An Examination of Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation Systems in Five States. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 129

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shakman, Karen; Riordan, Julie; Sanchez, Maria Teresa; Cook, Kyle DeMeo; Fournier, Richard; Brett, Jessica

2012-01-01

This study reports on performance-based teacher evaluation systems in five states that have implemented such systems. It investigates two primary research questions: (1) What are the key characteristics of state-level performance-based teacher evaluation systems in the study states?; and (2) How do state teacher evaluation measures, the teaching…

Grey Comprehensive Evaluation of Biomass Power Generation Project Based on Group Judgement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Huicong; Niu, Dongxiao

2017-06-01

The comprehensive evaluation of benefit is an important task needed to be carried out at all stages of biomass power generation projects. This paper proposed an improved grey comprehensive evaluation method based on triangle whiten function. To improve the objectivity of weight calculation result of only reference comparison judgment method, this paper introduced group judgment to the weighting process. In the process of grey comprehensive evaluation, this paper invited a number of experts to estimate the benefit level of projects, and optimized the basic estimations based on the minimum variance principle to improve the accuracy of evaluation result. Taking a biomass power generation project as an example, the grey comprehensive evaluation result showed that the benefit level of this project was good. This example demonstrates the feasibility of grey comprehensive evaluation method based on group judgment for benefit evaluation of biomass power generation project.

A Multi-level Fuzzy Evaluation Method for Smart Distribution Network Based on Entropy Weight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianfang; Song, Xiaohui; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Yu

2017-05-01

Smart distribution network is considered as the future trend of distribution network. In order to comprehensive evaluate smart distribution construction level and give guidance to the practice of smart distribution construction, a multi-level fuzzy evaluation method based on entropy weight is proposed. Firstly, focus on both the conventional characteristics of distribution network and new characteristics of smart distribution network such as self-healing and interaction, a multi-level evaluation index system which contains power supply capability, power quality, economy, reliability and interaction is established. Then, a combination weighting method based on Delphi method and entropy weight method is put forward, which take into account not only the importance of the evaluation index in the experts’ subjective view, but also the objective and different information from the index values. Thirdly, a multi-level evaluation method based on fuzzy theory is put forward. Lastly, an example is conducted based on the statistical data of some cites’ distribution network and the evaluation method is proved effective and rational.

The Usability Evaluation of Fakih Method Based on Technology for Students with Hearing Difficulties: The User's Retrospective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabdan, Muhammad Sayuti Bin; Alias, Norlidah; Jomhari, Nazean; Jamaludin, Khairul Azhar; DeWitt, Dorothy

2014-01-01

The study is aimed at evaluating the FAKIH method based on technology in teaching al-Quran, based on the user's retrospective. The participants of this study were five students selected based on hearing difficulties. The study employed the user evaluation framework. Teacher's journals were used to determine the frequency and percentage of…

Fuzzy logic based sensor performance evaluation of vehicle mounted metal detector systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeynayake, Canicious; Tran, Minh D.

2015-05-01

Vehicle Mounted Metal Detector (VMMD) systems are widely used for detection of threat objects in humanitarian demining and military route clearance scenarios. Due to the diverse nature of such operational conditions, operational use of VMMD without a proper understanding of its capability boundaries may lead to heavy causalities. Multi-criteria fitness evaluations are crucial for determining capability boundaries of any sensor-based demining equipment. Evaluation of sensor based military equipment is a multi-disciplinary topic combining the efforts of researchers, operators, managers and commanders having different professional backgrounds and knowledge profiles. Information acquired through field tests usually involves uncertainty, vagueness and imprecision due to variations in test and evaluation conditions during a single test or series of tests. This report presents a fuzzy logic based methodology for experimental data analysis and performance evaluation of VMMD. This data evaluation methodology has been developed to evaluate sensor performance by consolidating expert knowledge with experimental data. A case study is presented by implementing the proposed data analysis framework in a VMMD evaluation scenario. The results of this analysis confirm accuracy, practicability and reliability of the fuzzy logic based sensor performance evaluation framework.

Evaluating Practice-Based Learning.

PubMed

Logue, Nancy C

2017-03-01

Practice-based learning is an essential aspect of nursing education, and evaluating this form of learning is vital in determining whether students have the competence required to enter nursing practice. However, limited knowledge exists about the influences that shape how competence development is recognized in nursing programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the evaluation of practice-based learning from the students' standpoint. A qualitative design based on institutional ethnography was used to investigate evaluation of practice-based learning with students, preceptors, and faculty in a preceptorship practicum. The findings revealed how work associated with evaluation was organized by coexisting and often disparate influences within a nursing program and the workplaces where learning took place. The implications and recommendations of the inquiry are intended to encourage dialogue and action among stakeholders from education and practice to improve evaluation practices in preparing new members of the nursing profession. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(3):131-138.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

An evaluation method for nanoscale wrinkle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y. P.; Wang, C. G.; Zhang, L. M.; Tan, H. F.

2016-06-01

In this paper, a spectrum-based wrinkling analysis method via two-dimensional Fourier transformation is proposed aiming to solve the difficulty of nanoscale wrinkle evaluation. It evaluates the wrinkle characteristics including wrinkling wavelength and direction simply using a single wrinkling image. Based on this method, the evaluation results of nanoscale wrinkle characteristics show agreement with the open experimental results within an error of 6%. It is also verified to be appropriate for the macro wrinkle evaluation without scale limitations. The spectrum-based wrinkling analysis is an effective method for nanoscale evaluation, which contributes to reveal the mechanism of nanoscale wrinkling.

Process evaluation of the Enabling Mothers toPrevent Pediatric Obesity Through Web-Based Learning and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) randomized control trial.

PubMed

Knowlden, Adam P; Sharma, Manoj

2014-09-01

Family-and-home-based interventions are an important vehicle for preventing childhood obesity. Systematic process evaluations have not been routinely conducted in assessment of these interventions. The purpose of this study was to plan and conduct a process evaluation of the Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity Through Web-Based Learning and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) randomized control trial. The trial was composed of two web-based, mother-centered interventions for prevention of obesity in children between 4 and 6 years of age. Process evaluation used the components of program fidelity, dose delivered, dose received, context, reach, and recruitment. Categorical process evaluation data (program fidelity, dose delivered, dose exposure, and context) were assessed using Program Implementation Index (PII) values. Continuous process evaluation variables (dose satisfaction and recruitment) were assessed using ANOVA tests to evaluate mean differences between groups (experimental and control) and sessions (sessions 1 through 5). Process evaluation results found that both groups (experimental and control) were equivalent, and interventions were administered as planned. Analysis of web-based intervention process objectives requires tailoring of process evaluation models for online delivery. Dissemination of process evaluation results can advance best practices for implementing effective online health promotion programs. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Field Evaluation of the Pedostructure-Based Model (Kamel®)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study involves a field evaluation of the pedostructure-based model Kamel and comparisons between Kamel and the Hydrus-1D model for predicting profile soil moisture. This paper also presents a sensitivity analysis of Kamel with an evaluation field site used as the base scenario. The field site u...

Theory-Based Stakeholder Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Morten Balle; Vedung, Evert

2010-01-01

This article introduces a new approach to program theory evaluation called theory-based stakeholder evaluation or the TSE model for short. Most theory-based approaches are program theory driven and some are stakeholder oriented as well. Practically, all of the latter fuse the program perceptions of the various stakeholder groups into one unitary…

Evaluating Pillar Industry’s Transformation Capability: A Case Study of Two Chinese Steel-Based Cities

PubMed Central

Li, Zhidong; Marinova, Dora; Guo, Xiumei; Gao, Yuan

2015-01-01

Many steel-based cities in China were established between the 1950s and 1960s. After more than half a century of development and boom, these cities are starting to decline and industrial transformation is urgently needed. This paper focuses on evaluating the transformation capability of resource-based cities building an evaluation model. Using Text Mining and the Document Explorer technique as a way of extracting text features, the 200 most frequently used words are derived from 100 publications related to steel- and other resource-based cities. The Expert Evaluation Method (EEM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques are then applied to select 53 indicators, determine their weights and establish an index system for evaluating the transformation capability of the pillar industry of China’s steel-based cities. Using real data and expert reviews, the improved Fuzzy Relation Matrix (FRM) method is applied to two case studies in China, namely Panzhihua and Daye, and the evaluation model is developed using Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE). The cities’ abilities to carry out industrial transformation are evaluated with concerns expressed for the case of Daye. The findings have policy implications for the potential and required industrial transformation in the two selected cities and other resource-based towns. PMID:26422266

Evaluating Pillar Industry's Transformation Capability: A Case Study of Two Chinese Steel-Based Cities.

PubMed

Li, Zhidong; Marinova, Dora; Guo, Xiumei; Gao, Yuan

2015-01-01

Many steel-based cities in China were established between the 1950s and 1960s. After more than half a century of development and boom, these cities are starting to decline and industrial transformation is urgently needed. This paper focuses on evaluating the transformation capability of resource-based cities building an evaluation model. Using Text Mining and the Document Explorer technique as a way of extracting text features, the 200 most frequently used words are derived from 100 publications related to steel- and other resource-based cities. The Expert Evaluation Method (EEM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques are then applied to select 53 indicators, determine their weights and establish an index system for evaluating the transformation capability of the pillar industry of China's steel-based cities. Using real data and expert reviews, the improved Fuzzy Relation Matrix (FRM) method is applied to two case studies in China, namely Panzhihua and Daye, and the evaluation model is developed using Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE). The cities' abilities to carry out industrial transformation are evaluated with concerns expressed for the case of Daye. The findings have policy implications for the potential and required industrial transformation in the two selected cities and other resource-based towns.

Teacher Evaluation Models: Compliance or Growth Oriented?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clenchy, Kelly R.

2017-01-01

This research study reviewed literature specific to the evolution of teacher evaluation models and explored the effectiveness of standards-based evaluation models' potential to facilitate professional growth. The researcher employed descriptive phenomenology to conduct a study of teachers' perceptions of a standard-based evaluation model's…

A method for building evaluation competency among community-based organizations.

PubMed

Kelly, Cheryl M; LaRose, Jessi; Scharff, Darcell P

2014-05-01

Community-based organizations often lack the capacity (e.g., time, staff, skills) to effectively evaluate programs, policies, and environmental changes. Providing evaluation technical assistance and training can be an effective and feasible way to build individual evaluation competency. The purpose of this article is to present a practical approach and related tools that can be used by evaluators and others (e.g., academic partners, funders) providing assistance to build evaluation skills in community organizations. The approach described was developed in collaboration with local universities and a regional health foundation to provide intensive technical support to 19 community-based organizations awarded funding to implement obesity prevention projects. Technical assistance processes and tools were designed to be tailored to organizations' capacity and needs and can be used as templates by others who provide technical assistance. Evaluators, funders, and academic partners can use lessons learned from this experience to help shape and implement evaluation technical assistance approaches with community-based organizations.

Static and Dynamic Facial Cues Differentially Affect the Consistency of Social Evaluations.

PubMed

Hehman, Eric; Flake, Jessica K; Freeman, Jonathan B

2015-08-01

Individuals are quite sensitive to others' appearance cues when forming social evaluations. Cues such as facial emotional resemblance are based on facial musculature and thus dynamic. Cues such as a face's structure are based on the underlying bone and are thus relatively static. The current research examines the distinction between these types of facial cues by investigating the consistency in social evaluations arising from dynamic versus static cues. Specifically, across four studies using real faces, digitally generated faces, and downstream behavioral decisions, we demonstrate that social evaluations based on dynamic cues, such as intentions, have greater variability across multiple presentations of the same identity than do social evaluations based on static cues, such as ability. Thus, although evaluations of intentions vary considerably across different instances of a target's face, evaluations of ability are relatively fixed. The findings highlight the role of facial cues' consistency in the stability of social evaluations. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Learning from Evaluation by Peer Team: A Case Study of a Family Counselling Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muniute-Cobb, Eivina I.; Alfred, Mary V.

2010-01-01

This qualitative study explores how employees learn from Team Primacy Concept-based employee evaluation and how they use the feedback in performing their jobs. Team Primacy Concept-based evaluation is a type of multirater evaluation. The distinctive characteristic of such evaluation is its peer feedback component during which the employee's…

Examining Teacher Evaluation Validity and Leadership Decision Making within a Standards-Based Evaluation System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimball, Steven M.; Milanowski, Anthony

2009-01-01

Purpose: The article reports on a study of school leader decision making that examined variation in the validity of teacher evaluation ratings in a school district that has implemented a standards-based teacher evaluation system. Research Methods: Applying mixed methods, the study used teacher evaluation ratings and value-added student achievement…

Facilitating Evaluations of Innovative, Competence-Based Assessments: Creating Understanding and Involving Multiple Stakeholders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gulikers, Judith T. M.; Baartman, Liesbeth K. J.; Biemans, Harm J. A.

2010-01-01

Schools are held more responsible for evaluating, quality assuring and improving their student assessments. Teachers' lack of understanding of new, competence-based assessments as well as the lack of key stakeholders' involvement, hamper effective and efficient self-evaluations by teachers of innovative, competence-based assessments (CBAs). While…

Teacher Perceptions Regarding Portfolio-Based Components of Teacher Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagel, Charles I.

2012-01-01

This study reports the results of teachers' and principals' perceptions of the package evaluation process, a process that uses a combination of a traditional evaluation with a portfolio-based assessment tool. In addition, this study contributes to the educational knowledge base by exploring the participants' views on the impact of…

The Value of Fidelity of Implementation Criteria to Evaluate School-Based Science Curriculum Innovations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yew-Jin; Chue, Shien

2013-01-01

School-based curriculum innovations, including those in science education, are usually not adequately evaluated, if at all. Furthermore, current procedures and instruments for programme evaluations are often unable to support evidence-based decision-making. We suggest that adopting fidelity of implementation (FOI) criteria from healthcare research…

Measurement issues in the evaluation of chronic disease self-management programs.

PubMed

Nolte, Sandra; Elsworth, Gerald R; Newman, Stanton; Osborne, Richard H

2013-09-01

To provide an in-depth analysis of outcome measures used in the evaluation of chronic disease self-management programs consistent with the Stanford curricula. Based on a systematic review on self-management programs, effect sizes derived from reported outcome measures are categorized according to the quality of life appraisal model developed by Schwartz and Rapkin which classifies outcomes from performance-based measures (e.g., clinical outcomes) to evaluation-based measures (e.g., emotional well-being). The majority of outcomes assessed in self-management trials are based on evaluation-based methods. Overall, effects on knowledge--the only performance-based measure observed in selected trials--are generally medium to large. In contrast, substantially more inconsistent results are found for both perception- and evaluation-based measures that mostly range between nil and small positive effects. Effectiveness of self-management interventions and resulting recommendations for health policy makers are most frequently derived from highly variable evaluation-based measures, that is, types of outcomes that potentially carry a substantial amount of measurement error and/or bias such as response shift. Therefore, decisions regarding the value and efficacy of chronic disease self-management programs need to be interpreted with care. More research, especially qualitative studies, is needed to unravel cognitive processes and the role of response shift bias in the measurement of change.

Impact on house staff evaluation scores when changing from a Dreyfus- to a Milestone-based evaluation model: one internal medicine residency program's findings.

PubMed

Friedman, Karen A; Balwan, Sandy; Cacace, Frank; Katona, Kyle; Sunday, Suzanne; Chaudhry, Saima

2014-01-01

As graduate medical education (GME) moves into the Next Accreditation System (NAS), programs must take a critical look at their current models of evaluation and assess how well they align with reporting outcomes. Our objective was to assess the impact on house staff evaluation scores when transitioning from a Dreyfus-based model of evaluation to a Milestone-based model of evaluation. Milestones are a key component of the NAS. We analyzed all end of rotation evaluations of house staff completed by faculty for academic years 2010-2011 (pre-Dreyfus model) and 2011-2012 (post-Milestone model) in one large university-based internal medicine residency training program. Main measures included change in PGY-level average score; slope, range, and separation of average scores across all six Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies. Transitioning from a Dreyfus-based model to a Milestone-based model resulted in a larger separation in the scores between our three post-graduate year classes, a steeper progression of scores in the PGY-1 class, a wider use of the 5-point scale on our global end of rotation evaluation form, and a downward shift in the PGY-1 scores and an upward shift in the PGY-3 scores. For faculty trained in both models of assessment, the Milestone-based model had greater discriminatory ability as evidenced by the larger separation in the scores for all the classes, in particular the PGY-1 class.

An Evaluation of the Impact of E-Learning Media Formats on Student Perception and Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurbel, Karl; Stankov, Ivo; Datsenka, Rastsislau

Factors influencing student evaluation of web-based courses are analyzed, based on student feedback from an online distance-learning graduate program. The impact of different media formats on the perception of the courses by the students as well as on their performance in these courses are examined. In particular, we studied conventional hypertext-based courses, video-based courses and audio-based courses, and tried to find out whether the media format has an effect on how students assess courses and how good or bad their grades are. Statistical analyses were performed to answer several research questions related to the topic and to properly evaluate the factors influencing student evaluation.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training by Problem-Based Method: Effect on the Trainee's Skills, Knowledge and Evaluation of Trainers.

PubMed

Hosseini, Seyed Kianoosh; Ghalamkari, Marziyeh; Yousefshahi, Fardin; Mireskandari, Seyed Mohammad; Rezaei Hamami, Mohsen

2013-10-28

Cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation (CPCR) training is essential for all hospital workers, especially junior residents who might become the manager of the resuscitation team. In our center, the traditional CPCR knowledge training curriculum for junior residents up to 5 years ago was lecture-based and had some faults. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a problem-based method on residents' CPCR knowledge and skills as well as their evaluation of their CPCR trainers. This study, conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, included 290 first-year residents in 2009-2010 - who were trained via a problem-based method (the problem-based group) - and 160 first-year residents in 2003-2004 - who were trained via a lecture-based method (the lecture-based group). Other educational techniques and facilities were similar. The participants self-evaluated their own CPCR knowledge and skills pre and post workshop and also assessed their trainers' efficacy post workshop by completing special questionnaires. The problem-based group, trained via the problem-based method, had higher self-assessment scores of CPCR knowledge and skills post workshop: the difference as regards the mean scores between the problem-based and lecture-based groups was 32.36 ± 19.23 vs. 22.33 ± 20.35 for knowledge (p value = 0.003) and 10.13 ± 7.17 vs. 8.19 ± 8.45 for skills (p value = 0.043). The residents' evaluation of their trainers was similar between the two study groups (p value = 0.193), with the mean scores being 15.90 ± 2.59 and 15.46 ± 2.90 in the problem-based and lecture-based groups - respectively. The problem-based method increased our residents' self-evaluation score of their own CPCR knowledge and skills.

An Evaluation of Computer-based Instruction in Microbiology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merkel, Susan M.; Walman, Laura B.; Leventhal, Jeremy S.

2000-01-01

Discusses whether computer-based instructional materials improve student learning. Evaluates a computer-based hypermedia tutorial that was delivered over a web site. (Contains 24 references.) (Author/YDS)

Environmental Assessment for Employment of a Mobile Laser Evaluator System (LES-M) for the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-05-01

Environmental Assessment for Employment of a Mobile Laser Evaluator System (LES-M) for the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina...Mobile Laser Evaluator System (LES-M) for the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM...a Mobile Laser Evaluator System (LES-M) for the 20’’ Fighter Wing (20 fW) at Shaw Air Force Base (AFB), South Carolir.a DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED

Facilitating children's views of therapy: an analysis of the use of play-based techniques to evaluate clinical practice.

PubMed

Jäger, Jessica

2013-07-01

This article reports on a follow-up study exploring the use of play-based evaluation methods to facilitate children's views of therapy. The development and piloting of these techniques, with 12 children in the author's own practice, was previously reported in this journal. It was argued that play-based evaluation methods reduce the power imbalance inherent in adult researcher/interviewer-child relationships and provide children with meaningful ways to share their views. In this article, follow-up research into play-based evaluations with 20 children and 7 different play therapists is drawn upon to explore in greater depth the strengths and weaknesses of these techniques. The study shows that play-based evaluation techniques are important and flexible methods for facilitating children's views of child therapy. It is argued that those play therapists who incorporate their therapeutic skills effectively, maintain flexibility and sensitively attune to the child during the evaluation session, enable the child to explore their views most fully.

Evidence-Based Practice and Evaluation: From Insight to Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunsmuir, Sandra; Brown, Emma; Iyadurai, Suzi; Monsen, Jeremy

2009-01-01

With the growing emphasis on accountability and evidence-based practice, evaluation has become increasingly important in the contexts in which educational psychologists (EPs) practice. This paper describes a Target Monitoring and Evaluation (TME) system, derived from Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) which was developed to evaluate outcomes of a wide…

Evidence-Based versus Junk-Based Evaluation Research: Some Lessons from 35 Years of the Evaluation Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berk, Richard

2011-01-01

Along with the late Howard Freeman, Richard Berk was a founding editor of "Evaluation Review" (then "Evaluation Quarterly") in 1977. He resigned as editor of this journal at the end of 2010. In this article, he reflects on his experiences. (Contains 3 notes.)

Evaluation of Implementation of School/Community-Based Management. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawaii Business Roundtable, Honolulu.

A formative evaluation was conducted of two elementary schools that have been engaged in the School/Community-Based Management (SCBM) process in Hawaii. The evaluation process was aligned with the SCBM philosophy, which promotes shared decision making, shared responsibility, and collaboration. Stakeholders contributed to the evaluation, which…

Usage-Based Collection Evaluation with a Curricular Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohn, Karen C.

2013-01-01

Systematic evaluation of a library's collection can be a useful tool for collection development. After reviewing three evaluation methods and their usefulness for our small academic library, I undertook a usage-based evaluation, focusing on narrow segments of our collection that served specific undergraduate courses. For each section, I collected…

Using evaluation to adapt health information outreach to the complex environments of community-based organizations.

PubMed

Olney, Cynthia A

2005-10-01

After arguing that most community-based organizations (CBOs) function as complex adaptive systems, this white paper describes the evaluation goals, questions, indicators, and methods most important at different stages of community-based health information outreach. This paper presents the basic characteristics of complex adaptive systems and argues that the typical CBO can be considered this type of system. It then presents evaluation as a tool for helping outreach teams adapt their outreach efforts to the CBO environment and thus maximize success. Finally, it describes the goals, questions, indicators, and methods most important or helpful at each stage of evaluation (community assessment, needs assessment and planning, process evaluation, and outcomes assessment). Literature from complex adaptive systems as applied to health care, business, and evaluation settings is presented. Evaluation models and applications, particularly those based on participatory approaches, are presented as methods for maximizing the effectiveness of evaluation in dynamic CBO environments. If one accepts that CBOs function as complex adaptive systems-characterized by dynamic relationships among many agents, influences, and forces-then effective evaluation at the stages of community assessment, needs assessment and planning, process evaluation, and outcomes assessment is critical to outreach success.

The Emergence of Contesting Motives for Student Feedback-Based Evaluation in Australian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darwin, Stephen

2016-01-01

Student feedback-based evaluation performs a significant social role in framing perceptions of the quality of teaching in contemporary Australian higher education. Yet its emergence is a relatively recent phenomenon, having only been in widespread application since the mid-1980s. The early manifestations of student feedback-based evaluation came…

Practice to Evidence: Using Evaluability Assessment to Generate Practice-Based Evidence in Rural South Georgia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honeycutt, Sally; Hermstad, April; Carvalho, Michelle L.; Arriola, Kimberly R. Jacob; Ballard, Denise; Escoffery, Cam; Kegler, Michelle C.

2017-01-01

Evidence from formal evaluation of real-world practice can address gaps in the public health knowledge base and provide information about feasible, relevant strategies for varied settings. Interest in evaluability assessment (EA) as an approach for generating practice-based evidence has grown. EA has been central to several structured assessment…

Research on software behavior trust based on hierarchy evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Ke; Xu, Haishui

2017-08-01

In view of the correlation software behavior, we evaluate software behavior credibility from two levels of control flow and data flow. In control flow level, method of the software behavior of trace based on support vector machine (SVM) is proposed. In data flow level, behavioral evidence evaluation based on fuzzy decision analysis method is put forward.

A systematic review of economic evaluations of population-based sodium reduction interventions.

PubMed

Hope, Silvia F; Webster, Jacqui; Trieu, Kathy; Pillay, Arti; Ieremia, Merina; Bell, Colin; Snowdon, Wendy; Neal, Bruce; Moodie, Marj

2017-01-01

To summarise evidence describing the cost-effectiveness of population-based interventions targeting sodium reduction. A systematic search of published and grey literature databases and websites was conducted using specified key words. Characteristics of identified economic evaluations were recorded, and included studies were appraised for reporting quality using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. Twenty studies met the study inclusion criteria and received a full paper review. Fourteen studies were identified as full economic evaluations in that they included both costs and benefits associated with an intervention measured against a comparator. Most studies were modelling exercises based on scenarios for achieving salt reduction and assumed effects on health outcomes. All 14 studies concluded that their specified intervention(s) targeting reductions in population sodium consumption were cost-effective, and in the majority of cases, were cost saving. Just over half the studies (8/14) were assessed as being of 'excellent' reporting quality, five studies fell into the 'very good' quality category and one into the 'good' category. All of the identified evaluations were based on modelling, whereby inputs for all the key parameters including the effect size were either drawn from published datasets, existing literature or based on expert advice. Despite a clear increase in evaluations of salt reduction programs in recent years, this review identified relatively few economic evaluations of population salt reduction interventions. None of the studies were based on actual implementation of intervention(s) and the associated collection of new empirical data. The studies universally showed that population-based salt reduction strategies are likely to be cost effective or cost saving. However, given the reliance on modelling, there is a need for the effectiveness of new interventions to be evaluated in the field using strong study designs and parallel economic evaluations.

Research on Livable Community Evaluation Based on GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Zhangcai; Wu, Yang; Jin, Zhanghaonan; Zhang, Xu

2018-01-01

Community is the basic unit of the city. Research on livable community could provide a bottom-up research path for the realization of livable city. Livability is the total factor affecting the quality of community life. In this paper, livable community evaluation indexes are evaluated based on GIS and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Then the sum-index and sub-index of community livability are both calculated. And community livable evaluation index system is constructed based on the platform of GIS. This study provides theoretical support for the construction and management of livable communities, so as to guide the development and optimization of city.

Experiments in evaluation capacity building: Enhancing brain disorders research impact in Ontario.

PubMed

Nylen, Kirk; Sridharan, Sanjeev

2017-05-08

This paper is the introductory paper on a forum on evaluation capacity building for enhancing impacts of research on brain disorders. It describes challenges and opportunities of building evaluation capacity among community-based organizations in Ontario involved in enhancing brain health and supporting people living with a brain disorder. Using an example of a capacity building program called the "Evaluation Support Program", which is run by the Ontario Brain Institute, this forum discusses multiple themes including evaluation capacity building, evaluation culture and evaluation methodologies appropriate for evaluating complex community interventions. The goal of the Evaluation Support Program is to help community-based organizations build the capacity to demonstrate the value that they offer in order to improve, sustain, and spread their programs and activities. One of the features of this forum is that perspectives on the Evaluation Support Program are provided by multiple stakeholders, including the community-based organizations, evaluation team members involved in capacity building, thought leaders in the fields of evaluation capacity building and evaluation culture, and the funders. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation Framework for NASA's Educational Outreach Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Rick; Booker, Angela; Linde, Charlotte; Preston, Connie

1999-01-01

The objective of the proposed work is to develop an evaluation framework for NASA's educational outreach efforts. We focus on public (rather than technical or scientific) dissemination efforts, specifically on Internet-based outreach sites for children.The outcome of this work is to propose both methods and criteria for evaluation, which would enable NASA to do a more analytic evaluation of its outreach efforts. The proposed framework is based on IRL's ethnographic and video-based observational methods, which allow us to analyze how these sites are actually used.

Impact on house staff evaluation scores when changing from a Dreyfus- to a Milestone-based evaluation model: one internal medicine residency program's findings.

PubMed

Friedman, Karen A; Balwan, Sandy; Cacace, Frank; Katona, Kyle; Sunday, Suzanne; Chaudhry, Saima

2014-01-01

Purpose As graduate medical education (GME) moves into the Next Accreditation System (NAS), programs must take a critical look at their current models of evaluation and assess how well they align with reporting outcomes. Our objective was to assess the impact on house staff evaluation scores when transitioning from a Dreyfus-based model of evaluation to a Milestone-based model of evaluation. Milestones are a key component of the NAS. Method We analyzed all end of rotation evaluations of house staff completed by faculty for academic years 2010-2011 (pre-Dreyfus model) and 2011-2012 (post-Milestone model) in one large university-based internal medicine residency training program. Main measures included change in PGY-level average score; slope, range, and separation of average scores across all six Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies. Results Transitioning from a Dreyfus-based model to a Milestone-based model resulted in a larger separation in the scores between our three post-graduate year classes, a steeper progression of scores in the PGY-1 class, a wider use of the 5-point scale on our global end of rotation evaluation form, and a downward shift in the PGY-1 scores and an upward shift in the PGY-3 scores. Conclusions For faculty trained in both models of assessment, the Milestone-based model had greater discriminatory ability as evidenced by the larger separation in the scores for all the classes, in particular the PGY-1 class.

An Evaluation of shore-based radio direction finding

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-09-30

This report describes an evaluation of Radio Direction Finding (RDF) techniques for shore-based position location performed by the Transportation Systems Center (TSC). The evaluation consisted of the following three phases: (1) A preliminary survey t...

Evaluation and Research for Technology: Not Just Playing Around.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Eva L.; O'Neil, Harold F., Jr.

2003-01-01

Discusses some of the challenges of technology-based training and education, the role of quality verification and evaluation, and strategies to integrate evaluation into the everyday design of technology-based systems for education and training. (SLD)

Contractor evaluations in the contractor selection process.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

The current contractor evaluation system in use within the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is based on the contractor evaluation system developed as part of SPR 212-00 "Quality Based Prequalification of Contractors." This system relies on average per...

Did you have an impact? A theory-based method for planning and evaluating knowledge-transfer and exchange activities in occupational health and safety.

PubMed

Kramer, Desré M; Wells, Richard P; Carlan, Nicolette; Aversa, Theresa; Bigelow, Philip P; Dixon, Shane M; McMillan, Keith

2013-01-01

Few evaluation tools are available to assess knowledge-transfer and exchange interventions. The objective of this paper is to develop and demonstrate a theory-based knowledge-transfer and exchange method of evaluation (KEME) that synthesizes 3 theoretical frameworks: the promoting action on research implementation of health services (PARiHS) model, the transtheoretical model of change, and a model of knowledge use. It proposes a new term, keme, to mean a unit of evidence-based transferable knowledge. The usefulness of the evaluation method is demonstrated with 4 occupational health and safety knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) implementation case studies that are based upon the analysis of over 50 pre-existing interviews. The usefulness of the evaluation model has enabled us to better understand stakeholder feedback, frame our interpretation, and perform a more comprehensive evaluation of the knowledge use outcomes of our KTE efforts.

Usability Evaluation of a Web-Based Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Thao

2012-01-01

The paper proposes a contingent, learner-centred usability evaluation method and a prototype tool of such systems. This is a new usability evaluation method for web-based learning systems using a set of empirically-supported usability factors and can be done effectively with limited resources. During the evaluation process, the method allows for…

40 CFR 610.25 - Evaluation of test data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... base; (d) Definition of claims which can be made based on the available data; and (e) Substantiation of... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Evaluation of test data. 610.25... Analysis § 610.25 Evaluation of test data. Valid manufacturer-furnished test data will be evaluated with...

40 CFR 610.25 - Evaluation of test data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... base; (d) Definition of claims which can be made based on the available data; and (e) Substantiation of... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Evaluation of test data. 610.25... Analysis § 610.25 Evaluation of test data. Valid manufacturer-furnished test data will be evaluated with...

40 CFR 610.25 - Evaluation of test data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... base; (d) Definition of claims which can be made based on the available data; and (e) Substantiation of... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Evaluation of test data. 610.25... Analysis § 610.25 Evaluation of test data. Valid manufacturer-furnished test data will be evaluated with...

40 CFR 610.25 - Evaluation of test data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... base; (d) Definition of claims which can be made based on the available data; and (e) Substantiation of... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Evaluation of test data. 610.25... Analysis § 610.25 Evaluation of test data. Valid manufacturer-furnished test data will be evaluated with...

40 CFR 610.25 - Evaluation of test data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... base; (d) Definition of claims which can be made based on the available data; and (e) Substantiation of... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Evaluation of test data. 610.25... Analysis § 610.25 Evaluation of test data. Valid manufacturer-furnished test data will be evaluated with...

The Use of Information Based Evaluation in Evaluating the Diagnostic Teaching Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poteet, James A.

Information Based Evaluation (IBE) is identified as a design procedure for assessing a variety of projects, programs, and educational changes. IBE was used to evaluate a Comprehensive Diagnostic Teaching Center (DTC) which, in addition to providing teacher training and services to handicapped pupils, would bring together and focus all of the…

Dig into Learning: A Program Evaluation of an Agricultural Literacy Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Erica Brown

2016-01-01

This study is a mixed-methods program evaluation of an agricultural literacy innovation in a local school district in rural eastern North Carolina. This evaluation describes the use of a theory-based framework, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), in accordance with Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model by evaluating the…

Evaluation of Turkish and Mathematics Curricula According to Value-Based Evaluation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duman, Serap Nur; Akbas, Oktay

2017-01-01

This study evaluated secondary school seventh-grade Turkish and mathematics programs using the Context-Input-Process-Product Evaluation Model based on student, teacher, and inspector views. The convergent parallel mixed method design was used in the study. Student values were identified using the scales for socio-level identification, traditional…

A Course Evaluation System in an Open University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chacon, Fabio J.

A model is presented for response to evaluating instruction in a university based on the teaching-at-a-distance concept. Technically appropriate and operationally viable, this model is applied to the National Open University of Venezuela (UNA). The model is based on two principles of educational evaluation: (1) the concept of evaluation as a…

Evaluating a "Second Life" Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Demonstrator Project: What Can We Learn?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaumont, Chris; Savin-Baden, Maggi; Conradi, Emily; Poulton, Terry

2014-01-01

This article reports the findings of a demonstrator project to evaluate how effectively Immersive Virtual Worlds (IVWs) could support problem-based learning. The project designed, created and evaluated eight scenarios within "Second Life" (SL) for undergraduate courses in health care management and paramedic training. Evaluation was…

Understanding Expertise-Based Training Effects on the Software Evaluation Process of Mathematics Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Incikabi, Lutfi; Sancar Tokmak, Hatice

2012-01-01

This case study examined the educational software evaluation processes of pre-service teachers who attended either expertise-based training (XBT) or traditional training in conjunction with a Software-Evaluation checklist. Forty-three mathematics teacher candidates and three experts participated in the study. All participants evaluated educational…

Is the evaluation of risk of bias in periodontology and implant dentistry comprehensive? A systematic review.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis Mariano; Listl, Stefan; Alarcón, Marco Antonio

2015-05-01

The objective of this study was to assess how authors of systematic reviews (SRs) with meta-analyses published in periodontology and implant dentistry evaluate risk of bias (ROB) in primary studies included in these reviews. A literature search for SRs with meta-analyses was performed in PubMed and Cochrane library databases up to July 20th 2014. The reference lists of included articles were screened for further reviews. The standards of evaluating ROB in primary studies were evaluated by using a 14-item checklist based on the Cochrane approach for evaluating ROB. Standards in ROB evaluations in Cochrane and paper-based SRs were compared using the Fisher's exact test. All searches, data extraction and evaluations were performed independently and in duplicate. Seventy SRs were included (45 paper-based and 25 Cochrane SRs, respectively). The median percentage of items addressed was 58% (interquartile range 4-100%). Cochrane SRs more frequently included ROB assessments than paper-based reviews in terms of examiner blinding (p = 0.0026), selective outcome reporting (p = 0.0207) and other bias (p = 0.0241). The ROB evaluation in primary studies currently included in SRs with meta-analyses in periodontology and implant dentistry is not sufficiently comprehensive. Cochrane SRs have more comprehensive ROB evaluation than paper-based reviews. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Classification and Quality Evaluation of Tobacco Leaves Based on Image Processing and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation

PubMed Central

Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Xinhong

2011-01-01

Most of classification, quality evaluation or grading of the flue-cured tobacco leaves are manually operated, which relies on the judgmental experience of experts, and inevitably limited by personal, physical and environmental factors. The classification and the quality evaluation are therefore subjective and experientially based. In this paper, an automatic classification method of tobacco leaves based on the digital image processing and the fuzzy sets theory is presented. A grading system based on image processing techniques was developed for automatically inspecting and grading flue-cured tobacco leaves. This system uses machine vision for the extraction and analysis of color, size, shape and surface texture. Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation provides a high level of confidence in decision making based on the fuzzy logic. The neural network is used to estimate and forecast the membership function of the features of tobacco leaves in the fuzzy sets. The experimental results of the two-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) show that the accuracy rate of classification is about 94% for the trained tobacco leaves, and the accuracy rate of the non-trained tobacco leaves is about 72%. We believe that the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is a viable way for the automatic classification and quality evaluation of the tobacco leaves. PMID:22163744

Validating a Theory-Based Survey to Evaluate Teaching Effectiveness in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amrein-Beardsley, A.; Haladyna, T.

2012-01-01

Surveys to evaluate instructor effectiveness are commonly used in higher education. Yet the survey items included are often drawn from other surveys without reference to a theory of adult learning. The authors present the results from a validation study of such a theory-based survey. They evidence that an evaluation survey based on a theory that…

Evaluation of the Professional Development Program on Web Based Content Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yurdakul, Bünyamin; Uslu, Öner; Çakar, Esra; Yildiz, Derya G.

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the professional development program on web based content development (WBCD) designed by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). Based on the theoretical CIPP model by Stufflebeam and Guskey's levels of evaluation, the study was carried out as a case study. The study group consisted of the courses that…

The Turkish Version of Web-Based Learning Platform Evaluation Scale: Reliability and Validity Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dag, Funda

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the language equivalence and the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the "Web-Based Learning Platform Evaluation Scale" ("Web Tabanli Ögrenme Ortami Degerlendirme Ölçegi" [WTÖODÖ]) used in the selection and evaluation of web-based learning environments. Within this scope,…

Report card: an evaluation of a concept-based curriculum.

PubMed

Giddens, Jean Foret; Morton, Nancy

2010-01-01

This article describes the evaluation of an innovative, concept-based baccalaureate nursing curriculum. Curriculum evaluation is an ongoing process that serves to ensure the delivery of quality education. Findings from surveys and focus groups identified strengths of the new curriculum as the conceptual approach, interactive small-group learning activities, clinical intensives, and early patient care experiences. Issues and challenges identified in the evaluation included perceived repetition of content in the Professional Nursing concept courses, coordination of community-based clinical experiences, a perceived need for greater age-span, pharmacology, and pathophysiology content, and NCLEX-RN preparation. Curriculum revisions based on these findings are described.

How is success or failure in river restoration projects evaluated? Feedback from French restoration projects.

PubMed

Morandi, Bertrand; Piégay, Hervé; Lamouroux, Nicolas; Vaudor, Lise

2014-05-01

Since the 1990s, French operational managers and scientists have been involved in the environmental restoration of rivers. The European Water Framework Directive (2000) highlights the need for feedback from restoration projects and for evidence-based evaluation of success. Based on 44 French pilot projects that included such an evaluation, the present study includes: 1) an introduction to restoration projects based on their general characteristics 2) a description of evaluation strategies and authorities in charge of their implementation, and 3) a focus on the evaluation of results and the links between these results and evaluation strategies. The results show that: 1) the quality of an evaluation strategy often remains too poor to understand well the link between a restoration project and ecological changes; 2) in many cases, the conclusions drawn are contradictory, making it difficult to determine the success or failure of a restoration project; and 3) the projects with the poorest evaluation strategies generally have the most positive conclusions about the effects of restoration. Recommendations are that evaluation strategies should be designed early in the project planning process and be based on clearly-defined objectives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shortening the Miles to the Milestones: Connecting EPA-Based Evaluations to ACGME Milestone Reports for Internal Medicine Residency Programs.

PubMed

Choe, John H; Knight, Christopher L; Stiling, Rebekah; Corning, Kelli; Lock, Keli; Steinberg, Kenneth P

2016-07-01

The Next Accreditation System requires internal medicine training programs to provide the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) with semiannual information about each resident's progress in 22 subcompetency domains. Evaluation of resident "trustworthiness" in performing entrustable professional activities (EPAs) may offer a more tangible assessment construct than evaluations based on expectations of usual progression toward competence. However, translating results from EPA-based evaluations into ACGME milestone progress reports has proven to be challenging because the constructs that underlay these two systems differ.The authors describe a process to bridge the gap between rotation-specific EPA-based evaluations and ACGME milestone reporting. Developed at the University of Washington in 2012 and 2013, this method involves mapping EPA-based evaluation responses to "milestone elements," the narrative descriptions within the columns of each of the 22 internal medicine subcompetencies. As faculty members complete EPA-based evaluations, the mapped milestone elements are automatically marked as "confirmed." Programs can maintain a database that tallies the number of times each milestone element is confirmed for a resident; these data can be used to produce graphical displays of resident progress along the internal medicine milestones.Using this count of milestone elements allows programs to bridge the gap between faculty assessments of residents based on rotation-specific observed activities and semiannual ACGME reports based on the internal medicine milestones. Although potentially useful for all programs, this method is especially beneficial to large programs where clinical competency committee members may not have the opportunity for direct observation of all residents.

Performance Evaluation of a Firm Real-Time DataBase System

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

after its deadline has passed. StarBase differs from previous real-time database work in that a) it relies on a real - time operating system which...StarBase, running on a real - time operating system kernel, RT-Mach. We discuss how performance was evaluated in StarBase using the StarBase workload

A Wireless Sensor Network-Based Portable Vehicle Detector Evaluation System

PubMed Central

Yoo, Seong-eun

2013-01-01

In an upcoming smart transportation environment, performance evaluations of existing Vehicle Detection Systems are crucial to maintain their accuracy. The existing evaluation method for Vehicle Detection Systems is based on a wired Vehicle Detection System reference and a video recorder, which must be operated and analyzed by capable traffic experts. However, this conventional evaluation system has many disadvantages. It is inconvenient to deploy, the evaluation takes a long time, and it lacks scalability and objectivity. To improve the evaluation procedure, this paper proposes a Portable Vehicle Detector Evaluation System based on wireless sensor networks. We describe both the architecture and design of a Vehicle Detector Evaluation System and the implementation results, focusing on the wireless sensor networks and methods for traffic information measurement. With the help of wireless sensor networks and automated analysis, our Vehicle Detector Evaluation System can evaluate a Vehicle Detection System conveniently and objectively. The extensive evaluations of our Vehicle Detector Evaluation System show that it can measure the traffic information such as volume counts and speed with over 98% accuracy. PMID:23344388

A wireless sensor network-based portable vehicle detector evaluation system.

PubMed

Yoo, Seong-eun

2013-01-17

In an upcoming smart transportation environment, performance evaluations of existing Vehicle Detection Systems are crucial to maintain their accuracy. The existing evaluation method for Vehicle Detection Systems is based on a wired Vehicle Detection System reference and a video recorder, which must be operated and analyzed by capable traffic experts. However, this conventional evaluation system has many disadvantages. It is inconvenient to deploy, the evaluation takes a long time, and it lacks scalability and objectivity. To improve the evaluation procedure, this paper proposes a Portable Vehicle Detector Evaluation System based on wireless sensor networks. We describe both the architecture and design of a Vehicle Detector Evaluation System and the implementation results, focusing on the wireless sensor networks and methods for traffic information measurement. With the help of wireless sensor networks and automated analysis, our Vehicle Detector Evaluation System can evaluate a Vehicle Detection System conveniently and objectively. The extensive evaluations of our Vehicle Detector Evaluation System show that it can measure the traffic information such as volume counts and speed with over 98% accuracy.

Subgrade evaluation based on theoretical concepts.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-01-01

Evaluations of pavement soil subgrades for the purpose of design are mostly based on empirical methods such as the CBR, California soil resistance method, etc. The need for the application of theory and the evaluation of subgrade strength in terms of...

Evaluation of VHF-FM Shore-Based Direction Finding Triangulation System in Massachusetts Bay Area

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-06-01

The evaluation consisted of the following phases: (1) System definition and site selection; System calibration; Operational evaluation; Cost/benefit analysis. It was concluded that properly implemented shore-based direction finding systems in either ...

Evaluation as institution: a contractarian argument for needs-based economic evaluation.

