%, 65%, 64%, and 47% of institutions, respectively. Respondents reported the following concerns: challenges integrating microbiology into other courses, reduced total teaching hours, and difficulty balancing basic and clinical science topics. Preclinical microbiology course directors report significant challenges in meeting the needs of changing curriculum structure and content. Enhanced local collaboration between microbiologists and clinicians, as well as national collaboration among relevant societies to design best practices and support research, may be strategies for future success. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Collaborate!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villano, Matt

2007-01-01

This article explores different approaches that facilitate online collaboration. The newest efforts in collaboration revolve around wikis. These websites allow visitors to add, remove, edit, and change content directly online. Another fairly affordable approach involves open source, a programming language that is, in many ways, collaborative…

One Source Training: Iowa Community Colleges Leverage Resources through Statewide Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saylor, Collette

2006-01-01

Locally governed Iowa Community Colleges are very effective at meeting the needs of local constituencies. However, this focus on local needs can hinder collaborative efforts. The Iowa Associations of Community College Trustees and Presidents determined there was a need for a single point of contact for the development and purchase of training…

The Combined Effects of Response Time and Message Content on Growth Patterns of Discussion Threads in Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeong, Allan

2004-01-01

This study examined the effects of response time and message content on the growth patterns of discussion threads in computer-supported collaborative argumentation. Event sequence analysis was used to measure response times between threaded messages and responses containing arguments, evidence, critiques, evaluations, and other comments from…

Collaboration of general practitioners and exercise providers in promotion of physical activity a written survey among general practitioners.

PubMed

Leemrijse, C J; de Bakker, D H; Ooms, L; Veenhof, C

2015-08-06

General practitioners have an ideal position to motivate inactive patients to increase their physical activity. Most patients are able to exercise in regular local facilities outside the health care setting. The purpose of this study was to get insight into general practitioners perceptions and current practices regarding referral of patients to local exercise facilities. Furthermore, collaboration with exercise providers in the community was investigated, and motivators and barriers for referral. A written questionnaire sent to a representative random sample of 800 Dutch general practitioners. Descriptive statistics and Chi(2) tests were used. All responding general practitioners (340) recommend their patients to take more exercise when necessary and 87 % say to refer patients sometimes. Limited motivation of the patient (44 %) and reduced health status (34 %) are the most mentioned barriers for advising patients to increase physical activity. When referred, most patients are send to a physical therapist (69 %) but also local exercise facilities were mentioned (54 %). The most important barrier for referring patients to local exercise activities are patients limited financial possibilities (46 %). Restricted knowledge of local exercise- or sport facilities was an additional barrier (19 %). There is little structural collaboration between general practitioners and exercise providers, but when collaboration exists general practitioners refer more often. Positive experiences of patients (67 %), affordable offers (59 %) and information of local exercise facilities (46 %) are seen as important promoting factors for referral. Although 32 % of the general practitioners think that good collaboration would be stimulating, regular meetings with sports and exercise providers were considered the least important for increasing referral (3 %). Dutch physicians have a positive attitude towards stimulating physical activity but referral to local exercise facilities is low. Referral is partly hindered by restricted knowledge of local exercise facilities. Although general practitioners think that collaboration is important for physical activity promotion, it should not cost them much extra time. A coordinator with knowledge of the local situation can facilitate contacts between GP practices and sports providers.

Reducing Time to Science: Unidata and JupyterHub Technology Using the Jetstream Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chastang, J.; Signell, R. P.; Fischer, J. L.

2017-12-01

Cloud computing can accelerate scientific workflows, discovery, and collaborations by reducing research and data friction. We describe the deployment of Unidata and JupyterHub technologies on the NSF-funded XSEDE Jetstream cloud. With the aid of virtual machines and Docker technology, we deploy a Unidata JupyterHub server co-located with a Local Data Manager (LDM), THREDDS data server (TDS), and RAMADDA geoscience content management system. We provide Jupyter Notebooks and the pre-built Python environments needed to run them. The notebooks can be used for instruction and as templates for scientific experimentation and discovery. We also supply a large quantity of NCEP forecast model results to allow data-proximate analysis and visualization. In addition, users can transfer data using Globus command line tools, and perform their own data-proximate analysis and visualization with Notebook technology. These data can be shared with others via a dedicated TDS server for scientific distribution and collaboration. There are many benefits of this approach. Not only is the cloud computing environment fast, reliable and scalable, but scientists can analyze, visualize, and share data using only their web browser. No local specialized desktop software or a fast internet connection is required. This environment will enable scientists to spend less time managing their software and more time doing science.

The Video Collaborative Localization of a Miner’s Lamp Based on Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks for Underground Coal Mines

PubMed Central

You, Kaiming; Yang, Wei; Han, Ruisong

2015-01-01

Based on wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs) deployed in an underground coal mine, a miner’s lamp video collaborative localization algorithm was proposed to locate miners in the scene of insufficient illumination and bifurcated structures of underground tunnels. In bifurcation area, several camera nodes are deployed along the longitudinal direction of tunnels, forming a collaborative cluster in wireless way to monitor and locate miners in underground tunnels. Cap-lamps are regarded as the feature of miners in the scene of insufficient illumination of underground tunnels, which means that miners can be identified by detecting their cap-lamps. A miner’s lamp will project mapping points on the imaging plane of collaborative cameras and the coordinates of mapping points are calculated by collaborative cameras. Then, multiple straight lines between the positions of collaborative cameras and their corresponding mapping points are established. To find the three-dimension (3D) coordinate location of the miner’s lamp a least square method is proposed to get the optimal intersection of the multiple straight lines. Tests were carried out both in a corridor and a realistic scenario of underground tunnel, which show that the proposed miner’s lamp video collaborative localization algorithm has good effectiveness, robustness and localization accuracy in real world conditions of underground tunnels. PMID:26426023

The Difficulties and Possibilities of Cross-Cultural Communication: A Case Study of the Global Development of the Confucius Institutes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qili, Lei; Dong, Chang

2016-01-01

Cultural communication is rooted in fusion: multicultural fusion requires that incoming cultures participate in various cultural activities at their place of arrival, such as cementing collaboration with local universities, reinforcing cooperation with local social groups, and strengthening collaboration with civil forces and local governments,…

Post-Web 2.0 Pedagogy: From Student-Generated Content to International Co-Production Enabled by Mobile Social Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochrane, Thomas; Antonczak, Laurent; Wagner, Daniel

2013-01-01

The advent of web 2.0 has enabled new forms of collaboration centred upon user-generated content, however, mobile social media is enabling a new wave of social collaboration. Mobile devices have disrupted and reinvented traditional media markets and distribution: iTunes, Google Play and Amazon now dominate music industry distribution channels,…

Collaborative Strategic Reading as a Means To Enhance Peer-Mediated Instruction for Reading Comprehension and Content-Area Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, Sharon; Klingner, Janette K.; Bryant, Diane P.

2001-01-01

This article summarizes studies conducted with Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), a program designed to enhance reading comprehension and content-area reading for diverse learners. It describes the stages of CSR development and discusses the role of peer-mediated learning in improving the social and academic outcomes of participating students.…

Collaborative Testing Improves Performance but Not Content Retention in a Large-Enrollment Introductory Biology Class

PubMed Central

Leight, Hayley; Saunders, Cheston; Calkins, Robin; Withers, Michelle

2012-01-01

Collaborative testing has been shown to improve performance but not always content retention. In this study, we investigated whether collaborative testing could improve both performance and content retention in a large, introductory biology course. Students were semirandomly divided into two groups based on their performances on exam 1. Each group contained equal numbers of students scoring in each grade category (“A”–“F”) on exam 1. All students completed each of the four exams of the semester as individuals. For exam 2, one group took the exam a second time in small groups immediately following the individually administered test. The other group followed this same format for exam 3. Individual and group exam scores were compared to determine differences in performance. All but exam 1 contained a subset of cumulative questions from the previous exam. Performances on the cumulative questions for exams 3 and 4 were compared for the two groups to determine whether there were significant differences in content retention. Even though group test scores were significantly higher than individual test scores, students who participated in collaborative testing performed no differently on cumulative questions than students who took the previous exam as individuals. PMID:23222835

Image Recommendation Algorithm Using Feature-Based Collaborative Filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Deok-Hwan

As the multimedia contents market continues its rapid expansion, the amount of image contents used in mobile phone services, digital libraries, and catalog service is increasing remarkably. In spite of this rapid growth, users experience high levels of frustration when searching for the desired image. Even though new images are profitable to the service providers, traditional collaborative filtering methods cannot recommend them. To solve this problem, in this paper, we propose feature-based collaborative filtering (FBCF) method to reflect the user's most recent preference by representing his purchase sequence in the visual feature space. The proposed approach represents the images that have been purchased in the past as the feature clusters in the multi-dimensional feature space and then selects neighbors by using an inter-cluster distance function between their feature clusters. Various experiments using real image data demonstrate that the proposed approach provides a higher quality recommendation and better performance than do typical collaborative filtering and content-based filtering techniques.

Challenges in developing health promoting schools' project: application of global traits in local realm.

PubMed

Fathi, Behrouz; Allahverdipour, Hamid; Shaghaghi, Abdolreza; Kousha, Ahmad; Jannati, Ali

2014-01-01

Despite the importance of student health and school hygiene as an aspect of the infrastructure of community health, few feasibility studies have been conducted on school health programs in developing countries. This study examined possible barriers to and challenges of such programs from the executive perspective in East Azerbaijan Province in Iran. This qualitative study used the content analysis approach to recognize barriers to and challenges of health promoting school program from the executive perspective. Fourteen experts were selected in the areas of children and adolescents and school health, physical education and school headmasters. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. Five themes were extracted as major barriers and challenges: 1. Intraand inter-sectorial collaboration; 2. Policy and rule formulation; 3. Infrastructure and capacity; 4. Human resources; 5. Community involvement. The localized version of the current health promoting school program had major faults. If this program is considered to be a healthcare system priority, it should be revised to set effective policies for implementation and to sustain school health programs based on the capacities and objectives of each country.

Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: NASA Science4Girls and Their Families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinke, B. K.; Smith, D. A.; Bleacher, L.; Hauck, K.; Soeffing, C.

2014-12-01

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach Forums coordinate the participation of SMD education and public outreach (EPO) programs in Women's History Month through the NASA Science4Girls and Their Families initiative. The initiative partners NASA science education programs with public libraries to provide NASA-themed hands-on education activities for girls and their families. These NASA science education programs are mission- and grant-based E/PO programs are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. As such, the initiative engages girls in all four NASA science discipline areas (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics), which enables audiences to experience the full range of NASA science topics and the different career skills each requires. The events focus on engaging underserved and underrepresented audiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences.

Using Collaborative Web Technology to Construct the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)

PubMed Central

MOSER, RICHARD P.; BECKJORD, ELLEN BURKE; RUTTEN, LILA J. FINNEY; BLAKE, KELLY; HESSE, BRADFORD W.

2012-01-01

Scientists are taking advantage of web-based technology to work in new collaborative environments, a phenomenon known as Science 2.0. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) created a web-based tool called HINTS-GEM that allows a diverse group of stakeholders to collaborate in a virtual environment by providing input on content for the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). This involved stakeholders providing new suggested content and commenting and rating on existing content. HINTS is a nationally-representative survey of the US non-institutionalized adult population (see Finney Rutten et al. [this journal] for more information about the HINTS program). This paper describes the conceptual development of HINTS-GEM and provides results of its use by stakeholders in creating an improved survey instrument. PMID:23020764

Low-cost small scale parabolic trough collector design for manufacturing and deployment in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orosz, Matthew; Mathaha, Paul; Tsiu, Anadola; Taele, B. M.; Mabea, Lengeta; Ntee, Marcel; Khakanyo, Makoanyane; Teker, Tamer; Stephens, Jordan; Mueller, Amy

2016-05-01

Concentrating Solar Power is expanding its deployment on the African subcontinent, highlighting the importance of efforts to indigenize manufacturing of this technology to increase local content and therefore local economic benefits of these projects. In this study a design for manufacturing (DFM) exercise was conducted to create a locally produced parabolic trough collector (the G4 PTC). All parts were sourced or fabricated at a production facility in Lesotho, and several examples of the design were prototyped and tested with collaborators in the Government of Lesotho's Appropriate Technology Services division and the National University of Lesotho. Optical and thermal performance was simulated and experimentally validated, and pedagogical pre-commercial versions of the PTC have been distributed to higher education partners in Lesotho and Europe. The cost to produce the PTC is 180 USD/m2 for a locally manufactured heat collection element (HCE) capable of sustaining 250C operation at ~65% efficiency. A version with an imported evacuated HCE can operate at 300°C with 70% efficiency. Economically relevant applications for this locally produced PTC include industrial process heat and distributed generation scenarios where cogeneration is required.

Collaborations between the State and Local Colleges: Sleeping with the Enemy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brand, Elizabeth Cox

2014-01-01

This chapter describes the characteristics of successful partnerships between a state-level department and local community colleges. Particular focus is paid to the lack of mandated collaboration between the entities and the elements necessary for motivation and sustainability.

Collaboration between practice, policy and research in local public health in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Jansen, Maria W J; De Vries, Nanne K; Kok, Gerjo; Van Oers, Hans A M

2008-05-01

The collaboration between policy, practice, and research in local public health was studied in a multiple case study. The assumption is that collaboration will result in more solid evidence and higher quality standards in public health. First, collaboration barriers were studied by analysing the work cycles of the three domains, which are considered to operate as niches. Actors at the administrative, institutional, and individual levels were identified. Theories that describe processes of the convergence of the three niches through practical strategies were sought. Finally, the application of the practical strategies in six cases was evaluated. When administrative, institutional, and individual changes develop in a similar fashion and in parallel with each other, the likelihood of successful collaboration that goes beyond the initial period is greater. The findings suggest that organisational development (OD) strategies that address collaboration at the institutional level make a relatively strong contribution. Top level consultations just after local elections, investments in OD strategies and a new kind of accountability in public health are recommended. The assumption that successful collaboration contributes to enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy of public health could not yet be unequivocally confirmed.

Damage Detection and Mitigation in Open Collaboration Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Andrew G.

2013-01-01

Collaborative functionality is changing the way information is amassed, refined, and disseminated in online environments. A subclass of these systems characterized by "open collaboration" uniquely allow participants to "modify" content with low barriers-to-entry. A prominent example and our case study, English Wikipedia,…

Toward visual user interfaces supporting collaborative multimedia content management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husein, Fathi; Leissler, Martin; Hemmje, Matthias

2000-12-01

Supporting collaborative multimedia content management activities, as e.g., image and video acquisition, exploration, and access dialogues between naive users and multi media information systems is a non-trivial task. Although a wide variety of experimental and prototypical multimedia storage technologies as well as corresponding indexing and retrieval engines are available, most of them lack appropriate support for collaborative end-user oriented user interface front ends. The development of advanced user adaptable interfaces is necessary for building collaborative multimedia information- space presentations based upon advanced tools for information browsing, searching, filtering, and brokering to be applied on potentially very large and highly dynamic multimedia collections with a large number of users and user groups. Therefore, the development of advanced and at the same time adaptable and collaborative computer graphical information presentation schemes that allow to easily apply adequate visual metaphors for defined target user stereotypes has to become a key focus within ongoing research activities trying to support collaborative information work with multimedia collections.

More Than Just Chemistry: The Impact of a Collaborative Participant Structure on Student Perceptions of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patchen, Terri; Smithenry, Dennis W.

2015-02-01

Researchers have theorized that integrating authentic science activities into classrooms will help students learn how working scientists collaboratively construct knowledge, but few empirical studies have examined students' experiences with these types of activities. Utilizing data from a comparative, mixed-methods study, we considered how integrating a complex, collaborative participant structure into a secondary school chemistry curriculum shapes students' perceptions of what constitutes "science." We found that the implementation of this participant structure expanded student perceptions of chemistry learning beyond the typical focus on science content knowledge to include the acquisition of collaboration skills. This support for the collaborative construction of knowledge, in addition to the appropriation of scientific content, establishes the conditions for what science educators and scientists say they want: students who can work together to solve science problems. Radical shifts towards such collaborative participant structures are necessary if we are to modify student perceptions of science and science classrooms in ways that are aligned with recent calls for science education reform.

Feeling Expression Using Avatars and Its Consistency for Subjective Annotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Fuyuko; Sasaki, Yasunari; Hiroyasu, Tomoyuki; Miki, Mitsunori

Consumer Generated Media(CGM) is growing rapidly and the amount of content is increasing. However, it is often difficult for users to extract important contents and the existence of contents recording their experiences can easily be forgotten. As there are no methods or systems to indicate the subjective value of the contents or ways to reuse them, subjective annotation appending subjectivity, such as feelings and intentions, to contents is needed. Representation of subjectivity depends on not only verbal expression, but also nonverbal expression. Linguistically expressed annotation, typified by collaborative tagging in social bookmarking systems, has come into widespread use, but there is no system of nonverbally expressed annotation on the web. We propose the utilization of controllable avatars as a means of nonverbal expression of subjectivity, and confirmed the consistency of feelings elicited by avatars over time for an individual and in a group. In addition, we compared the expressiveness and ease of subjective annotation between collaborative tagging and controllable avatars. The result indicates that the feelings evoked by avatars are consistent in both cases, and using controllable avatars is easier than collaborative tagging for representing feelings elicited by contents that do not express meaning, such as photos.

Is Collaborative Learners' Adoption of Metacognitive Regulation Related to Students' Content Processing Strategies and the Level of Transactivity in Their Peer Discussions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Backer, Liesje; Van Keer, Hilde; Valcke, Martin

2017-01-01

The present study investigates collaborative learners' adoption of key regulation activities (i.e., orienting, planning, monitoring, and evaluating) and a deep-level regulation approach in relation to characteristics of their collaboration on the cognitive and communicative level. More specifically, the correlation of collaborative learners'…

The Meaning of Collaboration, from the Perspective of Iranian Nurses: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Zamanzadeh, V.; Irajpour, A.; Valizadeh, L.; Shohani, M.

2014-01-01

Background. Interdisciplinary collaboration among nurses is a complex and multifaceted process, an essential element in nursing, which is crucial to maintain an efficient, safe, and viable medical setting. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of concept of collaboration through conducting a qualitative research approach. Method. The present study is qualitatively conducted in a content analysis approach. The data collection process included 18 unstructured and in-depth interviews with nurses during 2012-2013 in educational medical centers of west and northwest of Iran. A purposive sampling method was used. All the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and finally analyzed using a qualitative content analysis with a conventional method. Result. Categories obtained from analysis of the data to explain the meaning of collaboration consist of (i) prerequisites of collaboration, (ii) actualization of collaboration, and (iii) achievement of a common goal. Conclusion. The results of the present study ended in the discovery of meaning of collaboration that confirm results of other related studies, hence clarifying and disambiguating the concept under study. These results also contribute to the development of collaboration theories and the relevant measurement tools. PMID:25587572

Web-based technical assistance and training to promote community tobacco control policy change.

PubMed

Young, Walter F; Montgomery, Debbie; Nycum, Colleen; Burns-Martin, Lavon; Buller, David B

2006-01-01

In 1998 the tobacco industry was released of claims that provided monetary relief for states. A significant expansion of tobacco control activity in many states created a need to develop local capacity. Technical assistance and training for new and experienced staff became a significant challenge for tobacco control leadership. In Colorado, this challenge was addressed in part through the development of a technical assistance and training Web site designed for local tobacco control staff and coalition members. Researchers, technical Web site development specialists, state health agency, and state tobacco control coalition staff collaborated to develop, promote, and test the efficacy of this Web site. The work group embodied a range of skills including tobacco control, Web site technical development, marketing, training, and project management. Persistent marketing, updating of Web site content, and institutionalizing it as a principal source of information and training were key to use by community coalition members.

Collaboration between local health and local government agencies for health improvement.

PubMed

Hayes, Sara L; Mann, Mala K; Morgan, Fiona M; Kitcher, Hilary; Kelly, Mark J; Weightman, Alison L

2011-06-15

In many countries, national, regional and local inter- and intra-agency collaborations have been introduced in order to improve health outcomes. Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of locally-developed partnerships which target changes in individual health outcomes and behaviours. To evaluate the effects of interagency collaboration between local health and local government agencies on health outcomes. Twenty-five databases were searched using a highly sensitive search strategy. 'Snowballing' methods were also used, including expert contact, website searching and reference list follow up. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), controlled before-and-after studies (CBAs) and interrupted time series (ITS) where the study reported on interagency collaboration between health and local government agencies. Studies were selected independently in duplicate by two of five authors. From the team of five review authors, two authors independently conducted data extraction and assessed risk of bias for each study. Eleven studies were identified, presenting information on a total of 26,686 participants. Owing to the heterogeneity between studies a narrative synthesis was undertaken. The included studies covered a range of topics. Six studies examined mental health initiatives, of which one study showed health benefit; four showed modest improvement in one or more of the outcomes measured, but no clear overall health gain; and one study showed no evidence of health gain. Two studies were related to lifestyle improvements of which one failed to show health gains for the intervention population, while the other showed more unhealthy lifestyle behaviours persisting in the intervention population. Three studies were related to chronic disease management and all three failed to demonstrate health gains. Collaboration between local health and local government is commonly considered best practice. However, the review did not identify any reliable evidence that inter‑agency collaboration, compared to standard services, leads to health improvement. A few studies identified component benefits but these were not reflected in overall outcome scores and could have resulted from the use of significant additional resources. Although agencies appear enthusiastic about collaboration, methodological flaws in the primary studies and incomplete implementation of initiatives have prevented the development of a strong evidence base. If these flaws are addressed in future studies (for example by providing greater detail on the implementation of programs, using more robust designs, with integrated process evaluations and measurement of health outcomes) it could provide a better understanding of what might work and why.When updating this review, we will analyse any partnership or process evaluations of our included studies to try to identify markers of success in local collaborative partnerships that could inform policy developments in the future.

Collaboration in the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Medical Response System

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

jurisdictional lines (V. Valdes, personal communication, December 15, 2008). As a local example, Stanford University is located in unincorporated Santa Clara...regional collaboration among local jurisdictions and emergency response organizations to build and sustain the regional preparedness capabilities... jurisdictions and overlap each others’ mission. 3 B. PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY The purpose of this study is to determine local perspectives on

Collaboration to Teach English Language Learners: Opportunities for Shared Teacher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Beltran, Melinda; Peercy, Megan Madigan

2014-01-01

This study examines collaboration between English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers and content-area elementary school teachers, and makes the case for conceptualising teacher collaboration as an opportunity for shared teacher learning. Using a sociocultural theoretical lens, this study examines how three pairs of elementary teachers…

Digital Games: Changing Education, One Raid at a Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pivec, Paul; Pivec, Maja

2011-01-01

Digital Games are becoming a new form of interactive content and game playing provides an interactive and collaborative platform for learning purposes. Collaborative learning allows participants to produce new ideas as well as to exchange information, simplify problems, and resolve the tasks. Context based collaborative learning method is based on…

Using Wikis to Foster Collaborative Writing: Exploring Influencing Factors to Successful Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadjerrouit, Said

2012-01-01

Wiki technology provides new opportunities to foster collaborative learning in various educational settings. To empirically examine the impact of wikis on learning, this article explores students' collaborative writing activities performed on MediaWiki. The activities were analyzed using a taxonomy with ten categories (clarify content, add…

Differences That Make a Difference: A Study in Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Touchman, Stephanie

2012-01-01

Collaborative learning is a common teaching strategy in classrooms across age groups and content areas. It is important to measure and understand the cognitive process involved during collaboration to improve teaching methods involving interactive activities. This research attempted to answer the question: why do students learn more in…

Establishing Learning Communities among Science Teachers through Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mee, Lee Shok; Oyao, Sheila Gamut

2013-01-01

The fundamental philosophy embedded in lesson study is the collaborative practice of teachers working together to plan, teach, observe, reflect and refine lessons. It has been well established that collaboration strengthens teacher collegial relationships and enhances pedagogical content knowledge. While teacher collaboration seems to be a norm in…

Collaborative Software and Focused Distraction in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhine, Steve; Bailey, Mark

2011-01-01

In search of strategies for increasing their pre-service teachers' thoughtful engagement with content and in an effort to model connection between choice of technology and pedagogical goals, the authors utilized collaborative software during class time. Collaborative software allows all students to write simultaneously on a single collective…

Collaborative Graduate Education across Multiple Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, J. R.; Hess, G. R.; Bowman, T. A.; Magnusdottir, H.; Stubbs-Gipson, C. E.; Groom, M.; Miller, J. R.; Steelman, T. A.; Stokes, D. L.

2009-01-01

Multi-institutional approaches to graduate education continue to emerge as a way to better prepare students for collaborative work. In this article, we describe a graduate course designed to investigate application of conservation biology principles by local land use planners. "Where is Conservation Science in Local Planning?" was…

Collaboration with the Local Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Michael L.; Cherrey, Cynthia

2002-01-01

Colleges and universities continually search for ways to enhance the safety and security of their educational programs and physical plant. This article examines how the University of Southern California and other institutions are using collaborative efforts with the local community to enhance their mutual safety and security through dynamic…

Disaster preparedness networks in rural Midwest communities: Organizational roles, collaborations, and support for older residents.

PubMed

Ashida, Sato; Zhu, Xi; Robinson, Erin L; Schroer, Audrey

2018-05-17

This study investigated the roles and interconnections among community organizations belonging to local disaster coalitions in Midwest in supporting older residents. Representatives from 44 organizations participated in one-time survey. Most were non-profit (68%) or federal/state/local government agencies (23%). The analyses of 761 relationships showed stronger collaborations in assessment (average strength=2.88 on a 5-point scale), emergency response (2.72), and planning (2.61); and weaker collaborations in co-sponsoring programs (1.71) and supporting older residents (2.03). The extent of collaboration (network density) to support older adults was also low. Coalitions may enhance network density and centralization by developing sub-committee structure and strengthening existing collaborations.

Collaborative Early Systems Engineering: Strategic Information Management Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-02

Early Systems Engineering: Strategic Information Management Review 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary...5  Center for Systems Engineering (CSE) .............................................................................. 6...Collaborative Early Systems Engineering .......................................................................... 6  Development Planning

Towards an open, collaborative, reusable framework for sharing hands-on bioinformatics training workshops

PubMed Central

Revote, Jerico; Suchecki, Radosław; Tyagi, Sonika; Corley, Susan M.; Shang, Catherine A.; McGrath, Annette

2017-01-01

Abstract There is a clear demand for hands-on bioinformatics training. The development of bioinformatics workshop content is both time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, enabling trainers to develop bioinformatics workshops in a way that facilitates reuse is becoming increasingly important. The most widespread practice for sharing workshop content is through making PDF, PowerPoint and Word documents available online. While this effort is to be commended, such content is usually not so easy to reuse or repurpose and does not capture all the information required for a third party to rerun a workshop. We present an open, collaborative framework for developing and maintaining, reusable and shareable hands-on training workshop content. PMID:26984618

NASA’s Universe of Learning: Girls STEAM Ahead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcucci, Emma; Meinke, Bonnie K.; Smith, Denise A.; Ryer, Holly; Slivinski, Carolyn; Kenney, Jessica; Arcand, Kimberly K.; Cominsky, Lynn R.; Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Team

2017-10-01

NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Universe of Learning (UoL) program enables scientists and engineers to more effectively engage with learners of all ages. The Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA education program within UoL, expands upon the former program, NASA Science4Girls and Their Families, in celebration of National Women’s History Month. The initiative partners the NASA’s Universe of Learning science education program resources with public libraries to provide NASA-themed activities for girls and their families, including hands-on activities for engaging girls, complementary exhibits, and professional development for library partner staff. The science-institute-embedded partners in NASA’s UoL are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. The thematic topics related to NASA Astrophysics enable audiences to experience the full range of NASA scientific and technical disciplines and the different career skills each requires. The events focus on engaging underserved and underrepresented audiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations (e.g. National Girls Collaborative Project or NGCP), and remote engagement of audiences. This presentation will provide an overview of the program progress related to engaging girls and their families in NASA-based science programming.

Why do local authorities undertake controlled evaluations of health impact? A qualitative case study of interventions in housing.

PubMed

Milton, S; Petticrew, M; Green, J

2014-12-01

A significant amount of literature documents the challenges of undertaking evaluative research on the public health impacts of interventions in the non-health sector. However, few studies have investigated why such studies are undertaken despite the undoubted challenges. Taking housing as a case study, the authors aimed to identify the factors contributing to successful evaluative research in the non-health sector. Qualitative interview study. Semi-structured interviews with 16 investigators involved in seven successful experimental studies of housing interventions across the UK, analysed using thematic content analysis. Intervention studies were undertaken when existing collaborative links enabled 'windows of opportunity' to be exploited. Although different 'cultures of evidence' were reported across the collaborating teams, these did not necessarily map onto the public health research/non-academic divide, and did not undermine collaborative work when all parties could gain from taking part in the research. Focussing on success, rather than failure, suggests that to encourage the uptake of evaluative evidence in the non-health sector, efforts might be better directed at fostering opportunities for partnership building rather than simply on educating non-health partners in the principles of academic research. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Where High-Tech Meets High-Touch: an example of effective cross-disciplinary collaboration in education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzhauer, B.; Mooney, M. E.

2012-12-01

How can non-formal education programs effectively blend hands-on, place-based field science lessons with technology and digital media to teach abstract global concepts in a local setting? Using climate change as an overarching concept, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center (ALNC) in Madison, WI, is developing exhibits and digital curricula, strengthened through partnerships with local and national experts from scientific and education fields, to effectively increase the public's interest in and understanding of science and technology, how the world works, and what we can do to adapt, mitigate, and innovate sustainable solutions. The exhibits and multimedia content, centered on topics such as climate, energy, weather, and phenology, have been developed in consultation with partners like the National Academy of Sciences and various departments at the University of Wisconsin (UW). Outdoor "high-touch" programs are complemented with "high-tech" exhibits and media, including touchscreen kiosks and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Science On a Sphere® global display system, tying together multimedia experiences with peer-reviewed cutting-edge science to ensure maximum comprehension by appealing and connecting to learners of all ages and learning modalities. The curriculum is being developed in alignment with local and national education standards and science and climate literacy frameworks (such as "The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences," U.S. Global Change Research Program / U.S. Climate Change Science Program). Its digital format allows it to be easily adapted to visitors' learning styles and cognitive levels and updated with relevant new content such as real-time climate data or current visualizations from the UW Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. Drawing upon ALNC's award-winning environmental education experiences, professional development networks such as NOAA's Climate Stewards Education Program, and existing resources for teaching through formal STEM education, ALNC has combined the unique benefits of place-based outdoor citizen-science in the community setting with digital, multimedia, and interactive components to address local, regional, and global scientific concepts with all audiences of all ages. This innovative, replicable and broadly accessible approach, geared towards formal school groups and the general public in a non-formal educational setting, is being piloted, evaluated, and disseminated through a variety of networks and professional development in order to serve as a model of continued collaborative education.;

Transnational opposition and negotiation: Challenges to an oil pipeline in Ecuador

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widener, Patricia

The literature on transnational networks portrays transnational collaborations as advantageous to domestic stakeholders. Yet, the gains of transnational engagement may be accompanied by hardship for domestic groups. This dissertation examines how domestic stakeholders experienced the benefits and burdens of transnational collaboration in challenging the construction of the oil pipeline, the Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados, in Ecuador. Four community cases along the pipeline's route were selected for analysis. Each case varied by the experienced externalities of the oil industry and distributive struggle with the industry and the state. Lago Agrio, an oil town on the edge of the Amazon, represented a community with 30 years of oil saturation that engaged the state to determine just compensation. The capital Quito represented the nation's environmental organizations that sought a role in directing oil-funded conservation efforts. The third site, the eco-tourism community of Mindo, mobilized to reject the pipeline's route near their private reserves and to promote eco-tourism as an economic alternative to oil extraction. The final site was Esmeraldas, a coastal community experienced in tanker loading and oil refining that achieved a collective dignity in pressing for community-determined compensation. To better understand the impacts of transnational activities, this dissertation synthesizes theories of social movements, environmental justice and development. In its longitudinal and case study design, the examination of one project at four sites of contention offers insight into how transnational mobilization drives or hinders environmental justice and how grassroots groups gain or lose a forum for participation. My findings indicate that transnational campaigns benefited locals by providing expert assessments, facilitating international access and influencing international financing policies. However, the unintended consequences included a focus on international concerns. Indeed, we see how some local issues (eradication of poverty) remain local, while others (environmental protection) are transformed into global concerns. The venue of dialogue, the target of contention, and community demands were experienced differently by case. Yet, the outcome of their engagement was quite similar. Challenges to the pipeline represented an opportunity for a diversity of domestic stakeholders to insert themselves into determining alternative uses for the nation's oil resources and advancing a more participatory democracy.

Knitting Local History Together: Collaborating To Construct Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Mary S.; Blake, Marie E.

2001-01-01

Discusses a collaboration among an educator, a historical archaeologist, and a historian in order to create a local history curriculum that focuses on the life of African Americans on a Texas farm. Discusses how the curriculum was actually developed focusing on the role of the three team members. (CMK)

Collaborative Annotation System Environment (CASE) for Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Ian; Hardaker, Glenn; Xu, Zhijie

2004-01-01

This paper outlines the design and development process of an online annotation system and how it is applied to the sphere of collaborative online learning. The architecture and design of the annotation system, illustrated in this paper, have been developed to enrich collaborative learning content through adding a layer of information in online…

Enhancing Collaborative Learning in Web 2.0-Based E-Learning Systems: A Design Framework for Building Collaborative E-Learning Contents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El Mhouti, Abderrahim; Nasseh, Azeddine; Erradi, Mohamed; Vasquèz, José Marfa

2017-01-01

Today, the implication of Web 2.0 technologies in e-learning allows envisaging new teaching and learning forms, advocating an important place to the collaboration and social interaction. However, in e-learning systems, learn in a collaborative way is not always so easy because one of the difficulties when arranging e-learning courses can be that…

Collaborating With Alaska Native Communities to Design a Cultural Food Intervention to Address Nutrition Transition.

PubMed

Nu, Jennifer; Bersamin, Andrea

2017-01-01

To address changing dietary patterns and declining dietary quality in indigenous communities, there is growing interest in implementing interventions that promote nutrient-dense, culturally important foods. To describe formative research and an ongoing collaborative process to design a multilevel nutrition inter vention-Neqa Elicarvigmun or the Fish-to-School (F2S) Program-that reconnects students to their local food system in a remote Yup'ik community in Western Alaska. Qualitative data that explored the connection between salmon and well-being were collected and collaboratively reviewed with a community work group and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings were used to co-design the nutrition intervention. Formative research Thndings and ongoing collaboration between academic and community partners informed the Thnal intervention design. Because people's behaviors and interactions with culturally signiThcant foods are embedded in cultural perceptions and local contexts, it is important for nutrition interventions to address local perceptions of these foods.

Illustrating and analyzing the processes of multi-institutional collaboration: Lessons learnt at Howard University Hospital.

PubMed

Malik, Mansoor; Kumari, Suneeta; Manalai, Partam; Hipolito, Maria

2017-05-01

Multi-institutional collaboration offers a promising approach to the dissemination of resources for capacity building and the improvement of the training of new investigators and residents, especially in areas of novel curricular content. Physicians should keep pace with the rapid growth of curricular content in an era of restricted resources. Such collaborations, in which educational entities work together and share resources and infrastructure, have been employed in health care to improve quality of care, capacity building, disparity reduction, and resident training. This paper examines a federally funded multi-institutional collaboration for the project STRIDE (Seek, Treat, Reach to Identify Pretrial Defendants Enhancement) between Yale University, George Mason University (GMU), and Howard University, a Historically Black University. The STRIDE study collaboration focused on mental health, opioid addiction, and infectious disease/HIV among Africans Americans involved in CJS (Criminal Justice System). We discuss some of the challenges and benefits of collaborative research projects conducted at Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) and highlight the educational opportunities created by such collaborations for residents and other trainees, leading to the development of independent investigators through multi-institutional, structured collaborative research. We identify some unique challenges such as substance use, race, stigma, incarceration among participants, and the cultural and power difference between participating institutions, and thereby address these issues and how it impacted the course of the multi-institutional collaborative effort.

Illustrating and analyzing the processes of multi-institutional collaboration: Lessons learnt at Howard University Hospital

PubMed Central

Malik, Mansoor; Kumari, Suneeta; Manalai, Partam; Hipolito, Maria

2017-01-01

Multi-institutional collaboration offers a promising approach to the dissemination of resources for capacity building and the improvement of the training of new investigators and residents, especially in areas of novel curricular content. Physicians should keep pace with the rapid growth of curricular content in an era of restricted resources. Such collaborations, in which educational entities work together and share resources and infrastructure, have been employed in health care to improve quality of care, capacity building, disparity reduction, and resident training. This paper examines a federally funded multi-institutional collaboration for the project STRIDE (Seek, Treat, Reach to Identify Pretrial Defendants Enhancement) between Yale University, George Mason University (GMU), and Howard University, a Historically Black University. The STRIDE study collaboration focused on mental health, opioid addiction, and infectious disease/HIV among Africans Americans involved in CJS (Criminal Justice System). We discuss some of the challenges and benefits of collaborative research projects conducted at Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) and highlight the educational opportunities created by such collaborations for residents and other trainees, leading to the development of independent investigators through multi-institutional, structured collaborative research. We identify some unique challenges such as substance use, race, stigma, incarceration among participants, and the cultural and power difference between participating institutions, and thereby address these issues and how it impacted the course of the multi-institutional collaborative effort. PMID:28966991

Weighted hybrid technique for recommender system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suriati, S.; Dwiastuti, Meisyarah; Tulus, T.

2017-12-01

Recommender system becomes very popular and has important role in an information system or webpages nowadays. A recommender system tries to make a prediction of which item a user may like based on his activity on the system. There are some familiar techniques to build a recommender system, such as content-based filtering and collaborative filtering. Content-based filtering does not involve opinions from human to make the prediction, while collaborative filtering does, so collaborative filtering can predict more accurately. However, collaborative filtering cannot give prediction to items which have never been rated by any user. In order to cover the drawbacks of each approach with the advantages of other approach, both approaches can be combined with an approach known as hybrid technique. Hybrid technique used in this work is weighted technique in which the prediction score is combination linear of scores gained by techniques that are combined.The purpose of this work is to show how an approach of weighted hybrid technique combining content-based filtering and item-based collaborative filtering can work in a movie recommender system and to show the performance comparison when both approachare combined and when each approach works alone. There are three experiments done in this work, combining both techniques with different parameters. The result shows that the weighted hybrid technique that is done in this work does not really boost the performance up, but it helps to give prediction score for unrated movies that are impossible to be recommended by only using collaborative filtering.

International Medical Collaboration: Lessons from Cuba

PubMed Central

Castelló González, Mauro; Pons Vásquez, Reinaldo; Rodriguez Bencomo, David; Choonara, Imti

2016-01-01

Over 50,000 Cuban health professionals are currently working overseas in 67 different countries. They work in conjunction with local health professionals. The majority work in primary care in deprived areas. The aim is to reduce morbidity and mortality but also improve health in the long term by training local health professionals, and building both institutions and a structure to deliver health care alongside educating the local population. Cuba is a small, middle-income country. It has, however, made a significant international contribution in relation to medical collaboration. Cuba’s international collaboration is based on the principles of social justice and equity for all. It has set an example for other countries to emulate. PMID:27763571

Dynamic analysis of interhospital collaboration and competition: empirical evidence from an Italian regional health system.

PubMed

Mascia, Daniele; Di Vincenzo, Fausto; Cicchetti, Americo

2012-05-01

Policymakers stimulate competition in universalistic health-care systems while encouraging the formation of service provision networks among hospital organizations. This article addresses a gap in the extant literature by empirically analyzing simultaneous collaboration and competition between hospitals within the Italian National Health Service, where important procompetition reforms have been implemented. To explore how rising competition between hospitals relates to their propensity to collaborate with other local providers. Longitudinal data on interhospital collaboration and competition collected in an Italian region from 2003 to 2007 are analyzed. Social network analysis techniques are applied to study the structure and dynamics of interhospital collaboration. Negative binomial regressions are employed to explore how interhospital competition relates to the collaborative network over time. Competition among providers does not hinder interhospital collaboration. Collaboration is primarily local, with resource complementarity and differentials in the volume of activity and hospital performance explaining the propensity to collaborate. Formation of collaborative networks among hospitals is not hampered by reforms aimed at fostering market forces. Because procompetition reforms elicit peculiar forms of managed competition in universalistic health systems, studies are needed to clarify whether the positive association between interhospital competition and collaboration can be generalized to other health-care settings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learner Perceptions of Biophilia and the Learning Environment: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matteson, Donna

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to address a local university's need to promote learner-centered instruction and collaboration through classroom design. Learner-centered collaborative experiences were proposed by the local university to enhance student satisfaction and build social connections and appreciation of diversity. This study builds on…

Bringing Town and Gown Together: Using Local History to Engage Students and Create Collaborative Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Elyssa

2016-01-01

Local history projects allow undergraduate students to engage with their surrounding community and forge relationships between universities and museums. By assigning work that requires input from both students and the museums, these projects help create collaborative partnerships as students leave campus to conduct research, participate in and…

Climate research, citizen science and art in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stiller-Reeve, Mathew; Naznin, Zakia; Blanchard, Anne; Bremer, Scott

2017-04-01

Our research project focuses on climate information for adaptation in the northeast region of Bangladesh. In this project, we work closely with local rural communities. Since these local people are carrying out citizen science together, then a sense of community and good team spirit are essential for success. We collaborated with a Bangladeshi artist to achieve some important goals. Not only did we want to create new and exciting outreach materials, we -more importantly- wanted to see how the artistic process could nurture a sense of community for the local participants. Despite being limited by time, we saw some promising outcomes from the collaboration. The artist successfully interacted with the project researchers and the local participants. The final artwork was a real collaboration between the artist and the participants whom felt pride and ownership in the results.

A Collaborative Education Network for Advancing Climate Literacy using Data Visualization Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDougall, C.; Russell, E. L.; Murray, M.; Bendel, W. B.

2013-12-01

One of the more difficult issues in engaging broad audiences with scientific research is to present it in a way that is intuitive, captivating and up-to-date. Over the past ten years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has made significant progress in this area through Science On a Sphere(R) (SOS). SOS is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display Earth systems data onto a six-foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. This well-crafted data visualization system serves as a way to integrate and display global change phenomena; including polar ice melt, projected sea level rise, ocean acidification and global climate models. Beyond a display for individual data sets, SOS provides a holistic global perspective that highlights the interconnectedness of Earth systems, nations and communities. SOS is now a featured exhibit at more than 100 science centers, museums, universities, aquariums and other institutions around the world reaching more than 33 million visitors every year. To facilitate the development of how this data visualization technology and these visualizations could be used with public audiences, we recognized the need for the exchange of information among the users. To accomplish this, we established the SOS Users Collaborative Network. This network consists of the institutions that have an SOS system or partners who are creating content and educational programming for SOS. When we began the Network in 2005, many museums had limited capacity to both incorporate real-time, authentic scientific data about the Earth system and interpret global change visualizations. They needed not only the visualization platform and the scientific content, but also assistance with methods of approach. We needed feedback from these users on how to craft understandable visualizations and how to further develop the SOS platform to support learning. Through this Network and the collaboration among members, we have, collectively, been able to advance all of our efforts. The member institutions, through regular face-to-face workshops and an online community, share practices in creation and cataloging of datasets, new methods for delivering content via SOS, and updates on the SOS system and software. One hallmark of the SOS Users Collaborative Network is that it exemplifies an ideal partnership between federal science agencies and informal science education institutions. The science agencies (including NOAA, NASA, and the Department of Energy) provide continuously updated global datasets, scientific expertise, funding, and support. In turn, museums act as trusted public providers of scientific information, provide audience-appropriate presentations, localized relevance to global phenomena and a forum for discussing the complex science and repercussions of global change. We will discuss the characteristics of this Network that maximize collaboration and what we're learning as a community to improve climate literacy.

