Prospective randomized comparison of standard didactic lecture versus high-fidelity simulation for radiology resident contrast reaction management training.

PubMed

Wang, Carolyn L; Schopp, Jennifer G; Petscavage, Jonelle M; Paladin, Angelisa M; Richardson, Michael L; Bush, William H

2011-06-01

The objective of our study was to assess whether high-fidelity simulation-based training is more effective than traditional didactic lecture to train radiology residents in the management of contrast reactions. This was a prospective study of 44 radiology residents randomized into a simulation group versus a lecture group. All residents attended a contrast reaction didactic lecture. Four months later, baseline knowledge was assessed with a written test, which we refer to as the "pretest." After the pretest, the 21 residents in the lecture group attended a repeat didactic lecture and the 23 residents in the simulation group underwent high-fidelity simulation-based training with five contrast reaction scenarios. Next, all residents took a second written test, which we refer to as the "posttest." Two months after the posttest, both groups took a third written test, which we refer to as the "delayed posttest," and underwent performance testing with a high-fidelity severe contrast reaction scenario graded on predefined critical actions. There was no statistically significant difference between the simulation and lecture group pretest, immediate posttest, or delayed posttest scores. The simulation group performed better than the lecture group on the severe contrast reaction simulation scenario (p = 0.001). The simulation group reported improved comfort in identifying and managing contrast reactions and administering medications after the simulation training (p ≤ 0.04) and was more comfortable than the control group (p = 0.03), which reported no change in comfort level after the repeat didactic lecture. When compared with didactic lecture, high-fidelity simulation-based training of contrast reaction management shows equal results on written test scores but improved performance during a high-fidelity severe contrast reaction simulation scenario.

Effect of a novel video game on stroke knowledge of 9- to 10-year-old, low-income children.

PubMed

Williams, Olajide; Hecht, Mindy F; DeSorbo, Alexandra L; Huq, Saima; Noble, James M

2014-03-01

Improving actionable stroke knowledge of a witness or bystander, which in some cases are children, may improve response to an acute stroke event. We used a quasiexperimental pre-test post-test design to evaluate actionable stroke knowledge of 210 children aged 9 to 10 years in response to a single, 15-minute exposure to a stroke education video game conducted in the school computer laboratory. After immediate post-test, we provided remote password-protected online video game access and encouraged children to play at their leisure from home. An unannounced delayed post-test occurred 7 weeks later. Two hundred ten children completed pretest, 205 completed immediate post-test, whereas 198 completed delayed post-test. One hundred fifty-six (74%) children had Internet access at home, and 41 (26%), mostly girls, played the video game remotely. There was significant improvement in stroke symptom composite scores, calling 911, and all individual stroke knowledge items, including a distractor across the testing sequence (P<0.05). Children who played the video game remotely demonstrated significant improvement in knowledge of 1 symptom (sudden imbalance) compared with children who did not (P<0.05), although overall composite scores showed no difference. Stroke education video games may represent novel means for improving and sustaining actionable stroke knowledge of children.

The efficacy of video feedback for learning the golf swing.

PubMed

Guadagnoli, M; Holcomb, W; Davis, M

2002-08-01

This study was designed to examine the efficacy of video instruction relative to that of verbal and self-guided instruction. Before training, 30 golfers were assigned at random to one of three groups: video, verbal or self-guided instruction. Video instruction was defined as a practice session in which the teacher was aided by the use of video. Verbal instruction was defined as practising with the teacher providing verbal feedback. Self-guided practice was defined as practising without the aid of a teacher. The participants had a pre-test, four 90 min practice sessions, an immediate post-test and a 2 week delayed post-test. During the pre-test and post-tests, all participants were required to strike 15 golf balls, with a 7-iron, from an artificial turf mat for distance and accuracy. The results showed that all groups were equal on the pre-test. On the first post-test, the two instruction groups performed worse than the self-guided group. However, on the second post-test, the two instruction groups performed better than the self-guided group, with the video group performing best. We interpret these results to mean that video analysis is an effective means of practice, but that the positive effects may take some time to develop.

Reducing Ageism: Education About Aging and Extended Contact With Older Adults.

PubMed

Lytle, Ashley; Levy, Sheri R

2017-11-19

Ageism is of increasing concern due to the growing older population worldwide and youth-centered focus of many societies. The current investigation tested the PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) model for the first time. Two online experimental studies examined 2 key factors for reducing ageism: education about aging (providing accurate information about aging) and extended contact (knowledge of positive intergenerational contact) as well as their potential combined effect (education plus extended contact). In Study 1, 354 undergraduates in all 3 experimental conditions (vs. control participants) reported less negative attitudes toward older adults (delayed post-test) and greater aging knowledge (immediate and delayed post-tests), when controlling for pre-study attitudes. In Study 2, 505 national community participants (ages 18-59) in all experimental conditions (vs. control participants) reported less negative attitudes toward older adults (immediate post-test) and greater aging knowledge (immediate and delayed post-tests). In summary, across 2 online studies, education about aging and knowledge of intergenerational extended contact improved attitudes toward older adults and aging knowledge. Thus, brief, online ageism-reduction strategies can be an effective way to combat ageism. These strategies hold promise to be tested in other settings, with other samples, and to be elaborated into more in-depth interventions that aim to reduce ageism in everyday culture. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Web-Based Tutoring of the Structure Strategy with or without Elaborated Feedback or Choice for Fifth- and Seventh-Grade Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Bonnie J. F.; Wijekumar, Kay; Middlemiss, Wendy; Higley, Kelli; Lei, Pui-Wa; Meier, Catherine; Spielvogel, James

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effects of different versions of Web-based instruction focused on text structure on fifth- and seventh-grade students' reading comprehension. Stratified random assignment was employed in a two-factor experiment embedded within a pretest and multiple posttests design (immediate and four-month delayed posttests). The two…

Direct Written Corrective Feedback, Learner Differences, and the Acquisition of Second Language Article Use for Generic and Specific Plural Reference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stefanou, Charis; Revesz, Andrea

2015-01-01

This article reports on a classroom-based study that investigated the effectiveness of direct written corrective feedback in relation to learner differences in grammatical sensitivity and knowledge of metalanguage. The study employed a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest design with two treatment sessions. Eighty-nine Greek English as a foreign…

Comparative Response of Platelet fV and Plasma fV to Activated Protein C and Relevance to a Model of Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-12

inducing concen tration. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the concentration of aPC required to induce significant delays in clot time, decrease...instructions and mixed with 50 ml plasma ( pre incubated at 37 uC). The Mean Normal PT is listed as 13.5 s for this device, and INR is calculated by...and pair wise comparison Bonferroni posttests . Results Nanomolar aPC Is Required to Prolong PT/INR PT measurements in fVdp are delayed compared to

Effect of the 5E Model on Prospective Teachers' Conceptual Understanding of Diffusion and Osmosis: A Mixed Method Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artun, Huseyin; Costu, Bayram