PubMed

Rogowski, Wolf H

2018-06-13

There is a gap between health economic evaluation methods and the value judgments of coverage decision makers, at least in Germany. Measuring preference satisfaction has been claimed to be inappropriate for allocating health care resources, e.g. because it disregards medical need. The existing methods oriented at medical need have been claimed to disregard non-consequentialist fairness concerns. The aim of this article is to propose a new, contractarian argument for justifying needs-based economic evaluation. It is based on consent rather than maximization of some impersonal unit of value to accommodate the fairness concerns. This conceptual paper draws upon contractarian ethics and constitution economics to show how economic evaluation can be viewed as an institution to overcome societal conflicts in the allocation of scarce health care resources. For this, the problem of allocating scarce health care resources in a society is reconstructed as a social dilemma. Both disadvantaged patients and affluent healthy individuals can be argued to share interests in a societal contract to provide technologies which ameliorate medical need, based on progressive funding. The use of needs-based economic evaluation methods for coverage determination can be interpreted as institutions for conflict resolution as far as they use consented criteria to ensure the social contract's sustainability and avoid implicit rationing or unaffordable contribution rates. This justifies the use of needs-based evaluation methods by Pareto-superiority and consent (rather than by some needs-based value function per se). The view of economic evaluation presented here may help account for fairness concerns in the further development of evaluation methods. This is because it directs the attention away from determining some unit of value to be maximized towards determining those persons who are most likely not to consent and meeting their concerns. Following this direction in methods development is likely to increase the acceptability of health economic evaluation by decision makers.

Evaluating energy saving system of data centers based on AHP and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yingni

2018-03-01

Due to the high energy consumption of communication, energy saving of data centers must be enforced. But the lack of evaluation mechanisms has restrained the process on energy saving construction of data centers. In this paper, energy saving evaluation index system of data centers was constructed on the basis of clarifying the influence factors. Based on the evaluation index system, analytical hierarchy process was used to determine the weights of the evaluation indexes. Subsequently, a three-grade fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model was constructed to evaluate the energy saving system of data centers.

Evaluation of simSchool: An Instructional Simulation for Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deale, Deb; Pastore, Ray

2014-01-01

This study uses theory-based design principles to evaluate the effectiveness of an instructional simulation, simSchool. It begins by examining the simulation and evaluation literature, followed by an evaluation of the simSchool software. It is a Web-based simulation designed to emulate various students (reactions) in order to provide practice for…

Standards for Evaluation of Instructional Materials with Respect to Social Content.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Curriculum Framework and Instructional Materials Unit.

The purpose of this document is to provide reasonable, systematic standards for evaluation of instructional materials upon which evaluators may base their judgments, so that the results of the evaluation process will be as nearly consistent and therefore, as equitable, as possible. The guidelines are based on the social content requirements of the…

Introducing Evidence-Based Principles to Guide Collaborative Approaches to Evaluation: Results of an Empirical Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shulha, Lyn M.; Whitmore, Elizabeth; Cousins, J. Bradley; Gilbert, Nathalie; al Hudib, Hind

2016-01-01

This article introduces a set of evidence-based principles to guide evaluation practice in contexts where evaluation knowledge is collaboratively produced by evaluators and stakeholders. The data from this study evolved in four phases: two pilot phases exploring the desirability of developing a set of principles; an online questionnaire survey…

Evaluating University-Industry Collaboration: The European Foundation of Quality Management Excellence Model-Based Evaluation of University-Industry Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kauppila, Osmo; Mursula, Anu; Harkonen, Janne; Kujala, Jaakko

2015-01-01

The growth in university-industry collaboration has resulted in an increasing demand for methods to evaluate it. This paper presents one way to evaluate an organization's collaborative activities based on the European Foundation of Quality Management excellence model. Success factors of collaboration are derived from literature and compared…

13 CFR 119.12 - What criteria will SBA use to evaluate applications for funding under the PRIME program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... based on expertise and ability to fulfill the purposes of the Act. (2) SBA will evaluate organizational... communication capabilities (or potential for same). SBA will also evaluate data collection capabilities... product to the field. (d) Applications for Discretionary Grants will be evaluated based on the goals and...

13 CFR 119.12 - What criteria will SBA use to evaluate applications for funding under the PRIME program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... based on expertise and ability to fulfill the purposes of the Act. (2) SBA will evaluate organizational... communication capabilities (or potential for same). SBA will also evaluate data collection capabilities... product to the field. (d) Applications for Discretionary Grants will be evaluated based on the goals and...

13 CFR 119.12 - What criteria will SBA use to evaluate applications for funding under the PRIME program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... based on expertise and ability to fulfill the purposes of the Act. (2) SBA will evaluate organizational... communication capabilities (or potential for same). SBA will also evaluate data collection capabilities... product to the field. (d) Applications for Discretionary Grants will be evaluated based on the goals and...

13 CFR 119.12 - What criteria will SBA use to evaluate applications for funding under the PRIME program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... based on expertise and ability to fulfill the purposes of the Act. (2) SBA will evaluate organizational... communication capabilities (or potential for same). SBA will also evaluate data collection capabilities... product to the field. (d) Applications for Discretionary Grants will be evaluated based on the goals and...

Training Professionals' Usage and Understanding of Kirkpatrick's Level 3 and Level 4 Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Perri Estes; Chyung, Seung Youn; Winiecki, Donald J.; Brinkerhoff, Robert O.

2014-01-01

Training professionals have long acknowledged the necessity of conducting behavior-based (Level 3) and results-based (Level 4) evaluations, yet organizations do not frequently conduct such evaluations. This research examined training professionals' perceptions of the utility of Level 3 and Level 4 evaluations and the factors that facilitate…

Toward a Web Based Environment for Evaluation and Design of Pedagogical Hypermedia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trigano, Philippe C.; Pacurar-Giacomini, Ecaterina

2004-01-01

We are working on a method, called CEPIAH. We propose a web based system used to help teachers to design multimedia documents and to evaluate their prototypes. Our current research objectives are to create a methodology to sustain the educational hypermedia design and evaluation. A module is used to evaluate multimedia software applied in…

EVALUATION OF THE REAL-TIME AIR-QUALITY MODEL USING THE RAPS (REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY) DATA BASE. VOLUME 4. EVALUATION GUIDE

EPA Science Inventory

The theory and programming of statistical tests for evaluating the Real-Time Air-Quality Model (RAM) using the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) data base are fully documented in four volumes. Moreover, the tests are generally applicable to other model evaluation problems. Volu...

[Reconstituting evaluation methods based on both qualitative and quantitative paradigms].

PubMed

Miyata, Hiroaki; Okubo, Suguru; Yoshie, Satoru; Kai, Ichiro

2011-01-01

Debate about the relationship between quantitative and qualitative paradigms is often muddled and confusing and the clutter of terms and arguments has resulted in the concepts becoming obscure and unrecognizable. In this study we conducted content analysis regarding evaluation methods of qualitative healthcare research. We extracted descriptions on four types of evaluation paradigm (validity/credibility, reliability/credibility, objectivity/confirmability, and generalizability/transferability), and classified them into subcategories. In quantitative research, there has been many evaluation methods based on qualitative paradigms, and vice versa. Thus, it might not be useful to consider evaluation methods of qualitative paradigm are isolated from those of quantitative methods. Choosing practical evaluation methods based on the situation and prior conditions of each study is an important approach for researchers.

24 CFR 35.165 - Prior evaluation or hazard reduction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES General Lead-Based Paint Requirements and Definitions for All Programs. § 35.165 Prior evaluation or... conditions: (a) Lead-based paint inspection. (1) A lead-based paint inspection conducted before March 1, 2000...

24 CFR 35.165 - Prior evaluation or hazard reduction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES General Lead-Based Paint Requirements and Definitions for All Programs. § 35.165 Prior evaluation or... conditions: (a) Lead-based paint inspection. (1) A lead-based paint inspection conducted before March 1, 2000...

24 CFR 35.165 - Prior evaluation or hazard reduction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES General Lead-Based Paint Requirements and Definitions for All Programs. § 35.165 Prior evaluation or... conditions: (a) Lead-based paint inspection. (1) A lead-based paint inspection conducted before March 1, 2000...

24 CFR 35.165 - Prior evaluation or hazard reduction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES General Lead-Based Paint Requirements and Definitions for All Programs. § 35.165 Prior evaluation or... conditions: (a) Lead-based paint inspection. (1) A lead-based paint inspection conducted before March 1, 2000...

Web-Based versus Paper-Based Data Collection for the Evaluation of Teaching Activity: Empirical Evidence from a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lalla, Michele; Ferrari, Davide

2011-01-01

The collection of teaching evaluation questionnaires in the traditional paper-and-pencil format is a costly and time-consuming process and yet it is a common assessment practice in many university systems. Web-based data collection would reduce costs and significantly increase the efficiency of the overall evaluation process in numerous ways.…

Evaluating Program Effectiveness or, If the Program is Competency-Based, How Come the Evaluation Is Costing So Much?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scriven, Michael

The concern with competency-based education is not whether it is any different from the more traditional approaches but whether it is worth the considerable effort it involves. There are several aspects of a competency-based program to be considered in its evaluation. The first is whether or not there is a justifiable need for the specified…

Artificial Intelligence-Based Student Learning Evaluation: A Concept Map-Based Approach for Analyzing a Student's Understanding of a Topic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jain, G. Panka; Gurupur, Varadraj P.; Schroeder, Jennifer L.; Faulkenberry, Eileen D.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we describe a tool coined as artificial intelligence-based student learning evaluation tool (AISLE). The main purpose of this tool is to improve the use of artificial intelligence techniques in evaluating a student's understanding of a particular topic of study using concept maps. Here, we calculate the probability distribution of…

Clinical Fit of Partial Removable Dental Prostheses Based on Alginate or Polyvinyl Siloxane Impressions.

PubMed

Fokkinga, Wietske A; Witter, Dick J; Bronkhorst, Ewald M; Creugers, Nico H

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical fit of metal-frame partial removable dental prostheses (PRDPs) based on custom trays used with alginate or polyvinyl siloxane impression material. Fifth-year students of the Nijmegen Dental School made 25 correct impressions for 23 PRDPs for 21 patients using alginate, and 31 correct impressions for 30 PRDPs for 28 patients using polyvinyl siloxane. Clinical fit of the framework as a whole and of each retainer separately were evaluated by calibrated supervisors during framework try-in before (first evaluation) and after (second evaluation) possible adjustments (score 0 = poor fit, up to score 3 = good fit). Framework fit and fit of the denture base were evaluated at delivery (third evaluation). Finally, postinsertion sessions were evaluated and total number of sessions needed, sore spots, adjustments to the denture base, and reported food-impaction were recorded. No significant differences in clinical fit (of the framework as a whole, for the retainers, or for the denture base) were found between the groups in the three evaluation sessions. Differences were not found for postinsertion sessions with one exception: in the alginate group, four subjects reported food impaction, versus none in the polyvinyl siloxane group. Clinical fit of metal-frame PRDPs based on impressions with custom trays combined with alginate or polyvinyl siloxane was similar.

An Electronic Competency-Based Evaluation Tool for Assessing Humanitarian Competencies in a Simulated Exercise.

PubMed

Evans, Andrea B; Hulme, Jennifer M; Nugus, Peter; Cranmer, Hilarie H; Coutu, Melanie; Johnson, Kirsten

2017-06-01

The evaluation tool was first derived from the formerly Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies' (CBHA; United Kingdom), now "Start Network's," Core Humanitarian Competency Framework and formatted in an electronic data capture tool that allowed for offline evaluation. During a 3-day humanitarian simulation event, participants in teams of eight to 10 were evaluated individually at multiple injects by trained evaluators. Participants were assessed on five competencies and a global rating scale. Participants evaluated both themselves and their team members using the same tool at the end of the simulation exercise (SimEx). All participants (63) were evaluated. A total of 1,008 individual evaluations were completed. There were 90 (9.0%) missing evaluations. All 63 participants also evaluated themselves and each of their teammates using the same tool. Self-evaluation scores were significantly lower than peer-evaluations, which were significantly lower than evaluators' assessments. Participants with a medical degree, and those with humanitarian work experience of one month or more, scored significantly higher on all competencies assessed by evaluators compared to other participants. Participants with prior humanitarian experience scored higher on competencies regarding operating safely and working effectively as a team member. This study presents a novel electronic evaluation tool to assess individual performance in five of six globally recognized humanitarian competency domains in a 3-day humanitarian SimEx. The evaluation tool provides a standardized approach to the assessment of humanitarian competencies that cannot be evaluated through knowledge-based testing in a classroom setting. When combined with testing knowledge-based competencies, this presents an approach to a comprehensive competency-based assessment that provides an objective measurement of competency with respect to the competencies listed in the Framework. There is an opportunity to advance the use of this tool in future humanitarian training exercises and potentially in real time, in the field. This could impact the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian operations. Evans AB , Hulme JM , Nugus P , Cranmer HH , Coutu M , Johnson K . An electronic competency-based evaluation tool for assessing humanitarian competencies in a simulated exercise. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(3):253-260.

A Java-based fMRI processing pipeline evaluation system for assessment of univariate general linear model and multivariate canonical variate analysis-based pipelines.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; Liang, Lichen; Anderson, Jon R; Gatewood, Lael; Rottenberg, David A; Strother, Stephen C

2008-01-01

As functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) becomes widely used, the demands for evaluation of fMRI processing pipelines and validation of fMRI analysis results is increasing rapidly. The current NPAIRS package, an IDL-based fMRI processing pipeline evaluation framework, lacks system interoperability and the ability to evaluate general linear model (GLM)-based pipelines using prediction metrics. Thus, it can not fully evaluate fMRI analytical software modules such as FSL.FEAT and NPAIRS.GLM. In order to overcome these limitations, a Java-based fMRI processing pipeline evaluation system was developed. It integrated YALE (a machine learning environment) into Fiswidgets (a fMRI software environment) to obtain system interoperability and applied an algorithm to measure GLM prediction accuracy. The results demonstrated that the system can evaluate fMRI processing pipelines with univariate GLM and multivariate canonical variates analysis (CVA)-based models on real fMRI data based on prediction accuracy (classification accuracy) and statistical parametric image (SPI) reproducibility. In addition, a preliminary study was performed where four fMRI processing pipelines with GLM and CVA modules such as FSL.FEAT and NPAIRS.CVA were evaluated with the system. The results indicated that (1) the system can compare different fMRI processing pipelines with heterogeneous models (NPAIRS.GLM, NPAIRS.CVA and FSL.FEAT) and rank their performance by automatic performance scoring, and (2) the rank of pipeline performance is highly dependent on the preprocessing operations. These results suggest that the system will be of value for the comparison, validation, standardization and optimization of functional neuroimaging software packages and fMRI processing pipelines.

Semantic shape similarity-based contour tracking evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoqin; Luo, Wenhan; Zhao, Li; Li, Wei; Hu, Weiming

2011-10-01

One major problem of contour-based tracking is how to evaluate the accuracy of tracking results due to nonrigid and deformative properties of contours. We propose a shape context-based evaluation measure that considers the semantic shape similarity between the tracked contour and ground-truth contour. In addition, a pyramid match kernel is introduced for shape histogram matching, which can effectively deal with the contours with different scales. Experimental results demonstrate, compared to two start-of-art evaluation measures, our measure effectively captures the local shape information and thus is more consistent with human vision.

Evaluating Emulation-based Models of Distributed Computing Systems

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

Jones, Stephen T.; Gabert, Kasimir G.; Tarman, Thomas D.

Emulation-based models of distributed computing systems are collections of virtual ma- chines, virtual networks, and other emulation components configured to stand in for oper- ational systems when performing experimental science, training, analysis of design alterna- tives, test and evaluation, or idea generation. As with any tool, we should carefully evaluate whether our uses of emulation-based models are appropriate and justified. Otherwise, we run the risk of using a model incorrectly and creating meaningless results. The variety of uses of emulation-based models each have their own goals and deserve thoughtful evaluation. In this paper, we enumerate some of these uses andmore » describe approaches that one can take to build an evidence-based case that a use of an emulation-based model is credible. Predictive uses of emulation-based models, where we expect a model to tell us something true about the real world, set the bar especially high and the principal evaluation method, called validation , is comensurately rigorous. We spend the majority of our time describing and demonstrating the validation of a simple predictive model using a well-established methodology inherited from decades of development in the compuational science and engineering community.« less

A Review of Indicators of Estuarine Tidal Wetland Condition

EPA Science Inventory

This review critically evaluates indicators of tidal wetland condition based on 36 indicator development studies and indicators developed as part of U.S. state tidal wetland monitoring programs. Individual metrics were evaluated based on relative scores on two sets of evaluation ...

The research on user behavior evaluation method for network state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chengyuan; Xu, Haishui

2017-08-01

Based on the correlation between user behavior and network running state, this paper proposes a method of user behavior evaluation based on network state. Based on the analysis and evaluation methods in other fields of study, we introduce the theory and tools of data mining. Based on the network status information provided by the trusted network view, the user behavior data and the network state data are analysed. Finally, we construct the user behavior evaluation index and weight, and on this basis, we can accurately quantify the influence degree of the specific behavior of different users on the change of network running state, so as to provide the basis for user behavior control decision.

Evaluating the Sharing Stories youth theatre program: an interactive theatre and drama-based strategy for sexual health promotion among multicultural youth.

PubMed

Roberts, Meagan; Lobo, Roanna; Sorenson, Anne

2017-03-01

Issue addressed Rates of sexually transmissible infections among young people are high, and there is a need for innovative, youth-focused sexual health promotion programs. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Sharing Stories youth theatre program, which uses interactive theatre and drama-based strategies to engage and educate multicultural youth on sexual health issues. The effectiveness of using drama-based evaluation methods is also discussed. Methods The youth theatre program participants were 18 multicultural youth from South East Asian, African and Middle Eastern backgrounds aged between 14 and 21 years. Four sexual health drama scenarios and a sexual health questionnaire were used to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes. Results Participants reported being confident talking to and supporting their friends with regards to safe sex messages, improved their sexual health knowledge and demonstrated a positive shift in their attitudes towards sexual health. Drama-based evaluation methods were effective in engaging multicultural youth and worked well across the cultures and age groups. Conclusions Theatre and drama-based sexual health promotion strategies are an effective method for up-skilling young people from multicultural backgrounds to be peer educators and good communicators of sexual health information. Drama-based evaluation methods are engaging for young people and an effective way of collecting data from culturally diverse youth. So what? This study recommends incorporating interactive and arts-based strategies into sexual health promotion programs for multicultural youth. It also provides guidance for health promotion practitioners evaluating an arts-based health promotion program using arts-based data collection methods.

'Televaluation' of clinical information systems: an integrative approach to assessing Web-based systems.

PubMed

Kushniruk, A W; Patel, C; Patel, V L; Cimino, J J

2001-04-01

The World Wide Web provides an unprecedented opportunity for widespread access to health-care applications by both patients and providers. The development of new methods for assessing the effectiveness and usability of these systems is becoming a critical issue. This paper describes the distance evaluation (i.e. 'televaluation') of emerging Web-based information technologies. In health informatics evaluation, there is a need for application of new ideas and methods from the fields of cognitive science and usability engineering. A framework is presented for conducting evaluations of health-care information technologies that integrates a number of methods, ranging from deployment of on-line questionnaires (and Web-based forms) to remote video-based usability testing of user interactions with clinical information systems. Examples illustrating application of these techniques are presented for the assessment of a patient clinical information system (PatCIS), as well as an evaluation of use of Web-based clinical guidelines. Issues in designing, prototyping and iteratively refining evaluation components are discussed, along with description of a 'virtual' usability laboratory.

QoE collaborative evaluation method based on fuzzy clustering heuristic algorithm.

PubMed

Bao, Ying; Lei, Weimin; Zhang, Wei; Zhan, Yuzhuo

2016-01-01

At present, to realize or improve the quality of experience (QoE) is a major goal for network media transmission service, and QoE evaluation is the basis for adjusting the transmission control mechanism. Therefore, a kind of QoE collaborative evaluation method based on fuzzy clustering heuristic algorithm is proposed in this paper, which is concentrated on service score calculation at the server side. The server side collects network transmission quality of service (QoS) parameter, node location data, and user expectation value from client feedback information. Then it manages the historical data in database through the "big data" process mode, and predicts user score according to heuristic rules. On this basis, it completes fuzzy clustering analysis, and generates service QoE score and management message, which will be finally fed back to clients. Besides, this paper mainly discussed service evaluation generative rules, heuristic evaluation rules and fuzzy clustering analysis methods, and presents service-based QoE evaluation processes. The simulation experiments have verified the effectiveness of QoE collaborative evaluation method based on fuzzy clustering heuristic rules.

Image feature extraction based on the camouflage effectiveness evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Xin; Lv, Xuliang; Li, Ling; Wang, Xinzhu; Zhang, Zhi

2018-04-01

The key step of camouflage effectiveness evaluation is how to combine the human visual physiological features, psychological features to select effectively evaluation indexes. Based on the predecessors' camo comprehensive evaluation method, this paper chooses the suitable indexes combining with the image quality awareness, and optimizes those indexes combining with human subjective perception. Thus, it perfects the theory of index extraction.

The Design and Pilot Evaluation of an Interactive Learning Environment for Introductory Programming Influenced by Cognitive Load Theory and Constructivism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moons, Jan; De Backer, Carlos

2013-01-01

This article presents the architecture and evaluation of a novel environment for programming education. The design of this programming environment, and the way it is used in class, is based on the findings of constructivist and cognitivist learning paradigms. The environment is evaluated based on qualitative student and teacher evaluations and…

An Agent-Based Cockpit Task Management System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Funk, Ken

1997-01-01

An agent-based program to facilitate Cockpit Task Management (CTM) in commercial transport aircraft is developed and evaluated. The agent-based program called the AgendaManager (AMgr) is described and evaluated in a part-task simulator study using airline pilots.

Evaluation of Vacuum Blasting and Heat Guns as Methods for Abating Lead- Based Paint on Buildings

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

INCOMPATIBILITY - Contact with powerful oxidizing agents such as FLUORINE, CHLORINE TRIFLUORIDE , MANGANESE TRIOXIDE, OXYGEN DIFLUORIDE, MANGANESE...investigating new technologies for lead-based paint abatement. This research evaluates the effectiveness , safety, LEC1L•.T• and cost of vacuum abrasive...paint abatement. This research evaluates the effectiveness , safety, and cost of vacuum abrasive units and heat guns as methods of removing lead-based

Laser/Optical Data Base Products: Evaluation and Selection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholls, Paul Travis

1988-01-01

The practical advice for the evaluation of laser/optical data disk materials (e.g., CD-ROM) is based on a review of the relevant literature. An evaluation framework is outlined and collection development tools and sources of published reviews are identified. (34 references) (Author/CLB)

Use of Commercial FPGA-Based Evaluation Boards for Single-Event Testing of DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAMs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladbury, R. L.; Berg, M. D.; Wilcox, E. P.; LaBel, K. A.; Kim, H. S.; Phan, A. M.; Seidleck, C. M.

2013-01-01

We investigate the use of commercial FPGA based evaluation boards for radiation testing DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAMs. We evaluate the resulting data quality and the tradeoffs involved in the use of these boards.

Metrics for Performance Evaluation of Patient Exercises during Physical Therapy.

PubMed

Vakanski, Aleksandar; Ferguson, Jake M; Lee, Stephen

2017-06-01

The article proposes a set of metrics for evaluation of patient performance in physical therapy exercises. Taxonomy is employed that classifies the metrics into quantitative and qualitative categories, based on the level of abstraction of the captured motion sequences. Further, the quantitative metrics are classified into model-less and model-based metrics, in reference to whether the evaluation employs the raw measurements of patient performed motions, or whether the evaluation is based on a mathematical model of the motions. The reviewed metrics include root-mean square distance, Kullback Leibler divergence, log-likelihood, heuristic consistency, Fugl-Meyer Assessment, and similar. The metrics are evaluated for a set of five human motions captured with a Kinect sensor. The metrics can potentially be integrated into a system that employs machine learning for modelling and assessment of the consistency of patient performance in home-based therapy setting. Automated performance evaluation can overcome the inherent subjectivity in human performed therapy assessment, and it can increase the adherence to prescribed therapy plans, and reduce healthcare costs.

Reliability and performance evaluation of systems containing embedded rule-based expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaton, Robert M.; Adams, Milton B.; Harrison, James V. A.

1989-01-01

A method for evaluating the reliability of real-time systems containing embedded rule-based expert systems is proposed and investigated. It is a three stage technique that addresses the impact of knowledge-base uncertainties on the performance of expert systems. In the first stage, a Markov reliability model of the system is developed which identifies the key performance parameters of the expert system. In the second stage, the evaluation method is used to determine the values of the expert system's key performance parameters. The performance parameters can be evaluated directly by using a probabilistic model of uncertainties in the knowledge-base or by using sensitivity analyses. In the third and final state, the performance parameters of the expert system are combined with performance parameters for other system components and subsystems to evaluate the reliability and performance of the complete system. The evaluation method is demonstrated in the context of a simple expert system used to supervise the performances of an FDI algorithm associated with an aircraft longitudinal flight-control system.

Initial Usability and Feasibility Evaluation of a Personal Health Record-Based Self-Management System for Older Adults.

PubMed

Sheehan, Barbara; Lucero, Robert J

2015-01-01

Electronic personal health record-based (ePHR-based) self-management systems can improve patient engagement and have an impact on health outcomes. In order to realize the benefits of these systems, there is a need to develop and evaluate heath information technology from the same theoretical underpinnings. Using an innovative usability approach based in human-centered distributed information design (HCDID), we tested an ePHR-based falls-prevention self-management system-Self-Assessment via a Personal Health Record (i.e., SAPHeR)-designed using HCDID principles in a laboratory. And we later evaluated SAPHeR's use by community-dwelling older adults at home. The innovative approach used in this study supported the analysis of four components: tasks, users, representations, and functions. Tasks were easily learned and features such as text-associated images facilitated task completion. Task performance times were slow, however user satisfaction was high. Nearly seven out of every ten features desired by design participants were evaluated in our usability testing of the SAPHeR system. The in vivo evaluation suggests that older adults could improve their confidence in performing indoor and outdoor activities after using the SAPHeR system. We have applied an innovative consumer-usability evaluation. Our approach addresses the limitations of other usability testing methods that do not utilize consistent theoretically based methods for designing and testing technology. We have successfully demonstrated the utility of testing consumer technology use across multiple components (i.e., task, user, representational, functional) to evaluate the usefulness, usability, and satisfaction of an ePHR-based self-management system.

A systematic review of economic evaluations of population-based sodium reduction interventions

PubMed Central

Hope, Silvia F.; Webster, Jacqui; Trieu, Kathy; Pillay, Arti; Ieremia, Merina; Bell, Colin; Snowdon, Wendy; Neal, Bruce; Moodie, Marj

2017-01-01

Objective To summarise evidence describing the cost-effectiveness of population-based interventions targeting sodium reduction. Methods A systematic search of published and grey literature databases and websites was conducted using specified key words. Characteristics of identified economic evaluations were recorded, and included studies were appraised for reporting quality using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. Results Twenty studies met the study inclusion criteria and received a full paper review. Fourteen studies were identified as full economic evaluations in that they included both costs and benefits associated with an intervention measured against a comparator. Most studies were modelling exercises based on scenarios for achieving salt reduction and assumed effects on health outcomes. All 14 studies concluded that their specified intervention(s) targeting reductions in population sodium consumption were cost-effective, and in the majority of cases, were cost saving. Just over half the studies (8/14) were assessed as being of ‘excellent’ reporting quality, five studies fell into the ‘very good’ quality category and one into the ‘good’ category. All of the identified evaluations were based on modelling, whereby inputs for all the key parameters including the effect size were either drawn from published datasets, existing literature or based on expert advice. Conclusion Despite a clear increase in evaluations of salt reduction programs in recent years, this review identified relatively few economic evaluations of population salt reduction interventions. None of the studies were based on actual implementation of intervention(s) and the associated collection of new empirical data. The studies universally showed that population-based salt reduction strategies are likely to be cost effective or cost saving. However, given the reliance on modelling, there is a need for the effectiveness of new interventions to be evaluated in the field using strong study designs and parallel economic evaluations. PMID:28355231

Formal implementation of a performance evaluation model for the face recognition system.

PubMed

Shin, Yong-Nyuo; Kim, Jason; Lee, Yong-Jun; Shin, Woochang; Choi, Jin-Young

2008-01-01

Due to usability features, practical applications, and its lack of intrusiveness, face recognition technology, based on information, derived from individuals' facial features, has been attracting considerable attention recently. Reported recognition rates of commercialized face recognition systems cannot be admitted as official recognition rates, as they are based on assumptions that are beneficial to the specific system and face database. Therefore, performance evaluation methods and tools are necessary to objectively measure the accuracy and performance of any face recognition system. In this paper, we propose and formalize a performance evaluation model for the biometric recognition system, implementing an evaluation tool for face recognition systems based on the proposed model. Furthermore, we performed evaluations objectively by providing guidelines for the design and implementation of a performance evaluation system, formalizing the performance test process.

Community-Based Participatory Evaluation: The Healthy Start Approach

PubMed Central

Braithwaite, Ronald L.; McKenzie, Robetta D.; Pruitt, Vikki; Holden, Kisha B.; Aaron, Katrina; Hollimon, Chavone

2013-01-01

The use of community-based participatory research has gained momentum as a viable approach to academic and community engagement for research over the past 20 years. This article discusses an approach for extending the process with an emphasis on evaluation of a community partnership–driven initiative and thus advances the concept of conducting community-based participatory evaluation (CBPE) through a model used by the Healthy Start project of the Augusta Partnership for Children, Inc., in Augusta, Georgia. Application of the CBPE approach advances the importance of bilateral engagements with consumers and academic evaluators. The CBPE model shows promise as a reliable and credible evaluation approach for community-level assessment of health promotion programs. PMID:22461687

Community-based participatory evaluation: the healthy start approach.

PubMed

Braithwaite, Ronald L; McKenzie, Robetta D; Pruitt, Vikki; Holden, Kisha B; Aaron, Katrina; Hollimon, Chavone

2013-03-01

The use of community-based participatory research has gained momentum as a viable approach to academic and community engagement for research over the past 20 years. This article discusses an approach for extending the process with an emphasis on evaluation of a community partnership-driven initiative and thus advances the concept of conducting community-based participatory evaluation (CBPE) through a model used by the Healthy Start project of the Augusta Partnership for Children, Inc., in Augusta, Georgia. Application of the CBPE approach advances the importance of bilateral engagements with consumers and academic evaluators. The CBPE model shows promise as a reliable and credible evaluation approach for community-level assessment of health promotion programs.

A KARAOKE System Singing Evaluation Method that More Closely Matches Human Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeuchi, Hideyo; Hoguro, Masahiro; Umezaki, Taizo

KARAOKE is a popular amusement for old and young. Many KARAOKE machines have singing evaluation function. However, it is often said that the scores given by KARAOKE machines do not match human evaluation. In this paper a KARAOKE scoring method strongly correlated with human evaluation is proposed. This paper proposes a way to evaluate songs based on the distance between singing pitch and musical scale, employing a vibrato extraction method based on template matching of spectrum. The results show that correlation coefficients between scores given by the proposed system and human evaluation are -0.76∼-0.89.

Disability Policy Evaluation: Combining Logic Models and Systems Thinking.

PubMed

Claes, Claudia; Ferket, Neelke; Vandevelde, Stijn; Verlet, Dries; De Maeyer, Jessica

2017-07-01

Policy evaluation focuses on the assessment of policy-related personal, family, and societal changes or benefits that follow as a result of the interventions, services, and supports provided to those persons to whom the policy is directed. This article describes a systematic approach to policy evaluation based on an evaluation framework and an evaluation process that combine the use of logic models and systems thinking. The article also includes an example of how the framework and process have recently been used in policy development and evaluation in Flanders (Belgium), as well as four policy evaluation guidelines based on relevant published literature.

2010 Perinatal GBS Prevention Guideline and Resource Utilization

PubMed Central

Mukhopadhyay, Sagori; Dukhovny, Dmitry; Mao, Wenyang; Eichenwald, Eric C.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To quantify differences in early-onset sepsis (EOS) evaluations, evaluation-associated resource utilization, and EOS cases detected, when comparing time periods before and after the implementation of an EOS algorithm based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2010 guidelines for prevention of perinatal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of infants born at ≥36 weeks’ gestation from 2009 to 2012 in a single tertiary care center. One 12-month period during which EOS evaluations were based on the CDC 2002 guideline was compared with a second 12-month period during which EOS evaluations were based on the CDC 2010 guideline. A cost minimization analysis was performed to determine the EOS evaluation-associated costs and resources during each time period. RESULTS: During the study periods, among well-appearing infants ≥36 weeks’ gestation, EOS evaluations for inadequate GBS prophylaxis decreased from 32/1000 to <1/1000 live births; EOS evaluation-associated costs decreased by $6994 per 1000 live births; and EOS evaluation-associated work hours decreased by 29 per 1000 live births. We found no increase in EOS evaluations for other indications, total NICU admissions, frequency of infants evaluated for symptoms before hospital discharge, or incidence of EOS during the 2 study periods. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an EOS algorithm based on CDC 2010 GBS guidelines resulted in a 25% decrease in EOS evaluations performed among well-appearing infants ≥36 weeks’ gestation, attributable to decreased evaluation of infants born in the setting of inadequate indicated GBS prophylaxis. This resulted in significant changes in EOS evaluation-associated resource expenditures. PMID:24446442

Institutional design and utilization of evaluation: a contribution to a theory of evaluation influence based on Swiss experience.

PubMed

Balthasar, Andreas

2009-06-01

Growing interest in the institutionalization of evaluation in the public administration raises the question as to which institutional arrangement offers optimal conditions for the utilization of evaluations. Institutional arrangement denotes the formal organization of processes and competencies, together with procedural rules, that are applicable independently of individual evaluation projects. It reflects the evaluation practice of an institution and defines the distance between evaluators and evaluees. This article outlines the results of a broad-based study of all 300 or so evaluations that the Swiss Federal Administration completed from 1999 to 2002. On this basis, it derives a theory of the influence of institutional factors on the utilization of evaluations.

Dynamic Chest Image Analysis: Evaluation of Model-Based Pulmonary Perfusion Analysis With Pyramid Images

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

Image Analysis aims to develop model-based computer analysis and visualization methods for showing focal and general abnormalities of lung ventilation and perfusion based on a sequence of digital chest fluoroscopy frames collected with the Dynamic Pulmonary Imaging technique 18,5,17,6. We have proposed and evaluated a multiresolutional method with an explicit ventilation model based on pyramid images for ventilation analysis. We have further extended the method for ventilation analysis to pulmonary perfusion. This paper focuses on the clinical evaluation of our method for

A comparison of web-based and paper-based survey methods: testing assumptions of survey mode and response cost.

PubMed

Greenlaw, Corey; Brown-Welty, Sharon

2009-10-01

Web-based surveys have become more prevalent in areas such as evaluation, research, and marketing research to name a few. The proliferation of these online surveys raises the question, how do response rates compare with traditional surveys and at what cost? This research explored response rates and costs for Web-based surveys, paper surveys, and mixed-mode surveys. The participants included evaluators from the American Evaluation Association (AEA). Results included that mixed-mode, while more expensive, had higher response rates.

Development and evaluation of online evidence based guideline bank system.

PubMed

Park, Myonghwa

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the online evidence-based nursing practice guideline bank system to support the best evidence-based decision in the clinical and community practice settings. The main homepage consisted of seven modules for introduction of site, EBN, guideline bank, guideline development, guideline review, related sites, and community. The major contents in the guidelines were purpose, developer, intended audience, method of development, target population, testing, knowledge components, and evaluation. Electronic versions of the guidelines were displayed by XML, PDF, and PDA versions. The system usability were evaluated by general users, guideline developers, and guideline reviewers on the web and the results showed high scores of satisfaction. This online evidence-based guideline bank system could support nurses' best and cost-effective clinical decision using the sharable standardized guidelines with education module of evidence based nursing.

75 FR 24990 - Proposed Information Collection for the Evaluation of the Community-Based Job Training Grants...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-06

... Evaluation of the Community-Based Job Training Grants; Comment Request AGENCY: Employment and Training...- Based Job Training Grants. A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by...-Based Job Training Grants (CBJTG) program is sponsored by ETA as an investment in building the capacity...

BIOREMEDIATION FIELD EVALUATION: EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, ALASKA (EPA/540/R-95/533)

EPA Science Inventory

This publication, one of a series presenting the findings of the Bioremediation Field Initiatives bioremediation field evaluations, provides a detailed summary of the evaluation conducted at the Eielson Air Force Base (AFB) Superfund site in Fairbanks, Alaska. At this site, the ...

Compatibility of pedigree-based and marker-based relationship matrices for single-step genetic evaluation.

PubMed

Christensen, Ole F

2012-12-03

Single-step methods provide a coherent and conceptually simple approach to incorporate genomic information into genetic evaluations. An issue with single-step methods is compatibility between the marker-based relationship matrix for genotyped animals and the pedigree-based relationship matrix. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the marker-based relationship matrix to the pedigree-based relationship matrix. Moreover, with data from routine evaluations, this adjustment should in principle be based on both observed marker genotypes and observed phenotypes, but until now this has been overlooked. In this paper, I propose a new method to address this issue by 1) adjusting the pedigree-based relationship matrix to be compatible with the marker-based relationship matrix instead of the reverse and 2) extending the single-step genetic evaluation using a joint likelihood of observed phenotypes and observed marker genotypes. The performance of this method is then evaluated using two simulated datasets. The method derived here is a single-step method in which the marker-based relationship matrix is constructed assuming all allele frequencies equal to 0.5 and the pedigree-based relationship matrix is constructed using the unusual assumption that animals in the base population are related and inbred with a relationship coefficient γ and an inbreeding coefficient γ / 2. Taken together, this γ parameter and a parameter that scales the marker-based relationship matrix can handle the issue of compatibility between marker-based and pedigree-based relationship matrices. The full log-likelihood function used for parameter inference contains two terms. The first term is the REML-log-likelihood for the phenotypes conditional on the observed marker genotypes, whereas the second term is the log-likelihood for the observed marker genotypes. Analyses of the two simulated datasets with this new method showed that 1) the parameters involved in adjusting marker-based and pedigree-based relationship matrices can depend on both observed phenotypes and observed marker genotypes and 2) a strong association between these two parameters exists. Finally, this method performed at least as well as a method based on adjusting the marker-based relationship matrix. Using the full log-likelihood and adjusting the pedigree-based relationship matrix to be compatible with the marker-based relationship matrix provides a new and interesting approach to handle the issue of compatibility between the two matrices in single-step genetic evaluation.

Game-based versus storyboard-based evaluations of crew support prototypes for long duration missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smets, N. J. J. M.; Abbing, M. S.; Neerincx, M. A.; Lindenberg, J.; van Oostendorp, H.

2010-03-01

The Mission Execution Crew Assistant (MECA) is developing a distributed system of electronic partners (ePartners) to support astronauts performing nominal and off- nominal actions in long duration missions. The ePartners' support should adequately deal with the dynamics of the context, operations, team and personal conditions, which will change over time substantially. Such support—with the concerning context effects—should be thoroughly tested in all stages of the development process. A major question is how to address the context effects of in-space operations for evaluations of crew support prototypes. Via game-technology, the prototype can be tested with astronauts or their representatives, immersed in the envisioned, simulated context. We investigated if a game-based evaluation better addresses the context effects by producing a more elaborate, in-depth and realistic user experience than a "classical" storyboard-based evaluation. In the game-based evaluation, the participants showed higher arousal levels where expected, a more intense feeling of spatial presence, better situation awareness, and faster performance where needed. Such an evaluation can be used as an alternative or complement of field or micro-world tests when context dynamics cannot be simulated in these last tests cost-efficiently.

An Analysis of the Bases Used By Library Evaluators in the Accrediting Process of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yates, Dudley V.

Seventy-seven of ninety library evaluators of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) responded to a 1973 questionnaire to determine: (1) if evaluative criteria used are based with an authority other than SACS; and (2) if certain methods, procedures, and techniques employed by evaluators could be used to construct an ideal…

Evaluation of the level of difficulty of patient cases for veterinary problem-solving examination: a preliminary comparison of three taxonomies of learning.

PubMed

Koskinen, Heli

2007-01-01

An important issue that has received insufficient attention in the use of problem-based learning in the medical curriculum is the mode of assessing the level of difficulty of patient cases. In the present study, the level of difficulty of case-based questions in a veterinary degree final examination in reproduction was evaluated. First, cognitive taxonomies were evaluated to clarify whether qualitative methods such as Bloom's taxonomy, the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy, and the Amsterdam Clinical Challenge Scale (ACCS) differed from each other as evaluation tools for problem-based cases. Using these taxonomies, 30 case-based questions from the final examination in reproduction in the Helsinki veterinary program were initially evaluated to determine which one was best suited to the evaluation of the difficulty of cases. In follow-up, the same cases were also evaluated by an experienced veterinary instructor in reproduction, with the aim of gaining insight into using these approaches to evaluating difficulty. It would appear, from this preliminary assessment, that the SOLO taxonomy may be the most suitable for evaluating the difficulty of patient cases, since the instructor's quality rating resembled more closely the SOLO than the Bloom taxonomy or the ACCS. It is to be emphasized that the purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary evaluation of possible approaches that might be used to assess patient-case difficulty. Resolving all issues will require a greater number of evaluations of all components.

A Practical Guide for Managing Customer Service in Base Civil Engineering.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE IN BASE CIVIL ENGINEERING Step One: Evaluate Present Service Quality .. ......... .11 Step Two: Develop and Clarify a...cross sectional viewpoint. In chapter three, specific steps will be presented for managers to evaluate and improve the present level of service quality in...customer service in base civil engineering or any other organization for that matter is to evaluate the present level of service quality (1:170). Data

Health Information Technology Evaluation Framework (HITREF) Comprehensiveness as Assessed in Electronic Point-of-Care Documentation Systems Evaluations.

PubMed

Sockolow, Paulina S; Bowles, Kathryn H; Rogers, Michelle

2015-01-01

We assessed the Health Information Technology (HIT) Reference-based Evaluation Framework (HITREF) comprehensiveness in two HIT evaluations in settings different from that in which the HITREF was developed. Clinician satisfaction themes that emerged from clinician interviews in the home care and the hospital studies were compared to the framework components. Across both studies, respondents commented on 12 of the 20 HITREF components within 5 of the 6 HITREF concepts. No new components emerged that were missing from the HITREF providing evidence that the HITREF is a comprehensive framework. HITREF use in a range of HIT evaluations by researchers new to the HITREF demonstrates that it can be used as intended. Therefore, we continue to recommend the HITREF as a comprehensive, research-based HIT evaluation framework to increase the capacity of informatics evaluators' use of best practice and evidence-based practice to support the credibility of their findings for fulfilling the purpose of program evaluation.

Development and Evaluation of a Positive Youth Development Course for University Students in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Shek, Daniel T. L.; Sun, Rachel C. F.; Chui, Y. H.; Lit, S. W.; Yuen, Walter W.; Chung, Yida Y. H.; Ngai, S. W.

2012-01-01

With higher education, university graduates are important elements of the labor force in knowledge-based economies. With reference to the mental health and developmental problems in university students, there is a need to review university's role in nurturing holistic development of students. Based on the positive youth development approach, it is argued that promoting intrapersonal competencies is an important strategy to facilitate holistic development of young people in Hong Kong. In The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a course entitled Tomorrow's Leader focusing on positive youth development constructs to promote student well-being will be offered on a compulsory basis starting from 2012/13 academic year under the new undergraduate curriculum structure. The proposed course was piloted in 2010/11 school year. Different evaluation strategies, including objective outcome evaluation, subjective outcome evaluation, process evaluation, and qualitative evaluation, are being carried out to evaluate the developed course. Preliminary evaluation findings based on the piloting experience in 2010/11 academic year are presented in this paper. PMID:22619630

78 FR 79697 - Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-31

... new initiatives based on emerging issues, science, and policy; (6) supports the harmonization and..., and programmatic efforts; (10) manages evaluation fellowship; (11) guides performance-based strategic... improvement based on effective program evaluation, and performance measurement; (14) supports evidence-driven...

Evaluation of the lightweight deflectometer for in-situ determination of pavement layer moduli.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

The quality of base and subgrade construction has conventionally been evaluated using specifications based on density and moisture content. Such specifications for highway base and subgrade require the use of a nuclear density and/or moisture gauge t...

Scaling up the evaluation of psychotherapy: evaluating motivational interviewing fidelity via statistical text classification

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Behavioral interventions such as psychotherapy are leading, evidence-based practices for a variety of problems (e.g., substance abuse), but the evaluation of provider fidelity to behavioral interventions is limited by the need for human judgment. The current study evaluated the accuracy of statistical text classification in replicating human-based judgments of provider fidelity in one specific psychotherapy—motivational interviewing (MI). Method Participants (n = 148) came from five previously conducted randomized trials and were either primary care patients at a safety-net hospital or university students. To be eligible for the original studies, participants met criteria for either problematic drug or alcohol use. All participants received a type of brief motivational interview, an evidence-based intervention for alcohol and substance use disorders. The Motivational Interviewing Skills Code is a standard measure of MI provider fidelity based on human ratings that was used to evaluate all therapy sessions. A text classification approach called a labeled topic model was used to learn associations between human-based fidelity ratings and MI session transcripts. It was then used to generate codes for new sessions. The primary comparison was the accuracy of model-based codes with human-based codes. Results Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses of model-based codes showed reasonably strong sensitivity and specificity with those from human raters (range of area under ROC curve (AUC) scores: 0.62 – 0.81; average AUC: 0.72). Agreement with human raters was evaluated based on talk turns as well as code tallies for an entire session. Generated codes had higher reliability with human codes for session tallies and also varied strongly by individual code. Conclusion To scale up the evaluation of behavioral interventions, technological solutions will be required. The current study demonstrated preliminary, encouraging findings regarding the utility of statistical text classification in bridging this methodological gap. PMID:24758152

Paying more for faster care? Individuals' attitude toward price-based priority access in health care.