Case-Based Learning in Virtual Groups--Collaborative Problem Solving Activities and Learning Outcomes in a Virtual Professional Training Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopp, Birgitta; Hasenbein, Melanie; Mandl, Heinz

2014-01-01

This article analyzes the collaborative problem solving activities and learning outcomes of five groups that worked on two different complex cases in a virtual professional training course. In this asynchronous virtual learning environment, all knowledge management content was delivered virtually and collaboration took place through forums. To…

The Disciplinary Literacy Discussion Matrix: A Heuristic Tool for Initiating Collaboration in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Airey, John

2011-01-01

In this paper I address the issue of collaboration between content lecturers and language lecturers or educational researchers. Whilst such collaboration is a desirable goal for disciplinary learning in monolingual settings, I suggest it takes on extra significance when two or more languages are involved in teaching and learning a discipline.…

How Does the Type of Task Influence the Performance and Social Regulation of Collaborative Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acuña, Santiago Roger; López-Aymes, Gabriela; Acuña-Castillo, Silvia T.

2018-01-01

In this paper we analyze the effects of the type of collaborative task (elaboration of concept map vs elaboration of expository summary) on the performance and on the level of collaboration achieved by Mexican university students in the multimedia learning of a social sciences content (Communication Psychology). Likewise, the processes of social…

Collaboration between local health and local government agencies for health improvement.

PubMed

Hayes, Sara L; Mann, Mala K; Morgan, Fiona M; Kelly, Mark J; Weightman, Alison L

2012-10-17

In many countries, national, regional and local inter- and intra-agency collaborations have been introduced to improve health outcomes. Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of locally developed partnerships which target changes in health outcomes and behaviours. To evaluate the effects of interagency collaboration between local health and local government agencies on health outcomes in any population or age group. We searched the Cochrane Public Health Group Specialised Register, AMED, ASSIA, CENTRAL, CINAHL, DoPHER, EMBASE, ERIC, HMIC, IBSS, MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process, OpenGrey, PsycINFO, Rehabdata, Social Care Online, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, TRoPHI and Web of Science from 1966 through to January 2012. 'Snowballing' methods were used, including expert contact, citation tracking, website searching and reference list follow-up. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), controlled before-and-after studies (CBAs) and interrupted time series (ITS) where the study reported individual health outcomes arising from interagency collaboration between health and local government agencies compared to standard care. Studies were selected independently in duplicate, with no restriction on population subgroup or disease. Two authors independently conducted data extraction and assessed risk of bias for each study. Sixteen studies were identified (28,212 participants). Only two were considered to be at low risk of bias. Eleven studies contributed data to the meta-analyses but a narrative synthesis was undertaken for all 16 studies. Six studies examined mental health initiatives, of which one showed health benefit, four showed modest improvement in one or more of the outcomes measured but no clear overall health gain, and one showed no evidence of health gain. Four studies considered lifestyle improvements, of which one showed some limited short-term improvements, two failed to show health gains for the intervention population, and one showed more unhealthy lifestyle behaviours persisting in the intervention population. Three studies considered chronic disease management and all failed to demonstrate health gains. Three studies considered environmental improvements and adjustments, of which two showed some health improvements and one did not.Meta-analysis of three studies exploring the effect of collaboration on mortality showed no effect (pooled relative risk of 1.04 in favour of control, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.17). Analysis of five studies (with high heterogeneity) looking at the effect of collaboration on mental health resulted in a standardised mean difference of -0.28, a small effect favouring the intervention (95% CI -0.51 to -0.06). From two studies, there was a statistically significant but clinically modest improvement in the global assessment of function symptoms score scale, with a pooled mean difference (on a scale of 1 to 100) of -2.63 favouring the intervention (95% CI -5.16 to -0.10).For physical health (6 studies) and quality of life (4 studies) the results were not statistically significant, the standardised mean differences were -0.01 (95% CI -0.10 to 0.07) and -0.08 (95% CI -0.44 to 0.27), respectively. Collaboration between local health and local government is commonly considered best practice. However, the review did not identify any reliable evidence that interagency collaboration, compared to standard services, necessarily leads to health improvement. A few studies identified component benefits but these were not reflected in overall outcome scores and could have resulted from the use of significant additional resources. Although agencies appear enthusiastic about collaboration, difficulties in the primary studies and incomplete implementation of initiatives have prevented the development of a strong evidence base. If these weaknesses are addressed in future studies (for example by providing greater detail on the implementation of programmes; using more robust designs, integrated process evaluations to show how well the partners of the collaboration worked together, and measurement of health outcomes) it could provide a better understanding of what might work and why. It is possible that local collaborative partnerships delivering environmental Interventions may result in health gain but the evidence base for this is very limited.Evaluations of interagency collaborative arrangements face many challenges. The results demonstrate that collaborative community partnerships can be established to deliver interventions but it is important to agree goals, methods of working, monitoring and evaluation before implementation to protect programme fidelity and increase the potential for effectiveness.

Ambient Sound-Based Collaborative Localization of Indeterministic Devices

PubMed Central

Kamminga, Jacob; Le, Duc; Havinga, Paul

2016-01-01

Localization is essential in wireless sensor networks. To our knowledge, no prior work has utilized low-cost devices for collaborative localization based on only ambient sound, without the support of local infrastructure. The reason may be the fact that most low-cost devices are indeterministic and suffer from uncertain input latencies. This uncertainty makes accurate localization challenging. Therefore, we present a collaborative localization algorithm (Cooperative Localization on Android with ambient Sound Sources (CLASS)) that simultaneously localizes the position of indeterministic devices and ambient sound sources without local infrastructure. The CLASS algorithm deals with the uncertainty by splitting the devices into subsets so that outliers can be removed from the time difference of arrival values and localization results. Since Android is indeterministic, we select Android devices to evaluate our approach. The algorithm is evaluated with an outdoor experiment and achieves a mean Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 2.18 m with a standard deviation of 0.22 m. Estimated directions towards the sound sources have a mean RMSE of 17.5° and a standard deviation of 2.3°. These results show that it is feasible to simultaneously achieve a relative positioning of both devices and sound sources with sufficient accuracy, even when using non-deterministic devices and platforms, such as Android. PMID:27649176

DPT Student Perceptions of the Physical Therapist Assistant's Role: Effect of Collaborative Case-Based Learning Compared to Traditional Content Delivery and Clinical Experience.

PubMed

Colgrove, Yvonne M; VanHoose, Lisa D

2017-01-01

Doctor of physical therapy (DPT) student learning about role delineation of physical therapist assistants (PTAs) is essential to ethical and legal practice. Survey assessment of three DPT student cohorts compared collaborative interprofessional case-based learning with PTA students to traditional curriculum delivery strategies. Control cohorts were assessed one time. The intervention group was assessed pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and after completing a full-time clinical experience. The case-based learning covered 46% of survey content, allowing for the assessment of content-specific material and potential learning through collaboration. Following the educational intervention, the intervention group improved significantly in areas inside and outside the case-based study content, outscoring both control groups on 25-34% of the survey items. Following the clinical experience, the intervention group declined answer accuracy for patient evaluation and treatment implementation, suggesting unlearning. Improvement in the administrative section was observed after the clinical experience. Perceptions of the tasks within the PTA role were diminished while tasks outside the scope of practice appeared clarified following the clinical experience. While case-based collaborative intraprofessional learning proves effective in student learning about the PTA role, changes following the clinical experience raise questions about the influence of the clinical environment on learning and the practical application of recently learned knowledge.

Facilitating Student-Generated Content Using Web 2.0 Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Eunbae

2011-01-01

Web 2.0 technologies have created a trend of user-generated content by supporting media production, collaboration, communication, and dissemination. User-generated content is translated into student-generated content (SGC) in education. SGC engages learners in an authentic project that fosters students' autonomy, creativity, and real-world…

The keys to CERN conference rooms - Managing local collaboration facilities in large organisations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baron, T.; Domaracky, M.; Duran, G.; Fernandes, J.; Ferreira, P.; Gonzalez Lopez, J. B.; Jouberjean, F.; Lavrut, L.; Tarocco, N.

2014-06-01

For a long time HEP has been ahead of the curve in its usage of remote collaboration tools, like videoconference and webcast, while the local CERN collaboration facilities were somewhat behind the expected quality standards for various reasons. This time is now over with the creation by the CERN IT department in 2012 of an integrated conference room service which provides guidance and installation services for new rooms (either equipped for videoconference or not), as well as maintenance and local support. Managing now nearly half of the 246 meeting rooms available on the CERN sites, this service has been built to cope with the management of all CERN rooms with limited human resources. This has been made possible by the intensive use of professional software to manage and monitor all the room equipment, maintenance and activity. This paper focuses on presenting these packages, either off-the-shelf commercial products (asset and maintenance management tool, remote audio-visual equipment monitoring systems, local automation devices, new generation touch screen interfaces for interacting with the room) when available or locally developed integration and operational layers (generic audio-visual control and monitoring framework) and how they help overcoming the challenges presented by such a service. The aim is to minimise local human interventions while preserving the highest service quality and placing the end user back in the centre of this collaboration platform.

Beyond Bells and Whistles: Content Area Teachers' Understanding of and Engagement with Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huysman, Mary

2012-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore content area teachers' understanding of literacy, the strategies they use in working with content materials to support their students' learning of content, and how collaboration with a literacy expert informs literacy instruction. In my work with content area teachers,…

Academic Performance and Personal Experience of Local, International, and Collaborative Exchange Students Enrolled in an Australian Pharmacy Program

PubMed Central

Grant, Gary D.; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2013-01-01

Objective. To assess the academic performance and experiences of local, international, and collaborative exchange students enrolled in a 4-year Australian bachelor of pharmacy degree program. Methods. Survey instruments exploring the demographics, background, and academic and cultural experiences of students during the program were administered in 2005 to students in all 4 years. Additionally, grades from each semester of the program for students (406 local, 70 international, 155 exchange) who graduated between 2002 and 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. Results. The main differences found in the survey responses among the 3 groups were in students’ motivations for choosing the degree program and school, with international and collaborative exchange students having put more thought into these decisions than local students. The average grades over the duration of the program were similar in all 3 demographic groups. However, local students slightly outperformed international students, particularly at the start of the year, whereas collaborative exchange students’ grades mirrored those of local students during the 2 years prior to leaving their home country of Malaysia but more closely mirrored those of international students in the final 2 years after arriving on campus in Australia. Conclusion. Despite differences in academic backgrounds and culture, international and exchange students can perform well compared to local students in a bachelor of pharmacy program and were actually more satisfied than local students with the overall experience. Studying in a foreign country can negatively influence academic grades to a small extent and this is probably related to adjusting to the new environment. PMID:24052651

Academic performance and personal experience of local, international, and collaborative exchange students enrolled in an Australian pharmacy program.

PubMed

Davey, Andrew K; Grant, Gary D; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

2013-09-12

To assess the academic performance and experiences of local, international, and collaborative exchange students enrolled in a 4-year Australian bachelor of pharmacy degree program. Survey instruments exploring the demographics, background, and academic and cultural experiences of students during the program were administered in 2005 to students in all 4 years. Additionally, grades from each semester of the program for students (406 local, 70 international, 155 exchange) who graduated between 2002 and 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. The main differences found in the survey responses among the 3 groups were in students' motivations for choosing the degree program and school, with international and collaborative exchange students having put more thought into these decisions than local students. The average grades over the duration of the program were similar in all 3 demographic groups. However, local students slightly outperformed international students, particularly at the start of the year, whereas collaborative exchange students' grades mirrored those of local students during the 2 years prior to leaving their home country of Malaysia but more closely mirrored those of international students in the final 2 years after arriving on campus in Australia. Despite differences in academic backgrounds and culture, international and exchange students can perform well compared to local students in a bachelor of pharmacy program and were actually more satisfied than local students with the overall experience. Studying in a foreign country can negatively influence academic grades to a small extent and this is probably related to adjusting to the new environment.

Building Climate Literacy Through Strategic Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrin, M.; Creyts, T. T.; Bell, R. E.; Meadows, C. A.

2012-12-01

One of the challenges of developing climate science literacy is establishing the relevance of both climate science and climate change at a local community level. By developing partnerships with community-based informal science education providers, we are able to build our climate science and climate change content into existing programs. Employing a systems science approach facilitates these partnerships as our systems science program links with a range of topics, demonstrating the multiple connections between climate, our communities and our daily lives. Merging hands on activities, collaborative projects, and new technology, we encourage learning through doing by engaging participants in active exploration of climate science concepts. Many informal education venues operating locally, from large science museums to small grass-roots community groups, provide ongoing opportunities to connect with students. Through our collaborations we have worked with various types and sizes of non-classroom science providers including: the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum "Greater Opportunities Advancing Leadership and Science" camps for high school girls, Hudson River Park Trust 'Science on the River' events, the annual New York City World Science Festival, and the AAUW's annual STEM Super Scholars Workshops among others. This range of venues has enabled us to reach various ages, backgrounds and interests advancing climate literacy in a number of forums. Major outcomes of these efforts are: (1) Building capacity with community groups: Many local organizations running community programs do not have in-house science expertise. Both science educators and local organization benefit from these collaborations. Science educators and scientists provide up to date climate science information to the community groups while these programs establish strong working relationships between our research and the local community. (2) Developing climate science literacy and lifelong learning: We have delivered climate science in a variety of ways, each designed to connect the participants with a fundamental science concept while building excitement for the topic and facilitating learning in a non-traditional setting. Our approaches range from launching teams of young people into experiments exploring glacial physics through free-choice inquiry opportunities, to enlisting undergraduate science students in working with the participants demonstrating glacial motion and measurement through engaging technology such as Kinect Xbox 360 sensors, to short single concept hands-on activities designed to deliver a specific climate 'take home' message. (3) Generating a local connection to climate science and impacts: Working with local informal education groups we connect climate topics to community-based issues and 'hot topics' such as sustainable planning, waterfront erosion, storm surge impacts, and local sea level rise projections. Partnering with community based informal education providers allows us to expand our offerings to reach a wider audience of young people, and to connect more directly with our local community. We are excited by the potential in these partnerships to connect students with climate science and develop not only a climate literate group of young people, but also lifelong science learners.

Examining Strategies to Build and Sustain Healthy Aging Programming Collaboratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altpeter, Mary; Schneider, Ellen Caylor; Whitelaw, Nancy

2014-01-01

Background: Community collaboratives provide a means to build local capacity, reduce service fragmentation and duplication, maximize efficiency, and create synergies for "systems change". But what are the collaborative practices that aging services providers and other stakeholders employ for "system change" and…

Journeys of Transformation: A Statewide Effort by Mathematics and Science Professors To Improve Student Understanding. Case Reports from Participants in the Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Maureen B., Ed.

This document presents the Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation (MCTP) faculty's reviews on instructional issues of different disciplines. Contents include: (1) "The Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation"; (2) "Guiding Principles: New Thinking in Mathematics and Science Teaching"; (3) "Introduction: Parallel Journeys of Risk and…

Student use of a Learning Management System for group projects: A case study investigating interaction, collaboration, and knowledge construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonn, Steven D.

Web-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) allow instructors and students to share instructional materials, make class announcements, submit and return course assignments, and communicate with each other online. Previous LMS-related research has focused on how these systems deliver and manage instructional content with little concern for how students' constructivist learning can be encouraged and facilitated. This study investigated how students use LMS to interact, collaborate, and construct knowledge within the context of a group project but without mediation by the instructor. The setting for this case study was students' use in one upper-level biology course of the local LMS within the context of a course-related group project, a mock National Institutes of Health grant proposal. Twenty-one groups (82 students) voluntarily elected to use the LMS, representing two-thirds of all students in the course. Students' peer-to-peer messages within the LMS, event logs, online surveys, focus group interviews, and instructor interviews were used in order to answer the study's overarching research question. The results indicate that students successfully used the LMS to interact and, to a significant extent, collaborate, but there was very little evidence of knowledge construction using the LMS technology. It is possible that the ease and availability of face-to-face meetings as well as problems and limitations with the technology were factors that influenced whether students' online basic interaction could be further distinguished as collaboration or knowledge construction. Despite these limitations, students found several tools and functions of the LMS useful for their online peer interaction and completion of their course project. Additionally, LMS designers and implementers are urged to consider previous literature on computer-supported collaborative learning environments in order to better facilitate independent group projects within these systems. Further research is needed to identify the best types of scaffolds and overall technological improvements in order to provide support for online collaboration and knowledge construction.

Under the Scope: Bringing Zooplankton Research into the K-12 Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, J.; Petrone, C.; Wickline, A.

2016-02-01

Despite their small size, zooplankton are dynamic and engaging animals when viewed by researchers, teachers, and students alike. Recognizing this, we are working with K-12 teachers to develop web-based resources for using zooplankton in the classroom. This outreach effort is part of a Delaware Sea Grant-funded research project studying seasonal dynamics of zooplankton in Delaware Bay. The research team, in collaboration with a marine education specialist, initially created a website (www.underthescope.udel.edu) containing: background information on zooplankton and the research project, a magnification tool, an identification tool, and education modules that facilitate directed use of the website content and tools. Local teachers (elementary through high school) were then hosted for a workshop to engage in zooplankton sampling using methods employed in the research project, including zooplankton tows and semi-autonomous identification using a ZooScan imaging system. Teachers then explored the website, evaluating its design, content, and usability for their particular grade level. Specific suggestions from the evaluation were incorporated into the website, with additional implementation planned over the next year. This teacher- researcher partnership was successful in developing the digital resource itself, in building excitement and capacity among a cohort of teachers, and in establishing relationships among teachers and researchers to facilitate adding new dimensions to the collaboration. The latter will include zooplankton sampling by school groups, researcher optical scanning of samples with ZooScan, and subsequent student analysis and reporting on their data.

Fostering Local Health Department and Health System Collaboration Through Case Conferences for At-Risk and Vulnerable Populations.

PubMed

Vest, Joshua R; Caine, Virginia; Harris, Lisa E; Watson, Dennis P; Menachemi, Nir; Halverson, Paul

2018-05-01

In case conferences, health care providers work together to identify and address patients' complex social and medical needs. Public health nurses from the local health department joined case conference teams at federally qualified health center primary care sites to foster cross-sector collaboration, integration, and mutual learning. Public health nurse participation resulted in frequent referrals to local health department services, greater awareness of public health capabilities, and potential policy interventions to address social determinants of health.

Identifying Barriers to Collaboration Between Primary Care and Public Health: Experiences at the Local Level.

PubMed

Pratt, Rebekah; Gyllstrom, Beth; Gearin, Kim; Lange, Carol; Hahn, David; Baldwin, Laura-Mae; VanRaemdonck, Lisa; Nease, Don; Zahner, Susan

Interest is increasing in collaborations between public health and primary care to address the health of a community. Although the understanding of how these collaborations work is growing, little is known about the barriers facing these partners at the local level. The objective of this study was to identify barriers to collaboration between primary care and public health at the local level in 4 states. The study team, which comprised 12 representatives of Practice-Based Research Networks (networks of practitioners interested in conducting research in practice-based settings), identified 40 key informants from the public health and primary care fields in Colorado, Minnesota, Washington State, and Wisconsin. The key informants participated in standardized, semistructured telephone interviews with 8 study team members in 2014 and 2015. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We analyzed key themes and subthemes by drawing on grounded theory. Primary care and public health participants identified similar barriers to collaboration. Barriers at the institutional level included the challenges of the primary care environment, in which providers feel overwhelmed and resources are tight; the need for systems change; a lack of partnership; and geographic challenges. Barriers to collaboration included mutual awareness, communication, data sharing, capacity, lack of resources, and prioritization of resources. Some barriers to collaboration (eg, changes to health care billing, demands on provider time) require systems change to overcome, whereas others (eg, a lack of shared priorities and mutual awareness) could be addressed through educational approaches, without adding resources or making a systemic change. Overcoming these common barriers may lead to more effective collaboration.

Exploring the influence of context in a community-based facilitation intervention focusing on neonatal health and survival in Vietnam: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Duong, Duc M; Bergström, Anna; Wallin, Lars; Bui, Ha T T; Eriksson, Leif; Eldh, Ann Catrine

2015-08-22

In the Neonatal health - Knowledge into Practice (NeoKIP) trial in Vietnam, local stakeholder groups, supported by trained laywomen acting as facilitators, promoted knowledge translation (KT) resulting in decreased neonatal mortality. In general, as well as in the community-based NeoKIP trial, there is a need to further understand how context influences KT interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, the objective of this study was to explore the influence of context on the facilitation process in the NeoKIP intervention. A secondary content analysis was performed on 16 Focus Group Discussions with facilitators and participants of the stakeholder groups, applying an inductive approach to the content on context through naïve understanding and structured analysis. The three main-categories of context found to influence the facilitation process in the NeoKIP intervention were: (1) Support and collaboration of local authorities and other communal stakeholders; (2) Incentives to, and motivation of, participants; and (3) Low health care coverage and utilization. In particular, the role of local authorities in a KT intervention was recognized as important. Also, while project participants expected financial incentives, non-financial benefits such as individual learning were considered to balance the lack of reimbursement in the NeoKIP intervention. Further, project participants recognized the need to acknowledge the needs of disadvantaged groups. This study provides insight for further understanding of the influence of contextual aspects to improve effects of a KT intervention in Vietnam. We suggest that future KT interventions should apply strategies to improve local authorities' engagement, to identify and communicate non-financial incentives, and to make disadvantaged groups a priority. Further studies to evaluate the contextual aspects in KT interventions in LMICs are also needed.

Concept Similarity in Publications Precedes Cross-disciplinary Collaboration

PubMed Central

Post, Andrew R.; Harrison, James H.

2008-01-01

Innovative science frequently occurs as a result of cross-disciplinary collaboration, the importance of which is reflected by recent NIH funding initiatives that promote communication and collaboration. If shared research interests between collaborators are important for the formation of collaborations, methods for identifying these shared interests across scientific domains could potentially reveal new and useful collaboration opportunities. MEDLINE represents a comprehensive database of collaborations and research interests, as reflected by article co-authors and concept content. We analyzed six years of citations using information retrieval-based methods to compute articles’ conceptual similarity, and found that articles by basic and clinical scientists who later collaborated had significantly higher average similarity than articles by similar scientists who did not collaborate. Refinement of these methods and characterization of found conceptual overlaps could allow automated discovery of collaboration opportunities that are currently missed. PMID:18999254

Concept similarity in publications precedes cross-disciplinary collaboration.

PubMed

Post, Andrew R; Harrison, James H

2008-11-06

Innovative science frequently occurs as a result of cross-disciplinary collaboration, the importance of which is reflected by recent NIH funding initiatives that promote communication and collaboration. If shared research interests between collaborators are important for the formation of collaborations,methods for identifying these shared interests across scientific domains could potentially reveal new and useful collaboration opportunities. MEDLINE represents a comprehensive database of collaborations and research interests, as reflected by article co-authors and concept content. We analyzed six years of citations using information retrieval based methods to compute articles conceptual similarity, and found that articles by basic and clinical scientists who later collaborated had significantly higher average similarity than articles by similar scientists who did not collaborate.Refinement of these methods and characterization of found conceptual overlaps could allow automated discovery of collaboration opportunities that are currently missed.

Recommending personally interested contents by text mining, filtering, and interfaces

DOEpatents

Xu, Songhua

2015-10-27

A personalized content recommendation system includes a client interface device configured to monitor a user's information data stream. A collaborative filter remote from the client interface device generates automated predictions about the interests of the user. A database server stores personal behavioral profiles and user's preferences based on a plurality of monitored past behaviors and an output of the collaborative user personal interest inference engine. A programmed personal content recommendation server filters items in an incoming information stream with the personal behavioral profile and identifies only those items of the incoming information stream that substantially matches the personal behavioral profile. The identified personally relevant content is then recommended to the user following some priority that may consider the similarity between the personal interest matches, the context of the user information consumption behaviors that may be shown by the user's content consumption mode.

Surgery and anesthesia capacity-building in resource-poor settings: description of an ongoing academic partnership in Uganda.

PubMed

Lipnick, Michael; Mijumbi, Cephas; Dubowitz, Gerald; Kaggwa, Samuel; Goetz, Laura; Mabweijano, Jacqueline; Jayaraman, Sudha; Kwizera, Arthur; Tindimwebwa, Joseph; Ozgediz, Doruk

2013-03-01

Surgery and perioperative care have been neglected in the arena of global health despite evidence of cost-effectiveness and the growing, substantial burden of surgical conditions. Various approaches to address the surgical disease crisis have been reported. This article describes the strategy of Global Partners in Anesthesia and Surgery (GPAS), an academically based, capacity-building collaboration between North American and Ugandan teaching institutions. The collaboration's projects shift away from the trainee exchange, equipment donation, and clinical service delivery models. Instead, it focuses on three locally identified objectives to improve surgical and perioperative care capacity in Uganda: workforce expansion, research, collaboration. Recruitment programs from 2007 to 2011 helped increase the number of surgery and anesthesia trainees at Mulago Hospital (Kampala, Uganda) from 20 to 40 and 2 to 19, respectively. All sponsored trainees successfully graduated and remained in the region. Postgraduate academic positions were created and filled to promote workforce retention. A local research agenda was developed, more than 15 collaborative, peer-reviewed papers have been published, and the first competitive research grant for a principal investigator in the Department of Surgery at Mulago was obtained. A local projects coordinator position and an annual conference were created and jointly funded by partnering international efforts to promote collaboration. Sub-Saharan Africa has profound unmet needs in surgery and perioperative care. This academically based model helped increase recruitment of trainees, expanded local research, and strengthened stakeholder collaboration in Uganda. Further analysis is underway to determine the impact on surgical disease burden and other important outcome measures.

Disaster medical assistance in super typhoon Haiyan: Collaboration with the local medical team that resulted in great synergy.

PubMed

Kim, Hoon; Ahn, Moo Eob; Lee, Kang Hyun; Kim, Yeong Cheol; Hong, Eun Seok

2015-03-01

On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan made landfalls over the center of the Philippines and devastated the region. Soon aftermath of the disaster, many foreign medical teams (FMTs) headed toward the site, and the Korean team was one of them. This study described the experiences of the team during the initial phase of response, focusing on collaborative efforts with the local medical team. The Korean team was capable of providing primary care, and the Filipino team provided incomplete secondary care which was insufficient for covering the patient load. Not only did the Korean team provide electricity for hospital operation and various materials, but also supplemented medical personnel, who covered the emergency and outpatient departments. Collaborative efforts filled in each other's gap, and resulted in great synergy. Disaster medical relief mission of FMTs should be cooperated with a coordination mechanism. Collaboration with the local resources can be a great opportunity for both parties, and should not be overlooked in any disaster situations.

Sound Is Sound: Film Sound Techniques and Infrasound Data Array Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perttu, A. B.; Williams, R.; Taisne, B.; Tailpied, D.

2017-12-01

A multidisciplinary collaboration between earth scientists and a sound designer/composer was established to explore the possibilities of audification analysis of infrasound array data. Through the process of audification of the infrasound we began to experiment with techniques and processes borrowed from cinema to manipulate the noise content of the signal. The results of this posed the question: "Would the accuracy of infrasound data array processing be enhanced by employing these techniques?". So a new area of research was born from this collaboration and highlights the value of these interactions and the unintended paths that can occur from them. Using a reference event database, infrasound data were processed using these new techniques and the results were compared with existing techniques to asses if there was any improvement to detection capability for the array. With just under one thousand volcanoes, and a high probability of eruption, Southeast Asia offers a unique opportunity to develop and test techniques for regional monitoring of volcanoes with different technologies. While these volcanoes are monitored locally (e.g. seismometer, infrasound, geodetic and geochemistry networks) and remotely (e.g. satellite and infrasound), there are challenges and limitations to the current monitoring capability. Not only is there a high fraction of cloud cover in the region, making plume observation more difficult via satellite, there have been examples of local monitoring networks and telemetry being destroyed early in the eruptive sequence. The success of local infrasound studies to identify explosions at volcanoes, and calculate plume heights from these signals, has led to an interest in retrieving source parameters for the purpose of ash modeling with a regional network independent of cloud cover.

Supporting early career health investigators in Kenya: A qualitative study of HIV/AIDS research capacity building.

PubMed

Daniels, Joseph; Nduati, Ruth; Kiarie, James; Farquhar, Carey

2015-01-01

Strategies to transfer international health research training programs to sub-Saharan African institutions focus on developing cadres of local investigators who will lead such programs. Using a critical leadership theory framework, we conducted a qualitative study of one program to understand how collaborative training and research can support early career investigators in Kenya toward the program transfer goal. We used purposive sampling methods and a semi-structured protocol to conduct in-depth interviews with US (N = 5) and Kenyan (N = 5) independent investigators. Transcripts were coded using a two-step process, and then compared with each other to identify major themes. A limited local research environment, funding needs and research career mentorship were identified as major influences on early career researchers. Institutional demands on Kenyan faculty to teach rather than complete research restricted investigators' ability to develop research careers. This was coupled with lack of local funding to support research. Sustainable collaborations between Kenyan, US and other international investigators were perceived to mitigate these challenges and support early career investigators who would help build a robust local research environment for training. Mutually beneficial collaborations between Kenyan and US investigators developed during training mitigate these challenges and build a supportive research environment for training. In these collaborations, early career investigators learn how to navigate the complex international research environment to build local HIV research capacity. Shared and mutually beneficial resources within international research collaborations are required to support early career investigators and plans to transfer health research training to African institutions.

Towards health in all policies for childhood obesity prevention.

PubMed

Hendriks, Anna-Marie; Kremers, Stef P J; Gubbels, Jessica S; Raat, Hein; de Vries, Nanne K; Jansen, Maria W J

2013-01-01

The childhood obesity epidemic can be best tackled by means of an integrated approach, which is enabled by integrated public health policies, or Health in All Policies. Integrated policies are developed through intersectoral collaboration between local government policy makers from health and nonhealth sectors. Such intersectoral collaboration has been proved to be difficult. In this study, we investigated which resources influence intersectoral collaboration. The behavior change wheel framework was used to categorize motivation-, capability-, and opportunity-related resources for intersectoral collaboration. In-depth interviews were held with eight officials representing 10 non-health policy sectors within a local government. Results showed that health and non-health policy sectors did not share policy goals, which decreased motivation for intersectoral collaboration. Awareness of the linkage between health and nonhealth policy sectors was limited, and management was not involved in creating such awareness, which reduced the capability for intersectoral collaboration. Insufficient organizational resources and structures reduced opportunities for intersectoral collaboration. To stimulate intersectoral collaboration to prevent childhood obesity, we recommend that public health professionals should reframe health goals in the terminology of nonhealth policy sectors, that municipal department managers should increase awareness of public health in non-health policy sectors, and that flatter organizational structures should be established.

The Impacts of Using a Collaborative Evaluation Approach in Higher Education: A Case Study of Local YMCAs Providing College Access Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Johnavae E.

2013-01-01

This dissertation offers a case study of the YMCA of the USA's pilot Higher Education Service Project (YHESP) with 61 local YMCAs on how the collaborative evaluation approach functioned to facilitate an organizational culture around evaluation and reinvention strategies of YMCAs as college access service providers. Multiple data collection sources…

A Collaborative Project to Increase the Participation of Women and Minorities in Higher Level Mathematics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Kristin; Schumacher, Phyllis

2005-01-01

In this article, the authors describe a program developed to encourage women and minorities to continue their study of mathematics in high schools until graduation. The 3-year program was a collaborative effort by professors and students from Bryant University, local businesses, and local high schools. During the 3 years, the program evolved from…

Training for the Self-Catering Industry. An Example of College/Employer Collaboration in Training for Unemployed Adults. FEU/REPLAN.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Further Education Unit, London (England).

A Local Collaborative Project was developed by an employers' association (Best of British Holidays), Evesham College of Further Education, the Department of Education and Science PICKUP Unit, and Hereford and Worcester Local Education Authority to train workers for the self-catering (travel and tourism) industry in England. During the project,…

Collaboration between the University Pre-Service Teacher Education Program and the Local Elementary School on English Remedial Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2015-01-01

This study analyzed 24 pre-service elementary school English teachers' design and delivery of remedial education to the fifth and sixth graders in the collaboration between the university pre-service teacher education program and the local elementary school in a city in northwest Taiwan. The pre-service teachers were encouraged by the elementary…

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 09: Benefits of collaboration

Treesearch

Christine Esposito

2006-01-01

Wildland fire professionals at the Federal, State, and local levels have a long tradition of collaborating across agencies and jurisdictions to achieve goals that they could not achieve independently. This fact sheet discusses the reasons and resources for collaboration.Other...

Climate Voices: Bridging Scientist Citizens and Local Communities across the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegner, K.; Ristvey, J. D., Jr.

2016-12-01

Based out of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the Climate Voices Science Speakers Network (climatevoices.org) has more than 400 participants across the United States that volunteer their time as scientist citizens in their local communities. Climate Voices experts engage in nonpartisan conversations about the local impacts of climate change with groups such as Rotary clubs, collaborate with faith-based groups on climate action initiatives, and disseminate their research findings to K-12 teachers and classrooms through webinars. To support their participants, Climate Voices develops partnerships with networks of community groups, provides trainings on how to engage these communities, and actively seeks community feedback. In this presentation, we will share case studies of science-community collaborations, including meta-analyses of collaborations and lessons learned.

Wikipedia vs. Academia: An Investigation into the Role of the Internet in Education, with a Special Focus on Wikipedia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staub, Timo; Hodel, Thomas

2016-01-01

This paper considers Wikipedia and collaborative editing in general: what is Wikipedia, how does it work as a collaborative editing project? Who publishes there, how do these people collaborate, is there a hierarchy among them? And what about Wikipedia quality control: is it efficient, how good is the factual quality of the content? Can Wikipedia…

Enriching a Collaborative Teacher Inquiry Discourse: Exploring Teachers' Experiences of a Theory-Framed Discourse in a Singapore Case of Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Yuen Sze Michelle

2014-01-01

This paper explores how a learning theory enriched a collaborative teacher inquiry discourse where lesson study was adopted as the educational action research model to promote teacher professional development. Four Grade 9-10 biology teachers in Singapore drew from variation theory to collaboratively plan and teach new genetics content as part of…

Collaborative community hazard exposure mapping: Distant Early Warning radar sites in Alaska's North Slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brady, M.

2015-12-01

A method to produce hazard exposure maps that are developed in collaboration with local coastal communities is the focus of this research. Typically efforts to map community exposure to climate threats over large areas have limited consideration of local perspectives about associated risks, constraining their utility for local management. This problem is especially acute in remote locations such as the Arctic where there are unique vulnerabilities to coastal threats that can be fully understood only through inclusion of community stakeholders. Through collaboration with community members, this study identifies important coastal assets and places and surveys local perspectives of exposure to climate threats along Alaska's vast North Slope coastline spanning multiple municipalities. To model physical exposure, the study adapts the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) coastal vulnerability index (CVI) to the Arctic context by incorporating the effects of open water distance determined by sea ice extent, and assigning CVI values to coastal assets and places according to direction and proximity. The study found that in addition to concerns about exposed municipal and industrial assets, North Slope communities viewed exposure of traditional activity sites as presenting a particular risk for communities. Highly exposed legacy Cold War Distant Early Warning Line sites are of particular concern with impacts ranging from financial risk to contamination of sensitive coastal marine environments. This research demonstrates a method to collaboratively map community exposure to coastal climate threats to better understand local risks and produce locally usable exposure maps.

Teaching scientific literacy in an introductory women's studies course: a case study in interdisciplinary collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuselier, Linda; Murphy, Claudia; Bender, Anita; Creel Falcón, Kandace

2015-01-01

Background and purpose:The purpose of this exploratory case study is to describe how scholars negotiated disciplinary divides to develop and communicate to their students an understanding of the basic features of scientific knowledge. Our goals were to examine boundary crossing in interdisciplinary collaboration and to assess the efficacy of adding science content to an introductory Women's Studies course. Sample:We studied a collaboration between faculty in Biology and Women's Studies and evaluated science modules in a Women's Studies course at a regional four-year university in the Midwestern USA. The study included 186 student participants over three semesters and four faculty from Philosophy, Women's Studies and Biology. Design and method:Women's Studies and Biology faculty collaborated to design and implement science content learning modules that included the case of women and science in an introductory Women's Studies course. Qualitative data collected from faculty participants in the form of peer debrief sessions and narrative reflections were used to examine the process of interdisciplinary collaboration. Students exposed to curriculum changes were administered pre- and post-lesson surveys to evaluate their understanding of issues faced by women in science careers, the nature of science, and interest in science studies. Data from collaborators, student journal reflections, and pre-/post-lesson surveys were considered together in an evaluation of how knowledge of science was understood and taught in a Women's Studies course over a longitudinal study of three semesters. Results:We found evidence of discipline-based challenges to interdisciplinarity and disciplinary boundary crossing among collaborators. Three themes emerged from our collaboration: challenges posed by disciplinary differences, creation of a space for interdisciplinary work, and evidence of boundary crossing. Student participants exhibited more prior knowledge of Women's Studies content than nature of science but showed learning in the areas of scientific literacy and the understanding of issues related to women in science careers. Student understanding of science content was enhanced by the participation of a woman scientist in the learning module. Conclusion:This case study illustrates how creating an inclusive space for interdisciplinary collaboration led to successful curriculum transformation and academic boundary crossing by faculty participants. Success is evident in the legacy of interdisciplinarity in the curriculum and learning gains by students. Use of a feminist science studies framework was successful at helping students learn about the influence of values on science and the tentative nature of scientific conclusions. It was less successful in teaching the distinction between science and other ways of knowing and the conception that science is an evidence-based approach to understanding the natural world. This study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary teams of faculty members collaborating to help students learn about science by modeling that there are multiple ways of knowing.

Crowd-Sourcing (Semantically) Structured Multilingual Educational Content (CoSMEC)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarasowa, Darya; Auer, Sören; Khalili, Ali; Unbehauen, Jörg

2014-01-01

The support of multilingual content becomes crucial for educational platforms due to the benefits it offers. In this paper we propose a concept that allows content authors to use the power of the crowd to create (semantically) structured multilingual educational content out of their material. To enable the collaboration of the crowd, we expand our…

RESTful Services Guidance for Developers v 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

storing DDMS records. Tagging – Tagging enables the provider of information to associate a set of keywords or “tags” to content. Folksonomies ...or Collaborative Tagging – Folksonomies allow multiple users to attach their own tags to content. Content that gets associated to the same tag by

Increasing Residency Research Output While Cultivating Community Research Collaborations.

PubMed

Weaver, Sally P

2018-06-01

Having a research curriculum in addition to hosting a resident research day stimulates research activity in residency programs. Research collaborations outside an individual residency program may also promote research in residency. This paper describes a community-wide health research forum that engages faculty and residents in research while bringing together potential research collaborators from the community. A yearly research forum has been held at a large community-based family medicine residency program for the past 10 years. This forum invites both residency faculty and residents to present scholarly works, and also invites researchers from the community to present health-related research. Presenters outside the residency come from hospital systems, the local university, other residency programs, and community private physicians. Peer-reviewed research publications have increased greatly since the advent of the research forum in 2006, with six publications from 1997-2006 and 26 from 2007-2016. Greater increases in numbers of peer reviewed presentations were also seen. Collaborative research has occurred between residency faculty and multiple departments at the local university including the business school, social work, public health, physiology, and statistics. There are now 28 collaborative projects completed or in progress. Development and implementation of a regional health research event has been a success in increasing faculty and resident research productivity. The even greater success however, is the progress made in advancing research collaborations between the local university and the residency program.

A Model for International Collaborative Development Work in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amiel, Tel; McClendon, V. J.; Orey, Michael

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the establishment of an international collaborative program focused on school improvement in Brazil and the United States. Two qualitative research studies were conducted on the development work conducted by faculty, students, and local K-12 school stakeholders. The design and implementation of collaborative student projects…

Superintendent-Business Executive Collaboration in Intermediary Organizations: Moral Agency and Democratic Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Jeffrey V.; McKee, Tiffany; Martin, Staci

2014-01-01

This case study describes collaboration between business executives and superintendents to influence local/regional K-12 educational change. Specifically, we examine participant like-mindedness about the ethics and appropriate focus of K-12 intermediary collaboration, the extent of democratic functioning, and key individuals to involve. Data…

The Internationalization of Research in Europe: A Quantitative Study of 11 National Systems From a Micro-Level Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwiek, Marek

2015-01-01

This article focuses on the impact of international research collaboration on individual research productivity in 11 European countries. Research productivity and international publication co-authorship of "internationalists" and "locals" (or academics collaborating and not collaborating internationally) are compared. The…

A University/School Collaboration Model for Systemic Change through Site-Based Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackmann, Donald G.; Berry, James E.

The Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Collaborative School Improvement Program was established in 1978 within the College of Education's Office of Collaborative Education. The program assists local district personnel with school improvement and staff development activities through training teachers, administrators, board members, and other staff…

Collaborative Procurement Initiative

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

GPP's Clean Energy Collaborative Procurement Initiative provides a platform for deploying clean energy technologies across multiple government and educational organizations for maximum impact on installed solar system capacity and local economic activity.

Connecting Hydrologic Research and Management in American Samoa through Collaboration and Capacity Building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuler, C. K.; El-Kadi, A. I.; Dulai, H.; Glenn, C. R.; Mariner, M. K. E.; DeWees, R.; Schmaedick, M.; Gurr, I.; Comeros, M.; Bodell, T.

2017-12-01

In small-island developing communities, effective communication and collaboration with local stakeholders is imperative for successful implementation of hydrologic or other socially pertinent research. American Samoa's isolated location highlights the need for water resource sustainability, and effective scientific research is a key component to addressing critical challenges in water storage and management. Currently, aquifer degradation from salt-water-intrusion or surface-water contaminated groundwater adversely affects much of the islands' municipal water supply, necessitating an almost decade long Boil-Water-Advisory. This presentation will share the approach our research group, based at the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center, has taken for successfully implementing a collaboration-focused water research program in American Samoa. Instead of viewing research as a one-sided activity, our program seeks opportunities to build local capacity, develop relationships with key on-island stakeholders, and involve local community through forward-looking projects. This presentation will highlight three applications of collaborative research with water policy and management, water supply and sustainability, and science education stakeholders. Projects include: 1) working with the island's water utility to establish a long-term hydrological monitoring network, motivated by a need for data to parameterize numerical groundwater models, 2) collaboration with the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency to better understand groundwater discharge and watershed scale land-use impacts for management of nearshore coral reef ecosystems, and 3) participation of local community college and high school students as research interns to increase involvement in, and exposure to socially pertinent water focused research. Through these innovative collaborative approaches we have utilized resources more effectively, and focused research efforts on more pertinent locally-driven research questions. Additionally, this approach has enhanced our ability to provide technical support and knowledge transfer for on-island scientific needs, and helped overcome data availability barriers faced by water managers, planners, and future investigators.