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore a group of prospective primary teachers' conceptual understanding of diffusion and osmosis as they implemented a 5E constructivist model and related materials in a science methods course. Fifty prospective primary teachers' ideas were elicited using a pre- and post-test and delayed post-test survey consisting…

The effect of inquiry based science instruction on student understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nail, Jessica Lynette

According to the TIMSS Study (2007), the United States is falling behind in the subjects of math and science. In order for the students in the United States to develop scientific literacy and remain competitive globally, inquiry must be the priority when teaching science (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1990). The main purpose of this research was to see if inquiry-based instruction in the science classroom had a significant effect on student understanding and retention of information in a rural school in Virginia. The effect of inquiry-based science instruction on gender was also examined. The researcher implemented a four-week, inquiry-based unit on Virginia Sol 6.7, written in the 5 E learning style to 358 sixth-grade students and compared their posttest gains and delayed posttest scores to a control group consisting of 268 students. The control group received traditional teaching methods. The results for the posttest gains produced a p = 0.01. Therefore, there was a significant difference in the experimental group, which received the treatment, when compared to the control group, which did not receive treatment. A t test was also used to compare the delayed test scores of the experimental group to the control group. The results showed a p < 0.0001 when comparing the experimental group, which received the four-week inquiry-based science instruction treatment, to the control, which did not receive the treatment. This t test showed a very highly significant difference between the experimental group and the control group. Based on these results, it is imperative that Virginia begin implementing inquiry-based instruction in the science classroom.

Evaluating the efficacy of a chemistry video game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shapiro, Marina

A quasi-experimental design pre-test/post-test intervention study utilizing a within group analysis was conducted with 45 undergraduate college chemistry students that investigated the effect of implementing a game-based learning environment into an undergraduate college chemistry course in order to learn if serious educational games (SEGs) can be used to achieve knowledge gains of complex chemistry concepts and to achieve increase in students' positive attitude toward chemistry. To evaluate if students learn chemistry concepts by participating in a chemistry game-based learning environment, a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted across three time points (pre-test, post-test, delayed post-test which were chemistry content exams). Results showed that there was an increase in exam scores over time. The results of the ANOVA indicated a statistically significant time effect. To evaluate if students' attitude towards chemistry increased as a result of participating in a chemistry game-based learning environment a paired samples t-test was conducted using a chemistry attitudinal survey by Mahdi (2014) as the pre- and post-test. Results of the paired-samples t-test indicated that there was no significant difference in pre-attitudinal scores and post-attitudinal scores.

The Effect of Integrating Aesthetic Understanding in Reflective Inquiry Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R.; Chen, Chung-Chih; Chou, Chien-Ho

2011-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of integrating aesthetic understanding in reflective inquiry activities. Three typical classes of Taiwanese eighth graders (n = 106) and nine additional low-achieving students in the same school participated in the study. The treatment for experimental students emphasized scaffolding aesthetic understanding and reflections on inquiry strategies. It was found that the experimental group students consistently outperformed their counterparts on the post-test and the delayed post-test in conceptual understanding and application of science knowledge. In addition, the low-achieving students were motivated by the treatment and made significant progress on the two tests. The results of interview and classroom observation also revealed that the intervention made a difference in students' affective perceptions.

The effect of pedagogy informed by constructivism: A comparison of student achievement across constructivist and traditional classroom environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gatlin, Linda Sue

Implicit in the call for educational reform in the teaching of science has been the suggestion that pursuing constructivist principles in science teaching will lead to improvement in student achievement. (Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1990; National Research Council, 1995; NSTA, 1992). The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two types of pedagogy; didactic/traditional and constructivist-informed pedagogy on student achievement. Secondly, this study examined the relationship between students' and teachers' perception of constructivism in classroom environments. A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest and delayed posttest quasi-experimental design was used in this study. Subjects involved in this study included two teachers and their respective students from a suburban public school district in the South. The sample consisted of two groups, one taught by traditional/didactic instruction (n = 25) and the other taught by constructivist informed pedagogy (n = 26). Data for this study was collected using the Constructivist Learning Environmental Survey, The Science Classroom Observation Rubric, the Teaching Practices Assessment, and a demographic survey. Ancillary data was collected with the Student Outcome Assessment and interpretive methodologies. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (p < .05; pretest as covariate) was used to measure the effects of constructivist informed and traditional pedagogy on student achievement. Student achievement was measured with a researcher-designed pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest. A significance difference was found on the science achievement posttest where the students receiving the traditional pedagogy scored higher than the students taught by the constructivist pedagogy. However, the scores of students receiving constructivist-informed pedagogy showed a slight increase on the delayed posttest, while the traditionally taught students' scores decreased, thus the difference in the achievement of the two groups was diminished over time. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the ancillary data from the Student Outcome Assessment. (p < .05) Among 51 students tested, those who received the constructivist informed pedagogy had higher retention, approaching significance of the biology concepts tested over time. Ancillary data was used to assist the interpretation of the assessment measurements. Using ratios of students' and teachers' scores of perceived constructivist attributes in their classroom appeared to be an effective way for teachers to compare student perceptions with their own.

Barriers to HIV testing, linkage to care, and treatment adherence: a cross-sectional study from a large urban center of Brazil.

PubMed

MacCarthy, Sarah; Hoffmann, Michael; Nunn, Amy; Silva, Luís Augusto Vasconcelos da; Dourado, Ines

2016-12-01

Early, continued engagement with the HIV treatment continuum can help achieve viral suppression, though few studies have explored how risk factors for delays differ across the continuum. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of delayed diagnosis, delayed linkage to care, and nonadherence to treatment in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Data were collected during 2010 in a cross-sectional study with a sample (n = 1 970) of HIV-infected individuals enrolled in care. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified sociodemographic variables, behaviors, and measures of health service quality that were associated with delayed diagnosis, delayed linkage to care, and treatment nonadherence. For delayed diagnosis, male gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 3.02; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.0-4.6); age 45 years and older (AOR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.1-2.5); and provider-initiated testing (AOR, 3.00; 95% CI, 2.1-4.4) increased odds, while drug use (AOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.2-0.5) and receiving results in a private space (AOR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8) decreased odds. For delayed linkage to care, unemployment (AOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.07-1.9) and difficulty understanding or speaking with a health care worker (AOR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.2-2.1) increased odds, while posttest counseling (AOR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.3-0.7) decreased odds. For nonadherence, experiencing verbal or physical discrimination related to HIV (AOR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.3-3.0) and feeling mistreated or not properly attended to at HIV care (AOR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.0-2.5) increased odds, while posttest counseling (AOR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.2-0.6) decreased odds. More attention is needed on how policies, programs, and research can provide tailored support across the treatment continuum.