PubMed

Benning, Tim M; Dellaert, Benedict G C

2013-05-01

Increased competition in the health care sector has led hospitals and other health care institutions to experiment with new access allocation policies that move away from traditional expert based allocation of care to price-based priority access (i.e., the option to pay more for faster care). To date, little is known about individuals' attitude toward price-based priority access and the evaluation process underlying this attitude. This paper addresses the role of individuals' evaluations of collective health outcomes as an important driver of their attitude toward (price-based) allocation policies in health care. The authors investigate how individuals evaluate price-based priority access by means of scenario-based survey data collected in a representative sample from the Dutch population (N = 1464). They find that (a) offering individuals the opportunity to pay for faster care negatively affects their evaluations of both the total and distributional collective health outcome achieved, (b) however, when health care supply is not restricted (i.e., when treatment can be offered outside versus within the regular working hours of the hospital) offering price-based priority access affects total collective health outcome evaluations positively instead of negatively, but it does not change distributional collective health outcome evaluations. Furthermore, (c) the type of health care treatment (i.e., life saving liver transplantation treatment vs. life improving cosmetic ear correction treatment - priced at the same level to the individual) moderates the effect of collective health outcome evaluations on individuals' attitude toward allocation policies. For policy makers and hospital managers the results presented in this article are helpful because they provide a better understanding of what drives individuals' preferences for health care allocation policies. In particular, the results show that policies based on the "paying more for faster care" principle are more attractive to the general public when treatment takes place outside the regular working hours of a hospital. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance-Based Evaluation and School Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Church, Audrey P.

2015-01-01

Evaluation of instructional personnel is standard procedure in our Pre-K-12 public schools, and its purpose is to document educator effectiveness. With Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waivers, states are required to implement performance-based evaluations that demonstrate student academic progress. This three-year study describes the…

20 CFR 404.1579 - How we will determine whether your disability continues or ends.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... application. (2) Substantial evidence shows that based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques... favorable decision. Changing methodologies and advances in medical and other diagnostic or evaluative... subpart will be based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques. Such listing changes will...

20 CFR 404.1579 - How we will determine whether your disability continues or ends.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... application. (2) Substantial evidence shows that based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques... favorable decision. Changing methodologies and advances in medical and other diagnostic or evaluative... subpart will be based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques. Such listing changes will...

20 CFR 404.1579 - How we will determine whether your disability continues or ends.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... application. (2) Substantial evidence shows that based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques... favorable decision. Changing methodologies and advances in medical and other diagnostic or evaluative... subpart will be based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques. Such listing changes will...

20 CFR 404.1579 - How we will determine whether your disability continues or ends.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... application. (2) Substantial evidence shows that based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques... favorable decision. Changing methodologies and advances in medical and other diagnostic or evaluative... subpart will be based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques. Such listing changes will...

20 CFR 404.1579 - How we will determine whether your disability continues or ends.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... application. (2) Substantial evidence shows that based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques... favorable decision. Changing methodologies and advances in medical and other diagnostic or evaluative... subpart will be based on new or improved diagnostic or evaluative techniques. Such listing changes will...

Process Evaluation in Corrections-Based Substance Abuse Treatment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolk, James L.; Hartmann, David J.

1996-01-01

Argues that process evaluation is needed to validate prison-based substance abuse treatment effectiveness. Five groups--inmates, treatment staff, prison staff, prison administration, and the parole board--should be a part of this process evaluation. Discusses these five groups relative to three stages of development of substance abuse treatment in…

What Do We Know about School-Based Management?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrinos, Harry Anthony; Fasih, Tazeen; Barrera, Felipe; Garcia-Moreno, Vicente A.; Bentaouet-Kattan, Raja; Baksh, Shaista; Wickramasekera, Inosha

2007-01-01

Impact evaluations of school-based management (SBM) programs, or any other kind of program, are important because they can demonstrate whether or not the program has accomplished its objectives. Furthermore, these evaluations can identify ways to improve the design of the program. These evaluations can also make successful interventions…

Evaluation of Virtual Laboratory Package on Nigerian Secondary School Physics Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falode, Oluwole Caleb; Gambari, Amosa Isiaka

2017-01-01

The study evaluated accessibility, flexibility, cost and learning effectiveness of researchers-developed virtual laboratory package for Nigerian secondary school physics. Based on these issues, four research questions were raised and answered. The study was a quantitative-based evaluation research. Sample for the study included 24 physics…

An Evaluation of Wind Turbine Technology at Peterson Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

by the wind speed. Darrieus turbines are ordinarily inexpensive and are used for electricity generation and irrigation. One advantage to a...AN EVALUATION OF WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY...02 AN EVALUATION OF WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY AT PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of

Connecting Theory to Practice: Evaluating a Brain-Based Writing Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffee, Dale T.

2007-01-01

This 10 week longitudinal evaluation study evaluated a brain-based learning curriculum proposed by Smilkstein (2003) by comparing student performance in a traditional basic writing curriculum with NHLP-oriented basic writing curriculum. The study included two classes each of experimental and traditional methods. Results of the data, gathered by…

Evaluating Extension Based Leadership Development Programs in the Southern United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamm, Kevan W.; Carter, Hannah S.; Lamm, Alexa J.

2016-01-01

The ability to evaluate and accurately articulate the outcomes associated with leadership development programs is critical to their continued financial and administrative support. With calls for outcome-based accountability, the need for rigorous evaluation is particularly relevant for those programs administered through the Cooperative Extension…

Audit Culture: Unintended Consequences of Accountability Practices in Evidence-Based Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owczarzak, Jill; Broaddus, Michelle; Pinkerton, Steven

2016-01-01

Evaluation has become expected within the nonprofit sector, including HIV prevention service delivery through community-based organizations (CBOs). While staff and directors at CBOs may acknowledge the potential contribution of evaluation data to the improvement of agency services, the results of evaluation are often used to demonstrate fiscal…

A Modified Importance-Performance Framework for Evaluating Recreation-Based Experiential Learning Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitas, Nicholas; Murray, Alison; Olsen, Max; Graefe, Alan

2017-01-01

This article describes a modified importance-performance framework for use in evaluation of recreation-based experiential learning programs. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) provides an effective and readily applicable means of evaluating many programs, but the near universal satisfaction associated with recreation inhibits the use of IPA in…

Process evaluation of two home-based bimanual training programs in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (the COAD-study): protocol for a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Beckers, Laura; van der Burg, Jan; Janssen-Potten, Yvonne; Rameckers, Eugène; Aarts, Pauline; Smeets, Rob

2018-04-24

As part of the COAD-study two home-based bimanual training programs for young children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy (uCP) have been developed, both consisting of a preparation phase and a home-based training phase. Parents are coached to use either an explicit or implicit motor learning approach while teaching bimanual activities to their child. A process evaluation of these complex interventions is crucial in order to draw accurate conclusions and provide recommendations for implementation in clinical practice and further research. The aim of the process evaluation is to systematically assess fidelity of the home-based training programs, to examine the mechanisms that contribute to their effects on child-related and parent-related outcomes, and to explore the influence of contextual factors. A mixed methods embedded design is used that emerges from a pragmatism paradigm. The qualitative strand involves a generic qualitative approach. The process evaluation components fidelity (quality), dose delivered (completeness), dose received (exposure and satisfaction), recruitment and context will be investigated. Data collection includes registration of attendance of therapists and remedial educationalists to a course regarding the home-based training programs; a questionnaire to evaluate this course by the instructor; a report form concerning the preparation phase to be completed by the therapist; registration and video analyses of the home-based training; interviews with parents and questionnaires to be filled out by the therapist and remedial educationalist regarding the process of training; and focus groups with therapists and remedial educationalists as well as registration of drop-out rates and reasons, to evaluate the overall home-based training programs. Inductive thematic analysis will be used to analyse qualitative data. Qualitative and quantitative findings are merged through meta-inference. So far, effects of home-based training programs in paediatric rehabilitation have been studied without an extensive process evaluation. The findings of this process evaluation will have implications for clinical practice and further research regarding development and application of home-based bimanual training programs, executed by parents and aimed at improving activity performance and participation of children with uCP.

Providing web-based mental health services to at-risk women

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background We examined the feasibility of providing web-based mental health services, including synchronous internet video conferencing of an evidence-based support/education group, to at-risk women, specifically poor lone mothers. The objectives of this study were to: (i) adapt a face-to-face support/education group intervention to a web-based format for lone mothers, and (ii) evaluate lone mothers' response to web-based services, including an online video conferencing group intervention program. Methods Participating mothers were recruited through advertisements. To adapt the face-to-face intervention to a web-based format, we evaluated participant motivation through focus group/key informant interviews (n = 7), adapted the intervention training manual for a web-based environment and provided a computer training manual. To evaluate response to web-based services, we provided the intervention to two groups of lone mothers (n = 15). Pre-post quantitative evaluation of mood, self-esteem, social support and parenting was done. Post intervention follow up interviews explored responses to the group and to using technology to access a health service. Participants received $20 per occasion of data collection. Interviews were taped, transcribed and content analysis was used to code and interpret the data. Adherence to the intervention protocol was evaluated. Results Mothers participating in this project experienced multiple difficulties, including financial and mood problems. We adapted the intervention training manual for use in a web-based group environment and ensured adherence to the intervention protocol based on viewing videoconferencing group sessions and discussion with the leaders. Participant responses to the group intervention included decreased isolation, and increased knowledge and confidence in themselves and their parenting; the responses closely matched those of mothers who obtained same service in face-to-face groups. Pre-and post-group quantitative evaluations did not show significant improvements on measures, although the study was not powered to detect these. Conclusions We demonstrated that an evidence-based group intervention program for lone mothers developed and evaluated in face-to-face context transferred well to an online video conferencing format both in terms of group process and outcomes. PMID:21854563

Providing web-based mental health services to at-risk women.

PubMed

Lipman, Ellen L; Kenny, Meghan; Marziali, Elsa

2011-08-19

We examined the feasibility of providing web-based mental health services, including synchronous internet video conferencing of an evidence-based support/education group, to at-risk women, specifically poor lone mothers. The objectives of this study were to: (i) adapt a face-to-face support/education group intervention to a web-based format for lone mothers, and (ii) evaluate lone mothers' response to web-based services, including an online video conferencing group intervention program. Participating mothers were recruited through advertisements. To adapt the face-to-face intervention to a web-based format, we evaluated participant motivation through focus group/key informant interviews (n = 7), adapted the intervention training manual for a web-based environment and provided a computer training manual. To evaluate response to web-based services, we provided the intervention to two groups of lone mothers (n = 15). Pre-post quantitative evaluation of mood, self-esteem, social support and parenting was done. Post intervention follow up interviews explored responses to the group and to using technology to access a health service. Participants received $20 per occasion of data collection. Interviews were taped, transcribed and content analysis was used to code and interpret the data. Adherence to the intervention protocol was evaluated. Mothers participating in this project experienced multiple difficulties, including financial and mood problems. We adapted the intervention training manual for use in a web-based group environment and ensured adherence to the intervention protocol based on viewing videoconferencing group sessions and discussion with the leaders. Participant responses to the group intervention included decreased isolation, and increased knowledge and confidence in themselves and their parenting; the responses closely matched those of mothers who obtained same service in face-to-face groups. Pre-and post-group quantitative evaluations did not show significant improvements on measures, although the study was not powered to detect these. We demonstrated that an evidence-based group intervention program for lone mothers developed and evaluated in face-to-face context transferred well to an online video conferencing format both in terms of group process and outcomes.

Wavelet-based compression of pathological images for telemedicine applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chang W.; Jiang, Jianfei; Zheng, Zhiyong; Wu, Xue G.; Yu, Lun

2000-05-01

In this paper, we present the performance evaluation of wavelet-based coding techniques as applied to the compression of pathological images for application in an Internet-based telemedicine system. We first study how well suited the wavelet-based coding is as it applies to the compression of pathological images, since these images often contain fine textures that are often critical to the diagnosis of potential diseases. We compare the wavelet-based compression with the DCT-based JPEG compression in the DICOM standard for medical imaging applications. Both objective and subjective measures have been studied in the evaluation of compression performance. These studies are performed in close collaboration with expert pathologists who have conducted the evaluation of the compressed pathological images and communication engineers and information scientists who designed the proposed telemedicine system. These performance evaluations have shown that the wavelet-based coding is suitable for the compression of various pathological images and can be integrated well with the Internet-based telemedicine systems. A prototype of the proposed telemedicine system has been developed in which the wavelet-based coding is adopted for the compression to achieve bandwidth efficient transmission and therefore speed up the communications between the remote terminal and the central server of the telemedicine system.

A merged model of quality improvement and evaluation: maximizing return on investment.

PubMed

Woodhouse, Lynn D; Toal, Russ; Nguyen, Trang; Keene, DeAnna; Gunn, Laura; Kellum, Andrea; Nelson, Gary; Charles, Simone; Tedders, Stuart; Williams, Natalie; Livingood, William C

2013-11-01

Quality improvement (QI) and evaluation are frequently considered to be alternative approaches for monitoring and assessing program implementation and impact. The emphasis on third-party evaluation, particularly associated with summative evaluation, and the grounding of evaluation in the social and behavioral science contrast with an emphasis on the integration of QI process within programs or organizations and its origins in management science and industrial engineering. Working with a major philanthropic organization in Georgia, we illustrate how a QI model is integrated with evaluation for five asthma prevention and control sites serving poor and underserved communities in rural and urban Georgia. A primary foundation of this merged model of QI and evaluation is a refocusing of the evaluation from an intimidating report card summative evaluation by external evaluators to an internally engaged program focus on developmental evaluation. The benefits of the merged model to both QI and evaluation are discussed. The use of evaluation based logic models can help anchor a QI program in evidence-based practice and provide linkage between process and outputs with the longer term distal outcomes. Merging the QI approach with evaluation has major advantages, particularly related to enhancing the funder's return on investment. We illustrate how a Plan-Do-Study-Act model of QI can (a) be integrated with evaluation based logic models, (b) help refocus emphasis from summative to developmental evaluation, (c) enhance program ownership and engagement in evaluation activities, and (d) increase the role of evaluators in providing technical assistance and support.

Teacher Perceptions of School-Based Evaluation: A Descriptive Analysis Based on Teachers' Wives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bülbül, Tuncer; Tunc, Binali; Ozdem, Güven; Inandi, Yusuf

2013-01-01

This study is about transformation that has been happening in the field of management and in relation to it in inspection that has been recently taking place both in Turkey and all around the World. The transformation as "School Based Administration" (SBA) in educational administration and "School Based Evaluation" (SBE) or…

Development and Evaluation of the Diagnostic Power for a Computer-Based Two-Tier Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Jing-Wen

2016-01-01

This study adopted a quasi-experimental design with follow-up interview to develop a computer-based two-tier assessment (CBA) regarding the science topic of electric circuits and to evaluate the diagnostic power of the assessment. Three assessment formats (i.e., paper-and-pencil, static computer-based, and dynamic computer-based tests) using…

Applying Constructivist and Objectivist Learning Theories in the Design of a Web-based Course: Implications for Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moallem, Mahnaz

2001-01-01

Provides an overview of the process of designing and developing a Web-based course using instructional design principles and models, including constructivist and objectivist theories. Explains the process of implementing an instructional design model in designing a Web-based undergraduate course and evaluates the model based on course evaluations.…

Developing and using a rubric for evaluating evidence-based medicine point-of-care tools.

PubMed

Shurtz, Suzanne; Foster, Margaret J

2011-07-01

The research sought to establish a rubric for evaluating evidence-based medicine (EBM) point-of-care tools in a health sciences library. The authors searched the literature for EBM tool evaluations and found that most previous reviews were designed to evaluate the ability of an EBM tool to answer a clinical question. The researchers' goal was to develop and complete rubrics for assessing these tools based on criteria for a general evaluation of tools (reviewing content, search options, quality control, and grading) and criteria for an evaluation of clinical summaries (searching tools for treatments of common diagnoses and evaluating summaries for quality control). Differences between EBM tools' options, content coverage, and usability were minimal. However, the products' methods for locating and grading evidence varied widely in transparency and process. As EBM tools are constantly updating and evolving, evaluation of these tools needs to be conducted frequently. Standards for evaluating EBM tools need to be established, with one method being the use of objective rubrics. In addition, EBM tools need to provide more information about authorship, reviewers, methods for evidence collection, and grading system employed.

Towards evidence-based practice in medical training: making evaluations more meaningful.

PubMed

Drescher, Uta; Warren, Fiona; Norton, Kingsley

2004-12-01

The evaluation of training is problematic and the evidence base inconclusive. This situation may arise for 2 main reasons: training is not understood as a complex intervention and, related to this, the evaluation methods applied are often overly simplistic. This paper makes the case for construing training, especially in the field of specialist medical education, as a complex intervention. It also selectively reviews the available literature in order to match evaluative techniques with the demonstrated complexity. Construing training as a complex intervention can provide a framework for selecting the most appropriate methodology to evaluate a given training intervention and to appraise the evidence base for training fairly, choosing from among both quantitative and qualitative approaches and applying measurement at multiple levels of training impact.

Initial draft of CSE-UCLA evaluation model based on weighted product in order to optimize digital library services in computer college in Bali

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Divayana, D. G. H.; Adiarta, A.; Abadi, I. B. G. S.

2018-01-01

The aim of this research was to create initial design of CSE-UCLA evaluation model modified with Weighted Product in evaluating digital library service at Computer College in Bali. The method used in this research was developmental research method and developed by Borg and Gall model design. The results obtained from the research that conducted earlier this month was a rough sketch of Weighted Product based CSE-UCLA evaluation model that the design had been able to provide a general overview of the stages of weighted product based CSE-UCLA evaluation model used in order to optimize the digital library services at the Computer Colleges in Bali.

Community outreach: from measuring the difference to making a difference with health information*

PubMed Central

Ottoson, Judith M.; Green, Lawrence W.

2005-01-01

Background: Community-based outreach seeks to move libraries beyond their traditional institutional boundaries to improve both access to and effectiveness of health information. The evaluation of such outreach needs to involve the community in assessing the program's process and outcomes. Purpose: Evaluation of community-based library outreach programs benefits from a participatory approach. To explain this premise of the paper, three components of evaluation theory are paired with relevant participatory strategies. Concepts: The first component of evaluation theory is also a standard of program evaluation: use. Evaluation is intended to be useful for stakeholders to make decisions. A useful evaluation is credible, timely, and of adequate scope. Participatory approaches to increase use of evaluation findings include engaging end users early in planning the program itself and in deciding on the outcomes of the evaluation. A second component of evaluation theory seeks to understand what is being evaluated, such as specific aspects of outreach programs. A transparent understanding of the ways outreach achieves intended goals, its activities and linkages, and the context in which it operates precedes any attempt to measure it. Participatory approaches to evaluating outreach include having end users, such as health practitioners in other community-based organizations, identify what components of the outreach program are most important to their work. A third component of evaluation theory is concerned with the process by which value is placed on outreach. What will count as outreach success or failure? Who decides? Participatory approaches to valuing include assuring end-user representation in the formulation of evaluation questions and in the interpretation of evaluation results. Conclusions: The evaluation of community-based outreach is a complex process that is not made easier by a participatory approach. Nevertheless, a participatory approach is more likely to make the evaluation findings useful, ensure that program knowledge is shared, and make outreach valuing transparent. PMID:16239958

FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATION OF PHYSIOLOGICALLY-BASED PHARMACOKINETIC MODELS FOR USE IN SAFETY OR RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

ABSTRACT

Proposed applications of increasingly sophisticated biologically-based computational models, such as physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models, raise the issue of how to evaluate whether the models are adequate for proposed uses including safety or risk ...

An Architecture for Case-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cifuentes, Laurent; Mercer, Rene; Alverez, Omar; Bettati, Riccardo

2010-01-01

We report on the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a case-based instructional environment designed for learning network engineering skills for cybersecurity. We describe the societal problem addressed, the theory-based solution, and the preliminary testing and evaluation of that solution. We identify an architecture for…

OWL2 benchmarking for the evaluation of knowledge based systems.

PubMed

Khan, Sher Afgun; Qadir, Muhammad Abdul; Abbas, Muhammad Azeem; Afzal, Muhammad Tanvir

2017-01-01

OWL2 semantics are becoming increasingly popular for the real domain applications like Gene engineering and health MIS. The present work identifies the research gap that negligible attention has been paid to the performance evaluation of Knowledge Base Systems (KBS) using OWL2 semantics. To fulfil this identified research gap, an OWL2 benchmark for the evaluation of KBS is proposed. The proposed benchmark addresses the foundational blocks of an ontology benchmark i.e. data schema, workload and performance metrics. The proposed benchmark is tested on memory based, file based, relational database and graph based KBS for performance and scalability measures. The results show that the proposed benchmark is able to evaluate the behaviour of different state of the art KBS on OWL2 semantics. On the basis of the results, the end users (i.e. domain expert) would be able to select a suitable KBS appropriate for his domain.

The Effect of Training Data Set Composition on the Performance of a Neural Image Caption Generator

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

objects was compared using the Metric for Evaluation of Translation with Explicit Ordering (METEOR) and Consensus-Based Image Description Evaluation...using automated scoring systems. Many such systems exist, including Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU), Consensus-Based Image Description Evaluation...shown to be essential to automated scoring, which correlates highly with human precision.5 CIDEr uses a system of consensus among the captions and

A framework for the evaluation of patient information leaflets

PubMed Central

Garner, Mark; Ning, Zhenye; Francis, Jill

2011-01-01

Abstract Background  The provision of patient information leaflets (PILs) is an important part of health care. PILs require evaluation, but the frameworks that are used for evaluation are largely under‐informed by theory. Most evaluation to date has been based on indices of readability, yet several writers argue that readability is not enough. We propose a framework for evaluating PILs that reflect the central role of the patient perspective in communication and use methods for evaluation based on simple linguistic principles. The proposed framework  The framework has three elements that give rise to three approaches to evaluation. Each element is a necessary but not sufficient condition for effective communication. Readability (focussing on text) may be assessed using existing well‐established procedures. Comprehensibility (focussing on reader and text) may be assessed using multiple‐choice questions based on the lexical and semantic features of the text. Communicative effectiveness (focussing on reader) explores the relationship between the emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses of the reader and the objectives of the PIL. Suggested methods for assessment are described, based on our preliminary empirical investigations. Conclusions  The tripartite model of communicative effectiveness is a patient‐centred framework for evaluating PILs. It may assist the field in moving beyond readability to broader indicators of the quality and appropriateness of printed information provided to patients. PMID:21332620

Evaluation of Methods for Decladding LWR Fuel for a Pyroprocessing-Based Reprocessing Plant

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-10-01

oAD-A275 326 ORN.rFM-1121o04 OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Evaluation of Methods for Decladding _LWR Fuel for a Pyroprocessing -Based Reprocessing...Dist. Category UC-526 EVALUATION OF METHODS FOR DECLADDING LWR FUEL FOR A PYROPROCESSING -BASED REPROCESSING PLANT W. D. Bond J. C. Mailen G. E...decladding technologies has been performed to identify candidate decladding processes suitable for LWR fuel and compatible with downstream pyroprocesses

The quality of the evidence base for clinical pathway effectiveness: room for improvement in the design of evaluation trials.

PubMed

Rotter, Thomas; Kinsman, Leigh; James, Erica; Machotta, Andreas; Steyerberg, Ewout W

2012-06-18

The purpose of this article is to report on the quality of the existing evidence base regarding the effectiveness of clinical pathway (CPW) research in the hospital setting. The analysis is based on a recently published Cochrane review of the effectiveness of CPWs. An integral component of the review process was a rigorous appraisal of the methodological quality of published CPW evaluations. This allowed the identification of strengths and limitations of the evidence base for CPW effectiveness. We followed the validated Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC) criteria for randomized and non-randomized clinical pathway evaluations. In addition, we tested the hypotheses that simple pre-post studies tend to overestimate CPW effects reported. Out of the 260 primary studies meeting CPW content criteria, only 27 studies met the EPOC study design criteria, with the majority of CPW studies (more than 70 %) excluded from the review on the basis that they were simple pre-post evaluations, mostly comparing two or more annual patient cohorts. Methodologically poor study designs are often used to evaluate CPWs and this compromises the quality of the existing evidence base. Cochrane EPOC methodological criteria, including the selection of rigorous study designs along with detailed descriptions of CPW development and implementation processes, are recommended for quantitative evaluations to improve the evidence base for the use of CPWs in hospitals.

Development of a Cloud Computing-Based Pier Type Port Structure Stability Evaluation Platform Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors.

PubMed

Jo, Byung Wan; Jo, Jun Ho; Khan, Rana Muhammad Asad; Kim, Jung Hoon; Lee, Yun Sung

2018-05-23

Structure Health Monitoring is a topic of great interest in port structures due to the ageing of structures and the limitations of evaluating structures. This paper presents a cloud computing-based stability evaluation platform for a pier type port structure using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors in a system consisting of a FBG strain sensor, FBG displacement gauge, FBG angle meter, gateway, and cloud computing-based web server. The sensors were installed on core components of the structure and measurements were taken to evaluate the structures. The measurement values were transmitted to the web server via the gateway to analyze and visualize them. All data were analyzed and visualized in the web server to evaluate the structure based on the safety evaluation index (SEI). The stability evaluation platform for pier type port structures involves the efficient monitoring of the structures which can be carried out easily anytime and anywhere by converging new technologies such as cloud computing and FBG sensors. In addition, the platform has been successfully implemented at “Maryang Harbor” situated in Maryang-Meyon of Korea to test its durability.

Retrieval evaluation and distance learning from perceived similarity between endomicroscopy videos.

PubMed

André, Barbara; Vercauteren, Tom; Buchner, Anna M; Wallace, Michael B; Ayache, Nicholas

2011-01-01

Evaluating content-based retrieval (CBR) is challenging because it requires an adequate ground-truth. When the available groundtruth is limited to textual metadata such as pathological classes, retrieval results can only be evaluated indirectly, for example in terms of classification performance. In this study we first present a tool to generate perceived similarity ground-truth that enables direct evaluation of endomicroscopic video retrieval. This tool uses a four-points Likert scale and collects subjective pairwise similarities perceived by multiple expert observers. We then evaluate against the generated ground-truth a previously developed dense bag-of-visual-words method for endomicroscopic video retrieval. Confirming the results of previous indirect evaluation based on classification, our direct evaluation shows that this method significantly outperforms several other state-of-the-art CBR methods. In a second step, we propose to improve the CBR method by learning an adjusted similarity metric from the perceived similarity ground-truth. By minimizing a margin-based cost function that differentiates similar and dissimilar video pairs, we learn a weight vector applied to the visual word signatures of videos. Using cross-validation, we demonstrate that the learned similarity distance is significantly better correlated with the perceived similarity than the original visual-word-based distance.

The unique effects of environmental strategies in health promotion campaigns: a review.

PubMed

Randolph, Karen A; Whitaker, Pippin; Arellano, Adriana

2012-08-01

Various strategies are used as tools in health promotion campaigns to increase health-related outcomes among target populations. Evaluations of these campaigns examine effects on changing people's knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors. Most evaluations examine the combined impact of multiple strategies. Less is known about the unique effects of particular strategies. To address this gap, we used highly systematic methods to identify and review scientifically rigorous evaluations of 18 campaigns that examined the unique effects of three sets of intervention strategies (entertainment education, law enforcement, and mass media) on changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practice with regard to various health behaviors. Results showed differences in evaluation processes based on the type of strategy used to promote campaign messages. For instance, evaluations of mass-media based campaigns were more likely to examine changes in knowledge, relative to evaluations of campaigns that used law enforcement strategies. In addition, campaign effects varied by particular strategies. Mass media-based campaigns were more likely to affect knowledge, relative to behaviors. Law enforcement and entertainment education-based campaigns showed positive effects on behaviors. The implications for planning and evaluating health promotion campaigns are described. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Field trials of a novel toolkit for evaluating 'intangible' values-related dimensions of projects.

PubMed

Burford, Gemma; Velasco, Ismael; Janoušková, Svatava; Zahradnik, Martin; Hak, Tomas; Podger, Dimity; Piggot, Georgia; Harder, Marie K

2013-02-01

A novel toolkit has been developed, using an original approach to develop its components, for the purpose of evaluating 'soft' outcomes and processes that have previously been generally considered 'intangible': those which are specifically values based. This represents a step-wise, significant, change in provision for the assessment of values-based achievements that are of absolutely key importance to most civil society organisations (CSOs) and values-based businesses, and fills a known gap in evaluation practice. In this paper, we demonstrate the significance and rigour of the toolkit by presenting an evaluation of it in three diverse scenarios where different CSOs use it to co-evaluate locally relevant outcomes and processes to obtain results which are both meaningful to them and potentially comparable across organisations. A key strength of the toolkit is its original use of a prior generated, peer-elicited 'menu' of values-based indicators which provides a framework for user CSOs to localise. Principles of participatory, process-based and utilisation-focused evaluation are embedded in this toolkit and shown to be critical to its success, achieving high face-validity and wide applicability. The emerging contribution of this next-generation evaluation tool to other fields, such as environmental values, development and environmental sustainable development, shared values, business, education and organisational change is outlined. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Segmentation quality evaluation using region-based precision and recall measures for remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xueliang; Feng, Xuezhi; Xiao, Pengfeng; He, Guangjun; Zhu, Liujun

2015-04-01

Segmentation of remote sensing images is a critical step in geographic object-based image analysis. Evaluating the performance of segmentation algorithms is essential to identify effective segmentation methods and optimize their parameters. In this study, we propose region-based precision and recall measures and use them to compare two image partitions for the purpose of evaluating segmentation quality. The two measures are calculated based on region overlapping and presented as a point or a curve in a precision-recall space, which can indicate segmentation quality in both geometric and arithmetic respects. Furthermore, the precision and recall measures are combined by using four different methods. We examine and compare the effectiveness of the combined indicators through geometric illustration, in an effort to reveal segmentation quality clearly and capture the trade-off between the two measures. In the experiments, we adopted the multiresolution segmentation (MRS) method for evaluation. The proposed measures are compared with four existing discrepancy measures to further confirm their capabilities. Finally, we suggest using a combination of the region-based precision-recall curve and the F-measure for supervised segmentation evaluation.

In-service teachers' perceptions of project-based learning.

PubMed

Habók, Anita; Nagy, Judit

2016-01-01

The study analyses teachers' perceptions of methods, teacher roles, success and evaluation in PBL and traditional classroom instruction. The analysis is based on empirical data collected in primary schools and vocational secondary schools. An analysis of 109 questionnaires revealed numerous differences based on degree of experience and type of school. In general, project-based methods were preferred among teachers, who mostly perceived themselves as facilitators and considered motivation and transmission of values central to their work. Teachers appeared not to capitalize on the use of ICT tools or emotions. Students actively participated in the evaluation process via oral evaluation.

Challenges of teacher-based clinical evaluation from nursing students' point of view: Qualitative content analysis.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Tabandeh; Seyed Bagheri, Seyed Hamid

2017-01-01

Clinical evaluation is very important in the educational system of nursing. One of the most common methods of clinical evaluation is evaluation by the teacher, but the challenges that students would face in this evaluation method, have not been mentioned. Thus, this study aimed to explore the experiences and views of nursing students about the challenges of teacher-based clinical evaluation. This study was a descriptive qualitative study with a qualitative content analysis approach. Data were gathered through semi-structured focused group sessions with undergraduate nursing students who were passing their 8 th semester at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. Date were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's proposed method. Data collection and analysis were concurrent. According to the findings, "factitious evaluation" was the main theme of study that consisted of three categories: "Personal preferences," "unfairness" and "shirking responsibility." These categories are explained using quotes derived from the data. According to the results of this study, teacher-based clinical evaluation would lead to factitious evaluation. Thus, changing this approach of evaluation toward modern methods of evaluation is suggested. The finding can help nursing instructors to get a better understanding of the nursing students' point of view toward this evaluation approach and as a result could be planning for changing of this approach.

Teaching leadership in trauma resuscitation: Immediate feedback from a real-time, competency-based evaluation tool shows long-term improvement in resident performance.

PubMed

Gregg, Shea C; Heffernan, Daithi S; Connolly, Michael D; Stephen, Andrew H; Leuckel, Stephanie N; Harrington, David T; Machan, Jason T; Adams, Charles A; Cioffi, William G

2016-10-01

Limited data exist on how to develop resident leadership and communication skills during actual trauma resuscitations. An evaluation tool was developed to grade senior resident performance as the team leader during full-trauma-team activations. Thirty actions that demonstrated the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies were graded on a Likert scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (exceptional). These actions were grouped by their respective core competencies on 5 × 7-inch index cards. In Phase 1, baseline performance scores were obtained. In Phase 2, trauma-focused communication in-services were conducted early in the academic year, and immediate, personalized feedback sessions were performed after resuscitations based on the evaluation tool. In Phase 3, residents received only evaluation-based feedback following resuscitations. In Phase 1 (October 2009 to April 2010), 27 evaluations were performed on 10 residents. In Phase 2 (April 2010 to October 2010), 28 evaluations were performed on nine residents. In Phase 3 (October 2010 to January 2012), 44 evaluations were performed on 13 residents. Total scores improved significantly between Phases 1 and 2 (p = 0.003) and remained elevated throughout Phase 3. When analyzing performance by competency, significant improvement between Phases 1 and 2 (p < 0.05) was seen in all competencies (patient care, knowledge, system-based practice, practice-based learning) with the exception of "communication and professionalism" (p = 0.56). Statistically similar scores were observed between Phases 2 and 3 in all competencies with the exception of "medical knowledge," which showed ongoing significant improvement (p = 0.003). Directed resident feedback sessions utilizing data from a real-time, competency-based evaluation tool have allowed us to improve our residents' abilities to lead trauma resuscitations over a 30-month period. Given pressures to maximize clinical educational opportunities among work-hour constraints, such a model may help decrease the need for costly simulation-based training. Therapeutic study, level III.

Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR): Problems and Possibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Toole, Brian

1987-01-01

The institution-based model for providing services to individuals with disabilities has limitations in both developing and developed countries. The community-based rehabilitation model was positively evaluated by the World Health Organization as an alternative approach, but the evaluation is questioned on methodological and philosophical grounds.…

Evaluation of graded limestone base course on a low volume road : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-04-01

Due to decreasing supplies of native aggregate which may be incorporated into a base course, other materials need to be evaluated for constructibility and performance. To this end, a graded limestone base was constructed on a low volume road and eval...

Evaluation of a School-Based Asthma Education Protocol: "Iggy and the Inhalers"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mickel, Catherine F.; Shanovich, Kathleen K.; Evans, Michael D.; Jackson, Daniel J.

2017-01-01

School-based asthma education offers an opportunity to reach low-income children at risk for poor asthma control. "Iggy and the Inhalers" (Iggy) is an asthma education program that was implemented in a Midwest metropolitan school district. The purpose of this evaluation was to conduct a comprehensive program evaluation. Objectives…

Evaluating Curriculum-Based Measurement from a Behavioral Assessment Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ardoin, Scott P.; Roof, Claire M.; Klubnick, Cynthia; Carfolite, Jessica

2008-01-01

Curriculum-based measurement Reading (CBM-R) is an assessment procedure used to evaluate students' relative performance compared to peers and to evaluate their growth in reading. Within the response to intervention (RtI) model, CBM-R data are plotted in time series fashion as a means modeling individual students' response to varying levels of…

Using EPAS[TM] to Evaluate School-Based Intervention Programs: GEAR UP. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ACT, Inc., 2007

2007-01-01

This brief examines how the ACT's EPAS[TM] (Educational Planning and Assessment System) can be used to evaluate school-based intervention programs. Specific evaluation considered is that of the federal government's Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), an initiative designed to increase the college awareness…

The PBL-Evaluator: A Web-Based Tool for Assessment in Tutorials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaves, John F.; Chaves, John A.; Lantz, Marilyn S.

1998-01-01

Describes design and use of the PBL Evaluator, a computer-based method of evaluating dental students' clinical problem-solving skills. Analysis of Indiana University students' self-, peer, and tutor ratings for one iteration of a course in critical thinking and professional behavior shows differences in these ratings. The method is found useful…

Massachusetts School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists' Experiences with and Perceptions of Educator Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corcoran, Molly A.

2017-01-01

Educator evaluation is of significant interest and concern for all members of the national school community. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs), share these sentiments with their classroom counterparts. Frequently included in such evaluation systems, it is of concern to the SLP community that research documenting how school-based…

A Service-Based Program Evaluation Platform for Enhancing Student Engagement in Assignments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ye-Chi; Ma, Lee Wei; Jiau, Hewijin Christine

2013-01-01

Programming assignments are commonly used in computer science education to encourage students to practice target concepts and evaluate their learning status. Ensuring students are engaged in such assignments is critical in attracting and retaining students. To this end, WebHat, a service-based program evaluation platform, is introduced in this…

EVALUATION OF THE WEIGHT-BASED COLLECTION PROJECT IN FARMINGTON, MINNESOTA: A MITE PROGRAM EVALUATION

EPA Science Inventory

This project evaluates a test program of a totally automated weight-based refuse disposal rate system. his test program was conducted by the City of Farmington, Minnesota between 1991 and 1993. he intent of the program was to test a mechanism which would automatically assess a fe...

Direct evaluation of free energy for large system through structure integration approach.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Kazuhito; Tanaka, Ryohei; Yuge, Koretaka

2015-09-30

We propose a new approach, 'structure integration', enabling direct evaluation of configurational free energy for large systems. The present approach is based on the statistical information of lattice. Through first-principles-based simulation, we find that the present method evaluates configurational free energy accurately in disorder states above critical temperature.

Evaluation of a Community-Based Aging Intervention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Wang, Chun-Hou; Chen, Yi-Chun; Chang, Ming-Chen; Wang, Jean

2010-01-01

This study evaluated the outcome and process of a community-based aging intervention program for the elderly in Taiwan. The program included education on nutrition and dietary behavior and on physical activities. Outcome and process evaluations were conducted. The program may have had some effects on decreasing some dietary behavioral problems and…

Competency-Based Evaluation in Higher Education--Design and Use of Competence Rubrics by University Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velasco-Martínez, Leticia-Concepción; Tójar-Hurtado, Juan-Carlos

2018-01-01

Competency-based learning requires making changes in the higher education model in response to current socio-educational demands. Rubrics are an innovative educational tool for competence evaluation, for both students and educators. Ever since arriving at the university systems, the application of rubrics in evaluation programs has grown…

48 CFR 1552.219-74 - Small disadvantaged business participation evaluation factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... based on the demonstrated extent of participation of small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns in the... evaluation, offerors will be evaluated based on: (1) The extent to which SDB concerns are specifically identified to participate in the performance of the contract; (2) The extent of the commitment to use SDB...

48 CFR 1552.219-74 - Small disadvantaged business participation evaluation factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... based on the demonstrated extent of participation of small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns in the... evaluation, offerors will be evaluated based on: (1) The extent to which SDB concerns are specifically identified to participate in the performance of the contract; (2) The extent of the commitment to use SDB...

48 CFR 1552.219-74 - Small disadvantaged business participation evaluation factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... based on the demonstrated extent of participation of small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns in the... evaluation, offerors will be evaluated based on: (1) The extent to which SDB concerns are specifically identified to participate in the performance of the contract; (2) The extent of the commitment to use SDB...

48 CFR 1552.219-74 - Small disadvantaged business participation evaluation factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... based on the demonstrated extent of participation of small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns in the... evaluation, offerors will be evaluated based on: (1) The extent to which SDB concerns are specifically identified to participate in the performance of the contract; (2) The extent of the commitment to use SDB...

48 CFR 1552.219-74 - Small disadvantaged business participation evaluation factor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... based on the demonstrated extent of participation of small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns in the... evaluation, offerors will be evaluated based on: (1) The extent to which SDB concerns are specifically identified to participate in the performance of the contract; (2) The extent of the commitment to use SDB...

Development and Implementation of a Web-based Evaluation System for an Internal Medicine Residency Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenberg, Mark E.; Watson, Kathleen; Paul, Jeevan; Miller, Wesley; Harris, Ilene; Valdivia, Tomas D.

2001-01-01

Describes the development and implementation of a World Wide Web-based electronic evaluation system for the internal medicine residency program at the University of Minnesota. Features include automatic entry of evaluations by faculty or students into a database, compliance tracking, reminders, extensive reporting capabilities, automatic…

Research and Evaluation in Operational Competency-Based Teacher Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, George E., Ed.

1975-01-01

This is a collection of papers presented at a 1974 conference on research and evaluation in operational competency-based teacher education (CBTE) programs. Two conceptual models for research and evaluation of CBTE activities were presented at the conference and the presentations of these models are the first two chapters of this collection: "A…

Towards a Better Understanding of the Legibility Bias in Performance Assessments: The Case of Gender-Based Inferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greifeneder, Rainer; Zelt, Sarah; Seele, Tim; Bottenberg, Konstantin; Alt, Alexander

2012-01-01

Background: Handwriting legibility systematically biases evaluations in that highly legible handwriting results in more positive evaluations than less legible handwriting. Because performance assessments in educational contexts are not only based on computerized or multiple choice tests but often include the evaluation of handwritten work samples,…

Development and Evaluation of Computer-Based Laboratory Practical Learning Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gandole, Y. B.

2006-01-01

Effective evaluation of educational software is a key issue for successful introduction of advanced tools in the curriculum. This paper details to developing and evaluating a tool for computer assisted learning of science laboratory courses. The process was based on the generic instructional system design model. Various categories of educational…

Teaching Single-Case Evaluation to Graduate Social Work Students: A Replication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Stephen E.; O'Driscoll, Janice

2017-01-01

A course teaching graduate social work students to use an evidence-based model and to evaluate their own practice was replicated and evaluated. Students conducted a project in which they reviewed published research to achieve a clinical goal, applied quantitative measures for ongoing assessment, implemented evidence-based interventions, and…

EVALUATION OF THE REAL-TIME AIR-QUALITY MODEL USING THE RAPS (REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY) DATA BASE. VOLUME 1. OVERVIEW

EPA Science Inventory

The theory and programming of statistical tests for evaluating the Real-Time Air-Quality Model (RAM) using the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) data base are fully documented in four report volumes. Moreover, the tests are generally applicable to other model evaluation problem...

Evaluation of in-situ thermal energy storage for lunar based solar dynamic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crane, Roger A.

1991-01-01

A practical lunar based thermal energy storage system, based on locally available materials, could significantly reduce transportation requirements and associated costs of a continuous, solar derived power system. The concept reported here is based on a unique, in-situ approach to thermal energy storage. The proposed design is examined to assess the problems of start-up and the requirements for attainment of stable operation. The design remains, at this stage, partially conceptional in nature, but certain aspects of the design, bearing directly on feasibility, are examined in some detail. Specifically included is an engineering evaluation of the projected thermal performance of this system. Both steady state and start-up power requirements are evaluated and the associated thermal losses are evaluated as a basis for establishing potential system performance.

Two Methods of Automatic Evaluation of Speech Signal Enhancement Recorded in the Open-Air MRI Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Přibil, Jiří; Přibilová, Anna; Frollo, Ivan

2017-12-01

The paper focuses on two methods of evaluation of successfulness of speech signal enhancement recorded in the open-air magnetic resonance imager during phonation for the 3D human vocal tract modeling. The first approach enables to obtain a comparison based on statistical analysis by ANOVA and hypothesis tests. The second method is based on classification by Gaussian mixture models (GMM). The performed experiments have confirmed that the proposed ANOVA and GMM classifiers for automatic evaluation of the speech quality are functional and produce fully comparable results with the standard evaluation based on the listening test method.

Implementing economic evaluation in simulation-based medical education: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Lin, Yiqun; Cheng, Adam; Hecker, Kent; Grant, Vincent; Currie, Gillian R

2018-02-01

Simulation-based medical education (SBME) is now ubiquitous at all levels of medical training. Given the substantial resources needed for SBME, economic evaluation of simulation-based programmes or curricula is required to demonstrate whether improvement in trainee performance (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and health outcomes justifies the cost of investment. Current literature evaluating SBME fails to provide consistent and interpretable information on the relative costs and benefits of alternatives. Economic evaluation is widely applied in health care, but is relatively scarce in medical education. Therefore, in this paper, using a focus on SBME, we define economic evaluation, describe the key components, and discuss the challenges associated with conducting an economic evaluation of medical education interventions. As a way forward to the rigorous and state of the art application of economic evaluation in medical education, we outline the steps to gather the necessary information to conduct an economic evaluation of simulation-based education programmes and curricula, and describe the main approaches to conducting an economic evaluation. A properly conducted economic evaluation can help stakeholders (i.e., programme directors, policy makers and curriculum designers) to determine the optimal use of resources in selecting the modality or method of assessment in simulation. It also helps inform broader decision making about allocation of scarce resources within an educational programme, as well as between education and clinical care. Economic evaluation in medical education research is still in its infancy, and there is significant potential for state-of-the-art application of these methods in this area. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Review and evaluation of online tobacco dependence treatment training programs for health care practitioners.