An Analysis of a System of Rural Regional Environmental Management Led by ‘a Group of University Students’

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakajima, Masahiro; Nakamura, Masato; Hiroshige, Yutaka

This paper aims to analyze the formative processes and the current state of a collaboration between ‘outsiders’ and local residents in a System of Rural Regional Environmental management from the view point of human networks. The system seeks to solve the problem of abandoned farmlands led by a group of university students (outsiders). We chronologically classified a total of eighty-nine activities addressing the issue of abandoned farmlands by utilizing three concepts: ‘calculated devices’ (e.g. the making of relations between a group of university students and local residents and strengthening these relations), ‘assistance/participation’, and ‘voluntary interaction/desire’. Based on this analysis, we: 1) developed an understanding of the formative processes as well as the current state of the collaboration between a group of university students and twenty seven local residents from an individual perspective; 2) identified ten key individuals who played a significant role in the activities examined and revealed their characteristics and motivations; 3) suggest that an existing NPO and informal relations between the local residents played a major role in the formation of collaborative networks; 4) argue that the perceived characteristics of the students (e.g. ‘youthful’, ‘inexperienced’) and the Mori-Mori club (e.g. unstable) contributed to the maintenance and expansion of the collaboration between ‘outsiders’ and local residents.

"The Chattanooga Times" and NewsChannel 9: Working Together To Get the Scoop and the Implications for Journalism Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pringle, Peter K.; Alderman, Betsy B.

Although high profile media mergers gain national attention, collaboration seems to be the trend among local news gathering organizations. Local media are discovering that one answer to cutbacks in budgets and personnel is to work with the competition to get the story. The verdict is still out about how the competitor-as-collaborator approach will…

Agent Collaborative Target Localization and Classification in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Wang, Xue; Bi, Dao-wei; Ding, Liang; Wang, Sheng

2007-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are autonomous networks that have been frequently deployed to collaboratively perform target localization and classification tasks. Their autonomous and collaborative features resemble the characteristics of agents. Such similarities inspire the development of heterogeneous agent architecture for WSN in this paper. The proposed agent architecture views WSN as multi-agent systems and mobile agents are employed to reduce in-network communication. According to the architecture, an energy based acoustic localization algorithm is proposed. In localization, estimate of target location is obtained by steepest descent search. The search algorithm adapts to measurement environments by dynamically adjusting its termination condition. With the agent architecture, target classification is accomplished by distributed support vector machine (SVM). Mobile agents are employed for feature extraction and distributed SVM learning to reduce communication load. Desirable learning performance is guaranteed by combining support vectors and convex hull vectors. Fusion algorithms are designed to merge SVM classification decisions made from various modalities. Real world experiments with MICAz sensor nodes are conducted for vehicle localization and classification. Experimental results show the proposed agent architecture remarkably facilitates WSN designs and algorithm implementation. The localization and classification algorithms also prove to be accurate and energy efficient.

A Generational Opportunity: A 21st Century Learning Content Delivery System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McElroy, Patrick

2007-01-01

This paper describes a collaboratively developed, open marketplace for network-based learning and research content for the higher education community. It explores how available technologies and standards can facilitate a new knowledge creation industry for higher education learning content that engages all stakeholders in new ways. The Advisory…

Taken for Granted: Why Curriculum Content Is Like Oxygen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gosse, Carolyn; Hansel, Lisa

2014-01-01

For educators, the content of the curriculum really is like oxygen: it is the necessary precondition for improving schools, closing the achievement gap, engaging parents, and preparing teachers. However, when educators take the content of the curriculum for granted, they lose opportunities to coordinate and collaborate. Good curriculum instruction…

Context Aware Ubiquitous Learning Environments for Peer-to-Peer Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Stephen J. H.

2006-01-01

A ubiquitous learning environment provides an interoperable, pervasive, and seamless learning architecture to connect, integrate, and share three major dimensions of learning resources: learning collaborators, learning contents, and learning services. Ubiquitous learning is characterized by providing intuitive ways for identifying right learning…

The Collaborative Dimensions of Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamm, Mary; Adams, Dennis

This book describes issues, trends, and practical teaching concerns that surround cooperative learning. It puts forward specific organizational plans and content area lessons for teachers who would like to become more familiar with active team learning in the classroom. Major themes include collaborative approaches to multicultural education,…

Core components of the rural nurse specialist role in New Zealand.

PubMed

Bell, Jennie; Crawford, Ruth; Holloway, Kathy

2018-06-01

New Zealand has a rural population with unique healthcare needs. Traditionally, rural health care has been provided by medical general practitioners (GPs); however, as the number of GPs declines, the rural nurse specialist (RNS) role has emerged. The RNS is a registered nurse with advanced nursing skills that enable independent, autonomous practice within rural areas. The health needs of each rural community are specific to that area and the RNS role has been developed according to local healthcare needs. The purpose of this research was to provide a description of the RNS role in New Zealand. A descriptive exploratory approach was used in this qualitative study. The study was conducted in two parts. Phase 1 consisted of document content analysis of RNS position descriptions and phase 2 comprised four semi-structured interviews with RNSs. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The Modified Strong Model of Advanced Practice was utilised as a framework for thematic analysis during both phases. Rural nurse specialists demonstrated a wide variance in the understanding of the term 'RNS'. The RNS role was found to include provision of care across a wide range of settings according to local needs. Advanced assessment skills were expected by employers and considered a major component of the role by RNSs. Advanced assessments skills were utilised to enhance communication and thus increase collaboration with other health professionals. The ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with other health professionals was found to be a high priority. However, RNSs perceived that collaboration and thus patient care was affected by a lack of role clarity. The nurse practitioner (NP) role in New Zealand was considered more effective, with greater role recognition for the NP. Education was considered essential to maintain advanced assessment skills. RNSs identified providing education in the form of health promotion relevant to local needs as important. There was a lack of information regarding publication and professional leadership, highlighting this as an area for development. Another issue was the importance of stress management in an isolated area. The RNS role requires advanced knowledge to provide independent patient care. Advanced skills utilised include assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. RNSs must have postgraduate education to develop the advanced skills required in this role. RNSs perceive the NP role as having better role clarity; therefore, all participants were considering becoming an NP. There are barriers to becoming an NP, thus an expansion of the current RNS role is recommended. Further recommendations from this study include increased professional leadership to improve RNS visibility and further continued interprofessional education to enhance collaboration.

Lights, camera, action research: The effects of didactic digital movie making on students' twenty-first century learning skills and science content in the middle school classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochsner, Karl

Students are moving away from content consumption to content production. Short movies are uploaded onto video social networking sites and shared around the world. Unfortunately they usually contain little to no educational value, lack a narrative and are rarely created in the science classroom. According to new Arizona Technology standards and ISTE NET*S, along with the framework from the Partnership for 21st Century Learning Standards, our society demands students not only to learn curriculum, but to think critically, problem solve effectively, and become adept at communicating and collaborating. Didactic digital movie making in the science classroom may be one way that these twenty-first century learning skills may be implemented. An action research study using a mixed-methods approach to collect data was used to investigate if didactic moviemaking can help eighth grade students learn physical science content while incorporating 21st century learning skills of collaboration, communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills through their group production. Over a five week period, students researched lessons, wrote scripts, acted, video recorded and edited a didactic movie that contained a narrative plot to teach a science strand from the Arizona State Standards in physical science. A pretest/posttest science content test and KWL chart was given before and after the innovation to measure content learned by the students. Students then took a 21st Century Learning Skills Student Survey to measure how much they perceived that communication, collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking were taking place during the production. An open ended survey and a focus group of four students were used for qualitative analysis. Three science teachers used a project evaluation rubric to measure science content and production values from the movies. Triangulating the science content test, KWL chart, open ended questions and the project evaluation rubric, it appeared that science content was gained from this project. Students felt motivated to learn and had positive experience. Students also felt that the repetition of production and watching their movies helped them remember science. Students also perceived that creating the didactic digital movie helped them use collaboration, communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills throughout their production.

Towards Health in All Policies for Childhood Obesity Prevention

PubMed Central

Hendriks, Anna-Marie; Kremers, Stef P. J.; Gubbels, Jessica S.; Raat, Hein; de Vries, Nanne K.; Jansen, Maria W. J.

2013-01-01

The childhood obesity epidemic can be best tackled by means of an integrated approach, which is enabled by integrated public health policies, or Health in All Policies. Integrated policies are developed through intersectoral collaboration between local government policy makers from health and nonhealth sectors. Such intersectoral collaboration has been proved to be difficult. In this study, we investigated which resources influence intersectoral collaboration. The behavior change wheel framework was used to categorize motivation-, capability-, and opportunity-related resources for intersectoral collaboration. In-depth interviews were held with eight officials representing 10 non-health policy sectors within a local government. Results showed that health and non-health policy sectors did not share policy goals, which decreased motivation for intersectoral collaboration. Awareness of the linkage between health and nonhealth policy sectors was limited, and management was not involved in creating such awareness, which reduced the capability for intersectoral collaboration. Insufficient organizational resources and structures reduced opportunities for intersectoral collaboration. To stimulate intersectoral collaboration to prevent childhood obesity, we recommend that public health professionals should reframe health goals in the terminology of nonhealth policy sectors, that municipal department managers should increase awareness of public health in non-health policy sectors, and that flatter organizational structures should be established. PMID:24490059

Global Collaborative STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meabh Kelly, Susan; Smith, Walter

2016-04-01

Global Collaborative STEM Education, as the name suggests, simultaneously supports two sets of knowledge and skills. The first set is STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math. The other set of content knowledge and skills is that of global collaboration. Successful global partnerships require awareness of one's own culture, the biases embedded within that culture, as well as developing awareness of the collaborators' culture. Workforce skills fostered include open-mindedness, perseverance when faced with obstacles, and resourceful use of technological "bridges" to facilitate and sustain communication. In respect for the 2016 GIFT Workshop focus, Global Collaborative STEM Education projects dedicated to astronomy research will be presented. The projects represent different benchmarks within the Global Collaborative STEM Education continuum, culminating in an astronomy research experience that fully reflects how the global STEM workforce collaborates. To facilitate wider engagement in Global Collaborative STEM Education, project summaries, classroom resources and contact information for established international collaborative astronomy research projects will be disseminated.

PLANNED INTEGRATION OF MEASUREMENT AND SURVEY DATA FROM THE DEARS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL RESEARCH EFFORTS: PRELIMINARY DATA FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The Canadian-US Border Air Quality Studies represent collaborative research being performed by both parties. This abstract details the efforts of the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS) to work collaboratively in this regards. A discussion of the collaborations ...

Successful Implementation of a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning System in Teaching E-Commerce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngai, E. W. T.; Lam, S. S.; Poon, J. K. L.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the successful application of a computer-supported collaborative learning system in teaching e-commerce. The authors created a teaching and learning environment for 39 local secondary schools to introduce e-commerce using a computer-supported collaborative learning system. This system is designed to equip students with…

Ten Guiding Principles for Designing Online Modules That Involve International Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porcaro, David; Carrier, Carol

2014-01-01

As ideas and personnel flow across borders, there are many opportunities for instructional designers to collaboratively design online modules with international teams. These collaborations can take many shapes, as varying levels of localization and within-team communication are employed. This paper looks at ten guiding principles that are shaping…

Promoting School-University Partnerships: Professional Development of Teachers through the Collaborative School Improvement Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackmann, Donald G.; Schmitt, Donna M.

One method of training principals and teachers to lead substantive change initiatives lies in partnership activities between schools and the local university. The Collaborative School Improvement Program (C-SIP) is a successful school-university partnership that focuses upon collaborative relationships between Eastern Michigan University and area…

Advancing Student Achievement through Labor-Management Collaboration (Denver, Colorado, February 15-16, 2011)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

This paper presents the highlights of a conference entitled "Advancing Student Achievement through Labor-Management Collaboration" held in Denver, Colorado last February 15-16, 2011. This first-of-its-kind conference on labor-management collaboration is a historic effort to transform the relationships among local superintendents, school…

Interlocal collaboration on energy efficiency, sustainability and climate change issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ssu-Hsien

Interlocal energy collaboration builds upon network structures among local policy actors dealing with energy, climate change and sustainability issues. Collaboration efforts overcome institutional collective action (ICA) dilemmas, and cope with the problems spanning jurisdictional boundaries, externalities, and free-rider problems. Interlocal energy collaboration emerges as the agreements in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction, pollution control, land use, purchasing, retrofits, transportation, and so forth. Cities work collaboratively through contractual mechanisms (i.e. formal/informal agreements) and collective mechanisms (i.e. regional partnerships or membership organizations) on a variety of energy issues. What factors facilitate interlocal energy collaboration? To what extent is collaboration through interlocal contractual mechanisms different from collective mechanisms? This dissertation tries to answer these questions by examining: city goal priority on energy related issues as well as other ICA explanatory factors. Research data are drawn mainly from the 2010 national survey "Implementation of energy efficiency and sustainability program" supported by National Science Foundation and the IBM Endowment for the Business of Government. The research results show that city emphasis on common pool resource, scale economies and externality issues significantly affect individual selection of tools for energy collaboration. When expected transaction costs are extremely high or low, the contractual mechanism of informal agreement is more likely to be selected to preserve most local autonomy and flexibility; otherwise, written and formal tools for collaboration are preferred to impose constraints on individual behavior and reduce the risks of defection.

How the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model Works: Creating Greater Alignment, Integration, and Collaboration Between Health and Education

PubMed Central

Chiang, Rachelle Johnsson; Meagher, Whitney; Slade, Sean

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model calls for greater collaboration across the community, school, and health sectors to meet the needs and support the full potential of each child. This article reports on how 3 states and 2 local school districts have implemented aspects of the WSCC model through collaboration, leadership and policy creation, alignment, and implementation. METHODS We searched state health and education department websites, local school district websites, state legislative databases, and sources of peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify materials demonstrating adoption and implementation of coordinated school health, the WSCC model, and associated policies and practices in identified states and districts. We conducted informal interviews in each state and district to reinforce the document review. RESULTS States and local school districts have been able to strategically increase collaboration, integration, and alignment of health and education through the adoption and implementation of policy and practice supporting the WSCC model. Successful utilization of the WSCC model has led to substantial positive changes in school health environments, policies, and practices. CONCLUSIONS Collaboration among health and education sectors to integrate and align services may lead to improved efficiencies and better health and education outcomes for students. PMID:26440819

It's Working. . .Collaboration in Career Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Career Education (DHEW/OE), Washington, DC.

Designed for the collaboration between educators and community persons, this book contains thirty-eight staff training and thirty-four student career education activities. Following a table of contents that contains annotated descriptions of the activities, a two-page description of each activity is provided. Each description includes an activity…

Development of Communities of Practice in School Library Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Elizabeth A.; Howard, Jody K.; Kimmel, Sue C.

2016-01-01

To properly prepare pre-service school librarians, school library educators in online courses must provide opportunities for collaborative engagement. This collaborative education should also recognize the pedagogical benefit of the organic formation of communities of practice that develop within areas outside of curriculum content. This…

Language-Based Curriculum Analysis: A Collaborative Assessment and Intervention Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prelock, Patricia A.

1997-01-01

Presents a systematic process for completing a language-based curriculum analysis to address curriculum expectations that may challenge students with communication impairments. Analysis of vocabulary and the demands for comprehension, oral, and written expression within specific content areas provides a framework for collaboration between teachers…

Perceived Benefits of Collaboration Between Local Health Departments and Schools and Programs of Public Health: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PubMed

Kovach, Kevin A; Welter, Christina R; Seweryn, Steven M; Torres, Griselle

2018-06-20

Collaboration between local health departments (LHDs) and schools and programs of public health (SPPH) may be a way to improve practice, education, and research. However, little is known about why LHDs and SPPH collaborate. This mixed-methods study addressed this issue by exploring what LHDs and SPPH perceive to be beneficial about their collaboration. A mixed-methods study using quantitative and qualitative data was conducted. A survey of 2000 LHDs that completed the 2013 National Profile of LHDs measured how important and effective LHDs perceived 30 indicators of the 10 essential public health services to be for collaboration with SPPH. Focus groups were held with LHD officials and the faculty from SPPH to further explore their perceptions of the mutual benefits of their collaboration. This study showed that LHD officials and the faculty from SPPH valued their collaborative work because it can improve education and training, support public health accreditation, enhance LHD credibility, enhance LHD technological capabilities, and improve research and evidence-based practice. Benefits increased with an increase in the degree of collaboration. This also showed that LHD officials would like to collaborate more closely with SPPH. Collaboration between LHDs and SPPH is mutually beneficial, and close collaboration can help transform public health practice, education, and research. In light of this, more attention should be paid to developing goals and objectives for a collaborative agenda. Attention should be paid not only to the immediate needs of the organizations and individuals involved but also to their long-term goals and underlying desires. Funding opportunities to support the development of partnerships between LHDs and SPPH are needed to provide tangible tasks and opportunities for taking a more long-term and strategic view for collaborative relationships.

Environmental education with a local focus: The development of action competency in community leaders through participation in an environmental leadership program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cairns, Karen Jean

2001-07-01

This dissertation is a historical and theoretical examination of environmental education to promote community leadership in local environmental issues. It begins with an overview of the history of environmental education, historical perspectives of the beginning of the field, ongoing differences in perspectives of practitioners, and its relationship to the larger field of education. Using a prevalent definition of environmental education as education with an aim of promoting actions, which are environmentally responsible and careful, I examine a variety of educational approaches and their results in achieving this objective. Reasons for using a local focus in terms of promotion of community sustainability are explored, and the literature review ends with a discussion of the value of community action through participatory democratic processes. The dissertation is divided into five chapters, covering an introduction to the purpose and significance of the study, literature review, methodology, results and analysis, and conclusion and implications of the research. Two programs, one at a city or urban level and one at a state level, and outcomes for their participants are explored and compared through data collected from interviews, field observation, and program documents. Findings demonstrated the value of a local focus for environmental education programs, plus the importance of experiential learning, or learning through some sort of personal connection and involvement. Examples of the types of experiential learning involved are tours or field trips, role-playing, and games illustrating concepts. Results emphasized the importance of educational process over content, information, or factual knowledge. The urban leadership program demonstrated the value of a local focus and experiential process in increasing motivation for action. The state program demonstrated the value of education of environmental leaders in democratic processes, especially collaboration, inclusion of all stakeholders, conflict resolution, and problem solving through consensus building. The concluding chapter includes a presentation of a framework for environmental education programs aimed at promotion of community leadership, emphasizing public sphere behaviors or visible community actions, and based upon democratic process. Participatory democratic process as defined by this study is a decision making process involving inclusion of stakeholders at all levels, collaboration, consensus-building, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.

Collaborative learning in gerontological clinical settings: The students' perspective.

PubMed

Suikkala, Arja; Kivelä, Eeva; Käyhkö, Pirjo

2016-03-01

This study deals with student nurses' experiences of collaborative learning in gerontological clinical settings where aged people are involved as age-experts in students' learning processes. The data were collected in 2012 using the contents of students' reflective writing assignments concerning elderly persons' life history interviews and the students' own assessments of their learning experiences in authentic elder care settings. The results, analyzed using qualitative content analysis, revealed mostly positive learning experiences. Interaction and collaborative learning activities in genuine gerontological clinical settings contributed to the students' understanding of the multiple age-related and disease-specific challenges as well as the issues of functional decline that aged patients face. Three types of factors influenced the students' collaborative learning experiences in gerontological clinical settings: student-related, patient-related and learning environment-related factors. According to the results, theoretical studies in combination with collaboration, in an authentic clinical environment, by student nurses, elderly patients, representatives of the elder care staff and nurse educators provide a feasible method for helping students transform their experiences with patients into actual skills. Their awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of the elderly increase as they learn. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolution of Wikipedia’s medical content: past, present and future

PubMed Central

Kipersztok, Lisa

2017-01-01

As one of the most commonly read online sources of medical information, Wikipedia is an influential public health platform. Its medical content, community, collaborations and challenges have been evolving since its creation in 2001, and engagement by the medical community is vital for ensuring its accuracy and completeness. Both the encyclopaedia’s internal metrics as well as external assessments of its quality indicate that its articles are highly variable, but improving. Although content can be edited by anyone, medical articles are primarily written by a core group of medical professionals. Diverse collaborative ventures have enhanced medical article quality and reach, and opportunities for partnerships are more available than ever. Nevertheless, Wikipedia’s medical content and community still face significant challenges, and a socioecological model is used to structure specific recommendations. We propose that the medical community should prioritise the accuracy of biomedical information in the world’s most consulted encyclopaedia. PMID:28847845

Apprenticeships, Collaboration and Scientific Discovery in Academic Field Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madden, Derek Scott; Grayson, Diane J.; Madden, Erinn H.; Milewski, Antoni V.; Snyder, Cathy Ann

2012-11-01

Teachers may use apprenticeships and collaboration as instructional strategies that help students to make authentic scientific discoveries as they work as amateur researchers in academic field studies. This concept was examined with 643 students, ages 14-72, who became proficient at field research through cognitive apprenticeships with the Smithsonian Institute, School for Field Studies and Earthwatch. Control student teams worked from single research goals and sets of methods, while experimental teams varied goals, methods, and collaborative activities in Kenya, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador. Results from studies indicate that students who conducted local pilot studies, collaborative symposia, and ongoing, long-term fieldwork generated significantly more data than did control groups. Research reports of the experimental groups were ranked highest by experts, and contributed the most data to international science journals. Data and anecdotal information in this report indicate that structured collaboration in local long-term studies using apprenticeships may increase the potential for students' academic field studies contribution of new information to science.

Mathematics Coaching Handbook: Working with Teachers to Improve Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Pia

2009-01-01

This book serves as a reference to help prepare and support effective math content coaches. It provides insight into the leadership skills necessary to mentor other teachers, establish collaborative teacher teams, influence school culture positively, and improve student achievement. Contents include: (1) Examining the Role of a Math Content Coach;…

A content-boosted collaborative filtering algorithm for personalized training in interpretation of radiological imaging.

PubMed

Lin, Hongli; Yang, Xuedong; Wang, Weisheng

2014-08-01

Devising a method that can select cases based on the performance levels of trainees and the characteristics of cases is essential for developing a personalized training program in radiology education. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid prediction algorithm called content-boosted collaborative filtering (CBCF) to predict the difficulty level of each case for each trainee. The CBCF utilizes a content-based filtering (CBF) method to enhance existing trainee-case ratings data and then provides final predictions through a collaborative filtering (CF) algorithm. The CBCF algorithm incorporates the advantages of both CBF and CF, while not inheriting the disadvantages of either. The CBCF method is compared with the pure CBF and pure CF approaches using three datasets. The experimental data are then evaluated in terms of the MAE metric. Our experimental results show that the CBCF outperforms the pure CBF and CF methods by 13.33 and 12.17 %, respectively, in terms of prediction precision. This also suggests that the CBCF can be used in the development of personalized training systems in radiology education.

Disseminating NASA-based science through NASA's Universe of Learning: Girls STEAM Ahead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcucci, E.; Meinke, B. K.; Smith, D. A.; Ryer, H.; Slivinski, C.; Kenney, J.; Arcand, K.; Cominsky, L.

2017-12-01

The Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA (GSAWN) initiative partners the NASA's Universe of Learning (UoL) resources with public libraries to provide NASA-themed activities for girls and their families. The program expands upon the legacy program, NASA Science4Girls and Their Families, in celebration of National Women's History Month. Program resources include hands-on activities for engaging girls, such as coding experiences and use of remote telescopes, complementary exhibits, and professional development for library partner staff. The science-institute-embedded partners in NASA's UoL are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. The thematic topics related to NASA Astrophysics enable audiences to experience the full range of NASA scientific and technical disciplines and the different career skills each requires. For example, an activity may focus on understanding exoplanets, methods of their detection, and characteristics that can be determined remotely. The events focus on engaging underserved and underrepresented audiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations (e.g. National Girls Collaborative Project or NGCP), and remote engagement of audiences. NASA's UoL collaborated with another NASA STEM Activation partner, NASA@ My Library, to announce GSAWN to their extensive STAR_Net network of libraries. This partnership between NASA SMD-funded Science learning and literacy teams has included NASA@ My Library hosting a professional development webinar featuring a GSAWN activity, a newsletter and blog post about the program, and plans for future exhibit development. This presentation will provide an overview of the program's progress to engage girls and their families through the development and dissemination of NASA-based science programming.

Determination of flavanol and procyanidin (by degree of polymerization 1-10) content of chocolate, cocoa liquors, powder(s), and cocoa flavanol extracts by normal phase high-performance liquid chromatography: collaborative study.

PubMed

Robbins, Rebecca J; Leonczak, Jadwiga; Li, Julia; Johnson, J Christopher; Collins, Tom; Kwik-Uribe, Catherine; Schmitz, Harold H

2012-01-01

An international collaborative study was conducted on an HPLC method with fluorescent detection (FLD) for the determination of flavanols and procyanidins in materials containing chocolate and cocoa. The sum of the oligomeric fractions with degree of polymerization 1-10 was the determined content value. Sample materials included dark and milk chocolates, cocoa powder, cocoa liquors, and cocoa extracts. The content ranged from approximately 2 to 500 mg/g (defatted basis). Thirteen laboratories representing commercial, industrial, and academic institutions in six countries participated in the study. Fourteen samples were sent as blind duplicates to the collaborators. Results from 12 laboratories yielded repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) values that were below 10% for all materials analyzed, ranging from 4.17 to 9.61%. The reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSD(R)) values ranged from 5.03 to 12.9% for samples containing 8.07 to 484.7 mg/g. In one sample containing a low content of flavanols and procyanidins (approximately 2 mg/g), the RSD(R) was 17.68%. Based on these results, the method is recommended for Official First Action for the determination of flavanols and procyanidins in chocolate, cocoa liquors, powder(s), and cocoa extracts.

PyPedia: using the wiki paradigm as crowd sourcing environment for bioinformatics protocols.

PubMed

Kanterakis, Alexandros; Kuiper, Joël; Potamias, George; Swertz, Morris A

2015-01-01

Today researchers can choose from many bioinformatics protocols for all types of life sciences research, computational environments and coding languages. Although the majority of these are open source, few of them possess all virtues to maximize reuse and promote reproducible science. Wikipedia has proven a great tool to disseminate information and enhance collaboration between users with varying expertise and background to author qualitative content via crowdsourcing. However, it remains an open question whether the wiki paradigm can be applied to bioinformatics protocols. We piloted PyPedia, a wiki where each article is both implementation and documentation of a bioinformatics computational protocol in the python language. Hyperlinks within the wiki can be used to compose complex workflows and induce reuse. A RESTful API enables code execution outside the wiki. Initial content of PyPedia contains articles for population statistics, bioinformatics format conversions and genotype imputation. Use of the easy to learn wiki syntax effectively lowers the barriers to bring expert programmers and less computer savvy researchers on the same page. PyPedia demonstrates how wiki can provide a collaborative development, sharing and even execution environment for biologists and bioinformaticians that complement existing resources, useful for local and multi-center research teams. PyPedia is available online at: http://www.pypedia.com. The source code and installation instructions are available at: https://github.com/kantale/PyPedia_server. The PyPedia python library is available at: https://github.com/kantale/pypedia. PyPedia is open-source, available under the BSD 2-Clause License.

Collaborative research and action to control the geographic placement of outdoor advertising of alcohol and tobacco products in Chicago.

PubMed

Hackbarth, D P; Schnopp-Wyatt, D; Katz, D; Williams, J; Silvestri, B; Pfleger, M

2001-01-01

Community activists in Chicago believed their neighborhoods were being targeted by alcohol and tobacco outdoor advertisers, despite the Outdoor Advertising Association of America's voluntary code of principles, which claims to restrict the placement of ads for age-restricted products and prevent billboard saturation of urban neighborhoods. A research and action plan resulted from a 10-year collaborative partnership among Loyola University Chicago, the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago (ALAMC), and community activists from a predominately African American church, St. Sabina Parish. In 1997 Loyola University and ALAMC researchers conducted a cross-sectional prevalence survey of alcohol and tobacco outdoor advertising. Computer mapping was used to locate all 4,247 licensed billboards in Chicago that were within 500- and 1,000-foot radiuses of schools, parks, and playlots. A 50% sample of billboards was visually surveyed and coded for advertising content. The percentage of alcohol and tobacco billboards within the 500- and 1,000-foot zones ranged from 0% to 54%. African American and Hispanic neighborhoods were disproportionately targeted for outdoor advertising of alcohol and tobacco. Data were used to convince the Chicago City Council to pass one of the nation's toughest anti-alcohol and tobacco billboard ordinances, based on zoning rather than advertising content. The ordinance was challenged in court by advertisers. Recent Supreme Court rulings made enactment of local billboard ordinances problematic. Nevertheless, the research, which resulted in specific legislative action, demonstrated the importance of linkages among academic, practice, and grassroots community groups in working together to diminish one of the social causes of health disparities.

Performance and Motivation in a Middle School Flipped Learning Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winter, Joshua W.

2018-01-01

Flipped learning is a teaching approach that promotes collaboration by using technology to 'flip' traditional instruction. Content is delivered outside of class in the individual space (online) and the group space (classroom) is used to engage in collaborative activities. Flipped learning shifts the teacher's role toward facilitation. Research on…

Organizational Learning for Library Enhancements: A Collaborative, Research-Driven Analysis of Academic Department Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loo, Jeffery L.; Dupuis, Elizabeth A.

2015-01-01

This article presents a qualitative evaluation methodology of academic departments for library organizational learning and library enhancement planning. This evaluation used campus units' academic program review reports as a data source and employed collaborative content analysis by library liaisons to extract departmental strengths, weaknesses,…

The Money Mentors Program: Increasing Financial Literacy in Utah Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Zurishaddai A.; Francis, Dave; Christensen, Amanda; MacArthur, Stacey S.; Memmott, Margie; Hill, Paul A.

2017-01-01

Utah 4-H and Fidelity Investments collaborated on a program for increasing the financial literacy of teens and children. The collaboration resulted in positive impacts for both Extension and Utah youths. Extension benefited through partnership with a corporation that provided content expertise, volunteers, and funding for a financial literacy…

Collaborative Test Reviews: Student Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhatia, Anuradha; Makela, Carole J.

2010-01-01

A group study method proved helpful in improving senior-level students' performance on unit tests through collaborative learning. Students of a History of Textiles course voluntarily attended study sessions to review course content and prepare for unit tests. The students who attended the group reviews scored better on tests than those who did…

Architecture for Building Conversational Agents that Support Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, R.; Rose, C. P.

2011-01-01

Tutorial Dialog Systems that employ Conversational Agents (CAs) to deliver instructional content to learners in one-on-one tutoring settings have been shown to be effective in multiple learning domains by multiple research groups. Our work focuses on extending this successful learning technology to collaborative learning settings involving two or…

Using Collaboration for Curriculum Change in Accounting Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickering, Beth Marie

2013-01-01

This qualitative, descriptive case study researched the collaborative curriculum development process in accounting higher education. This study was needed because accounting education, as a professional program, needs to be continually reviewed and updated in order to keep abreast of changes in the business field. This content is developed through…

Spinning the Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Alexis

2014-01-01

Skills in communication and collaboration can be just as important as content knowledge and technical skills in the workplace. So what are schools doing to foster these skills? English language arts teacher Alexis Wiggins adapted the Socratic seminar model to make it student-led and collaborative. Under her new approach, the Spider Web…

Collaborative Wikipedia Projects in the Virtual Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenny, A. J.; Wolt, J. D.; Hurd, H. S.

2013-01-01

Wikipedia is a web-based, free-content encyclopedia that is openly editable and, thus, provides a unique platform for collaborations. Wikipedia projects are increasingly being integrated into upper-level courses across the country to explore advanced concepts, communicate science, and provide high-quality information to the public. Here we outline…

Collaborative Metaliteracy: Putting the New Information Literacy Framework into (Digital) Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gersch, Beate; Lampner, Wendy; Turner, Dudley

2016-01-01

This article describes a course-integrated collaborative project between a subject librarian, a communication professor, and an instructional designer that illustrates how the TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework, developed by Mishra and Koehler (2006), and the new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy (Framework)…

The Missing Link: Peer Conferencing in Civics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Derek L.; Lubig, Joe

2012-01-01

This article describes a method--Collaborative Civics Conference Protocol (3CP)--that teachers can use with any civics education program to engage students in meaningful collaborative assessment of each others' thinking and writing and to make connections between civics activities and essential social studies content. Borrowing from the Writer's…

Teaching Child Psychiatry in Ethiopia: Challenges and Rewards

PubMed Central

Teshima, John

2008-01-01

Introduction Ethiopia is a country of 81 million people, half of whom are children. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children ranges from 3.5–23.2%. However, there are very limited mental health resources in the country, including few psychiatrists. Thus the training of more psychiatrists, including providing them with expertise in child psychiatry, is an imperative. Method The article briefly reviews the development of the Toronto Addis Ababa Psychiatry Project (TAAPP), a collaborative program between the University of Toronto and Addis Ababa University designed to help train psychiatry residents in Ethiopia. The article then focuses on the author’s experiences on one recent trip to Ethiopia to provide some of this training. Results Formal teaching sessions as well as clinical supervision were provided to the Ethiopian residents. Content had to be adapted to be relevant to the Ethiopian context, but teaching approaches did not have to be modified significantly. The Ethiopian residents were very enthusiastic learners and made quick changes to their practices based on the teaching. Conclusion Collaborative programs such as TAAPP may be important mechanisms to improve the training of psychiatrists internationally, especially when there are limited local educational resources. PMID:18769645

Creating Successful Campus Partnerships for Teaching Communication in Biology Courses and Labs.

PubMed

Hall, Susanne E; Birch, Christina

2018-01-01

Creating and teaching successful writing and communication assignments for biology undergraduate students can be challenging for faculty trying to balance the teaching of technical content. The growing body of published research and scholarship on effective teaching of writing and communication in biology can help inform such work, but there are also local resources available to support writing within biology courses that may be unfamiliar to science faculty and instructors. In this article, we discuss common on-campus resources biology faculty can make use of when incorporating writing and communication into their teaching. We present the missions, histories, and potential collaboration outcomes of three major on-campus writing resources: writing across the curriculum and writing in the disciplines initiatives (WAC/WID), writing programs, and writing centers. We explain some of the common misconceptions about these resources in order to help biology faculty understand their uses and limits, and we offer guiding questions faculty might ask the directors of these resources to start productive conversations. Collaboration with these resources will likely save faculty time and effort on curriculum development and, more importantly, will help biology students develop and improve their critical reading, writing, and communication skills.

Creating Successful Campus Partnerships for Teaching Communication in Biology Courses and Labs

PubMed Central

Hall, Susanne E.; Birch, Christina

2018-01-01

Creating and teaching successful writing and communication assignments for biology undergraduate students can be challenging for faculty trying to balance the teaching of technical content. The growing body of published research and scholarship on effective teaching of writing and communication in biology can help inform such work, but there are also local resources available to support writing within biology courses that may be unfamiliar to science faculty and instructors. In this article, we discuss common on-campus resources biology faculty can make use of when incorporating writing and communication into their teaching. We present the missions, histories, and potential collaboration outcomes of three major on-campus writing resources: writing across the curriculum and writing in the disciplines initiatives (WAC/WID), writing programs, and writing centers. We explain some of the common misconceptions about these resources in order to help biology faculty understand their uses and limits, and we offer guiding questions faculty might ask the directors of these resources to start productive conversations. Collaboration with these resources will likely save faculty time and effort on curriculum development and, more importantly, will help biology students develop and improve their critical reading, writing, and communication skills. PMID:29904537

Students without Borders: Global Collaborative Learning Connects School to the Real World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickley, Mali; Carleton, Jim

2009-01-01

Kids can't help but get engaged when they're collaborating with peers across the globe to solve real-life problems. Global collaborative learning is about connecting students in communities of learners around the world so they can work together on projects that make a difference locally and globally. It is about building relationships and…

Simultaneous and Comparable Numerical Indicators of International, National and Local Collaboration Practices in English-Medium Astrophysics Research Papers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Méndez, David I.; Alcaraz, M. Ángeles

2016-01-01

Introduction: We report an investigation on collaboration practices in research papers published in the most prestigious English-medium astrophysics journals. Method: We propose an evaluation method based on three numerical indicators to study and compare, in absolute terms, three different types of collaboration (international, national and…

How social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning and guide an informed intervention

PubMed Central

Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti; Nouri, Jalal

2018-01-01

To ensure online collaborative learning meets the intended pedagogical goals (is actually collaborative and stimulates learning), mechanisms are needed for monitoring the efficiency of online collaboration. Various studies have indicated that social network analysis can be particularly effective in studying students’ interactions in online collaboration. However, research in education has only focused on the theoretical potential of using SNA, not on the actual benefits they achieved. This study investigated how social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning, find aspects in need of improvement, guide an informed intervention, and assess the efficacy of intervention using an experimental, observational repeated-measurement design in three courses over a full-term duration. Using a combination of SNA-based visual and quantitative analysis, we monitored three SNA constructs for each participant: the level of interactivity, the role, and position in information exchange, and the role played by each participant in the collaboration. On the group level, we monitored interactivity and group cohesion indicators. Our monitoring uncovered a non-collaborative teacher-centered pattern of interactions in the three studied courses as well as very few interactions among students, limited information exchange or negotiation, and very limited student networks dominated by the teacher. An intervention based on SNA-generated insights was designed. The intervention was structured into five actions: increasing awareness, promoting collaboration, improving the content, preparing teachers, and finally practicing with feedback. Evaluation of the intervention revealed that it has significantly enhanced student-student interactions and teacher-student interactions, as well as produced a collaborative pattern of interactions among most students and teachers. Since efficient and communicative activities are essential prerequisites for successful content discussion and for realizing the goals of collaboration, we suggest that our SNA-based approach will positively affect teaching and learning in many educational domains. Our study offers a proof-of-concept of what SNA can add to the current tools for monitoring and supporting teaching and learning in higher education. PMID:29566058

How social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning and guide an informed intervention.

PubMed

Saqr, Mohammed; Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti; Nouri, Jalal

2018-01-01

To ensure online collaborative learning meets the intended pedagogical goals (is actually collaborative and stimulates learning), mechanisms are needed for monitoring the efficiency of online collaboration. Various studies have indicated that social network analysis can be particularly effective in studying students' interactions in online collaboration. However, research in education has only focused on the theoretical potential of using SNA, not on the actual benefits they achieved. This study investigated how social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning, find aspects in need of improvement, guide an informed intervention, and assess the efficacy of intervention using an experimental, observational repeated-measurement design in three courses over a full-term duration. Using a combination of SNA-based visual and quantitative analysis, we monitored three SNA constructs for each participant: the level of interactivity, the role, and position in information exchange, and the role played by each participant in the collaboration. On the group level, we monitored interactivity and group cohesion indicators. Our monitoring uncovered a non-collaborative teacher-centered pattern of interactions in the three studied courses as well as very few interactions among students, limited information exchange or negotiation, and very limited student networks dominated by the teacher. An intervention based on SNA-generated insights was designed. The intervention was structured into five actions: increasing awareness, promoting collaboration, improving the content, preparing teachers, and finally practicing with feedback. Evaluation of the intervention revealed that it has significantly enhanced student-student interactions and teacher-student interactions, as well as produced a collaborative pattern of interactions among most students and teachers. Since efficient and communicative activities are essential prerequisites for successful content discussion and for realizing the goals of collaboration, we suggest that our SNA-based approach will positively affect teaching and learning in many educational domains. Our study offers a proof-of-concept of what SNA can add to the current tools for monitoring and supporting teaching and learning in higher education.

GetHealthyHarlem.org: Developing a Web Platform for Health Promotion and Wellness Driven by and for the Harlem Community

PubMed Central

Khan, Sharib A.; Ancker, Jessica S.; Li, Jianhua; Kaufman, David; Hutchinson, Carly; Cohall, Alwyn; Kukafka, Rita

2009-01-01

GetHealthyHarlem.org is a community website developed on an open-source platform to facilitate collaborative development of health content through participatory action research (PAR) principles. The website was developed to enable the Harlem community to create a shared health and wellness knowledgebase, to enable discourse about local and culturally relevant health information, and to foster social connections between community members and health promotion organizations. The site is gaining active use with more than 9,500 unique site visits in the six months since going live in November, 2008. In ongoing research studies, we are using the website to explore how the PAR model can be applied to the development of a community health website. PMID:20351872

A Collaborative Secure Localization Algorithm Based on Trust Model in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Han, Guangjie; Liu, Li; Jiang, Jinfang; Shu, Lei; Rodrigues, Joel J.P.C.

2016-01-01

Localization is one of the hottest research topics in Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs), since many important applications of UWSNs, e.g., event sensing, target tracking and monitoring, require location information of sensor nodes. Nowadays, a large number of localization algorithms have been proposed for UWSNs. How to improve location accuracy are well studied. However, few of them take location reliability or security into consideration. In this paper, we propose a Collaborative Secure Localization algorithm based on Trust model (CSLT) for UWSNs to ensure location security. Based on the trust model, the secure localization process can be divided into the following five sub-processes: trust evaluation of anchor nodes, initial localization of unknown nodes, trust evaluation of reference nodes, selection of reference node, and secondary localization of unknown node. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed CSLT algorithm performs better than the compared related works in terms of location security, average localization accuracy and localization ratio. PMID:26891300

Nesting doctoral students in collaborative North-South partnerships for health systems research.

PubMed

Loukanova, Svetla; Prytherch, Helen; Blank, Antje; Duysburgh, Els; Tomson, Göran; Gustafsson, Lars L; Sié, Ali; Williams, John; Leshabari, Melkizedeck; Haefeli, Walter E; Sauerborn, Rainer; Fonn, Sharon

2014-01-01

The European Union (EU) supports North-South Partnerships and collaborative research projects through its Framework Programmes and Horizon 2020. There is limited research on how such projects can be harnessed to provide a structured platform for doctoral level studies as a way of strengthening health system research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The aim of this study was to explore the challenges of, and facilitating factors for, 'nesting' doctoral students in North-South collaborative research projects. The term nesting refers to the embedding of the processes of recruiting, supervising, and coordinating doctoral students in the overall research plan and processes. This cross-sectional qualitative study was undertaken by the EU-funded QUALMAT Project. A questionnaire was implemented with doctoral students, supervisors, and country principal investigators (PIs), and content analysis was undertaken. Completed questionnaires were received from nine doctoral students, six supervisors, and three country PIs (86% responses rate). The doctoral students from SSA described high expectations about the input they would receive (administrative support, equipment, training, supervision). This contrasted with the expectations of the supervisors for proactivity and self-management on the part of the students. The rationale for candidate selection, and understandings of the purpose of the doctoral students in the project were areas of considerable divergence. There were some challenges associated with the use of the country PIs as co-supervisors. Doctoral student progress was at times impeded by delays in the release of funding instalments from the EU. The paper provides a checklist of essential requirements and a set of recommendations for effective nesting of doctoral students in joint North-South projects. There are considerable challenges to the effective nesting of doctoral students within major collaborative research projects. However, ways can be found to overcome them. The nesting process ultimately helped the institutions involved in this example to take better advantage of the opportunities that collaborative projects offer to foster North-South partnerships as a contribution to the strengthening of local research capacity.

13 CFR 119.11 - What information will be requested in an application under the PRIME program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... applicant's community partnerships and collaborations with state and local entities, and a description of how such partnerships and collaborations are serving microentrepreneurs. (4) A description of the...

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working on or planning to work on projects to address local environmental and/or public health issues

Exploiting Publication Contents and Collaboration Networks for Collaborator Recommendation

PubMed Central

Kong, Xiangjie; Jiang, Huizhen; Yang, Zhuo; Xu, Zhenzhen; Xia, Feng; Tolba, Amr

2016-01-01

Thanks to the proliferation of online social networks, it has become conventional for researchers to communicate and collaborate with each other. Meanwhile, one critical challenge arises, that is, how to find the most relevant and potential collaborators for each researcher? In this work, we propose a novel collaborator recommendation model called CCRec, which combines the information on researchers’ publications and collaboration network to generate better recommendation. In order to effectively identify the most potential collaborators for researchers, we adopt a topic clustering model to identify the academic domains, as well as a random walk model to compute researchers’ feature vectors. Using DBLP datasets, we conduct benchmarking experiments to examine the performance of CCRec. The experimental results show that CCRec outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in terms of precision, recall and F1 score. PMID:26849682

"A breath of fresh air worth spreading": media coverage of retailer abandonment of tobacco sales.