The effect of four instructional methods, gender, and time of testing on the achievement of sixth graders learning to interpret graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Jerry Wayne

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of four instructional methods (direct instruction, computer-aided instruction, video observation, and microcomputer-based lab activities), gender, and time of testing (pretest, immediate posttest for determining the immediate effect of instruction, and a delayed posttest two weeks later to determine the retained effect of the instruction) on the achievement of sixth graders who were learning to interpret graphs of displacement and velocity. The dependent variable of achievement was reflected in the scores earned by students on a testing instrument of established validity and reliability. The 107 students participating in the study were divided by gender and were then randomly assigned to the four treatment groups, each taught by a different teacher. Each group had approximately equal numbers of males and females. The students were pretested and then involved in two class periods of the instructional method which was unique to their group. Immediately following treatment they were posttested and two weeks later they were posttested again. The data in the form of test scores were analyzed with a two-way split-plot analysis of variance to determine if there was significant interaction among technique, gender, and time of testing. When significant interaction was indicated, the Tukey HSD test was used to determine specific mean differences. The results of the analysis indicated no gender effect. Only students in the direct instruction group and the microcomputer-based laboratory group had significantly higher posttest-1 scores than pretest scores. They also had significantly higher posttest-2 scores than pretest scores. This suggests that the learning was retained. The other groups experienced no significant differences among pretest, posttest-1, and posttest-2 scores. Recommendations are that direct instruction and microcomputer-based laboratory activities should be considered as effective stand-alone methods for teaching sixth grade students to interpret graphs of displacement and velocity. However, video and computer instruction may serve as supplemental activities.

Effectiveness of Educational Intervention on the Congruence of Prostate and Rectal Contouring as Compared With a Gold Standard in Three-Dimensional Radiotherapy for Prostate

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

Szumacher, Ewa, E-mail: Ewa.Szumacher@sunnybrook.c; Harnett, Nicole; Warner, Saar

Purpose: To examine effects of a teaching intervention on precise delineation of the prostate and rectum during planning of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: A pretest, posttest, randomized controlled group design was used. During pretest all participants contoured prostate and rectum on planning CT. Afterward, they participated in two types of workshops. The experimental group engaged in an interactive teaching session focused on prostate and rectum MR anatomy compared with CT anatomy. The control group focused on 3D-CRT planning without mention of prostate or rectal contouring. The experimental group practiced on fused MR-CT images, whereasmore » the control group practiced on CT images. All participants completed the posttest. Results: Thirty-one trainees (12 male, 19 female) were randomly assigned to two groups, 17 in the experimental arm, and 14 in the control group. Seventeen felt familiar or very familiar with pelvic organ contouring, 12 somewhat, and 2 had never done it. Thirteen felt confident with organ contouring, 13 somewhat, and 5 not confident. The demographics and composition of groups were analyzed with chi{sup 2} and repeated-measures analysis of variance with the two groups (experimental or control) and two tests (pre- or posttest) as factors. Satisfaction with the course and long-term effects of the course on practice were assessed with immediate and delayed surveys. All performance variables showed a similar pattern of results. Conclusions: The training sessions improved the technical performance similarly in both groups. Participants were satisfied with the course content, and the delayed survey reflected that cognitively participants felt more confident with prostate and rectum contouring and would investigate opportunities to learn more about organ contouring.« less

Effects of Embodied Learning and Digital Platform on the Retention of Physics Content: Centripetal Force

PubMed Central

Johnson-Glenberg, Mina C.; Megowan-Romanowicz, Colleen; Birchfield, David A.; Savio-Ramos, Caroline

2016-01-01

Embodiment theory proposes that knowledge is grounded in sensorimotor systems, and that learning can be facilitated to the extent that lessons can be mapped to these systems. This study with 109 college-age participants addresses two overarching questions: (a) how are immediate and delayed learning gains affected by the degree to which a lesson is embodied, and (b) how do the affordances of three different educational platforms affect immediate and delayed learning? Six 50 min-long lessons on centripetal force were created. The first factor was the degree of embodiment with two levels: (1) low and (2) high. The second factor was platform with three levels: (1) a large scale “mixed reality” immersive environment containing both digital and hands-on components called SMALLab, (2) an interactive whiteboard system, and (3) a mouse-driven desktop computer. Pre-tests, post-tests, and 1-week follow-up (retention or delayed learning gains) tests were administered resulting in a 2 × 3 × 3 design. Two knowledge subtests were analyzed, one that relied on more declarative knowledge and one that relied on more generative knowledge, e.g., hand-drawing vectors. Regardless of condition, participants made significant immediate learning gains from pre-test to post-test. There were no significant main effects or interactions due to platform or embodiment on immediate learning. However, from post-test to follow-up the level of embodiment interacted significantly with time, such that participants in the high embodiment conditions performed better on the subtest devoted to generative knowledge questions. We posit that better retention of certain types of knowledge can be seen over time when more embodiment is present during the encoding phase. This sort of retention may not appear on more traditional factual/declarative tests. Educational technology designers should consider using more sensorimotor feedback and gestural congruency when designing and opportunities for instructor professional development need to be provided as well. PMID:27933009

Effects of Embodied Learning and Digital Platform on the Retention of Physics Content: Centripetal Force.

PubMed

Johnson-Glenberg, Mina C; Megowan-Romanowicz, Colleen; Birchfield, David A; Savio-Ramos, Caroline

2016-01-01

Embodiment theory proposes that knowledge is grounded in sensorimotor systems, and that learning can be facilitated to the extent that lessons can be mapped to these systems. This study with 109 college-age participants addresses two overarching questions: (a) how are immediate and delayed learning gains affected by the degree to which a lesson is embodied, and (b) how do the affordances of three different educational platforms affect immediate and delayed learning? Six 50 min-long lessons on centripetal force were created. The first factor was the degree of embodiment with two levels: (1) low and (2) high. The second factor was platform with three levels: (1) a large scale "mixed reality" immersive environment containing both digital and hands-on components called SMALLab , (2) an interactive whiteboard system, and (3) a mouse-driven desktop computer. Pre-tests, post-tests, and 1-week follow-up (retention or delayed learning gains) tests were administered resulting in a 2 × 3 × 3 design. Two knowledge subtests were analyzed, one that relied on more declarative knowledge and one that relied on more generative knowledge, e.g., hand-drawing vectors. Regardless of condition, participants made significant immediate learning gains from pre-test to post-test. There were no significant main effects or interactions due to platform or embodiment on immediate learning. However, from post-test to follow-up the level of embodiment interacted significantly with time, such that participants in the high embodiment conditions performed better on the subtest devoted to generative knowledge questions. We posit that better retention of certain types of knowledge can be seen over time when more embodiment is present during the encoding phase. This sort of retention may not appear on more traditional factual/declarative tests. Educational technology designers should consider using more sensorimotor feedback and gestural congruency when designing and opportunities for instructor professional development need to be provided as well.

Assessing the Effects of the "McGraw Hill Phonemic Awareness" Program with Preschool Children with Developmental Delays: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isakson, Lisa; Marchand-Martella, Nancy; Martella, Ronald C.

2011-01-01

This study assessed the effects of "McGraw Hill Phonemic Awareness" on the phonemic awareness skills of 5 preschool children with developmental delays. The children received 60 of the 110 lessons included in this program over 5 months. They were pre- and posttested using the kindergarten level Initial Sound Fluency and Phoneme…

Supporting Knowledge Integration in Chemistry with a Visualization-Enhanced Inquiry Unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Jennifer L.; Linn, Marcia C.