PubMed

Selby, Peter; Goncharenko, Karina; Barker, Megan; Fahim, Myra; Timothy, Valerie; Dragonetti, Rosa; Kemper, Katherine; Herie, Marilyn; Hays, J Taylor

2015-04-17

Training health care professionals is associated with increased capacity to deliver evidence-based smoking cessation interventions and increased quit rates among their patients. Online training programs hold promise to provide training but questions remain regarding the quality and usability of available programs. The aim was to assess the quality of English-language online courses in tobacco dependence treatment using a validated instrument. An environmental scan was conducted using the Google search engine to identify available online tobacco dependence treatment courses. The identified courses were then evaluated using the Peer Review Rubric for Online Learning, which was selected based on its ability to evaluate instructional design. It also has clear and concise criteria descriptions to ensure uniformity of evaluations by trained experts. A total of 39 courses were identified, of which 24 unique courses were assessed based on their accessibility and functionality during the period of evaluation. Overall, the course ratings indicated that 17 of 24 courses evaluated failed to meet minimal quality standards and none of the courses evaluated could be ranked as superior. However, many excelled in providing effective navigation, course rationale, and content. Many were weak in the use of instructional design elements, such as teaching effectiveness, learning strategies, instructor's role, and assessment and evaluation. Evaluation results and suggestions for improvement were shared with course administrators. Based on the courses evaluated in this review, course developers are encouraged to employ best practices in instructional design, such as cohesiveness of material, linearity of design, practice exercises, problem solving, and ongoing evaluation to improve existing courses and in the design of new online learning opportunities.

Quality evaluation on an e-learning system in continuing professional education of nurses.

PubMed

Lin, I-Chun; Chien, Yu-Mei; Chang, I-Chiu

2006-01-01

Maintaining high quality in Web-based learning is a powerful means of increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of distance learning. Many studies have evaluated Web-based learning but seldom evaluate from the information systems (IS) perspective. This study applied the famous IS Success model in measuring the quality of a Web-based learning system using a Web-based questionnaire for data collection. One hundred and fifty four nurses participated in the survey. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, the variables of the research model fit for measuring the quality of a Web-based learning system. As Web-based education continues to grow worldwide, the results of this study may assist the system adopter (hospital executives), the learner (nurses), and the system designers in making reasonable and informed judgments with regard to the quality of Web-based learning system in continuing professional education.

A new evaluation tool to obtain practice-based evidence of worksite health promotion programs.

PubMed

Dunet, Diane O; Sparling, Phillip B; Hersey, James; Williams-Piehota, Pamela; Hill, Mary D; Hanssen, Carl; Lawrenz, Frances; Reyes, Michele

2008-10-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Swift Worksite Assessment and Translation (SWAT) evaluation method to identify promising practices in worksite health promotion programs. The new method complements research studies and evaluation studies of evidence-based practices that promote healthy weight in working adults. We used nationally recognized program evaluation standards of utility, feasibility, accuracy, and propriety as the foundation for our 5-step method: 1) site identification and selection, 2) site visit, 3) post-visit evaluation of promising practices, 4) evaluation capacity building, and 5) translation and dissemination. An independent, outside evaluation team conducted process and summative evaluations of SWAT to determine its efficacy in providing accurate, useful information and its compliance with evaluation standards. The SWAT evaluation approach is feasible in small and medium-sized workplace settings. The independent evaluation team judged SWAT favorably as an evaluation method, noting among its strengths its systematic and detailed procedures and service orientation. Experts in worksite health promotion evaluation concluded that the data obtained by using this evaluation method were sufficient to allow them to make judgments about promising practices. SWAT is a useful, business-friendly approach to systematic, yet rapid, evaluation that comports with program evaluation standards. The method provides a new tool to obtain practice-based evidence of worksite health promotion programs that help prevent obesity and, more broadly, may advance public health goals for chronic disease prevention and health promotion.

Developing a Self-Report-Based Sequential Analysis Method for Educational Technology Systems: A Process-Based Usability Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yi-Chun; Hsieh, Ya-Hui; Hou, Huei-Tse

2015-01-01

The development of a usability evaluation method for educational systems or applications, called the self-report-based sequential analysis, is described herein. The method aims to extend the current practice by proposing self-report-based sequential analysis as a new usability method, which integrates the advantages of self-report in survey…

Planning, Executing, and Evaluating Competency-Based Instruction. Microcomputer Applications for Vocational Teachers: A Competency-Based Approach--Book C.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Gene; Tesolowski, Dennis

This handbook is the third in a series of five competency-based resource guides on microcomputer applications for vocational teachers. The 13 units of instruction in this handbook are concerned with the content of the 14 competencies included in the category, "Planning, Executing, and Evaluating Competency-Based Instruction." Units are designed to…

Evaluating School-Based Tobacco Control Programs and Policies: An Opportunity Gained and Many Opportunities Lost

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leatherdale, Scott T.

2009-01-01

In the domain of school-based tobacco control, there is a large gap between the research being performed and the type of research needed to inform school-based prevention activities. The tobacco module of the school health action planning and evaluation system is a data collection and feedback system designed to support school-based tobacco…

Summary of findings from the PIREP-based analyses conducted during the 1988 to 1990 evaluations of TDWR-based and TDWR/LLWAS-based alert services provided to landing/departing pilots

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-07-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR). Starting in 1985, the TDWR Program conducted a series of evaluations of a TDWR-based alert service to provide wind shear and microburst alerts to landi...

Live and Web-based orientations are comparable for a required rotation.

PubMed

Prunuske, Jacob

2010-03-01

Studies show equivalency in knowledge when measured following Web-based learning and live lecture. However, the effectiveness of a Web-based orientation for a required clinical rotation is unknown. Medical students viewed a Web-based orientation and completed a 13-item evaluation before beginning a required 6-week community medicine rotation. Evaluation data from 2007-2008 live orientation sessions were compared to responses from 2008-2009 Web-based orientation sessions. Data were analyzed by two-sample tests of proportion. A total of 169 students completed surveys during the study period--78 following the live and 91 following the Web-based orientation. Response rates were equal in the two groups. The survey tool had a high level of reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.96). There was no statistical difference in student evaluations for 12 of 13 orientation evaluation items. Live and Web-based formats are comparable for presenting orientation materials to a required clinical rotation. Students felt the purpose of the rotation, educational goals, course structure, and requirements were clearly presented regardless of format. Transition from a live to Web-based format reduced faculty time required to present at rotation orientations.

Usability Evaluation Methods for Gesture-Based Games: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Simor, Fernando Winckler; Brum, Manoela Rogofski; Schmidt, Jaison Dairon Ebertz; Rieder, Rafael; De Marchi, Ana Carolina Bertoletti

2016-10-04

Gestural interaction systems are increasingly being used, mainly in games, expanding the idea of entertainment and providing experiences with the purpose of promoting better physical and/or mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to establish mechanisms for evaluating the usability of these interfaces, which make gestures the basis of interaction, to achieve a balance between functionality and ease of use. This study aims to present the results of a systematic review focused on usability evaluation methods for gesture-based games, considering devices with motion-sensing capability. We considered the usability methods used, the common interface issues, and the strategies adopted to build good gesture-based games. The research was centered on four electronic databases: IEEE, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Springer, and Science Direct from September 4 to 21, 2015. Within 1427 studies evaluated, 10 matched the eligibility criteria. As a requirement, we considered studies about gesture-based games, Kinect and/or Wii as devices, and the use of a usability method to evaluate the user interface. In the 10 studies found, there was no standardization in the methods because they considered diverse analysis variables. Heterogeneously, authors used different instruments to evaluate gesture-based interfaces and no default approach was proposed. Questionnaires were the most used instruments (70%, 7/10), followed by interviews (30%, 3/10), and observation and video recording (20%, 2/10). Moreover, 60% (6/10) of the studies used gesture-based serious games to evaluate the performance of elderly participants in rehabilitation tasks. This highlights the need for creating an evaluation protocol for older adults to provide a user-friendly interface according to the user's age and limitations. Through this study, we conclude this field is in need of a usability evaluation method for serious games, especially games for older adults, and that the definition of a methodology and a test protocol may offer the user more comfort, welfare, and confidence.

Usability Evaluation Methods for Gesture-Based Games: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Simor, Fernando Winckler; Brum, Manoela Rogofski; Schmidt, Jaison Dairon Ebertz; De Marchi, Ana Carolina Bertoletti

2016-01-01

Background Gestural interaction systems are increasingly being used, mainly in games, expanding the idea of entertainment and providing experiences with the purpose of promoting better physical and/or mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to establish mechanisms for evaluating the usability of these interfaces, which make gestures the basis of interaction, to achieve a balance between functionality and ease of use. Objective This study aims to present the results of a systematic review focused on usability evaluation methods for gesture-based games, considering devices with motion-sensing capability. We considered the usability methods used, the common interface issues, and the strategies adopted to build good gesture-based games. Methods The research was centered on four electronic databases: IEEE, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Springer, and Science Direct from September 4 to 21, 2015. Within 1427 studies evaluated, 10 matched the eligibility criteria. As a requirement, we considered studies about gesture-based games, Kinect and/or Wii as devices, and the use of a usability method to evaluate the user interface. Results In the 10 studies found, there was no standardization in the methods because they considered diverse analysis variables. Heterogeneously, authors used different instruments to evaluate gesture-based interfaces and no default approach was proposed. Questionnaires were the most used instruments (70%, 7/10), followed by interviews (30%, 3/10), and observation and video recording (20%, 2/10). Moreover, 60% (6/10) of the studies used gesture-based serious games to evaluate the performance of elderly participants in rehabilitation tasks. This highlights the need for creating an evaluation protocol for older adults to provide a user-friendly interface according to the user’s age and limitations. Conclusions Through this study, we conclude this field is in need of a usability evaluation method for serious games, especially games for older adults, and that the definition of a methodology and a test protocol may offer the user more comfort, welfare, and confidence. PMID:27702737

Usability Study and Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for Installations and Base Operations (ARIBO) Driverless Vehicle Reservation Application ARIBO Mobile

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

ARL-TN-0814 ● MAR 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Usability Study and Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for...ARL-TN-0814 ● MAR 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Usability Study and Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for...Heuristic Evaluation of the Applied Robotics for Installations and Base Operations (ARIBO) Driverless Vehicle Reservation Application ARIBO Mobile 5a

Iterative Evaluation in a Mobile Counseling and Testing Program to Reach People of Color at Risk for HIV--New Strategies Improve Program Acceptability, Effectiveness, and Evaluation Capabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spielberg, Freya; Kurth, Ann; Reidy, William; McKnight, Teka; Dikobe, Wame; Wilson, Charles

2011-01-01

This article highlights findings from an evaluation that explored the impact of mobile versus clinic-based testing, rapid versus central-lab based testing, incentives for testing, and the use of a computer counseling program to guide counseling and automate evaluation in a mobile program reaching people of color at risk for HIV. The program's…

Theory-based evaluation of a comprehensive Latino education initiative: an interactive evaluation approach.

PubMed

Nesman, Teresa M; Batsche, Catherine; Hernandez, Mario

2007-08-01

Latino student access to higher education has received significant national attention in recent years. This article describes a theory-based evaluation approach used with ENLACE of Hillsborough, a 5-year project funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for the purpose of increasing Latino student graduation from high school and college. Theory-based evaluation guided planning, implementation as well as evaluation through the process of developing consensus on the Latino population of focus, adoption of culturally appropriate principles and values to guide the project, and identification of strategies to reach, engage, and impact outcomes for Latino students and their families. The approach included interactive development of logic models that focused the scope of interventions and guided evaluation designs for addressing three stages of the initiative. Challenges and opportunities created by the approach are discussed, as well as ways in which the initiative impacted Latino students and collaborating educational institutions.

A Study on Fitts' Law Based Gait Symmetric Evaluation and It's Clinic Application.

PubMed

Rencheng, Wang; Meiqin, Zhang; Xiaonan, Deng; Dewen, Jin; Maobin, Wang; Guangqing, Li

2005-01-01

Symmetry, one of the prominent characters of normal human gait, could be destroyed by some special or abnormal factors such as barrier spanning, walking impediment, etc. Therefore, it becomes an important factor used to evaluate qualities and functions of walking. In this paper, the fitts' law based symmetry index calculation is introduced and its application in clinic test is also reported. The results show that the fitts' law based index is effective in clinic evaluation.

Overall Performance Evaluation of Tubular Scraper Conveyors Using a TOPSIS-Based Multiattribute Decision-Making Method

PubMed Central

Yao, Yanping; Kou, Ziming; Meng, Wenjun; Han, Gang

2014-01-01

Properly evaluating the overall performance of tubular scraper conveyors (TSCs) can increase their overall efficiency and reduce economic investments, but such methods have rarely been studied. This study evaluated the overall performance of TSCs based on the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). Three conveyors of the same type produced in the same factory were investigated. Their scraper space, material filling coefficient, and vibration coefficient of the traction components were evaluated. A mathematical model of the multiattribute decision matrix was constructed; a weighted judgment matrix was obtained using the DELPHI method. The linguistic positive-ideal solution (LPIS), the linguistic negative-ideal solution (LNIS), and the distance from each solution to the LPIS and the LNIS, that is, the approximation degrees, were calculated. The optimal solution was determined by ordering the approximation degrees for each solution. The TOPSIS-based results were compared with the measurement results provided by the manufacturer. The ordering result based on the three evaluated parameters was highly consistent with the result provided by the manufacturer. The TOPSIS-based method serves as a suitable evaluation tool for the overall performance of TSCs. It facilitates the optimal deployment of TSCs for industrial purposes. PMID:24991646

Independent Evaluation of Middle School-Based Drug Prevention Curricula: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Flynn, Anna B; Falco, Mathea; Hocini, Sophia

2015-11-01

Lack of robust program evaluation has hindered the effectiveness of school-based drug abuse prevention curricula overall. Independently evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of universal, middle school-based drug abuse prevention curricula are the most useful indicators of whether such programs are effective or ineffective. To conduct a systematic review identifying independently evaluated RCTs of universal, middle school-based drug abuse prevention curricula; extract data on study quality and substance use outcomes; and assess evidence of program effectiveness. PsycInfo, Educational Resources Information Center, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched between January 1, 1984, and March 15, 2015. Search terms included variations of drug, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use, as well as school, prevention, and effectiveness. Studies included in the review were RCTs carried out by independent evaluators of universal school-based drug prevention curricula available for dissemination in the United States that reported alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other drug use outcomes. Two researchers extracted data on study quality and outcomes independently using a data extraction form and met to resolve disagreements. A total of 5071 publications were reviewed, with 13 articles meeting final inclusion criteria. Of the 13 articles, 6 RCTs of 4 distinct school-based curricula were identified for inclusion. Outcomes were reported for 42 single-drug measures in the independent RCTs, with just 3 presenting statistically significant (P < .05) differences between the intervention group and the control group. One program revealed statistically significant positive effects at final follow-up (Lions-Quest Skills for Adolescence). The results of our review demonstrate the dearth of independent research that appropriately evaluates the effectiveness of universal, middle school-based drug prevention curricula. Independent evaluations show little evidence of effectiveness for widely used programs. New methods may be necessary to approach school-based adolescent drug prevention.

Experimental evaluation of ontology-based HIV/AIDS frequently asked question retrieval system.

PubMed

Ayalew, Yirsaw; Moeng, Barbara; Mosweunyane, Gontlafetse

2018-05-01

This study presents the results of experimental evaluations of an ontology-based frequently asked question retrieval system in the domain of HIV and AIDS. The main purpose of the system is to provide answers to questions on HIV/AIDS using ontology. To evaluate the effectiveness of the frequently asked question retrieval system, we conducted two experiments. The first experiment focused on the evaluation of the quality of the ontology we developed using the OQuaRE evaluation framework which is based on software quality metrics and metrics designed for ontology quality evaluation. The second experiment focused on evaluating the effectiveness of the ontology in retrieving relevant answers. For this we used an open-source information retrieval platform, Terrier, with retrieval models BM25 and PL2. For the measurement of performance, we used the measures mean average precision, mean reciprocal rank, and precision at 5. The results suggest that frequently asked question retrieval with ontology is more effective than frequently asked question retrieval without ontology in the domain of HIV/AIDS.

Making the Grade: Using Instructional Feedback and Evaluation to Inspire Evidence-Based Teaching

PubMed Central

Brickman, Peggy; Gormally, Cara; Martella, Amedee Marchand

2016-01-01

Typically, faculty receive feedback about teaching via two mechanisms: end-of-semester student evaluations and peer observation. However, instructors require more sustained encouragement and constructive feedback when implementing evidence-based teaching practices. Our study goal was to characterize the landscape of current instructional-feedback practices in biology and uncover faculty perceptions about these practices. Findings from a national survey of 400 college biology faculty reveal an overwhelming dissatisfaction with student evaluations, regardless of self-reported teaching practices, institution type, or position. Faculty view peer evaluations as most valuable, but less than half of faculty at doctoral-granting institutions report participating in peer evaluation. When peer evaluations are performed, they are more supportive of evidence-based teaching than student evaluations. Our findings reveal a large, unmet desire for greater guidance and assessment data to inform pedagogical decision making. Informed by these findings, we discuss alternate faculty-vetted feedback strategies for providing formative instructional feedback. PMID:27909025

Field and lab evaluation of the use of lime fly ash to replace soil cement as a base course : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-01

This study evaluates the performance of lime/fly ash stabilized base as an alternative to soil cement stabilized base for flexible pavement systems on reconstructed highways in Louisiana. Louisiana has historically used soil cement for most flexible ...

Process Evaluation for a Prison-based Substance Abuse Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staton, Michele; Leukefeld, Carl; Logan, T. K.; Purvis, Rick

2000-01-01

Presents findings from a process evaluation conducted in a prison-based substance abuse program in Kentucky. Discusses key components in the program, including a detailed program description, modifications in planned treatment strategies, program documentation, and perspectives of staff and clients. Findings suggest that prison-based programs have…

Experimental Evaluation of the Effects of a Research-Based Preschool Mathematics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Douglas H.; Sarama, Julie

2008-01-01

A randomized-trials design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a preschool mathematics program based on a comprehensive model of research-based curricula development. Thirty-six preschool classrooms were assigned to experimental (Building Blocks), comparison (a different preschool mathematics curriculum), or control conditions. Children were…

Laboratory comparison of four iron-based filter materials for water treatment of trace element contaminants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A laboratory investigation was conducted to evaluate four iron-based filter materials for trace element contaminant water treatment. The iron-based filter materials evaluated were zero valent iron (ZVI), porous iron composite (PIC), sulfur modified iron (SMI), and iron oxide/hydroxide (IOH). Only fi...

Frameworks: A Community-Based Approach to Preventing Youth Suicide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baber, Kristine; Bean, Gretchen

2009-01-01

Few youth suicide prevention programs are theory based and systematically evaluated. This study evaluated the pilot implementation of a community-based youth suicide prevention project guided by an ecological perspective. One hundred fifty-seven adults representing various constituencies from educators to health care providers and 131 ninth-grade…

33 CFR 325.3 - Public notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) The comment period based on § 325.2(d)(2); (15) A statement that any person may request, in writing... various evaluation factors on which decisions are based shall be included in every public notice. (1... whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative...

33 CFR 325.3 - Public notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) The comment period based on § 325.2(d)(2); (15) A statement that any person may request, in writing... various evaluation factors on which decisions are based shall be included in every public notice. (1... whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative...

33 CFR 325.3 - Public notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) The comment period based on § 325.2(d)(2); (15) A statement that any person may request, in writing... various evaluation factors on which decisions are based shall be included in every public notice. (1... whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative...

33 CFR 325.3 - Public notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) The comment period based on § 325.2(d)(2); (15) A statement that any person may request, in writing... various evaluation factors on which decisions are based shall be included in every public notice. (1... whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative...

33 CFR 325.3 - Public notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) The comment period based on § 325.2(d)(2); (15) A statement that any person may request, in writing... various evaluation factors on which decisions are based shall be included in every public notice. (1... whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative...

Plain Language Summary: Evaluation of the Neck Mass in Adults.

PubMed

Pynnonen, Melissa A; Colandrea, Maria; Finestone, Sandra A; O'Connor, Sarah S

2017-09-01

This plain language summary serves as an overview in explaining the evaluation of the neck mass in adults. The summary applies to patients aged ≥18 years and is based on the 2017 "Clinical Practice Guideline: Evaluation of the Neck Mass in Adults." The evidence-based guideline includes research to support more effective evaluation and diagnosis of the neck mass in adults. The guideline was developed as a quality improvement opportunity for evaluation of the neck mass by creating clear recommendations to use in medical practice.

Risk evaluation of highway engineering project based on the fuzzy-AHP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Qian; Wei, Yajun

2011-10-01

Engineering projects are social activities, which integrate with technology, economy, management and organization. There are uncertainties in each respect of engineering projects, and it needs to strengthen risk management urgently. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of highway engineering, and the study of the basic theory on risk evaluation, the paper built an index system of highway project risk evaluation. Besides based on fuzzy mathematics principle, analytical hierarchy process was used and as a result, the model of the comprehensive appraisal method of fuzzy and AHP was set up for the risk evaluation of express way concessionary project. The validity and the practicability of the risk evaluation of expressway concessionary project were verified after the model was applied to the practice of a project.

Using heuristic evaluations to assess the safety of health information systems.

PubMed

Carvalho, Christopher J; Borycki, Elizabeth M; Kushniruk, Andre W

2009-01-01

Health information systems (HISs) are typically seen as a mechanism for reducing medical errors. There is, however, evidence to prove that technology may actually be the cause of errors. As a result, it is crucial to fully test any system prior to its implementation. At present, evidence-based evaluation heuristics do not exist for assessing aspects of interface design that lead to medical errors. A three phase study was conducted to develop evidence-based heuristics for evaluating interfaces. Phase 1 consisted of a systematic review of the literature. In Phase 2 a comprehensive list of 33 evaluation heuristics was developed based on the review that could be used to test for potential technology induced errors. Phase 3 involved applying these healthcare specific heuristics to evaluate a HIS.

Assessing treatment integrity in cognitive-behavioral therapy: comparing session segments with entire sessions.

PubMed

Weck, Florian; Grikscheit, Florian; Höfling, Volkmar; Stangier, Ulrich

2014-07-01

The evaluation of treatment integrity (therapist adherence and competence) is a necessary condition to ensure the internal and external validity of psychotherapy research. However, the evaluation process is associated with high costs, because therapy sessions must be rated by experienced clinicians. It is debatable whether rating session segments is an adequate alternative to rating entire sessions. Four judges evaluated treatment integrity (i.e., therapist adherence and competence) in 84 randomly selected videotapes of cognitive-behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and hypochondriasis (from three different treatment outcome studies). In each case, two judges provided ratings based on entire therapy sessions and two on session segments only (i.e., the middle third of the entire sessions). Interrater reliability of adherence and competence evaluations proved satisfactory for ratings based on segments and the level of reliability did not differ from ratings based on entire sessions. Ratings of treatment integrity that were based on entire sessions and session segments were strongly correlated (r=.62 for adherence and r=.73 for competence). The relationship between treatment integrity and outcome was comparable for ratings based on session segments and those based on entire sessions. However, significant relationships between therapist competence and therapy outcome were only found in the treatment of social anxiety disorder. Ratings based on segments proved to be adequate for the evaluation of treatment integrity. The findings demonstrate that session segments are an adequate and cost-effective alternative to entire sessions for the evaluation of therapist adherence and competence. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Correlation of Simulation Examination to Written Test Scores for Advanced Cardiac Life Support Testing: Prospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Strom, Suzanne L; Anderson, Craig L; Yang, Luanna; Canales, Cecilia; Amin, Alpesh; Lotfipour, Shahram; McCoy, C Eric; Osborn, Megan Boysen; Langdorf, Mark I

2015-11-01

Traditional Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) courses are evaluated using written multiple-choice tests. High-fidelity simulation is a widely used adjunct to didactic content, and has been used in many specialties as a training resource as well as an evaluative tool. There are no data to our knowledge that compare simulation examination scores with written test scores for ACLS courses. To compare and correlate a novel high-fidelity simulation-based evaluation with traditional written testing for senior medical students in an ACLS course. We performed a prospective cohort study to determine the correlation between simulation-based evaluation and traditional written testing in a medical school simulation center. Students were tested on a standard acute coronary syndrome/ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest scenario. Our primary outcome measure was correlation of exam results for 19 volunteer fourth-year medical students after a 32-hour ACLS-based Resuscitation Boot Camp course. Our secondary outcome was comparison of simulation-based vs. written outcome scores. The composite average score on the written evaluation was substantially higher (93.6%) than the simulation performance score (81.3%, absolute difference 12.3%, 95% CI [10.6-14.0%], p<0.00005). We found a statistically significant moderate correlation between simulation scenario test performance and traditional written testing (Pearson r=0.48, p=0.04), validating the new evaluation method. Simulation-based ACLS evaluation methods correlate with traditional written testing and demonstrate resuscitation knowledge and skills. Simulation may be a more discriminating and challenging testing method, as students scored higher on written evaluation methods compared to simulation.

Evaluating a community-based program to improve healthcare quality: research design for the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative.

PubMed

Scanlon, Dennis P; Alexander, Jeffrey A; Beich, Jeff; Christianson, Jon B; Hasnain-Wynia, Romana; McHugh, Megan C; Mittler, Jessica N; Shi, Yunfeng; Bodenschatz, Laura J

2012-09-01

The Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF's) signature effort to increase the overall quality of healthcare in targeted communities throughout the country. In addition to sponsoring this 16-site, complex program, the RWJF funds an independent scientific evaluation to support objective research on the initiative's effectiveness and contributions to basic knowledge in 5 core programmatic areas. The research design, data, and challenges faced in the evaluation of this 10-year initiative are discussed. A descriptive overview of the evaluation research design for a multi-site, community based, healthcare quality improvement initiative is provided. The multiphase research design employed by the evaluation team is discussed. Evaluation provides formative feedback to the RWJF, participants, and other interested audiences in real time; develops approaches to assess innovative and under-studied interventions; furthers the analysis and understanding of effective community-based collaborative work in healthcare; and helps to differentiate the various facilitators, barriers, and contextual dimensions that affect the implementation and outcomes of community-based health interventions. The AF4Q initiative is arguably the largest community-level healthcare improvement demonstration in the United States to date; it is being implemented at a time of rapid change in national healthcare policy. The implementation of large-scale, multi-site initiatives is becoming an increasingly common approach for addressing problems in healthcare. The evaluation research design for the AF4Q initiative, and the lessons learned from its approach, may be valuable to others tasked with evaluating similar community-based initiatives.

Study on an Air Quality Evaluation Model for Beijing City Under Haze-Fog Pollution Based on New Ambient Air Quality Standards

PubMed Central

Li, Li; Liu, Dong-Jun

2014-01-01

Since 2012, China has been facing haze-fog weather conditions, and haze-fog pollution and PM2.5 have become hot topics. It is very necessary to evaluate and analyze the ecological status of the air environment of China, which is of great significance for environmental protection measures. In this study the current situation of haze-fog pollution in China was analyzed first, and the new Ambient Air Quality Standards were introduced. For the issue of air quality evaluation, a comprehensive evaluation model based on an entropy weighting method and nearest neighbor method was developed. The entropy weighting method was used to determine the weights of indicators, and the nearest neighbor method was utilized to evaluate the air quality levels. Then the comprehensive evaluation model was applied into the practical evaluation problems of air quality in Beijing to analyze the haze-fog pollution. Two simulation experiments were implemented in this study. One experiment included the indicator of PM2.5 and was carried out based on the new Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB 3095-2012); the other experiment excluded PM2.5 and was carried out based on the old Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB 3095-1996). Their results were compared, and the simulation results showed that PM2.5 was an important indicator for air quality and the evaluation results of the new Air Quality Standards were more scientific than the old ones. The haze-fog pollution situation in Beijing City was also analyzed based on these results, and the corresponding management measures were suggested. PMID:25170682

IDIOS: An innovative index for evaluating dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices.

PubMed

Barngkgei, Imad; Halboub, Esam; Almashraqi, Abeer Abdulkareem; Khattab, Razan; Al Haffar, Iyad

2016-09-01

The goal of this study was to develop a new index as an objective reference for evaluating current and newly developed indices used for osteoporosis screening based on dental images. Its name; IDIOS, stands for Index of Dental-imaging Indices of Osteoporosis Screening. A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted to retrieve studies on dental imaging-based indices for osteoporosis screening. The results of the eligible studies, along with other relevant criteria, were used to develop IDIOS, which has scores ranging from 0 (0%) to 15 (100%). The indices presented in the studies we included were then evaluated using IDIOS. The 104 studies that were included utilized 24, 4, and 9 indices derived from panoramic, periapical, and computed tomographic/cone-beam computed tomographic techniques, respectively. The IDIOS scores for these indices ranged from 0 (0%) to 11.75 (78.32%). IDIOS is a valuable reference index that facilitates the evaluation of other dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices. Furthermore, IDIOS can be utilized to evaluate the accuracy of newly developed indices.

Integrating relationship- and research-based approaches in Australian health promotion practice.

PubMed

Klinner, Christiane; Carter, Stacy M; Rychetnik, Lucie; Li, Vincy; Daley, Michelle; Zask, Avigdor; Lloyd, Beverly

2015-12-01

We examine the perspectives of health promotion practitioners on their approaches to determining health promotion practice, in particular on the role of research and relationships in this process. Using Grounded Theory methods, we analysed 58 semi-structured interviews with 54 health promotion practitioners in New South Wales, Australia. Practitioners differentiated between relationship-based and research-based approaches as two sources of knowledge to guide health promotion practice. We identify several tensions in seeking to combine these approaches in practice and describe the strategies that participants adopted to manage these tensions. The strategies included working in an evidence-informed rather than evidence-based way, creating new evidence about relationship-based processes and outcomes, adopting 'relationship-based' research and evaluation methods, making research and evaluation useful for communities, building research and evaluation skills and improving collaboration between research and evaluation and programme implementation staff. We conclude by highlighting three systemic factors which could further support the integration of research-based and relationship-based health promotion practices: (i) expanding conceptions of health promotion evidence, (ii) developing 'relationship-based' research methods that enable practitioners to measure complex social processes and outcomes and to facilitate community participation and benefit, and (iii) developing organizational capacity. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Theory-Based Evaluation of a Comprehensive Latino Education Initiative: An Interactive Evaluation Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nesman, Teresa M.; Batsche, Catherine; Hernandez, Mario

2007-01-01

Latino student access to higher education has received significant national attention in recent years. This article describes a theory-based evaluation approach used with ENLACE of Hillsborough, a 5-year project funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for the purpose of increasing Latino student graduation from high school and college. Theory-based…

Evaluating Web-Based Learning and Instruction (WBLI): A Case Study and Framework for Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalski, Greg V.

The purpose of this paper is to suggest an alternative approach to perform relevant and useful evaluations of Web-based learning and instruction (WBLI) that will accommodate performance and keep pace with the growing capabilities of the Internet. Discussion includes the advantages of WBLI, multimedia and streaming use in WBLI, building the…

The Practical Concept of an Evaluator and Its Use in the Design of Training Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Andrew S.; Rogers, Dwayne H.

1991-01-01

The evaluator is an instructional system product that provides practice, testing capability, and feedback in a way not yet seen in computer-assisted instruction. Training methods using an evaluator contain scenario-based simulation exercises, followed by a critique of performance. A focus on competency-based education and performance makes the…

Modelling in Evaluating a Working Life Project in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarja, Anneli; Janhonen, Sirpa; Havukainen, Pirjo; Vesterinen, Anne

2012-01-01

This article describes an evaluation method based on collaboration between the higher education, a care home and university, in a R&D project. The aim of the project was to elaborate modelling as a tool of developmental evaluation for innovation and competence in project cooperation. The approach was based on activity theory. Modelling enabled a…

Evaluator's Guide for Microcomputer-Based Instructional Packages. Developed by MicroSIFT, a Project of the Computer Technology Program. Sixth Revision.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, OR.

This guide developed by MicroSIFT, a clearinghouse for microcomputer-based educational software and courseware, provides background information and forms to aid teachers and other educators in evaluating available microcomputer courseware. The evaluation process comprises six stages: (1) sifting, which screens out those programs that are not…

Student-Teachers' Evaluation on the Use of Different Modes of Problem-Based Learning in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwan, Tammy Y. L.

2008-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted in many university programmes. Evaluations of PBL in medicine, dentistry, nursing and social work reveal positive outcomes from both tutors and learners. However, few evaluations have been published about using PBL in teacher education programmes. This paper reports how the 13 student-teachers…

Evaluation of meteorological airborne Doppler radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hildebrand, P. H.; Mueller, C. K.

1984-01-01

This paper will discuss the capabilities of airborne Doppler radar for atmospheric sciences research. The evaluation is based on airborne and ground based Doppler radar observations of convective storms. The capability of airborne Doppler radar to measure horizontal and vertical air motions is evaluated. Airborne Doppler radar is shown to be a viable tool for atmospheric sciences research.

GenieTutor: A Computer Assisted Second-Language Learning System Based on Semantic and Grammar Correctness Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Oh-Woog; Lee, Kiyoung; Kim, Young-Kil; Lee, Yunkeun

2015-01-01

This paper introduces a Dialog-Based Computer-Assisted second-Language Learning (DB-CALL) system using semantic and grammar correctness evaluations and the results of its experiment. While the system dialogues with English learners about a given topic, it automatically evaluates the grammar and content properness of their English utterances, then…

An Investigation of Research-Based Teaching Practices through the Teacher Evaluations in Indiana Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sargent, Michael Steven

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify if a relationship existed between the implementation of professional evaluation processes and the use of research-based teaching practices, factoring in both perceptions of principals and practicing teachers. The variables of professional development on the evaluation model and the principal's years of…

Auditing the Accessibility of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

PubMed

Iniesto, Francisco; McAndrew, Patrick; Minocha, Shailey; Coughlan, Tim

2017-01-01

The outcome from the research being reported in this paper is the design of an accessibility audit to evaluate Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for accessibility and to arrive at solutions and adaptations that can meet user needs. This accessibility audit includes expert-based heuristic evaluations and user-based evaluations of the MOOC platforms and individual courses.

In Pursuit of Social Betterment: A Proposal to Evaluate the Da Vinci Learning Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Gary T.

2005-01-01

The author presents a proposal that is roughly based on a contingency-based theory of evaluation developed in his book, "Evaluation: An Integrated Framework for Understanding, Guiding, and Improving Policies and Programs" (Mark, Henry, and Julnes, 2000). He and his coauthors stated in this book that social betterment was the ultimate goal of…

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Academic Evaluation Anxiety: A Naturalistic Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dundas, Ingrid; Thorsheim, Torbjørn; Hjeltnes, Aslak; Binder, Per Einar

2016-01-01

Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) for academic evaluation anxiety and self-confidence in 70 help-seeking bachelor's and master's students was examined. A repeated measures analysis of covariance on the 46 students who completed pretreatment and posttreatment measures (median age = 24 years, 83% women) showed that evaluation anxiety and…

Evaluating the Effect of Learning Style and Student Background on Self-Assessment Accuracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alaoutinen, Satu

2012-01-01

This study evaluates a new taxonomy-based self-assessment scale and examines factors that affect assessment accuracy and course performance. The scale is based on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy and is evaluated by comparing students' self-assessment results with course performance in a programming course. Correlation has been used to reveal possible…

Building an Evaluation Framework for a Competency-Based Graduate Program at the University Of Southern Mississippi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudet, Cyndi H.; Annulis, Heather M.; Kmiec, John J., Jr.

2008-01-01

This article describes an ongoing project to build a comprehensive evaluation framework for the competency-based Master of Science in Workforce Training and Development (MSWTD) program at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). First, it discusses some trends and issues in evaluating the performance of higher education programs in the United…

Integrating Program Theory and Systems-Based Procedures in Program Evaluation: A Dynamic Approach to Evaluate Educational Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grammatikopoulos, Vasilis

2012-01-01

The current study attempts to integrate parts of program theory and systems-based procedures in educational program evaluation. The educational program that was implemented, called the "Early Steps" project, proposed that physical education can contribute to various educational goals apart from the usual motor skills improvement. Basic…

Evaluating the Accessibility of Web-Based Instruction for Students with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinn, D. Michelle

This paper presents the methods and results of a year-long evaluation study, conducted for the purpose of determining disability accessibility barriers and potential solutions for those barriers found in four World Wide Web-based learning environments. The primary questions used to frame the evaluation study were: (1) Are there any features of the…

Implementing and Evaluating a Rural Community-Based Sexual Abstinence Program: Challenges and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stauss, Kimberly; Boyas, Javier; Murphy-Erby, Yvette

2012-01-01

Informing both program evaluation and practice research, this paper describes lessons learned during the planning, implementation, and pilot phases of an abstinence education program based in a rural community in a southern state in the USA. Although a number of challenges can emerge in successfully implementing and evaluating such a program in a…

A Mandatory, High-Stakes National Teacher Evaluation System: Perceptions and Attributions of Teachers Who Actively Refuse to Participate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tornero, Bernardita; Taut, Sandy

2010-01-01

This study examines why some public elementary school teachers openly refuse participation in a mandatory national, standards-based teacher evaluation program. We describe the perceptions these "rebel" teachers have of the evaluation system, studying their open resistance based on the meanings they construct, and elaborated an…

EVALUATION OF THE REAL-TIME AIR-QUALITY MODEL USING THE RAPS (REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION STUDY) DATA BASE. VOLUME 3. PROGRAM USER'S GUIDE

EPA Science Inventory

The theory and programming of statistical tests for evaluating the Real-Time Air-Quality Model (RAM) using the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) data base are fully documented in four volumes. Moreover, the tests are generally applicable to other model evaluation problems. Volu...

STRESSED SEBATES: A TRAIT-BASED EVALUATION OF CLIMATE RISKS TO ROCKFISHES OF THE NORTHEASTERN PACIFIC USING THE COASTAL BIOGEOGRAPHIC RISK ANALYSIS TOOL (CBRAT)

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA and USGS have developed a framework to evaluate the relative vulnerability of near-coastal species to impacts of climate change. This framework is implemented in a web-based tool, the Coastal Biogeographic Risk Analysis Tool (CBRAT). We evaluated the vulnerability of the ...

Stressed Sebastes: A Trait-Based Evaluation of Climate Risks to Rockfishes of the Northeastern Pacific Using the Coastal Biogeographic Risk Analysis Tool (CBRAT)

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA and USGS have developed a framework to evaluate the relative vulnerability of near-coastal species to impacts of climate change. This framework was implemented in a web-based tool, the Coastal Biogeographic Risk Analysis Tool (CBRAT). We evaluated the vulnerability of the...

Classroom Teacher's Performance-Based Evaluation Form (CTPBEF) for Public Education Schools in the State of Kuwait: A Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Shammari, Zaid; Yawkey, Thomas D.

2008-01-01

This investigation using Grounded Theory focuses on developing, designing and testing out an evaluation method used as a framework for this study. This framework evolved into the instrument entitled, "Classroom Teacher's Performance Based Evaluation Form (CTPBEF)". This study shows the processes and procedures used in CTPBEF's…

Student Evaluation in Higher Education: A Comparison between Computer Assisted Assessment and Traditional Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghilay, Yaron; Ghilay, Ruth

2012-01-01

The study examined advantages and disadvantages of computerised assessment compared to traditional evaluation. It was based on two samples of college students (n=54) being examined in computerised tests instead of paper-based exams. Students were asked to answer a questionnaire focused on test effectiveness, experience, flexibility and integrity.…

The problem is not just sample size: the consequences of low base rates in policing experiments in smaller cities.

PubMed

Hinkle, Joshua C; Weisburd, David; Famega, Christine; Ready, Justin

2013-01-01

Hot spots policing is one of the most influential police innovations, with a strong body of experimental research showing it to be effective in reducing crime and disorder. However, most studies have been conducted in major cities, and we thus know little about whether it is effective in smaller cities, which account for a majority of police agencies. The lack of experimental studies in smaller cities is likely in part due to challenges designing statistically powerful tests in such contexts. The current article explores the challenges of statistical power and "noise" resulting from low base rates of crime in smaller cities and provides suggestions for future evaluations to overcome these limitations. Data from a randomized experimental evaluation of broken windows policing in hot spots are used to illustrate the challenges that low base rates present for evaluating hot spots policing programs in smaller cities. Analyses show low base rates make it difficult to detect treatment effects. Very large effect sizes would be required to reach sufficient power, and random fluctuations around low base rates make detecting treatment effects difficult, irrespective of power, by masking differences between treatment and control groups. Low base rates present strong challenges to researchers attempting to evaluate hot spots policing in smaller cities. As such, base rates must be taken directly into account when designing experimental evaluations. The article offers suggestions for researchers attempting to expand the examination of hot spots policing and other microplace-based interventions to smaller jurisdictions.

Evaluative judgments are based on evaluative information: Evidence against meaning change in evaluative context effects.

PubMed

Kaplan, M F

1975-07-01

Trait adjectives commonly employed in person perception studies have both evaluative and denotative meanings. Evaluative ratings of single traits shift with variations in the context of other traits ascribed to the stimulus person; the extent to which denotative changes underlie these evaluative context effects has been a theoretical controversy. In the first experiment, it was shown that context effects on quantitative ratings of denotation can be largely accounted for by evaluative halo effects. In the second experiment, increasing the denotative relatedness of context traits to the test trait didnot increase the effect of the context. Only the evaluative meaning of the context affected evaluation of the rated test trait. These studies suggest that the denotative relationship between a test adjective and its context has little influence on context effects in person perception, and that denotative meaning changes do not mediate context effects. Instead, evaluative judgments appear to be based on evaluative meaning.

Evaluation of a Community-Based Participatory Research Consortium from the Perspective of Academics and Community Service Providers Focused on Child Health and Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pivik, Jayne R.; Goelman, Hillel

2011-01-01

A process evaluation of a consortium of academic researchers and community-based service providers focused on the health and well-being of children and families provides empirical and practice-based evidence of those factors important for community-based participatory research (CBPR). This study draws on quantitative ratings of 33 factors…

An Evaluation of a Peer-Based HIV/AIDS Education Program as Implemented in a Suburban High School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Brian P.; Nelson, Timothy D.; Steele, Ric G.

2008-01-01

This study presents the results of an evaluation of a peer-based HIV/AIDS education program, the BASE program, as implemented in a suburban high school setting. The participants were 132 high school students who participated in an "AIDS Awareness Day" as a part of the BASE program in their high school. Each student completed preintervention and…

Understanding Acid-Base Concepts: Evaluating the Efficacy of a Senior High School Student-Centred Instructional Program in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahayu, Sri; Chandrasegaran, A. L.; Treagust, David F.; Kita, Masakazu; Ibnu, Suhadi

2011-01-01

This study was a mixed quantitative-qualitative research to evaluate the efficacy of a designed student-centred instructional (DSCI) program for teaching about acids and bases. The teaching innovation was designed based on constructivist, hands-on inquiry and context-based approaches and implemented in seven 45-min lessons with a class of 36 grade…

FPGA platform for prototyping and evaluation of neural network automotive applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aranki, N.; Tawel, R.

2002-01-01

In this paper we present an FPGA based reconfigurable computing platform for prototyping and evaluation of advanced neural network based applications for control and diagnostics in an automotive sub-systems.

Evaluation of the user experience of "astronaut training device": an immersive, vr-based, motion-training system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Kang; Wang, Danli; Yang, Xinpan; Hu, Haichen; Liu, Yuqing; Zhu, Xiuqing

2016-10-01

To date, as the different application fields, most VR-based training systems have been different. Therefore, we should take the characteristics of application field into consideration and adopt different evaluation methods when evaluate the user experience of these training systems. In this paper, we propose a method to evaluate the user experience of virtual astronauts training system. Also, we design an experiment based on the proposed method. The proposed method takes learning performance as one of the evaluation dimensions, also combines with other evaluation dimensions such as: presence, immersion, pleasure, satisfaction and fatigue to evaluation user experience of the System. We collect subjective and objective data, the subjective data are mainly from questionnaire designed based on the evaluation dimensions and user interview conducted before and after the experiment. While the objective data are consisted of Electrocardiogram (ECG), reaction time, numbers of reaction error and the video data recorded during the experiment. For the analysis of data, we calculate the integrated score of each evaluation dimension by using factor analysis. In order to improve the credibility of the assessment, we use the ECG signal and reaction test data before and after experiment to validate the changes of fatigue during the experiment, and the typical behavioral features extracted from the experiment video to explain the result of subjective questionnaire. Experimental results show that the System has a better user experience and learning performance, but slight visual fatigue exists after experiment.

Assessment of ecological passages along road networks within the Mediterranean forest using GIS-based multi criteria evaluation approach.