PubMed

McDaniel, Patricia A; Offen, Naphtali; Yerger, Valerie B; Malone, Ruth E

2014-03-01

Media play an important role in the diffusion of innovations by spreading knowledge of their relative advantages. We examined media coverage of retailers abandoning tobacco sales to explore whether this innovation might be further diffused by media accounts. We searched online media databases (Lexis Nexis, Proquest, and Access World News) for articles published from 1995 to 2011, coding retrieved items through a collaborative process. We analyzed the volume, type, provenance, prominence, and content of coverage. We found 429 local and national news items. Two retailers who were the first in their category to end tobacco sales received the most coverage and the majority of prominent coverage. News items cited positive potential impacts of the decision more often than negative potential impacts, and frequently referred to tobacco-caused disease, death, or addiction. Letters to the editor and editorials were overwhelmingly supportive. The content of media coverage about retailers ending tobacco sales could facilitate broader diffusion of this policy innovation, contributing to the denormalization of tobacco and moving society closer to ending the tobacco epidemic. Media advocacy could increase and enhance such coverage.

Solutions-based climate change education for K-Gray: Renewable energy and energy efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrone, C.

2017-12-01

Through the National Science Foundation-funded MADE CLEAR (www.madeclear.org) climate change education project's Informal Climate Change Education (ICCE) Community, funds were received to collaboratively train teachers, informal educators, students, and university docents in climate change basics and solutions, specifically renewable energy and energy efficiency. In all, 10 docents, 50 classroom teachers, over 600 K-16 students, and several hundred science-interested citizens participated in programs and workshops lasting between one and seven hours. Using commercially available kits and other DIY projects, program participants used science content and engineering to develop models of wind turbines, wind mills, solar cells, solar cookers, solar stills, and wind-powered cars. Using thermal imaging cameras, Kill-a-Watt meters, "Carbon Food Print" kit, "Energy Matters" kit, and other tools, program participants learned about energy efficiency as not only a global climate change mitigation strategy, but also a way to save money. ICCE Community members and external partners, such as local electric cooperative personnel, university researchers, and state-sponsored energy efficiency program personnel, provided content presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities to program participants.

Collaborative risk governance in informal urban areas: The case of Wallacedene temporary relocation area

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) is an emancipatory approach that aims to empower local communities in reducing their own risks. A community risk assessment (CRA) is an essential element of CBDRM, incorporating highly participatory processes of hazard identification and vulnerability analysis. By incorporating local knowledge and insights, together with those contributed by other external role players, the nature of local risks can be more accurately identified, giving consideration to their causal factors, the nature of their realised impacts or potential effects on a local community and the challenges posed in addressing them. Reflecting on the process and outcomes of a CRA conducted in an informal settlement in the Cape Town metropolitan area, this article describes how one such risk assessment contributed to building local agency through a process of collaborative engagement. Offered as an example of possible best practice, it illustrates both the immediate and potentially longer term benefits to be derived from such a collaborative process, suggesting that a community-based risk assessment may contribute significantly to building more resilient communities. It concludes with a consideration of the challenges of sustaining longer term risk reduction efforts.

External collaboration and performance: North Carolina local public health departments, 1996.

PubMed

Lovelace, K

2000-01-01

This study examined the extent to which local public health departments in North Carolina collaborated with other groups and organizations, the health problems on which they worked together, and the effect of external collaboration on health departments' performance on core public health functions. The author mailed a questionnaire asking about interactions with city and county government agencies, boards of health, schools, nonprofits, physicians/private clinics, community health centers/migrant clinics, community members, citizens' groups, state and federal agencies, and universities to all of the directors of local public health departments in North Carolina. Sixty-four directors returned the questionnaire, for a response rate of 74.4%. Local public health departments most frequently interacted with boards of health, state agencies, community members, schools, city and county government agencies, and nonprofit agencies. Large majorities reported productive relationships with boards of health, state agencies, city and county government agencies, schools, nonprofit agencies, and hospitals. Greater frequency of interaction with several types of partners was associated with better performance. While questions exist about whether performance on core functions improves the community's health status, the results suggest that it is important for local public health departments to continue to build relationships with other organizations in the community.

Commentary: Rural Histories, Rural Boundaries, Rural Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tieken, Mara Casey

2017-01-01

Cross-sector collaborations can generate the resources and political will necessary to tackle urgent, complex issues. Because these partnerships involve local leaders, they are typically responsive to their surrounding communities, addressing local concerns, and capitalizing upon local assets. These strengths-oriented, locally driven…

NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwerin, T. G.; Callery, S.; Chambers, L. H.; Riebeek Kohl, H.; Taylor, J.; Martin, A. M.; Ferrell, T.

2016-12-01

The NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) is led by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies with partners at three NASA Earth science Centers: Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Langley Research Center. This cross-organization team enables the project to draw from the diverse skills, strengths, and expertise of each partner to develop fresh and innovative approaches for building pathways between NASA's Earth-related STEM assets to large, diverse audiences in order to enhance STEM teaching, learning and opportunities for learners throughout their lifetimes. These STEM assets include subject matter experts (scientists, engineers, and education specialists), science and engineering content, and authentic participatory and experiential opportunities. Specific project activities include authentic STEM experiences through NASA Earth science themed field campaigns and citizen science as part of international GLOBE program (for elementary and secondary school audiences) and GLOBE Observer (non-school audiences of all ages); direct connections to learners through innovative collaborations with partners like Odyssey of the Mind, an international creative problem-solving and design competition; and organizing thematic core content and strategically working with external partners and collaborators to adapt and disseminate core content to support the needs of education audiences (e.g., libraries and maker spaces, student research projects, etc.). A scaffolded evaluation is being conducted that 1) assesses processes and implementation, 2) answers formative evaluation questions in order to continuously improve the project; 3) monitors progress and 4) measures outcomes.

Measuring the evolution and output of cross-disciplinary collaborations within the NCI Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers Network.

PubMed

Basner, Jodi E; Theisz, Katrina I; Jensen, Unni S; Jones, C David; Ponomarev, Ilya; Sulima, Pawel; Jo, Karen; Eljanne, Mariam; Espey, Michael G; Franca-Koh, Jonathan; Hanlon, Sean E; Kuhn, Nastaran Z; Nagahara, Larry A; Schnell, Joshua D; Moore, Nicole M

2013-12-01

Development of effective quantitative indicators and methodologies to assess the outcomes of cross-disciplinary collaborative initiatives has the potential to improve scientific program management and scientific output. This article highlights an example of a prospective evaluation that has been developed to monitor and improve progress of the National Cancer Institute Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers (PS-OC) program. Study data, including collaboration information, was captured through progress reports and compiled using the web-based analytic database: Interdisciplinary Team Reporting, Analysis, and Query Resource. Analysis of collaborations was further supported by data from the Thomson Reuters Web of Science database, MEDLINE database, and a web-based survey. Integration of novel and standard data sources was augmented by the development of automated methods to mine investigator pre-award publications, assign investigator disciplines, and distinguish cross-disciplinary publication content. The results highlight increases in cross-disciplinary authorship collaborations from pre- to post-award years among the primary investigators and confirm that a majority of cross-disciplinary collaborations have resulted in publications with cross-disciplinary content that rank in the top third of their field. With these evaluation data, PS-OC Program officials have provided ongoing feedback to participating investigators to improve center productivity and thereby facilitate a more successful initiative. Future analysis will continue to expand these methods and metrics to adapt to new advances in research evaluation and changes in the program.

Mi-STAR: Designing Integrated Science Curriculum to Address the Next Generation Science Standards and Their Foundations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gochis, E. E.; Huntoon, J. E.

2015-12-01

Mi-STAR (Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform, http://mi-star.mtu.edu/) was funded by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to reform K-12 science education to present science as an integrated body of knowledge that is applied to address societal issues. To achieve this goal, Mi-STAR is developing an integrated science curriculum for the middle grades that will be aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Similar to the geosciences, the curriculum requires the integration of science, engineering and math content to explore 21st-century issues and demonstrates how these concepts can be used in service of society. The curriculum is based on the Mi-STAR Unit Specification Chart which pairs interdisciplinary themes with bundled NGSS Performance Expectations. Each unit is developed by a collaborative team of K-12 teachers, university STEM content experts and science education experts. Prior to developing a unit, each member on the team attends the on-line Mi-STAR Academy, completing 18+ hours of professional development (PD). This on-line PD program familiarizes teachers and experts with necessary pedagogical and content background knowledge, including NGSS and three-dimensional learning. With this background, teams use a staged, backwards design process to craft a multi-week unit based on a series of performance based tasks, or 'challenges' that engage students in actively doing science and engineering. Each unit includes Disciplinary Core Ideas from multiple disciplines, which focus on local and familiar examples that demonstrate the relevance of science in student's lives. Performance-based assessments are interwoven throughout the unit. Mi-STAR units will go through extensive pilot testing in several school districts across the state of Michigan. Additionally, the Mi-STAR program will develop teacher professional development programs to support implementation of the curriculum and design a pre-service teacher program in integrated science. We will share preliminary results on the collaborative Mi-STAR process of designing integrated science curriculum to address NGSS.

Collaborative development of an accelerated graduate entry nursing programme outside of traditional funding mechanisms.

PubMed

Whiffin, C J; Clarke, H; Brundrett, H; Baker, D; Whitehead, B

2018-01-01

Financial support for students entering nurse education programmes has typically been the responsibility of Governments who make a substantial contribution to tuition and/or living costs. However, where programmes are not funded by Government bodies, students must make alternative arrangements for financial support. This paper explores how a university worked with local employers to design, recruit and deliver an accelerated graduate entry nursing programme and how this philosophy of collaboration ultimately led to local health employers providing sponsorship for students. Therefore, we offer for debate the benefits of collaborative curriculum design and future considerations of attracting employer funding for graduate entry nursing programmes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sharing simulation-based training courses between institutions: opportunities and challenges.

PubMed

Laack, Torrey A; Lones, Ellen A; Schumacher, Donna R; Todd, Frances M; Cook, David A

2017-01-01

Sharing simulation-based training (SBT) courses between institutions could reduce time to develop new content but also presents challenges. We evaluate the process of sharing SBT courses across institutions in a mixed method study estimating the time required and identifying barriers and potential solutions. Two US academic medical institutions explored instructor experiences with the process of sharing four courses (two at each site) using personal interviews and a written survey and estimated the time needed to develop new content vs implement existing SBT courses. The project team spent approximately 618 h creating a collaboration infrastructure to support course sharing. Sharing two SBT courses was estimated to save 391 h compared with developing two new courses. In the qualitative analysis, participants noted the primary benefit of course sharing was time savings. Barriers included difficulty finding information and understanding overall course flow. Suggestions for improvement included establishing a standardized template, clearly identifying the target audience, providing a course overview, communicating with someone familiar with the original SBT course, employing an intuitive file-sharing platform, and considering local culture, context, and needs. Sharing SBT courses between institutions is feasible but not without challenges. An initial investment in a sharing infrastructure may facilitate downstream time savings compared with developing content de novo.

International Collaborative Research Partnerships: Blending Science with Management and Diplomacy.

PubMed

Lau, Chuen-Yen; Wang, Crystal; Orsega, Susan; Tramont, Edmund C; Koita, Ousmane; Polis, Michael A; Siddiqui, Sophia

2014-12-01

As globalization progressively connects and impacts the health of people across the world, collaborative research partnerships provide mutual advantages by sharing knowledge and resources to address locally and globally relevant scientific and public health questions. Partnerships undertaken for scientific research are similar to business collaborations in that they require attention to partner systems, whether local, international, political, academic, or non-academic. Scientists, like diplomats or entrepreneurs, are representatives of their field, culture, and country and become obligatory agents in health diplomacy. This role significantly influences current and future collaborations with not only the immediate partner but with other in country partners as well. Research partnerships need continuous evaluation of the collaboration's productivity, perspectives of all partners, and desired outcomes for success to avoid engaging in "research tourism", particularly in developing regions. International engagement is a cornerstone in addressing the impact of infectious diseases globally. Global partnerships are strategically aligned with national, partner and global health priorities and may be based on specific requests for assistance from the partnering country governments. Here we share experiences from select research collaborations to highlight principles that we have found key in building long-term relationships with collaborators and in meeting the aim to address scientific questions relevant to the host country and strategic global health initiatives.

Public Talks and Science Listens: A Community-Based Participatory Approach to Characterizing Environmental Health Risk Perceptions and Assessing Recovery Needs in the Wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

PubMed Central

Sullivan, J.; Parras, B.; St. Marie, R.; Subra, W.; Petronella, S.; Gorenstein, J.; Fuchs-Young, R.; Santa, R.K.; Chavarria, A.; Ward, J.; Diamond, P.

2009-01-01

In response to the human health threats stemming from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, inter-disciplinary working groups representing P30-funded Centers of the National Institute Environmental Health Sciences were created to assess threats posed by mold, harmful alga blooms, chemical toxicants, and various infectious agents at selected sites throughout the hurricane impact zone. Because of proximity to impacted areas, UTMB NIEHS Center in Environmental Toxicology was charged with coordinating direct community outreach efforts, primarily in south Louisiana. In early October 2005, UTMB/NIEHS Center Community Outreach and Education Core, in collaboration with outreach counterparts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center @ Smithville TX/Center for Research in Environmental Disease sent two groups into southern Louisiana. One group used Lafourche Parish as a base to deliver humanitarian aid and assess local needs for additional supplies during local recovery/reclamation. A second group, ranging through New Iberia, New Orleans, Chalmette, rural Terrebonne, Lafourche and Jefferson Parishes and Baton Rouge met with community environmental leaders, emergency personnel and local citizens to 1) sample public risk perceptions, 2) evaluate the scope and reach of ongoing risk communication efforts, and 3) determine how the NIEHS could best collaborate with local groups in environmental health research and local capacity building efforts. This scoping survey identified specific information gaps limiting efficacy of risk communication, produced a community “wish list” of potential collaborative research projects. The project provided useful heuristics for disaster response and management planning and a platform for future collaborative efforts in environmental health assessment and risk communication with local advocacy groups in south Terrebonne-Lafourche parishes. PMID:20508756

Collaboration Between Public Health and Law Enforcement: New Paradigms and Partnerships for Bioterrorism Planning and Response

PubMed Central

Cohen, Mitchell L.; Friedman, Cindy R.; Scripp, Robert M.; Watz, Craig G.

2002-01-01

The biological attacks with powders containing Bacillus anthracis sent through the mail during September and October 2001 led to unprecedented public health and law enforcement investigations, which involved thousands of investigators from federal, state, and local agencies. Following recognition of the first cases of anthrax in Florida in early October 2001, investigators from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were mobilized to assist investigators from state and local public health and law enforcement agencies. Although public health and criminal investigations have been conducted in concert in the past, the response to the anthrax attacks required close collaboration because of the immediate and ongoing threat to public safety. We describe the collaborations between CDC and FBI during the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks and highlight the challenges and successes of public health and law enforcement collaborations in general. PMID:12396931

Building a Collaboration One Day at a Time: Integrating Infant Mental Health into a Residential Drug Treatment Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heffron, Mary Claire; Purcell, Arlene; Schalit, Jackie

2007-01-01

Families In Recovery Staying Together (FIRST) is a team from Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland that has joined in collaboration with two local perinatal residential drug treatment programs to create early childhood mental health services at those sites. The authors highlight the collaboration strategies and challenges the partners…

Collaborative Learning Processes in the Context of a Public Health Professional Development Program: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tremblay, Marie-Claude; Richard, Lucie; Brousselle, Astrid; Chiocchio, François; Beaudet, Nicole

2017-01-01

The health promotion laboratory (HPL-Canada) is a public health professional development program building on a collaborative learning approach in order to support long-term practice change in local health services teams. This study aims to analyse the collaborative learning processes of two teams involved in the program during the first year of…

Social learning in a policy-mandated collaboration: Community wildfire protection planning in the eastern United States

Treesearch

Rachel F. Brummel; Kristen C. Nelson; Pamela J. Jakes; Daniel R. Williams

2010-01-01

Policies such as the US Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) mandate collaboration in planning to create benefits such as social learning and shared understanding among partners. However, some question the ability of top-down policy to foster successful local collaboration. Through in-depth interviews and document analysis, this paper investigates social learning and...

Contextualizing learning to improve care using collaborative communities of practices.

PubMed

Jeffs, Lianne; McShane, Julie; Flintoft, Virginia; White, Peggy; Indar, Alyssa; Maione, Maria; Lopez, A J; Bookey-Bassett, Sue; Scavuzzo, Lauren

2016-09-02

The use of interorganizational, collaborative approaches to build capacity in quality improvement (QI) in health care is showing promise as a useful model for scaling up and accelerating the implementation of interventions that bridge the "know-do" gap to improve clinical care and provider outcomes. Fundamental to a collaborative approach is interorganizational learning whereby organizations acquire, share, and combine knowledge with other organizations and have the opportunity to learn from their respective successes and challenges in improvement areas. This learning approach aims to create the conditions for collaborative, reflective, and innovative experiential systems that enable collective discussions regarding daily practice issues and finding solutions for improvement. The concepts associated with interorganizational learning and deliberate learning activities within a collaborative 'Communities-of-practice'(CoP) approach formed the foundation of the of an interactive QI knowledge translation initiative entitled PERFORM KT. Nine teams participated including seven teams from two acute care hospitals, one from a long term care center, and one from a mental health sciences center. Six monthly CoP learning sessions were held and teams, with the support of an assigned mentor, implemented a QI project and monitored their results which were presented at an end of project symposium. 47 individuals participated in either a focus group or a personal interview. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an iterative content analysis. Four key themes emerged from the narrative dataset around experiences and perceptions associated with the PERFORM KT initiative: 1) being successful and taking it to other levels by being systematic, structured, and mentored; 2) taking it outside the comfort zone by being exposed to new concepts and learning together; 3) hearing feedback, exchanging stories, and getting new ideas; and 4) having a pragmatic and accommodating approach to apply new learnings in local contexts. Study findings offer insights into collaborative, inter-organizational CoP learning approaches to build QI capabilities amongst clinicians, staff, and managers. In particular, our study delineates the need to contextualize QI learning by using deliberate learning activities to balance systematic and structured approaches alongside pragmatic and accommodating approaches with expert mentors.

Current State and Local Initiatives To Support Student Learning: Early Childhood Programs and Innovative Programs To Better Address the Needs of Youth. Selected Presentations from an "Ensuring Student Success through Collaboration Network" Conference (Louisville, Kentucky, September 12-15, 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Burton

The Ensuring Student Success Through Collaboration Network, administered by the Council of Chief State School Officers, is comprised of teams of state and local leaders from Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington and works to connect education improvement efforts with other human service reforms, economic…

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen: Lessons Learned from Collaborating with a Houston Environmental Justice Organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, C.; Arellano, Y.; Phartiyal, P.

2016-12-01

Scientists are increasingly showing interest in conducting research at the community level, yet community groups often struggle with lack of access to scientific information. Collaborations between the two are mutually beneficial: scientists can include assessment of societal implications in their research, and community-specific scientific evidence can be used by local groups to inform public decisions that benefit community interests. Recognizing the need for and utility of such partnerships, the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a science-based policy and advocacy organization, partnered with Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS), an environmental justice organization based in Manchester in Houston, to provide the technical support and resources needed to strengthen TEJAS' advocacy work. Working closely with TEJAS, we connected community members with local experts, developed educational products to inform community members about environmental health risks in their neighborhoods, published a report highlighting chemical safety issues in the community, and assisted in constructing a community survey to assess residents' health concerns. The products were created with the intention of raising the profile of these issues with local government and regional EPA officials. This talk will discuss the projects done in collaboration with TEJAS, as well as important lessons learned that offer insight into best practices for other organizations and technical experts to partner with community groups on local projects.

Fostering Pre-Service Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge through Collaborative Coaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Joy; Gray, Erika

2017-01-01

This study uses activity theory to examine collaboration between graduate students (in-service teachers) serving as literacy coaches and undergraduate students (pre-service teachers) functioning as tutors in a university reading clinic. The participants tutored students in grades first through sixth for seven weeks. The purpose of the study was to…

Some Aspects of Collaboration in Inclusive Education--Teachers' Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouillet, Dejana

2013-01-01

The main aim of the present article is to analyse some aspects of collaboration in inclusive educational practice in Croatian schools by analysing teachers' experiences. Special attention is devoted to the professional support resources available to teachers, as well as to teachers' views on the content and usefulness of the professional support…

Teachers-Librarian Collaboration in Building the Curriculum for an IB World School: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhargava, Madhu

2010-01-01

Many schools are in the transition stage from passive learning environments into active ones. Teachers, librarians and administrators are forced to rethink the curriculum in terms of content and teaching methodology because of advancement of technology and competitions. The paper will demonstrate the need of collaborative work of…

Investigating Uses and Perceptions of an Online Collaborative Workspace for the Dissertation Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rockinson-Szapkiw, Amanda J.

2012-01-01

The intent of this study was to investigate 93 doctoral candidates' perceptions and use of an online collaboration workspace and content management server, Microsoft Office SharePoint, for dissertation process. All candidates were enrolled in an Ed.D. programme in the United States. Descriptive statistics demonstrate that candidates frequently use…

Virtual Collaborations in the Spanish Class: From E-Mail to Web Design and CD-ROM Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellebrandt, Josef

1999-01-01

Modern technologies can provide language students with authentic content and contextualized, collaborative learning situations. This article illustrates how e-mail exchanges, Web exercises, and CD-ROM development between students in the United States and organizations in Ecuador can promote contextualized and authentic practice of Spanish language…

The Use of Collaboration Tools when Teaching with Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mncube-Barnes, Fatima Maria

2010-01-01

This study was designed to determine whether faculty members utilized collaboration tools within Desire2Learn Inc., in accordance with Chickering and Gamson's (1987) "Seven Principles of Good Practice: A Framework for Evaluating Effective Teaching in Undergraduate Education." The population for this study was faculty members at…

Factors Influencing Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skill Acquisition in Student Nurses: An Empirical Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corlett, Jo; Palfreyman, J. W.; Staines, H. J.; Marr, H.

2003-01-01

The effect of the following on bridging the theory-practice gap in nursing education was examined: (1) theory taught by preceptors or nurse educators; (2) nurse educator/preceptor collaboration on content; and (3) immediate clinical placements following theory learning. Preceptors were more effective, collaboration was ineffective, and delay was…

Differentiation and Collaboration in a Competitive Environment: A Case Study of Ontario Postsecondary Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jafar, Hayfa

2015-01-01

The essay explores how the dynamics of competition and collaboration among Ontario's higher education institutions contribute to the system's differentiation strategy. The essay implements a content analysis approach to the Strategic Mandate Agreement submissions signed between the Ontario Government and the Ontario Colleges and Universities in…

Collaboration for Authentic Preservice Teacher Experiences: Mathematics and English as a Second Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tilley-Lubbs, Gresilda A.; Kreye, Betibel C.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a collaboration between Mathematics Education and English as a Second Language (ESL) Education programs that presented opportunities for preservice teachers from both programs to work together to address curricular and linguistic gaps that occur for English language learners (ELL) in content area classrooms. By modeling…

Developing Communication Confidence and Professional Identity in Chemistry through International Online Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skagen, Darlene; McCollum, Brett; Morsch, Layne; Shokoples, Brandon

2018-01-01

The use of online collaborative assignments (OCAs) between two flipped organic chemistry classrooms, one in Canada and the other in the United States, was examined for impact on learners. The intervention was designed to support content mastery, aid in increasing students' communication skills through chemistry drawing and verbalization,…

Lesson Study and Teachers Knowledge Development: Collaborative Critique of a Research Model and Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Catherine; Perry, Rebecca; Murata, Aki

During "lesson study" teachers formulate long-term goals for student learning and development, collaboratively work on "research lessons" to bring these goals to life, document and discuss student responses to these lessons, and revise the lessons in response to student learning. This document summarizes the content of a…

How Technology and Collaboration Promote Formative Feedback: A Role for CSCL Research in Active Learning Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Sally P. W.; Rau, Martina A.

2017-01-01

Recent evidence for the effectiveness of active learning interventions has led educators to advocate for widespread adoption of active learning in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses. Active learning interventions implement technology and collaboration to engage students actively with the content. Yet, it is…

Use of Networked Collaborative Concept Mapping To Measure Team Processes and Team Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Gregory K. W. K.; O'Neil, Harold F., Jr.; Herl, Howard E.; Dennis, Robert A.

The feasibility of using a computer-based networked collaborative concept mapping system to measure teamwork skills was studied. A concept map is a node-link-node representation of content, where the nodes represent concepts and links represent relationships between connected concepts. Teamwork processes were examined for a group concept mapping…

Collaborative Online Projects for English Language Learners in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Knox, Carolyn; Rivas, Carmen

2013-01-01

This paper summarizes how collaborative online projects (COPs) are used to facilitate science content-area learning for English Learners of Hispanic origin. This is a Mexico-USA partnership project funded by the National Science Foundation. A COP is a 10-week thematic science unit, completely online, and bilingual (Spanish and English) designed to…

Assessing Online Collaboration among Language Teachers: A Cross-Institutional Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Nike; Ducate, Lara; Lomicka, Lara; Lord, Gillian

2009-01-01

This paper focuses on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) among foreign language (FL) graduate students from three universities, who worked together to create a wiki. In order to investigate the nature of CSCL among participants, this qualitative case study used the Curtis and Lawson framework (2001) to conduct a content analysis of…

Building a Critical Components for Successful Multimedia-Based Collaborative eLearning Design Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asanok, M.; Kitrakan, P.; Brahmawong, C.

2008-01-01

With newly developing multimedia and web-based technologies have provided opportunities of developing a multimedia-based collaborative eLearning systems. The development of eLearning systems has started a revolution for instructional content delivering, learning activities and social communication. Based on various positions on this issue have…

Navigating the boundary of science for decision making at the state and local level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzales, L. M.; Wood, C.; Boland, M. A.; Rose, C. A.

2015-12-01

Scientific information should play a vital role in many decision making processes, yet issues incorporating geoscience information often arise due to inherent differences between how scientists and decision makers operate. Decision makers and scientists have different priorities, produce work at different rates, and often lack an understanding of each others' institutional constraints. Boundary organizations, entities that facilitate collaboration and information flow across traditional boundaries such as that between scientists and decision makers, are in a unique position to improve the dialogue between disparate groups. The American Geosciences Institute (AGI), a nonprofit federation of 50 geoscience societies and organizations, is linking the geoscience and decision-making communities through its Critical Issues Program. AGI's Critical Issues program has first-hand experience in improving the transfer of information across the science-decision making boundary, particularly in areas pertaining to water resources and hazards. This presentation will focus on how, by collaborating with organizations representing the decision making and geoscience communities to inform our program development, we have created our three main content types - website, webinar series, and research database - to better meet the needs of the decision-making process. The program presents existing geoscience information in a way that makes the interconnected nature of geoscience topics more easily understood, encourages discussion between the scientific and decision-making communities, and has established a trusted source of impartial geoscience information. These efforts have focused on state and local decision makers—groups that increasingly influence climate and risk-related decisions, yet often lack the resources to access and understand geoscience information.

Collaboration and nested environmental governance: Scale dependency, scale framing, and cross-scale interactions in collaborative conservation.

PubMed

Wyborn, Carina; Bixler, R Patrick

2013-07-15

The problem of fit between social institutions and ecological systems is an enduring challenge in natural resource management and conservation. Developments in the science of conservation biology encourage the management of landscapes at increasingly larger scales. In contrast, sociological approaches to conservation emphasize the importance of ownership, collaboration and stewardship at scales relevant to the individual or local community. Despite the proliferation of initiatives seeking to work with local communities to undertake conservation across large landscapes, there is an inherent tension between these scales of operation. Consequently, questions about the changing nature of effective conservation across scales abound. Through an analysis of three nested cases working in a semiautonomous fashion in the Northern Rocky Mountains in North America, this paper makes an empirical contribution to the literature on nested governance, collaboration and communication across scales. Despite different scales of operation, constituencies and scale frames, we demonstrate a surprising similarity in organizational structure and an implicit dependency between these initiatives. This paper examines the different capacities and capabilities of collaborative conservation from the local to regional to supra regional. We draw on the underexplored concept of 'scale-dependent comparative advantage' (Cash and Moser, 2000), to gain insight into what activities take place at which scale and what those activities contribute to nested governance and collaborative conservation. The comparison of these semiautonomous cases provides fruitful territory to draw lessons for understanding the roles and relationships of organizations operating at different scales in more connected networks of nested governance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fundamental Dimensions and Essential Elements of Exemplary Local Extension Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terry, Bryan D.; Osborne, Edward

2015-01-01

Collaborative efforts between federal, state, and local government agencies enable local Extension units to deliver a high level of educational opportunities to local citizens. These units represent land-grant institutions by delivering non-formal education that aim to address local, regional, and state concerns. The purpose of this study was to…

Collaboration Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlow, Danielle; Otero, Valerie K.

2005-01-01

What happens when university curriculum developers are mixed with motivated elementary teachers? ? An awesome learning collaboration that benefits researchers, teachers, and students! That's what the authors discovered when they--university researchers involved in the Physics for Elementary Teachers (PET) project--teamed up with local elementary…

Collaboration Model for ESL and Content Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broer, Kathleen

2013-01-01

This study will examine strategies that ESL teachers and content teachers can use to help middle school ESL students acquire science vocabulary and meta-cognitive strategies for writing skills in non-fiction text forms. Two appendixes are included. (Contains 3 figures and 2 footnotes.)

Integrating Language and Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordmeyer, Jon, Ed.; Barduhn, Susan, Ed.

2010-01-01

The definition of "English language classroom" is changing. When students have the opportunity to learn content and language at the same time, disciplinary boundaries overlap. Teachers are rethinking how they design courses, plan lessons, assess students, and collaborate with colleagues to support student learning and facilitate their…

Using collaborative technology to enhance pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Dermot Francis; Hume, Anne

2015-01-01

Background:Supporting pre-service teacher (PT) collaboration as a means of professional learning is a challenging but essential task for effective practice. However, teacher placements or practicums in schools, which is common practice within teacher education programmes, can often isolate PTs from sharing their experiences with each other. Further, the articulation of effective pedagogical practices by high-quality teachers is limited, restricting PTs' ability to access such professional knowledge. Purpose:This study investigates how the introduction of a collaborative technology, a wiki, may enhance existing and new opportunities for pre-service teachers' (PTs) to develop pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Sample:Seven PT chemistry teachers of varied backgrounds participated in this study. Design and method:The PTs were learning to collaboratively formulate and document their early topic-specific teaching knowledge using a pedagogical tool known as Content Representation (CoRe) design. Once scaffolded into this process, the PTs continued and extended this collaborative work online through the introduction of a wiki. Data were collected for qualitative analysis through the CoRe artefacts, a semi-structured focus group interview, and PTs' reflective essays about their collaborative experiences representing their teaching knowledge in CoRes through the wiki. Results:Data analysis highlighted that while wiki use showed some potential for collaborative representation when participants were not face-to-face, the PTs were hesitant in critiquing each other's work. As such, the online representations remained relatively static without face-to-face interaction. However, developing artefacts online was favoured over established practice and the access to artefacts of their peers on the wiki enhanced PTs' consideration for their own PCK. Conclusion:Wikis show some potential in the hosting of CoRes, but issues in simultaneous posting and lack of chat functionality may hinder PTs' ability to easily critique each others' work. However, the PTs in this study also demonstrated a broader unwillingness to critique each other's CoRes that teacher educators need to challenge. The use of technology to support PTs' CoRes and critiquing warrants further research.

Language-Building Activities and Interaction Variations with Mixed-Ability ESL University Learners in a Content-Based Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serna Dimas, Héctor Manuel; Ruíz Castellanos, Erika

2014-01-01

The preparation of both language-building activities and a variety of teacher/student interaction patterns increase both oral language participation and content learning in a course of manual therapy with mixed-language ability students. In this article, the researchers describe their collaboration in a content-based course in English with English…

Effects of professional development on the knowledge and classroom practices of elementary school science teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minuskin, Sondra

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of professional development on the knowledge and classroom practices of teachers of science in kindergarten through Grade 5. These teachers, trained to be generalists in the content areas, were strongly prepared in pedagogical practices, reading skills, basic language arts, and mathematics content areas. Science reform has led to more content-specific science standards that were difficult for these unprepared teachers to address without professional development. The researcher implemented a professional development program that used a collaborative model involving 8 teachers in Grade 4. The researcher conducted the professional development, assisted at times by personnel from the New Jersey State Department of Education. The new standards were learned, reinforced, and adopted. The data that were analyzed to determine the effects of the professional development came from a comparison of student achievement of the classes of 2 sets of teachers in Grade 4, one of which was the control set ( n = 8). The other was the experimental set (n = 8). The researcher administered pre- and postintervention content tests to both groups to measure teacher knowledge. In addition, the researcher reviewed lesson plans, conducted observations, and administered surveys to determine whether professional development in science impacted teacher practices in the classroom. This limited study suggested that teacher instruction did not significantly differ after professional development intervention. It also suggested that teacher content knowledge did not significantly increase due to the intervention. The researcher believes that local factors influenced the outcome and recommends a more systemic program that includes the involvement of all stakeholders.

Differences That Make A Difference: A Study in Collaborative Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Touchman, Stephanie

Collaborative learning is a common teaching strategy in classrooms across age groups and content areas. It is important to measure and understand the cognitive process involved during collaboration to improve teaching methods involving interactive activities. This research attempted to answer the question: why do students learn more in collaborative settings? Using three measurement tools, 142 participants from seven different biology courses at a community college and at a university were tested before and after collaborating about the biological process of natural selection. Three factors were analyzed to measure their effect on learning at the individual level and the group level. The three factors were: difference in prior knowledge, sex and religious beliefs. Gender and religious beliefs both had a significant effect on post-test scores.

How the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model Works: Creating Greater Alignment, Integration, and Collaboration between Health and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Rachelle Johnsson; Meagher, Whitney; Slade, Sean

2015-01-01

Background: The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model calls for greater collaboration across the community, school, and health sectors to meet the needs and support the full potential of each child. This article reports on how 3 states and 2 local school districts have implemented aspects of the WSCC model through collaboration,…

Research Collaboration in a Communication Rights Campaign: Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Ryan, Charlotte

2018-01-01

In building public support for social change, activists in communities of color routinely approach broader audiences via news media. Communities of color, however, routinely face disparities that limit their access to media including local news media outlets. This lack of access mirrors inequalities in political, social, and economic arenas and can slow public awareness campaigns to address disparities in health, environmental, and other quality-of-life issues. I describe two community-based collaborative action research studies that documented and challenged how local television newscasts underrepresented and misrepresented three communities of color in Boston. The linkage between communication rights and campaigns to address quality-of-life issues is presented, as well as unresolved challenges in the collaborative research process. The study has implications for environmental health campaigns.

Hybrid employment recommendation algorithm based on Spark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zuoquan; Lin, Yubei; Zhang, Xingming

2017-08-01

Aiming at the real-time application of collaborative filtering employment recommendation algorithm (CF), a clustering collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm (CCF) is developed, which applies hierarchical clustering to CF and narrows the query range of neighbour items. In addition, to solve the cold-start problem of content-based recommendation algorithm (CB), a content-based algorithm with users’ information (CBUI) is introduced for job recommendation. Furthermore, a hybrid recommendation algorithm (HRA) which combines CCF and CBUI algorithms is proposed, and implemented on Spark platform. The experimental results show that HRA can overcome the problems of cold start and data sparsity, and achieve good recommendation accuracy and scalability for employment recommendation.

Integrating Information Literacy and Evidence-Based Medicine Content within a New School of Medicine Curriculum: Process and Outcome.

PubMed

Muellenbach, Joanne M; Houk, Kathryn M; E Thimons, Dana; Rodriguez, Bredny

2018-01-01

This column describes a process for integrating information literacy (IL) and evidence-based medicine (EBM) content within a new school of medicine curriculum. The project was a collaborative effort among health sciences librarians, curriculum deans, directors, and faculty. The health sciences librarians became members of the curriculum committees, developed a successful proposal for IL and EBM content within the curriculum, and were invited to become course instructors for Analytics in Medicine. As course instructors, the librarians worked with the other faculty instructors to design and deliver active learning class sessions based on a flipped classroom approach using a proprietary Information Mastery curriculum. Results of this collaboration may add to the knowledge base of attitudes and skills needed to practice as full faculty partners in curricular design and instruction.

One exhibition, many goals. A case study on how to combine scientific questions with stakeholder views on effective communication of risks.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charriere, M. K. M.; Junier, S.; Bogaard, T.; Mostert, E.; Malet, J. P.

2014-12-01

How effective is visual communication to increase awareness of natural hazards and risks? To answer this research question, we developed a research design that was at the same time an experimental setting and an actual communication effort. This contribution will address the scientists-stakeholders interaction that was involved, the resulting exhibition, the lessons learned and the value it had for the researchers and for the other stakeholders. Throughout the full length of the 2-years project held in the Ubaye valley (southeastern France) we collaborated with local and regional stakeholders (politicians and technicians). Informal meetings with local stakeholders were organized to determine what they perceived as the needs in term of risk communication and to investigate the potential to develop activities that would benefit both them and us. We were offered the opportunity to design an exhibition for the local public library. We proposed the content and this was adjusted in interaction with the stakeholders. Later local technicians and inhabitants contributed to the content of the exhibition and regional stakeholders helped with the funding of the exhibition. Finally, employees of the public library took the lead in advertising the activity, gathering participants and they helped designing the scientific survey. This survey was the key activity from a scientific point of view as it allowed us to measure the impact of this communication activity on risk awareness. Moreover, the principal scientist was present during all opening hours of the exhibition. This allowed direct and indirect contact with the visitors. The benefits of this exhibition for the community included triggering memories, encouraging exchanges, especially inter-generational, reinforcing stakeholders-to-stakeholders relationships and promote further communication on the topic. The scientific benefits are that we have an experiment that allows us to measure the impact of a communication effort, not in a laboratory situation but in real life.

Flavanol and procyanidin content (by degree of polymerization 1-10) of chocolate, cocoa liquors, cocoa powders, and cocoa extracts: first action 2012.24.

PubMed

Robbins, Rebecca J; Leonczak, Jadwiga; Li, Julia; Johnson, J Christopher; Collins, Tom; Kwik-Uribe, Catherine; Schmitz, Harold H

2013-01-01

An international collaborative study was conducted on an HPLC method with fluorescent detection for the determination of flavanols and procyanidins in chocolate and cocoa-containing materials. The sum of the oligomeric fractions with degree of polymerization 1-10 was the determined content value. Sample materials included dark and milk chocolates, cocoa powder, cocoa liquors, and cocoa extracts. The content ranged from approximately 2 to 500 mg/g (defatted basis). Thirteen laboratories--representing commercial, industrial, and academic institutions in six countries--participated in this interlaboratory study. Fourteen samples were sent as blind duplicates to the collaborators. Results for 12 laboratories yielded repeatability RSD (RSDr) values below 10% for all materials analyzed, ranging from 4.17 to 9.61%. Reproducibility RSD (RSDR) values ranged from 5.03 to 12.9% for samples containing 8.07 to 484.7 mg/g material analyzed. In one sample containing a low content of flavanols and procyanidins (approximately 2 mg/g), the RSDR was 17.68%.

Collaborative WorkBench (cwb): Enabling Experiment Execution, Analysis and Visualization with Increased Scientific Productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskey, Manil; Ramachandran, Rahul; Kuo, Kwo-Sen

2015-04-01

The Collaborative WorkBench (CWB) has been successfully developed to support collaborative science algorithm development. It incorporates many features that enable and enhance science collaboration, including the support for both asynchronous and synchronous modes of interactions in collaborations. With the former, members in a team can share a full range of research artifacts, e.g. data, code, visualizations, and even virtual machine images. With the latter, they can engage in dynamic interactions such as notification, instant messaging, file exchange, and, most notably, collaborative programming. CWB also implements behind-the-scene provenance capture as well as version control to relieve scientists of these chores. Furthermore, it has achieved a seamless integration between researchers' local compute environments and those of the Cloud. CWB has also been successfully extended to support instrument verification and validation. Adopted by almost every researcher, the current practice of downloading data to local compute resources for analysis results in much duplication and inefficiency. CWB leverages Cloud infrastructure to provide a central location for data used by an entire science team, thereby eliminating much of this duplication and waste. Furthermore, use of CWB in concert with this same Cloud infrastructure enables co-located analysis with data where opportunities of data-parallelism can be better exploited, thereby further improving efficiency. With its collaboration-enabling features apposite to steps throughout the scientific process, we expect CWB to fundamentally transform research collaboration and realize maximum science productivity.

Clients' collaboration in therapy: Self-perceptions and relationships with client psychological functioning, interpersonal relations, and motivation.

PubMed

Bachelor, Alexandra; Laverdière, Olivier; Gamache, Dominick; Bordeleau, Vincent

2007-06-01

To gain a closer understanding of client collaboration and its determinants, the first goal of this study involved the investigation of clients' perceptions of collaboration using a discovery-oriented methodology. Content analysis of 30 clients' written descriptions revealed three different modes of client collaboration, labeled active, mutual, and therapist-dependent, which emphasized client initiative and active participation, joint participation, and reliance on therapists' contributions to the work and change process, respectively. The majority of clients valued the therapist's active involvement and also emphasized the helpfulness of their collaborative experiences. In general, the therapist actions and attitudes involved in clients' views of good collaboration varied among clients. A second goal was to examine the relationships between client psychological functioning, quality of interpersonal relationships, and motivation, and clients' collaborative contributions, as rated by clients and therapists. Of these, only motivation was significantly associated with client collaboration, particularly in the perceptions of therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Collaborative Testing: An Effective Invitational Strategy for High-Stakes Testing in Nursing.

PubMed

Green, Rebecca; Worthey, Terri; Kerven, Jenny

2018-05-01

A collaborative testing intervention was designed as an application of the invitational education model in an undergraduate nursing course. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of collaborative testing on examination scores and knowledge retention of course content and to evaluate students' feelings about the collaborative testing process. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effect of collaborative testing on examination scores and knowledge retention among undergraduate nursing students in a public health course (N = 106). A descriptive survey was used to evaluate students' perceptions of the collaborative testing intervention. Collaborative testing increased examination scores and facilitated knowledge retention. Students' perceptions of the intervention were positive. Invitational strategies, such as collaborative testing, may result in measurably better outcomes, such as better examination scores and improved knowledge retention. Rigor does not need to be a barrier to invitational learning and, in fact, it may be complemented and enhanced by it. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(5):291-295.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Survey Methods for Educators: Collaborative Survey Development (Part 1 of 3). REL 2016-163

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, Clare W.; Stafford, Erin T.

2016-01-01

This guide describes a five-step collaborative process that educators can use with other educators, researchers, and content experts to write or adapt questions and develop surveys for education contexts. This process allows educators to leverage the expertise of individuals within and outside of their organization to ensure a high-quality survey…

Developing a Master's Student's Research and Practitioner Skills through Collaboration with a Doctoral Researcher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrams, Rachel; Nolan, Emily

2016-01-01

Art therapy master's programs are required to include research coursework in their curriculum; however, they differ in content and types of required projects. Students encouraged to conduct studies that increase the evidence base of art therapy may struggle to do so. This article describes a research collaboration that allowed a master's level…

Promoting Teachers' Collaborative Exploration of a New Science Curriculum: The Case of a Singapore Learning Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Yuen Sze Michelle; Nashon, Samson Madera

2015-01-01

Through a case study, we explore how four Grade 9-10 biology teachers in Singapore experienced their collaborative approach to curriculum and addressed challenges associated with newly prescribed science curricula, such as the perceived lack of clarity and pressure to complete teaching curricular content. With the teachers participating in a…

A Collaborative, Wiki-Based Organic Chemistry Project Incorporating Free Chemistry Software on the Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Michael J.; Moore, Jeffrey S.