2014-02-01

This paper describes the design and impact of an inquiry-oriented online curriculum that takes advantage of dynamic molecular visualizations to improve students' understanding of chemical reactions. The visualization-enhanced unit uses research-based guidelines following the knowledge integration framework to help students develop coherent understanding by connecting and refining existing and new ideas. The inquiry unit supports students to develop connections among molecular, observable, and symbolic representations of chemical reactions. Design-based research included a pilot study, a study comparing the visualization-enhanced inquiry unit to typical instruction, and a course-long comparison study featuring a delayed posttest. Students participating in the visualization-enhanced unit outperformed students receiving typical instruction and further consolidated their understanding on the delayed posttest. Students who used the visualization-enhanced unit formed more connections among concepts than students with typical textbook and lecture-based instruction. Item analysis revealed the types of connections students made when studying the curriculum and suggested how these connections enabled students to consolidate their understanding as they continued in the chemistry course. Results demonstrate that visualization-enhanced inquiry designed for knowledge integration can improve connections between observable and atomic-level phenomena and serve students well as they study subsequent topics in chemistry.

An examination of antecedents to coal miners' hearing protection behaviors: A test of the theory of planned behavior

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

Quick, B.L.; Stephenson, M.T.; Witte, K.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) National Occupational Research Agenda (DHHS Publication No. 96-115) reports that approximately 50% of miners will experience hearing loss by age 50, compared to only 9% of the general population. The present investigation examines three antecedents believed to be associated with miner's use of hearing protection. A posttest-delayed-posttest-control group field research design was employed to assess antecedents toward wearing hearing protection. Following the initial posttest, miners' attitudes and subjective norms were antecedents to intentions to wear hearing protection devices. Also, intentions toward wearing hearing protection predicted hearing protection behaviors. Approximately six weeksmore » later, miners' attitudes and perceived behavioral control were each significant predictors of intentions to wear hearing protection and again, intentions were positively associated with hearing protection behaviors. Our results indicate that appeals to normative influences may be the most effective antecedent to employ when persuading coal miners to wear hearing protection. However, messages designed to impact attitudes and perceived behavioral control were also effective.« less

An examination of antecedents to coal miners' hearing protection behaviors: a test of the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Quick, Brian L; Stephenson, Michael T; Witte, Kim; Vaught, Charles; Booth-Butterfield, Steve; Patel, Dhaval

2008-01-01

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's [NIOSH] National Occupational Research Agenda (DHHS Publication No. 96-115) reports that approximately 50% of miners will experience hearing loss by age 50, compared to only 9% of the general population. The present investigation examines three antecedents believed to be associated with miner's use of hearing protection. A posttest-delayed-posttest-control group field research design was employed to assess antecedents toward wearing hearing protection. Following the initial posttest, miners' attitudes and subjective norms were antecedents to intentions to wear hearing protection devices. Also, intentions toward wearing hearing protection predicted hearing protection behaviors. Approximately six weeks later, miners' attitudes and perceived behavioral control were each significant predictors of intentions to wear hearing protection and again, intentions were positively associated with hearing protection behaviors. Our results indicate that appeals to normative influences may be the most effective antecedent to employ when persuading coal miners to wear hearing protection. However, messages designed to impact attitudes and perceived behavioral control were also effective.

Improving Low-Income Preschoolers’ Theory of Mind: A Training Study

PubMed Central

Tompkins, Virginia

2015-01-01

This study examined the efficacy of training theory of mind via storybook interactions focused on characters' mental states (i.e., beliefs and emotions) in a sample of 73 low-income preschoolers, and determined if training transferred to social competence. Children in the experimental group participated in experimenter-led book interactions in which characters' false beliefs and emotions were discussed. Children in the first control group were read the same stories, but without the embedded discussions; children in the second control group were not read books. Children's false belief understanding, emotion understanding, and social competence were assessed at pretest, an immediate posttest, and a delayed posttest two months later. Children in the experimental group outperformed both controls on false belief understanding, but not emotion understanding or social competence, at both posttests. PMID:26294810

Reducing cognitive load while teaching complex instruction to occupational therapy students.

PubMed

Pociask, Fredrick D; DiZazzo-Miller, Rosanne; Samuel, Preethy S

2013-01-01

Cognitive load theory is a field of research used to improve the learning of complex cognitive tasks by matching instruction to the learner's cognitive architecture. We used an experimental posttest control-group design to test the effectiveness of instruction designed to reduce cognitive load (CL) and improve instructional effectiveness in teaching complex instruction to 24 first-year master's students under authentic classroom conditions. We modified historically taught instruction using an isolated-to-interacting-elements sequencing approach intended to reduce high CL levels. We compared control and modified instructional formats using written assessment scores, subjective ratings of CL, and task completion times. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for postinstruction, posttest CL ratings, and delayed written posttest scores (p < .05). No significant differences were identified for posttest completion times. Findings suggest that this approach can be used to improve instructional efficiency in teaching human locomotion to occupational therapy students. Copyright © 2013 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

An evaluation of a college campus emergency preparedness intervention.

PubMed

Skurka, Christofer; Quick, Brian L; Reynolds-Tylus, Tobias; Short, Todd; Bryan, Ann L

2018-06-01

Given the range of emergencies that beset postsecondary institutions, university administrators must take a multimodal approach to prepare campus stakeholders for safety threats. One such strategy is emergency preparedness communication. In the present investigation, we tested the efficacy of a professionally produced video that uses the federally endorsed slogan, Run-Hide-Fight(r). Undergraduate students participated in a quasi-experiment with a pretest-posttest-delayed posttest control group design. Using the theory of planned behavior as our guiding framework, we found that video exposure increased attitudes, perceived norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions, as well as knowledge of recommended behavioral responses. Favorable attitudes and injunctive norms positively predicted intentions at the initial and delayed posttests. Importantly, the video's effects on most of the outcomes endured two weeks after video exposure. A brief emergency preparedness video using the Run-Hide-Fight(r) theme can have immediate and lingering effects on psychosocial predictors of appropriate emergency response behaviors. Administrators at higher education institutions should consider showing emergency preparedness messages to increase the likelihood that stakeholders will take appropriate action in case of a campus threat. In particular, these messages should aim to promote favorable attitudes toward appropriate response behaviors and instill beliefs that appropriate responses ought to be performed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Community Evaluation of the National Diabetes Education Program's Diabetes HealthSense Website.