PubMed

Gülci, Sercan; Akay, Abdullah Emin

2015-12-01

Major roads cause barrier effect and fragmentation on wildlife habitats that are suitable places for feeding, mating, socializing, and hiding. Due to wildlife collisions (Wc), human-wildlife conflicts result in lost lives and loss of biodiversity. Geographical information system (GIS)-based multi criteria evaluation (MCE) methods have been successfully used in short-term planning of road networks considering wild animals. Recently, wildlife passages have been effectively utilized as road engineering structures provide quick and certain solutions for traffic safety and wildlife conservation problems. GIS-based MCE methods provide decision makers with optimum location for ecological passages based on habitat suitability models (HSMs) that classify the areas based on ecological requirements of target species. In this study, ecological passages along Motorway 52 within forested areas in Mediterranean city of Osmaniye in Turkey were evaluated. Firstly, HSM coupled with nine eco-geographic decision variables were developed based on ecological requirements of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) that were chosen as target species. Then specified decision variables were evaluated using GIS-based weighted linear combination (WLC) method to estimate movement corridors and mitigation points along the motorway. In the solution process, two linkage nodes were evaluated for eco-passages which were determined based on the least-cost movement corridor intersecting with the motorway. One of the passages was identified as a natural wildlife overpass while the other was suggested as underpass construction. The results indicated that computer-based models provide accurate and quick solutions for positioning ecological passages to reduce environmental effects of road networks on wild animals.

Development and implementation of a competency-based clinical evaluation tool for midwifery education.

PubMed

Woeber, Kate

2018-07-01

The learning goals and evaluation strategies of competency-based midwifery programs must be explicit and well-defined. In the US, didactic learning is evaluated through a standardized certification examination, but standardized clinical competence evaluation is lacking. The Midwifery Competency Assessment Tool (MCAT) has been adapted from the International Confederation of Midwives' (ICM) "Essential Competencies" and from the American College of Nurse-Midwives' (ACNM) "Core Competencies", with student self-evaluation based on Benner's Novice-to-Expert theory. The MCAT allows for the measurement and monitoring of competence development in all domains of full-scope practice over the course of the midwifery program. Strengths of the MCAT are that it provides clear learning goals and performance evaluations for students, ensures and communicates content mapping across a curriculum, and highlights strengths and gaps in clinical opportunities at individual clinical sites and for entire programs. Challenges of the MCAT lie in balancing the number of competency items to be measured with the tedium of form completion, in ensuring the accuracy of student self-evaluation, and in determining "adequate" competence achievement when particular clinical opportunities are limited. Use of the MCAT with competency-based clinical education may facilitate a more standardized approach to clinical evaluation, as well as a more strategic approach to clinical site development and use. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation Considerations for Secondary Uses of Clinical Data: Principles for an Evidence-based Approach to Policy and Implementation of Secondary Analysis.

PubMed

Scott, P J; Rigby, M; Ammenwerth, E; McNair, J Brender; Georgiou, A; Hyppönen, H; de Keizer, N; Magrabi, F; Nykänen, P; Gude, W T; Hackl, W

2017-08-01

Objectives: To set the scientific context and then suggest principles for an evidence-based approach to secondary uses of clinical data, covering both evaluation of the secondary uses of data and evaluation of health systems and services based upon secondary uses of data. Method: Working Group review of selected literature and policy approaches. Results: We present important considerations in the evaluation of secondary uses of clinical data from the angles of governance and trust, theory, semantics, and policy. We make the case for a multi-level and multi-factorial approach to the evaluation of secondary uses of clinical data and describe a methodological framework for best practice. We emphasise the importance of evaluating the governance of secondary uses of health data in maintaining trust, which is essential for such uses. We also offer examples of the re-use of routine health data to demonstrate how it can support evaluation of clinical performance and optimize health IT system design. Conclusions: Great expectations are resting upon "Big Data" and innovative analytics. However, to build and maintain public trust, improve data reliability, and assure the validity of analytic inferences, there must be independent and transparent evaluation. A mature and evidence-based approach needs not merely data science, but must be guided by the broader concerns of applied health informatics. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.

Developing Statistical Physics Course Handout on Distribution Function Materials Based on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riandry, M. A.; Ismet, I.; Akhsan, H.

2017-09-01

This study aims to produce a valid and practical statistical physics course handout on distribution function materials based on STEM. Rowntree development model is used to produce this handout. The model consists of three stages: planning, development and evaluation stages. In this study, the evaluation stage used Tessmer formative evaluation. It consists of 5 stages: self-evaluation, expert review, one-to-one evaluation, small group evaluation and field test stages. However, the handout is limited to be tested on validity and practicality aspects, so the field test stage is not implemented. The data collection technique used walkthroughs and questionnaires. Subjects of this study are students of 6th and 8th semester of academic year 2016/2017 Physics Education Study Program of Sriwijaya University. The average result of expert review is 87.31% (very valid category). One-to-one evaluation obtained the average result is 89.42%. The result of small group evaluation is 85.92%. From one-to-one and small group evaluation stages, averagestudent response to this handout is 87,67% (very practical category). Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the handout is valid and practical.

Developing and using a rubric for evaluating evidence-based medicine point-of-care tools

PubMed Central

Foster, Margaret J

2011-01-01

Objective: The research sought to establish a rubric for evaluating evidence-based medicine (EBM) point-of-care tools in a health sciences library. Methods: The authors searched the literature for EBM tool evaluations and found that most previous reviews were designed to evaluate the ability of an EBM tool to answer a clinical question. The researchers' goal was to develop and complete rubrics for assessing these tools based on criteria for a general evaluation of tools (reviewing content, search options, quality control, and grading) and criteria for an evaluation of clinical summaries (searching tools for treatments of common diagnoses and evaluating summaries for quality control). Results: Differences between EBM tools' options, content coverage, and usability were minimal. However, the products' methods for locating and grading evidence varied widely in transparency and process. Conclusions: As EBM tools are constantly updating and evolving, evaluation of these tools needs to be conducted frequently. Standards for evaluating EBM tools need to be established, with one method being the use of objective rubrics. In addition, EBM tools need to provide more information about authorship, reviewers, methods for evidence collection, and grading system employed. PMID:21753917

Evaluative stimulus (in)congruency impacts performance in an unrelated task: evidence for a resource-based account of evaluative priming.

PubMed

Gast, Anne; Werner, Benedikt; Heitmann, Christina; Spruyt, Adriaan; Rothermund, Klaus

2014-01-01

In two experiments, we assessed evaluative priming effects in a task that was unrelated to the congruent or incongruent stimulus pairs. In each trial, participants saw two valent (positive or negative) pictures that formed evaluatively congruent or incongruent stimulus pairs and a letter that was superimposed on the second picture. Different from typical evaluative priming studies, participants were not required to respond to the second of the valent stimuli, but asked to categorize the letter that was superimposed on the second picture. We assessed the impact of the evaluative (in)congruency of the two pictures on the performance in responding to the letter. In addition, we manipulated attention to the evaluative dimension by asking participants in one experimental group to respond to the valence of the pictures on a subset of trials (evaluative task condition). In both experiments, we found evaluative priming effects in letter categorization responses: Participants categorized the letter faster (and sometimes more correctly) in trials with congruent picture-pairs. These effects were present only in the evaluative task condition. These findings can be explained with different resource-based accounts of evaluative priming and the additional assumption that attention to valence is necessary for evaluative congruency to affect processing resources. According to resource-based accounts valence-incongruent trials require more cognitive resources than valence-congruent trials (e.g., Hermans, Van den Broeck, & Eelen, 1998).

Developing android-based science instructional media to improve scientific literacy of junior high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farida, I. I.; Jumadi; Wilujeng; Senam

2018-04-01

The aims of this study are: to develop android-based science instructional media and to reveal the characteristic, the quality, and the effectiveness of android-based science instructional media with global warming topic to increase junior high school students’ scientific literacy. This study is a development research. The instructional media were reviewed by a media expert, a material expert, science teachers, peer reviewers, and students. The data was collected using media evaluation questionnaires. The results of the study showed that: (1) the android-based science instructional media has characteristics including interesting visualization, easy to use, flexible, and practical, (2) the android-based science instructional media was appropriate for teaching, in terms of material evaluation aspects, media evaluation aspects, and based on student test results, and (3) the android-based science instructional media can effectively used for teaching.

Evaluating the Good Ontology Design Guideline (GoodOD) with the Ontology Quality Requirements and Evaluation Method and Metrics (OQuaRE)

PubMed Central

Duque-Ramos, Astrid; Boeker, Martin; Jansen, Ludger; Schulz, Stefan; Iniesta, Miguela; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás

2014-01-01

Objective To (1) evaluate the GoodOD guideline for ontology development by applying the OQuaRE evaluation method and metrics to the ontology artefacts that were produced by students in a randomized controlled trial, and (2) informally compare the OQuaRE evaluation method with gold standard and competency questions based evaluation methods, respectively. Background In the last decades many methods for ontology construction and ontology evaluation have been proposed. However, none of them has become a standard and there is no empirical evidence of comparative evaluation of such methods. This paper brings together GoodOD and OQuaRE. GoodOD is a guideline for developing robust ontologies. It was previously evaluated in a randomized controlled trial employing metrics based on gold standard ontologies and competency questions as outcome parameters. OQuaRE is a method for ontology quality evaluation which adapts the SQuaRE standard for software product quality to ontologies and has been successfully used for evaluating the quality of ontologies. Methods In this paper, we evaluate the effect of training in ontology construction based on the GoodOD guideline within the OQuaRE quality evaluation framework and compare the results with those obtained for the previous studies based on the same data. Results Our results show a significant effect of the GoodOD training over developed ontologies by topics: (a) a highly significant effect was detected in three topics from the analysis of the ontologies of untrained and trained students; (b) both positive and negative training effects with respect to the gold standard were found for five topics. Conclusion The GoodOD guideline had a significant effect over the quality of the ontologies developed. Our results show that GoodOD ontologies can be effectively evaluated using OQuaRE and that OQuaRE is able to provide additional useful information about the quality of the GoodOD ontologies. PMID:25148262

Evaluating the Good Ontology Design Guideline (GoodOD) with the ontology quality requirements and evaluation method and metrics (OQuaRE).

PubMed

Duque-Ramos, Astrid; Boeker, Martin; Jansen, Ludger; Schulz, Stefan; Iniesta, Miguela; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás

2014-01-01

To (1) evaluate the GoodOD guideline for ontology development by applying the OQuaRE evaluation method and metrics to the ontology artefacts that were produced by students in a randomized controlled trial, and (2) informally compare the OQuaRE evaluation method with gold standard and competency questions based evaluation methods, respectively. In the last decades many methods for ontology construction and ontology evaluation have been proposed. However, none of them has become a standard and there is no empirical evidence of comparative evaluation of such methods. This paper brings together GoodOD and OQuaRE. GoodOD is a guideline for developing robust ontologies. It was previously evaluated in a randomized controlled trial employing metrics based on gold standard ontologies and competency questions as outcome parameters. OQuaRE is a method for ontology quality evaluation which adapts the SQuaRE standard for software product quality to ontologies and has been successfully used for evaluating the quality of ontologies. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of training in ontology construction based on the GoodOD guideline within the OQuaRE quality evaluation framework and compare the results with those obtained for the previous studies based on the same data. Our results show a significant effect of the GoodOD training over developed ontologies by topics: (a) a highly significant effect was detected in three topics from the analysis of the ontologies of untrained and trained students; (b) both positive and negative training effects with respect to the gold standard were found for five topics. The GoodOD guideline had a significant effect over the quality of the ontologies developed. Our results show that GoodOD ontologies can be effectively evaluated using OQuaRE and that OQuaRE is able to provide additional useful information about the quality of the GoodOD ontologies.

Validation of a Quantitative Single-Subject Based Evaluation for Rehabilitation-Induced Improvement Assessment.

PubMed

Gandolla, Marta; Molteni, Franco; Ward, Nick S; Guanziroli, Eleonora; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

2015-11-01

The foreseen outcome of a rehabilitation treatment is a stable improvement on the functional outcomes, which can be longitudinally assessed through multiple measures to help clinicians in functional evaluation. In this study, we propose an automatic comprehensive method of combining multiple measures in order to assess a functional improvement. As test-bed, a functional electrical stimulation based treatment for foot drop correction performed with chronic post-stroke participants is presented. Patients were assessed on five relevant outcome measures before, after intervention, and at a follow-up time-point. A novel algorithm based on variables minimum detectable change is proposed and implemented in a custom-made software, combining the outcome measures to obtain a unique parameter: capacity score. The difference between capacity scores at different timing is three holded to obtain improvement evaluation. Ten clinicians evaluated patients on the Improvement Clinical Global Impression scale. Eleven patients underwent the treatment, and five resulted to achieve a stable functional improvement, as assessed by the proposed algorithm. A statistically significant agreement between intra-clinicians and algorithm-clinicians evaluations was demonstrated. The proposed method evaluates functional improvement on a single-subject yes/no base by merging different measures (e.g., kinematic, muscular) and it is validated against clinical evaluation.

Knowledge management impact of information technology Web 2.0/3.0. The case study of agent software technology usability in knowledge management system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sołtysik-Piorunkiewicz, Anna

2015-02-01

How we can measure the impact of internet technology Web 2.0/3.0 for knowledge management? How we can use the Web 2.0/3.0 technologies for generating, evaluating, sharing, organizing knowledge in knowledge-based organization? How we can evaluate it from user-centered perspective? Article aims to provide a method for evaluate the usability of web technologies to support knowledge management in knowledge-based organizations of the various stages of the cycle knowledge management, taking into account: generating knowledge, evaluating knowledge, sharing knowledge, etc. for the modern Internet technologies based on the example of agent technologies. The method focuses on five areas of evaluation: GUI, functional structure, the way of content publication, organizational aspect, technological aspect. The method is based on the proposed indicators relating respectively to assess specific areas of evaluation, taking into account the individual characteristics of the scoring. Each of the features identified in the evaluation is judged first point wise, then this score is subject to verification and clarification by means of appropriate indicators of a given feature. The article proposes appropriate indicators to measure the impact of Web 2.0/3.0 technologies for knowledge management and verification them in an example of agent technology usability in knowledge management system.

Development and Evaluation of a Theory-Based Physical Activity Guidebook for Breast Cancer Survivors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallance, Jeffrey K.; Courneya, Kerry S.; Taylor, Lorian M.; Plotnikoff, Ronald C.; Mackey, John R.

2008-01-01

This study's objective was to develop and evaluate the suitability and appropriateness of a theory-based physical activity (PA) guidebook for breast cancer survivors. Guidebook content was constructed based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) using salient exercise beliefs identified by breast cancer survivors in previous research. Expert…

24 CFR 35.165 - Prior evaluation or hazard reduction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Prior evaluation or hazard... conditions: (a) Lead-based paint inspection. (1) A lead-based paint inspection conducted before March 1, 2000... housing program. (2) A lead-based paint inspection conducted on or after March 1, 2000, must have been...

Evaluation of an Internet, Stage-Based Physical Activity Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hager, Ronald L.; Hardy, Aaron; Aldana, Steven G.; George, James D.

2002-01-01

Evaluated the impact of online, stage-based materials on exercise behavior and stage of readiness to change. College faculty participated in stage-based, action-message, or control groups. Occupational and leisure activity, 7-day physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, and stage of readiness to change were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks.…

An Ex Post Facto Evaluation Framework for Place-Based Police Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braga, Anthony A.; Hureau, David M.; Papachristos, Andrew V.

2011-01-01

Background: A small but growing body of research evidence suggests that place-based police interventions generate significant crime control gains. While place-based policing strategies have been adopted by a majority of U.S. police departments, very few agencies make a priori commitments to rigorous evaluations. Objective: Recent methodological…

Goal Orientations of General Chemistry Students via the Achievement Goal Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Scott E.

2018-01-01

The Achievement Goal Framework describes students' goal orientations as: task-based, focusing on the successful completion of the task; self-based, evaluating performance relative to one's own past performance; or other-based, evaluating performance relative to the performance of others. Goal orientations have been used to explain student success…

A Census of Prison-Based Drug Treatment Programs: Implications for Programming, Policy, and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Wayne N.; Zajac, Gary

2004-01-01

Despite a growing realization that unmeasured programmatic differences influence prison-based drug treatment effectiveness, few attempts to systematically measure such differences have been made. To improve program planning and evaluation in this area, we developed a census instrument to collect descriptive information about 118 prison-based drug…

Evidence-based guidelines: Improving AGREEment on consistence evaluation

PubMed Central

Vincenzi, Bruno; Napolitano, Andrea; Santini, Daniele; Maiello, Evaristo; Torri, Valter; Tonini, Giuseppe

2012-01-01

Modern clinical practice relies on evidence-based medicine (EBM) and evidence-based guidelines (EBGs). The critical evaluation of EBGs value is therefore an essential step to further improve clinical practice. In our opinion, correlating levels of evidence and grades of recommendation can be an easy tool to quickly display internal consistence of EBGs. PMID:26909252

Evaluation Criteria for Competency-Based Syllabi: A Chilean Case Study Applying Mixed Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jerez, Oscar; Valenzuela, Leslier; Pizarro, Veronica; Hasbun, Beatriz; Valenzuela, Gabriela; Orsini, Cesar

2016-01-01

In recent decades, higher education institutions worldwide have been moving from knowledge-based to competence-based curricula. One of the greatest challenges in this transition is the difficulty in changing the knowledge-oriented practices of teachers. This study evaluates the consistency between syllabus design and the requirements imposed by a…

77 FR 43405 - Final Standard Review Plan, Branch Technical Position 7-19 on Guidance for Evaluation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-24

... Digital Computer-Based Instrumentation and Control Systems.'' This BTP is to be cited as the acceptance criteria for Diversity and Defense-in-Depth in Digital Computer-Based Instrumentation and Control Systems... Evaluation of Diversity and Defense-in-Depth in Digital Computer-Based Instrumentation and Control Systems...

Evaluating Assessment-based Intervention Strategies for Students with ADHD and Comorbid Disorders within the Natural Classroom Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ervin, Ruth A.; Kern, Lee; Clarke, Shelley; DuPaul, George J.; Dunlap, Glen; Friman, Patrick C.

2000-01-01

Three case studies are provided of the evaluation of assessment-based interventions strategies within the natural classroom context for students (ages 11-14) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and comorbid disorders. For each participant, results demonstrated that assessment-based environmental modifications could decrease problematic…

WASTE REDUCTION EVALUATION OF SOY-BASED INK AT A SHEET-FED OFFSET PRINTER

EPA Science Inventory

This Waste Reduction Innovative Technology Evaluation (WRITE) project quantifies and compares wastes generated from the use of soy-based and petroleum-based inks in sheet-fed offset printing. Data were collected in a full-scale print run on a Miller TP104 Plus 6-color press in Ju...

Evaluation of Smoking Prevention Television Messages Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flynn, Brian S.; Worden, John K.; Bunn, Janice Yanushka; Connolly, Scott W.; Dorwaldt, Anne L.

2011-01-01

Progress in reducing youth smoking may depend on developing improved methods to communicate with higher risk youth. This study explored the potential of smoking prevention messages based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to address these needs. Structured evaluations of 12 smoking prevention messages based on three strategies derived from…

Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation for grid-connected performance of integrated distributed PV-ES systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Z. H.; Li, Q.; Huang, R. W.; Liu, H. M.; Liu, D.

2016-08-01

Based on the discussion about topology structure of integrated distributed photovoltaic (PV) power generation system and energy storage (ES) in single or mixed type, this paper focuses on analyzing grid-connected performance of integrated distributed photovoltaic and energy storage (PV-ES) systems, and proposes a comprehensive evaluation index system. Then a multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method based on grey correlation degree is proposed, and the calculations for weight matrix and fuzzy matrix are presented step by step. Finally, a distributed integrated PV-ES power generation system connected to a 380 V low voltage distribution network is taken as the example, and some suggestions are made based on the evaluation results.

Magnetic Fluid Friction and Wear Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keith, Theo G., Jr.

1998-01-01

The friction and wear properties of two groups of magnetic fluids, one developed at NASA Lewis Research Center and a commercial fluid, were evaluated for boundary lubrication. Friction and wear measurements were made using a pin-on-disk apparatus. Three different ball materials were evaluated, (1) 440C, (2) Al2O3, and (3) Si3N4 against 440C disks. The first class of magnetic fluids have a low vapor pressure hydrocarbon base oil and are suitable for space application. Four variations of this fluid were evaluated: (1) the base oil, (2) base oil with anti-wear additives, (3) a 100 Gauss strength magnetic fluid, and (4) a 400 gauss magnetic fluid. The commercial fluid base oil and four different magnetic particle concentration levels have been evaluated. A space qualified fluorinated lubricant was tested for base line comparison. Hardness, optical microscopy, surface profilometry, and surface analysis were used to characterize the test specimens. Friction was unaffected by the concentration of magnetic particles. Wear rates for magnetic fluids were slightly higher than the base oil. The low vapor pressure magnetic fluid has better wear characteristics than the space qualified fluorinated lubricant.

Bounce Back Now! Protocol of a population-based randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a Web-based intervention with disaster-affected families.

PubMed

Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Davidson, Tatiana M; McCauley, Jenna; Gros, Kirstin Stauffacher; Welsh, Kyleen; Price, Matthew; Resnick, Heidi S; Danielson, Carla Kmett; Soltis, Kathryn; Galea, Sandro; Kilpatrick, Dean G; Saunders, Benjamin E; Nissenboim, Josh; Muzzy, Wendy; Fleeman, Anna; Amstadter, Ananda B

2015-01-01

Disasters have far-reaching and potentially long-lasting effects on youth and families. Research has consistently shown a clear increase in the prevalence of several mental health disorders after disasters, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Widely accessible evidence-based interventions are needed to address this unmet need for youth and families, who are underrepresented in disaster research. Rapid growth in Internet and Smartphone access, as well as several Web based evaluation studies with various adult populations has shown that Web-based interventions are likely to be feasible in this context and can improve clinical outcomes. Such interventions also are generally cost-effective, can be targeted or personalized, and can easily be integrated in a stepped care approach to screening and intervention delivery. This is a protocol paper that describes an innovative study design in which we evaluate a self-help Web-based resource, Bounce Back Now, with a population-based sample of disaster affected adolescents and families. The paper includes description and justification for sampling selection and procedures, selection of assessment measures and methods, design of the intervention, and statistical evaluation of critical outcomes. Unique features of this study design include the use of address-based sampling to recruit a population-based sample of disaster-affected adolescents and parents, telephone and Web-based assessments, and development and evaluation of a highly individualized Web intervention for adolescents. Challenges related to large-scale evaluation of technology-delivered interventions with high-risk samples in time-sensitive research are discussed, as well as implications for future research and practice. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Bounce Back Now! Protocol of a Population-Based Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Efficacy of a Web-based Intervention with Disaster-Affected Families

PubMed Central

Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Davidson, Tatiana M.; McCauley, Jenna; Gros, Kirstin Stauffacher; Welsh, Kyleen; Price, Matthew; Resnick, Heidi S.; Danielson, Carla Kmett; Soltis, Kathryn; Galea, Sandro; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Saunders, Benjamin E.; Nissenboim, Josh; Muzzy, Wendy; Fleeman, Anna; Amstadter, Ananda B.

2014-01-01

Disasters have far-reaching and potentially long-lasting effects on youth and families. Research has consistently shown a clear increase in the prevalence of several mental health disorders after disasters, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Widely accessible evidence-based interventions are needed to address this unmet need for youth and families, who are underrepresented in disaster research. Rapid growth in Internet and Smartphone access, as well as several web based evaluation studies with various adult populations has shown that web-based interventions are likely to be feasible in this context and can improve clinical outcomes. Such interventions also are generally cost-effective, can be targeted or personalized, and can easily be integrated in a stepped care approach to screening and intervention delivery. This is a protocol paper that describes an innovative study design in which we evaluate a self-help web-based resource, Bounce Back Now, with a population-based sample of disaster affected adolescents and families. The paper includes description and justification for sampling selection and procedures, selection of assessment measures and methods, design of the intervention, and statistical evaluation of critical outcomes. Unique features of this study design include the use of address-based sampling to recruit a population-based sample of disaster-affected adolescents and parents, telephone and web-based assessments, and development and evaluation of a highly individualized web intervention for adolescents. Challenges related to large-scale evaluation of technology-delivered interventions with high-risk samples in time-sensitive research are discussed, as well as implications for future research and practice. PMID:25478956

Evaluation of generic types of drilling fluid using a risk-based analytic hierarchy process.

PubMed

Sadiq, Rehan; Husain, Tahir; Veitch, Brian; Bose, Neil

2003-12-01

The composition of drilling muds is based on a mixture of clays and additives in a base fluid. There are three generic categories of base fluid--water, oil, and synthetic. Water-based fluids (WBFs) are relatively environmentally benign, but drilling performance is better with oil-based fluids (OBFs). The oil and gas industry developed synthetic-based fluids (SBFs), such as vegetable esters, olefins, ethers, and others, which provide drilling performance comparable to OBFs, but with lower environmental and occupational health effects. The primary objective of this paper is to present a methodology to guide decision-making in the selection and evaluation of three generic types of drilling fluids using a risk-based analytic hierarchy process (AHP). In this paper a comparison of drilling fluids is made considering various activities involved in the life cycle of drilling fluids. This paper evaluates OBFs, WBFs, and SBFs based on four major impacts--operations, resources, economics, and liabilities. Four major activities--drilling, discharging offshore, loading and transporting, and disposing onshore--cause the operational impacts. Each activity involves risks related to occupational injuries (safety), general public health, environmental impact, and energy use. A multicriteria analysis strategy was used for the selection and evaluation of drilling fluids using a risk-based AHP. A four-level hierarchical structure is developed to determine the final relative scores, and the SBFs are found to be the best option.

Professional Values Competency Evaluation for Students Enrolled in a Concept-Based Curriculum.

PubMed

Elliott, Annette M

2017-01-01

Although many nursing programs have transitioned toward the use of concept-based curricula, the evaluation of student learning associated with the curricular approach has been limited. An evaluation of student learning related to professional values for programs offering concept-based curricula was not evident in the literature. The purpose was to determine how a course competency related to professional values was addressed by nursing students studying in a concept-based nursing curriculum. The qualitative methodology of framework analysis was used to evaluate written assignments (N = 75). The core concept appreciation for professional values and the core concept disillusionment with unprofessional behaviors were identified in students' written reflections. The core concept of appreciation for professional values contributes to an evidence base of contemporary professional values identified in nursing. The core concept of disillusionment with unprofessional behaviors can inform curricular planning and research on how to advocate for professional behaviors. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(1):12-21.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Evaluation of NCAR CAM5 Simulated Marine Boundary Layer Cloud Properties Using a Combination of Satellite and Surface Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z.; Song, H.; Wang, M.; Ghan, S. J.; Dong, X.

2016-12-01

he main objective of this study is to systematically evaluate the MBL cloud properties simulated in CAM5 family models using a combination of satellite-based CloudSat/MODIS observations and ground-based observations from the ARM Azores site, with a special focus on MBL cloud microphysics and warm rain process. First, we will present a global evaluation based on satellite observations and retrievals. We will compare global cloud properties (e.g., cloud fraction, cloud vertical structure, cloud CER, COT, and LWP, as well as drizzle frequency and intensity diagnosed using the CAM5-COSP instrumental simulators) simulated in the CAM5 models with the collocated CloudSat and MODIS observations. We will also present some preliminary results from a regional evaluation based mainly on ground observations from ARM Azores site. We will compare MBL cloud properties simulated in CAM5 models over the ARM Azores site with collocated satellite (MODIS and CloudSat) and ground-based observations from the ARM site.

An Inter-Personal Information Sharing Model Based on Personalized Recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamei, Koji; Funakoshi, Kaname; Akahani, Jun-Ichi; Satoh, Tetsuji

In this paper, we propose an inter-personal information sharing model among individuals based on personalized recommendations. In the proposed model, we define an information resource as shared between people when both of them consider it important --- not merely when they both possess it. In other words, the model defines the importance of information resources based on personalized recommendations from identifiable acquaintances. The proposed method is based on a collaborative filtering system that focuses on evaluations from identifiable acquaintances. It utilizes both user evaluations for documents and their contents. In other words, each user profile is represented as a matrix of credibility to the other users' evaluations on each domain of interests. We extended the content-based collaborative filtering method to distinguish other users to whom the documents should be recommended. We also applied a concept-based vector space model to represent the domain of interests instead of the previous method which represented them by a term-based vector space model. We introduce a personalized concept-base compiled from each user's information repository to improve the information retrieval in the user's environment. Furthermore, the concept-spaces change from user to user since they reflect the personalities of the users. Because of different concept-spaces, the similarity between a document and a user's interest varies for each user. As a result, a user receives recommendations from other users who have different view points, achieving inter-personal information sharing based on personalized recommendations. This paper also describes an experimental simulation of our information sharing model. In our laboratory, five participants accumulated a personal repository of e-mails and web pages from which they built their own concept-base. Then we estimated the user profiles according to personalized concept-bases and sets of documents which others evaluated. We simulated inter-personal recommendation based on the user profiles and evaluated the performance of the recommendation method by comparing the recommended documents to the result of the content-based collaborative filtering.

Performance evaluation methodology for historical document image binarization.

PubMed

Ntirogiannis, Konstantinos; Gatos, Basilis; Pratikakis, Ioannis

2013-02-01

Document image binarization is of great importance in the document image analysis and recognition pipeline since it affects further stages of the recognition process. The evaluation of a binarization method aids in studying its algorithmic behavior, as well as verifying its effectiveness, by providing qualitative and quantitative indication of its performance. This paper addresses a pixel-based binarization evaluation methodology for historical handwritten/machine-printed document images. In the proposed evaluation scheme, the recall and precision evaluation measures are properly modified using a weighting scheme that diminishes any potential evaluation bias. Additional performance metrics of the proposed evaluation scheme consist of the percentage rates of broken and missed text, false alarms, background noise, character enlargement, and merging. Several experiments conducted in comparison with other pixel-based evaluation measures demonstrate the validity of the proposed evaluation scheme.

A new state evaluation method of oil pump unit based on AHP and FCE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yang; Liang, Wei; Qiu, Zeyang; Zhang, Meng; Lu, Wenqing

2017-05-01

In order to make an accurate state evaluation of oil pump unit, a comprehensive evaluation index should be established. A multi-parameters state evaluation method of oil pump unit is proposed in this paper. The oil pump unit is analyzed by Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), so evaluation index can be obtained based on FMEA conclusions. The weights of different parameters in evaluation index are discussed using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with expert experience. According to the evaluation index and the weight of each parameter, the state evaluation is carried out by Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) and the state is divided into five levels depending on status value, which is inspired by human body health. In order to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, a state evaluation of oil pump used in a pump station is taken as an example.

Performance evaluation method of electric energy data acquire system based on combination of subjective and objective weights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Chen; Ding, Zhongan; Deng, Bofa; Yan, Shengteng

2017-10-01

According to the characteristics of electric energy data acquire system (EEDAS), considering the availability of each index data and the connection between the index integrity, establishing the performance evaluation index system of electric energy data acquire system from three aspects as master station system, communication channel, terminal equipment. To determine the comprehensive weight of each index based on triangular fuzzy number analytic hierarchy process with entropy weight method, and both subjective preference and objective attribute are taken into consideration, thus realize the performance comprehensive evaluation more reasonable and reliable. Example analysis shows that, by combination with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and triangle fuzzy numbers (TFN) to establish comprehensive index evaluation system based on entropy method, the evaluation results not only convenient and practical, but also more objective and accurate.

Planting Healthy Roots: Using Documentary Film to Evaluate and Disseminate Community-Based Participatory Research.

PubMed

Brandt, Heather M; Freedman, Darcy A; Friedman, Daniela B; Choi, Seul Ki; Seel, Jessica S; Guest, M Aaron; Khang, Leepao

2016-01-01

Documentary filmmaking approaches incorporating community engagement and awareness raising strategies may be a promising approach to evaluate community-based participatory research. The study purpose was 2-fold: (1) to evaluate a documentary film featuring the formation and implementation of a farmers' market and (2) to assess whether the film affected awareness regarding food access issues in a food-desert community with high rates of obesity. The coalition model of filmmaking, a model consistent with a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, and personal stories, community profiles, and expert interviews were used to develop a documentary film (Planting Healthy Roots). The evaluation demonstrated high levels of approval and satisfaction with the film and CBPR essence of the film. The documentary film aligned with a CBPR approach to document, evaluate, and disseminate research processes and outcomes.

Assessing the Promise of Standards-Based Performance Evaluation for Principals: Results from a Randomized Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimball, Steven Miller; Milanowski, Anthony; McKinney, Sarah A.

2009-01-01

Principals (N = 76) in a large western U.S. school district were randomly assigned to be evaluated using either a new standards-based system or to continue with the old system. It was hypothesized that principals evaluated with the new system would report clearer performance expectations, better feedback, greater fairness and system satisfaction,…

Curriculum-Based Measurement of Oral Reading: Multi-Study Evaluation of Schedule, Duration, and Dataset Quality on Progress Monitoring Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christ, Theodore J.; Zopluoglu, Cengiz; Monaghen, Barbara D.; Van Norman, Ethan R.

2013-01-01

Curriculum-Based Measurement of Oral Reading (CBM-R) is used to collect time series data, estimate the rate of student achievement, and evaluate program effectiveness. A series of 5 studies were carried out to evaluate the validity, reliability, precision, and diagnostic accuracy of progress monitoring across a variety of progress monitoring…

Performance of Northeastern United States wood species treated with copper based preservatives: 10 year above-ground decking evaluation

Treesearch

S. T. Lebow; S. A. Halverson

2015-01-01

Research was conducted to evaluate the decking performance of northeastern United States wood species treated with copper based preservatives. Decking specimens were treated with one of four wood preservatives and exposed near Madison, Wisconsin. Specimens were evaluated for biological attack and dimensional stability. After 10 years, none of the preservative treated...

Experienced Based Career Education. Hamilton High School, Memphis, Tennessee. Final Evaluation Report, September 1976, to September 12, 1979.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Melvin D.; Wilkins, Sandra

A third-party evaluation was designed to document the processes undertaken to implement a Memphis, Tennessee, experience-based career education (EBCE) program. It also intended to assess project effects on student outcomes. Evaluation included pre- and post-testing of a control group and experimental group of tenth grade students enrolled in the…

Developing Students' Creative Self-Efficacy Based on Design-Thinking: Evaluation of an Elective University Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohly, Sandra; Plückthun, Laura; Kissel, Dorothea

2017-01-01

The development of novel and useful ideas is a process that can be described in multiple steps, including information gathering, generating ideas and evaluating ideas. We evaluated a university course that was developed based on design thinking principles which employ similar steps. Our results show that the course was not effective in enhancing…

Process Evaluation of a School-Based Weight Gain Prevention Program: The Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, A. S.; Chinapaw, M. J. M.; Brug, J.; van Mechelen, W.

2009-01-01

Health promotion programs benefit from an accompanying process evaluation since it can provide more insight in the strengths and weaknesses of a program. A process evaluation was conducted to assess the reach, implementation, satisfaction and maintenance of a school-based program aimed at the prevention of excessive weight gain among Dutch…

A Reflection on Aging: A Portfolio of Change in Attitudes toward Geriatric Patients during a Clerkship Rotation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Del Duca, Danny; Duque, Gustavo

2006-01-01

The process of students' evaluation in medical schools has changed from a tutor-led evaluation system based on students' performance to a student-based evaluation that involves self-reflection and their level of change in skills and attitudes. At the McGill University Division of Geriatric Medicine, we developed an innovative system of evaluation…

Objectively Determining the Educational Potential of Computer and Video-Based Courseware; or, Producing Reliable Evaluations Despite the Dog and Pony Show.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Andrew J.; And Others

The Center for Interactive Technology, Applications, and Research at the College of Engineering of the University of South Florida (Tampa) has developed objective and descriptive evaluation models to assist in determining the educational potential of computer and video courseware. The computer-based courseware evaluation model and the video-based…

An Evaluation of High School Curricula Employing Using the Element-Based Curriculum Development Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslan, Dolgun; Günay, Rafet

2016-01-01

This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the curricula that constitute the basis of education provision at high schools in Turkey from the perspective of the teachers involved. A descriptive survey model, a quantitative research method was employed in this study. An item-based curriculum evaluation model was employed as part of the…

Adventures in Evaluation: Reviewing a CD-ROM Based Adventure Game Designed for Young People Recovering from Psychosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shrimpton, Bradley; Hurworth, Rosalind

2005-01-01

Recently the Centre for Program Evaluation (CPE) at the University of Melbourne was approached by a mental health agency to undertake the unique and challenging task of evaluating a prototype CD-ROM based adventure game designed for young people recovering from psychosis. This unusual and inventive game, titled Pogo's Pledge, used…

The Formative Evaluation of a Web-based Course-Management System within a University Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maslowski, Ralf; Visscher, Adrie J.; Collis, Betty; Bloemen, Paul P. M.

2000-01-01

Discussion of Web-based course management systems (W-CMSs) in higher education focuses on formative evaluation and its contribution in the design and development of high-quality W-CMSs. Reviews methods and techniques that can be applied in formative evaluation and examines TeLeTOP, a W-CMS produced at the University of Twente (Netherlands). (LRW)

Teacher Education Program Evaluation: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayers, Jerry B.; Berney, Mary F.

This book includes an annotated bibliography of the essentials needed to conduct an effective evaluation of a teacher education program. Specific information on evaluation includes: (1) general evaluation techniques, (2) evaluation of candidates and students, (3) evaluation of the knowledge base, (4) quality controls, (5) evaluation of laboratory…

The Use of Multiple Evaluation Approaches in Program Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bledsoe, Katrina L.; Graham, James A.

2005-01-01

The authors discuss the use of multiple evaluation approaches in conducting program evaluations. Specifically, they illustrate four evaluation approaches (theory-driven, consumer-based, empowerment, and inclusive evaluation) and briefly discuss a fifth (use-focused evaluation) as a side effect of the use of the others. The authors also address the…

The Evaluation of Land Ecological Safety of Chengchao Iron Mine Based on PSR and MEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Xiangdong; Chen, Yong

2018-01-01

Land ecological security is of vital importance to local security and sustainable development of mining activities. The study has analyzed the potential causal chains between the land ecological security of Iron Mine mining environment, mine resource and the social-economic background. On the base of Pressure-State-Response model, the paper set up a matter element evaluation model of land ecological security, and applies it in Chengchao iron mine. The evaluation result proves to be effective in land ecological evaluation.

Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System (DEAMS) Increment 1 Release 3 Initial Operational Test and Evaluation Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

Initial Operational Test and Evaluation ( IOT &E) and the system’s operational effectiveness, operational suitability, and cybersecurity. The Air Force...Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) conducted the IOT &E between October 1, 2014, and May 29, 2015, at seven bases that included three...at McConnell Air Force Base (AFB), Kansas. Adequacy of IOT &E The IOT &E was adequate and was executed in accordance with the Test and Evaluation

Building an Evidence Base to Inform Interventions for Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents: A Call for Rigorous Evaluation

PubMed Central

Burrus, Barri B.; Scott, Alicia Richmond

2012-01-01

Adolescent parents and their children are at increased risk for adverse short- and long-term health and social outcomes. Effective interventions are needed to support these young families. We studied the evidence base and found a dearth of rigorously evaluated programs. Strategies from successful interventions are needed to inform both intervention design and policies affecting these adolescents. The lack of rigorous evaluations may be attributable to inadequate emphasis on and sufficient funding for evaluation, as well as to challenges encountered by program evaluators working with this population. More rigorous program evaluations are urgently needed to provide scientifically sound guidance for programming and policy decisions. Evaluation lessons learned have implications for other vulnerable populations. PMID:22897541

Logistics Enterprise Evaluation Model Based On Fuzzy Clustering Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Pei-hua; Yin, Hong-bo

In this thesis, we introduced an evaluation model based on fuzzy cluster algorithm of logistics enterprises. First of all,we present the evaluation index system which contains basic information, management level, technical strength, transport capacity,informatization level, market competition and customer service. We decided the index weight according to the grades, and evaluated integrate ability of the logistics enterprises using fuzzy cluster analysis method. In this thesis, we introduced the system evaluation module and cluster analysis module in detail and described how we achieved these two modules. At last, we gave the result of the system.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Academic Evaluation Anxiety: A Naturalistic Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Dundas, Ingrid; Thorsheim, Torbjørn; Hjeltnes, Aslak; Binder, Per Einar

2016-04-02

Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) for academic evaluation anxiety and self-confidence in 70 help-seeking bachelor's and master's students was examined. A repeated measures analysis of covariance on the 46 students who completed pretreatment and posttreatment measures (median age = 24 years, 83% women) showed that evaluation anxiety and self-confidence improved. A growth curve analysis with all 70 original participants showed reductions in both cognitive and emotional components of evaluation anxiety, and that reduction continued postintervention. Although more research is needed, this study indicates that MBSR may reduce evaluation anxiety.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Academic Evaluation Anxiety: A Naturalistic Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Dundas, Ingrid; Thorsheim, Torbjørn; Hjeltnes, Aslak; Binder, Per Einar

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) for academic evaluation anxiety and self-confidence in 70 help-seeking bachelor’s and master’s students was examined. A repeated measures analysis of covariance on the 46 students who completed pretreatment and posttreatment measures (median age = 24 years, 83% women) showed that evaluation anxiety and self-confidence improved. A growth curve analysis with all 70 original participants showed reductions in both cognitive and emotional components of evaluation anxiety, and that reduction continued postintervention. Although more research is needed, this study indicates that MBSR may reduce evaluation anxiety. PMID:27227169

Evaluating Interest in Acids-Bases: Development of an Acid-Base Interest Scale (ABIS) and Assessment of Pre-Service Science Teachers' Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çiçek, Ö.; Ilhan, N.

2017-01-01

Students are more likely to be successful in topics they are interested in than others. This study aims to develop an Acid-Base Interest Scale (ABIS) and subsequently evaluate the interest of pre-service science teachers in acids-bases according to gender, years at the university, type of high school the pre-service science teachers attended, and…

A Comprehensive Approach in Dissemination of Evidence Based Care for PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

evaluate their practices’ capacity to provide evidence-based care and identify potential gaps in the assessment and treatment of PTSD and depression...Project participants will use the PIP tools to evaluate their practices’ capacity to provide evidence-based care and identify potential gaps in the...PIP tools can inform improvement efforts at the clinician-, practice- or systems-level, facilitate detection of potential gaps in evidence-based care

A comparative evaluation of the effect of Internet-based CME delivery format on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence.

PubMed

Curran, Vernon R; Fleet, Lisa J; Kirby, Fran

2010-01-29

Internet-based instruction in continuing medical education (CME) has been associated with favorable outcomes. However, more direct comparative studies of different Internet-based interventions, instructional methods, presentation formats, and approaches to implementation are needed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative evaluation of two Internet-based CME delivery formats and the effect on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcomes. Evaluative outcomes of two differing formats of an Internet-based CME course with identical subject matter were compared. A Scheduled Group Learning format involved case-based asynchronous discussions with peers and a facilitator over a scheduled 3-week delivery period. An eCME On Demand format did not include facilitated discussion and was not based on a schedule; participants could start and finish at any time. A retrospective, pre-post evaluation study design comparing identical satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcome measures was conducted. Participants in the Scheduled Group Learning format reported significantly higher mean satisfaction ratings in some areas, performed significantly higher on a post-knowledge assessment and reported significantly higher post-confidence scores than participants in the eCME On Demand format that was not scheduled and did not include facilitated discussion activity. The findings support the instructional benefits of a scheduled delivery format and facilitated asynchronous discussion in Internet-based CME.

Constructing a competency-based bariatric surgery fellowship training curriculum.

PubMed

McBride, Corrigan L; Rosenthal, Raul J; Brethauer, Stacy; DeMaria, Eric; Kelly, John J; Morton, John M; Lo Menzo, Emanuele; Moore, Rachel; Pomp, Alfons; Nguyen, Ninh T

2017-03-01

Bariatric fellowship training after general surgery has historically been time based and competence was determined at completion based on a minimum number of cases during the fellowship. Graduate medical education is moving toward competency-based medical education where learners are evaluated during the course of their training and competence assessment occurs throughout. The Executive Council of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) at the direction of the American Board of Surgery wanted to transition the bariatric surgery fellowship curriculum from its traditional format to a competency-based curriculum using competency-based medical education principles. The ASMBS Education and Training Committee established a task force of 9 members to create a new curriculum and all of the necessary evaluation tools to support the curriculum, and initiate a pilot program. A competency-based curriculum consisting of 6 modules with cognitive and technical milestones, and the innovative evaluation tools needed to evaluate the learners, was created. A pilot program consisting of 10 programs and 19 fellows has been undertaken for the 2016-2017 academic year. The Education Committee of the ASMBS is leading the charge in curriculum development for competency-based medical education for bariatric fellowship. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

International inter-rater agreement in scoring acne severity utilizing cloud-based image sharing of mobile phone photographs.