2011-01-01

In recent years, postsecondary instructors have recognized the potential of wikis to transform the way students learn in a collaborative environment. However, few instructors have embraced in-depth student use of chemistry software for the creation of interactive chemistry content on the Web. Using currently available software, students are able…

Data Collaborative: A Practical Exploration of Big Data in Course Wikis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Percell, Jay C.

2016-01-01

Wikis continue to be used within technology environments of K-12 and higher education because they offer a collaborative environment for students to produce and receive content in concert with each other or on an individual basis (Kirkham, 2014). These online spaces are typically used as a course management system where students can both receive…

The Relationship between Implementation of Collaborative Strategic Reading and Student Outcomes for Adolescents with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boardman, Alison; Buckley, Pamela; Maul, Andrew; Vaughn, Sharon

2014-01-01

Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) is a set of research-based strategies designed to improve reading comprehension, enhance students' content area learning, facilitate access to higher-level texts, and to promote student engagement. The present study examines how fidelity of implementation of CSR is associated with reading outcomes for students…

Fostering Collaboration in CALL: Benefits and Challenges of Using Virtual Language Resource Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Liliana Cuesta; Alvarez, Claudia Patricia

2014-01-01

This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study on collaborative CALL design and implementation carried out with two groups of postgraduate language-teacher trainees who designed and piloted nine virtual language resource centres (VLRC) at 16 educational institutions of different levels and contents for an academic year. The project was…

Issues of E-Learning Standards and Identity Management for Mobility and Collaboration in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alves, Paulo; Uhomoibhi, James

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to investigate and report on the status of identity management systems and e-learning standards across Europe for promoting mobility, collaboration and the sharing of contents and services in higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The present research work examines existing e-learning standards and…

Student-Initiated Attention to Form in Wiki-Based Collaborative Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kessler, Greg

2009-01-01

This study reports on student initiated attention to form within the collaborative construction of a wiki among pre-service Non-Native Speaker (NNS) English teachers. Forty NNS pre-service teachers from a large Mexican university were observed over a period of a sixteen week semester in an online content-based course aimed at improving their…

Examining Collective Authorship in Collaborative Writing Tasks through Digital Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevilla-Pavón, Ana

2015-01-01

The advent of Web 2.0 has fostered the emergence of a new collaborative culture shared by internet users worldwide in which the notions of intertextuality and hypertext have evolved, resulting in the reconsideration of authors and their role in text production. It is becoming increasingly common to access, reinterpret and modify contents and texts…

Creating Joint Representations of Collaborative Problem Solving with Multi-Touch Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercier, E.; Higgins, S.

2014-01-01

Multi-touch surfaces have the potential to change the nature of computer-supported collaborative learning, allowing more equitable access to shared digital content. In this paper, we explore how large multi-touch tables can be used by groups of students as an external representation of their group interaction processes. Video data from 24 groups…

Collaborative Academic Projects on Social Network Sites to Socialize EAP Students into Academic Communities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dashtestani, Reza

2018-01-01

Learning English for academic purposes (EAP) can help university students promote their academic literacy through socializing them into academic communities of practice. This study examined the impact of the use of collaborative projects on three social network sites on EAP students' attitudes towards EAP and academic content learning. Three…

The Impact of a Collaborative Wikipedia Assignment on Teaching, Learning, and Student Perceptions in a Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bravo, Vanessa J.; Young, Michael F.

2011-01-01

This study explored students' perceptions and behaviors of public wiki use during a collaborative Wikipedia assignment in a graduate technology and literacy education course. Results confirmed that the majority of students had an overall positive experience posting content on Wikipedia. Students learned how to use Wikipedia through collaborative…

Examination of Studies on Technology-Assisted Collaborative Learning Published between 2010-2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnavut, Ahmet; Özdamli, Fezile

2016-01-01

This study is a content analysis of the articles about technology-assisted collaborative learning published in Science Direct database between the years of 2010 and 2014. Developing technology has become a topic that we encounter in every aspect of our lives. Educators deal with the contribution and integration of technology into education.…

Distance Education Faculty and Librarian Collaboration: Developing Technological Skills of School Librarian Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrott, Deborah J.; Anderson, Joanna M.

2015-01-01

LibGuides, as a method of creating pathfinders for instruction of information literacy and content management has long been used by academic libraries, but has not been widely used by school libraries. This article describes a collaborative plan between a distance education librarian and a professor of school library media using LibGuides to…

Educational Visualizations in 3D Collaborative Virtual Environments: A Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fominykh, Mikhail; Prasolova-Forland, Ekaterina

2012-01-01

Purpose: Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) have become increasingly popular in educational settings and the role of 3D content is becoming more and more important. Still, there are many challenges in this area, such as lack of empirical studies that provide design for educational activities in 3D CVEs and lack of norms of how to support…

Productive Group Engagement in Cognitive Activity and Metacognitive Regulation during Collaborative Learning: Can It Explain Differences in Students' Conceptual Understanding?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khosa, Deep K.; Volet, Simone E.

2014-01-01

This paper addresses the nature and significance of productive engagement in cognitive activity and metacognitive regulation in collaborative learning tasks that involve complex scientific knowledge. A situative framework, combining the constructs of social regulation and content processing, provided the theoretical basis for the development of a…

A Collaborative Group Study of Korean Mid-Career Elementary Teachers for Professional Development in Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Jihae; Seog, Moonjoo

2018-01-01

Professional development for in-service teachers is necessary to meet the changing needs of students and society. This teacher collaboration study examined the experiences of mid-career elementary teachers in Korea in their music professional development. Research questions included: (1) What were the contents of discussion? (2) What was the level…

Focusing the EarthScope for a broader audience: Advancing geoscience education with interactive kiosks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith-Konter, B. R.; Solis, T.

2012-12-01

A primary objective of the EarthScope Education and Outreach program is to transform technical science into teachable products for a technologically thriving generation. One of the most challenging milestones of scientific research, however, is often the translation of a technical result into a clear teachable moment that is accessible to a broader audience. As 4D multimedia now dominate most aspects of our social environment, science "teaching" now also requires intervention of visualization technology and animation to portray research results in an inviting and stimulating manner. Following the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)'s lead in developing interactive Earth science kiosk multimedia (bundled in a free product called Active Earth), we have made a major effort to construct and install customized EarthScope-themed touch screen kiosks in local communities. These kiosks are helping to educate a broader audience about EarthScope's unique instrumentation and observations using interactive animations, games, and virtual field trips. We are also developing new kiosk content that reflect career stories showcasing the personal journeys of EarthScope scientists. To truly bring the interactive aspect of our EarthScope kiosk media into the classroom, we have collaborated with local teachers to develop a one-page EarthScope TerraMap activity worksheet that guides students through kiosk content. These activities are shaping a new pathway for how teachers teach and students learn about planet Earth and its fantastic EarthScope - one click (and touch) at a time.

Cross-sector collaborations in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander childhood disability: a systematic integrative review and theory-based synthesis.

PubMed

Green, Anna; DiGiacomo, Michelle; Luckett, Tim; Abbott, Penelope; Davidson, Patricia Mary; Delaney, Joanne; Delaney, Patricia

2014-12-18

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia experience a higher prevalence of disability and socio-economic disadvantage than other Australian children. Early intervention is vital for improved health outcomes, but complex and fragmented service provision impedes access. There have been international and national policy shifts towards inter-sector collaborative responses to disability, but more needs to be known about how collaboration works in practice. A systematic integrative literature review using a narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed and grey literature was undertaken to describe components of inter- and intra-sector collaborations among services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with a disability and their families. The findings were synthesized using the conceptual model of the ecological framework. Thirteen articles published in a peer-reviewed journal and 18 articles from the grey literature met inclusion criteria. Important factors in inter- and intra-sector collaborations identified included: structure of government departments and agencies, and policies at the macro- (government) system level; communication, financial and human resources, and service delivery setting at the exo- (organizational) system level; and relationships and inter- and intra-professional learning at the meso- (provider) system level. The policy shift towards inter-sector collaborative approaches represents an opportunity for the health, education and social service sectors and their providers to work collaboratively in innovative ways to improve service access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with a disability and their families. The findings of this review depict a national snapshot of collaboration, but as each community is unique, further research into collaboration within local contexts is required to ensure collaborative solutions to improve service access are responsive to local needs and sustainable.

A Hybrid Approach using Collaborative filtering and Content based Filtering for Recommender System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geetha, G.; Safa, M.; Fancy, C.; Saranya, D.

2018-04-01

In today’s digital world, it has become an irksome task to find the content of one's liking in an endless variety of content that are being consumed like books, videos, articles, movies, etc. On the other hand there has been an emerging growth among the digital content providers who want to engage as many users on their service as possible for the maximum time. This gave birth to the recommender system comes wherein the content providers recommend users the content according to the users’ taste and liking. In this paper we have proposed a movie recommendation system. A movie recommendation is important in our social life due to its features such as suggesting a set of movies to users based on their interest, or the popularities of the movies. In this paper we are proposing a movie recommendation system that has the ability to recommend movies to a new user as well as the other existing users. It mines movie databases to collect all the important information, such as, popularity and attractiveness, which are required for recommendation. We use content-based and collaborative filtering and also hybrid filtering, which is a combination of the results of these two techniques, to construct a system that provides more precise recommendations concerning movies.

Measuring the evolution and output of cross-disciplinary collaborations within the NCI Physical Sciences–Oncology Centers Network

PubMed Central

Basner, Jodi E.; Theisz, Katrina I.; Jensen, Unni S.; Jones, C. David; Ponomarev, Ilya; Sulima, Pawel; Jo, Karen; Eljanne, Mariam; Espey, Michael G.; Franca-Koh, Jonathan; Hanlon, Sean E.; Kuhn, Nastaran Z.; Nagahara, Larry A.; Schnell, Joshua D.; Moore, Nicole M.

2013-01-01

Development of effective quantitative indicators and methodologies to assess the outcomes of cross-disciplinary collaborative initiatives has the potential to improve scientific program management and scientific output. This article highlights an example of a prospective evaluation that has been developed to monitor and improve progress of the National Cancer Institute Physical Sciences—Oncology Centers (PS-OC) program. Study data, including collaboration information, was captured through progress reports and compiled using the web-based analytic database: Interdisciplinary Team Reporting, Analysis, and Query Resource. Analysis of collaborations was further supported by data from the Thomson Reuters Web of Science database, MEDLINE database, and a web-based survey. Integration of novel and standard data sources was augmented by the development of automated methods to mine investigator pre-award publications, assign investigator disciplines, and distinguish cross-disciplinary publication content. The results highlight increases in cross-disciplinary authorship collaborations from pre- to post-award years among the primary investigators and confirm that a majority of cross-disciplinary collaborations have resulted in publications with cross-disciplinary content that rank in the top third of their field. With these evaluation data, PS-OC Program officials have provided ongoing feedback to participating investigators to improve center productivity and thereby facilitate a more successful initiative. Future analysis will continue to expand these methods and metrics to adapt to new advances in research evaluation and changes in the program. PMID:24808632

Paediatric musculoskeletal matters (pmm)--collaborative development of an online evidence based interactive learning tool and information resource for education in paediatric musculoskeletal medicine.

PubMed

Smith, Nicola; Rapley, Tim; Jandial, Sharmila; English, Christine; Davies, Barbara; Wyllie, Ruth; Foster, Helen E

2016-01-05

We describe the collaborative development of an evidence based, free online resource namely 'paediatric musculoskeletal matters' (pmm). This resource was developed with the aim of reaching a wide range of health professionals to increase awareness, knowledge and skills within paediatric musculoskeletal medicine, thereby facilitating early diagnosis and referral to specialist care. Engagement with stakeholder groups (primary care, paediatrics, musculoskeletal specialties and medical students) informed the essential 'core' learning outcomes to derive content of pmm. Representatives from stakeholder groups, social science and web development experts transformed the learning outcomes into a suitable framework. Target audience representatives reviewed the framework and their opinion was gathered using an online survey (n = 74) and focus groups (n = 2). Experts in paediatric musculoskeletal medicine peer reviewed the content and design. User preferences informed design with mobile, tablet and web compatible versions to facilitate access, various media and formats to engage users and the content presented in module format (i.e. Clinical assessment, Investigations and management, Limping child, Joint pain by site, Swollen joint(s) and Resources). We propose that our collaborative and evidence-based approach has ensured that pmm is user-friendly, with readily accessible, suitable content, and will help to improve access to paediatric musculoskeletal medicine education. The content is evidence-based with the design and functionality of pmm to facilitate optimal and 'real life' access to information. pmm is targeted at medical students and the primary care environment although messages are transferable to all health care professionals involved in the care of children and young people.

Building community partnerships to implement the new Science and Engineering component of the NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, M. P.; Linn, F.

2013-12-01

Partnerships between science professionals in the community and professional educators can help facilitate the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Classroom teachers have been trained in content areas but may be less familiar with the new required Science and Engineering component of the NGSS. This presentation will offer a successful model for building classroom and community partnerships and highlight the particulars of a collaborative lesson taught to Rapid City High School students. Local environmental issues provided a framework for learning activities that encompassed several Crosscutting Concepts and Science and Engineering Practices for a lesson focused on Life Science Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics. Specifically, students studied local water quality impairments, collected and measured stream samples, and analyzed their data. A visiting hydrologist supplied additional water quality data from ongoing studies to extend the students' datasets both temporally and spatially, helping students to identify patterns and draw conclusions based on their findings. Context was provided through discussions of how science professionals collect and analyze data and communicate results to the public, using an example of a recent bacterial contamination of a local stream. Working with Rapid City High School students added additional challenges due to their high truancy and poverty rates. Creating a relevant classroom experience was especially critical for engaging these at-risk youth and demonstrating that science is a viable career path for them. Connecting science in the community with the problem-solving nature of engineering is a critical component of NGSS, and this presentation will elucidate strategies to help prospective partners maneuver through the challenges that we've encountered. We recognize that the successful implementation of the NGSS is a challenge that requires the support of the scientific community. This partnership represents one model of science and education professionals collaborating to incorporate science and engineering activities into the curriculum.

NASA Astrophysics EPO Community: Increasing and Sustaining Youth and Public Engagement in STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawton, B.; Smith, D. A.; Bartolone, L.; Meinke, B. K.; Schultz, G.; Manning, J.; NASA Astrophysics EPO Community

2015-11-01

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach (EPO) community and Forum work together to capitalize on the cutting-edge discoveries of NASA Astrophysics missions to enable youth to engage directly in doing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) inside and outside of school. The NASA SMD Astrophysics EPO community has proven expertise in providing student opportunities that reinforce research skills; exhibits, multimedia shows, and visualizations that inspire and engage; professional development for informal educators; and partnerships that provide local, regional, and national reach. These mission- and grant-based EPO programs are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present examples of how the NASA Astrophysics EPO community and Forum support youth and public engagement in STEM in these ways, including associated metrics and evaluation findings.

Collaboration, facilities and communities in day care services for older people.

PubMed

Adams, John

2001-05-01

Similarities and differences between day hospitals, run by the NHS, and day centres, run by local authorities or charitable organisations, have been widely discussed in the literature of gerontology for many years. The authors of this paper have undertaken a single blind, randomised-controlled trial to compare rehabilitation outcomes in the two settings, which was published in 1999. This research project involved augmenting the staff of day centres by visiting therapists. In addition to quantitative findings, their project also generated much qualitative data from interviews with health service and social service staff which provides the thought-provoking content. The themes identified included the reluctance of some patients to accept referral to a day centre, and the difficulties associated with discharging patients. Positive aspects included the opportunity to share skills, knowledge and resources. 29 references.

Content Analysis: What Are They Talking About?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strijbos, Jan-Willem; Martens, Rob L.; Prins, Frans J.; Jochems, Wim M. G.

2006-01-01

Quantitative content analysis is increasingly used to surpass surface level analyses in computer-supported collaborative learning (e.g., counting messages), but critical reflection on accepted practice has generally not been reported. A review of CSCL conference proceedings revealed a general vagueness in definitions of units of analysis. In…

Critical Allies and Feminist Praxis: Rethinking Dis-Ease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGloin, Colleen

2016-01-01

In Australian universities, non-Indigenous educators teaching Indigenous studies and/or Indigenous content must engage critically with anti-colonialism, not simply as lip service to syllabus content, but also, as an ethical consideration whereby consultation and collaboration with Indigenous scholars must necessarily direct praxis. Such an…

Database integration in a multimedia-modeling environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dorow, Kevin E.

2002-09-02

Integration of data from disparate remote sources has direct applicability to modeling, which can support Brownfield assessments. To accomplish this task, a data integration framework needs to be established. A key element in this framework is the metadata that creates the relationship between the pieces of information that are important in the multimedia modeling environment and the information that is stored in the remote data source. The design philosophy is to allow modelers and database owners to collaborate by defining this metadata in such a way that allows interaction between their components. The main parts of this framework include toolsmore » to facilitate metadata definition, database extraction plan creation, automated extraction plan execution / data retrieval, and a central clearing house for metadata and modeling / database resources. Cross-platform compatibility (using Java) and standard communications protocols (http / https) allow these parts to run in a wide variety of computing environments (Local Area Networks, Internet, etc.), and, therefore, this framework provides many benefits. Because of the specific data relationships described in the metadata, the amount of data that have to be transferred is kept to a minimum (only the data that fulfill a specific request are provided as opposed to transferring the complete contents of a data source). This allows for real-time data extraction from the actual source. Also, the framework sets up collaborative responsibilities such that the different types of participants have control over the areas in which they have domain knowledge-the modelers are responsible for defining the data relevant to their models, while the database owners are responsible for mapping the contents of the database using the metadata definitions. Finally, the data extraction mechanism allows for the ability to control access to the data and what data are made available.« less

Collaborating for Success: Collaborative Arrangements for 14-19 Provision in the West Midlands. Summary and Analysis of Research Findings from Six Case Studies. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardman, Jill

2006-01-01

These findings from six case study areas in the West Midlands examine how 14-19 collaborative arrangements have developed and changed in response to local circumstances, assess the impact of the developments and changes on the curriculum offer, learner choice and participation, and identify the main success factors for starting and sustaining…

International Collaborative Research Partnerships: Blending Science with Management and Diplomacy

PubMed Central

Lau, Chuen-Yen; Wang, Crystal; Orsega, Susan; Tramont, Edmund C; Koita, Ousmane; Polis, Michael A; Siddiqui, Sophia

2015-01-01

As globalization progressively connects and impacts the health of people across the world, collaborative research partnerships provide mutual advantages by sharing knowledge and resources to address locally and globally relevant scientific and public health questions. Partnerships undertaken for scientific research are similar to business collaborations in that they require attention to partner systems, whether local, international, political, academic, or non-academic. Scientists, like diplomats or entrepreneurs, are representatives of their field, culture, and country and become obligatory agents in health diplomacy. This role significantly influences current and future collaborations with not only the immediate partner but with other in country partners as well. Research partnerships need continuous evaluation of the collaboration’s productivity, perspectives of all partners, and desired outcomes for success to avoid engaging in “research tourism”, particularly in developing regions. International engagement is a cornerstone in addressing the impact of infectious diseases globally. Global partnerships are strategically aligned with national, partner and global health priorities and may be based on specific requests for assistance from the partnering country governments. Here we share experiences from select research collaborations to highlight principles that we have found key in building long-term relationships with collaborators and in meeting the aim to address scientific questions relevant to the host country and strategic global health initiatives. PMID:26225217

Developing a policy game intervention to enhance collaboration in public health policymaking in three European countries.

PubMed

Spitters, H P E M; van Oers, J A M; Sandu, P; Lau, C J; Quanjel, M; Dulf, D; Chereches, R; van de Goor, L A M

2017-12-19

One of the key elements to enhance the uptake of evidence in public health policies is stimulating cross-sector collaboration. An intervention stimulating collaboration is a policy game. The aim of this study was to describe the design and methods of the development process of the policy game ‘In2Action’ within a real-life setting of public health policymaking networks in the Netherlands, Denmark and Romania. The development of the policy game intervention consisted of three phases, pre intervention, designing the game intervention and tailoring the intervention. In2Action was developed as a role-play game of one day, with main focus to develop in collaboration a cross-sector implementation plan based on the approved strategic local public health policy. This study introduced an innovative intervention for public health policymaking. It described the design and development of the generic frame of the In2Action game focusing on enhancing collaboration in local public health policymaking networks. By keeping the game generic, it became suitable for each of the three country cases with only minor changes. The generic frame of the game is expected to be generalizable for other European countries to stimulate interaction and collaboration in the policy process.

Collaboration: a SWOT analysis of the process of conducting a review of nursing workforce policies in five European countries.

PubMed

Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Lakanmaa, Riitta-Liisa; Flinkman, Mervi; Basto, Marta Lima; Attree, Moira

2014-05-01

This paper critically reviews the literature on international collaboration and analyses the collaborative process involved in producing a nursing workforce policy analysis. Collaboration is increasingly promoted as a means of solving shared problems and achieving common goals; however, collaboration creates its own opportunities and challenges. Evidence about the collaboration process, its outcomes and critical success factors is lacking. A literature review and content analysis of data collected from six participants (from five European countries) members of the European Academy of Nursing Science Scholar Collaborative Workforce Workgroup, using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis template. Two major factors affecting scholarly collaboration were identified: Facilitators, which incorporated personal attributes and enabling contexts/mechanisms, including individual commitment, responsibility and teamwork, facilitative supportive structures and processes. The second, Barriers, incorporated unmet needs for funding; time; communication and impeding contexts/mechanisms, including workload and insufficient support/mentorship. The literature review identified a low level of evidence on collaboration processes, outcomes, opportunities and challenges. The SWOT analysis identified critical success factors, planning strategies and resources of effective international collaboration. Collaboration is an important concept for management. Evidence-based knowledge of the critical success factors facilitating and impeding collaboration could help managers make collaboration more effective. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

76 FR 56499 - Financial Access Activities; Comment Request.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-13

... assist local, regional, and state start-up collaborations that incorporate low- and moderate- income... their financial access efforts? How could meaningful innovations be fostered by these collaborations? (e... conducting transactions in and managing accounts? (f) What could be done to promote innovation within the...

Changing District Priorities for School-Business Collaboration: Superintendent Agency and Capacity for Institutionalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Jeffrey V.; Thompson, Hugh C.

2011-01-01

Background: School district superintendents continue to favor collaborative relationships with their local business communities amid concerns over free-market competition, maintaining public legitimacy, and scarce financial resources. Prior research is inadequate regarding the development, implementation, and institutionalization of school and…

Curriculum Development through YTS Modular Credit Accumulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Further Education Unit, London (England).

This document reports the evaluation of the collaborately developed Modular Training Framework (MainFrame), a British curriculum development project, built around a commitment to a competency-based, modular credit accumulation program. The collaborators were three local education authorities (LEAs), those of Bedfordshire, Haringey, and Sheffield,…

77 FR 28855 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plans

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-16

... continued commitment and leadership will be needed to implement the necessary recovery actions. We therefore support and participate in locally led, collaborative efforts to develop salmon and steelhead recovery... region of Washington. The LCFRB led a collaborative process to develop the Washington Lower Columbia...

78 FR 41911 - Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plans

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... continued commitment and leadership will be needed to implement the necessary recovery actions. We therefore support and participate in locally led, collaborative efforts to develop salmon and steelhead recovery... Columbia region of Washington. The LCFRB led a collaborative process to develop the Washington Lower...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holloway, Lawrence E.; Qu, Zhihua; Mohr-Schroeder, Margaret J.

In this study, we consider collaborative power systems education through the FEEDER consortium. To increase students' access to power engineering educational content, the consortium of seven universities was formed. A framework is presented to characterize different collaborative education activities among the universities. Three of these approaches of collaborative educational activities are presented and discussed. These include 1) cross-institutional blended courses ("MS-MD''); 2) cross-institutional distance courses ("SS-MD''); and 3) single-site special experiential courses and concentrated on-site programs available to students across consortium institutions ("MS-SD''). As a result, this paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Brainhack: a collaborative workshop for the open neuroscience community.

PubMed

Cameron Craddock, R; S Margulies, Daniel; Bellec, Pierre; Nolan Nichols, B; Alcauter, Sarael; A Barrios, Fernando; Burnod, Yves; J Cannistraci, Christopher; Cohen-Adad, Julien; De Leener, Benjamin; Dery, Sebastien; Downar, Jonathan; Dunlop, Katharine; R Franco, Alexandre; Seligman Froehlich, Caroline; J Gerber, Andrew; S Ghosh, Satrajit; J Grabowski, Thomas; Hill, Sean; Sólon Heinsfeld, Anibal; Matthew Hutchison, R; Kundu, Prantik; R Laird, Angela; Liew, Sook-Lei; J Lurie, Daniel; G McLaren, Donald; Meneguzzi, Felipe; Mennes, Maarten; Mesmoudi, Salma; O'Connor, David; H Pasaye, Erick; Peltier, Scott; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Prasad, Gautam; Fraga Pereira, Ramon; Quirion, Pierre-Olivier; Rokem, Ariel; S Saad, Ziad; Shi, Yonggang; C Strother, Stephen; Toro, Roberto; Q Uddin, Lucina; D Van Horn, John; W Van Meter, John; C Welsh, Robert; Xu, Ting

2016-01-01

Brainhack events offer a novel workshop format with participant-generated content that caters to the rapidly growing open neuroscience community. Including components from hackathons and unconferences, as well as parallel educational sessions, Brainhack fosters novel collaborations around the interests of its attendees. Here we provide an overview of its structure, past events, and example projects. Additionally, we outline current innovations such as regional events and post-conference publications. Through introducing Brainhack to the wider neuroscience community, we hope to provide a unique conference format that promotes the features of collaborative, open science.

Designing for Online Collaborations and Local Environmental Action In Citizen Science: A Multiple Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kermish-Allen, Ruth

Traditional citizen science projects have been based on the scientific communities need to gather vast quantities of high quality data, neglecting to ask what the project participants get in return. How can participants be seen more as collaborative partners in citizen science projects? Online communities for citizen science are expanding rapidly, giving participants the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, from monitoring invasive species to identifying far-off galaxies. These communities can bring together the virtual and physical worlds in new ways that are egalitarian, collaborative, applied, localized and globalized to solve real environmental problems. There are a small number of citizen science projects that leverage the affordances of an online community to connect, engage, and empower participants to make local change happen. This multiple case study applies a conceptual framework rooted in sociocultural learning theory, Non-Hierarchical Online Learning Communities (NHOLCs), to three online citizen communities that have successfully fostered online collaboration and on-the-ground environmental actions. The purpose of the study is to identify the range and variation of the online and programmatic functions available in each project. The findings lead to recommendations for designing these innovative communities, specifically the technological and programmatic components of online citizen science communities that support environmental actions in our backyards.

Mental health network governance: comparative analysis across Canadian regions.

PubMed

Wiktorowicz, Mary E; Fleury, Marie-Josée; Adair, Carol E; Lesage, Alain; Goldner, Elliot; Peters, Suzanne

2010-10-26

Modes of governance were compared in ten local mental health networks in diverse contexts (rural/urban and regionalized/non-regionalized) to clarify the governance processes that foster inter-organizational collaboration and the conditions that support them. Case studies of ten local mental health networks were developed using qualitative methods of document review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups that incorporated provincial policy, network and organizational levels of analysis. Mental health networks adopted either a corporate structure, mutual adjustment or an alliance governance model. A corporate structure supported by regionalization offered the most direct means for local governance to attain inter-organizational collaboration. The likelihood that networks with an alliance model developed coordination processes depended on the presence of the following conditions: a moderate number of organizations, goal consensus and trust among the organizations, and network-level competencies. In the small and mid-sized urban networks where these conditions were met their alliance realized the inter-organizational collaboration sought. In the large urban and rural networks where these conditions were not met, externally brokered forms of network governance were required to support alliance based models. In metropolitan and rural networks with such shared forms of network governance as an alliance or voluntary mutual adjustment, external mediation by a regional or provincial authority was an important lever to foster inter-organizational collaboration.

Citizen Science in Libraries: Results and Insights from a Unique NASA Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janney, D. W.; Schwerin, T. G.; Riebeek Kohl, H.; Dusenbery, P.; LaConte, K.; Taylor, J.; Weaver, K. L. K.

2017-12-01

Libraries are local community centers and hubs for learning, with more and more libraries responding to the need to increase science literacy and support 21st century skills by adding STEM programs and resources for patrons of all ages. A collaboration has been developed between two NASA Science Mission Directorate projects - the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative and NASA@ My Library - each bringing unique STEM assets and networks to support library staff and bring authentic STEM experiences and resources to learners in public library settings. The collaboration used Earth Day 2017 as a high profile event to engage and support 100 libraries across the U.S. (>50% serving rural communities), in developing locally-relevant programs and events that incorporated cloud observing and resources using NASA GLOBE Observer (GO) citizen science program. GO cloud observations are helping NASA scientists understand clouds from below (the ground) and above (from space). Clouds play an important role in transferring energy from the Sun to different parts of the Earth system. Because clouds can change rapidly, scientists need frequent observations from citizen scientists. Insights from the library focus groups and evaluation include promising practices, requested resources, programming ideas and approaches, particularly approaches to leveraging NASA subject matter experts and networks, to support local library programming.

Advancing Collaboration through Hydrologic Data and Model Sharing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarboton, D. G.; Idaszak, R.; Horsburgh, J. S.; Ames, D. P.; Goodall, J. L.; Band, L. E.; Merwade, V.; Couch, A.; Hooper, R. P.; Maidment, D. R.; Dash, P. K.; Stealey, M.; Yi, H.; Gan, T.; Castronova, A. M.; Miles, B.; Li, Z.; Morsy, M. M.

2015-12-01

HydroShare is an online, collaborative system for open sharing of hydrologic data, analytical tools, and models. It supports the sharing of and collaboration around "resources" which are defined primarily by standardized metadata, content data models for each resource type, and an overarching resource data model based on the Open Archives Initiative's Object Reuse and Exchange (OAI-ORE) standard and a hierarchical file packaging system called "BagIt". HydroShare expands the data sharing capability of the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System by broadening the classes of data accommodated to include geospatial and multidimensional space-time datasets commonly used in hydrology. HydroShare also includes new capability for sharing models, model components, and analytical tools and will take advantage of emerging social media functionality to enhance information about and collaboration around hydrologic data and models. It also supports web services and server/cloud based computation operating on resources for the execution of hydrologic models and analysis and visualization of hydrologic data. HydroShare uses iRODS as a network file system for underlying storage of datasets and models. Collaboration is enabled by casting datasets and models as "social objects". Social functions include both private and public sharing, formation of collaborative groups of users, and value-added annotation of shared datasets and models. The HydroShare web interface and social media functions were developed using the Django web application framework coupled to iRODS. Data visualization and analysis is supported through the Tethys Platform web GIS software stack. Links to external systems are supported by RESTful web service interfaces to HydroShare's content. This presentation will introduce the HydroShare functionality developed to date and describe ongoing development of functionality to support collaboration and integration of data and models.

The Use of MOOC as a Means of Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment in a Blended CLIL Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titova, Svetlana

2017-01-01

The objective of this action research is to work out the possible ways of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) integration in a blended Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) course to create an authentic online collaborative community. The theoretical framework of the intervention is based on current MOOC theories, connectivism, and the…

The Development of Web-Based Collaborative Training Model for Enhancing Human Performances on ICT for Students in Banditpattanasilpa Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pumipuntu, Natawut; Kidrakarn, Pachoen; Chetakarn, Somchock

2015-01-01

This research aimed to develop the model of Web-based Collaborative (WBC) Training model for enhancing human performances on ICT for students in Banditpattanasilpa Institute. The research is divided into three phases: 1) investigating students and teachers' training needs on ICT web-based contents and performance, 2) developing a web-based…

Leveraging Literacies through Collaborative, Source-Based Planning and Teaching in Social Studies and Language Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Nancy; Weaver, Joanna; Fletcher, Jamie; Connor, Bryce; Thomas, Angela; Ross, Cindy

2018-01-01

The value of preparing students for college, careers, and civic life is a shared outcome of social studies and language arts teachers. This study explores how developing content and civic literacy to these ends can be fortified through language arts and social studies teacher collaboration in source-based planning and teaching. Although numerous…

Infusing Aging and Public Policy Content into Gerontology Courses: Collaborative Learning Methods To Teach about Social Security and Medicare.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cianciolo, Patricia K.; Henderson, Tammy L.

2003-01-01

Describes modules on Social Security and Medicare for gerontology policy courses. Discusses collaborative exercises in which students explore Internet resources on Social Security and health care finance, identity major concerns about reforms, and enact scenarios about retirees with varying degrees of income and health care security. (Contains 33…

Enhancing the Practicum Experience for Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers through Collaborative CoRe Design with Mentor Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hume, Anne; Berry, Amanda

2013-01-01

This paper reports findings from an ongoing study exploring how the Content Representation (CoRe) design can be used as a tool to help chemistry student teachers begin acquiring the professional knowledge required to become expert chemistry teachers. Phase 2 of the study, reported in this paper, investigated how collaboration with school-based…

Use of Tablet PCs to Enhance Instruction and Promote Group Collaboration in a Course to Prepare Future Mathematics Specialists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellington, Aimee J.; Wilson, Jill H.; Nugent, Jeffrey S.

2011-01-01

This article details the use of tablet PCs in a mathematics content course for future Mathematics Specialists. Instructors used tablet PCs instead of a traditional whiteboard to capture demonstration and discussion. Students were grouped for collaborative problem solving and exploration exercises. Each group was provided with a tablet PC for…

Rethinking Curriculum and Instruction: Lessons from an Integrated Learning Program and Its Impact on Students and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, Dennis; Huie Hofstetter, Carolyn; Kendig, Julie; Strick, Betsy

2014-01-01

CoTA (Collaborations: Teachers and Artists) is a professional development program that empowers teachers to access the arts in everyday instruction to support student achievement. CoTA schools commit to intense, 3-year collaborations for ten weeks each year where teachers learn to capitalize on arts content and strategies to promote knowledge and…

Open source and open content: A framework for global collaboration in social-ecological research

Treesearch

Charles Schweik; Tom Evans; J. Morgan Grove

2005-01-01

This paper discusses opportunities for alternative collaborative approaches for social-ecological research in general and, in this context, for modeling land-use/land-cover change. In this field, the rate of progress in academic research is steady but perhaps not as rapid or efficient as might be possible with alternative organizational frameworks. The convergence of...

The Development of a Project-Based Collaborative Technical Writing Model Founded on Learner Feedback in a Tertiary Aeronautical Engineering Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatzl, Dietmar; Hassler, Wolfgang; Messnarz, Bernd; Fluhr, Holger

2012-01-01

The present article describes and evaluates collaborative interdisciplinary group projects initiated by content lecturers and an English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instructor for the purpose of teaching technical writing skills in an aeronautical engineering degree program. The proposed technical writing model is assessed against the results of a…

An Investigation of University Students' Collaborative Inquiry Learning Behaviors in an Augmented Reality Simulation and a Traditional Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Hung-Yuan; Duh, Henry Been-Lirn; Li, Nai; Lin, Tzung-Jin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare students' collaborative inquiry learning behaviors and their behavior patterns in an augmented reality (AR) simulation system and a traditional 2D simulation system. Their inquiry and discussion processes were analyzed by content analysis and lag sequential analysis (LSA). Forty…

Ending Conflicts and Vandalism in Knowledge Collaboration of Social Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Haifeng

2013-01-01

Social media provide a multitude of opportunities for knowledge contribution and sharing. However, the content reliability issue has caused comprehensive attention, especially on credible social media, such as Wikipedia. Despite Wikipedia's success with the open editing model, dissenting voices give rise to unreliable content due to two…

An Alternative Team Teaching Model for Content-Based Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Timothy; Sagliano, Michael; Sagliano, Julie

2000-01-01

Describes an alternative teaching model of content-based instruction, Collaborative Interdisciplinary Team Teaching (CITT), used in an English-medium Japanese liberal arts university, highlighting the main features of CITT by comparing it to other relevant models. The article describes how the model has been applied, then discusses perceived…

Wikis for Building Content Knowledge in the Foreign Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellet, Stephanie H.

2012-01-01

Most pedagogical applications of wikis in foreign language education draw on this collaborative tool to improve (formal) writing skills or to develop target language cultural sensitivity, missing largely on the opportunity to support student-developed L2 content knowledge. Seeking an alternative to traditional teacher-centered approaches, this…

The Impact of Peer Mentoring on Marketing Content Mastery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalf, Lynn E.; Neill, Stern; Simon, Lisa R.; Dobson, Sharon; Davis, Brennan

2016-01-01

This article describes and assesses a course design that uses peer mentors to facilitate a collaborative, hands-on learning experience in an introductory marketing course. Results demonstrate that peer mentoring increased content mastery and had a positive effect on students' perceptions of the learning experience. Peer marketing mentors, along…

Student Engagement with a Content-Based Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padilla Rodriguez, Brenda Cecilia; Armellini, Alejandro

2013-01-01

While learning is commonly conceptualised as a social, collaborative process in organisations, online courses often provide limited opportunities for communication between people. How do students engage with content-based courses? How do they find answers to their questions? How do they achieve the learning outcomes? This paper aims to answer…

Exchanging environmental information and decision making: developing the local Pilot Environmental Virtual Observatory with stakeholder communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackay, E.; Beven, K.; Brewer, P.; M, Haygarth, P.; Macklin, M.; Marshall, K.; Quinn, P.; Stutter, M.; Thomas, N.; Wilkinson, M.

2012-04-01

Public participation in the development of flood risk management and river basin management plans are explicit components of both the Water Framework and Floods Directives. At the local level, involving communities in land and water management has been found to (i) aid better environmental decision making, (ii) enhance social, economic and environmental benefits, and (iii) increase a sense of ownership. Facilitating the access and exchange of information on the local environment is an important part of this new approach to the land and water management process, which also includes local community stakeholders in decisions about the design and content of the information provided. As part of the Natural Environment Research Council's pilot Environment Virtual Observatory (EVO), the Local Level group are engaging with local community stakeholders in three different catchments in the UK (the rivers Eden, Tarland and Dyfi) to start the process of developing prototype visualisation tools to address the specific land and water management issues identified in each area. Through this local collaboration, we will provide novel visualisation tools through which to communicate complex catchment science outcomes and bring together different sources of environmental data in ways that better meet end-user needs as well as facilitate a far broader participatory approach in environmental decision making. The Local Landscape Visualisation Tools are being evolved iteratively during the project to reflect the needs, interests and capabilities of a wide range of stakeholders. The tools will use the latest concepts and technologies to communicate with and provide opportunities for the provision and exchange of information between the public, government agencies and scientists. This local toolkit will reside within a wider EVO platform that will include national datasets, models and state of the art cloud computer systems. As such, local stakeholder groups are assisting the EVO's development and participating in local decision making alongside policy makers, government agencies and scientists.

What Have We Learned From Collaborative Partnerships to Concomitantly Improve Both Education and Health?

PubMed Central

Kolbe, Lloyd J; Allensworth, Diane D; Potts-Datema, William; White, Douglas R

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Collaborative partnerships are an essential means to concomitantly improve both education outcomes and health outcomes among K-12 students. METHODS We describe examples of contemporaneous, interactive, and evolving partnerships that have been implemented, respectively, by a national governmental health organization, national nongovernmental education and health organizations, a state governmental education organization, and a local nongovernmental health organization that serves partner schools. RESULTS Each of these partnerships strategically built operational infrastructures that enabled partners to efficiently combine their resources to improve student education and health. CONCLUSIONS To implement a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Framework, we need to purposefully strengthen, expand, and interconnect national, state, and local collaborative partnerships and supporting infrastructures that concomitantly can improve both education and health. PMID:26440818

Teacher collaboration and curriculum construction: Political, cultural, and structural contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esterle, Rochelle Eda Penn

This longitudinal case study is the story of one high school's efforts to implement curriculum reform and the profound effect of local circumstances on reform ideologies. What began as a study of inter- and intradisciplinary collaborative science curriculum integration became the study of a systemic failure to modify cultural practices. Poritical, economic, and structural measures initiated to facilitate reform ultimately represent inherent conflicts of interest which undermine the reform effort. This research exposes obstacles that are deeply embedded within the school's governance, the beliefs and knowledge of teachers, and the culture of schools. The study site is both a new entity and a new concept: a specialized math/science high school located on a state university campus; the school recruits underrepresented students to become acclimated to university coursework and culture. To date, the school has maintained an exceptional record of college and university placements. The school is governed by a partnership representing the university, the corporate sector, and 11 surrounding K-12 school districts. Free from the regularities of a traditional high school, the school appears to be ideally situated for innovation. The principle innovations at this school relate to its organizational structure--heterogeneous student groupings, cooperative group work, curriculum integration, block scheduling, and concurrent university coursework. For teachers, grade level teams replace departments as the dominant unit for professional, curricular, and social interactions. Within teacher teams, collaboration centers around ongoing student problems and policies, subordinating academic content and significant interdisciplinary connections. Without active discipline-based departments and curricular leadership, however, this research finds an absence of academic direction and accountability.

Understanding Digital Note-Taking Practice for Visualization.

PubMed

Willett, Wesley; Goffin, Pascal; Isenberg, Petra

2015-05-13

We present results and design implications from a study of digital note-taking practice to examine how visualization can support revisitation, reflection, and collaboration around notes. As digital notebooks become common forms of external memory, keeping track of volumes of content is increasingly difficult. Information visualization tools can help give note-takers an overview of their content and allow them to explore diverse sets of notes, find and organize related content, and compare their notes with their collaborators. To ground the design of such tools, we conducted a detailed mixed-methods study of digital note-taking practice. We identify a variety of different editing, organization, and sharing methods used by digital note-takers, many of which result in notes becoming "lost in the pile''. These findings form the basis for our design considerations that examine how visualization can support the revisitation, organization, and sharing of digital notes.

Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: How the NASA SMD E/PO Community Addresses the needs of Underrepresented Audiences through NASA Science4Girls and Their Families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinke, Bonnie K.; Smith, Denise A.; Bleacher, Lora; Hauck, Karin; Soeffing, Cassie; NASA SMD E/PO Community

2015-01-01

The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) coordinates the work of individual NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO projects and their teams to bring the NASA science education resources and expertise to libraries nationwide. The Astrophysics Forum assists scientists and educators with becoming involved in SMD E/PO (which is uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise) and makes SMD E/PO resources and expertise accessible to the science and education communities. The NASA Science4Girls and Their Families initiative partners NASA science education programs with public libraries to provide NASA-themed hands-on education activities for girls and their families. As such, the initiative engages girls in all four NASA science discipline areas (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics), which enables audiences to experience the full range of NASA science topics and the different career skills each requires. The events focus on engaging this particular underserved and underrepresented audience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences.

Get it together: Issues that facilitate collaboration in teams of learners in intensive care.

PubMed

Conte, Helen; Jirwe, Maria; Scheja, Max; Hjelmqvist, Hans

2016-05-01

The study describes issues that facilitate collaboration in teams of learners in an interprofessional education unit in intensive care. A descriptive qualitative study design was applied using semi-structured interviews based on the critical incident technique and qualitative content analysis. Nineteen participants, eight learners in their specialist training, nine supervisors and two head supervisors in Sweden identified 47 incidents. Teams of learners having control was the core issue. Motivation, time, experiences and reflection were central issues for facilitating collaboration. Efficiently training teams how to collaborate requires learners having control while acting on their common understanding and supervisors taking a facilitating role supporting teams to take control of their critical analysis.