PubMed

Sadler, Michele DeBarthe; Saperstein, Sandra L; Carpenter, Carrie; Devchand, Roshni; Tuncer, Diane; O'Brian, Catherine; Nicols, Christina; Gallivan, Joanne

2017-10-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Diabetes HealthSense on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior changes that prevent, delay, or manage diabetes among people at risk (PAR) for diabetes and people with diabetes (PWD). Methods Using a 2-group pretest-posttest design, 15 community sites were randomly assigned to either an intervention or comparison group. Intervention participants attended a group education session with a diabetes educator, followed by 4 weeks of independent use of the Diabetes HealthSense website. The comparison group received no intervention. A total of 311 adults (n = 135 intervention, n = 176 comparison) completed both a pretest and posttest. Outcome measures examined changes in self-reported knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors that support diabetes prevention or management. Results Statistically significant within-group pretest to posttest changes were found for almost all outcome measures in the intervention group, with no significant changes in the comparison group. Significant between-group differences were also found for almost all outcome measures at posttest, with the intervention group having more positive outcomes than the comparison group. Conclusions Patient referral to online tools is considered one key component of initial and ongoing diabetes self-management education and support (DSME/S) and is recommended as a way to enhance and extend the reach of in-person diabetes education. Positive outcomes were found for PWD/PAR who used Diabetes HealthSense following a guided education session. Study results suggested that with guided exploration, Diabetes HealthSense provided a valuable tool for educators to use with patients to support and extend the reach of DSME/S.

The Impact of a Science Education Game on Students' Learning and Perception of Inhalants as Body Pollutants.

PubMed

Klisch, Yvonne; Miller, Leslie M; Wang, Shu; Epstein, Joel

2012-04-01

This study investigated the knowledge gains and attitude shifts attributable to a unique online science education game, Uncommon Scents. The game was developed to teach middle school students about the biological consequences of exposure to toxic chemicals in an environmental science context, as well as the risks associated with abusing these chemicals as inhalants. Middle school students ( n = 444) grades six through eight participated in the study consisting of a pre-test, three game-play sessions, and a delayed post-test. After playing the game, students demonstrated significant gains in science content knowledge, with game usability ratings emerging as the strongest predictor of post-test content knowledge scores. The intervention also resulted in a shift to more negative attitudes toward inhalants, with the most negative shift occurring among eighth grade students and post-test knowledge gains as the strongest predictor of attitude change across all grade levels. These findings suggest that the environmental science approach used in Uncommon Scents is an efficacious strategy for delivering both basic science content and influencing perceived harm relating to the inhalation of toxic chemicals from common household products.

The Impact of a Science Education Game on Students' Learning and Perception of Inhalants as Body Pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klisch, Yvonne; Miller, Leslie M.; Wang, Shu; Epstein, Joel

2012-04-01

This study investigated the knowledge gains and attitude shifts attributable to a unique online science education game, Uncommon Scents. The game was developed to teach middle school students about the biological consequences of exposure to toxic chemicals in an environmental science context, as well as the risks associated with abusing these chemicals as inhalants. Middle school students (n = 444) grades six through eight participated in the study consisting of a pre-test, three game-play sessions, and a delayed post-test. After playing the game, students demonstrated significant gains in science content knowledge, with game usability ratings emerging as the strongest predictor of post-test content knowledge scores. The intervention also resulted in a shift to more negative attitudes toward inhalants, with the most negative shift occurring among eighth grade students and post-test knowledge gains as the strongest predictor of attitude change across all grade levels. These findings suggest that the environmental science approach used in Uncommon Scents is an efficacious strategy for delivering both basic science content and influencing perceived harm relating to the inhalation of toxic chemicals from common household products.

Comparison of the effect of multiple intelligence pedagogy and traditional pedagogy on grade 5 students' achievement and attitudes towards science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mussen, Kimberly S.

This quantitative research study evaluated the effectiveness of employing pedagogy based on the theory of multiple intelligences (MI). Currently, not all students are performing at the rate mandated by the government. When schools do not meet the required state standards, the school is labeled as not achieving adequate yearly progress (AYP), which may lead to the loss of funding. Any school not achieving AYP would be interested in this study. Due to low state standardized test scores in the district for science, student achievement and attitudes towards learning science were evaluated on a pretest, posttest, essay question, and one attitudinal survey. Statistical significance existed on one of the four research questions. Utilizing the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) for data analysis, student attitudes towards learning science were statically significant in the MI (experimental) group. No statistical significance was found in student achievement on the posttest, delayed posttest, or the essay question test. Social change can result from this study because studying the effects of the multiple intelligence theory incorporated into classroom instruction can have significant effect on how children learn, allowing them to compete in a knowledge society.

The effect of animation and concreteness of visuals on immediate recall and long-term comprehension when learning the basic principles and laws of motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Renee Elizabeth

A study was conducted involving 118 undergraduate college students to determine the form of instruction that would result in better understanding and retention of an abstract subject involving motion. It was found, as had been hypothesized, that instruction with animated concrete graphics resulted in statistically significant higher achievement compared with concrete static, abstract static, abstract animated or text only instruction. This finding held true for all three levels of difficulty of the posttest questions. The reasons for this result are proposed to be concrete animation's attention-gaining quality resulting in its inclusion in the selective perception process, reduction in the level of abstraction to aid the short term memory in clearly encoding the information in long-term memory, and because the subject lent itself to imaging, thus dual coding was used beneficially. The animation alone or the concreteness of the illustration alone did not explain the result as shown by the lesson performance of these groups. It was only the combination of animation and concreteness of visual that resulted in higher achievement. There was no relationship between the time spent on task and achievement. There was a weak correlation between the number of times the animation button was used and achievement on the immediate posttest. This did not hold true for the delayed posttest. It was concluded that the difference in achievement was due to the nature of the graphic and not the result of time spent on task. The majority (86%) of the participants found graphics to be useful in their understanding of the subject, and 41% of the text only group commented that graphics would have helped in their understanding. Most of the participants used some form of mental imagery in answering the posttest questions, although a few claimed they did not use mental images.

Are two heads better than one? Comparing dyad and self-regulated learning in simulation training.

PubMed

Shanks, David; Brydges, Ryan; den Brok, Wendie; Nair, Parvathy; Hatala, Rose

2013-12-01

The optimal learner to simulator ratio for procedural skills training is not known. Research in motor learning suggests observational training in pairs, termed 'dyad training', may be as effective as directed self-regulated learning (DSRL). This study was conducted to compare the relative effectiveness and efficiency of dyad versus DSRL training of simulation-based lumbar puncture (LP). We conducted a two-group randomised equivalence trial. First-year internal medicine residents (n = 50) were randomly assigned to learn LP either in dyads or as individual learners on a simulator, using a directed self-regulated approach (i.e. the learning sequence was defined for them, but they defined the pace of learning). Participants were videotaped performing a simulated LP on a pre-test, an immediate post-test, and a 6-week delayed retention test. In duplicate, blinded raters independently evaluated all trainee performances using a previously validated 5-point global rating scale (GRS) and 35-item checklist. Our analyses showed no significant differences (p = 0.69) on pre-test, post-test or retention test GRS scores between the dyad (mean ± standard deviation [SD] scores by test: 2.39 ± 0.57, 3.48 ± 0.62, 3.12 ± 0.85, respectively) and DSRL (mean ± SD scores by test: 2.67 ± 0.50, 3.34 ± 0.77, 3.21 ± 0.79, respectively) groups. Both groups improved significantly from pre-test to post-test (p < 0.001) and retained that performance following the 6-week delay. Dyad participants experienced significantly greater pre-test to post-test gains than DSRL participants (p = 0.02). There was no significant difference in total practice time between the groups (20.94 minutes for individuals and 24.20 minutes for dyads; p = 0.175). Our results indicate that learning in pairs is as effective as independent DSRL. Dyad training permits the more efficient use of simulators as two learners use the same resources as an individual. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Benefits of Peer Collaboration: A Replication with a Delayed Posttest.