PubMed

Foolad, Negar; Ornelas, Jennifer N; Clark, Ashley K; Ali, Ifrah; Sharon, Victoria R; Al Mubarak, Luluah; Lopez, Andrés; Alikhan, Ali; Al Dabagh, Bishr; Firooz, Alireza; Awasthi, Smita; Liu, Yu; Li, Chin-Shang; Sivamani, Raja K

2017-09-01

Cloud-based image sharing technology allows facilitated sharing of images. Cloud-based image sharing technology has not been well-studied for acne assessments or treatment preferences, among international evaluators. We evaluated inter-rater variability of acne grading and treatment recommendations among an international group of dermatologists that assessed photographs. This is a prospective, single visit photographic study to assess inter-rater agreement of acne photographs shared through an integrated mobile device, cloud-based, and HIPAA-compliant platform. Inter-rater agreements for global acne assessment and acne lesion counts were evaluated by the Kendall's coefficient of concordance while correlations between treatment recommendations and acne severity were calculated by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. There was good agreement for the evaluation of inflammatory lesions (KCC = 0.62, P < 0.0001), noninflammatory lesions (KCC = 0.62, P < 0.0001), and the global acne grading system score (KCC = 0.69, P < 0.0001). Topical retinoid, oral antibiotic, and isotretinoin treatment preferences correlated with photographic based acne severity. Our study supports the use of mobile phone based photography and cloud-based image sharing for acne assessment. Cloud-based sharing may facilitate acne care and research among international collaborators. © 2017 The International Society of Dermatology.

Quality evaluation in health care services based on customer-provider relationships.

PubMed

Eiriz, Vasco; Figueiredo, José António

2005-01-01

To develop a framework for evaluating the quality of Portuguese health care organisations based on the relationship between customers and providers, to define key variables related to the quality of health care services based on a review of the available literature, and to establish a conceptual framework in order to test the framework and variables empirically. Systematic review of the literature. Health care services quality should not be evaluated exclusively by customers. Given the complexity, ambiguity and heterogeneity of health care services, the authors develop a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers (patients, their relatives and citizens) and providers (managers, doctors, other technical staff and non-technical staff), and considering four quality items (customer service orientation, financial performance, logistical functionality and level of staff competence). This article identifies important changes in the Portuguese health care industry, such as the ownership of health care providers. At the same time, customers are changing their attitudes towards health care, becoming much more concerned and demanding of health services. These changes are forcing Portuguese private and public health care organisations to develop more marketing-oriented services. This article recognises the importance of quality evaluation of health care services as a means of increasing customer satisfaction and organisational efficiency, and develops a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers and providers.

DEPEND: A simulation-based environment for system level dependability analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goswami, Kumar; Iyer, Ravishankar K.

1992-01-01

The design and evaluation of highly reliable computer systems is a complex issue. Designers mostly develop such systems based on prior knowledge and experience and occasionally from analytical evaluations of simplified designs. A simulation-based environment called DEPEND which is especially geared for the design and evaluation of fault-tolerant architectures is presented. DEPEND is unique in that it exploits the properties of object-oriented programming to provide a flexible framework with which a user can rapidly model and evaluate various fault-tolerant systems. The key features of the DEPEND environment are described, and its capabilities are illustrated with a detailed analysis of a real design. In particular, DEPEND is used to simulate the Unix based Tandem Integrity fault-tolerance and evaluate how well it handles near-coincident errors caused by correlated and latent faults. Issues such as memory scrubbing, re-integration policies, and workload dependent repair times which affect how the system handles near-coincident errors are also evaluated. Issues such as the method used by DEPEND to simulate error latency and the time acceleration technique that provides enormous simulation speed up are also discussed. Unlike any other simulation-based dependability studies, the use of these approaches and the accuracy of the simulation model are validated by comparing the results of the simulations, with measurements obtained from fault injection experiments conducted on a production Tandem Integrity machine.

Flight test evaluation of the Stanford University/United Airlines differential GPS Category 3 automatic landing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufmann, David N.; Ncnally, B. David

1995-01-01

Test flights were conducted to evaluate the capability of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) to provide the accuracy and integrity required for International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Category (CAT) 3 precision approach and landings. These test flights were part of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program to evaluate the technical feasibility of using DGPS based technology for CAT 3 precision approach and landing applications. A United Airlines Boeing 737-300 (N304UA) was equipped with DGPS receiving equipment and additional computing capability provided by Stanford University. The test flights were conducted at NASA Ames Research Center's Crows Landing Flight Facility, Crows Landing, California. The flight test evaluation was based on completing 100 approaches and autolandings; 90 touch and go, and 10 terminating with a full stop. Two types of accuracy requirements were evaluated: 1) Total system error, based on the Required Navigation Performance (RNP), and 2) Navigation sensor error, based on ICAO requirements for the Microwave Landing System (MLS). All of the approaches and autolandings were evaluated against ground truth reference data provided by a laser tracker. Analysis of these approaches and autolandings shows that the Stanford University/United Airlines system met the requirements for a successful approach and autolanding 98 out of 100 approaches and autolandings, based on the total system error requirements as specified in the FAA CAT 3 Level 2 Flight Test Plan.

Method Development for Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation of Pediatric Drugs Based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis: Application to Inhaled Corticosteroids for Children with Asthma.

PubMed

Yu, Yuncui; Jia, Lulu; Meng, Yao; Hu, Lihua; Liu, Yiwei; Nie, Xiaolu; Zhang, Meng; Zhang, Xuan; Han, Sheng; Peng, Xiaoxia; Wang, Xiaoling

2018-04-01

Establishing a comprehensive clinical evaluation system is critical in enacting national drug policy and promoting rational drug use. In China, the 'Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation System for Pediatric Drugs' (CCES-P) project, which aims to compare drugs based on clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness to help decision makers, was recently proposed; therefore, a systematic and objective method is required to guide the process. An evidence-based multi-criteria decision analysis model that involved an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was developed, consisting of nine steps: (1) select the drugs to be reviewed; (2) establish the evaluation criterion system; (3) determine the criterion weight based on the AHP; (4) construct the evidence body for each drug under evaluation; (5) select comparative measures and calculate the original utility score; (6) place a common utility scale and calculate the standardized utility score; (7) calculate the comprehensive utility score; (8) rank the drugs; and (9) perform a sensitivity analysis. The model was applied to the evaluation of three different inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) used for asthma management in children (a total of 16 drugs with different dosage forms and strengths or different manufacturers). By applying the drug analysis model, the 16 ICSs under review were successfully scored and evaluated. Budesonide suspension for inhalation (drug ID number: 7) ranked the highest, with comprehensive utility score of 80.23, followed by fluticasone propionate inhaled aerosol (drug ID number: 16), with a score of 79.59, and budesonide inhalation powder (drug ID number: 6), with a score of 78.98. In the sensitivity analysis, the ranking of the top five and lowest five drugs remains unchanged, suggesting this model is generally robust. An evidence-based drug evaluation model based on AHP was successfully developed. The model incorporates sufficient utility and flexibility for aiding the decision-making process, and can be a useful tool for the CCES-P.

Evaluation Methods for Assessing Users’ Psychological Experiences of Web-Based Psychosocial Interventions: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Howson, Moira; Ritchie, Linda; Carter, Philip D; Parry, David Tudor; Koziol-McLain, Jane

2016-01-01

Background The use of Web-based interventions to deliver mental health and behavior change programs is increasingly popular. They are cost-effective, accessible, and generally effective. Often these interventions concern psychologically sensitive and challenging issues, such as depression or anxiety. The process by which a person receives and experiences therapy is important to understanding therapeutic process and outcomes. While the experience of the patient or client in traditional face-to-face therapy has been evaluated in a number of ways, there appeared to be a gap in the evaluation of patient experiences of therapeutic interventions delivered online. Evaluation of Web-based artifacts has focused either on evaluation of experience from a computer Web-design perspective through usability testing or on evaluation of treatment effectiveness. Neither of these methods focuses on the psychological experience of the person while engaged in the therapeutic process. Objective This study aimed to investigate what methods, if any, have been used to evaluate the in situ psychological experience of users of Web-based self-help psychosocial interventions. Methods A systematic literature review was undertaken of interdisciplinary databases with a focus on health and computer sciences. Studies that met a predetermined search protocol were included. Results Among 21 studies identified that examined psychological experience of the user, only 1 study collected user experience in situ. The most common method of understanding users’ experience was through semistructured interviews conducted posttreatment or questionnaires administrated at the end of an intervention session. The questionnaires were usually based on standardized tools used to assess user experience with traditional face-to-face treatment. Conclusions There is a lack of methods specified in the literature to evaluate the interface between Web-based mental health or behavior change artifacts and users. Main limitations in the research were the nascency of the topic and cross-disciplinary nature of the field. There is a need to develop and deliver methods of understanding users’ psychological experiences while using an intervention. PMID:27363519

Drug exposure in register-based research—An expert-opinion based evaluation of methods

PubMed Central

Taipale, Heidi; Koponen, Marjaana; Tolppanen, Anna-Maija; Hartikainen, Sirpa; Ahonen, Riitta; Tiihonen, Jari

2017-01-01

Background In register-based pharmacoepidemiological studies, construction of drug exposure periods from drug purchases is a major methodological challenge. Various methods have been applied but their validity is rarely evaluated. Our objective was to conduct an expert-opinion based evaluation of the correctness of drug use periods produced by different methods. Methods Drug use periods were calculated with three fixed methods: time windows, assumption of one Defined Daily Dose (DDD) per day and one tablet per day, and with PRE2DUP that is based on modelling of individual drug purchasing behavior. Expert-opinion based evaluation was conducted with 200 randomly selected purchase histories of warfarin, bisoprolol, simvastatin, risperidone and mirtazapine in the MEDALZ-2005 cohort (28,093 persons with Alzheimer’s disease). Two experts reviewed purchase histories and judged which methods had joined correct purchases and gave correct duration for each of 1000 drug exposure periods. Results The evaluated correctness of drug use periods was 70–94% for PRE2DUP, and depending on grace periods and time window lengths 0–73% for tablet methods, 0–41% for DDD methods and 0–11% for time window methods. The highest rate of evaluated correct solutions for each method class were observed for 1 tablet per day with 180 days grace period (TAB_1_180, 43–73%), and 1 DDD per day with 180 days grace period (1–41%). Time window methods produced at maximum only 11% correct solutions. The best performing fixed method TAB_1_180 reached highest correctness for simvastatin 73% (95% CI 65–81%) whereas 89% (95% CI 84–94%) of PRE2DUP periods were judged as correct. Conclusions This study shows inaccuracy of fixed methods and the urgent need for new data-driven methods. In the expert-opinion based evaluation, the lowest error rates were observed with data-driven method PRE2DUP. PMID:28886089

Comparison of heuristic and cognitive walkthrough usability evaluation methods for evaluating health information systems.

PubMed

Khajouei, Reza; Zahiri Esfahani, Misagh; Jahani, Yunes

2017-04-01

There are several user-based and expert-based usability evaluation methods that may perform differently according to the context in which they are used. The objective of this study was to compare 2 expert-based methods, heuristic evaluation (HE) and cognitive walkthrough (CW), for evaluating usability of health care information systems. Five evaluators independently evaluated a medical office management system using HE and CW. We compared the 2 methods in terms of the number of identified usability problems, their severity, and the coverage of each method. In total, 156 problems were identified using the 2 methods. HE identified a significantly higher number of problems related to the "satisfaction" attribute ( P  = .002). The number of problems identified using CW concerning the "learnability" attribute was significantly higher than those identified using HE ( P  = .005). There was no significant difference between the number of problems identified by HE, based on different usability attributes ( P  = .232). Results of CW showed a significant difference between the number of problems related to usability attributes ( P  < .0001). The average severity of problems identified using CW was significantly higher than that of HE ( P  < .0001). This study showed that HE and CW do not differ significantly in terms of the number of usability problems identified, but they differ based on the severity of problems and the coverage of some usability attributes. The results suggest that CW would be the preferred method for evaluating systems intended for novice users and HE for users who have experience with similar systems. However, more studies are needed to support this finding. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Framework for Evaluating the Impact of Advanced Practice Nursing Roles.

PubMed

Bryant-Lukosius, Denise; Spichiger, Elisabeth; Martin, Jacqueline; Stoll, Hansruedi; Kellerhals, Sabine Degen; Fliedner, Monica; Grossmann, Florian; Henry, Morag; Herrmann, Luzia; Koller, Antje; Schwendimann, René; Ulrich, Anja; Weibel, Lukas; Callens, Betty; De Geest, Sabina

2016-03-01

To address the gap in evidence-based information required to support the development of advanced practice nursing (APN) roles in Switzerland, stakeholders identified the need for guidance to generate strategic evaluation data. This article describes an evaluation framework developed to inform decisions about the effective utilization of APN roles across the country. A participatory approach was used by an international group of stakeholders. Published literature and an evidenced-based framework for introducing APN roles were analyzed and applied to define the purpose, target audiences, and essential elements of the evaluation framework. Through subsequent meetings and review by an expert panel, the framework was developed and refined. A framework to evaluate different types of APN roles as they evolve to meet dynamic population health, practice setting, and health system needs was created. It includes a matrix of key concepts to guide evaluations across three stages of APN role development: introduction, implementation, and long-term sustainability. For each stage, evaluation objectives and questions examining APN role structures, processes, and outcomes from different perspectives (e.g., patients, providers, managers, policy-makers) were identified. A practical, robust framework based on well-established evaluation concepts and current understanding of APN roles can be used to conduct systematic evaluations. The evaluation framework is sufficiently generic to allow application in developed countries globally, both for evaluation as well as research purposes. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Evaluating performance-based test and specifications for sulfate resistance in concrete

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-12-01

This research project involved an experimental evaluation of the sulfate resistance of various concretes and mortars for the purpose of establishing performance-based specifications for the durability of concrete against sulfate attack. The research ...

Evaluation of performance based concrete for bridge decks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) revised the concrete : specification for bridge decks in 2011 to be more performance based with the desired effect of : having less early-age shrinkage cracking. This report evaluates a sample...

Cumulative Risk Assessment: An Overview of Methodological Approaches for Evaluating Combined Health Effects from Exposure to Multiple Environmental Stressors

PubMed Central

Sexton, Ken

2012-01-01

Systematic evaluation of cumulative health risks from the combined effects of multiple environmental stressors is becoming a vital component of risk-based decisions aimed at protecting human populations and communities. This article briefly examines the historical development of cumulative risk assessment as an analytical tool, and discusses current approaches for evaluating cumulative health effects from exposure to both chemical mixtures and combinations of chemical and nonchemical stressors. A comparison of stressor-based and effects-based assessment methods is presented, and the potential value of focusing on viable risk management options to limit the scope of cumulative evaluations is discussed. The ultimate goal of cumulative risk assessment is to provide answers to decision-relevant questions based on organized scientific analysis; even if the answers, at least for the time being, are inexact and uncertain. PMID:22470298

Nonprocess solvent use in the furniture refinishing and repair industry: Evaluation of alternative chemical strippers. Final report, September 1993-December 1994

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

Turner, S.L.

1996-02-01

The report gives results of an evaluation of the feasibility of using alternatives to high volatile organic compound/hazardous air pollutant (VOC/HAP) solvent-based, chemical strippers that are currently used in the furniture repair and refinishing industry to remove both traditional high-VOC lacquer and emerging, low-VOC, wood furniture coatings. Objectives of the research were to: (1) conduct a laboratory evaluation of the performance of five alternative chemical stripper formulations and compare their performance to that of a traditional solvent-based chemical stripper formulation on three coatings types found on wood furniture substrates, and (2) assess, in a furniture refinishing facility, the use ofmore » the best performing alternative chemical stripper on traditional furniture coatings and new emerging low-VOC furniture coatings. Alternative chemical strippers were evaluated based on their stripping effectiveness compare to a methylene-chloride-based stripper.« less

Instruction-Based Approach-Avoidance Effects: Changing Stimulus Evaluation via the Mere Instruction to Approach or Avoid Stimuli.

PubMed

Van Dessel, Pieter; De Houwer, Jan; Gast, Anne; Tucker Smith, Colin

2015-01-01

Prior research suggests that repeatedly approaching or avoiding a certain stimulus changes the liking of this stimulus. We investigated whether these effects of approach and avoidance training occur also when participants do not perform these actions but are merely instructed about the stimulus-action contingencies. Stimulus evaluations were registered using both implicit (Implicit Association Test and evaluative priming) and explicit measures (valence ratings). Instruction-based approach-avoidance effects were observed for relatively neutral fictitious social groups (i.e., Niffites and Luupites), but not for clearly valenced well-known social groups (i.e., Blacks and Whites). We conclude that instructions to approach or avoid stimuli can provide sufficient bases for establishing both implicit and explicit evaluations of novel stimuli and discuss several possible reasons for why similar instruction-based approach-avoidance effects were not found for valenced well-known stimuli.

Project monitoring and evaluation: an enhancing method for health research system management.

PubMed

Djalalinia, Shirin; Owlia, Parviz; Malekafzali, Hossein; Ghanei, Mostafa; Babamahmoodi, Abdolreza; Peykari, Niloofar

2014-04-01

Planning, organizing, staffing, leading and monitoring are the basic functional component of management. In present article, we aim to define the project monitoring and evaluation in health research system (HRS) considering its success and challenges based on our national experience. IN THIS STUDY BASED ON THE INFORMATION OF ANNUAL MEDICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITIES EVALUATION DURING THE LAST DECADE THE HRS INDICATORS HAVE BEEN SCORED IN THREE AXES BASED ON HRS FUNCTIONS: Stewardship, capacity building and knowledge production. In this article, we will focus on the results of HRS evaluation from 2002 to 2010, also on its success and challenges. In an overall view, the main results are the experiences of the designing and implantation of such process after pre-project preparation, all parts followed under the whole supervision of the aims of the HRS evaluation. Project management light the way of practical application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques for better HRS evaluation and management. We concluded that; although monitoring and evaluation as an essential part of HRS Management light the improvement ahead way but we still need to advantage of the new project management advances.

Embedding technology into inter-professional best practices in home safety evaluation.

PubMed

Burns, Suzanne Perea; Pickens, Noralyn Davel

2017-08-01

To explore inter-professional home evaluators' perspectives and needs for building useful and acceptable decision-support tools for the field of home modifications. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of home modification professionals from different regions of the United States. The interview transcripts were analyzed with a qualitative, descriptive, perspective approach. Technology supports current best practice and has potential to inform decision making through features that could enhance home evaluation processes, quality, efficiency and inter-professional communication. Technological advances with app design have created numerous opportunities for the field of home modifications. Integrating technology and inter-professional best practices will improve home safety evaluation and intervention development to meet client-centred and societal needs. Implications for rehabilitation Understanding home evaluators technology needs for home safety evaluations contributes to the development of app-based assessments. Integrating inter-professional perspectives of best practice and technological needs in an app for home assessments improves processes. Novice and expert home evaluators would benefit from decision support systems embedded in app-based assessments. Adoption of app-based assessment would improve efficiency while remaining client-centred.

a model based on crowsourcing for detecting natural hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, J.; Ma, C.; Zhang, J.; Liu, S.; Liu, J.

2015-12-01

Remote Sensing Technology provides a new method for the detecting,early warning,mitigation and relief of natural hazards. Given the suddenness and the unpredictability of the location of natural hazards as well as the actual demands for hazards work, this article proposes an evaluation model for remote sensing detecting of natural hazards based on crowdsourcing. Firstly, using crowdsourcing model and with the help of the Internet and the power of hundreds of millions of Internet users, this evaluation model provides visual interpretation of high-resolution remote sensing images of hazards area and collects massive valuable disaster data; secondly, this evaluation model adopts the strategy of dynamic voting consistency to evaluate the disaster data provided by the crowdsourcing workers; thirdly, this evaluation model pre-estimates the disaster severity with the disaster pre-evaluation model based on regional buffers; lastly, the evaluation model actuates the corresponding expert system work according to the forecast results. The idea of this model breaks the boundaries between geographic information professionals and the public, makes the public participation and the citizen science eventually be realized, and improves the accuracy and timeliness of hazards assessment results.

Social status level and dimension interactively influence person evaluations indexed by P300s.

PubMed

Gyurovski, Ivo; Kubota, Jennifer; Cardenas-Iniguez, Carlos; Cloutier, Jasmin

2018-06-01

Functional neuroimaging research suggests that status-based evaluations may not solely depend on the level of social status but also on the conferred status dimension. However, no reports to date have studied how status level and dimension shape early person evaluations. To explore early status-based person evaluations, event-related brain potential data were collected from 29 participants while they indicated the status level and dimension of faces that had been previously trained to be associated with one of four status types: high moral, low moral, high financial, or low financial. Analysis of the P300 amplitude (previously implicated in social evaluation) revealed an interaction of status level and status dimension such that enhanced P300 amplitudes were observed in response to targets of high financial and low moral status relative to targets of low financial and high moral status. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of our current understanding of status-based evaluation and, more broadly, of the processes by which person knowledge may shape person perception and evaluation.

A Comparative Study of Competency-Based Courses Demonstrating a Potential Measure of Course Quality and Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krause, Jackie; Dias, Laura Portolese; Schedler, Chris

2015-01-01

While competency-based education is growing, standardized tools for evaluating the unique characteristics of course design in this domain are still under development. This preliminary research study evaluated the effectiveness of a rubric developed for assessing course design of competency-based courses in an undergraduate Information Technology…

Are Online Sources for Identifying Evidence-Based Practices Trustworthy? An Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Test, David W.; Kemp-Inman, Amy; Diegelmann, Karen; Hitt, Sara Beth; Bethune, Lauren

2015-01-01

The use of evidence-based practices has become a focus in education since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reauthorization of 2004 required using practices based on scientific research to improve student outcomes. Although many teachers may not have the time or expertise to evaluate the…

Evaluation Report on the Airman Development Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valverde, Horace H.

An evaluation is presented of the Reese Air Force Base, Texas, Airman Development Course which was designed to be a continuation of the airman basic military training conducted at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The Airman Development Course was prepared by training personnel at Reese Air Force Base. The purpose of the course was to increase the…

A School-Based Dental Program Evaluation: Comparison to the Massachusetts Statewide Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culler, Corinna S.; Kotelchuck, Milton; Declercq, Eugene; Kuhlthau, Karen; Jones, Kari; Yoder, Karen M.

2017-01-01

Background: School-based dental programs target high-risk communities and reduce barriers to obtaining dental services by delivering care to students in their schools. We describe the evaluation of a school-based dental program operating in Chelsea, a city north of Boston, with a low-income and largely minority population, by comparing…

Development and Evaluation of a Multimedia e-Learning Resource for Electrolyte and Acid-Base Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davids, Mogamat Razeen; Chikte, Usuf M. E.; Halperin, Mitchell L.

2011-01-01

This article reports on the development and evaluation of a Web-based application that provides instruction and hands-on practice in managing electrolyte and acid-base disorders. Our teaching approach, which focuses on concepts rather than details, encourages quantitative analysis and a logical problem-solving approach. Identifying any dangers to…

Development and Validation of an Instrument for Evaluating Inquiry-Based Tasks in Science Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Wenyuan; Liu, Enshan

2016-01-01

This article describes the development and validation of an instrument that can be used for content analysis of inquiry-based tasks. According to the theories of educational evaluation and qualities of inquiry, four essential functions that inquiry-based tasks should serve are defined: (1) assisting in the construction of understandings about…

Newspaper Content Analysis in Evaluation of a Community-Based Participatory Project to Increase Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granner, Michelle L.; Sharpe, Patricia A.; Burroughs, Ericka L.; Fields, Regina; Hallenbeck, Joyce

2010-01-01

This study conducted a newspaper content analysis as part of an evaluation of a community-based participatory research project focused on increasing physical activity through policy and environmental changes, which included activities related to media advocacy and media-based community education. Daily papers (May 2003 to December 2005) from both…

User Interface Design for WWW-Based Courses: Building upon Student Evaluations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Rennes, Linda; Collis, Betty

This paper describes how student reactions shaped the design of a WWW (World Wide Web)-based course environment at the University of Twente (Netherlands), using the example of a first year course. The first section discusses the importance of user interface (re)design for WWW-based courses. The University's focus on student evaluations of…

Design and Evaluation of a Widget-Based Dashboard for Awareness Support in Research Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinhardt, Wolfgang; Mletzko, Christian; Drachsler, Hendrik; Sloep, Peter B.

2014-01-01

In this article, we describe the rationale, design and evaluation of a widget-based dashboard to support scholars' awareness of their Research Networks. We introduce the concept of a Research Network and discuss Personal Research Environments that are built of as a development parallel to Personal Learning Environments. Based on the results…

Evaluation on Cost Overrun Risks of Long-distance Water Diversion Project Based on SPA-IAHP Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuanyue, Yang; Huimin, Li

2018-02-01

Large investment, long route, many change orders and etc. are main causes for costs overrun of long-distance water diversion project. This paper, based on existing research, builds a full-process cost overrun risk evaluation index system for water diversion project, apply SPA-IAHP method to set up cost overrun risk evaluation mode, calculate and rank weight of every risk evaluation indexes. Finally, the cost overrun risks are comprehensively evaluated by calculating linkage measure, and comprehensive risk level is acquired. SPA-IAHP method can accurately evaluate risks, and the reliability is high. By case calculation and verification, it can provide valid cost overrun decision making information to construction companies.

Quantitative assessment of tumour extraction from dermoscopy images and evaluation of computer-based extraction methods for an automatic melanoma diagnostic system.

PubMed

Iyatomi, Hitoshi; Oka, Hiroshi; Saito, Masataka; Miyake, Ayako; Kimoto, Masayuki; Yamagami, Jun; Kobayashi, Seiichiro; Tanikawa, Akiko; Hagiwara, Masafumi; Ogawa, Koichi; Argenziano, Giuseppe; Soyer, H Peter; Tanaka, Masaru

2006-04-01

The aims of this study were to provide a quantitative assessment of the tumour area extracted by dermatologists and to evaluate computer-based methods from dermoscopy images for refining a computer-based melanoma diagnostic system. Dermoscopic images of 188 Clark naevi, 56 Reed naevi and 75 melanomas were examined. Five dermatologists manually drew the border of each lesion with a tablet computer. The inter-observer variability was evaluated and the standard tumour area (STA) for each dermoscopy image was defined. Manual extractions by 10 non-medical individuals and by two computer-based methods were evaluated with STA-based assessment criteria: precision and recall. Our new computer-based method introduced the region-growing approach in order to yield results close to those obtained by dermatologists. The effectiveness of our extraction method with regard to diagnostic accuracy was evaluated. Two linear classifiers were built using the results of conventional and new computer-based tumour area extraction methods. The final diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating curve (ROC) of each classifier, and the area under each ROC was evaluated. The standard deviations of the tumour area extracted by five dermatologists and 10 non-medical individuals were 8.9% and 10.7%, respectively. After assessment of the extraction results by dermatologists, the STA was defined as the area that was selected by more than two dermatologists. Dermatologists selected the melanoma area with statistically smaller divergence than that of Clark naevus or Reed naevus (P = 0.05). By contrast, non-medical individuals did not show this difference. Our new computer-based extraction algorithm showed superior performance (precision, 94.1%; recall, 95.3%) to the conventional thresholding method (precision, 99.5%; recall, 87.6%). These results indicate that our new algorithm extracted a tumour area close to that obtained by dermatologists and, in particular, the border part of the tumour was adequately extracted. With this refinement, the area under the ROC increased from 0.795 to 0.875 and the diagnostic accuracy showed an increase of approximately 20% in specificity when the sensitivity was 80%. It can be concluded that our computer-based tumour extraction algorithm extracted almost the same area as that obtained by dermatologists and provided improved computer-based diagnostic accuracy.

Effects of alternative outcome scenarios and structured outcome evaluation on case-based ethics instruction.

PubMed

Peacock, Juandre; Harkrider, Lauren N; Bagdasarov, Zhanna; Connelly, Shane; Johnson, James F; Thiel, Chase E; Macdougall, Alexandra E; Mumford, Michael D; Devenport, Lynn D

2013-09-01

Case-based instruction has been regarded by many as a viable alternative to traditional lecture-based education and training. However, little is known about how case-based training techniques impact training effectiveness. This study examined the effects of two such techniques: (a) presentation of alternative outcome scenarios to a case, and (b) conducting a structured outcome evaluation. Consistent with the hypotheses, results indicate that presentation of alternative outcome scenarios reduced knowledge acquisition, reduced sensemaking and ethical decision-making strategy use, and reduced decision ethicality. Conducting a structured outcome evaluation had no impact on these outcomes. Results indicate that those who use case-based instruction should take care to use clear, less complex cases with only a singular outcome if they are seeking these types of outcomes.

Evaluation Criteria for Nursing Student Application of Evidence-Based Practice: A Delphi Study.

PubMed

Bostwick, Lina; Linden, Lois

2016-06-01

Core clinical evaluation criteria do not exist for measuring prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students' application of evidence-based practice (EBP) during direct care assignments. The study objective was to achieve consensus among EBP nursing experts to create clinical criteria for faculty to use in evaluating students' application of EBP principles. A three-round Delphi method was used. Experts were invited to participate in Web-based surveys. Data were analyzed using qualitative coding and categorizing. Quantitative analyses were descriptive calculations for rating and ranking. Expert consensus occurred in the Delphi rounds. The study provides a set of 10 core clinical evaluation criteria for faculty evaluating students' progression toward competency in their application of EBP. A baccalaureate program curriculum requiring the use of Bostwick's EBP Core Clinical Evaluation Criteria will provide a clear definition for understanding basic core EBP competence as expected for the assessment of student learning. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(5):336-341.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Using an integrative mock-up simulation approach for evidence-based evaluation of operating room design prototypes.

PubMed

Bayramzadeh, Sara; Joseph, Anjali; Allison, David; Shultz, Jonas; Abernathy, James

2018-07-01

This paper describes the process and tools developed as part of a multidisciplinary collaborative simulation-based approach for iterative design and evaluation of operating room (OR) prototypes. Full-scale physical mock-ups of healthcare spaces offer an opportunity to actively communicate with and to engage multidisciplinary stakeholders in the design process. While mock-ups are increasingly being used in healthcare facility design projects, they are rarely evaluated in a manner to support active user feedback and engagement. Researchers and architecture students worked closely with clinicians and architects to develop OR design prototypes and engaged clinical end-users in simulated scenarios. An evaluation toolkit was developed to compare design prototypes. The mock-up evaluation helped the team make key decisions about room size, location of OR table, intra-room zoning, and doors location. Structured simulation based mock-up evaluations conducted in the design process can help stakeholders visualize their future workspace and provide active feedback. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Trust Evaluation in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Dang Quan; Lamont, Louise; Mason, Peter C.

Trust has been considered as a social relationship between two individuals in human society. But, as computer science and networking have succeeded in using computers to automate many tasks, the concept of trust can be generalized to cover the reliability and relationships of non-human interaction, such as, for example, information gathering and data routing. This paper investigates the evaluation of trust in the context of ad hoc networks. Nodes evaluate each other’s behaviour based on observables. A node then decides whether to trust another node to have certain innate abilities. We show how accurate such an evaluation could be. We also provide the minimum number of observations required to obtain an accurate evaluation, a result that indicates that observation-based trust in ad hoc networks will remain a challenging problem. The impact of making networking decisions using trust evaluation on the network connectivity is also examined. In this manner, quantitative decisions can be made concerning trust-based routing with the knowledge of the potential impact on connectivity.

How to Assess Quality of Research in Iran, From Input to Impact? Introduction of Peer-Based Research Evaluation Model in Iran.

PubMed

Ebadifar, Asghar; Baradaran Eftekhari, Monir; Owlia, Parviz; Habibi, Elham; Ghalenoee, Elham; Bagheri, Mohammad Reza; Falahat, Katayoun; Eltemasi, Masoumeh; Sobhani, Zahra; Akhondzadeh, Shahin

2017-11-01

Research evaluation is a systematic and objective process to measure relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of research activities, and peer review is one of the most important tools for assessing quality of research. The aim of this study was introducing research evaluation indicators based on peer reviewing. This study was implemented in 4 stages. A list of objective-oriented evaluation indicators were designed in 4 axes, including; governance and leadership, structure, knowledge production and research impact. The top 10% medical sciences research centers (RCs) were evaluated based on peer review. Adequate equipment and laboratory instruments, high quality research publication and national or international cooperation were the main strengths in medical sciences RCs and the most important weaknesses included failure to adhere to strategic plans, parallel actions in similar fields, problems in manpower recruitment, knowledge translation & exchange (KTE) in service providers and policy makers' levels. Peer review evaluation can improve the quality of research.

Valence and arousal-based affective evaluations of foods.

PubMed

Woodward, Halley E; Treat, Teresa A; Cameron, C Daryl; Yegorova, Vitaliya

2017-01-01

We investigated the nutrient-specific and individual-specific validity of dual-process models of valenced and arousal-based affective evaluations of foods across the disordered eating spectrum. 283 undergraduate women provided implicit and explicit valence and arousal-based evaluations of 120 food photos with known nutritional information on structurally similar indirect and direct affect misattribution procedures (AMP; Payne et al., 2005, 2008), and completed questionnaires assessing body mass index (BMI), hunger, restriction, and binge eating. Nomothetically, added fat and added sugar enhance evaluations of foods. Idiographically, hunger and binge eating enhance activation, whereas BMI and restriction enhance pleasantness. Added fat is salient for women who are heavier, hungrier, or who restrict; added sugar is influential for less hungry women. Restriction relates only to valence, whereas binge eating relates only to arousal. Findings are similar across implicit and explicit affective evaluations, albeit stronger for explicit, providing modest support for dual-process models of affective evaluation of foods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic Evaluation of Pharmaco- and Behavioral Therapies for Smoking Cessation: A Critical and Systematic Review of Empirical Research

PubMed Central

Ruger, Jennifer Prah; Lazar, Christina M.

2014-01-01

Economic evaluations are an important tool to improve our understanding of the costs and effects of health care services and to create sustainable health care systems. This article critically assesses empirical evidence from economic evaluations of pharmaco- and behavioral therapies for smoking cessation. A comprehensive literature review of PubMed and the British National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database was conducted. The search identified 15 articles on nicotine-based pharmacotherapies, 12 articles on nonnicotine based pharmacotherapies, no articles on selegiline, and 10 articles on brief counseling for smoking cessation treatment. Results show that both pharmaco- and behavioral therapies for smoking cessation are cost-effective or even cost-saving. The review highlights several shortcomings in methodology and a lack of standardization of current economic evaluations. Efforts to improve methodology will help make future studies more comparable and increase the evidence base so that such evaluations can be more useful to public health practitioners and policy makers. PMID:22224889

Laboratory evaluation of detectors of explosives' effluents

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-11-30

This document contains the classification, technical description and laboratory evaluation of five commercial detectors for explosives' effluents. It includes an outline of operating principles, test and evaluation procedures. The evaluation is based...

Quality evaluation of extracted ion chromatograms and chromatographic peaks in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolomics data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) extraction and chromatographic peak detection are two important processing procedures in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based metabolomics data analysis. Most commonly, the LC/MS technique employs electrospray ionization as the ionization method. The EICs from LC/MS data are often noisy and contain high background signals. Furthermore, the chromatographic peak quality varies with respect to its location in the chromatogram and most peaks have zigzag shapes. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop effective metrics for quality evaluation of EICs and chromatographic peaks in LC/MS based metabolomics data analysis. Results We investigated a comprehensive set of potential quality evaluation metrics for extracted EICs and detected chromatographic peaks. Specifically, for EIC quality evaluation, we analyzed the mass chromatographic quality index (MCQ index) and propose a novel quality evaluation metric, the EIC-related global zigzag index, which is based on an EIC's first order derivatives. For chromatographic peak quality evaluation, we analyzed and compared six metrics: sharpness, Gaussian similarity, signal-to-noise ratio, peak significance level, triangle peak area similarity ratio and the local peak-related local zigzag index. Conclusions Although the MCQ index is suited for selecting and aligning analyte components, it cannot fairly evaluate EICs with high background signals or those containing only a single peak. Our proposed EIC related global zigzag index is robust enough to evaluate EIC qualities in both scenarios. Of the six peak quality evaluation metrics, the sharpness, peak significance level, and zigzag index outperform the others due to the zigzag nature of LC/MS chromatographic peaks. Furthermore, using several peak quality metrics in combination is more efficient than individual metrics in peak quality evaluation. PMID:25350128

Quality evaluation of extracted ion chromatograms and chromatographic peaks in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolomics data.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenchao; Zhao, Patrick X

2014-01-01

Extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) extraction and chromatographic peak detection are two important processing procedures in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based metabolomics data analysis. Most commonly, the LC/MS technique employs electrospray ionization as the ionization method. The EICs from LC/MS data are often noisy and contain high background signals. Furthermore, the chromatographic peak quality varies with respect to its location in the chromatogram and most peaks have zigzag shapes. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop effective metrics for quality evaluation of EICs and chromatographic peaks in LC/MS based metabolomics data analysis. We investigated a comprehensive set of potential quality evaluation metrics for extracted EICs and detected chromatographic peaks. Specifically, for EIC quality evaluation, we analyzed the mass chromatographic quality index (MCQ index) and propose a novel quality evaluation metric, the EIC-related global zigzag index, which is based on an EIC's first order derivatives. For chromatographic peak quality evaluation, we analyzed and compared six metrics: sharpness, Gaussian similarity, signal-to-noise ratio, peak significance level, triangle peak area similarity ratio and the local peak-related local zigzag index. Although the MCQ index is suited for selecting and aligning analyte components, it cannot fairly evaluate EICs with high background signals or those containing only a single peak. Our proposed EIC related global zigzag index is robust enough to evaluate EIC qualities in both scenarios. Of the six peak quality evaluation metrics, the sharpness, peak significance level, and zigzag index outperform the others due to the zigzag nature of LC/MS chromatographic peaks. Furthermore, using several peak quality metrics in combination is more efficient than individual metrics in peak quality evaluation.

Evaluation of the impact of a simulation-enhanced breaking bad news workshop in pediatrics.

PubMed

Tobler, Kathleen; Grant, Estee; Marczinski, Cecile

2014-08-01

Our goal was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation-based workshop for teaching pediatric trainees' communication skills in breaking bad news. A simulation-based workshop was developed to teach skills in breaking bad news. After a classroom-based introduction, small groups of residents participated in 3 scenarios, each starting with a simulated resuscitation, followed by 2 conversations with the patient's parent, played by actors. Each conversation was observed through a 1-way mirror and was followed by a debriefing. After the workshop, the residents completed workshop evaluations and a self-assessment. Before and after the workshop, residents were evaluated in Objective Structured Clinical Examination stations where they were required to give bad news. Two physician experts and 2 parents who personally experienced receiving bad news about their child evaluated resident performance using a previously validated communication evaluation tool. Residents' ratings of the workshop were very high for all items, and 100% of the residents reported improvement in their ability to deliver bad news after the workshop. Statistically significant improvement was found in 14 of 17 items of the evaluation tool used by experts and parents, with the parents reporting greater improvement than the experts. This reflective, simulation-based workshop successfully improved pediatric trainees' skills in having difficult conversations with families, as evaluated by the participants, by physician experts, and, most importantly, by parents who have experienced these conversations in real life.

Paired peer review of university classroom teaching in a school of nursing and midwifery.

PubMed

Bennett, Paul N; Parker, Steve; Smigiel, Heather

2012-08-01

Peer review of university classroom teaching can increase the quality of teaching but is not universally practiced in Australian universities. To report an evaluation of paired peer-review process using both paper and web based teaching evaluation tools. Twenty university teachers in one metropolitan Australian School of Nursing and Midwifery were randomly paired and then randomly assigned to a paper based or web-based peer review tool. Each teacher reviewed each other's classroom teaching as part of a peer review program. The participants then completed an 18 question survey evaluating the peer review tool and paired evaluation process. Responses were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. Regardless of the tool used, participants found this process of peer review positive (75%), collegial (78%), supportive (61%) and non-threatening (71%). Participants reported that the peer review will improve their own classroom delivery (61%), teaching evaluation (61%) and planning (53%). The web-based tool was found to be easier to use and allowed more space than the paper-based tool. Implementation of a web-based paired peer review system can be a positive method of peer review of university classroom teaching. Pairing of teachers to review each other's classroom teaching is a promising strategy and has the potential to improve teaching in teaching universities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical evaluation of BrainTree, a motor imagery hybrid BCI speller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perdikis, S.; Leeb, R.; Williamson, J.; Ramsay, A.; Tavella, M.; Desideri, L.; Hoogerwerf, E.-J.; Al-Khodairy, A.; Murray-Smith, R.; Millán, J. d. R.

2014-06-01

Objective. While brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for communication have reached considerable technical maturity, there is still a great need for state-of-the-art evaluation by the end-users outside laboratory environments. To achieve this primary objective, it is necessary to augment a BCI with a series of components that allow end-users to type text effectively. Approach. This work presents the clinical evaluation of a motor imagery (MI) BCI text-speller, called BrainTree, by six severely disabled end-users and ten able-bodied users. Additionally, we define a generic model of code-based BCI applications, which serves as an analytical tool for evaluation and design. Main results. We show that all users achieved remarkable usability and efficiency outcomes in spelling. Furthermore, our model-based analysis highlights the added value of human-computer interaction techniques and hybrid BCI error-handling mechanisms, and reveals the effects of BCI performances on usability and efficiency in code-based applications. Significance. This study demonstrates the usability potential of code-based MI spellers, with BrainTree being the first to be evaluated by a substantial number of end-users, establishing them as a viable, competitive alternative to other popular BCI spellers. Another major outcome of our model-based analysis is the derivation of a 80% minimum command accuracy requirement for successful code-based application control, revising upwards previous estimates attempted in the literature.

Clinical evaluation of BrainTree, a motor imagery hybrid BCI speller.

PubMed

Perdikis, S; Leeb, R; Williamson, J; Ramsay, A; Tavella, M; Desideri, L; Hoogerwerf, E-J; Al-Khodairy, A; Murray-Smith, R; Millán, J D R

2014-06-01

While brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for communication have reached considerable technical maturity, there is still a great need for state-of-the-art evaluation by the end-users outside laboratory environments. To achieve this primary objective, it is necessary to augment a BCI with a series of components that allow end-users to type text effectively. This work presents the clinical evaluation of a motor imagery (MI) BCI text-speller, called BrainTree, by six severely disabled end-users and ten able-bodied users. Additionally, we define a generic model of code-based BCI applications, which serves as an analytical tool for evaluation and design. We show that all users achieved remarkable usability and efficiency outcomes in spelling. Furthermore, our model-based analysis highlights the added value of human-computer interaction techniques and hybrid BCI error-handling mechanisms, and reveals the effects of BCI performances on usability and efficiency in code-based applications. This study demonstrates the usability potential of code-based MI spellers, with BrainTree being the first to be evaluated by a substantial number of end-users, establishing them as a viable, competitive alternative to other popular BCI spellers. Another major outcome of our model-based analysis is the derivation of a 80% minimum command accuracy requirement for successful code-based application control, revising upwards previous estimates attempted in the literature.

Using Videos Derived from Simulations to Support the Analysis of Spatial Awareness in Synthetic Vision Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boton, Matthew L.; Bass, Ellen J.; Comstock, James R., Jr.

2006-01-01

The evaluation of human-centered systems can be performed using a variety of different methodologies. This paper describes a human-centered systems evaluation methodology where participants watch 5-second non-interactive videos of a system in operation before supplying judgments and subjective measures based on the information conveyed in the videos. This methodology was used to evaluate the ability of different textures and fields of view to convey spatial awareness in synthetic vision systems (SVS) displays. It produced significant results for both judgment based and subjective measures. This method is compared to other methods commonly used to evaluate SVS displays based on cost, the amount of experimental time required, experimental flexibility, and the type of data provided.

An evidence-based approach to organization evaluation and change in human service organizations evaluation and program planning.

PubMed

Schalock, Robert L; Lee, Tim; Verdugo, Miguel; Swart, Kees; Claes, Claudia; van Loon, Jos; Lee, Chun-Shin

2014-08-01

The work described in this article focuses primarily on how human service organizations can use an evidence-based, self-assessment approach to organization evaluation to facilitate continuous quality improvement and organization change. Real-life examples are presented, strengths and challenges discussed, and future conceptual and measurement issues identified. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practical Guide for the Selection of Audio Visual Media. General Criteria System and Evaluation Procedure for Educational Media Decisions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klepzig, H. J.; Weiss, M.

Designed to aid in making concrete decisions on the acquisition and use of media, the criteria system and evaluation procedure described is a multiphase, objective-based decision making process. This report includes guidelines for setting up goal systems and developing criteria for the evaluation of media based on a goal system; an outline of…

Evaluating a Web-Based MMR Decision Aid to Support Informed Decision-Making by UK Parents: A Before-and-After Feasibility Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Cath; Cheater, Francine M.; Peacock, Rose; Leask, Julie; Trevena, Lyndal

2010-01-01

Objective: The objective of this feasibility study was to evaluate the acceptability and potential effectiveness of a web-based MMR decision aid in supporting informed decision-making for the MMR vaccine. Design: This was a prospective before-and-after evaluation. Setting: Thirty parents of children eligible for MMR vaccination were recruited from…

Analytics4Action Evaluation Framework: A Review of Evidence-Based Learning Analytics Interventions at the Open University UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rienties, Bart; Boroowa, Avinash; Cross, Simon; Kubiak, Chris; Mayles, Kevin; Murphy, Sam

2016-01-01

There is an urgent need to develop an evidence-based framework for learning analytics whereby stakeholders can manage, evaluate, and make decisions about which types of interventions work well and under which conditions. In this article, we will work towards developing a foundation of an Analytics4Action Evaluation Framework (A4AEF) that is…

Automatic and user-centric approaches to video summary evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taskiran, Cuneyt M.; Bentley, Frank

2007-01-01

Automatic video summarization has become an active research topic in content-based video processing. However, not much emphasis has been placed on developing rigorous summary evaluation methods and developing summarization systems based on a clear understanding of user needs, obtained through user centered design. In this paper we address these two topics and propose an automatic video summary evaluation algorithm adapted from teh text summarization domain.