Psychological first aid training after Japan's triple disaster: changes in perceived self competency.

PubMed

Semlitz, Linda; Ogiwara, Kaori; Weissbecker, Inka; Gilbert, Elizabeth; Sato, Maiko; Taniguchi, Machi; Ishii, Chikako; Sawa, Chie

2013-01-01

International Medical Corps and TELL, a local mental health non-profit organization in Japan, collaborated to develop localized Psychological First Aid (PFA) training of welfare and volunteer organizations supporting survivors of the Japan March 11, 2011 triple disaster The trainings significantly increased participants 'perceived competency in applying PFA principles and in interacting with the disaster affected populations in a safe manner The collaboration between International Medical Corps and TELL in developing, implementing and evaluating the training has potential to inform PFA activities in other disaster affected settings.

Practice and Educational Effect of a Project Based Learning Program Collaborated with Local Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagashima, Masaaki; Kondo, Yasuo; Tanaka, Hisataka; Miyachika, Kouitsu; Akiyama, Masahiko; Ishibuchi, Nobutaka; Hayakawa, Motozo

The ICEE (Innovation Center for Engineering Education) was founded in April 2004 as an educational facility in the Faculty of Engineering of Tottori University. The ICEE plans the development and training of creative professionals in all fields of engineering through Project Based Learning (PBL) programs in collaboration with local enterprises. In this report, the outline and the educational effect of the education program are described. Through PBL programs, we can give problem finding and solving abilities, self-initiative and communicative skill to the students.

Promoting research and audit at medical school: evaluating the educational impact of participation in a student-led national collaborative study.

PubMed

Chapman, Stephen J; Glasbey, James C D; Khatri, Chetan; Kelly, Michael; Nepogodiev, Dmitri; Bhangu, Aneel; Fitzgerald, J Edward F

2015-03-13

Medical students often struggle to engage in extra-curricular research and audit. The Student Audit and Research in Surgery (STARSurg) network is a novel student-led, national research collaborative. Student collaborators contribute data to national, clinical studies while gaining an understanding of audit and research methodology and ethical principles. This study aimed to evaluate the educational impact of participation. Participation in the national, clinical project was supported with training interventions, including an academic training day, an online e-learning module, weekly discussion forums and YouTube® educational videos. A non-mandatory, online questionnaire assessed collaborators' self-reported confidence in performing key academic skills and their perceptions of audit and research prior to and following participation. The group completed its first national clinical study ("STARSurgUK") with 273 student collaborators across 109 hospital centres. Ninety-seven paired pre- and post-study participation responses (35.5%) were received (male = 51.5%; median age = 23). Participation led to increased confidence in key academic domains including: communication with local research governance bodies (p < 0.001), approaching clinical staff to initiate local collaboration (p < 0.001), data collection in a clinical setting (p < 0.001) and presentation of scientific results (p < 0.013). Collaborators also reported an increased appreciation of research, audit and study design (p < 0.001). Engagement with the STARSurg network empowered students to participate in a national clinical study, which increased their confidence and appreciation of academic principles and skills. Encouraging active participation in collaborative, student-led, national studies offers a novel approach for delivering essential academic training.

New pathways to physics instruction: Blending a MOOC and in-person discussion to train physics graduate students and postdocs in evidence-based teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, Bennett

A challenge facing physics education is how to encourage and support the adoption of evidence-based instructional practices that decades of physics education research has shown to be effective. Like many STEM departments, physics departments struggle to overcome the barriers of faculty knowledge, motivation and time; institutional cultures and reward systems; and disciplinary traditions. Research has demonstrated successful transformation of department-level approaches to instruction through local learning communities, in-house expertise, and department administrative support. In this talk, I will discuss how physics and other STEM departments can use a MOOC on evidence-based instruction together with in-person seminar discussions to create a learning community of graduate students and postdocs, and how such communities can affect departmental change in teaching and learning. Four university members of the 21-university network working to prepare future faculty to be both excellent researchers and excellent teachers collaborated on an NSF WIDER project to develop and deliver two massive open online courses (MOOCs) in evidence-based STEM instruction. A key innovation is a new blended mode of delivery where groups of participants engaged with the online content and then meet weekly in local learning communities to discuss content, communicate current experiences, and delve deeper into particular techniques of local interest. The MOOC team supported these so-called MOOC-Centered Learning Communities, or MCLCs, with detailed facilitator guides complete with synopses of online content, learning goals and suggested activities for in-person meetings, as well as virtual MCLC communities for sharing and feedback. In the initial run of the first MOOC, 40 MCLCs were created; in the second run this past fall, more than 80 MCLCs formed. Further, target audiences of STEM graduate students and postdocs completed at a 40-50% rate, indicating the value they place in building their knowledge in evidence-based instruction. We will present data on the impact of being in an MCLC on completion and learning outcomes, as well as data on departmental change in physics supported by MCLCs. Work supported by NSF DUE-1347605.

International Education Hubs: Collaboration for Competitiveness and Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Jane

2014-01-01

This chapter focuses on the development of education hubs, a recent phenomenon in international higher education. Three models of hubs are examined in relation to the forces, risks, and opportunities of globalization and how local and international collaborations are essential for both global competitiveness and sustainability.

Cross-Sector Collaboration: The Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austrian, Ziona; Iannone, Donald

1997-01-01

The Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center is one of six university-based environmental finance centers established by the federal government. Its primary mission is to help state and local government and private-sector organizations devise effective financing strategies for environmental improvement projects. Cross-sector collaboration and…

The Potential for University Collaboration and Online Learning to Internationalise Geography Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Charlotte H.; Wilson, Benjamin P.

2017-01-01

International partnerships between universities, facilitated by online pedagogies, have great potential to bring together students and teachers from widely differing backgrounds, cultures and locations to combine global perspectives and local relevance in the widely interdisciplinary subject area of geography. However, collaboration between…

Collaborative Partnerships in Maryland To Reduce Adult Illiteracy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. for Work and Learning, Washington, DC.

A study examined existing collaborative activities between private or public employers and adult basic education (ABE), general educational development (GED), and English as a second language (ESL) programs in Maryland's 24 local education agencies. Information was gathered directly from 16 ABE administrators (including 4 community college…

Collaboration in national forest management

Treesearch

Susan Charnley; Jonathan W. Long; Frank K. Lake

2014-01-01

National forest management efforts have generally moved toward collaborative and participatory approaches at a variety of scales. This includes, at a larger scale, greater public participation in transparent and inclusive democratic processes and, at a smaller scale, more engagement with local communities. Participatory approaches are especially important for an all-...

Collaborative Educational Ethnography: Problems and Profits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Margaret A.

1985-01-01

The Punjabi Education Project was a collaborative research effort involving a Sikh community in California, a school district, a community organization, and an educational anthropologist. The project aimed to improve relations between the ethnic and mainstream groups at a local high school and simultaneously to improve educational performance…

Implementation of collaborative governance in cross-sector innovation and education networks: evidence from the National Health Service in England.

PubMed

Ovseiko, Pavel V; O'Sullivan, Catherine; Powell, Susan C; Davies, Stephen M; Buchan, Alastair M

2014-11-08

Increasingly, health policy-makers and managers all over the world look for alternative forms of organisation and governance in order to add more value and quality to their health systems. In recent years, the central government in England mandated several cross-sector health initiatives based on collaborative governance arrangements. However, there is little empirical evidence that examines local implementation responses to such centrally-mandated collaborations. Data from the national study of Health Innovation and Education Clusters (HIECs) are used to provide comprehensive empirical evidence about the implementation of collaborative governance arrangements in cross-sector health networks in England. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data from a national survey of the entire population of HIEC directors (N = 17; response rate = 100%), a group discussion with 7 HIEC directors, and 15 in-depth interviews with HIEC directors and chairs. The study provides a description and analysis of local implementation responses to the central government mandate to establish HIECs. The latter represent cross-sector health networks characterised by a vague mandate with the provision of a small amount of new resources. Our findings indicate that in the case of HIECs such a mandate resulted in the creation of rather fluid and informal partnerships, which over the period of three years made partial-to-full progress on governance activities and, in most cases, did not become self-sustaining without government funding. This study has produced valuable insights into the implementation responses in HIECs and possibly other cross-sector collaborations characterised by a vague mandate with the provision of a small amount of new resources. There is little evidence that local dominant coalitions appropriated the central HIEC mandate to their own ends. On the other hand, there is evidence of interpretation and implementation of the central mandate by HIEC leaders to serve their local needs. These findings augur well for Academic Health Science Networks, which pick up the mantle of large-scale, cross-sector collaborations for health and innovation. This study also highlights that a supportive policy environment and sufficient time would be crucial to the successful implementation of new cross-sector health collaborations.

Implementing local agency safety management

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-12-17

For local agencies to mount a successful effort toward reducing motor vehicle collisions and their costs, an effective systematic approach must be taken. A Safety Management System (SMS) has two basic components: a collaborative information exchange ...

Obtaining Related Services through Local Interagency Collaboration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Kenneth R.

Designed as a resource for local school administrators, the report describes the experiences of 15 local special education agencies in providing related services at reasonable cost through interagency cooperation. An introductory chapter discusses the role of interagency committees (both policy and direct service types), and provides information…

Effects of enterprise technology on supply chain collaboration: analysis of China-linked supply chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ling

2012-02-01

Supply chain collaboration has received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners in recent years. However, our understanding of how enterprise information technology facilitates supply chain collaboration is still very limited, especially with regard to Chinese enterprise ownerships such as state-owned firms, joint-venture firms and local village-owned firms. This paper extends the theory established in enterprise information technology (IT) and supply chain collaboration literature and relates it with coordination in China-linked supply chain. Drawing upon an empirical study from 177 Chinese companies, we provide three major findings: (i) uncovered the importance of leveraging enterprise IT through supply chain collaboration; (ii) identified the relationship between enterprise ownership and enterprise technology use and supply chain collaboration in China-linked supply chain and (iii) illustrated effects of supply chain collaborative activities on operational and market performance.

Health, climate change and energy vulnerability: a retrospective assessment of strategic health authority policy and practice in England.

PubMed

Richardson, J; Kagawa, F; Nichols, A

2008-11-17

A number of policy documents suggest that health services should be taking climate change and sustainability seriously and recommendations have been made to mitigate and adapt to the challenges health care providers will face. Actions include, for example, moving towards locally sourced food supplies, reducing waste, energy consumption and travel, and including sustainability in policies and strategies. A Strategic Health Authority (SHA) is part of the National Health Service (NHS) in England. They are responsible for developing strategies for the local health services and ensuring high-quality performance. They manage the NHS locally and are a key link between the U.K. Department of Health and the NHS. They also ensure that national priorities are integrated into local plans. Thus they are in a key position to influence policies and practices to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change and promote sustainability. The aim of this study was to review publicly available documents produced by Strategic Health Authorities (SHA) to assess the extent to which current activity and planning locally takes into consideration climate change and energy vulnerability. A retrospective thematic content analysis of publicly available materials was undertaken by two researchers over a six month period in 2008. These materials were obtained from the websites of the 10 SHAs in England. Materials included annual reports, plans, policies and strategy documents. Of the 10 SHAs searched, 4 were found to have an absence of content related to climate change and sustainability. Of the remaining 6 SHAs that did include content related to climate change and energy vulnerability on their websites consistent themes were seen to emerge. These included commitment to a regional sustainability framework in collaboration with other agencies in the pursuit and promotion of sustainable development. Results indicate that many SHAs in England have yet to embrace sustainability, or to integrate preparations for climate change and energy vulnerability within their organisational strategies. Evidence also suggests that SHAs that have recognised the importance of sustainability within their documentation and policies have yet to fully demonstrate this in practice through the implementation of these policies. Further research is required to investigate means by which SHAs (U.K.) and agencies responsible for health service policy in other countries may be enabled to include a greater consideration of sustainability and climate change within their policies, and to find effective ways of implementing these policies within daily working practice.

The role of Indigenous knowledge in environmental health risk management in Yukon, Canada

PubMed Central

Friendship, Katelyn A.; Furgal, Chris M.

2012-01-01

Objectives This project aimed to gain better understandings of northern Indigenous risk perception related to food safety and to identify the role that Indigenous knowledge (IK) plays in risk management processes to support more effective and culturally relevant benefit-risk (B-R) management strategies. Study design The project used an exploratory qualitative case study design to investigate the role and place of IK in the management of environmental contaminants exposure via consumption of traditional foods in Yukon First Nations (YFNs). Methods Forty-one semi-directive interviews with Traditional Food Knowledge Holders and Health and Environment Decision-makers were conducted. A review and analysis of organizational documents related to past risk management events for the issue was conducted. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze transcripts and documents for key themes related to the research question. Results There was a recognized need by all participants for better collaboration between scientists and YFN communities. YFNs have been involved in identifying and defining community concerns about past risk issues, setting a local context, and participating in communications strategies. Interviewees stressed the need to commit adequate time for building relationships, physically being in the community, and facilitating open communication. Conducting community-based projects was identified as critical for collaboration and for cooperative learning and management of these issues. Conclusions The perception of “effective” benefit-risk management is significantly influenced by the efforts made to include local communities in the process. A set of common guiding principles within a process that brings together people and knowledge systems may provide a more effective way forward in cross-cultural, multiple knowledge system contexts for complex benefit-risk issues than a prescriptive rigid framework. PMID:22868192

Collaboration for Education with the Apple Learning Interchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Patrick A.; Zimmerman, T.; Knierman, K. A.

2006-12-01

We present a progressive effort to deliver online education and outreach resources in collaboration with the Apple Learning Interchange, a free community for educators. We have created a resource site with astronomy activities, video training for the activities, and the possibility of interactive training through video chat services. Also in development is an online textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in stellar evolution, featuring an updatable and annotated text with multimedia content, online lectures, podcasts, and a framework for interactive simulation activities. Both sites will be highly interactive, combining online discussions, the opportunity for live video interaction, and a growing library of student work samples. This effort promises to provide a compelling model for collaboration between science educators and corporations. As scientists, we provide content knowledge and a compelling reason to communicate, while Apple provides technical expertise, a deep knowledge of online education, and a way for us to reach a wide audience of higher education, community outreach, and K-12 educators.

Lessons from interprofessional e-learning: piloting a care of the elderly module.

PubMed

Juntunen, Anitta; Heikkinen, Eija

2004-08-01

Educating health care professionals is a key issue in the provision of quality healthcare services. Interprofessional education has been suggested as a means of meeting this challenge. Four Finnish polytechnics providing education for nurses, social workers and physiotherapists wished to develop the content and methods of teaching the care of the elderly by collaboratively creating and implementing an interprofessional module of 15 European Credit Transfer units, using e-learning. This paper examines the planning and assessment of the impact of the pilot module. The web-based environment eminently suited teaching interprofessional care of the elderly. It supported content and methodological development and renewal of the module. It enabled discussion and collaboration between nursing, social work and rehabilitation teachers and students from the Polytechnics which are located in different parts of Finland. However, it became evident during the pilot that the most crucial challenges of the web-based pedagogy were in the ability of the teacher to supervise, support and motivate students and the organisation of interprofessional learning offered by collaborating institutions.

Investigating the Human Dimension of Unprecedented Global Climate Change in northeastern Siberia, Russia: Understandings, Perceptions and Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crate, S.

2009-12-01

An urgent challenge of the 21st century is to investigate understandings, perceptions and responses of populations confronting the local effects of global climate change. This paper describes the most recent results of one such project working with rural native Viliui Sakha communities, Turkic-speaking horse & cattle breeders in northeastern Siberia, Russia. The research questions are: 1) What local effects of global climate change are Viliui Sakha communities observing, how are Viliui Sakha perceiving these changes and how are the changes affecting both their subsistence survival and their cultural orientations? 2) What local knowledge exists about past climate perturbations and how does that knowledge influence contemporary adaptation to global climate change? 3) How can anecdotal (local) knowledge and regional scientific knowledge about the local effects of global climate change be integrated to enhance both local adaptive responses and policy efforts? The four-village, three-year study is a collaborative effort involving the active participation of the targeted communities, field assistants, native specialists, an in-country research team and an international collaborator. The project is founded on the PI’s 20 years of ongoing research and work with rural Viliui Sakha communities and on her fluency in both the Sakha and Russian languages. A central focus of this project is the integration of local and scientific knowledges. We are documenting local knowledge on the community, elder and archival levels. We are collaborating with scientists in Yakutsk for regional scientific data. Our project team has just returned from the second summer of field work and this presentation will cover the project results to date. Hayfields are inundated with water.

Use of a wiki as an interactive teaching tool in pathology residency education: Experience with a genomics, research, and informatics in pathology course.

PubMed

Park, Seung; Parwani, Anil; Macpherson, Trevor; Pantanowitz, Liron

2012-01-01

The need for informatics and genomics training in pathology is critical, yet limited resources for such training are available. In this study we sought to critically test the hypothesis that the incorporation of a wiki (a collaborative writing and publication tool with roots in "Web 2.0") in a combined informatics and genomics course could both (1) serve as an interactive, collaborative educational resource and reference and (2) actively engage trainees by requiring the creation and sharing of educational materials. A 2-week full-time course at our institution covering genomics, research, and pathology informatics (GRIP) was taught by 36 faculty to 18 second- and third-year pathology residents. The course content included didactic lectures and hands-on demonstrations of technology (e.g., whole-slide scanning, telepathology, and statistics software). Attendees were given pre- and posttests. Residents were trained to use wiki technology (MediaWiki) and requested to construct a wiki about the GRIP course by writing comprehensive online review articles on assigned lectures. To gauge effectiveness, pretest and posttest scores for our course were compared with scores from the previous 7 years from the predecessor course (limited to informatics) given at our institution that did not utilize wikis. Residents constructed 59 peer-reviewed collaborative wiki articles. This group showed a 25% improvement (standard deviation 12%) in test scores, which was greater than the 16% delta recorded in the prior 7 years of our predecessor course (P = 0.006). Our use of wiki technology provided a wiki containing high-quality content that will form the basis of future pathology informatics and genomics courses and proved to be an effective teaching tool, as evidenced by the significant rise in our resident posttest scores. Data from this project provide support for the notion that active participation in content creation is an effective mechanism for mastery of content. Future residents taking this course will continue to build on this wiki, keeping content current, and thereby benefit from this collaborative teaching tool.

Use of a wiki as an interactive teaching tool in pathology residency education: Experience with a genomics, research, and informatics in pathology course

PubMed Central

Park, Seung; Parwani, Anil; MacPherson, Trevor; Pantanowitz, Liron

2012-01-01

Background: The need for informatics and genomics training in pathology is critical, yet limited resources for such training are available. In this study we sought to critically test the hypothesis that the incorporation of a wiki (a collaborative writing and publication tool with roots in “Web 2.0”) in a combined informatics and genomics course could both (1) serve as an interactive, collaborative educational resource and reference and (2) actively engage trainees by requiring the creation and sharing of educational materials. Materials and Methods: A 2-week full-time course at our institution covering genomics, research, and pathology informatics (GRIP) was taught by 36 faculty to 18 second- and third-year pathology residents. The course content included didactic lectures and hands-on demonstrations of technology (e.g., whole-slide scanning, telepathology, and statistics software). Attendees were given pre- and posttests. Residents were trained to use wiki technology (MediaWiki) and requested to construct a wiki about the GRIP course by writing comprehensive online review articles on assigned lectures. To gauge effectiveness, pretest and posttest scores for our course were compared with scores from the previous 7 years from the predecessor course (limited to informatics) given at our institution that did not utilize wikis. Results: Residents constructed 59 peer-reviewed collaborative wiki articles. This group showed a 25% improvement (standard deviation 12%) in test scores, which was greater than the 16% delta recorded in the prior 7 years of our predecessor course (P = 0.006). Conclusions: Our use of wiki technology provided a wiki containing high-quality content that will form the basis of future pathology informatics and genomics courses and proved to be an effective teaching tool, as evidenced by the significant rise in our resident posttest scores. Data from this project provide support for the notion that active participation in content creation is an effective mechanism for mastery of content. Future residents taking this course will continue to build on this wiki, keeping content current, and thereby benefit from this collaborative teaching tool. PMID:23024891

Enhancing the Reuse of Digital Resources for Integrated Systems to Represent, Understand and Dynamize Complex Interactions in Architectural Cultural Heritage Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delgado, F. J.; Martinez, R.; Finat, J.; Martinez, J.; Puche, J. C.; Finat, F. J.

2013-07-01

In this work we develop a multiply interconnected system which involves objects, agents and interactions between them from the use of ICT applied to open repositories, users communities and web services. Our approach is applied to Architectural Cultural Heritage Environments (ACHE). It includes components relative to digital accessibility (to augmented ACHE repositories), contents management (ontologies for the semantic web), semiautomatic recognition (to ease the reuse of materials) and serious videogames (for interaction in urban environments). Their combination provides a support for local real/remote virtual tourism (including some tools for low-level RT display of rendering in portable devices), mobile-based smart interactions (with a special regard to monitored environments) and CH related games (as extended web services). Main contributions to AR models on usual GIS applied to architectural environments, concern to an interactive support performed directly on digital files which allows to access to CH contents which are referred to GIS of urban districts (involving facades, historical or preindustrial buildings) and/or CH repositories in a ludic and transversal way to acquire cognitive, medial and social abilities in collaborative environments.

“A Breath of Fresh Air Worth Spreading”: Media Coverage of Retailer Abandonment of Tobacco Sales

PubMed Central

Offen, Naphtali; Yerger, Valerie B.; Malone, Ruth E.

2014-01-01

Objectives. Media play an important role in the diffusion of innovations by spreading knowledge of their relative advantages. We examined media coverage of retailers abandoning tobacco sales to explore whether this innovation might be further diffused by media accounts. Methods. We searched online media databases (Lexis Nexis, Proquest, and Access World News) for articles published from 1995 to 2011, coding retrieved items through a collaborative process. We analyzed the volume, type, provenance, prominence, and content of coverage. Results. We found 429 local and national news items. Two retailers who were the first in their category to end tobacco sales received the most coverage and the majority of prominent coverage. News items cited positive potential impacts of the decision more often than negative potential impacts, and frequently referred to tobacco-caused disease, death, or addiction. Letters to the editor and editorials were overwhelmingly supportive. Conclusions. The content of media coverage about retailers ending tobacco sales could facilitate broader diffusion of this policy innovation, contributing to the denormalization of tobacco and moving society closer to ending the tobacco epidemic. Media advocacy could increase and enhance such coverage. PMID:24432885

Tweets from the forest: using Twitter to increase student engagement in an undergraduate field biology course

PubMed Central

Soluk, Lauren; Buddle, Christopher M.

2015-01-01

Twitter is a cold medium that allows users to deliver content-rich but small packets of information to other users, and provides an opportunity for active and collaborative communication. In an education setting, this social media tool has potential to increase active learning opportunities, and increase student engagement with course content. The effects of Twitter on learning dynamics was tested in a field biology course offered by a large Canadian University: 29 students agreed to take part in the Twitter project and quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including survey data from 18 students. Students published 200% more public Tweets than what was required, and interacted frequently with the instructor and teaching assistant, their peers, and users external to the course. Almost 80% of students stated that Twitter increased opportunities for among-group communication, and 94% of students felt this kind of collaborative communication was beneficial to their learning. Although students did not think they would use Twitter after the course was over, 77% of the students still felt it was a good learning tool, and 67% of students felt Twitter had a positive impact on how they engaged with course content. These results suggest social media tools such as Twitter can help achieve active and collaborative learning in higher education. PMID:26594328

Tweets from the forest: using Twitter to increase student engagement in an undergraduate field biology course.

PubMed

Soluk, Lauren; Buddle, Christopher M

2015-01-01

Twitter is a cold medium that allows users to deliver content-rich but small packets of information to other users, and provides an opportunity for active and collaborative communication. In an education setting, this social media tool has potential to increase active learning opportunities, and increase student engagement with course content. The effects of Twitter on learning dynamics was tested in a field biology course offered by a large Canadian University: 29 students agreed to take part in the Twitter project and quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including survey data from 18 students. Students published 200% more public Tweets than what was required, and interacted frequently with the instructor and teaching assistant, their peers, and users external to the course. Almost 80% of students stated that Twitter increased opportunities for among-group communication, and 94% of students felt this kind of collaborative communication was beneficial to their learning. Although students did not think they would use Twitter after the course was over, 77% of the students still felt it was a good learning tool, and 67% of students felt Twitter had a positive impact on how they engaged with course content. These results suggest social media tools such as Twitter can help achieve active and collaborative learning in higher education.

The Town-Gown Relationship: Collaboration in University Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotsones, Rena K.

2013-01-01

As communities and universities confront increasingly complex social and fiscal pressures, there is a growing need to align and maximize local resources, knowledge and efforts. Historic and current tensions between town and gown can challenge the ability of universities and communities to collaborate for mutual benefit. This dissertation explores…

Mendeley: Creating Communities of Scholarly Inquiry through Research Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaugg, Holt; West, Richard E.; Tateishi, Isaku; Randall, Daniel L.

2010-01-01

Mendeley is a free, web-based tool for organizing research citations and annotating their accompanying PDF articles. Adapting Web 2.0 principles for academic scholarship, Mendeley integrates the management of the research articles with features for collaborating with researchers locally and worldwide. In this article the features of Mendeley are…

75 FR 56112 - Integrated Food Safety System Online Collaboration Development-Cooperative Agreement With the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

... unintentional contamination of food at each of these points. FDA has worked with other Federal, State, local... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0480] Integrated Food Safety System Online Collaboration Development-- Cooperative Agreement With the National...

Collaborating with the Community: Lessons from a Rural School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Anne

2012-01-01

This article, based on case study research, highlights how a rural school district in the midwestern United States collaborated with local community organizations to meet the needs of English language learners after the district and community experienced rapid ethnic diversification. In particular, the district EL coordinator spearheaded the…

Intercultural Education in Primary School: A Collaborative Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Marta; Araújo e Sá, Maria Helena; Simões, Ana Raquel

2014-01-01

In this article, we present and discuss a collaborative project on intercultural education developed by a group of educational partners. The group was made up of 12 people representing different institutions in the community, namely primary schools, cultural and social associations and the local council. The project takes an intercultural approach…

More than Good Intentions: Building a Network of Collaboratives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Adrienne, Y.

1986-01-01

College Board's national network of school-college collaborative projects to increase the number of high school students prepared to attend college is described: (1) College Board's role; (2) sample conferences on pertinent issues; (3) range of support activities provided by College Board; and (4) lessons learned about both local collaboratives…

Exploring Interagency Collaboration in a Secondary Transition Community of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kester, Joan Eleanor

2013-01-01

This study examined how interagency collaboration occurs within one local transition community of practice using Wenger's (1998) social theory of learning. While postschool outcomes of youth with disabilities have improved moderately, there continue to be many barriers based upon changes in American society, including the diversity of the…

Faculty Development for Continuing Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silver, Ivan L.; Leslie, Karen

2009-01-01

This article proposes a framework for faculty development in continuing interprofessional education (CIPE) and collaborative practice. The framework is built on best practices in faculty development and CIPE. It was informed by local experience in the development, delivery, and evaluation of a faculty development program to promote capacity for…

Developing Reflective Dispositions through Collaborative Knowledge-Building during Small Group Bible Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toh, Tze Keong; Koh, Joyce Hwee Ling; Chai, Ching Sing

2017-01-01

This article explores the use of a constructivist pedagogical approach to cultivate reflective dispositions during small group Bible study. Conducted in a local church Bible class setting (n = 12), the instructional design emulated the reflective thinking process, while adopting collaborative knowledge-building as its pedagogical framework.…

Training Sessions Fostering Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Sustainable Development: Albania and Kosovo Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Jonas; Mader, Marlene; Zimmermann, Friedrich; Çabiri, Ketrina

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine sustainability-related challenges in the two Western Balkan countries--Albania and Kosovo. It discusses the opportunities of local higher education institutions (HEIs) taking responsibility to tackle these challenges by providing professional development through science-society collaboration in…

Million Hearts: Key to Collaboration to Reduce Heart Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brinkman, Patricia

2016-01-01

Extension has taught successful classes to address heart disease, yet heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States. The U.S. government's Million Hearts initiative seeks collaboration among colleges, local and state health departments, Extension and other organizations, and medical providers in imparting a consistent message…

Collaborative Planning in Process: An Ethnomethodological Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Josephine; Burch, Alfred Rue

2017-01-01

Following Ellis's (2005) call for more social and process-oriented planning research, this study explores how learners approach collaborative planning tasks in the classroom as a locally contingent activity in situ. Drawing on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the present study focuses on a group planning stage that precedes the final…

Engaging Students through Mapping Local History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Katharyne; Elwood, Sarah

2012-01-01

This article argues that the integration of local history and geography through collaborative digital mapping can lead to greater interest in civic participation by early adolescent learners. In the study, twenty-nine middle school students were asked to research, represent, and discuss local urban sites of historical significance on an…

Reference Architecture for MNE 5 Technical System

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-30

of being available in most experiments. Core Services A core set of applications whi directories, web portal and collaboration applications etc. A...classifications Messages (xml, JMS, content level…) Meta data filtering, who can initiate services Web browsing Collaboration & messaging Border...Exchange Ref Architecture for MNE5 Tech System.doc 9 of 21 audit logging Person and machine Data lev objects, web services, messages rification el

The Use of Feedback Systems to Improve Collaborative Text Writing: A Proposal for the Higher Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mauri, Teresa; Ginesta, Anna; Rochera, Maria-José

2016-01-01

Collaborative writing is a task commonly used for learning and assessment in higher education. The complexity of this type of task requires special support for learning contents. Feedback can be used as a key element to improve students' learning and engagement. This paper presents and evaluates a teaching innovation that sought to design a model…

The Impact of Collaborative Literacy Coaching on Middle and High School Teachers' Personal and General Sense of Efficacy for Literacy Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe, Kathleen Schmiedeler

2011-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative multiple participant case study was to understand the impact of a nine month collaborative literacy coaching (CLC) initiative on middle and high school content teachers' personal and general sense of efficacy for literacy teaching. A variety of data, including but not limited to transcripts of weekly…

Learning Specific Content in Technology Education: Learning Study as a Collaborative Method in Swedish Preschool Class Using Hands-On Material

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilbrink, Nina; Bjurulf, Veronica; Blomberg, Ingela; Heidkamp, Anja; Hollsten, Ann-Christin

2014-01-01

This article describes the process of a learning study conducted in technology education in a Swedish preschool class. The learning study method used in this study is a collaborative method, where researchers and teachers work together as a team concerning teaching and learning about a specific learning object. The object of learning in this study…

An Examination of Teachers' Perceptions of Principal Support for Change and Teachers' Collaboration and Communication around Literacy Instruction in Reading First Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berebitsky, Dan; Goddard, Roger D.; Carlisle, Joanne F.

2014-01-01

Background/Context: Little research has directly examined whether principal leadership can increase the degree to which teachers work together regularly in focused ways around content. Prior research has shown that reform efforts seeking to alter the process of teaching can be successful if teachers collaborate to build capacity and improve…

Collaborative Undergraduate HBCU Student Summer Training Program Award

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Iowa. These include exercise facilities (running, tennis, basketball, volleyball, handball /racquetball, weights, biking, and swimming), local...basketball, volleyball, handball /racquetball, weights, biking, and swimming), local beaches, and museums (art, natural history, and sports). In

MMI: Increasing Community Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galbraith, N. R.; Stocks, K.; Neiswender, C.; Maffei, A.; Bermudez, L.

2007-12-01

Building community requires a collaborative environment and guidance to help move members towards a common goal. An effective environment for community collaboration is a workspace that fosters participation and cooperation; effective guidance furthers common understanding and promotes best practices. The Marine Metadata Interoperability (MMI) project has developed a community web site to provide a collaborative environment for scientists, technologists, and data managers from around the world to learn about metadata and exchange ideas. Workshops, demonstration projects, and presentations also provide community-building opportunities for MMI. MMI has developed comprehensive online guides to help users understand and work with metadata standards, ontologies, and other controlled vocabularies. Documents such as "The Importance of Metadata Standards", "Usage vs. Discovery Vocabularies" and "Developing Controlled Vocabularies" guide scientists and data managers through a variety of metadata-related concepts. Members from eight organizations involved in marine science and informatics collaborated on this effort. The MMI web site has moved from Plone to Drupal, two content management systems which provide different opportunities for community-based work. Drupal's "organic groups" feature will be used to provide workspace for future teams tasked with content development, outreach, and other MMI mission-critical work. The new site is designed to enable members to easily create working areas, to build communities dedicated to developing consensus on metadata and other interoperability issues. Controlled-vocabulary-driven menus, integrated mailing-lists, member-based content creation and review tools are facets of the new web site architecture. This move provided the challenge of developing a hierarchical vocabulary to describe the resources presented on the site; consistent and logical tagging of web pages is the basis of Drupal site navigation. The new MMI web site presents enhanced opportunities for electronic discussions, focused collaborative work, and even greater community participation. The MMI project is beginning a new initiative to comprehensively catalog and document tools for marine metadata. The new MMI community-based web site will be used to support this work and to support the work of other ad-hoc teams in the future. We are seeking broad input from the community on this effort.

[Scientific production in clinical medicine and international collaboration networks in South American countries].

PubMed

Huamaní, Charles; González A, Gregorio; Curioso, Walter H; Pacheco-Romero, José

2012-04-01

International collaboration is increasingly used in biomedical research. To describe the characteristics of scientific production in Latin America and the main international collaboration networks for the period 2000 to 2009. Search for papers generated in Latin American countries in the Clinical Medicine database of ISI Web of Knowledge v.4.10 - Current Contents Connect. The country of origin of the corresponding author was considered the producing country of the paper. International collaboration was analyzed calculating the number of countries that contributed to the generation of a particular paper. Collaboration networks were graphed to determine the centrality of each network. Twelve Latin American countries participated in the production of 253,362 papers. The corresponding author was South American in 79% of these papers. Sixteen percent of papers were on clinical medicine and 36% of these were carried out in collaboration. Brazil had the highest production (22,442 papers) and the lower percentage of international collaboration (31%). North America accounts for 63% of collaborating countries. Only 8% of collaboration is between South American countries. Brazil has the highest tendency to collaborate with other South American countries. Brazil is the South American country with the highest scientific production and indicators of centrality in South America. The most common collaboration networks are with North American countries.

Nesting doctoral students in collaborative North–South partnerships for health systems research

PubMed Central

Loukanova, Svetla; Prytherch, Helen; Blank, Antje; Duysburgh, Els; Tomson, Göran; Gustafsson, Lars L.; Sié, Ali; Williams, John; Leshabari, Melkizedeck; Haefeli, Walter E.; Sauerborn, Rainer; Fonn, Sharon

2014-01-01

Background The European Union (EU) supports North–South Partnerships and collaborative research projects through its Framework Programmes and Horizon 2020. There is limited research on how such projects can be harnessed to provide a structured platform for doctoral level studies as a way of strengthening health system research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Objective The aim of this study was to explore the challenges of, and facilitating factors for, ‘nesting’ doctoral students in North–South collaborative research projects. The term nesting refers to the embedding of the processes of recruiting, supervising, and coordinating doctoral students in the overall research plan and processes. Design This cross-sectional qualitative study was undertaken by the EU-funded QUALMAT Project. A questionnaire was implemented with doctoral students, supervisors, and country principal investigators (PIs), and content analysis was undertaken. Results Completed questionnaires were received from nine doctoral students, six supervisors, and three country PIs (86% responses rate). The doctoral students from SSA described high expectations about the input they would receive (administrative support, equipment, training, supervision). This contrasted with the expectations of the supervisors for proactivity and self-management on the part of the students. The rationale for candidate selection, and understandings of the purpose of the doctoral students in the project were areas of considerable divergence. There were some challenges associated with the use of the country PIs as co-supervisors. Doctoral student progress was at times impeded by delays in the release of funding instalments from the EU. The paper provides a checklist of essential requirements and a set of recommendations for effective nesting of doctoral students in joint North–South projects. Conclusion There are considerable challenges to the effective nesting of doctoral students within major collaborative research projects. However, ways can be found to overcome them. The nesting process ultimately helped the institutions involved in this example to take better advantage of the opportunities that collaborative projects offer to foster North–South partnerships as a contribution to the strengthening of local research capacity. PMID:25030216

A Different Kind of Diversity: Collaboration across Content Areas Intensifies Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goble, Ryan R.; Sousanis, Nick

2010-01-01

The discovery of DNA is a classic example of the importance of working across content areas. Conceptually, interdisciplinarity can be fuzzy. Thankfully, scholars like Allen Repko and Julie Thompson Klein offer definitions one can build on. Klein (1990) sees interdisciplinarity as a bridge that links different disciplines while restructuring and…

Focusing on Content: Discourse in L2 Peer Review Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorobel, Oksana; Kim, Deoksoon

2014-01-01

Recent studies on peer review groups in second language classes have focused on various topics, including collaboration (Carr, 2008) and the effect of peer review versus teacher feedback on students' writing (Zhang, 1995). One area that has received little attention is the content of students' speech during peer review. This longitudinal case…

Get Real: Augmented Reality for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Rebecca; DeBay, Dennis

2012-01-01

Kids love augmented reality (AR) simulations because they are like real-life video games. AR simulations allow students to learn content while collaborating face to face and interacting with a multimedia-enhanced version of the world around them. Although the technology may seem advanced, AR software makes it easy to develop content-based…

Promoting Teacher Learning through Learning Study Discourse: The Case of Science Teachers in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Yuen Sze Michelle; Nashon, Samson Madera

2013-01-01

The potential of a theory of variation-framed learning study, a teacher professional development approach, to help teachers overcome curricular and pedagogical challenges associated with teaching new science curricula content was explored. With a group of Singapore teachers collaboratively planning and teaching new genetics content,…

Sodium content of popular commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in close collaboration with U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring the sodium content of commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States. The main purpose of this manuscript is to prov...

Content-Language Integrated Second Language Instruction: Curriculum and the CCUEI Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trube, Mary Barbara

2012-01-01

This paper examines the content-language integrated (CLI) second language (L2) education offered by the CCUEI Research Collaborative in China. It explores how CCUEI-developed curriculum reflects the theoretical foundations of an immersion experiment and how the research-based theoretical foundations of CLI L2 have been applied in practice. It…

Exploring Barriers to the Categorization of Electronic Content in a Global Professional Services Firm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Totterdale, Robert L.

2009-01-01

Businesses have always maintained records pertinent to the enterprise. With over 90% of new business records now estimated to be available in electronic form, organizations struggle to manage these vast amounts of electronic content while at the same time meeting collaboration, knowledge management, regulatory, and compliance needs. This case…

Joint and collaborative representation with local Volterra kernels convolution feature for face recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Guang; Li, Hengjian; Dong, Jiwen; Chen, Xi; Yang, Huiru

2018-04-01

In this paper, we proposed a joint and collaborative representation with Volterra kernel convolution feature (JCRVK) for face recognition. Firstly, the candidate face images are divided into sub-blocks in the equal size. The blocks are extracted feature using the two-dimensional Voltera kernels discriminant analysis, which can better capture the discrimination information from the different faces. Next, the proposed joint and collaborative representation is employed to optimize and classify the local Volterra kernels features (JCR-VK) individually. JCR-VK is very efficiently for its implementation only depending on matrix multiplication. Finally, recognition is completed by using the majority voting principle. Extensive experiments on the Extended Yale B and AR face databases are conducted, and the results show that the proposed approach can outperform other recently presented similar dictionary algorithms on recognition accuracy.

Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: How the NASA SMD E/PO Community Addresses Informal Educators' Preferences for PD and Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Nelson, Andi; Smith, Denise A.; NASA SMD Astrophysics E/PO Community

2015-01-01

The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) coordinates the work of NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO projects. These teams work together to capitalize on the cutting-edge discoveries of NASA Astrophysics missions to support educators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and to enable youth to engage in doing STEM inside and outside of school. The Astrophysics Forum assists scientists and educators with becoming involved in SMD E/PO, which is uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise, and makes SMD E/PO resources and expertise accessible to the science and education communities. Informal educators participated in a recent nationally-distributed survey from the NASA SMD SEPOF Informal Education Working Group. The results show the preferences of staff from museums, parks, public libraries, community/afterschool centers, and others with regard to professional development and material resources. The results of the survey will be presented during this session.In addition, we present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in K-12 Formal Education, Informal Science Education, and Outreach. These efforts focus on enhancing instruction, as well as youth and public engagement, in STEM via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences. The Forums' efforts for the Formal, Informal Science Education and Outreach communities include a literature review, appraisal of informal educators' needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, plus support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K-12 Formal Education community and to reach the informal science education and outreach communities based upon mutual needs and interests.

Creating a 'Born Digital' Introductory Online Geology Course with a Community of Inquiry that Supports Discussion of Societal Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Alessio, M. A.; Schwartz, J. J.

2014-12-01

With earth science relevant to so many societal challenges, we created an introductory geology course as a forum for students to explore the interplay between geoscience and society. With new media and digital tools enabling such rich collaboration, we designed the course as a fully online lecture and laboratory experience that meets the natural science general education requirements of our university. We hook students by using popular Hollywood blockbusters paired with documentary films that address related science content. Student ask questions using an online question ranking tool (Google Moderator) to guide the direction of further content delivery using the slide sharing/collaboration tool 'VoiceThread.' It allows instructors to post slides, add video narration, and invite students to comment or answer specific questions using video, voice, or text. Students report that VoiceThread makes an asynchronous class feel like a face-to-face experience. Student also collect data using online tools and pool their data in Google Spreadsheets. They discuss their collective findings in VoiceThread. With these tools in place, each content unit culminates with a challenge scenario. Students work in teams to come to a consensus about a real-world decision that requires them to apply their geologic knowledge. Examples include whether or not to evacuate a town in light of volcanic activity, which house to purchase in an earthquake prone area, which industry was polluting local groundwater, and whether or not to sell mineral rights for hydraulic fracturing. While many of these activities are widely utilized, our approach using them in an integrated online lecture/lab environment is unique. A survey of student attitudes towards the course revealed that students felt a stronger personal connection to the course instructor and one another than typical face-to-face GE classes, including those from our own department. Students' self-report of how much they learned was strongly correlated to their perceived sense of community. We attribute the high course grades and low failure rates (30% A's with only 13% D/F/W) to this sense of community and the socially relevant content it enabled students to engage, as the scores were much higher than more traditional face-to-face courses taught by the same instructors.

Nursing students collaborating to develop multiple-choice exam revision questions: A student engagement study.

PubMed

Craft, Judy A; Christensen, Martin; Shaw, Natasha; Bakon, Shannon

2017-12-01

Nursing students find bioscience subjects challenging. Bioscience exams pose particular concerns for these students, which may lead to students adopting a surface-approach to learning. To promote student collective understanding of bioscience, improve their confidence for the final exam, and improve deeper understanding of bioscience. In order to address exam anxiety, and improve student understanding of content, this student engagement project involved nursing students collaborating in small groups to develop multiple-choice questions and answers, which became available to the entire student cohort. This study was conducted at two campuses of an Australian university, within a first year bioscience subject as part of the undergraduate nursing programme. All students enrolled in the subject were encouraged to attend face-to-face workshops, and collaborate in revision question writing. Online anonymous questionnaires were used to invite student feedback on this initiative; 79 respondents completed this feedback. Students collaborated in groups to write revision questions as part of in-class activities. These questions were made available on the student online learning site for revision. An online feedback survey was deployed at the conclusion of all workshops for this subject, with questions rated using a Likert scale. Participants indicated that they enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate in this activity, and almost all of these respondents used these questions in their exam preparation. There was strong agreement that this activity improved their confidence for the final exam. Importantly, almost two-thirds of respondents agreed that writing questions improved their understanding of content, and assisted in their active reflection of content. Overall, this initiative revealed various potential benefits for the students, including promoting bioscience understanding and confidence. This may improve their long-term understanding of bioscience for nursing practice, as registered nurses' bioscience knowledge can impact on patient outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and pilot testing of a mental healthcare plan in Nepal

PubMed Central

Jordans, M. J. D.; Luitel, N. P.; Pokhrel, P.; Patel, V.