PubMed

Fleming, Victoria Manion; Alexander, Joyce M.

2001-10-01

The benefits of peer collaboration on strategy use, metacognitive causal attribution, and recall were supported in an earlier study (Manion & Alexander, 1997). Following that study two primary questions remained: Would the observed benefits last beyond an immediate posttest, and would they last regardless of which strategy the children chose to use? The current investigation explores those questions. Thirty-one fourth-grade students from two public schools in Sydney, Australia, experienced either a peer-collaborative treatment condition or an individual task (control condition). A posttest was conducted 5.5 weeks later. As was the case in the original study, children in the treatment condition outperformed children in the control condition in strategy use, metacognitive understanding of strategy chosen, and recall gain. Benefits also sustained regardless of the strategy children chose to implement on the task. Most importantly, the benefits lasted after a period of over a month. Implications for future research are discussed. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Time gradient for post-test vulnerability to scopolamine-induced amnesia following the initial acquisition session of a spatial reference memory task in mice.

PubMed

Toumane, A; Durkin, T P

1993-09-01

The time course for vulnerability to the amnestic effects of the cholinergic antagonist, scopolamine, during the postacquisition period has been investigated. We have examined the effects of post-test injections of scopolamine (1 mg/kg ip) given at different times from 30 s for up to 6 h following the end of the first acquisition session of a concurrent spatial discrimination (reference memory) protocol in an 8-arm radial maze on subsequent long-term (24 h) retention performance in C57BL/6 mice. Results show that the immediate (30 s) post-test injection of scopolamine-HCl on Day 1 produces marked perturbation (amnesia) of long-term retention as attested to by significant deficits in various indices of spatial discrimination performance gain on Day 2 as compared to control subjects injected either with scopolamine-MBr or saline. The severity of this scopolamine-induced amnesia declines only slightly as a function of the treatment period 30 s-3 h post-test. However, no evidence for amnesia is observed if scopolamine-HCl injections are delayed for 6 h postsession. This important latter observation attests to the absence of any significant proactive effects of scopolamine on the ability of mice to perform the retention test via possible long-term effects on attention, motivation, or locomotor performance. These results thus constitute evidence for the existence of a limited (30 s-3 h) time gradient for vulnerability of the early memory trace to disruption by scopolamine. The present results are discussed in relation to our previous direct neurochemical observations describing the differential time courses of intervention of the ascending septohippocampal and nBM-cortical cholinergic pathways in the postlearning period. In particular, the presently observed time window concerning post-test vulnerability to scopolamine-induced amnesia corresponds more closely to the time course of the acute activation of the nBM-cortical cholinergic pathway, induced by testing with the same spatial memory protocol as used in the present study in mice.

Experimental problem solving: An instructional improvement field experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, John A.; Maynes, Florence J.

An instructional program based on expert-novice differences in experimental problem-solving performance was taught to grade 6 students (N = 265). Classes of students were randomly assigned to conditions in a delayed treatment design. Performance was assessed with multiple-choice and open-ended measures of specific transfer. Between group comparisons using pretest scores as a covariate showed that treatment condition students consistently outperformed controls; similar results were revealed in the within group comparisons. The achievement of the early treatment group did not decline in tests administered one month after the posttest.

A Randomized Trial of the Effects of Schema-Based Instruction on Proportional Problem-Solving for Students With Mathematics Problem-Solving Difficulties.

PubMed

Jitendra, Asha K; Harwell, Michael R; Dupuis, Danielle N; Karl, Stacy R

This article reports results from a study investigating the efficacy of a proportional problem-solving intervention, schema-based instruction (SBI), in seventh grade. Participants included 806 students with mathematical difficulties in problem solving (MD-PS) from an initial pool of 1,999 seventh grade students in a larger study. Teachers and their students in the larger study were randomly assigned to an SBI or control condition and teachers in both conditions then provided instruction on the topics of ratio, proportion, and percent. We found that students with MD-PS in SBI classrooms scored on average higher than their counterparts in control classrooms on a posttest and delayed posttest administered 9 weeks later. Given students' difficulties with proportional problem-solving and the consequences of these difficulties, an important contribution of this research is the finding that when provided with appropriate instruction, students with MD-PS are capable of enhanced proportional problem-solving performance.

Break modeling for RELAP5 analyses of ISP-27 Bethsy

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

Petelin, S.; Gortnar, O.; Mavko, B.

This paper presents pre- and posttest analyses of International Standard Problem (ISP) 27 on the Bethsy facility and separate RELAP5 break model tests considering the measured boundary condition at break inlet. This contribution also demonstrates modifications which have assured the significant improvement of model response in posttest simulations. Calculations were performed using the RELAP5/MOD2/36.05 and RELAP5/MOD3.5M5 codes on the MicroVAX, SUN, and CONVEX computers. Bethsy is an integral test facility that simulates a typical 900-MW (electric) Framatome pressurized water reactor. The ISP-27 scenario involves a 2-in. cold-leg break without HPSI and with delayed operator procedures for secondary system depressurization.

The effectiveness of parent participation in occupational therapy for children with developmental delay

PubMed Central

Lin, Chien-Lin; Lin, Chin-Kai; Yu, Jia-Jhen

2018-01-01

Introduction This study aims to explore the impact of Parent Participation Program on the development of developmental delay children. Methods Pretest-posttest equivalent-group experimental design study was used in this paper. A total of 30 pairs of developmental delay children aged 0–72 months and their parents participated into this study. They were divided into two groups, namely control group and experimental group, according to parents’ wishes. The objects of study in control group received 16 courses of direct rehabilitation therapy; those in experimental group received 8 courses of direct rehabilitation therapy and 8 courses of instruction and tracking of Parent Participation Program. The duration of the intervention was 8 weeks. All cases should be evaluated before and after the intervention, to analyze the difference before and after intervention and among groups. The statistical methods in this paper included descriptive analysis, Chi-square test, independent sample t-test, pair-sample t-test. Results and conclusion The intervention of Parent Participation Occupational Program has positive impact on the development of developmental delay children in various fields. Among all the intervention results, the progress of the experimental group is 1.895 times more than that of the control group. With parent involvement, Parent Participation Occupational Therapy can promote the cognitive ability, language ability, action ability (gross and fine movement), social competence and self-care ability of children with developmental delay. Finally, the researcher presents suggestions and directions for future research in accordance with the results. PMID:29503546

A Strengths-Based Group Intervention for Women Who Experienced Child Sexual Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker-Williams, Hayley J.; Fouché, Ansie

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study evaluated the benefits of a ''survivor to thriver'' strengths-based group intervention program to facilitate posttraumatic growth in women survivors of child sexual abuse. Method: A quasi-experimental, one group, pretest, posttest, time-delay design was employed using qualitative methods to evaluate the benefits of the…

Integrating the ACR Appropriateness Criteria Into the Radiology Clerkship: Comparison of Didactic Format and Group-Based Learning.