Correlations, Trends and Potential Biases among Publicly Accessible Web-Based Student Evaluations of Teaching: A Large-Scale Study of RateMyProfessors.com Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Andrew S.

2018-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching are widely adopted across academic institutions, but there are many underlying trends and biases that can influence their interpretation. Publicly accessible web-based student evaluations of teaching are of particular relevance, due to their widespread use by students in the course selection process and the quantity…

How Quality Improvement Practice Evidence Can Advance the Knowledge Base.

PubMed

OʼRourke, Hannah M; Fraser, Kimberly D

2016-01-01

Recommendations for the evaluation of quality improvement interventions have been made in order to improve the evidence base of whether, to what extent, and why quality improvement interventions affect chosen outcomes. The purpose of this article is to articulate why these recommendations are appropriate to improve the rigor of quality improvement intervention evaluation as a research endeavor, but inappropriate for the purposes of everyday quality improvement practice. To support our claim, we describe the differences between quality improvement interventions that occur for the purpose of practice as compared to research. We then carefully consider how feasibility, ethics, and the aims of evaluation each impact how quality improvement interventions that occur in practice, as opposed to research, can or should be evaluated. Recommendations that fit the evaluative goals of practice-based quality improvement interventions are needed to support fair appraisal of the distinct evidence they produce. We describe a current debate on the nature of evidence to assist in reenvisioning how quality improvement evidence generated from practice might complement that generated from research, and contribute in a value-added way to the knowledge base.

Intelligent Condition Diagnosis Method Based on Adaptive Statistic Test Filter and Diagnostic Bayesian Network

PubMed Central

Li, Ke; Zhang, Qiuju; Wang, Kun; Chen, Peng; Wang, Huaqing

2016-01-01

A new fault diagnosis method for rotating machinery based on adaptive statistic test filter (ASTF) and Diagnostic Bayesian Network (DBN) is presented in this paper. ASTF is proposed to obtain weak fault features under background noise, ASTF is based on statistic hypothesis testing in the frequency domain to evaluate similarity between reference signal (noise signal) and original signal, and remove the component of high similarity. The optimal level of significance α is obtained using particle swarm optimization (PSO). To evaluate the performance of the ASTF, evaluation factor Ipq is also defined. In addition, a simulation experiment is designed to verify the effectiveness and robustness of ASTF. A sensitive evaluation method using principal component analysis (PCA) is proposed to evaluate the sensitiveness of symptom parameters (SPs) for condition diagnosis. By this way, the good SPs that have high sensitiveness for condition diagnosis can be selected. A three-layer DBN is developed to identify condition of rotation machinery based on the Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) theory. Condition diagnosis experiment for rolling element bearings demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method. PMID:26761006

Intelligent Condition Diagnosis Method Based on Adaptive Statistic Test Filter and Diagnostic Bayesian Network.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Zhang, Qiuju; Wang, Kun; Chen, Peng; Wang, Huaqing

2016-01-08

A new fault diagnosis method for rotating machinery based on adaptive statistic test filter (ASTF) and Diagnostic Bayesian Network (DBN) is presented in this paper. ASTF is proposed to obtain weak fault features under background noise, ASTF is based on statistic hypothesis testing in the frequency domain to evaluate similarity between reference signal (noise signal) and original signal, and remove the component of high similarity. The optimal level of significance α is obtained using particle swarm optimization (PSO). To evaluate the performance of the ASTF, evaluation factor Ipq is also defined. In addition, a simulation experiment is designed to verify the effectiveness and robustness of ASTF. A sensitive evaluation method using principal component analysis (PCA) is proposed to evaluate the sensitiveness of symptom parameters (SPs) for condition diagnosis. By this way, the good SPs that have high sensitiveness for condition diagnosis can be selected. A three-layer DBN is developed to identify condition of rotation machinery based on the Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) theory. Condition diagnosis experiment for rolling element bearings demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.

IDIOS: An innovative index for evaluating dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices

PubMed Central

Halboub, Esam; Almashraqi, Abeer Abdulkareem; Khattab, Razan; Al Haffar, Iyad

2016-01-01

Purpose The goal of this study was to develop a new index as an objective reference for evaluating current and newly developed indices used for osteoporosis screening based on dental images. Its name; IDIOS, stands for Index of Dental-imaging Indices of Osteoporosis Screening. Materials and Methods A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted to retrieve studies on dental imaging-based indices for osteoporosis screening. The results of the eligible studies, along with other relevant criteria, were used to develop IDIOS, which has scores ranging from 0 (0%) to 15 (100%). The indices presented in the studies we included were then evaluated using IDIOS. Results The 104 studies that were included utilized 24, 4, and 9 indices derived from panoramic, periapical, and computed tomographic/cone-beam computed tomographic techniques, respectively. The IDIOS scores for these indices ranged from 0 (0%) to 11.75 (78.32%). Conclusion IDIOS is a valuable reference index that facilitates the evaluation of other dental imaging-based osteoporosis screening indices. Furthermore, IDIOS can be utilized to evaluate the accuracy of newly developed indices. PMID:27672615

Practice guidelines for program evaluation in community-based rehabilitation.

PubMed

Grandisson, Marie; Hébert, Michèle; Thibeault, Rachel

2017-06-01

This paper proposes practice guidelines to evaluate community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programs. These were developed through a rigorous three-phase research process including a literature review on good practices in CBR program evaluation, a field study during which a South Africa CBR program was evaluated, and a Delphi study to generate consensus among a highly credible panel of CBR experts from a wide range of backgrounds and geographical areas. The 10 guidelines developed are summarized into a practice model highlighting key features of sound CBR program evaluation. They strongly indicate that sound CBR evaluations are those that give a voice and as much control as possible to the most affected groups, embrace the challenge of diversity, and foster use of evaluation processes and findings through a rigorous, collaborative and empowering approach. The practice guidelines should facilitate CBR evaluation decisions in respect to facilitating an evaluation process, using frameworks and designing methods. Implications for rehabilitation Ten practice guidelines provide guidance to facilitate sound community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program evaluation decisions. Key indications of good practice include: • being as participatory and empowering as possible; • ensuring that all, including the most affected, have a real opportunity to share their thoughts; • highly considering mixed methods and participatory tools; • adapting to fit evaluation context, local culture and language(s); • defining evaluation questions and reporting findings using shared CBR language when possible, which the framework offered may facilitate.

STABILIZATION OF LEAD-BASED PAINT WASTE

EPA Science Inventory

This study evaluated the ability of a cementitious stabilizing agent to reduce leachable lead from lead-based paint waste removed from substrate via blasting, and to evaluate the mechanism by which the reduction occurs. Testing demonstrated that the representative cementitious ag...

Highway Air Pollution Dispersion Modeling : Preliminary Evaluation of Thirteen Models

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-06-01

Thirteen highway air pollution dispersion models have been tested, using a portion of the Airedale air quality data base. The Transportation Air Pollution Studies (TAPS) System, a data base management system specifically designed for evaluating dispe...

Highway Air Pollution Dispersion Modeling : Preliminary Evaluation of Thirteen Models

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-01-01

Thirteen highway air pollution dispersion models have been tested, using a portion of the Airedale air quality data base. The Transportation Air Pollution Studies (TAPS) System, a data base management system specifically designed for evaluating dispe...

Evaluating Student Achievement in Discipline-Based Art Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Michael D.

1985-01-01

The discipline-based view of art education requires that students progress in all of the four domains of art learning: art history, art criticism, aesthetic appreciation, and creative production. Evaluation methods in each of these domains are discussed. (RM)

Development, evaluation and application of performance-based brake testing technologies field test : executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-09-01

This report presents the results of the field test portion of the Development, Evaluation, and Application of Performance-Based Brake Testing Technologies sponsored by the Federal Highway Administrations (FHWA) Office of Motor Carriers.

Stirring up the Mud: Using a Community-Based Participatory Approach to Address Health Disparities through a Faith-Based Initiative

PubMed Central

Kaplan, Sue A.; Ruddock, Charmaine; Golub, Maxine; Davis, Joyce; Foley, Robert; Devia, Carlos; Rosen, Rosa; Berry, Carolyn; Barretto, Brenda; Carter, Toni; Irish-Spencer, Evalina; Marchena, Maria; Purcaro, Ellenrita; Calman, Neil

2011-01-01

This case study provides a mid-course assessment of the Bronx Health REACH faith-based initiative four years into its implementation. The study uses qualitative methods to identify lessons learned and to reflect on the benefits and challenges of using a community-based participatory approach for the development and evaluation of a faith-based program designed to address health disparities. Key findings concern the role of pastoral leadership, the importance of providing a religious context for health promotion and health equality messages, the challenges of creating a bilingual/bi-cultural program, and the need to provide management support to the lay program coordinators. The study also identifies lessons learned about community-based evaluation and the importance of addressing community concern about the balance between evaluation and program. Finally, the study identifies the challenges that lie ahead, including issues of program institution-alization and sustainability. PMID:20168022

Fresh-cow handling practices and methods for identification of health disorders on 45 dairy farms in California.

PubMed

Espadamala, A; Pallarés, P; Lago, A; Silva-Del-Río, N

2016-11-01

The aim of the present study was to describe fresh-cow handling practices and techniques used during fresh cow evaluations to identify postpartum health disorders on 45 dairy farms in California ranging from 450 to 9,500 cows. Fresh cow practices were surveyed regarding (a) grouping and housing, (b) scheduling and work organization, (c) screening for health disorders, and (d) physical examination methods. Information was collected based on cow-side observations and responses from fresh cow evaluators. Cows were housed in the fresh cow pen for 3 to 14 (20%), 15 to 30 (49%), or >31 (31%) d in milk. Fresh cow evaluations were performed daily (78%), 6 times a week (11%), 2 to 5 times a week (9%), or were not routinely performed (2%). There was significant correlation between the duration of fresh cow evaluations and the number of cows housed in the fresh pen. Across all farms, the duration of evaluations ranged from 5 to 240 min, with an average of 16 s spent per cow. During fresh cow checks, evaluators always looked for abnormal vaginal discharge, retained fetal membranes, and down cows. Dairies evaluated appetite based on rumen fill (11%), reduction of feed in the feed bunk (20%), rumination sensors (2%), or a combination of these (29%). Milk yield was evaluated based on udder fill at fresh cow checks (40%), milk flow during milking (11%), milk yield records collected by milk meters (2%), or a combination of udder fill and milk meters (5%). Depressed attitude was evaluated on 64% of the dairies. Health-monitoring exams for early detection of metritis were implemented on 42% of the dairies based on rectal examination (13%), rectal temperature (22%), or both (7%). Dairies implementing health-monitoring exams took longer to perform fresh cow evaluations. Physical examination methods such as rectal examination, auscultation, rectal temperature evaluation, and cow-side ketosis tests were used on 76, 67, 38, and 9% of dairies, respectively. Across dairies, we found large variation in signs of health disorders screened and how those signs were evaluated. Fresh cows were primarily evaluated based on nonspecific and subjective observations during screening. Future research efforts should focus on developing and validating scoring systems to more objectively identify health disorders in postpartum cows. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Process and key points of clinical literature evaluation of post-marketing traditional Chinese medicine].

PubMed

Liu, Huan; Xie, Yanming

2011-10-01

The clinical literature evaluation of the post-marketing traditional Chinese medicine is a comprehensive evaluation by the comprehensive gain, analysis of the drug, literature of drug efficacy, safety, economy, based on the literature evidence and is part of the evaluation of evidence-based medicine. The literature evaluation in the post-marketing Chinese medicine clinical evaluation is in the foundation and the key position. Through the literature evaluation, it can fully grasp the information, grasp listed drug variety of traditional Chinese medicines second development orientation, make clear further clinical indications, perfect the medicines, etc. This paper discusses the main steps and emphasis of the clinical literature evaluation. Emphasizing security literature evaluation should attach importance to the security of a comprehensive collection drug information. Safety assessment should notice traditional Chinese medicine validity evaluation in improving syndrome, improveing the living quality of patients with special advantage. The economics literature evaluation should pay attention to reliability, sensitivity and practicability of the conclusion.

In situ evaluation of surface roughness and micromorphology of temporary soft denture liner materials at different time intervals.

PubMed

Araújo, Célio U; Basting, Roberta T

2018-03-01

To perform an in situ evaluation of surface roughness and micromorphology of two soft liner materials for dentures at different time intervals. The surface roughness of materials may influence the adhesion of micro-organisms and inflammation of the mucosal tissues. The in situ evaluation of surface roughness and the micromorphology of soft liner materials over the course of time may present results different from those of in vitro studies, considering the constant presence of saliva and food, the changes in temperature and the pH level in the oral cavity. Forty-eight rectangular specimens of each of the two soft liner materials were fabricated: a silicone-based material (Mucopren Soft) and an acrylic resin-based material (Trusoft). The specimens were placed in the dentures of 12 participants (n = 12), and the materials were evaluated for surface roughness and micromorphology at different time intervals: 0, 7, 30 and 60 days. Roughness (Ra) was evaluated by means of a roughness tester. Surface micromorphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Analysis of variance for randomised block design and Tukey's test showed that surface roughness values were lower in the groups using the silicone-based material at all the time intervals (P < .0001). The average surface roughness was higher at time interval 0 than at the other intervals, for both materials (P < .0001). The surface micromorphology showed that the silicone material presented a more regular and smoother surface than the acrylic resin-based material. The surface roughness of acrylic resin-based and silicone-based denture soft liner materials decreased after 7 days of evaluation, leading to a smoother surface over time. The silicone-based material showed lower roughness values and a smoother surface than the acrylic resin-based material, thereby making it preferred when selecting more appropriate material, due its tendency to promote less biofilm build-up. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessing communications effectiveness in meeting corporate goals of public health organizations.

PubMed

Brown, Gordon D; Bopp, Kenneth D; Boren, Suzanne Austin

2005-01-01

Much evaluation of health communications in public health is considered from a program perspective of smoking cessation, weight reduction, education on sexually transmitted diseases, etc. These studies have advanced the knowledge base of communications theory and evaluation and have contributed to program effectiveness. In program-based evaluation the communications process is structured as part of the program itself. This article extends program-based communications evaluation to view communications from the perspective of the consumer and how effectively public health departments respond to consumer expectations. It develops a conceptual model for evaluating elements of communications such as its importance in defining mission and goals within the community, managing strategic constituencies, and enlisting individuals and groups as customers and co-producers of health. It gives a broader perspective on how communications in public heath organizations are managed and a basis for assessing whether they are being managed effectively.

Equity Theory Ratios as Causal Schemas.

PubMed

Arvanitis, Alexios; Hantzi, Alexandra

2016-01-01

Equity theory approaches justice evaluations based on ratios of exchange inputs to exchange outcomes. Situations are evaluated as just if ratios are equal and unjust if unequal. We suggest that equity ratios serve a more fundamental cognitive function than the evaluation of justice. More particularly, we propose that they serve as causal schemas for exchange outcomes, that is, they assist in determining whether certain outcomes are caused by inputs of other people in the context of an exchange process. Equality or inequality of ratios in this sense points to an exchange process. Indeed, Study 1 shows that different exchange situations, such as disproportional or balanced proportional situations, create perceptions of give-and-take on the basis of equity ratios. Study 2 shows that perceptions of justice are based more on communicatively accepted rules of interaction than equity-based evaluations, thereby offering a distinction between an attribution and an evaluation cognitive process for exchange outcomes.

Equity Theory Ratios as Causal Schemas

PubMed Central

Arvanitis, Alexios; Hantzi, Alexandra

2016-01-01

Equity theory approaches justice evaluations based on ratios of exchange inputs to exchange outcomes. Situations are evaluated as just if ratios are equal and unjust if unequal. We suggest that equity ratios serve a more fundamental cognitive function than the evaluation of justice. More particularly, we propose that they serve as causal schemas for exchange outcomes, that is, they assist in determining whether certain outcomes are caused by inputs of other people in the context of an exchange process. Equality or inequality of ratios in this sense points to an exchange process. Indeed, Study 1 shows that different exchange situations, such as disproportional or balanced proportional situations, create perceptions of give-and-take on the basis of equity ratios. Study 2 shows that perceptions of justice are based more on communicatively accepted rules of interaction than equity-based evaluations, thereby offering a distinction between an attribution and an evaluation cognitive process for exchange outcomes. PMID:27594846

Using Art For Health Promotion: Evaluating an In-School Program Through Student Perspectives.

PubMed

McKay, Fiona H; McKenzie, Hayley

2017-09-01

The value of incorporating arts-based approaches into health promotion programs has long been recognized as useful in affecting change. Such approaches have been used in many schools across Australia and have been found to promote general well-being and mental health. Despite these positive findings, few programs have used or evaluated an integrated arts-based approach to achieve health and well-being goals. This article presents the findings of an evaluation of an integrated arts-based program focused on creativity and improving well-being in students. The findings of this evaluation suggest that students who took part in the program were more interested in art and music at the end of the program and had gained an overall increase in awareness and mindfulness and a positivity toward leisure activities. This evaluation provides some evidence to suggest that this type of program is a promising way to promote well-being in schools.

Milestone-specific, Observed data points for evaluating levels of performance (MODEL) assessment strategy for anesthesiology residency programs.

PubMed

Nagy, Christopher J; Fitzgerald, Brian M; Kraus, Gregory P

2014-01-01

Anesthesiology residency programs will be expected to have Milestones-based evaluation systems in place by July 2014 as part of the Next Accreditation System. The San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC) anesthesiology residency program developed and implemented a Milestones-based feedback and evaluation system a year ahead of schedule. It has been named the Milestone-specific, Observed Data points for Evaluating Levels of performance (MODEL) assessment strategy. The "MODEL Menu" and the "MODEL Blueprint" are tools that other anesthesiology residency programs can use in developing their own Milestones-based feedback and evaluation systems prior to ACGME-required implementation. Data from our early experience with the streamlined MODEL blueprint assessment strategy showed substantially improved faculty compliance with reporting requirements. The MODEL assessment strategy provides programs with a workable assessment method for residents, and important Milestones data points to programs for ACGME reporting.

Problem-based learning in optical engineering studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voznesenskaya, Anna

2016-09-01

Nowadays, the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is one of the most prospective educational technologies. PBL is based on evaluation of learning outcomes of a student, both professional and personal, instead of traditional evaluation of theoretical knowledge and selective practical skills. Such an approach requires changes in the curricula development. There should be introduced projects (cases) imitating real tasks from the professional life. These cases should include a problem summary with necessary theoretic description, charts, graphs, information sources etc, task to implement and evaluation indicators and criteria. Often these cases are evaluated with the assessment-center method. To motivate students for the given task they could be divided into groups and have a contest. Whilst it looks easy to implement in social, economic or teaching fields PBL is pretty complicated in engineering studies. Examples of cases in the first-cycle optical engineering studies are shown in this paper. Procedures of the PBL implementation and evaluation are described.

[The effects of charity advertising on donations and donors' explicit and implicit evaluations of recipients].

PubMed

Kawamura, Yuta; Kusumi, Takashi

2015-04-01

Advertisements for charity generally employ one of two advertising strategies. The first appeals to the efficacy of support, while the second appeals to the necessity of support. Two experiments investigated the effect of each type of charity advertising on donations and on donors' explicit and implicit evaluations of the recipients. The results indicated that although participants' explicit evaluations of charity recipients were not changed by efficacy-based advertising, they were negatively influenced by necessity-based advertising. Furthermore, Experiment 1 detected moderating effects of empathic concern. The explicit evaluations of participants in the necessity-based advertising group were negatively correlated with their empathic concern. Implicit evaluations were consistently negative in both groups. Both advertising strategies were more effective at securing donations than the control group, which did not use any strategies. These findings suggest practical implications for charity advertising.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Ma, Caihong; Zhao, Xiangui; Wang, Xiaoyu

2018-02-01

The existing index systems on sustainable evaluation are mostly based on a multi index comprehensive evaluation method. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the selection and assignment of evaluation indexes are greatly influenced by subjective factors, which can result in poor comparability of results. By contrast, the Footprint Family (including ecological footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint) is not affected by subjective factors. The Footprint Family also covers the basic tenets of sustainable development. This paper proposes use of a sustainable development evaluation index system based on the principle of the Footprint Family, and including the ecological pressure index ( EPI ), the ecological occupancy index ( EOI ), the ecological economic coordination index ( EECI ), the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission index ( CEI ), the water resources stress index ( WSI ), and the sustainable development index ( SDI ). Furthermore, a standard for grading the evaluated results based on global benchmarks is formulated. The results of an empirical study in China were the following. The development situation deteriorated from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that the SDI decreased from a medium level (grade 5) to a lower-medium level (grade 4). The results of this empirical study also showed that the method of evaluation can avoid the influence of subjective factors and can be used in the evaluation of sustainable development for various temporal and spatial conditions.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamic Analysis of Sustainable Development in China Based on the Footprint Family

PubMed Central

Ma, Caihong; Zhao, Xiangui; Wang, Xiaoyu

2018-01-01

The existing index systems on sustainable evaluation are mostly based on a multi index comprehensive evaluation method. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the selection and assignment of evaluation indexes are greatly influenced by subjective factors, which can result in poor comparability of results. By contrast, the Footprint Family (including ecological footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint) is not affected by subjective factors. The Footprint Family also covers the basic tenets of sustainable development. This paper proposes use of a sustainable development evaluation index system based on the principle of the Footprint Family, and including the ecological pressure index (EPI), the ecological occupancy index (EOI), the ecological economic coordination index (EECI), the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission index (CEI), the water resources stress index (WSI), and the sustainable development index (SDI). Furthermore, a standard for grading the evaluated results based on global benchmarks is formulated. The results of an empirical study in China were the following. The development situation deteriorated from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that the SDI decreased from a medium level (grade 5) to a lower-medium level (grade 4). The results of this empirical study also showed that the method of evaluation can avoid the influence of subjective factors and can be used in the evaluation of sustainable development for various temporal and spatial conditions. PMID:29389886

Global chemical profiling based quality evaluation approach of rhubarb using ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Liu, Haiyu; Qin, Lingling; Zhang, Zhixin; Wang, Qing; Zhang, Qingqing; Lu, Zhiwei; Wei, Shengli; Gao, Xiaoyan; Tu, Pengfei

2015-02-01

A global chemical profiling based quality evaluation approach using ultra performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for the quality evaluation of three rhubarb species, including Rheum palmatum L., Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf., and Rheum officinale Baill. Considering that comprehensive detection of chemical components is crucial for the global profile, a systemic column performance evaluation method was developed. Based on this, a Cortecs column was used to acquire the chemical profile, and Chempattern software was employed to conduct similarity evaluation and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed R. tanguticum could be differentiated from R. palmatum and R. officinale at the similarity value 0.65, but R. palmatum and R. officinale could not be distinguished effectively. Therefore, a common pattern based on three rhubarb species was developed to conduct the quality evaluation, and the similarity value 0.50 was set as an appropriate threshold to control the quality of rhubarb. A total of 88 common peaks were identified by their accurate mass and fragmentation, and partially verified by reference standards. Through the verification, the newly developed method could be successfully used for evaluating the holistic quality of rhubarb. It would provide a reference for the quality control of other herbal medicines. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A toolbox for safety instrumented system evaluation based on improved continuous-time Markov chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardana, Awang N. I.; Kurniady, Rahman; Pambudi, Galih; Purnama, Jaka; Suryopratomo, Kutut

2017-08-01

Safety instrumented system (SIS) is designed to restore a plant into a safe condition when pre-hazardous event is occur. It has a vital role especially in process industries. A SIS shall be meet with safety requirement specifications. To confirm it, SIS shall be evaluated. Typically, the evaluation is calculated by hand. This paper presents a toolbox for SIS evaluation. It is developed based on improved continuous-time Markov chain. The toolbox supports to detailed approach of evaluation. This paper also illustrates an industrial application of the toolbox to evaluate arch burner safety system of primary reformer. The results of the case study demonstrates that the toolbox can be used to evaluate industrial SIS in detail and to plan the maintenance strategy.

Pilot Evaluation of a Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for Taiwanese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yi-Chuen; Fortson, Beverly L.; Tseng, Kai-Wen

2012-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a school-based child sexual abuse prevention program for Taiwanese children. Forty-six Taiwanese children age 6 to 13 were divided into one of two groups based on their school grade and then randomly assigned to a skills-based child sexual abuse prevention program who…

Evaluation of a Web-Based Training in Smoking Cessation Counseling Targeting U.S. Eye-Care Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asfar, Taghrid; Lee, David J.; Lam, Byron L.; Murchison, Ann P.; Mayro, Eileen L.; Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin, Gerald; Gower, Emily W.; Friedman, David S.; Saaddine, Jinan

2018-01-01

Background: Smoking causes blindness-related diseases. Eye-care providers are uniquely positioned to help their patients quit smoking. Aims: Using a pre-/postevaluation design, this study evaluated a web-based training in smoking cessation counseling targeting eye-care providers. Method: The training was developed based on the 3A1R protocol:…

The Role of Ethnicity in School-Based Obesity Intervention for School-Aged Children: A Pilot Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karczewski, Sabrina A.; Carter, Jocelyn S.; DeCator, Draycen D.

2016-01-01

Background: Rates of obesity have risen disproportionately for ethnic minority youth in the United States. School-based programs may be the most comprehensive and cost-effective way to implement primary prevention in children. In this study we evaluated the effect of a school-based obesity prevention on the outcome of body mass index percentile…

Self-Evaluated Effects of Web-Based Portfolio Assessment System for Various Student Motivation Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chi-Cheng

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the self-evaluated effects of a web-based portfolio assessment system on various categories of students of motivation. The subjects for this study were the students of two computer classes in a Junior High School. The experimental group used the web-based portfolio assessment system whereas the control…

Pilot Evaluation of the Feasibility and Acceptability of StressOFF Strategies: A Single-Session School-Based Stress Management Program for Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Amy J.; Heath, Nancy L.; Carsley, Dana

2016-01-01

The present study reports the pilot evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of StressOFF Strategies, a "single-session" (45 min) adolescent-targeted, school-based psychoeducational program, which introduces cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness-based techniques. Five hundred and sixty-five Grade 9 students (57% female;…

Evaluating Student Motivation in Organic Chemistry Courses: Moving from a Lecture-Based to a Flipped Approach with Peer-Led Team Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Yujuan; Raker, Jeffrey R.; Lewis, Jennifer E.

2018-01-01

Academic Motivation Scale-Chemistry (AMS-Chemistry), an instrument based on the self-determination theory, was used to evaluate students' motivation in two organic chemistry courses, where one course was primarily lecture-based and the other implemented flipped classroom and peer-led team learning (Flip-PLTL) pedagogies. Descriptive statistics…

My-Peer Toolkit [1.0]: Developing an Online Resource for Planning and Evaluating Peer-Based Youth Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hildebrand, Janina; Lobo, Roanna; Hallett, Jonathan; Brown, Graham; Maycock, Bruce

2012-01-01

Peer-based youth services provided by small non-profit community organisations have grown in number over the past two decades in response to an increasing need for informal, youth-friendly, accessible and confidential early intervention services. However, gaps in the evidence base and a general lack of evaluation capacity of service providers…

Cognitive Load Criteria for Critical Evaluation and Selection of Web-Based Resources for Science Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klemm, E. Barbara; Iding, Marie K.; Crosby, Martha E.

This study addresses the need to develop research-based criteria for science teacher educators to use in preparing teachers to critically evaluate and select web-based resources for their students' use. The study focuses on the cognitive load imposed on the learner for tasks required in using text, illustrations, and other features of multi-…

Is Performance Feedback for Educators an Evidence-Based Practice? A Systematic Review and Evaluation Based on Single-Case Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallon, Lindsay M.; Collier-Meek, Melissa A.; Maggin, Daniel M.; Sanetti, Lisa M. H.; Johnson, Austin H.

2015-01-01

Optimal levels of treatment fidelity, a critical moderator of intervention effectiveness, are often difficult to sustain in applied settings. It is unknown whether performance feedback, a widely researched method for increasing educators' treatment fidelity, is an evidence-based practice. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the current…

Curriculum-Based Vocational Assessment of Students with Special Needs at the Middle School/Junior High School Levels: The Practical Arts Evaluation System (PAES).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swisher, Judy; Clark, Gary M.

1991-01-01

Describes the Practical Arts Evaluation System (PAES), a curriculum-based vocational assessment program for students with special needs at the middle school/junior high school level. Provides a rationale for curriculum-based assessment and occupational exploration at this level and describes benefits of the program. (Author/JOW)

The Application of FIA-based Data to Wildlife Habitat Modeling: A Comparative Study

Treesearch

Thomas C., Jr. Edwards; Gretchen G. Moisen; Tracey S. Frescino; Randall J. Schultz

2005-01-01

We evaluated the capability of two types of models, one based on spatially explicit variables derived from FIA data and one using so-called traditional habitat evaluation methods, for predicting the presence of cavity-nesting bird habitat in Fishlake National Forest, Utah. Both models performed equally well, in measures of predictive accuracy, with the FIA-based model...

Formative Evaluations of a Web-Based Masters Program: Insights for Web-Based Course Developers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Ching-Chun; Howard, Marvin; Thompson, Ann D.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the various formative evaluation activities that have been conducted for the Masters of Science in Agronomy Distance Education Program at Iowa State University and to provide useful recommendations for educators involved in World Wide Web-based course development. It was found that those faculty members…

Web-Based Online Public Access Catalogues of IIT Libraries in India: An Evaluative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madhusudhan, Margam; Aggarwal, Shalini

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine the various features and components of web-based online public access catalogues (OPACs) of IIT libraries in India with the help of a specially designed evaluation checklist. Design/methodology/approach: The various features of the web-based OPACs in six IIT libraries (IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT…

Development of Competency-Based Web Learning Material and Effect Evaluation of Self-Directed Learning Aptitudes on Learning Achievements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chi-Cheng

2006-01-01

This study aims to develop and evaluate competency-based web learning material (CBWLM) for the college practicum Microprocessor Laboratory. After using the CBWLM for 8 weeks, this study investigates CBWL's learning effects and self-directed learning aptitudes (SDLAs) as well as exploring the influence of SDLA on learning effects based on the…

Evaluating the Effects of Competency-Based Web Learning on Self-Directed Learning Aptitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chi-Cheng

2007-01-01

The main aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of the competency-based web learning material (CBWLM) on the self-directed learning aptitude (SDLA) of college students. Specifically, it seeks to investigate, statistically, the changes in SDLAs at different stages of competency-based web learning (CBWL) over an eight-week period. The sample of…

Evaluation of a Theory-Based Farm to School Pilot Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Alicia S.; Butz, Rebecca; Connell, Carol L.; Yadrick, Kathy

2017-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate behaviors related to fruit and vegetable intake before and after implementation of a theory-based Farm to School pilot intervention in a rural school. Methods: Students in fifth grade at a rural elementary school were asked to complete pre- and post-test measures based on the Theory of…

Utilizing GIS to evaluate base schedules in paratransit operations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-02-02

With ready access to street file names and inexpensive GIS software, paratransit systems can take advantage of GIS technology to evaluate base schedules on a regular basis in order to maintain system efficiency at consistently high levels. This proje...

Evaluation of estrogen receptor alpha activation by glyphosate-based herbicide constituents

EPA Science Inventory

The safety, including the endocrine disruptive capability, of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) is a matter of intense debate. We evaluated the estrogenic potential of glyphosate, commercial GBHs and polyethoxylated tallowamine adjuvants present as co-formulants in GBHs. Glyph...

Gating characteristics of photomultiplier tubes for Lidar applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrick, J. D. W.

1986-01-01

A detector test facility was developed and applied in the evaluation and characterization of lidar detectors in support of the multipurpose airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system based at the Langley Research Center (LaRC). A performance data base of various detector configurations available to the DIAL system was obtained for optimum lidar detector selection. Photomultiplier tubes (PMT's) with multialkaline and bialkaline photocathodes were evaluated in voltage-divider networks (bases) by using either the focusing electrode or dynodes as a gating mechanism. Characteristics used for detector evaluation included gain stability, signal rise time, and the ability to block unwanted high light levels.

Performance evaluation of structure based and ligand based virtual screening methods on ten selected anti-cancer targets.

PubMed

Ramasamy, Thilagavathi; Selvam, Chelliah

2015-10-15

Virtual screening has become an important tool in drug discovery process. Structure based and ligand based approaches are generally used in virtual screening process. To date, several benchmark sets for evaluating the performance of the virtual screening tool are available. In this study, our aim is to compare the performance of both structure based and ligand based virtual screening methods. Ten anti-cancer targets and their corresponding benchmark sets from 'Demanding Evaluation Kits for Objective In silico Screening' (DEKOIS) library were selected. X-ray crystal structures of protein-ligand complexes were selected based on their resolution. Openeye tools such as FRED, vROCS were used and the results were carefully analyzed. At EF1%, vROCS produced better results but at EF5% and EF10%, both FRED and ROCS produced almost similar results. It was noticed that the enrichment factor values were decreased while going from EF1% to EF5% and EF10% in many cases. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Implementing disability evaluation and welfare services based on the framework of the international classification of functioning, disability and health: experiences in Taiwan

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Before 2007, the disability evaluation was based on the medical model in Taiwan. According to the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act, from 2012 the assessment of a person’s eligibility for disability benefits has to be determined based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework nationwide. The purposes of this study were to: 1) design the evaluation tools for disability eligibility system based on the ICF/ICF-Children and Youth; 2) compare the differences of grades of disability between the old and new evaluation systems; 3) analyse the outcome of the new disability evaluation system. Methods To develop evaluation tools and procedure for disability determination, we formed an implementation taskforce, including 199 professional experts, and conducted a small-scale field trial to examine the feasibility of evaluation tools in Phase I. To refine the evaluation tools and process and to compare the difference of the grades of disability between new and old systems, 7,329 persons with disabilities were randomly recruited in a national population-based study in Phase II. To implement the new system smoothly and understand the impact of the new system, the collaboration mechanism was established and data of 168,052 persons who applied for the disability benefits was extracted from the information system and analysed in Phase III. Results The measures of the 43 categories for body function/structure components, the Functioning Scale of Disability Evaluation System for activities/participation components, and the needs assessment have been developed and used in the field after several revisions. In Phase II, there was 49.7% agreement of disability grades between the old and new systems. In Phase III, 110,667 persons with a disability received their welfare services through the new system. Among them, 77% received basic social welfare support, 89% financial support, 24% allowance for assistive technology, 7% caregiver support, 8% nursing care and rehabilitation services at home, and 47% were issued parking permits for persons with disability. Conclusion This study demonstrated that disability evaluation system based on the ICF could provide a common language between disability assessment, needs assessment and welfare services. However, the proposed assessment protocol and tools require additional testing and validation. PMID:24125482

Clinical Evaluation of Tinnitus.

PubMed

Hertzano, Ronna; Teplitzky, Taylor B; Eisenman, David J

2016-05-01

The clinical evaluation of patients with tinnitus differs based on whether the tinnitus is subjective or objective. Subjective tinnitus is usually associated with a hearing loss, and therefore, the clinical evaluation is focused on an otologic and audiologic evaluation with adjunct imaging/tests as necessary. Objective tinnitus is divided into perception of an abnormal somatosound or abnormal perception of a normal somatosound. The distinction between these categories is usually possible based on a history, physical examination, and audiogram, leading to directed imaging to identify the underlying abnormality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness Evaluation Method of Anti-Radiation Missile against Active Decoy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Junyao; Cao, Fei; Li, Sijia

2017-06-01

In the problem of anti-radiation missile against active decoy, whether the ARM can effectively kill the target radiation source and bait is an important index for evaluating the operational effectiveness of the missile. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposes a method to evaluate the effect of ARM against active decoy. Based on the calculation of ARM’s ability to resist the decoy, the paper proposes a method to evaluate the decoy resistance based on the key components of the hitting radar. The method has the advantages of scientific and reliability.

Tracking hand movements captures the response dynamics of the evaluative priming effect.

PubMed

Kawakami, Naoaki; Miura, Emi

2018-06-08

We tested the response dynamics of the evaluative priming effect (i.e. facilitation of target responses following evaluatively congruent compared with evaluatively incongruent primes) using a mouse tracking procedure that records hand movements during the execution of categorisation tasks. In Experiment 1, when participants performed the evaluative categorisation task but not the non-evaluative semantic categorisation task, their mouse trajectories for evaluatively incongruent trials curved more toward the opposite response than those for evaluatively congruent trials, indicating the emergence of evaluative priming effects based on response competition. In Experiment 2, implementing a task-switching procedure in which evaluative and non-evaluative categorisation tasks were intermixed, we obtained reliable evaluative priming effects in the non-evaluative semantic categorisation task as well as in the evaluative categorisation task when participants assigned attention to the evaluative stimulus dimension. Analyses of hand movements revealed that the evaluative priming effects in the evaluative categorisation task were reflected in the mouse trajectories, while evaluative priming effects in the non-evaluative categorisation tasks were reflected in initiation times (i.e. the time elapsed between target onset and first mouse movement). Based on these findings, we discuss the methodological benefits of the mouse tracking procedure and the underlying processes of evaluative priming effects.

Searching for Real-World Effectiveness of Health Care Innovations: Scoping Study of Social Prescribing for Diabetes

PubMed Central

Loef, Martin; Polley, Marie

2017-01-01

Background Social prescribing is a process whereby primary care patients are linked or referred to nonmedical sources of support in the community and voluntary sector. It is a concept that has arisen in practice and implemented widely in the United Kingdom and has been evaluated by various organizations. Objective The aim of our study was to characterize, collate, and analyze the evidence from evaluation of social prescribing for type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom and Ireland, comparing information available on publicly available websites with the published literature. Methods We used a broad, pragmatic definition of social prescribing and conducted Web-based searches for websites of organizations providing potentially relevant services. We also explored linked information. In parallel, we searched Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and reference lists for relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals. We extracted the data systematically on the characteristics, any reported evaluation, outcomes measured and results, and terminology used to describe each service. Results We identified 40 UK- or Ireland-based projects that referred people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes to nonmedical interventions or services provided in the community. We located evaluations of 24 projects; 11 as published papers, 12 as Web-based reports, and 1 as both a paper and a Web-based report. The interventions and services identified included structured group educational programs, exercise referral schemes, and individualized advice and support with signposting of health-related activities in the community. Although specific interventions such as community-based group educational programs and exercise referral have been evaluated in randomized controlled trials, evaluation of individualized social prescribing services involving people with type 2 diabetes has, in most cases, used pre-post and mixed methods approaches. These evaluations report generic improvement in a broad range of outcomes and provide an insight into the criteria for the success of social prescribing services. Conclusions Our study revealed the varied models of social prescribing and nonmedical, community-based services available to people with type 2 diabetes and the extent of evaluation of these, which would not have been achieved by searching databases alone. The findings of this scoping study do not prove that social prescribing is an effective measure for people with type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom, but can be used to inform future evaluation and contribute to the development of the evidence base for social prescribing. Accessing Web-based information provides a potential method for investigating how specific innovative health concepts, such as social prescribing, have been translated, implemented, and evaluated in practice. Several challenges were encountered including defining the concept, focusing on process plus intervention, and searching diverse, evolving Web-based sources. Further exploration of this approach will inform future research on the application of innovative health care concepts into practice. PMID:28153817

Evaluation of g seat augmentation of fixed-base/moving base simulation for transport landings under two visually imposed runway width conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrish, R. V.; Steinmetz, G. G.

1983-01-01

Vertical-motion cues supplied by a g-seat to augment platform motion cues in the other five degrees of freedom were evaluated in terms of their effect on objective performance measures obtained during simulated transport landings under visual conditions. In addition to evaluating the effects of the vertical cueing, runway width and magnification effects were investigated. The g-seat was evaluated during fixed base and moving-base operations. Although performance with the g-seat only improved slightly over that with fixed-base operation, combined g-seat platform operation showed no improvement over improvement over platform-only operation. When one runway width at one magnification factor was compared with another width at a different factor, the visual results indicated that the runway width probably had no effect on pilot-vehicle performance. The new performance differences that were detected may be more readily attributed to the extant (existing throughout) increase in vertical velocity induced by the magnification factor used to change the runway width, rather than to the width itself.

Development of Weeds Density Evaluation System Based on RGB Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solahudin, M.; Slamet, W.; Wahyu, W.

2018-05-01

Weeds are plant competitors which potentially reduce the yields due to competition for sunlight, water and soil nutrients. Recently, for chemical-based weed control, site-specific weed management that accommodates spatial and temporal diversity of weeds attack in determining the appropriate dose of herbicide based on Variable Rate Technology (VRT) is preferable than traditional approach with single dose herbicide application. In such application, determination of the level of weed density is an important task. Several methods have been studied to evaluate the density of weed attack. The objective of this study is to develop a system that is able to evaluate weed density based on RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) sensors. RGB sensor was used to acquire the RGB values of the surface of the field. An artificial neural network (ANN) model was then used for determining the weed density. In this study the ANN model was trained with 280 training data (70%), 60 validation data (15%), and 60 testing data (15%). Based on the field test, using the proposed method the weed density could be evaluated with an accuracy of 83.75%.

Evaluating Academic Scientists Collaborating in Team-Based Research: A Proposed Framework.

PubMed

Mazumdar, Madhu; Messinger, Shari; Finkelstein, Dianne M; Goldberg, Judith D; Lindsell, Christopher J; Morton, Sally C; Pollock, Brad H; Rahbar, Mohammad H; Welty, Leah J; Parker, Robert A

2015-10-01

Criteria for evaluating faculty are traditionally based on a triad of scholarship, teaching, and service. Research scholarship is often measured by first or senior authorship on peer-reviewed scientific publications and being principal investigator on extramural grants. Yet scientific innovation increasingly requires collective rather than individual creativity, which traditional measures of achievement were not designed to capture and, thus, devalue. The authors propose a simple, flexible framework for evaluating team scientists that includes both quantitative and qualitative assessments. An approach for documenting contributions of team scientists in team-based scholarship, nontraditional education, and specialized service activities is also outlined. Although biostatisticians are used for illustration, the approach is generalizable to team scientists in other disciplines.The authors offer three key recommendations to members of institutional promotion committees, department chairs, and others evaluating team scientists. First, contributions to team-based scholarship and specialized contributions to education and service need to be assessed and given appropriate and substantial weight. Second, evaluations must be founded on well-articulated criteria for assessing the stature and accomplishments of team scientists. Finally, mechanisms for collecting evaluative data must be developed and implemented at the institutional level. Without these three essentials, contributions of team scientists will continue to be undervalued in the academic environment.

Community-based oral health promotion practices targeted at children and adolescents in Finland--developing an assessment tool.

PubMed

Blomqvist, Pia; Ojala, Ellinoora; Kettunen, Tarja; Poskiparta, Marita; Kasila, Kirsti

2014-06-01

To develop an assessment tool for evaluating oral health promotion practices and to evaluate community-based oral health promotion practices targeted at children and adolescents with this tool. A theoretical framework about health promotion planning, implementation and evaluation was made on the basis of a literature review. Then, information about Finnish community-based oral health promotion practices (n=12) targeted at children and adolescents was collected using semi-structured interviews. Also, related documents, for example action plans and reports, were collected when available. Next, an assessment tool based on the theoretical framework was developed, and the recorded and transcribed interview data and other documents were evaluated with this tool. The assessment tool proved to be practical: it pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of the practices. The tool revealed strengths in the implementation and deficiencies in the planning and evaluation of oral health promotion practices. One-quarter of the 12 practices assessed could be considered 'good practices'. There is a need to improve the planning and evaluation of oral health promotion practices. The assessment tool developed in this study might be useful for practitioners both in the field of oral health promotion and general health promotion. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Models of morality

PubMed Central

Crockett, Molly J.

2013-01-01

Moral dilemmas engender conflicts between two traditions: consequentialism, which evaluates actions based on their outcomes, and deontology, which evaluates actions themselves. These strikingly resemble two distinct decision-making architectures: a model-based system that selects actions based on inferences about their consequences; and a model-free system that selects actions based on their reinforcement history. Here, I consider how these systems, along with a Pavlovian system that responds reflexively to rewards and punishments, can illuminate puzzles in moral psychology. PMID:23845564

Assessing Changes in High School Students' Conceptual Understanding through Concept Maps before and after the Computer-Based Predict-Observe-Explain (CB-POE) Tasks on Acid-Base Chemistry at the Secondary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaman, Fatma; Ayas, Alipasa

2015-01-01

Although concept maps have been used as alternative assessment methods in education, there has been an ongoing debate on how to evaluate students' concept maps. This study discusses how to evaluate students' concept maps as an assessment tool before and after 15 computer-based Predict-Observe-Explain (CB-POE) tasks related to acid-base chemistry.…

Comparing Methods for UAV-Based Autonomous Surveillance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freed, Michael; Harris, Robert; Shafto, Michael

2004-01-01

We describe an approach to evaluating algorithmic and human performance in directing UAV-based surveillance. Its key elements are a decision-theoretic framework for measuring the utility of a surveillance schedule and an evaluation testbed consisting of 243 scenarios covering a well-defined space of possible missions. We apply this approach to two example UAV-based surveillance methods, a TSP-based algorithm and a human-directed approach, then compare them to identify general strengths, and weaknesses of each method.