2016-01-01

Background Mental health service delivery models that are grounded in the local context are needed to address the substantial treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries. Aims To present the development, and content, of a mental healthcare plan (MHCP) in Nepal and assess initial feasibility. Method A mixed methods formative study was conducted. Routine monitoring and evaluation data, including client flow and reports of satisfaction, were obtained from patients (n = 135) during the pilot-testing phase in two health facilities. Results The resulting MHCP consists of 12 packages, divided over community, health facility and organisation platforms. Service implementation data support the real-life applicability of the MHCP, with reasonable treatment uptake. Key barriers were identified and addressed, namely dissatisfaction with privacy, perceived burden among health workers and high drop-out rates. Conclusions The MHCP follows a collaborative care model encompassing community and primary healthcare interventions. PMID:26447173

Leveraging standards to support patient-centric interdisciplinary plans of care.

PubMed

Dykes, Patricia C; DaDamio, Rebecca R; Goldsmith, Denise; Kim, Hyeon-eui; Ohashi, Kumiko; Saba, Virginia K

2011-01-01

As health care systems and providers move towards meaningful use of electronic health records, the once distant vision of collaborative patient-centric, interdisciplinary plans of care, generated and updated across organizations and levels of care, may soon become a reality. Effective care planning is included in the proposed Stages 2-3 Meaningful Use quality measures. To facilitate interoperability, standardization of plan of care messaging, content, information and terminology models are needed. This degree of standardization requires local and national coordination. The purpose of this paper is to review some existing standards that may be leveraged to support development of interdisciplinary patient-centric plans of care. Standards are then applied to a use case to demonstrate one method for achieving patient-centric and interoperable interdisciplinary plan of care documentation. Our pilot work suggests that existing standards provide a foundation for adoption and implementation of patient-centric plans of care that are consistent with federal requirements.

How an educational improvement project improved the summative evaluation of medical students.

PubMed

Hoffman, K G; Brown, R Margaret A; Gay, J W; Headrick, L A

2009-08-01

At the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine (USA) "commitment to improving quality and safety in healthcare" is one of eight key characteristics set as goals for our graduates. As educators, commitment to continuous improvement in the educational experience has been modelled through improvement of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) letter (formerly the Dean's letter). This educational improvement project decreased waste, increased collaboration and developed locally useful knowledge. By applying continuous improvement principles to the construction of the MSPE the overall efficiency of the process could be enhanced, and the MSPE committee was able to spend less cognitive energy on structure and format and focus more on the content of the letters. Four MSPE cycles have been completed using a new Web-based system; after each cycle, additional enhancements were identified and implemented. This work adds to the literature, as it describes the application of continuous improvement principles to an educational system.

Development and pilot testing of a mental healthcare plan in Nepal.

PubMed

Jordans, M J D; Luitel, N P; Pokhrel, P; Patel, V

2016-01-01

Mental health service delivery models that are grounded in the local context are needed to address the substantial treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries. To present the development, and content, of a mental healthcare plan (MHCP) in Nepal and assess initial feasibility. A mixed methods formative study was conducted. Routine monitoring and evaluation data, including client flow and reports of satisfaction, were obtained from patients (n = 135) during the pilot-testing phase in two health facilities. The resulting MHCP consists of 12 packages, divided over community, health facility and organisation platforms. Service implementation data support the real-life applicability of the MHCP, with reasonable treatment uptake. Key barriers were identified and addressed, namely dissatisfaction with privacy, perceived burden among health workers and high drop-out rates. The MHCP follows a collaborative care model encompassing community and primary healthcare interventions. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Collaborative mental health services in primary care systems in Latin America: contextualized evaluation needs and opportunities.

PubMed

Sapag, Jaime C; Rush, Brian; Ferris, Lorraine E

2016-02-01

This study examined Latin American evaluation needs regarding the development of a collaborative mental health care (CMHC) evaluation framework as seen by local key health-care leaders and professionals. Potential implementation challenges and opportunities were also identified. This multisite research study used an embedded mixed methods approach in three public health networks in Mexico, Nicaragua and Chile. Local stakeholders participated: decision-makers in key informant interviews, front-line clinicians in focus groups and other stakeholders through a survey. The analysis was conducted within site and then across sites. A total of 22 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups and 27 questionnaires (52% response rate) were conducted. Participants recognized a strong need to evaluate different areas of CMHC in Latin America, including access, types and quality of services, human resources and outcomes related to mental disorders, including addiction. A priority was to evaluate collaboration within the health system, including the referral system. Issues of feasibility, including the weaknesses of information systems, were also identified. Local stakeholders strongly supported the development of a comprehensive evaluation framework for CMHC in Latin America and cited several dimensions and contextual factors critical for inclusion. Implementation must allow flexibility and adaptation to the local context. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Combining participatory action research and appreciative inquiry to design, deliver and evaluate an interdisciplinary continuing education program for a regional health workforce.

PubMed

Martyn, Julie-Anne; Scott, Jackie; van der Westhuyzen, Jasper H; Spanhake, Dale; Zanella, Sally; Martin, April; Newby, Ruth

2018-06-12

Objective. Continuing education (CE) is essential for a healthcare workforce, but in regional areas of Australia there are challenges to providing and accessing relevant, reliable and low-cost opportunities. The aim of the present study was to collaborate with the local regional healthcare workforce to design, deliver and evaluate an interdisciplinary CE (ICE) program. Methods. A participatory action research (PAR) model combined with an appreciative inquiry (AI) framework was used to design, deliver and evaluate an ICE program. A focus group of 11 health professionals developed an initial program. Evaluation data from 410 program participants were analysed using AI. Results. The ICE program addressed the CE barriers for the regional healthcare workforce because the locally derived content was delivered at a reasonable cost and in a convenient location. Program participants identified that they most valued shared experiences and opportunities enabling them to acquire and confirm relevant knowledge. Conclusion. ICE programs enhance interdisciplinary collaboration. However, attendance constraints for regional healthcare workforce include location, cost, workplace and personal factors. Through community engagement, resource sharing and cooperation, a local university and the interdisciplinary focus group members successfully designed and delivered the local education and research nexus program to address a CE problem for a regional healthcare workforce. What is known about the topic? Participation in CE is mandatory for most health professionals. However, various barriers exist for regional health workers to attending CE. Innovative programs, such as webinars and travelling workshops, address some of the issues but create others. Bringing various health workers together for the simultaneous education of multiple disciplines is beneficial. Collectively, this is called ICE. What does this paper add? Using PAR combined with AI to design an ICE program will focus attention on the enablers of the program and meet the diverse educational needs of the healthcare workforce in regional areas. Engaging regional health professionals with a local university to design and deliver CE is one way to increase access to quality, cost-effective education. What are the implications for practitioners? Regional healthcare workers' CE needs are more likely to be met when education programs are designed by them and developed for them. ICE raises awareness of the roles of multiple healthcare disciplines. Learning together strengthens healthcare networks by bolstering relationships through a greater understanding of each other's roles. Enriching communication between local health workers has the potential to enhance patient care.

36 CFR 219.14 - Involvement of State and local governments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OF AGRICULTURE PLANNING National Forest System Land and Resource Management Planning Collaborative Planning for Sustainability § 219.14 Involvement of State and local governments. The responsible official... coordination of resource management plans or programs. ...

36 CFR 219.14 - Involvement of State and local governments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OF AGRICULTURE PLANNING National Forest System Land and Resource Management Planning Collaborative Planning for Sustainability § 219.14 Involvement of State and local governments. The responsible official... coordination of resource management plans or programs. ...

Capturing the Elite in Marine Conservation in Northeast Kalimantan.

PubMed

Kusumawati, Rini; Visser, Leontine

This article takes the existence of power networks of local elites as a social fact of fundamental importance and the starting point for the study of patronage in the governance of the coastal waters of East Kalimantan. We address the question of how to capture the elites for project implementation, rather than assuming the inevitability of elite capture of project funds. We analyze the multiple-scale networks of local power holders ( punggawa ) and the collaboration and friction between the political-economic interests and historical values of local actors and the scientific motivations of international environmental organizations. We describe how collaboration and friction between members of the elite challenge models that categorically exclude or co-opt local elites in foreign projects. In-depth ethnographic study of these networks shows their resilience through flows of knowledge and power in a highly volatile coastal environment. Results indicate the need for inclusion in decision making of local entrepreneurs, and - indirectly - their dependents in decentralized coastal governance.

Collaborative field research and training in occupational health and ergonomics.

PubMed

Kogi, K

1998-01-01

Networking collaborative research and training in Asian developing countries includes three types of joint activities: field studies of workplace potentials for better safety and health, intensive action training for improvement of working conditions in small enterprises, and action-oriented workshops on low-cost improvements for managers, workers, and farmers. These activities were aimed at identifying workable strategies for making locally adjusted improvements in occupational health and ergonomics. Many improvements have resulted as direct outcomes. Most these improvements were multifaceted, low-cost, and practicable using local skills. Three common features of these interactive processes seem important in facilitating realistic improvements: 1) voluntary approaches building on local achievements; 2) the use of practical methods for identifying multiple improvements; and 3) participatory steps for achieving low-cost results first. The effective use of group work tools is crucial. Stepwise training packages have thus proven useful for promoting local problem-solving interventions based on voluntary initiatives.

Making the Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability (HIFA) waiver work through collaborative governance.

PubMed

Zabawa, Barbara J

2003-01-01

This paper argues that collaborative governance should be an essential component in any HIFA waiver proposal, due to the fact that the health care system is moving away from a federal and hierarchical program design and implementation towards a more local, collaborative approach. As several current collaborative projects demonstrate, collaboration may overcome barriers to health expansion program success, such as stakeholder buy-in, notice, and state access to private health coverage information. Furthermore, collaboration within the context of the HIFA waiver process may maximize the strengths of current collaborations, such as providing: (a) access to greater and more stable funding sources; (b) access to a facilitator that can collect and distribute data; and (c) an avenue for accountability. Multiple challenges in ensuring collaborative governance are reviewed. Ms. Zabawa argues that these challenges are not insurmountable if states adopt a truly collaborative approach to designing and implementing programs under the HIFA waiver; there may be hope in expanding and improving health coverage, since collaboration is the most appropriate mechanism to address the complexity of health system reform.

Mental health network governance: comparative analysis across Canadian regions

PubMed Central

Wiktorowicz, Mary E; Fleury, Marie-Josée; Adair, Carol E; Lesage, Alain; Goldner, Elliot; Peters, Suzanne

2010-01-01

Objective Modes of governance were compared in ten local mental health networks in diverse contexts (rural/urban and regionalized/non-regionalized) to clarify the governance processes that foster inter-organizational collaboration and the conditions that support them. Methods Case studies of ten local mental health networks were developed using qualitative methods of document review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups that incorporated provincial policy, network and organizational levels of analysis. Results Mental health networks adopted either a corporate structure, mutual adjustment or an alliance governance model. A corporate structure supported by regionalization offered the most direct means for local governance to attain inter-organizational collaboration. The likelihood that networks with an alliance model developed coordination processes depended on the presence of the following conditions: a moderate number of organizations, goal consensus and trust among the organizations, and network-level competencies. In the small and mid-sized urban networks where these conditions were met their alliance realized the inter-organizational collaboration sought. In the large urban and rural networks where these conditions were not met, externally brokered forms of network governance were required to support alliance based models. Discussion In metropolitan and rural networks with such shared forms of network governance as an alliance or voluntary mutual adjustment, external mediation by a regional or provincial authority was an important lever to foster inter-organizational collaboration. PMID:21289999

Human Resource Local Content in Ghana's Upstream Petroleum Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benin, Papa

Enactment of Ghana's Petroleum (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2013 (L.I. 2204) was intended to regulate the percentage of local products, personnel, financing, and goods and services rendered within Ghana's upstream petroleum industry value chain. Five years after the inception of Ghana's upstream oil and gas industry, a gap is evident between the requirements of L.I. 2204 and professional practice. Drawing on Lewin's change theory, a cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the extent of differences between the prevailing human resource local content and the requirements of L.I. 2204 in Ghana's upstream petroleum industry. The extent to which training acquired by indigenous Ghanaians seeking jobs in Ghana's oil fields affects the prevalent local content in its upstream petroleum industry was also examined. Survey data were collected from 97 management, technical, and other staff in 2 multinational petroleum companies whose oil and gas development plans have been approved by the Petroleum Commission of Ghana. To answer the research questions and test their hypotheses, one-way ANOVA was performed with staff category (management, technical, and other) as the independent variable and prevalent local content as the dependent variable. Results indicated that prevailing local content in Ghana's upstream petroleum industry meets the requirements of L.I. 2204. Further, training acquired by indigenous Ghanaians seeking jobs in Ghana's oil fields affects the prevalent local content in its offshore petroleum industry. Findings may encourage leaders within multinational oil companies and the Petroleum Commission of Ghana to organize educational seminars that equip indigenous Ghanaians with specialized skills for working in Ghana's upstream petroleum industry.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: role of individuals and collaborative networks in mobilizing/coordinating societal and professional resources for major disasters

PubMed Central

Mattox, Kenneth L

2006-01-01

The medical support for the coordinated effort for Harris County Texas (Houston) to rescue evacuees from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina was part of an integrated collaborative network. Both public health and operational health care was structured to custom meet the needs of the evacuees and to create an exit strategy for the clinic and shelter. Integrating local hospital and physician resources into the Joint Incident Command was essential. Outside assistance, including federal and national resources must be coordinated through the local incident command. PMID:16420647

Teaching healthcare marketing via community research: the LifeFlight project.

PubMed

Cellucci, Leigh W

2005-01-01

Undergraduate students in Healthcare Administration programs may benefit from cooperative learning strategies such as participation in community research. Collaborating with local healthcare facilities on class projects also encourages more active engagement between the academic and practice communities. This purpose of this paper is to briefly describe one collaborative venture undertakenby undergraduates in a Marketing for Healthcare Organizations class and a LifeFlight program at a local hospital. The students carried out a survey of members in the program, conducted a SWOT analysis, and made relevant recommendations. Student evaluations of this experience were positive, as was the hospital's assessment.

Co-PylotDB - A Python-Based Single-Window User Interface for Transmitting Information to a Database

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnette, Daniel W.

2012-01-05

Co-PylotDB, written completely in Python, provides a user interface (UI) with which to select user and data file(s), directories, and file content, and provide or capture various other information for sending data collected from running any computer program to a pre-formatted database table for persistent storage. The interface allows the user to select input, output, make, source, executable, and qsub files. It also provides fields for specifying the machine name on which the software was run, capturing compile and execution lines, and listing relevant user comments. Data automatically captured by Co-PylotDB and sent to the database are user, current directory,more » local hostname, current date, and time of send. The UI provides fields for logging into a local or remote database server, specifying a database and a table, and sending the information to the selected database table. If a server is not available, the UI provides for saving the command that would have saved the information to a database table for either later submission or for sending via email to a collaborator who has access to the desired database.« less

The development of education indicators for measuring quality in the English-speaking Caribbean: how far have we come?

PubMed

Bowe, Anica G

2015-02-01

Education evaluation has become increasingly important in the English-speaking Caribbean. This has been in response to assessing the progress of four regional initiatives aimed at improving the equity, efficiency, and quality of education. Both special interest groups and local evaluators have been responsible for assessing the progress of education and providing an overall synthesis and summary of what is taking place in the English-speaking Caribbean. This study employed content analysis to examine the indicators used in these education evaluation studies since the declaration of the Caribbean Plan of Action 2000-2015 to determine these indicators' appropriateness to the Caribbean context in measuring education progress. Findings demonstrate that the English-speaking Caribbean has made strides in operationalizing quality input, process, and output indicators; however quality outcome indicators beyond test scores are yet to be realized in a systematic manner. This study also compared the types of collaborative partnerships in conducting evaluation studies used by special interest groups and local evaluators and pinpointed the one that appears most suitable for special interest groups in this region. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concept of Collaboration from the Islamic Perspective: The View Points for Health Providers.

PubMed

Irajpour, Alireza; Ghaljaei, Fereshteh; Alavi, Mousa

2015-10-01

Collaboration involves direct and open communication and respect for different perspectives. In particular, religious literature has many references to collaboration. This study is a report of knowledge synthesis based on qualitative systematic review by content analysis. The study surveys the concept of collaboration from the Islamic point of view and intends to answer the question, 'Does the Quran deal with the use of collaboration in human activities?' This study was conducted using electronic documents from websites related to Islamic and Quran sciences, such as Howzah.net, Nashriat.ir, Tebyan.net and Google Scholar from 1950 until 2013 by focusing on the keywords, collaboration and Islam, and then retrieving the Islamic document (Quran and Hadith). The language in which the search was conducted was English and Persian. Nearly, 28 articles and 72 books related to this topic were found and after applying the search criteria, only 13% of the references were found to be applicable. In the Quran, collaboration is equivalent to Taavon, and Muslims are requested to collaborate in their affairs and never collaborate with each other for illegal affairs. Islam asserts that everyone requires social relationship in their life. God has enacted mutual rights for people and meeting these requirements is only possible through collaboration and respecting mutual rights.

Collaborations between Multicultural Educators and Archivists: Engaging Students with Multicultural History through Archival Research Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernández, Natalia

2016-01-01

When multicultural educators and archivists collaborate to design projects that engage students with multicultural history through archival research, students can learn in-depth research skills with primary source documents, creatively share their knowledge, and, on a broader level, engage with their local community history. The projects shared in…

South-South Universities Curriculum Characteristics and Global Collaboration in the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obiekezie, Eucharia Obiageli; Essien, Margaret; Essien, Alexander Timothy

2013-01-01

Globalization imposes certain inescapable requirements on a university's curriculum. One such requirement is the elasticity of the curriculum to sustain local demands and accommodate global concerns. Using the ex post facto design, this paper examines the impact of global collaboration on the curriculum characteristics of selected universities in…

The Business Writing Agenda, Part I: Collaboration between Business and the Undergraduate Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitigal, Linda

Twenty-two students in a business communications course engaged in a collaborative project with several Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, business enterprises. After the students had acquired introductory skills that would enable them to perform effectively, they were divided into six groups and began working with representatives from local businesses…

Exceptional Educators: A Collaborative Training Partnership for the Inclusion of Students with Down's Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, Michelle; Henderson, Anne

2016-01-01

This article discusses the results of a teacher training initiative in the United States. "Exceptional Educators" is the result of an inter-organisational collaboration between a community-based organisation (Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization), the local public school system and a university professor. The training focuses on three…

Three Essays on Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Information Sharing and Collaboration: An Insider Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treglia, Joseph V.

2013-01-01

This dissertation identifies what may be done to overcome barriers to information sharing among federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and emergency responders. Social, technical, and policy factors related to information sharing and collaboration in the law enforcement and emergency response communities are examined. This…

What States Can Do to Promote District-Charter Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medler, Alex

2016-01-01

With the federal government increasingly ceding authority to states in a revamped Every Student Succeeds Act, many states are looking for new ways to positively influence local work and take on greater leadership. States can--and should--play a more active role in fostering collaboration efforts if they are serious about ensuring quality public…

A Case Study in Collaboration for Curriculum Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markowitz, Nancy Lourie; Crane, Beverley

This paper presents a case study describing the collaboration between a state university, a local school district, and Dialog Information Services, Inc. that was designed to include the use of online searching in a social studies methodology course and to encourage school curriculum reform in the area of technology by integrating online searching…

Rural Responses to H1N1: A Flexible Model for Community Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Farrell, Denise; Aubrey, Debra Larsen

2010-01-01

This paper examines a regional 2009 H1N1 rural response model, which utilises community partnerships with local government, county emergency management, public health, private healthcare, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers, and other organisations in rural Southeast Idaho. Unique aspects of the collaborative use of federal, state, county, and…

Developing Collaborative Approaches to Enhance the Professional Development of Primary Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Jane; Butt, Graham; Armstrong, Andy

2016-01-01

This research project promoted a collaborative model of professional development between lead teachers from three schools, supported by a project coordinator and a researcher from a local university. Each lead teacher worked with their head teacher to design, lead, and evaluate an innovative, personalised, and school-based mathematics continuing…

School Based/University Collaborative Effort: A Pre Service Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bercik, Janet T.

This paper discusses the principles and describes the planning and development of a student teaching program model for Northeastern Illinois University students. The program is in its fourth year and was collaboratively designed by faculty from the university and a local middle school. The model is based on the importance of communication,…

Job Creation: The Role of Local and State Leaders in Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Earl B.

Vocational education can contribute to the creation of new jobs through educational programs for employers or prospective employers and through collaborative efforts with community leaders. Local leadership is the most essential ingredient in successful job creation programs at the community level. Local leaders can work to obtain baseline…

Identifying Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Research in Selected Journals Published from 2003 to 2012: A Content Analysis of Research Topics and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Lanqin; Huang, Ronghuai; Yu, Junhui

2014-01-01

This study aims to identity the emerging research trends in the field of computed-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) so as to provide insights for researchers and educators into research topics and issues for further exploration. This paper analyzed the research topics, methods and technology adoption of CSCL from 2003 to 2012. A total of 706…

An Academic-Government-Faith Partnership to Build Disaster Mental Health Preparedness and Community Resilience

PubMed Central

Semon, Natalie L.; Lating, Jeffrey M.; Everly, George S.; Perry, Charlene J.; Moore, Suzanne Straub; Mosley, Adrian M.; Thompson, Carol B.; Links, Jonathan M.

2014-01-01

Objectives Faculty and affiliates of the Johns Hopkins Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center partnered with local health departments and faith-based organizations to develop a dual-intervention model of capacity-building for public mental health preparedness and community resilience. Project objectives included (1) determining the feasibility of the tri-partite collaborative concept; (2) designing, delivering, and evaluating psychological first aid (PFA) training and guided preparedness planning (GPP); and (3) documenting preliminary evidence of the sustainability and impact of the model. Methods We evaluated intervention effectiveness by analyzing pre- and post-training changes in participant responses on knowledge-acquisition tests administered to three urban and four rural community cohorts. Changes in percent of correct items and mean total correct items were evaluated. Criteria for model sustainability and impact were, respectively, observations of nonacademic partners engaging in efforts to advance post-project preparedness alliances, and project-attributable changes in preparedness-related practices of local or state governments. Results The majority (11 of 14) test items addressing technical or practical PFA content showed significant improvement; we observed comparable testing results for GPP training. Government and faith partners developed ideas and tools for sustaining preparedness activities, and numerous project-driven changes in local and state government policies were documented. Conclusions Results suggest that the model could be an effective approach to promoting public health preparedness and community resilience. PMID:25355980

Dark Skies, Bright Kids Year 9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkhardt, Andrew Michael; Matthews, Allison M.; Johnson, Kelsey E.; Avilez, Ian; Beale, Luca; Bittle, Lauren E.; Bordenave, David; Finn, Molly; Firebaugh, Ariel; Hancock, Danielle; Hughes, Paul; Rochford Hayes, Christian; Lewis, Hannah; Linden, Sean; Liss, Sandra; Liu, Mengyao; McNair, Shunlante; Murphy, Edward; Prager, Brian; Pryal, Matthew; Richardson, Whitney; Song, Yiqing; Troup, Nicholas; Villadsen, Jackie; Wenger, Trey V.; Wilson, Robert Forrest

2018-01-01

We present updates from the ninth year of operation of Dark Skies, Bright Kids (DSBK) including new club content, continued assessments, and our seventh annual Star Party. DSBK is an entirely volunteer-run outreach organization based out of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Our core mission is to enhance elementary science education and literacy in Virginia through fun, hands-on activities that introduce basic Astronomy concepts. DSBK’s most fundamental program is an 8-10 week long after-school Astronomy camp at surrounding local elementary schools, where each week introduces new concepts through interactive hands-on activities. Over the past two summers, we have traveled to four rural Virginia locations to bring week-long Astronomy camps to otherwise overlooked elementary school districts. These programs aim to inspire a curiosity for science and include inquiry based activities in topics ranging from the electromagnetic spectrum to the classification and evolution of galaxies. We strive to be self-reflective in our mission to inspire scientific curiosity in the minds of underserved demographics. In this effort, we continually assess the effectiveness of each activity through feedback in student-kept journal pages and observed excitement levels. This self-reflection has initiated the development of new curriculum. In addition, differing from our normal collaboration with local elementary schools, we have found great success partnering with local youth organizations, who may better represent DSBK's target demographics and have infrastructure to support incoming outreach groups.

An academic-government-faith partnership to build disaster mental health preparedness and community resilience.

PubMed

McCabe, O Lee; Semon, Natalie L; Lating, Jeffrey M; Everly, George S; Perry, Charlene J; Moore, Suzanne Straub; Mosley, Adrian M; Thompson, Carol B; Links, Jonathan M

2014-01-01

Faculty and affiliates of the Johns Hopkins Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center partnered with local health departments and faith-based organizations to develop a dual-intervention model of capacity-building for public mental health preparedness and community resilience. Project objectives included (1) determining the feasibility of the tri-partite collaborative concept; (2) designing, delivering, and evaluating psychological first aid (PFA) training and guided preparedness planning (GPP); and (3) documenting preliminary evidence of the sustainability and impact of the model. We evaluated intervention effectiveness by analyzing pre- and post-training changes in participant responses on knowledge-acquisition tests administered to three urban and four rural community cohorts. Changes in percent of correct items and mean total correct items were evaluated. Criteria for model sustainability and impact were, respectively, observations of nonacademic partners engaging in efforts to advance post-project preparedness alliances, and project-attributable changes in preparedness-related practices of local or state governments. The majority (11 of 14) test items addressing technical or practical PFA content showed significant improvement; we observed comparable testing results for GPP training. Government and faith partners developed ideas and tools for sustaining preparedness activities, and numerous project-driven changes in local and state government policies were documented. Results suggest that the model could be an effective approach to promoting public health preparedness and community resilience.

Building Collaborative Health Promotion Partnerships: The Jackson Heart Study

PubMed Central

Addison, Clifton C.; Campbell Jenkins, Brenda W.; Odom, Darcel; Fortenberry, Marty; Wilson, Gregory; Young, Lavon; Antoine-LaVigne, Donna

2015-01-01

Building Collaborative Health Promotion Partnerships: The Jackson Heart Study. Background: Building a collaborative health promotion partnership that effectively employs principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) involves many dimensions. To ensure that changes would be long-lasting, it is imperative that partnerships be configured to include groups of diverse community representatives who can develop a vision for long-term change. This project sought to enumerate processes used by the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) Community Outreach Center (CORC) to create strong, viable partnerships that produce lasting change. Methods: JHS CORC joined with community representatives to initiate programs that evolved into comprehensive strategies for addressing health disparities and the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This collaboration was made possible by first promoting an understanding of the need for combined effort, the desire to interact with other community partners, and the vision to establish an effective governance structure. Results: The partnership between JHS CORC and the community has empowered and inspired community members to provide leadership to other health promotion projects. Conclusion: Academic institutions must reach out to local community groups and together address local health issues that affect the community. When a community understands the need for change to respond to negative health conditions, formalizing this type of collaboration is a step in the right direction. PMID:26703681

VRML and Collaborative Environments: New Tools for Networked Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crutcher, R. M.; Plante, R. L.; Rajlich, P.

We present two new applications that engage the network as a tool for astronomical research and/or education. The first is a VRML server which allows users over the Web to interactively create three-dimensional visualizations of FITS images contained in the NCSA Astronomy Digital Image Library (ADIL). The server's Web interface allows users to select images from the ADIL, fill in processing parameters, and create renderings featuring isosurfaces, slices, contours, and annotations; the often extensive computations are carried out on an NCSA SGI supercomputer server without the user having an individual account on the system. The user can then download the 3D visualizations as VRML files, which may be rotated and manipulated locally on virtually any class of computer. The second application is the ADILBrowser, a part of the NCSA Horizon Image Data Browser Java package. ADILBrowser allows a group of participants to browse images from the ADIL within a collaborative session. The collaborative environment is provided by the NCSA Habanero package which includes text and audio chat tools and a white board. The ADILBrowser is just an example of a collaborative tool that can be built with the Horizon and Habanero packages. The classes provided by these packages can be assembled to create custom collaborative applications that visualize data either from local disk or from anywhere on the network.

The use of memoranda of understanding in fostering inter-agency collaboration: a qualitative study of health services agencies serving vulnerable populations in Baltimore, USA.

PubMed

Khosla, Nidhi; Marsteller, Jill A; Holtgrave, David R

2013-11-01

We examined whether mandated collaboration reflected in memoranda of understanding (MOUs) developed by health agencies to meet funder expectations is effective in fostering inter-agency collaboration. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews from late 2010 to early 2012 in Baltimore, USA, with representatives of 17 HIV service agencies, three local health department units, and one agency that closed in 2008 (two interviews). While there was no consensus, most respondents perceived MOUs negatively, mainly because the process of obtaining signed MOUs was time consuming; frontline staff was mostly unaware of MOUs, agencies did not necessarily work with agencies they signed MOUs with and MOUs were rarely evaluated after being signed. A few agencies reported that MOUs could keep agencies focused and set mutual expectations. The local health department acknowledged shortcomings in MOUs but emphasized that MOUs could help agencies plan for referring clients when their own capacity was full. Although many agencies acknowledged the importance of collaboration, most respondents found that MOUs lacked practical utility. Grant-makers should consult sub-grantees to develop alternative means of fostering collaboration that would be perceived as relevant by both parties. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Building Collaborative Health Promotion Partnerships: The Jackson Heart Study.

PubMed

Addison, Clifton C; Campbell Jenkins, Brenda W; Odom, Darcel; Fortenberry, Marty; Wilson, Gregory; Young, Lavon; Antoine-LaVigne, Donna

2015-12-22

Building Collaborative Health Promotion Partnerships: The Jackson Heart Study. Building a collaborative health promotion partnership that effectively employs principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) involves many dimensions. To ensure that changes would be long-lasting, it is imperative that partnerships be configured to include groups of diverse community representatives who can develop a vision for long-term change. This project sought to enumerate processes used by the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) Community Outreach Center (CORC) to create strong, viable partnerships that produce lasting change. JHS CORC joined with community representatives to initiate programs that evolved into comprehensive strategies for addressing health disparities and the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This collaboration was made possible by first promoting an understanding of the need for combined effort, the desire to interact with other community partners, and the vision to establish an effective governance structure. The partnership between JHS CORC and the community has empowered and inspired community members to provide leadership to other health promotion projects. Academic institutions must reach out to local community groups and together address local health issues that affect the community. When a community understands the need for change to respond to negative health conditions, formalizing this type of collaboration is a step in the right direction.

Using Content-Area-of-the-Day Contributions To Help Preservice Teachers Make Connections across the Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Sharon

A content-area reading course for preservice teachers challenges them to engage in the kinds of activities that "real" teachers do or should be doing, demonstrating how teachers can work across disciplines and foster collaborative relationships, while at the same time assisting their students in making connections from one classroom to…

Handing It Over: Giving Students Responsibility for Teaching in a Sheltered Content Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heuser, Linda; Tabet, J. Sirena

1998-01-01

To expand cognitive knowledge, increase language competency, and promote active learning, a content instructor and a language professor collaborated to develop a final unit in which teams of Japanese college sophomores, studying in a 10-month program in the United States, teach their classmates in English about a topic of interest concerning…

Literacy Integration of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in Elementary Schools: A Case Study of Collaborative Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Charlene A.

2016-01-01

Integration of educational technology in the context of e-books has experienced slow implementation in elementary schools, specifically in early literacy instruction. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is a framework for metacognitive reflection on how the learning of subject matter can be facilitated through the use of…

Developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers through Collaborative Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agyei, Douglas D.; Voogt, Joke

2012-01-01

Although many studies have shown the need to pay attention to teachers' preparation for the integration of technology in classroom practice, most teachers in Ghana have not had any preparation that develops their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). This paper presents a case study of four pre-service mathematics teachers from the…

Online Problem-Based Learning in Postgraduate Medical Education--Content Analysis of Reflection Comments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Maria L.; Salmoni, Alan J.

2008-01-01

We developed the Med-e-Conference, an online tool to teach clinical skills to medical students, which integrated problem-based learning with collaborative group tasks. The final task asked students to consider what they had done (reflection). These comments were analysed using content analysis, and 10 themes were elicited. The number of agreements…

In search of common ground among diverse forest stakeholders: A contextual content analysis of online text

Treesearch

Jennifer A. Cuff; David N. Bengston; Donald G. McTavish

2000-01-01

Managing public forest collaboratively requires an understanding of differences between and similarities among diverse stakeholder groups. The Minnesota Contextual Content Analysis (MCCA) computer program was used to analyze text obtained from World Wide Web sites expressing the views of seven diverse stakeholder groups involved in forest planning and managemnet....

Peace Corps Partnered Health Services Implementation Research in Global Health: Opportunity for Impact

PubMed Central

Hedrick, Chris; Ndiaye, Youssoupha; Linn, Annē

2014-01-01

Background: There is abundant evidence of the affordable, life-saving interventions effective at the local primary health care level in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the understanding of how to deliver those interventions in diverse settings is limited. Primary healthcare services implementation research is needed to elucidate the contextual factors that can influence the outcomes of interventions, especially at the local level. US universities commonly collaborate with LMIC universities, communities, and health system partners for health services research but common barriers exist. Current challenges include the capacity to establish an ongoing presence in local settings in order to facilitate close collaboration and communication. The Peace Corps is an established development organization currently aligned with local health services in many LMICs and is well-positioned to facilitate research partnerships. This article explores the potential of a community–Peace Corps–academic partnership approach to conduct local primary healthcare services implementation research. Discussion: The Peace Corps is well positioned to offer insights into local contextual factors because volunteers work closely with local leaders, have extensive trust within local communities, and have an ongoing, constant, well-integrated presence. However, the Peace Corps does not routinely conduct primary healthcare services implementation research. Universities, within the United States and locally, could benefit from the established resources and trust of the Peace Corps to conduct health services implementation research to advance access to local health services and further the knowledge of real world application of local health services in a diversity of settings. The proposed partnership would consist of (1) a local community advisory board and local health system leaders, (2) Peace Corps volunteers, and (3) a US-LMIC academic institutional collaboration. Within the proposed partnership approach, the contributions of each partner are as follows: the local community and health system leadership guides the work in consideration of local priorities and context; the Peace Corps provides logistical support, community expertise, and local trust; and the academic institutions offer professional technical and public health educational and training resources and research support. Conclusion: The Peace Corps offers the opportunity to enhance a community-academic partnership in LMICs through community-level guidance, logistical assistance, and research support for community based participatory primary health-care services implementation research that addresses local primary healthcare priorities. PMID:25568819

Peace corps partnered health services implementation research in global health: opportunity for impact.

PubMed

Dykens, Andrew; Hedrick, Chris; Ndiaye, Youssoupha; Linn, Annē

2014-09-01

There is abundant evidence of the affordable, life-saving interventions effective at the local primary health care level in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the understanding of how to deliver those interventions in diverse settings is limited. Primary healthcare services implementation research is needed to elucidate the contextual factors that can influence the outcomes of interventions, especially at the local level. US universities commonly collaborate with LMIC universities, communities, and health system partners for health services research but common barriers exist. Current challenges include the capacity to establish an ongoing presence in local settings in order to facilitate close collaboration and communication. The Peace Corps is an established development organization currently aligned with local health services in many LMICs and is well-positioned to facilitate research partnerships. This article explores the potential of a community-Peace Corps-academic partnership approach to conduct local primary healthcare services implementation research. The Peace Corps is well positioned to offer insights into local contextual factors because volunteers work closely with local leaders, have extensive trust within local communities, and have an ongoing, constant, well-integrated presence. However, the Peace Corps does not routinely conduct primary healthcare services implementation research. Universities, within the United States and locally, could benefit from the established resources and trust of the Peace Corps to conduct health services implementation research to advance access to local health services and further the knowledge of real world application of local health services in a diversity of settings. The proposed partnership would consist of (1) a local community advisory board and local health system leaders, (2) Peace Corps volunteers, and (3) a US-LMIC academic institutional collaboration. Within the proposed partnership approach, the contributions of each partner are as follows: the local community and health system leadership guides the work in consideration of local priorities and context; the Peace Corps provides logistical support, community expertise, and local trust; and the academic institutions offer professional technical and public health educational and training resources and research support. The Peace Corps offers the opportunity to enhance a community-academic partnership in LMICs through community-level guidance, logistical assistance, and research support for community based participatory primary health-care services implementation research that addresses local primary healthcare priorities.

Occupational therapy students in the process of interprofessional collaborative learning: a grounded theory study.

PubMed

Howell, Dana

2009-01-01

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to generate a theory of the interprofessional collaborative learning process of occupational therapy (OT) students who were engaged in a collaborative learning experience with students from other allied health disciplines. Data consisted of semi-structured interviews with nine OT students from four different interprofessional collaborative learning experiences at three universities. The emergent theory explained OT students' need to build a culture of mutual respect among disciplines in order to facilitate interprofessional collaborative learning. Occupational therapy students went through a progression of learned skills that included learning how to represent the profession of OT, hold their weight within a team situation, solve problems collaboratively, work as a team, and ultimately, to work in an actual team in practice. This learning process occurred simultaneously as students also learned course content. The students had to contend with barriers and facilitators that influenced their participation and the success of their collaboration. Understanding the interprofessional learning process of OT students will help allied health faculty to design more effective, inclusive interprofessional courses.

Ocean Acidification Monitoring Data Collaborations, Integration and Dissemination: The US Pacific NW Regional IOOS Experience with Local to Global Efforts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayorga, E.; Newton, J.; Tanner, T.

2016-02-01

Over the last several years, the impact of ocean acidification (OA) on coastal ecosystems and resources has become an increasingly important issue in the US Pacific Northwest (NW), leading to multi-faceted efforts that include basic scientific research; targeted partnerships between researchers, industry, and resource managers; increased monitoring of water conditions; and collaborations ranging from local efforts to West Coast, national and global coordination. The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), the Pacific NW Regional Association of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), has played an important role in these initiatives and collaborations.NANOOS' mission focuses on the generation, integration and timely delivery of marine data to serve the needs and decisions of its region in a nationally coordinated fashion. NANOOS collaboratively leverages limited resources to address multiple thematic areas of emphasis. It aggregates and serves meteorological and oceanographic data derived from observation platforms such as buoys, tide gauges, weather stations, gliders, cruises, high-frequency radar and satellites, as well as model forecast information and geospatial map data. These data originate from a wide range of providers including federal, state, tribal and municipal entities, and the private and academic sectors.The NANOOS data management and user products group has actively supported activities that serve OA information access needs locally and regionally. Early efforts have also led to a leading role in wider regional iniatives spanning the West Coast and the NE Pacific, particularly through the IOOS Pacific Region Ocean Acidification (IPACOA) collaboration and data integration application and collaboration with the West Coast Governors Alliance on Ocean Health (WCGA). We have also participated in helping define national and global data integration efforts. We will describe our activities, tools and experience in the management, integration and dissemination of OA-relevant monitoring data across these initiatives.

A Collaborative Recommend Algorithm Based on Bipartite Community

PubMed Central

Fu, Yuchen; Liu, Quan; Cui, Zhiming

2014-01-01

The recommendation algorithm based on bipartite network is superior to traditional methods on accuracy and diversity, which proves that considering the network topology of recommendation systems could help us to improve recommendation results. However, existing algorithms mainly focus on the overall topology structure and those local characteristics could also play an important role in collaborative recommend processing. Therefore, on account of data characteristics and application requirements of collaborative recommend systems, we proposed a link community partitioning algorithm based on the label propagation and a collaborative recommendation algorithm based on the bipartite community. Then we designed numerical experiments to verify the algorithm validity under benchmark and real database. PMID:24955393

Secured Advanced Federated Environment (SAFE): A NASA Solution for Secure Cross-Organization Collaboration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chow, Edward; Spence, Matthew Chew; Pell, Barney; Stewart, Helen; Korsmeyer, David; Liu, Joseph; Chang, Hsin-Ping; Viernes, Conan; Gogorth, Andre

2003-01-01

This paper discusses the challenges and security issues inherent in building complex cross-organizational collaborative projects and software systems within NASA. By applying the design principles of compartmentalization, organizational hierarchy and inter-organizational federation, the Secured Advanced Federated Environment (SAFE) is laying the foundation for a collaborative virtual infrastructure for the NASA community. A key element of SAFE is the Micro Security Domain (MSD) concept, which balances the need to collaborate and the need to enforce enterprise and local security rules. With the SAFE approach, security is an integral component of enterprise software and network design, not an afterthought.

Collaborative evaluation and market research converge: an innovative model agricultural development program evaluation in Southern Sudan.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, John M; O'Sullivan, Rita

2012-11-01

In June and July 2006 a team of outside experts arrived in Yei, Southern Sudan through an AID project to provide support to a local agricultural development project. The team brought evaluation, agricultural marketing and financial management expertise to the in-country partners looking at steps to rebuild the economy of the war ravaged region. A partnership of local officials, agricultural development staff, and students worked with the outside team to craft a survey of agricultural traders working between northern Uganda and Southern Sudan the steps approach of a collaborative model. The goal was to create a market directory of use to producers, government officials and others interested in stimulating agricultural trade. The directory of agricultural producers and distributors served as an agricultural development and promotion tool as did the collaborative process itself. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interagency Collaborative Team Model for Capacity Building to Scale-Up Evidence-Based Practice

PubMed Central

Hurlburt, Michael; Aarons, Gregory A; Fettes, Danielle; Willging, Cathleen; Gunderson, Lara; Chaffin, Mark J

2015-01-01

Background System-wide scale up of evidence-based practice (EBP) is a complex process. Yet, few strategic approaches exist to support EBP implementation and sustainment across a service system. Building on the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) implementation framework, we developed and are testing the Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT) process model to implement an evidence-based child neglect intervention (i.e., SafeCare®) within a large children’s service system. The ICT model emphasizes the role of local agency collaborations in creating structural supports for successful implementation. Methods We describe the ICT model and present preliminary qualitative results from use of the implementation model in one large scale EBP implementation. Qualitative interviews were conducted to assess challenges in building system, organization, and home visitor collaboration and capacity to implement the EBP. Data collection and analysis centered on EBP implementation issues, as well as the experiences of home visitors under the ICT model. Results Six notable issues relating to implementation process emerged from participant interviews, including: (a) initial commitment and collaboration among stakeholders, (b) leadership, (c) communication, (d) practice fit with local context, (e) ongoing negotiation and problem solving, and (f) early successes. These issues highlight strengths and areas for development in the ICT model. Conclusions Use of the ICT model led to sustained and widespread use of SafeCare in one large county. Although some aspects of the implementation model may benefit from enhancement, qualitative findings suggest that the ICT process generates strong structural supports for implementation and creates conditions in which tensions between EBP structure and local contextual variations can be resolved in ways that support the expansion and maintenance of an EBP while preserving potential for public health benefit. PMID:27512239

Interagency Collaborative Team Model for Capacity Building to Scale-Up Evidence-Based Practice.