PubMed

Stein, Marjorie W; Frank, Susan J; Roberts, Jeffrey H; Finkelstein, Malka; Heo, Moonseong

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether group-based or didactic teaching is more effective to teach ACR Appropriateness Criteria to medical students. An identical pretest, posttest, and delayed multiple-choice test was used to evaluate the efficacy of the two teaching methods. Descriptive statistics comparing test scores were obtained. On the posttest, the didactic group gained 12.5 points (P < .0001), and the group-based learning students gained 16.3 points (P < .0001). On the delayed test, the didactic group gained 14.4 points (P < .0001), and the group-based learning students gained 11.8 points (P < .001). The gains in scores on both tests were statistically significant for both groups. However, the differences in scores were not statistically significant comparing the two educational methods. Compared with didactic lectures, group-based learning is more enjoyable, time efficient, and equally efficacious. The choice of educational method can be individualized for each institution on the basis of group size, time constraints, and faculty availability. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Midwives in India: a delayed cord clamping intervention using simulation.

PubMed

Faucher, M A; Riley, C; Prater, L; Reddy, M P

2016-09-01

Iron deficiency is a prevalent health problem in India affecting women and newborns. Delayed umbilical cord clamping at birth is a safe and effective means for increasing serum iron levels in newborns up to 6 months of age. The study aim was to increase the utilization of delayed cord clamping in a group of midwives working in Hyderabad, India. A single group pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate knowledge, beliefs and practice before and after a delayed cord clamping intervention including follow-up at 10 months after the original intervention. The intervention included lectures and simulation. Results show significant increases in knowledge and positive beliefs about the practice of delayed cord clamping. Simulation was effective for eliciting important feedback related to learning. Results represent a small group of midwives working with a non-profit foundation in Southern India. Language discordancy and cultural norms in this group of midwives may have influenced results. Knowledge, beliefs and practice related to delayed cord clamping were all significantly improved after the intervention. The Knowledge to Action framework using simulation is an effective cross-cultural method for implementing education about evidence-based practice. Midwives are invested in learning practices that promote public health. Changing institutional policy may have limitations without first considering normative practice. Using simulation combined with institutional health policy appears to result in significant uptake of practice change. Qualitative studies exploring the interconnections between cultural norms and decision making may be informative about promoting practice change particularly in this setting. Upscaling midwifery has been recommended to improve maternal and child health in India. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

SKIPing With Head Start Teachers: Influence of T-SKIP on Object-Control Skills.

PubMed

Brian, Ali; Goodway, Jacqueline D; Logan, Jessica A; Sutherland, Sue

2017-12-01

Children from disadvantaged settings are at risk for delays in their object-control (OC) skills. Fundamental motor skill interventions, such as the Successful Kinesthetic Instruction for Preschoolers (SKIP) Program, are highly successful when led by motor development experts. However, few preschools employ such experts. This study examined the extent to which Head Start teachers delivering an 8-week teacher-led SKIP (T-SKIP) intervention elicited learning of OC skills for Head Start children. Head Start teachers (n = 5) delivered T-SKIP for 8 weeks (450 min). Control teachers (n = 5) implemented the typical standard of practice, or well-equipped free play. All children (N = 122) were pretested and posttested on the OC Skill subscale of the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Descriptive analyses at pretest identified 81% of the children were developmentally delayed in OC skills (below the 30th percentile). A 2-level hierarchical linear model demonstrated the effectiveness of T-SKIP with significant differences (β = 4.70), t(8) = 7.02, p < .001, η2 = .56, between T-SKIP children (n = 63) and control children (n = 59) at posttest. Head Start teachers who delivered T-SKIP could bring about positive changes in children's OC skills, thereby remediating the initial developmental delays presented. Control children remained delayed in their OC skills in spite of daily well-equipped free play, giving rise to concerns about their future motor competence and physical activity levels.

Engineering Students' Conceptions of the Derivative and Some Implications for Their Mathematical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bingolbali, E.; Monaghan, J.; Roper, T.

2007-01-01

This paper explores Mechanical Engineering students' conceptions of and preferences for conceptions of the derivative, and their views on mathematics. Data comes from pre-, post- and delayed post-tests, a preference test, interviews with students and an analysis of calculus courses. Data from Mathematics students is used to make comparisons with…

Differential Effects of Context and Feedback on Orthographic Learning: How Good Is Good Enough?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Chang, Sandra; Ouellette, Gene; Bond, Linda

2017-01-01

In this study, students in Grade 2 read different sets of words under 4 experimental training conditions (context/feedback, isolation/feedback, context/no-feedback, isolation/no-feedback). Training took place over 10 trials, followed by a spelling test and a delayed reading posttest. Reading in context boosted reading accuracy initially; in…

The Role of Exposure Condition in the Effectiveness of Explicit Correction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Yucel

2016-01-01

This article reports on a study that investigated the effects of two feedback exposure conditions on the acquisition of two Turkish morphemes. The study followed a randomized experimental design with an immediate and a delayed posttest. Forty-two Chinese-speaking learners of Turkish were randomly assigned to one of three groups: receivers,…

The Effects of Question Generation, Question Answering and Reading on Prose Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Anthony Mathew

Eighty-seven students took part in a study (using three experimental conditions) of the effect of question generation, question answering, and rereading on an immediate posttest and on a delayed test of knowledge of a text passage. In condition G, subjects generated multiple-choice questions that would test knowledge of each of the six content…

Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction and Attribution Retraining for Secondary Students with Learning and Other Mild Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkeley, Sheri; Mastropieri, Margo A.; Scruggs, Thomas E.

2011-01-01

A pre-post experimental design with 6-week delayed posttest was implemented to investigate the effects of reading comprehension strategy (RCS) instruction with and without attribution retraining (AR) on reading outcomes for seventh, eighth, and ninth graders with learning and other mild disabilities. Students were randomly assigned to one of three…

Learning and Motivational Impacts of a Multimedia Science Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Leslie M.; Chang, Ching-I.; Wang, Shu; Beier, Margaret E.; Klisch, Yvonne

2011-01-01

The power of a web-based forensic science game to teach content and motivate STEM careers was tested among secondary students. More than 700 secondary school students were exposed to one of the three web-based forensic cases for approximately 60 min. Gain scores from pre-test to a delayed post-test indicated significant gains in content knowledge.…

Effects of a Responsiveness-Focused Intervention in Family Child Care Homes on Children’s Executive Function

PubMed Central

Merz, Emily C.; Landry, Susan H.; Johnson, Ursula Y.; Williams, Jeffrey M.; Jung, Kwanghee

2016-01-01

Caregiver responsiveness has been theorized and found to support children’s early executive function (EF) development. This study examined the effects of an intervention that targeted family child care provider responsiveness on children’s EF. Family child care providers were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups or a control group. An intervention group that received a responsiveness-focused online professional development course and another intervention group that received this online course plus weekly mentoring were collapsed into one group because they did not differ on any of the outcome variables. Children (N = 141) ranged in age from 2.5 to 5 years (mean age = 3.58 years; 52% female). At pretest and posttest, children completed delay inhibition tasks (gift delay-wrap, gift delay-bow) and conflict EF tasks (bear/dragon, dimensional change card sort), and parents reported on the children’s level of attention problems. Although there were no main effects of the intervention on children’s EF, there were significant interactions between intervention status and child age for delay inhibition and attention problems. The youngest children improved in delay inhibition and attention problems if they were in the intervention rather than the control group, whereas older children did not. These results suggest that improving family child care provider responsive behaviors may facilitate the development of certain EF skills in young preschool-age children. PMID:26941476

Measurement properties and classification accuracy of two spanish parent surveys of language development for preschool-age children.