Factors that affect implementation of web-based faculty evaluation forms: residents' perspectives from a developing country.

PubMed

Ibrahim, S H; Ali, S K; Sadaf, S

2010-08-01

A web-based evaluation system for residents to provide feedback on faculty was piloted in four training programs at the Aga Khan University prior to institution-wide implementation. Of the four programs, less than 50% of forms were submitted by residents of three programs while more than 70% of forms were submitted by the residents of one program. This study was conducted to identify reasons for the varying participation rates of the four programs with a view to improving the system. A qualitative approach was employed using focus group discussions (FGDs). Volunteers were invited and three groups of eight to ten residents each were formed. Participants for FGDs were selected from all residency years. FGDs were used to identify residents' perceptions regarding the web-based faculty evaluation system and to identify residents' problems and concerns with completing the web-based faculty evaluating forms. Technical issues in completing and submitting the forms online were identified to be the main deterrents to completing the evaluation forms. Non-accessibility of a resource person for resolving technical problems with the software and the burden of taking time out to complete the forms were considered as limiting factors by many residents. Residents recommended a focused orientation session to the new system within the departments. Residents' confidence and support are key to promoting adequate participation in web-based evaluations. Focused orientation sessions, reinforcement, reminders, assurances of confidentiality, and removal of technical glitches should help to improve resident participation.

A comparative evaluation of the effect of internet-based CME delivery format on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Internet-based instruction in continuing medical education (CME) has been associated with favorable outcomes. However, more direct comparative studies of different Internet-based interventions, instructional methods, presentation formats, and approaches to implementation are needed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative evaluation of two Internet-based CME delivery formats and the effect on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcomes. Methods Evaluative outcomes of two differing formats of an Internet-based CME course with identical subject matter were compared. A Scheduled Group Learning format involved case-based asynchronous discussions with peers and a facilitator over a scheduled 3-week delivery period. An eCME On Demand format did not include facilitated discussion and was not based on a schedule; participants could start and finish at any time. A retrospective, pre-post evaluation study design comparing identical satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcome measures was conducted. Results Participants in the Scheduled Group Learning format reported significantly higher mean satisfaction ratings in some areas, performed significantly higher on a post-knowledge assessment and reported significantly higher post-confidence scores than participants in the eCME On Demand format that was not scheduled and did not include facilitated discussion activity. Conclusions The findings support the instructional benefits of a scheduled delivery format and facilitated asynchronous discussion in Internet-based CME. PMID:20113493

[Valences of self-evaluation and approach-avoidance tendencies: research based on regulatory focus theory].

PubMed

Ozaki, Yuka; Karasawa, Kaori

2011-12-01

Four studies were conducted to investigate the relationship between valences of self-evaluation and approach-avoidance tendencies. Based on regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997, 1998), we predicted that positivity of self-evaluation is related to the tendency to approach gains, while negativity of self-evaluation is related to the tendency to avoid losses. In Study 1, a self-report measure of behavioral tendencies for approaching gains and avoiding losses was developed. In Studies 2 to 4, correlations between these approach/avoidance tendencies and various kinds of self-evaluations were examined. Overall, the authors' predictions were supported. The results suggest that the self-evaluation system and the self-regulation system work in close cooperation with each other in controlling human behavior.

Image quality evaluation of full reference algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Nannan; Xie, Kai; Li, Tong; Ye, Yushan

2018-03-01

Image quality evaluation is a classic research topic, the goal is to design the algorithm, given the subjective feelings consistent with the evaluation value. This paper mainly introduces several typical reference methods of Mean Squared Error(MSE), Peak Signal to Noise Rate(PSNR), Structural Similarity Image Metric(SSIM) and feature similarity(FSIM) of objective evaluation methods. The different evaluation methods are tested by Matlab, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods are obtained by analyzing and comparing them.MSE and PSNR are simple, but they are not considered to introduce HVS characteristics into image quality evaluation. The evaluation result is not ideal. SSIM has a good correlation and simple calculation ,because it is considered to the human visual effect into image quality evaluation,However the SSIM method is based on a hypothesis,The evaluation result is limited. The FSIM method can be used for test of gray image and color image test, and the result is better. Experimental results show that the new image quality evaluation algorithm based on FSIM is more accurate.

Single-case synthesis tools I: Comparing tools to evaluate SCD quality and rigor.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Kathleen N; Ledford, Jennifer R; Severini, Katherine E; Pustejovsky, James E; Barton, Erin E; Lloyd, Blair P

2018-03-03

Tools for evaluating the quality and rigor of single case research designs (SCD) are often used when conducting SCD syntheses. Preferred components include evaluations of design features related to the internal validity of SCD to obtain quality and/or rigor ratings. Three tools for evaluating the quality and rigor of SCD (Council for Exceptional Children, What Works Clearinghouse, and Single-Case Analysis and Design Framework) were compared to determine if conclusions regarding the effectiveness of antecedent sensory-based interventions for young children changed based on choice of quality evaluation tool. Evaluation of SCD quality differed across tools, suggesting selection of quality evaluation tools impacts evaluation findings. Suggestions for selecting an appropriate quality and rigor assessment tool are provided and across-tool conclusions are drawn regarding the quality and rigor of studies. Finally, authors provide guidance for using quality evaluations in conjunction with outcome analyses when conducting syntheses of interventions evaluated in the context of SCD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facilitating evaluations of innovative, competence-based assessments: creating understanding and involving multiple stakeholders.

PubMed

Gulikers, Judith T M; Baartman, Liesbeth K J; Biemans, Harm J A

2010-05-01

Schools are held more responsible for evaluating, quality assuring and improving their student assessments. Teachers' lack of understanding of new, competence-based assessments as well as the lack of key stakeholders' involvement, hamper effective and efficient self-evaluations by teachers of innovative, competence-based assessments (CBAs). While evaluating two CBAs in Agricultural Vocational Education and Training institutions, two interventions in the evaluation process aimed to tackle these problems were examined: (1) starting with explicating the CBA in the teacher team using a concrete explication format and (2) qualitatively involving key stakeholders (i.e., teachers, students and employers) in the evaluation of the CBA through mixed-group interviews. Quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as stakeholders' perceptions are used to find indications for the added value of these interventions for evaluation and further improvement of the CBAs. Results show that external facilitation is needed to make both interventions work. However, under this condition, explicating the CBA led to more complete, concrete and shared understandings of the actual CBA among teachers and mixed-groups interviews resulted in more concrete and elaborate evaluations of the CBAs' quality and more ideas for improvement. Both interventions can facilitate building up elaborate, more valid and concrete arguments for CBA quality in self-evaluations, certainly in the case of evaluating innovative assessments. Lessons learned will provide guidelines for incorporating the interventions into other evaluations of innovative programs. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A simple method used to evaluate phase-change materials based on focused-ion beam technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Cheng; Wu, Liangcai; Rao, Feng; Song, Zhitang; Lv, Shilong; Zhou, Xilin; Du, Xiaofeng; Cheng, Yan; Yang, Pingxiong; Chu, Junhao

2013-05-01

A nanoscale phase-change line cell based on focused-ion beam (FIB) technique has been proposed to evaluate the electrical property of the phase-change material. Thanks to the FIB-deposited SiO2 hardmask, only one etching step has been used during the fabrication process of the cell. Reversible phase-change behaviors are observed in the line cells based on Al-Sb-Te and Ge-Sb-Te films. The low power consumption of the Al-Sb-Te based cell has been explained by theoretical calculation accompanying with thermal simulation. This line cell is considered to be a simple and reliable method in evaluating the application prospect of a certain phase-change material.

Evaluation of six NEHRP B/C crustal amplification models proposed for use in western North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boore, David; Campbell, Kenneth W.

2016-01-01

We evaluate six crustal amplification models based on National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) B/C crustal profiles proposed for use in western North America (WNA) and often used in other active crustal regions where crustal properties are unknown. One of the models is based on an interpolation of generic rock velocity profiles previously proposed for WNA and central and eastern North America (CENA), in conjunction with material densities based on an updated velocity–density relationship. A second model is based on the velocity profile used to develop amplification factors for the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA)‐West2 project. A third model is based on a near‐surface velocity profile developed from the NGA‐West2 site database. A fourth model is based on velocity and density profiles originally proposed for use in CENA but recently used to represent crustal properties in California. We propose two alternatives to this latter model that more closely represent WNA crustal properties. We adopt a value of site attenuation (κ0) for each model that is either recommended by the author of the model or proposed by us. Stochastic simulation is used to evaluate the Fourier amplification factors and their impact on response spectra associated with each model. Based on this evaluation, we conclude that among the available models evaluated in this study the NEHRP B/C amplification model of Boore (2016) best represents median crustal amplification in WNA, although the amplification models based on the crustal profiles of Kamai et al. (2013, 2016, unpublished manuscript, see Data and Resources) and Yenier and Atkinson (2015), the latter adjusted to WNA crustal properties, can be used to represent epistemic uncertainty.

Solar energy program evaluation: an introduction

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

deLeon, P.

The Program Evaluation Methodology provides an overview of the practice and methodology of program evaluation and defines more precisely the evaluation techniques and methodologies that would be most appropriate to government organizations which are actively involved in the research, development, and commercialization of solar energy systems. Formal evaluation cannot be treated as a single methodological approach for assessing a program. There are four basic types of evaluation designs - the pre-experimental design; the quasi-experimental design based on time series; the quasi-experimental design based on comparison groups; and the true experimental design. This report is organized to first introduce the rolemore » and issues of evaluation. This is to provide a set of issues to organize the subsequent sections detailing the national solar energy programs. Then, these two themes are integrated by examining the evaluation strategies and methodologies tailored to fit the particular needs of the various individual solar energy programs. (MCW)« less

Telemedicine-based digital retinal imaging vs standard ophthalmologic evaluation for the assessment of diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Li, Zhijian; Wu, Chengqing; Olayiwola, J Nwando; Hilaire, Daniel St; Huang, John J

2012-02-01

To study the cost benefit analysis of using a telemedicine-based digital retinal imaging evaluation compared to conventional ophthalmologic fundus examination of diabetic patients for diabetic retinopathy. In this study, diabetic patients from Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI), a large multi-site Federally Qualified Health Center) were evaluated by teleophthalmology using the Canon CR-1 nonmydriatic fundus camera. Digital images were acquired in the CHCI offices and saved on the EyePACS server network. The images were later evaluated by retinal specialists at the Yale Eye Center, Yale University Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. The costs for the standard of care ophthalmic examinations were calculated based on 2009 Medicaid reimbursement rates. The process of telemedicine-based diagnosis was based on a take-store-forward-visualize system. The cost of telemedicine-based digital retinal imaging examination included cost for devices, training, annual costs and a transportation fee. Current Medicaid reimbursement, transportation, and staff labor costs were used to calculate the conventional retinal examination cost as a comparison. Among the 611 patients digital retinal images screened in the first year of this program and for whom data are available, 166 (27.2%) cases of diabetic retinopathy were identified. Seventy-five (12.3%) patients screened positive with clinically significant disease and were referred for further ophthalmological evaluation and treatment. The primary direct cost of the telemedicine was $3.80, $15.00, $17.60, $1.50, and $2.50 per patient for medical assistant, ophthalmologist, capital cost (Equipment + Training), equipment maintenance, and transportation fee, respectively. The total cost in the telemedicine-based digital retinal imaging and evaluation was $40.40. The cost of conventional retinal examination was $8.70, $65.30, and $3.80 per patients for round-trip transportation, 2009 national Medicaid Physician Fee Schedule allowable for bilateral eye examination, and medical assistant personnel, respectively. The total costs of conventional fundus examination were $77.80. An additional conventional ophthalmologic retinal examination was required for 75 (12.3%) patients with clinically significant disease on telemedicine evaluation, which involves an averaged additional cost of $ 9.55 per patient for all the patients in the study. If the cost of subsequent examination was added, the total cost of telemedicine-based digital fundus imaging was $49.95 per patient in our group of 611 patients evaluated. Our cost analysis indicates that telemedicine-based diabetic retinopathy screening cost less ($49.95 vs $77.80) than conventional retinal examination and the telemedicine-based digital retinal imaging examination has the potential to provide an alternative method with greater convenience and access for the remote and indigent populations. Diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy are growing problems in the United States and worldwide. Large scale adoption of telemedicine should be encouraged as a means toward providing improved access, increasing compliance with annual evaluation, at a low cost for patients with diabetes with direct access to an eye care specialist.

Web-Based Interactive Writing Environment: Development and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jie Chi; Ko, Hwa Wei; Chung, I. Ling

2005-01-01

This study reports the development and evaluation of a web-based interactive writing environment designed for elementary school students. The environment includes three writing themes, "story pass on", "story chameleon" and "thousand ideas", to encourage reading comprehension, creativity and problem-solving skills of…

Field and Simulator Evaluations of a PC-Based Attention Maintenance Training Program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-07-01

This report presents the results of three research studies regarding driver distraction from the forward roadway due to : secondary in-vehicle tasks. Study 1 included the development and evaluation of a PC-based training program named : FOrward Conce...

An Approach to the Evaluation of Hypermedia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knussen, Christina; And Others

1991-01-01

Discusses methods that may be applied to the evaluation of hypermedia, based on six models described by Lawton. Techniques described include observation, self-report measures, interviews, automated measures, psychometric tests, checklists and criterion-based techniques, process models, Experimentally Measuring Usability (EMU), and a naturalistic…

Concept for a Satellite-Based Advanced Air Traffic Management System : Volume 5. System Performance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-02-01

The volume presents the results of the performance evaluation of the Satellite-Based Advanced Air Traffic Management System (SAATMS). The evaluation established the capacity, safety, and delay performance of the system for the Los Angeles Basin termi...

Evaluation of Visibility Sensors at the Eglin Air Force Base Climatic Chamber

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-10-01

Three transmissometers and five forward-scatter meters were evaluated for measuring fog, haze, rain and snow in the large test chamber of the Eglin Air Force Base Climatic Laboratory. Methods were developed for generating moderately uniform and stabl...

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) Light Vehicle Field Operational Test Independent Evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

This report presents the methodology and results of the independent evaluation of a prototype integrated crash warning system for : light vehicles as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems initiative of the United States Department of : ...

Evaluation of Multimedia Authoring Instruction Based in a Behaviorist-Cognitive-Constructivist Continuum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherry, Annette C.

1998-01-01

This evaluative case study examines the learning experiences of graduate students studying effective multimedia authoring. Continuum-based instructional design, behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, collaboration, the role of a matrix, transfer of training, and qualitative and quantitative results are discussed. (LRW)

Using Program Theory-Driven Evaluation Science to Crack the Da Vinci Code

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donaldson, Stewart I.

2005-01-01

Program theory-driven evaluation science uses substantive knowledge, as opposed to method proclivities, to guide program evaluations. It aspires to update, clarify, simplify, and make more accessible the evolving theory of evaluation practice commonly referred to as theory-driven or theory-based evaluation. The evaluator in this chapter provides a…

Attitude towards Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation of High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cyril, A. Vences; Jeyasekaran, D.

2016-01-01

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) refers to a system of school-based evaluation introduced by CBSE in all CBSE affiliated schools across the country to evaluate both scholastic and non-scholastic aspects of students' growth and development. Continuous and comprehensive evaluation is to evaluate every aspect of the child during their…

Essential elements for community engagement in evidence-based youth violence prevention.

PubMed

Miao, Tai-An; Umemoto, Karen; Gonda, Deanna; Hishinuma, Earl S

2011-09-01

In the field of youth violence prevention, there has been increasing emphasis on "evidence based" programs and principles shown through scientific research as reaching their intended outcomes. Community mobilization and engagement play a critical role in many evidence-based programs and strategies, as it takes a concerted effort among a wide range of people within a community to alter behavior and maintain behavioral change. How do concerned individuals and groups within a community engage others within and outside of that community to effectively plan, develop and implement appropriate EB programs as well as evaluate the outcomes and impacts of locally developed programs yet to be proven? The authors discuss five elements essential for community engagement in evidence-based youth violence prevention based on their work in a university-community partnership through the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center (API Center), a National Academic Center for Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention Center supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They include: (a) aligning EBPs with a community's shared vision and values; (b) establishing an inclusive environment for the planning, implementation and evaluation of EBPs; (c) nurturing collaboration for increased effectiveness and efficacy of EBPs; (d) building adequate leadership and community capacity to develop and sustain EBPs; and (e) building a learning community for evaluation and self-reflection. The authors propose placing greater emphasis on "evaluative thinking" and organizational capacity for evaluation as we pursue evidence-based practices for youth violence prevention. This is especially important for ethnic groups for which an evidence base is not well established.

Trial-Based Economic Evaluations in Occupational Health

PubMed Central

van Wier, Marieke F.; Tompa, Emile; Bongers, Paulien M.; van der Beek, Allard J.; van Tulder, Maurits W.; Bosmans, Judith E.

2014-01-01

To allocate available resources as efficiently as possible, decision makers need information on the relative economic merits of occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions. Economic evaluations can provide this information by comparing the costs and consequences of alternatives. Nevertheless, only a few of the studies that consider the effectiveness of OHS interventions take the extra step of considering their resource implications. Moreover, the methodological quality of those that do is generally poor. Therefore, this study aims to help occupational health researchers conduct high-quality trial-based economic evaluations by discussing the theory and methodology that underlie them, and by providing recommendations for good practice regarding their design, analysis, and reporting. This study also helps consumers of this literature with understanding and critically appraising trial-based economic evaluations of OHS interventions. PMID:24854249

Trial-based economic evaluations in occupational health: principles, methods, and recommendations.

PubMed

van Dongen, Johanna M; van Wier, Marieke F; Tompa, Emile; Bongers, Paulien M; van der Beek, Allard J; van Tulder, Maurits W; Bosmans, Judith E

2014-06-01

To allocate available resources as efficiently as possible, decision makers need information on the relative economic merits of occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions. Economic evaluations can provide this information by comparing the costs and consequences of alternatives. Nevertheless, only a few of the studies that consider the effectiveness of OHS interventions take the extra step of considering their resource implications. Moreover, the methodological quality of those that do is generally poor. Therefore, this study aims to help occupational health researchers conduct high-quality trial-based economic evaluations by discussing the theory and methodology that underlie them, and by providing recommendations for good practice regarding their design, analysis, and reporting. This study also helps consumers of this literature with understanding and critically appraising trial-based economic evaluations of OHS interventions.

Probabilistic evaluation of on-line checks in fault-tolerant multiprocessor systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nair, V. S. S.; Hoskote, Yatin V.; Abraham, Jacob A.

1992-01-01

The analysis of fault-tolerant multiprocessor systems that use concurrent error detection (CED) schemes is much more difficult than the analysis of conventional fault-tolerant architectures. Various analytical techniques have been proposed to evaluate CED schemes deterministically. However, these approaches are based on worst-case assumptions related to the failure of system components. Often, the evaluation results do not reflect the actual fault tolerance capabilities of the system. A probabilistic approach to evaluate the fault detecting and locating capabilities of on-line checks in a system is developed. The various probabilities associated with the checking schemes are identified and used in the framework of the matrix-based model. Based on these probabilistic matrices, estimates for the fault tolerance capabilities of various systems are derived analytically.

Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations of Units Dedicated to Acute Coronary Syndromes.

PubMed

Azeredo-Da-Silva, André Luis Ferreira; Perini, Silvana; Rigotti Soares, Pedro Henrique; Polaczyk, Carisi Anne

2016-01-01

Dedicated units for the care of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been submitted to economic evaluations; however, the results have not been systematically presented. To identify and summarize economic outcomes of studies on hospital units dedicated to the initial care of patients with suspected or confirmed ACS. A systematic review of literature to identify economic evaluations of chest pain unit (CPU), coronary care unit (CCU), or equivalent units was done. Two search strategies were used: the first one to identify economic evaluations irrespective of study design, and the second one to identify randomized clinical trials that reported economic outcomes. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and National Health Service (NHS)Economic Evaluation Database. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers. Costs were inflated to 2012 values. Search strategies retrieved five partial economic evaluations based on observational studies, six randomized clinical trials that reported economic outcomes, and five model-based economic evaluations. Overall, cost estimates based on observational studies and randomized clinical trials reported statistically significant cost savings of more than 50% with the adoption of CPU care instead of routine hospitalization or CCU care for suspected low-to-intermediate risk patients with ACS (median per-patient cost US $1,969.89; range US $1,002.12-13,799.15). Model-based economic evaluations reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratios below US $ 50,000/quality-adjusted life-year for all comparisons between intermediate care unit, CPU, or CCU with routine hospital admissions. This finding was sensible to myocardial infarction probability. Published economic evaluations indicate that more intensive care is likely to be cost-effective in comparison to routine hospital admission for patients with suspected ACS. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Review of health information technology usability study methodologies

PubMed Central

Bakken, Suzanne

2011-01-01

Usability factors are a major obstacle to health information technology (IT) adoption. The purpose of this paper is to review and categorize health IT usability study methods and to provide practical guidance on health IT usability evaluation. 2025 references were initially retrieved from the Medline database from 2003 to 2009 that evaluated health IT used by clinicians. Titles and abstracts were first reviewed for inclusion. Full-text articles were then examined to identify final eligibility studies. 629 studies were categorized into the five stages of an integrated usability specification and evaluation framework that was based on a usability model and the system development life cycle (SDLC)-associated stages of evaluation. Theoretical and methodological aspects of 319 studies were extracted in greater detail and studies that focused on system validation (SDLC stage 2) were not assessed further. The number of studies by stage was: stage 1, task-based or user–task interaction, n=42; stage 2, system–task interaction, n=310; stage 3, user–task–system interaction, n=69; stage 4, user–task–system–environment interaction, n=54; and stage 5, user–task–system–environment interaction in routine use, n=199. The studies applied a variety of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Methodological issues included lack of theoretical framework/model, lack of details regarding qualitative study approaches, single evaluation focus, environmental factors not evaluated in the early stages, and guideline adherence as the primary outcome for decision support system evaluations. Based on the findings, a three-level stratified view of health IT usability evaluation is proposed and methodological guidance is offered based upon the type of interaction that is of primary interest in the evaluation. PMID:21828224

Rapid Web-Based Platform for Assessment of Orthopedic Surgery Patient Care Milestones: A 2-Year Validation.

PubMed

Gundle, Kenneth R; Mickelson, Dayne T; Cherones, Arien; Black, Jason; Hanel, Doug P

To determine the validity, feasibility, and responsiveness of a new web-based platform for rapid milestone-based evaluations of orthopedic surgery residents. Single academic medical center, including a trauma center and pediatrics tertiary hospital. Forty residents (PG1-5) in an orthopedic residency program and their faculty evaluators. Residents and faculty were trained and supported in the use of a novel trainee-initiated web-based evaluation system. Residents were encouraged to use the system to track progress on patient care subcompetencies. Two years of prospectively collected data were reviewed from residents at an academic program. The primary outcome was Spearman's rank correlation between postgraduate year (PGY) and competency level achieved as a measure of validity. Secondary outcomes assessed feasibility, resident self-evaluation versus faculty evaluation, the distributions among subcompetencies, and responsiveness over time. Between February 2014 and February 2016, 856 orthopedic surgery patient care subcompetency evaluations were completed (1.2 evaluations per day). Residents promptly requested feedback after a procedure (median = 0 days, interquartile range: 0-2), and faculty responded within 2 days in 51% (median = 2 days, interquartile range: 0-13). Primary outcome showed a correlation between PGY and competency level (r = 0.78, p < 0.001), with significant differences in competency among PGYs (p < 0.001 by Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test). Self-evaluations by residents substantially agreed with faculty-assigned competency level (weighted Cohen's κ = 0.72, p < 0.001). Resident classes beginning the study as PGY1, 2, and 3 separately demonstrated gains in competency over time (Spearman's rank correlation 0.39, 0.60, 0.59, respectively, each p < 0.001). There was significant variance in the number of evaluations submitted per subcompetency (median = 43, range: 6-113) and competency level assigned (p < 0.01). Rapid tracking of trainee competency with milestone-based evaluations in a learner-centered mobile platform demonstrated validity, feasibility, and responsiveness. Next Accreditation System-mandated data may be efficiently collected and used for trainee and program self-study. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A systematic review of technology-based interventions for unintentional injury prevention education and behaviour change.

PubMed

Omaki, Elise; Rizzutti, Nicholas; Shields, Wendy; Zhu, Jeffrey; McDonald, Eileen; Stevens, Martha W; Gielen, Andrea

2017-04-01

The aims of this literature review are to (1) summarise how computer and mobile technology-based health behaviour change applications have been evaluated in unintentional injury prevention, (2) describe how these successes can be applied to injury-prevention programmes in the future and (3) identify research gaps. Studies included in this systematic review were education and behaviour change intervention trials and programme evaluations in which the intervention was delivered by either a computer or mobile technology and addressed an unintentional injury prevention topic. Articles were limited to those published in English and after 1990. Among the 44 technology-based injury-prevention studies included in this review, 16 studies evaluated locally hosted software programmes, 4 studies offered kiosk-based programmes, 11 evaluated remotely hosted internet programmes, 2 studies used mobile technology or portable devices and 11 studies evaluated virtual-reality interventions. Locally hosted software programmes and remotely hosted internet programmes consistently increased knowledge and behaviours. Kiosk programmes showed evidence of modest knowledge and behaviour gains. Both programmes using mobile technology improved behaviours. Virtual-reality programmes consistently improved behaviours, but there were little gains in knowledge. No studies evaluated text-messaging programmes dedicated to injury prevention. There is much potential for computer-based programmes to be used for injury-prevention behaviour change. The reviewed studies provide evidence that computer-based communication is effective in conveying information and influencing how participants think about an injury topic and adopt safety behaviours. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Evaluation of an alcohol-based surgical hand disinfectant containing a synergistic combination of farnesol and benzethonium chloride for immediate and persistent activity against resident hand flora of volunteers and with a novel in vitro pig skin model.

PubMed

Shintre, Milind S; Gaonkar, Trupti A; Modak, Shanta M

2007-02-01

To evaluate the immediate, persistent and sustained in vivo activity of an alcohol-based surgical hand disinfectant, consisting of a zinc gel and a preservative system containing a synergistic combination of farnesol and benzethonium chloride (ZBF disinfectant), and to develop a pig skin model for in vitro evaluation of the immediate and persistent efficacy of alcohol-based surgical hand disinfectants against resident hand flora. The in vivo immediate, persistent, and sustained activity of ZBF disinfectant was evaluated using human volunteers and the "glove-juice" method described in the US Food and Drug Administration's Tentative Final Monograph (FDA-TFM) for Healthcare Antiseptic Products. A novel in vitro pig skin model was developed to compare the immediate and persistent activity of alcohol-based surgical hand disinfectants against resident flora using Staphylococcus epidermidis as the test organism. Four alcohol-based surgical hand disinfectants were evaluated using this model. The results for the ZBF disinfectant exceed the FDA-TFM criteria for immediate, persistent, and sustained activity required for surgical hand disinfectants. The reduction factors for the 4 hand disinfectants obtained using the pig skin model show good agreement with the log(10) reductions in concentrations of hand flora obtained using human volunteers to test for immediate and persistent activity. The ZBF disinfectant we evaluated met the FDA-TFM criteria for surgical hand disinfectants. The immediate and persistent efficacy of the surgical hand disinfectants evaluated with the novel pig skin model described in this study shows good agreement with the results obtained in vivo.

Rational drug therapy education in clinical phase carried out by task-based learning

PubMed Central

Bilge, S. Sırrı; Akyüz, Bahar; Ağrı, Arzu Erdal; Özlem, Mıdık

2017-01-01

Objectives: Irrational drug use results in drug interactions, treatment noncompliance, and drug resistance. Rational pharmacotherapy education is being implemented in many faculties of medicine. Our aim is to introduce rational pharmacotherapy education by clinicians and to evaluate task-based rational drug therapy education in the clinical context. Methods: The Kirkpatrick's evaluation model was used for the evaluation of the program. The participants evaluated the program in terms of constituents of the program, utilization, and contribution to learning. Voluntary participants responded to the evaluation forms after the educational program. Data are evaluated using both quantitative and qualitative tools. SPSS (version 21) used for quantitative data for determining mean and standard deviation values. Descriptive qualitative analysis approach is used for the analysis of open-ended questions. Results: It was revealed that the program and its components have been favorable. A total 95.9% of the students consider the education to be beneficial. Simulated patients practice and personal drug choice/problem-based learning sessions were appreciated by the students in particular. 93.9% of the students stated that all students of medicine should undergo this educational program. Among the five presentations contained in the program, “The Principles of Prescribing” received the highest points (9 ± 1.00) from participating students in general evaluation of the educational program. Conclusion: This study was carried out to improve task-based rational drug therapy education. According to feedback from the students concerning content, method, resource, assessment, and program design; some important changes, especially in number of facilitators and indications, are made in rational pharmacotherapy education in clinical task-based learning program. PMID:28458432

Evaluate Yourself. Evaluation: Research-Based Decision Making Series, Number 9304.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fetterman, David M.

This document considers both self-examination and external evaluation of gifted and talented education programs. Principles of the self-examination process are offered, noting similarities to external evaluation models. Principles of self-evaluation efforts include the importance of maintaining a nonjudgmental orientation, soliciting views from…

Einstein as Evaluator?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caulley, Darrel N.

1982-01-01

Like any other person, Albert Einstein was an informal evaluator, engaged in placing value on various aspects of his life, work, and the world. Based on Einstein's own statements, this paper speculates about what Einstein would have been like as a connoisseur evaluator, a conceptual evaluator, or a responsive evaluator. (Author/BW)

Fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials.

PubMed

Nishi, Kentaro; Isobe, Shin-Ichiro; Zhu, Yun; Kiyama, Ryoiti

2015-10-13

We summarize here the recent progress in fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials by focusing on fluorescent dyes used in bioassays and applications of these assays for food safety, quality and efficacy. Fluorescent dyes have been used in various bioassays, such as biosensing, cell assay, energy transfer-based assay, probing, protein/immunological assay and microarray/biochip assay. Among the arrays used in microarray/biochip assay, fluorescence-based microarrays/biochips, such as antibody/protein microarrays, bead/suspension arrays, capillary/sensor arrays, DNA microarrays/polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based arrays, glycan/lectin arrays, immunoassay/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based arrays, microfluidic chips and tissue arrays, have been developed and used for the assessment of allergy/poisoning/toxicity, contamination and efficacy/mechanism, and quality control/safety. DNA microarray assays have been used widely for food safety and quality as well as searches for active components. DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling may be useful for such purposes due to its advantages in the evaluation of pathway-based intracellular signaling in response to food materials.

Fluorescence-Based Bioassays for the Detection and Evaluation of Food Materials

PubMed Central

Nishi, Kentaro; Isobe, Shin-Ichiro; Zhu, Yun; Kiyama, Ryoiti

2015-01-01

We summarize here the recent progress in fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials by focusing on fluorescent dyes used in bioassays and applications of these assays for food safety, quality and efficacy. Fluorescent dyes have been used in various bioassays, such as biosensing, cell assay, energy transfer-based assay, probing, protein/immunological assay and microarray/biochip assay. Among the arrays used in microarray/biochip assay, fluorescence-based microarrays/biochips, such as antibody/protein microarrays, bead/suspension arrays, capillary/sensor arrays, DNA microarrays/polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based arrays, glycan/lectin arrays, immunoassay/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based arrays, microfluidic chips and tissue arrays, have been developed and used for the assessment of allergy/poisoning/toxicity, contamination and efficacy/mechanism, and quality control/safety. DNA microarray assays have been used widely for food safety and quality as well as searches for active components. DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling may be useful for such purposes due to its advantages in the evaluation of pathway-based intracellular signaling in response to food materials. PMID:26473869

Development and implementation of an independence rating scale and evaluation process for nursing orientation of new graduates.

PubMed

Durkin, Gregory J

2010-01-01

A wide variety of evaluation formats are available for new graduate nurses, but most of them are single-point evaluation tools that do not provide a clear picture of progress for orientee or educator. This article describes the development of a Web-based evaluation tool that combines learning taxonomies with the Synergy model into a rating scale based on independent performance. The evaluation tool and process provides open 24/7 access to evaluation documentation for members of the orientation team, demystifying the process and clarifying expectations. The implementation of the tool has proven to be transformative in the perceptions of evaluation and performance expectations of new graduates. This tool has been successful at monitoring progress, altering education, and opening dialogue about performance for over 125 new graduate nurses since inception.

Comprehensive evaluation index system of total supply capability in distribution network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Linyao; Wu, Guilian; Yang, Jingyuan; Jia, Shuangrui; Zhang, Wei; Sun, Weiqing

2018-01-01

Aiming at the lack of a comprehensive evaluation of the distribution network, based on the existing distribution network evaluation index system, combined with the basic principles of constructing the evaluation index, put forward a new evaluation index system of distribution network capacity. This paper is mainly based on the total supply capability of the distribution network, combining single index and various factors, into a multi-evaluation index of the distribution network, thus forming a reasonable index system, and various indicators of rational quantification make the evaluation results more intuitive. In order to have a comprehensive judgment of distribution network, this paper uses weights to analyse the importance of each index, verify the rationality of the index system through the example, it is proved that the rationality of the index system, so as to guide the direction of distribution network planning.

Creating adaptive web recommendation system based on user behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walek, Bogdan

2018-01-01

The paper proposes adaptive web recommendation system based on user behavior. The proposed system uses expert system to evaluating and recommending suitable items of content. Relevant items are subsequently evaluated and filtered based on history of visited items and user´s preferred categories of items. Main parts of the proposed system are presented and described. The proposed recommendation system is verified on specific example.

Validating the ACE Model for Evaluating Student Performance Using a Teaching-Learning Process Based on Computational Modeling Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louzada, Alexandre Neves; Elia, Marcos da Fonseca; Sampaio, Fábio Ferrentini; Vidal, Andre Luiz Pestana

2014-01-01

The aim of this work is to adapt and test, in a Brazilian public school, the ACE model proposed by Borkulo for evaluating student performance as a teaching-learning process based on computational modeling systems. The ACE model is based on different types of reasoning involving three dimensions. In addition to adapting the model and introducing…

Multi-Criteria Evaluation of the Web-Based E-Learning System: A Methodology Based on Learner Satisfaction and Its Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shee, Daniel Y.; Wang, Yi-Shun

2008-01-01

The web-based e-learning system (WELS) has emerged as a new means of skill training and knowledge acquisition, encouraging both academia and industry to invest resources in the adoption of this system. Traditionally, most pre- and post-adoption tasks related to evaluation are carried out from the viewpoints of technology. Since users have been…

The Effectiveness of Adapted Versions of an Evidence-Based Prevention Program in Reducing Alcohol Use among Alternative School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopson, Laura M.; Holleran Steiker, Lori K.

2010-01-01

Although there is a strong evidence base for effective substance abuse prevention programs for youths, there is a need to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of these programs in real-world settings. This study evaluates the effectiveness of adapted versions of an evidence-based prevention program, keepin' it REAL (kiR), with alternative…

Evaluating Student Response to WeBWorK, a Web-Based Homework Delivery and Grading System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Vicki; Ivanchenko, Volodymyr; Record, Nicholas

2008-01-01

As the use of web-based homework delivery and checking systems expands, we have greater need to evaluate how students engage with these systems and how changes in the systems influence student behavior. Reported here is the assessment of WeBWorK, an open-source web-based homework program used largely in postsecondary math and science courses, with…

A Reliability and Validity of an Instrument to Evaluate the School-Based Assessment System: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghazali, Nor Hasnida Md

2016-01-01

A valid, reliable and practical instrument is needed to evaluate the implementation of the school-based assessment (SBA) system. The aim of this study is to develop and assess the validity and reliability of an instrument to measure the perception of teachers towards the SBA implementation in schools. The instrument is developed based on a…

Hui Malama O Ke Kai: A Positive Prevention-Based Youth Development Program Based on Native Hawaiian Values and Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hishinuma, Earl S.; Chang, Janice Y.; Sy, Angela; Greaney, Malia F.; Morris, Katherine A.; Scronce, Ami C.; Rehuher, Davis; Nishimura, Stephanie T.

2009-01-01

Evaluation of after-school programs that are culturally and place-based and promote positive youth development among minority and indigenous youths has not been widely published. The present evaluation is the first of its kind of an after-school, youth-risk prevention program called Hui Malama O Ke Kai (HMK), that emphasizes Native Hawaiian values…

Rebooting Kirkpatrick: Integrating Information System Theory Into the Evaluation of Web-based Continuing Professional Development Interventions for Interprofessional Education.

PubMed

Shen, Nelson; Yufe, Shira; Saadatfard, Omid; Sockalingam, Sanjeev; Wiljer, David

2017-01-01

Information system research has stressed the importance of theory in understanding how user perceptions can motivate the use and adoption of technology such as web-based continuing professional development programs for interprofessional education (WCPD-IPE). A systematic review was conducted to provide an information system perspective on the current state of WCPD-IPE program evaluation and how current evaluations capture essential theoretical constructs in promoting technology adoption. Six databases were searched to identify studies evaluating WCPD-IPE. Three investigators determined eligibility of the articles. Evaluation items extracted from the studies were assessed using the Kirkpatrick-Barr framework and mapped to the Benefits Evaluation Framework. Thirty-seven eligible studies yielded 362 evaluation items for analysis. Most items (n = 252) were assessed as Kirkpatrick-Barr level 1 (reaction) and were mainly focused on the quality (information, service, and quality) and satisfaction dimensions of the Benefits Evaluation. System quality was the least evaluated quality dimension, accounting for 26 items across 13 studies. WCPD-IPE use was reported in 17 studies and its antecedent factors were evaluated in varying degrees of comprehensiveness. Although user reactions were commonly evaluated, greater focus on user perceptions of system quality (ie, functionality and performance), usefulness, and usability of the web-based platform is required. Surprisingly, WCPD-IPE use was reported in less than half of the studies. This is problematic as use is a prerequisite to realizing any individual, organizational, or societal benefit of WCPD-IPE. This review proposes an integrated framework which accounts for these factors and provides a theoretically grounded guide for future evaluations.

Performance of an open-source heart sound segmentation algorithm on eight independent databases.

PubMed

Liu, Chengyu; Springer, David; Clifford, Gari D

2017-08-01

Heart sound segmentation is a prerequisite step for the automatic analysis of heart sound signals, facilitating the subsequent identification and classification of pathological events. Recently, hidden Markov model-based algorithms have received increased interest due to their robustness in processing noisy recordings. In this study we aim to evaluate the performance of the recently published logistic regression based hidden semi-Markov model (HSMM) heart sound segmentation method, by using a wider variety of independently acquired data of varying quality. Firstly, we constructed a systematic evaluation scheme based on a new collection of heart sound databases, which we assembled for the PhysioNet/CinC Challenge 2016. This collection includes a total of more than 120 000 s of heart sounds recorded from 1297 subjects (including both healthy subjects and cardiovascular patients) and comprises eight independent heart sound databases sourced from multiple independent research groups around the world. Then, the HSMM-based segmentation method was evaluated using the assembled eight databases. The common evaluation metrics of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, as well as the [Formula: see text] measure were used. In addition, the effect of varying the tolerance window for determining a correct segmentation was evaluated. The results confirm the high accuracy of the HSMM-based algorithm on a separate test dataset comprised of 102 306 heart sounds. An average [Formula: see text] score of 98.5% for segmenting S1 and systole intervals and 97.2% for segmenting S2 and diastole intervals were observed. The [Formula: see text] score was shown to increases with an increases in the tolerance window size, as expected. The high segmentation accuracy of the HSMM-based algorithm on a large database confirmed the algorithm's effectiveness. The described evaluation framework, combined with the largest collection of open access heart sound data, provides essential resources for evaluators who need to test their algorithms with realistic data and share reproducible results.

Evaluation of complex community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions.

PubMed

Karacabeyli, D; Allender, S; Pinkney, S; Amed, S

2018-05-16

Multi-setting, multi-component community-based interventions have shown promise in preventing childhood obesity; however, evaluation of these complex interventions remains a challenge. The objective of the study is to systematically review published methodological approaches to outcome evaluation for multi-setting community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions and synthesize a set of pragmatic recommendations. MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched from inception to 6 July 2017. Papers were included if the intervention targeted children ≤18 years, engaged at least two community sectors and described their outcome evaluation methodology. A single reviewer conducted title and abstract scans, full article review and data abstraction. Directed content analysis was performed by three reviewers to identify prevailing themes. Thirty-three studies were included, and of these, 26 employed a quasi-experimental design; the remaining were randomized control trials. Body mass index was the most commonly measured outcome, followed by health behaviour change and psychosocial outcomes. Six themes emerged, highlighting advantages and disadvantages of active vs. passive consent, quasi-experimental vs. randomized control trials, longitudinal vs. repeat cross-sectional designs and the roles of process evaluation and methodological flexibility in evaluating complex interventions. Selection of study designs and outcome measures compatible with community infrastructure, accompanied by process evaluation, may facilitate successful outcome evaluation. © 2018 World Obesity Federation.

Regional Risk Evaluation of Flood Disasters for the Trunk-Highway in Shaanxi, China

PubMed Central

Qi, Hong-Liang; Tian, Wei-Ping; Li, Jia-Chun

2015-01-01

Due to the complicated environment there are various types of highway disasters in Shaanxi Province (China). The damages caused are severe, losses are heavy, and have rapidly increased over the years, especially those caused by flood disasters along the rivers in mountainous areas. Therefore, research on risk evaluations, which play important roles in the prevention and mitigation of highway disasters are very important. An evaluation model was established based on the superposition theory of regional influencing factors to highway flood disasters. Based on the formation mechanism and influencing factors of highway flood disasters, the main influencing factors were selected. These factors include rainstorms, terrain slopes, soil types, vegetation coverage and regional river density, which are based on evaluation indexes from climate conditions and underlying surface of the basin. A regional risk evaluation of highway flood disasters in Shaanxi was established using GIS. The risk index was divided into five levels using statistical methods, in accordance with the regional characteristics of highway flood disasters. Considering the difference in upfront investments, road grade, etc, between expressways and trunk-highways in China, a regional risk evaluation of trunk-highway flood disasters was completed. The evaluation results indicate that the risk evaluation is consistent with the actual situation. PMID:26528994

Regional Risk Evaluation of Flood Disasters for the Trunk-Highway in Shaanxi, China.

PubMed

Qi, Hong-Liang; Tian, Wei-Ping; Li, Jia-Chun

2015-10-29

Due to the complicated environment there are various types of highway disasters in Shaanxi Province (China). The damages caused are severe, losses are heavy, and have rapidly increased over the years, especially those caused by flood disasters along the rivers in mountainous areas. Therefore, research on risk evaluations, which play important roles in the prevention and mitigation of highway disasters are very important. An evaluation model was established based on the superposition theory of regional influencing factors to highway flood disasters. Based on the formation mechanism and influencing factors of highway flood disasters, the main influencing factors were selected. These factors include rainstorms, terrain slopes, soil types, vegetation coverage and regional river density, which are based on evaluation indexes from climate conditions and underlying surface of the basin. A regional risk evaluation of highway flood disasters in Shaanxi was established using GIS. The risk index was divided into five levels using statistical methods, in accordance with the regional characteristics of highway flood disasters. Considering the difference in upfront investments, road grade, etc, between expressways and trunk-highways in China, a regional risk evaluation of trunk-highway flood disasters was completed. The evaluation results indicate that the risk evaluation is consistent with the actual situation.

Evaluation of Evidence-Based Nursing Pain Management Practice

PubMed Central

Song, Wenjia; Eaton, Linda H.; Gordon, Debra B.; Hoyle, Christine; Doorenbos, Ardith Z.

2014-01-01

Background It is important to ensure that cancer pain management is based on the best evidence. Nursing evidence-based pain management can be examined through an evaluation of pain documentation. Aims This study aimed to (a) modify and test an evaluation tool for nursing cancer pain documentation, and (b) describe the frequency and quality of nursing pain documentation in one oncology unit via electronic medical system. Design and Setting A descriptive cross-sectional design was used for this study at an oncology unit of an academic medical center in the Pacific Northwest. Methods Medical records were examined for 37 adults hospitalized during April and May of 2013. Nursing pain documentations (N = 230) were reviewed using an evaluation tool modified from the Cancer Pain Practice Index to consist of 13 evidence-based pain management indicators, including pain assessment, care plan, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, monitoring and treatment of analgesic side effects, communication with physicians, and patient education. Individual nursing documentation was assigned a score from 0 (worst possible) to 13 (best possible), to reflect the delivery of evidence-based pain management. Results The participating nurses documented 90% of the recommended evidence-based pain management indicators. Documentation was suboptimal for pain reassessment, pharmacologic interventions, and bowel regimen. Conclusions The study results provide implications for enhancing electronic medical record design and highlight a need for future research to understand the reasons for suboptimal nursing documentation of cancer pain management. For the future use of the data evaluation tool, we recommend additional modifications according to study settings. PMID:26256215