PubMed

Hurlburt, Michael; Aarons, Gregory A; Fettes, Danielle; Willging, Cathleen; Gunderson, Lara; Chaffin, Mark J

2014-04-01

System-wide scale up of evidence-based practice (EBP) is a complex process. Yet, few strategic approaches exist to support EBP implementation and sustainment across a service system. Building on the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) implementation framework, we developed and are testing the Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT) process model to implement an evidence-based child neglect intervention (i.e., SafeCare®) within a large children's service system. The ICT model emphasizes the role of local agency collaborations in creating structural supports for successful implementation. We describe the ICT model and present preliminary qualitative results from use of the implementation model in one large scale EBP implementation. Qualitative interviews were conducted to assess challenges in building system, organization, and home visitor collaboration and capacity to implement the EBP. Data collection and analysis centered on EBP implementation issues, as well as the experiences of home visitors under the ICT model. Six notable issues relating to implementation process emerged from participant interviews, including: (a) initial commitment and collaboration among stakeholders, (b) leadership, (c) communication, (d) practice fit with local context, (e) ongoing negotiation and problem solving, and (f) early successes. These issues highlight strengths and areas for development in the ICT model. Use of the ICT model led to sustained and widespread use of SafeCare in one large county. Although some aspects of the implementation model may benefit from enhancement, qualitative findings suggest that the ICT process generates strong structural supports for implementation and creates conditions in which tensions between EBP structure and local contextual variations can be resolved in ways that support the expansion and maintenance of an EBP while preserving potential for public health benefit.

California Earthquake Clearinghouse: Advocating for, and Advancing, Collaboration and Technology Interoperability, Between the Scientific and Emergency Response Communities, to Produce Actionable Intelligence for Situational Awareness, and Decision Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosinski, A.; Beilin, P.; Colwell, J.; Hornick, M.; Glasscoe, M. T.; Morentz, J.; Smorodinsky, S.; Millington, A.; Hudnut, K. W.; Penn, P.; Ortiz, M.; Kennedy, M.; Long, K.; Miller, K.; Stromberg, M.

2015-12-01

The Clearinghouse provides emergency management and response professionals, scientific and engineering communities with prompt information on ground failure, structural damage, and other consequences from significant seismic events such as earthquakes or tsunamis. Clearinghouse activations include participation from Federal, State and local government, law enforcement, fire, EMS, emergency management, public health, environmental protection, the military, public and non-governmental organizations, and private sector. For the August 24, 2014 S. Napa earthquake, over 100 people from 40 different organizations participated during the 3-day Clearinghouse activation. Every organization has its own role and responsibility in disaster response; however all require authoritative data about the disaster for rapid hazard assessment and situational awareness. The Clearinghouse has been proactive in fostering collaboration and sharing Essential Elements of Information across disciplines. The Clearinghouse-led collaborative promotes the use of standard formats and protocols to allow existing technology to transform data into meaningful incident-related content and to enable data to be used by the largest number of participating Clearinghouse partners, thus providing responding personnel with enhanced real-time situational awareness, rapid hazard assessment, and more informed decision-making in support of response and recovery. The Clearinghouse efforts address national priorities outlined in USGS Circular 1242, Plan to Coordinate NEHRP post-earthquake investigations and S. 740-Geospatial Data Act of 2015, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), to streamline and coordinate geospatial data infrastructure, maximizing geospatial data in support of the Robert T. Stafford Act. Finally, the US Dept. of Homeland Security, Geospatial Management Office, recognized Clearinghouse's data sharing efforts as a Best Practice to be included in the forthcoming 2015 HLS Geospatial Concept of Operations.

Collaborative Public Health Investigation of Clenbuterol-Adulterated Heroin Outbreak-Richmond, Virginia, March-April 2015.

PubMed

Gleason, Brigette; West, Angela; Avula, Danny; Utah, Okey; Vogt, Marshall; Cumpston, Kirk; Kelly, Michael; Brasler, Paul; Wyatt, Shane; Forlano, Laurie

In March 2015, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was alerted by the Virginia Poison Center of a 6-patient cluster treated for severe clinical presentations after using heroin. Patients' symptoms were atypical for heroin use, and concern existed that patients were exposed to heroin that had been adulterated with or replaced by another substance. To understand the extent and characterization of the outbreak and implement response measures to prevent further cases. The purpose of this report is to highlight the collaborative nature of a public health investigation among a diverse group of stakeholders. Active surveillance and retrospective case finding. Richmond metro area community and hospitals. Regional poison centers, the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, community partners, local law enforcement, and multiple VDH divisions. Outbreak investigation, communication to public health professionals, clinicians, and the community, and liaising with the local law enforcement. Outbreak control. Laboratory confirmation of clenbuterol in clinical specimens implicated it as the heroin adulterant. Thirteen patients met clinical and epidemiologic criteria for exposure to clenbuterol-adulterated heroin. All patients were associated with a localized area within Richmond, and patient interviews elucidated heroin supplier information. VDH collaborated with local law enforcement agents who investigated and arrested the supplier, leading to cessation of the outbreak. This outbreak highlights the value of policies and practices that support an integrated outbreak response among public health practitioners, poison center staff, laboratorians, clinicians, law enforcement agents, community groups, and other agencies. Collaboration enabled implementation of effective control measures-including those outside the purview of the health department-and should be standard practice in future outbreaks involving illicit substances.

Data and Models as Social Objects in the HydroShare System for Collaboration in the Hydrology Community and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarboton, D. G.; Idaszak, R.; Horsburgh, J. S.; Ames, D. P.; Goodall, J. L.; Band, L. E.; Merwade, V.; Couch, A.; Hooper, R. P.; Maidment, D. R.; Dash, P. K.; Stealey, M.; Yi, H.; Gan, T.; Castronova, A. M.; Miles, B.; Li, Z.; Morsy, M. M.; Crawley, S.; Ramirez, M.; Sadler, J.; Xue, Z.; Bandaragoda, C.

2016-12-01

How do you share and publish hydrologic data and models for a large collaborative project? HydroShare is a new, web-based system for sharing hydrologic data and models with specific functionality aimed at making collaboration easier. HydroShare has been developed with U.S. National Science Foundation support under the auspices of the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) to support the collaboration and community cyberinfrastructure needs of the hydrology research community. Within HydroShare, we have developed new functionality for creating datasets, describing them with metadata, and sharing them with collaborators. We cast hydrologic datasets and models as "social objects" that can be shared, collaborated around, annotated, published and discovered. In addition to data and model sharing, HydroShare supports web application programs (apps) that can act on data stored in HydroShare, just as software programs on your PC act on your data locally. This can free you from some of the limitations of local computing capacity and challenges in installing and maintaining software on your own PC. HydroShare's web-based cyberinfrastructure can take work off your desk or laptop computer and onto infrastructure or "cloud" based data and processing servers. This presentation will describe HydroShare's collaboration functionality that enables both public and private sharing with individual users and collaborative user groups, and makes it easier for collaborators to iterate on shared datasets and models, creating multiple versions along the way, and publishing them with a permanent landing page, metadata description, and citable Digital Object Identifier (DOI) when the work is complete. This presentation will also describe the web app architecture that supports interoperability with third party servers functioning as application engines for analysis and processing of big hydrologic datasets. While developed to support the cyberinfrastructure needs of the hydrology community, the informatics infrastructure for programmatic interoperability of web resources has a generality beyond the solution of hydrology problems that will be discussed.

Official crime data versus collaborative crime mapping at a Brazilian city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brito, P. L.; Jesus, E. G. V.; Sant'Ana, R. M. S.; Martins, C.; Delgado, J. P. M.; Fernandes, V. O.

2014-11-01

In July of 2013 a group of undergraduate students from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, published a collaborative web map called "Where I Was Robbed". Their initial efforts in publicizing their web map were restricted to announce it at a local radio as a tool of social interest. In two months the map had almost 10.000 reports, 155 reports per day and people from more the 350 cities had already reported a crime. The present study consists in an investigation about this collaborative web map spatial correlation to official robbery data registered at the Secretary of Public Safety database, for the city of Salvador, Bahia. Kernel density estimator combined with map algebra was used to the investigation. Spatial correlations with official robbery data for the city of Salvador were not found initially, but after standardizing collaborative data and mining official registers, both data pointed at very similar areas as the main hot spots for pedestrian robbery. Both areas are located at two of the most economical active areas of the city, although web map crimes reports were more concentrated in an area with higher income population. This results and discussions indicates that this collaborative application is been used mainly by mid class and upper class parcel of the city population, but can still provide significant information on public safety priority areas. Therefore, extended divulgation, on local papers, radio and TV, of the collaborative crime map application and partnership with official agencies are strongly recommended.

Phenology on Drupal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosemartin, A.; Marsh, L.; Lincicome, A.; Denny, E. G.; Wilson, B. E.

2011-12-01

The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) serves science and society by promoting a broad understanding of plant and animal phenology and the relationships among phenological patterns and all aspects of environmental change. The Network was founded as an NSF-funded Research Coordination Network, for the purpose of fostering collaboration among scientists, policy-makers and the general public to address the challenges posed by global change and its impact on ecosystems and human health. Drupal is a powerful tool for emerging collaborative efforts in the sciences. The USA-NPN has leveraged Drupal through the course the organization's development. Early on, when the organization had few programing resources, Drupal provided a basic, customizable web presence. Today, the USA-NPN's Drupal website is content and feature-rich. The USA-NPN website features Drupal content types for community contributions of publications, affiliates, legacy data sets and phenology festivals. The legacy data set content type creates a reduced Darwin Core metadata record, and will be made available via an EML compliant feed. Map and grid views allow contributors to explore submitted records visually and through filters. Further extensions through the Services/OAuth modules have allowed the website to share logins (for instance, connecting a prototype Facebook app for data entry with the Drupal authentication mechanism). The USA-NPN has leveraged Drupal in a collaborative effort to collect, store, synthesize and output phenological data and information for plants, animals and the environment.

Interprofessional Collaboration

PubMed Central

Engel, Joyce; Taplay, Karyn; Stobbe, Karl

2015-01-01

In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, we examined the experience of interprofessional collaboration from the perspective of nursing and medical students. Seventeen medical and nursing students from two different universities participated in the study. We used guiding questions in face-to-face, conversational interviews to explore students’ experience and expectations of interprofessional collaboration within learning situations. Three themes emerged from the data: the great divide, learning means content, and breaking the ice. The findings suggest that the experience of interprofessional collaboration within learning events is influenced by the natural clustering of shared interests among students. Furthermore, the carry-forward of impressions about physician–nurse relationships prior to the educational programs and during clinical placements dominate the formation of new relationships and acquisition of new knowledge about roles, which might have implications for future practice. PMID:28462293

Collaborative fieldwork education with student occupational therapists and student occupational therapist assistants.

PubMed

Jung, Bonny; Sainsbury, Sandy; Grum, Rosa Maria; Wilkins, Seanne; Tryssenaar, Joyce

2002-04-01

The profession of occupational therapy has a long history of working collaboratively with support personnel. This paper describes the process of a fieldwork education partnership developed between the McMaster University, BHSc (OT) Program and the Mohawk College, Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Eight student occupational therapists and eight student occupational therapist assistants learned together in a variety of fieldwork settings, either in pairs or in groups. Both groups of students kept weekly journals of the experience and completed a post placement questionnaire. The journals were inductively analysed using a retrospective content analysis. The four emergent themes identified from the data are learning about each other's role, collaborative learning, impact on client care and future practice, and resistance to roles. Recommendations for future collaborations are discussed.

A Community of First-Year Teachers: Collaboration between Higher Education and Public Schools to Improve Teacher Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Good, Jennifer; Bennett, Joan

2005-01-01

Teacher retention is a critical problem in public education (Ingersoll, 2002), demanding collaboration between universities and local public school systems. Using veteran teacher mentors employed in a public school system to facilitate ongoing monthly support groups, communities of beginning teachers were formed, embedded within the public schools…

Seeking to Bridge the Divide: Linking Formal and Non-Formal Education in Uttar-Pradesh, India. IBE Collaborative Projects: Strengthening Capacities through Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zutshi, Bupinder

2004-01-01

The new monograph series, IBE Collaborative Projects: Strengthening Capacities through Action, documents projects initiated and managed by local or national level institutions in diverse countries, which have been technically or academically assisted by UNESCO's International Bureau of Education (IBE). This first publication in the series…

The Story of a Unique Collaborative Partnership Focused on Preparing Effective Teachers to Be Successful in High-Poverty/High-Minority Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richman, Laila J.; Wittmann, Cheryl; Madden, Maggie

2014-01-01

This article describes an innovative partnership between a state department of education, local school systems, and institutions of higher education aimed at increasing the number of effective teachers for high-poverty/ high-minority schools through collaborative partnerships, rigorous coursework, ongoing professional development, intensive…

How Changing Views about Collaborative Service Delivery Models for Children and Their Families Affect Preservice Teacher Education Programs: The GIFTTS Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hibbard, Katherine L.

The Guilford Initiative for Training and Treatment Services (GIFTTS) Project is a collaborative effort between the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Guilford County Schools, the Department of Social Services, Juvenile Courts, the Health Department, and the Mental Health division of the local Mental Health/Development…

A Canada-Ukraine Collaborative Initiative for Introducing Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in Ukraine: Participant Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loreman, Tim; McGhie-Richmond, Donna; Kolopayvea, Alla; Tarenchenko, Oksana; Mazin, Dymtro; Crocker, Cheryl; Petryshyn, Roman

2016-01-01

This article examines the experiences of Canadian and Ukrainian educators who collaborated on a 5-year Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded project to develop local capacity to implement inclusive education for children with disabilities in Ukraine. Ukrainian and Canadian educators and project coordinators engage in reflective…

Collaborative Online Inquiry: Exploring Students' Skills in Locating, Reading, and Communicating Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sekeres, Diane Carver; Castek, Jill

2016-01-01

This study examines third, fourth, and fifth grade students' reasoning that was captured as they engaged collaboratively in a teacher designed inquiry task. This task focused on choosing eco-friendly toys for a fictitious local toy store. Results indicated that students were more expressive with reasoning when they shared their ideas orally, but…

Development of a Mobile Learning System Based on a Collaborative Problem-Posing Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Han-Yu; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chang, Ya-Chi

2016-01-01

In this study, a problem-posing strategy is proposed for supporting collaborative mobile learning activities. Accordingly, a mobile learning environment has been developed, and an experiment on a local culture course has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Three classes of an elementary school in southern Taiwan…

Community Collaborations and Youth Development: Preliminary Findings on the State of the Evidence. Research Brief Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Promise, 2013

2013-01-01

In 2004, the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change emphasized the need for a comprehensive base of information on the effectiveness of community collaborations for youth--an accessible, evidence-rich resource that could guide local efforts to bring about meaningful change. Nearly 10 years later, this need remains largely unmet. In…

Mediating Effects of Trust, Communication, and Collaboration on Teacher Professional Learning in Hong Kong Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Lijuan; Hallinger, Philip; Kennedy, Kerry John; Walker, Allan

2017-01-01

This study tests mediated principal leadership effects on teacher professional learning through collegial trust, communication and collaboration in Hong Kong primary schools. It is based on a series of single mediator studies, and uses the same convenience sample of 970 teachers from 32 local primary schools. It also adopts regression-based…

Between the Local and the Global: Organized Research Units and International Collaborations in the Health Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sa, Creso M.; Oleksiyenko, Anatoly

2011-01-01

Organized research units--also known as centers, institutes, and laboratories--are increasingly prominent in the university. This paper examines how ORUs emerge to promote global agendas and international collaborations in an academic health center in North America. The roles these units play in helping researchers work across institutional and…

The Development and Evaluation of an Information Technology Support System to Facilitate Inter-Organisational Collaboration in HRD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Norma J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the diffusion of and user response to an information technology support system (ITSS) which was designed to facilitate inter-organisational coordination and collaboration in the professional development of officers employed by local authorities (LAs). Design/methodology/approach: An action…

Managing Quality from a Distance: A Case Study of Collaboration between Oman and New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Rourke, Susan; Al Bulushi, H. A.

2010-01-01

Both the public and private higher education sectors in Oman are undergoing rapid change in the number and type of local and foreign degrees offered. The Sultanate is developing a comprehensive quality assurance system to ensure the educational appropriateness of all degrees awarded in Oman. This paper examines the collaboration between the…

A Formative Evaluation of Healthy Habits, Healthy U: A Collaborative School-Based Cancer Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Alicia; Spear, Caile; Pritchard, Mary; George, Kayla; Young, Kyle; Smith, Carrie

2017-01-01

Purpose: Healthy Habits, Healthy U (HHHU) is a two-day school-based primary prevention cancer education program that uses interactive classroom presentations designed to help students learn how to reduce their cancer risks. HHHU is a collaboration between a local cancer hospital, school district and university. HHHU incorporates real cancerous and…

Sociologists and energy engineers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verhapen, F.C.

1982-07-01

Contents include sociology and sociologists; sociologists and energy (history of sociological focus on energy; the sociological profession's official interest in energy; sociological specialties with contributions to the study and planning of energy; potential sociological contributions); functional areas of collaboration between energy sociologists and energy establishment; obstacles to collaboration between consulting energy sociologists and their clients in the energy establishment; overcoming obstacles in the collaboration; advantages and disadvantages in the greater use of sociological resources by the energy establishment; and tables (e.g. comparison of cost-benefit analysis and social impact assessment; two policy science paradigms; selected technical values for electrical energy generation,more » transmission and distribution).« less

A multi-institutional approach to delivering shared curricula for developing a next-generation energy workforce

DOE PAGES

Holloway, Lawrence E.; Qu, Zhihua; Mohr-Schroeder, Margaret J.; ...

2017-02-06

In this study, we consider collaborative power systems education through the FEEDER consortium. To increase students' access to power engineering educational content, the consortium of seven universities was formed. A framework is presented to characterize different collaborative education activities among the universities. Three of these approaches of collaborative educational activities are presented and discussed. These include 1) cross-institutional blended courses ("MS-MD''); 2) cross-institutional distance courses ("SS-MD''); and 3) single-site special experiential courses and concentrated on-site programs available to students across consortium institutions ("MS-SD''). As a result, this paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Development of a Performance Assessment Task and Rubric to Measure Prospective Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koirala, Hari P.; Davis, Marsha; Johnson, Peter

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to share a performance assessment task and rubric designed to assess secondary school mathematics preservice teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and skills. The assessment task and rubric were developed in collaboration with five education faculty, four arts and sciences faculty, and four high school teachers over…

Don't Be Afraid to Explore Web 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, John

2008-01-01

Web 2.0 is a hot topic. The term "Web 2.0" refers to the next generation of Internet applications that allow the average Internet user to collaborate and share information online. Web 2.0 sites allow anyone to contribute content and to participate with other users in editing and even combining or remixing existing content with other material to…

Undergraduate Biology Students' Attitudes towards the Use of Curriculum-Based Reader's Theater in a Laboratory Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Chrissy J.

2017-01-01

In the undergraduate biology laboratory, many freshmen are apathetic towards the content of the course. Curriculum based reader's theater (CRBT) is an instructional method that can increase interest the students in the content of the course while improving student communication, collaboration and understanding. This research is an examination of…

NASA Blueshift: Mobilizing The Astronomy-Interested Public Through New Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, Sara E.; Gibb, M.; Masetti, M.; Nelson, T.; Reddy, F.; Winter, E.

2010-01-01

Public interest in astronomy content is moving from mere consumption to full interaction. With the introduction of services such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, audiences are eager to engage directly with content - and its creators - in more personal ways. Wikipedia is estimated to represent 100 million hours of accumulated human thought, time spent on research, discussion, and collection of information and ideas. Sites are utilizing this "social surplus" and engaging audiences to spend their free time immersed in collaboration and communication. In 2007, the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center began Blueshift, a podcasting effort to provide listeners with a "backstage pass" to what's happening within the division. After focus group reviews, this effort was re-launched as part of a larger new media effort to share how and why we do science. Each episode is a cornerstone for various means of engagement, including supporting content in blogs and Twitter. We seek to engage listeners as contributors and collaborators, sharing ideas and steering the focus of future content. As we seek to build upon the interest generated during the International Year of Astronomy, we are interested in experimenting with these new forms of interaction and assessing their impacts.

The teaching of drug development to medical students: collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry and medical school

PubMed Central

Stanley, A G; Jackson, D; Barnett, D B

2005-01-01

Collaboration between the medical school at Leicester and a local pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, led to the design and implementation of an optional third year special science skills module teaching medical students about drug discovery and development. The module includes didactic teaching about the complexities of the drug discovery process leading to development of candidate drugs for clinical investigation as well as practical experience of the processes involved in drug evaluation preclinically and clinically. It highlights the major ethical and regulatory issues concerned with the production and testing of novel therapies in industry and the NHS. In addition it helps to reinforce other areas of the medical school curriculum, particularly the understanding of clinical study design and critical appraisal. The module is assessed on the basis of a written dissertation and the critical appraisal of a drug advertisement. This paper describes the objectives of the module and its content. In addition we outline the results of an initial student evaluation of the module and an assessment of its impact on student knowledge and the opinion of the pharmaceutical industry partner. This module has proven to be popular with medical students, who acquire a greater understanding of the work required for drug development and therefore reflect more favourably on the role of pharmaceutical companies in the UK. PMID:15801942

A Cross-Domain Collaborative Filtering Algorithm Based on Feature Construction and Locally Weighted Linear Regression

PubMed Central

Jiang, Feng; Han, Ji-zhong

2018-01-01

Cross-domain collaborative filtering (CDCF) solves the sparsity problem by transferring rating knowledge from auxiliary domains. Obviously, different auxiliary domains have different importance to the target domain. However, previous works cannot evaluate effectively the significance of different auxiliary domains. To overcome this drawback, we propose a cross-domain collaborative filtering algorithm based on Feature Construction and Locally Weighted Linear Regression (FCLWLR). We first construct features in different domains and use these features to represent different auxiliary domains. Thus the weight computation across different domains can be converted as the weight computation across different features. Then we combine the features in the target domain and in the auxiliary domains together and convert the cross-domain recommendation problem into a regression problem. Finally, we employ a Locally Weighted Linear Regression (LWLR) model to solve the regression problem. As LWLR is a nonparametric regression method, it can effectively avoid underfitting or overfitting problem occurring in parametric regression methods. We conduct extensive experiments to show that the proposed FCLWLR algorithm is effective in addressing the data sparsity problem by transferring the useful knowledge from the auxiliary domains, as compared to many state-of-the-art single-domain or cross-domain CF methods. PMID:29623088

A Cross-Domain Collaborative Filtering Algorithm Based on Feature Construction and Locally Weighted Linear Regression.

PubMed

Yu, Xu; Lin, Jun-Yu; Jiang, Feng; Du, Jun-Wei; Han, Ji-Zhong

2018-01-01

Cross-domain collaborative filtering (CDCF) solves the sparsity problem by transferring rating knowledge from auxiliary domains. Obviously, different auxiliary domains have different importance to the target domain. However, previous works cannot evaluate effectively the significance of different auxiliary domains. To overcome this drawback, we propose a cross-domain collaborative filtering algorithm based on Feature Construction and Locally Weighted Linear Regression (FCLWLR). We first construct features in different domains and use these features to represent different auxiliary domains. Thus the weight computation across different domains can be converted as the weight computation across different features. Then we combine the features in the target domain and in the auxiliary domains together and convert the cross-domain recommendation problem into a regression problem. Finally, we employ a Locally Weighted Linear Regression (LWLR) model to solve the regression problem. As LWLR is a nonparametric regression method, it can effectively avoid underfitting or overfitting problem occurring in parametric regression methods. We conduct extensive experiments to show that the proposed FCLWLR algorithm is effective in addressing the data sparsity problem by transferring the useful knowledge from the auxiliary domains, as compared to many state-of-the-art single-domain or cross-domain CF methods.

A collaborative framework for contributing DICOM RT PHI (Protected Health Information) to augment data mining in clinical decision support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshpande, Ruchi; Thuptimdang, Wanwara; DeMarco, John; Liu, Brent J.

2014-03-01

We have built a decision support system that provides recommendations for customizing radiation therapy treatment plans, based on patient models generated from a database of retrospective planning data. This database consists of relevant metadata and information derived from the following DICOM objects - CT images, RT Structure Set, RT Dose and RT Plan. The usefulness and accuracy of such patient models partly depends on the sample size of the learning data set. Our current goal is to increase this sample size by expanding our decision support system into a collaborative framework to include contributions from multiple collaborators. Potential collaborators are often reluctant to upload even anonymized patient files to repositories outside their local organizational network in order to avoid any conflicts with HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. We have circumvented this problem by developing a tool that can parse DICOM files on the client's side and extract de-identified numeric and text data from DICOM RT headers for uploading to a centralized system. As a result, the DICOM files containing PHI remain local to the client side. This is a novel workflow that results in adding only relevant yet valuable data from DICOM files to the centralized decision support knowledge base in such a way that the DICOM files never leave the contributor's local workstation in a cloud-based environment. Such a workflow serves to encourage clinicians to contribute data for research endeavors by ensuring protection of electronic patient data.

Collaborative research: empowering students and connecting to community.

PubMed

Mills-Dick, Kelly; Hull, Jessie Mia

2011-01-01

Public health social work is committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Collaborative partnerships can be a tremendous resource and valuable approach to meeting community needs. This article discusses the essential role of partnership and community learning through the case study of a student-faculty team engaged in collaborative research on homelessness in upstate New York in an effort to inform the development of a community affordable housing plan. The goals of the project were to (1) improve understanding of homelessness at the local level, (2) contribute to community planning efforts to end homelessness, and (3) enrich public health social work skills. This case study describes the various ways in which collaboration is cultivated and infused throughout the life of a project. The authors reflect on benefits and challenges of collaboration, and suggest considerations for designing collaborative research projects. This article discusses the impact faculty-student and college-community collaborative partnerships can have on expanding knowledge and enhancing community well-being.

Applying a New Model for Sharing Population Health Data to National Syndromic Influenza Surveillance: DiSTRIBuTE Project Proof of Concept, 2006 to 2009.

PubMed

Olson, Donald R; Paladini, Marc; Lober, William B; Buckeridge, David L

2011-08-02

The Distributed Surveillance Taskforce for Real-time Influenza Burden Tracking and Evaluation (DiSTRIBuTE) project began as a pilot effort initiated by the International Society for Disease Surveillance (ISDS) in autumn 2006 to create a collaborative electronic emergency department (ED) syndromic influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance network based on existing state and local systems and expertise. DiSTRIBuTE brought together health departments that were interested in: 1) sharing aggregate level data; 2) maintaining jurisdictional control; 3) minimizing barriers to participation; and 4) leveraging the flexibility of local systems to create a dynamic and collaborative surveillance network. This approach was in contrast to the prevailing paradigm for surveillance where record level information was collected, stored and analyzed centrally. The DiSTRIBuTE project was created with a distributed design, where individual level data remained local and only summarized, stratified counts were reported centrally, thus minimizing privacy risks. The project was responsive to federal mandates to improve integration of federal, state, and local biosurveillance capabilities. During the proof of concept phase, 2006 to 2009, ten jurisdictions from across North America sent ISDS on a daily to weekly basis year-round, aggregated data by day, stratified by local ILI syndrome, age-group and region. During this period, data from participating U.S. state or local health departments captured over 13% of all ED visits nationwide. The initiative focused on state and local health department trust, expertise, and control. Morbidity trends observed in DiSTRIBuTE were highly correlated with other influenza surveillance measures. With the emergence of novel A/H1N1 influenza in the spring of 2009, the project was used to support information sharing and ad hoc querying at the state and local level. In the fall of 2009, through a broadly collaborative effort, the project was expanded to enhance electronic ED surveillance nationwide.

Experiences of using a participatory action research approach to strengthen district local capacity in Eastern Uganda

PubMed Central

Tetui, Moses; Coe, Anna-Britt; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; Ekirapa-Kiracho, Elizabeth; Kiwanuka, Suzanne N.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: To achieve a sustained improvement in health outcomes, the way health interventions are designed and implemented is critical. A participatory action research approach is applauded for building local capacity such as health management. Thereby increasing the chances of sustaining health interventions. Objective: This study explored stakeholder experiences of using PAR to implement an intervention meant to strengthen the local district capacity. Methods: This was a qualitative study featuring 18 informant interviews and a focus group discussion. Respondents included politicians, administrators, health managers and external researchers in three rural districts of eastern Uganda where PAR was used. Qualitative content analysis was used to explore stakeholders’ experiences. Results: ‘Being awakened’ emerged as an overarching category capturing stakeholder experiences of using PAR. This was described in four interrelated and sequential categories, which included: stakeholder involvement, being invigorated, the risk of wide stakeholder engagement and balancing the risk of wide stakeholder engagement. In terms of involvement, the stakeholders felt engaged, a sense of ownership, felt valued and responsible during the implementation of the project. Being invigorated meant being awakened, inspired and supported. On the other hand, risks such as conflict, stress and uncertainty were reported, and finally these risks were balanced through tolerance, risk-awareness and collaboration. Conclusions: The PAR approach was desirable because it created opportunities for building local capacity and enhancing continuity of interventions. Stakeholders were awakened by the approach, as it made them more responsive to systems challenges and possible local solutions. Nonetheless, the use of PAR should be considered in full knowledge of the undesirable and complex experiences, such as uncertainty, conflict and stress. This will enable adequate preparation and management of stakeholder expectations to maximize the benefits of the approach. PMID:28856974

The role of clinical toxicologists and poison control centers in public health.

PubMed

Sutter, Mark E; Bronstein, Alvin C; Heard, Stuart E; Barthold, Claudia L; Lando, James; Lewis, Lauren S; Schier, Joshua G

2010-06-01

Poison control centers and clinical toxicologists serve many roles within public health; however, the degree to which these entities collaborate is unknown. The objective of this survey was to identify successful collaborations of public health agencies with clinical toxicologists and poison control centers. Four areas including outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources were assessed. An online survey was sent to the directors of poison control centers, state epidemiologists, and the most senior public health official in each state and selected major metropolitan areas. This survey focused on three areas: service, structure within the local or state public health system, and remuneration. Questions regarding remuneration and poison control center location within the public health structure were asked to assess if these were critical factors of successful collaborations. Senior state and local public health officials were excluded because of a low response rate. The survey was completed in October 2007. A total of 111 respondents, 61 poison control centers and 50 state epidemiologists, were eligible for the survey. Sixty-nine (62%) of the 111 respondents, completed and returned the survey. Thirty-three (54%) of the 61 poison control centers responded, and 36 of the 50 state epidemiologists (72%) responded. The most frequent collaborations were terrorism preparedness and epidemic illness reporting. Additional collaborations also exist. Important collaborations exist outside of remuneration or poison control centers being a formal part of the public health structure. Poison control centers have expanded their efforts to include outbreak identification, syndromic surveillance, terrorism preparedness, and daily public health responsibilities amenable to poison control center resources. Collaboration in these areas and others should be expanded. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Peruvian scientific production in medicine and collaboration networks, analysis of the Science Citation Index 2000-2009].

PubMed

Huamaní, Charles; Mayta-Tristán, Percy

2010-09-01

To describe the Peruvian scientific production in indexed journals in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and the characteristics of the institutional collaborative networks. All papers published in the ISI database (Clinical Medicine collection) were included during 2000 to 2009 with at least one author with a Peruvian affiliation. The publication trend, address of corresponding author, type of article, institution, city (only for Peru), and country were evaluated. The collaborative networks were analized using the Pajek® software. 1210 papers were found, increasing from 61 in 2000 to 200 in 2009 (average of 121 articles/year). 30.4% articles included a corresponding author from a Peruvian institution. The average of authors per article was 8.3. Original articles represented 82.1% of total articles. Infectious diseases-related journals concentrated most of the articles. The main countries that collaborate with Peru are: USA (60.4%), England (12.9%), and Brazil (8.0%). Lima concentrated 94.7% of the publications and three regions (Huancavelica, Moquegua and Tacna) did not register any publication. Only two universities published more than one article/year and four institutions published more than 10 articles/year. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia published 45% of the total number of articles, being the most productive institution and which concentrated the most number of collaborations with foreign institutions. The ministry of Health--including all dependencies--published 37.3% of the total number of publications. There is a higher level of collaboration with foreign institutions rather than local institutions. The Peruvian scientific production in medicine represented in the ISI database is very low but growing, and is concentrated in Lima and in a few institutions. The most productive Peruvian institutions collaborate more intensively with foreign journals rather than local institutions.

Constructing accountability in inter-organisational collaboration: the implications of a narrow performance-based focus.

PubMed

Andersson, Johanna; Wikström, Ewa

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how accounts of collaboration practice were made and used to construct accountability in the empirical context of coordination associations, a Swedish form of collaboration between four authorities in health and social care. They feature pooled budgets, joint leadership and joint reporting systems, intended to facilitate both collaboration and (shared) accountability. Empirical data were collected in field observations in local, regional and national settings. In addition, the study is based on analysis of local association documents such as evaluations and annual reports, and analysis of national agency reports. Accountability is constructed hierarchically with a narrow focus on performance, and horizontal (shared) accountability as well as outcomes are de-emphasised. Through this narrow construction of accountability the coordination associations are re-created as hierarchical and accountability is delegated rather than shared. Features such as pooled budgets, joint leadership and joint reporting systems can support collaboration but do not necessarily translate into shared accountability if accountability is interpreted and constructed hierarchically. When practice conforms to what is counted and accounted for, using the hierarchical and narrow construction of accountability, the result may be that the associations become an additional authority. That would increase rather than decrease fragmentation in the field. This research derives from first-hand observations of actor-to-actor episodes complemented with the analysis of documents and reports. It provides critical analysis of the construction and evaluation of accounts and accountability related to practice and performance in collaboration. The main contribution is the finding that despite the conditions intended to facilitate inter-organisational collaboration and horizontal accountability, the hierarchical accountability persisted.

Removing barriers to educating children in foster care through interagency collaboration: a seven county multiple-case study.

PubMed

Weinberg, Lois A; Zetlin, Andrea; Shea, Nancy M

2009-01-01

This multiple-case study examines interagency collaboration between child protective services (CPS), local education agencies (LEAs), and other public agencies in seven California counties. These agencies were provided technical assistance to remove barriers impeding the education of children in foster care and improve their educational outcomes. Results of this study suggest that making changes to remove educational barriers for foster children and improve their educational outcomes requires successful collaboration between CPS and LEAs and strong leadership within at least one of the agencies.

Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease: Collaboration Patterns and Research Core Topics.

PubMed

Salinas, Alejandro; González, Gregorio; Manuel Ramos, Jose

2016-09-01

Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are important health problems in developing countries. The study aim was to provide a review and content analysis of the scientific literature on rheumatic fever and RHD over a 70-year period. Medline was employed via the online PubMed service of the US National Library of Medicine, to search for all documents containing the MeSH terms 'rheumatic fever' or 'rheumatic heart disease' between January 1945 and December 2013. A total of 18,552 references was retrieved. Between 1945 and 1970 the number of annual publications containing the search terms increased, but decreased between 1971 and 2013. Between 1990 and 2013, national collaboration (co-authorship) was greatly increased, from 8.7% to 41.7% of the total reports. International collaboration also increased, from 2.5% to 14.8% (p = 0.001). The United States was the main collaborating country, sharing ties mainly with India, South Africa and Brazil. A content analysis led to the identification of three prominent core research topics, chief among which were heart diseases (rheumatic fever diseases, mitral valve diseases and endocarditis). Other areas of note included streptococcal infections and rheumatic diseases (which, in addition to rheumatic fever, also highlighted arthritis and juvenile arthritis). Publications on rheumatic fever and RHD had a major impact during the 1960s, but research groups interest has since declined overall, in line with a decreasing interest in these diseases in developed countries. In contrast, national and international collaboration has increased, a phenomenon that should be encouraged for research into these and other diseases that affect developing countries.

Social Work-Business Sector Collaboration in Pursuit of Economic Justice.

PubMed

Lee, Wonhyung

2016-07-01

This article examines social workers' perceptions, experiences, and prospects regarding working in the business sector after participating in an MSW field practicum with a local microlending program. Social workers' insights suggest that cross-sector collaboration leads to vast opportunities not only for the populations served by the collaborative efforts, but also for social work as a profession. However, several challenges are evealed, including social workers' unfamiliarity with business operations, the business sector's narrow understanding of social workers' roles, and divisions between participants in interprofessional collaboration. This article calls for enhancing the role of social work to maximize its impact on economic development through further research and tangible cross-sector projects.

Design of Scalable and Effective Earth Science Collaboration Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskey, M.; Ramachandran, R.; Kuo, K. S.; Lynnes, C.; Niamsuwan, N.; Chidambaram, C.

2014-12-01

Collaborative research is growing rapidly. Many tools including IDEs are now beginning to incorporate new collaborative features. Software engineering research has shown the effectiveness of collaborative programming and analysis. In particular, drastic reduction in software development time resulting in reduced cost has been highlighted. Recently, we have witnessed the rise of applications that allow users to share their content. Most of these applications scale such collaboration using cloud technologies. Earth science research needs to adopt collaboration technologies to reduce redundancy, cut cost, expand knowledgebase, and scale research experiments. To address these needs, we developed the Earth science collaboration workbench (CWB). CWB provides researchers with various collaboration features by augmenting their existing analysis tools to minimize learning curve. During the development of the CWB, we understood that Earth science collaboration tasks are varied and we concluded that it is not possible to design a tool that serves all collaboration purposes. We adopted a mix of synchronous and asynchronous sharing methods that can be used to perform collaboration across time and location dimensions. We have used cloud technology for scaling the collaboration. Cloud has been highly utilized and valuable tool for Earth science researchers. Among other usages, cloud is used for sharing research results, Earth science data, and virtual machine images; allowing CWB to create and maintain research environments and networks to enhance collaboration between researchers. Furthermore, collaborative versioning tool, Git, is integrated into CWB for versioning of science artifacts. In this paper, we present our experience in designing and implementing the CWB. We will also discuss the integration of collaborative code development use cases for data search and discovery using NASA DAAC and simulation of satellite observations using NASA Earth Observing System Simulation Suite (NEOS3).

The ERESE Workshop: a Unique Opportunity for Collaboration Between Classroom Teacher and Research Scientist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Symons, C. M.; Helly, M.; Staudigel, H.; Koppers, A.; Reining, J.; Helly, J.; Miller, S.

2005-12-01

The ERESE Project (Enduring Resources for Earth Science Education) has hosted 10-15 teachers during a two-week workshop at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) each of the last two summers. The workshop is a concentrated introduction to the resources available on two National Science Digital Library collections maintained at SIO - http://www.EarthRef.org and http://www.SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu. The workshop is run by a team of scientists from SIO, the San Diego Supercomputer Center and a Lead Educator who is also a classroom teacher. This year three teachers from the first year were invited to return to serve as mentors. During the first week of the workshop teachers play the role of student while a lead scientist plays the role of teacher. The students (aka, teachers) analyze maps of seafloor magnetic anomalies to investigate plate tectonic problems. The magnetic data were collected onboard Scripps ships and are archived at SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu. Technical content lessons were designed to introduce the resource matrices on EarthRef.org, how to upload and download classroom lessons within the collection, SIOExplorer's CruiseViewer (portal to over 600 archived cruises) and Mozilla Browser and Composer for building lessons using our inquiry template. The inquiry lesson templates model scientific inquiry and help to streamline lesson design, enactment and sharing. They reference local, state and national standards in order to increase their appeal to a broad audience. The most valuable feature of hosting an on-campus workshop was that participants were afforded the opportunity to collaborate with scientists and research staff on a daily basis. More than 15 guest speakers addressed the teachers, some of whom led guided tours of their respective research facilities and collections. Guest speakers shared data, lecture notes and engaging "sea stories" all of which painted a picture of life as a research earth scientist. Combining their workshop experience in the role of student, the technical content lessons, the inquiry based pedagogical model and daily collaboration with scientists, the teachers developed plate tectonic lessons using resources from EarthRef.org and SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu. Following implementation during the fall semester teachers will add them to the existing collection of lessons at EarthRef.org.

Content validation of an interprofessional learning video peer assessment tool.

PubMed

Nisbet, Gillian; Jorm, Christine; Roberts, Chris; Gordon, Christopher J; Chen, Timothy F

2017-12-16

Large scale models of interprofessional learning (IPL) where outcomes are assessed are rare within health professional curricula. To date, there is sparse research describing robust assessment strategies to support such activities. We describe the development of an IPL assessment task based on peer rating of a student generated video evidencing collaborative interprofessional practice. We provide content validation evidence of an assessment rubric in the context of large scale IPL. Two established approaches to scale development in an educational setting were combined. A literature review was undertaken to develop a conceptual model of the relevant domains and issues pertaining to assessment of student generated videos within IPL. Starting with a prototype rubric developed from the literature, a series of staff and student workshops were undertaken to integrate expert opinion and user perspectives. Participants assessed five-minute videos produced in a prior pilot IPL activity. Outcomes from each workshop informed the next version of the rubric until agreement was reached on anchoring statements and criteria. At this point the rubric was declared fit to be used in the upcoming mandatory large scale IPL activity. The assessment rubric consisted of four domains: patient issues, interprofessional negotiation; interprofessional management plan in action; and effective use of video medium to engage audience. The first three domains reflected topic content relevant to the underlying construct of interprofessional collaborative practice. The fourth domain was consistent with the broader video assessment literature calling for greater emphasis on creativity in education. We have provided evidence for the content validity of a video-based peer assessment task portraying interprofessional collaborative practice in the context of large-scale IPL activities for healthcare professional students. Further research is needed to establish the reliability of such a scale.

Anthropology, brokerage, and collaboration in the development of a Tongan public psychiatry: Local lessons for global mental health.

PubMed

Poltorak, Mike

2016-12-01

The Global Mental Health (GMH) movement has raised questions of the translatability of psychiatric concepts and the challenges of community engagement. In Tonga, the local psychiatrist Dr Puloka successfully established a publicly accessible psychiatry that has improved admission rates for serious mental illnesses and addressed some of the stigma attached to diagnosis. On the basis of historical analysis and ethnographic fieldwork with healers, doctors, and patients since 1998, this article offers an ethnographic contextualization of the development and reception of Puloka's three key interventions during the 1990s: (a) collaboration with traditional healers; (b) translation of psychiatric diagnoses into local cultural concepts; and (c) encouraging freedom of movement and legal appeal to involuntary admission. Dr Puloka's use of medical anthropological and transcultural psychiatry research informed a community-engaged brokerage between the implications of psychiatric nosologies and local needs that can address some of the challenges of the Global Mental Health movement.

Biomedical Big Data Training Collaborative (BBDTC): An effort to bridge the talent gap in biomedical science and research.

PubMed

Purawat, Shweta; Cowart, Charles; Amaro, Rommie E; Altintas, Ilkay

2016-06-01

The BBDTC (https://biobigdata.ucsd.edu) is a community-oriented platform to encourage high-quality knowledge dissemination with the aim of growing a well-informed biomedical big data community through collaborative efforts on training and education. The BBDTC collaborative is an e-learning platform that supports the biomedical community to access, develop and deploy open training materials. The BBDTC supports Big Data skill training for biomedical scientists at all levels, and from varied backgrounds. The natural hierarchy of courses allows them to be broken into and handled as modules . Modules can be reused in the context of multiple courses and reshuffled, producing a new and different, dynamic course called a playlist . Users may create playlists to suit their learning requirements and share it with individual users or the wider public. BBDTC leverages the maturity and design of the HUBzero content-management platform for delivering educational content. To facilitate the migration of existing content, the BBDTC supports importing and exporting course material from the edX platform. Migration tools will be extended in the future to support other platforms. Hands-on training software packages, i.e., toolboxes , are supported through Amazon EC2 and Virtualbox virtualization technologies, and they are available as: ( i ) downloadable lightweight Virtualbox Images providing a standardized software tool environment with software packages and test data on their personal machines, and ( ii ) remotely accessible Amazon EC2 Virtual Machines for accessing biomedical big data tools and scalable big data experiments. At the moment, the BBDTC site contains three open Biomedical big data training courses with lecture contents, videos and hands-on training utilizing VM toolboxes, covering diverse topics. The courses have enhanced the hands-on learning environment by providing structured content that users can use at their own pace. A four course biomedical big data series is planned for development in 2016.