PubMed

Guiberson, Mark; Rodríguez, Barbara L

2010-08-01

To describe the concurrent validity and classification accuracy of 2 Spanish parent surveys of language development, the Spanish Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ; Squires, Potter, & Bricker, 1999) and the Pilot Inventario-III (Pilot INV-III; Guiberson, 2008a). Forty-eight Spanish-speaking parents of preschool-age children participated. Twenty-two children had expressive language delays, and 26 had typical language development. The parents completed the Spanish ASQ and the Pilot INV-III at home, and the Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition: Spanish Edition (PLS-4 Spanish; Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002) was administered to the children at preschool centers. The Spanish ASQ and Pilot INV-III were significantly correlated with the PLS-4 Spanish, establishing concurrent validity. On both surveys, children with expressive language delays scored significantly lower than children with typical development. The Spanish ASQ demonstrated unacceptably low sensitivity (59%) and good specificity (92%), while the Pilot INV-III demonstrated fair sensitivity (82%) and specificity (81%). Likelihood ratios and posttest probability revealed that the Pilot INV-III may assist in detection of expressive language delays, but viewed alone it is insufficient to make an unconditional screening determination. Results suggest that Spanish parent surveys hold promise for screening language delay in Spanish-speaking preschool children; however, further refinement of these tools is needed.

Using PlayDoh Astronomy for Understanding the Size and Scale of the Earth-Moon System and as a Probe for Spatial Translation Ability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grundstrom, Erika

2013-01-01

To help students love science more and to help them understand the vast distances that pervade astronomy, we use kinesthetic modeling of the Earth-Moon system using PlayDoh. When coupled with discussion, we found (in a pilot study) that students of all ages (children up through adults) acquired a more accurate mental representation of the Earth-Moon system. During early September 2012, we devised and implemented a curriculum unit that focused on the Earth-Moon system and how that relates to eclipses for six middle-Tennessee 6th grade public school classrooms. For this unit, we used PlayDoh as the kinesthetic modeling tool. First, we evaluated what the students knew about the size and scale prior to this intervention using paper and model pre-tests. Second, we used the PlayDoh to model the Earth-Moon system and when possible, conducted an immediate post-test. The students then engaged with the PlayDoh model to help them understand eclipses. Third, we conducted a one-month-later delayed post-test. One thing to note is that about half of the students had experienced the PlayDoh modeling part of a 5th grade pilot lesson during May 2012 therefore the pre-test acted as a four-month-later delayed post-test for these students. We find, among other things, that students retain relative size information more readily than relative distance information. We also find differences in how consistent students are when trying to translate the size/scale they have in their heads to the different modes of assessment utilized.

Impulsive Choice, Alcohol Consumption, and Pre-Exposure to Delayed Rewards: II. Potential Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Stein, Jeffrey S.; Renda, C. Renee; Hinnenkamp, Jay E.; Madden, Gregory J.

2014-01-01

In a prior study (Stein et al., 2013), we reported that rats pre-exposed to delayed rewards made fewer impulsive choices, but consumed more alcohol (12% wt/vol), than rats pre-exposed to immediate rewards. To understand the mechanisms that produced these findings, we again pre-exposed rats to either delayed (17.5 s; n = 32) or immediate (n = 30) rewards. In post-tests, delay-exposed rats made significantly fewer impulsive choices at both 15- and 30-s delays to a larger, later food reward than the immediacy-exposed comparison group. Behavior in an open-field test provided little evidence of differential stress exposure between groups. Further, consumption of either 12% alcohol or isocaloric sucrose in subsequent tests did not differ between groups. Because Stein et al. introduced alcohol concentration gradually (3–12%), we speculate that their group differences in 12% alcohol consumption were not determined by alcohol’s pharmacological effects, but by another variable (e.g., taste) that was preserved as an artifact from lower concentrations. We conclude that pre-exposure to delayed rewards generalizes beyond the pre-exposure delay; however, this same experimental variable does not robustly influence alcohol consumption. PMID:25418607

A Technology-Enhanced Unit of Modeling Static Electricity: Integrating scientific explanations and everyday observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Ji; Linn, Marcia C.

2011-08-01

What trajectories do students follow as they connect their observations of electrostatic phenomena to atomic-level visualizations? We designed an electrostatics unit, using the knowledge integration framework to help students link observations and scientific ideas. We analyze how learners integrate ideas about charges, charged particles, energy, and observable events. We compare learning enactments in a typical school and a magnet school in the USA. We use pre-tests, post-tests, embedded notes, and delayed post-tests to capture the trajectories of students' knowledge integration. We analyze how visualizations help students grapple with abstract electrostatics concepts such as induction. We find that overall students gain more sophisticated ideas. They can interpret dynamic, interactive visualizations, and connect charge- and particle-based explanations to interpret observable events. Students continue to have difficulty in applying the energy-based explanation.

A Kindergarten Number-Sense Intervention With Contrasting Practice Conditions for Low-Achieving Children

PubMed Central

Dyson, Nancy; Jordan, Nancy C.; Beliakoff, Amber; Hassinger-Das, Brenna

2015-01-01

The efficacy of a research-based number-sense intervention for low-achieving kinder-gartners was examined. Children (N = 126) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a number-sense intervention followed by a number-fact practice session, an identical number-sense intervention followed by a number-list practice session, or a business-as-usual control group. The interventions were delivered in a small-group setting over 24 half-hour lessons. Both intervention groups performed better than controls on measures of number sense, arithmetic fluency, and general mathematics calculation achievement at immediate posttest. However, the number-fact practice condition gave children an additional advantage over the number-list practice condition on the outcomes at delayed posttest 8 weeks later. The number-fact practice condition was especially effective for producing gains in English learners. PMID:26388651

The effects of computer simulation versus hands-on dissection and the placement of computer simulation within the learning cycle on student achievement and attitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Kathryn Susan

The value of dissection as an instructional strategy has been debated, but not evidenced in research literature. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of using computer simulated frog dissection as a substitute for traditional hands-on frog dissection and to examine the possible enhancement of achievement by combining the two strategies in a specific sequence. In this study, 134 biology students at two Central Texas schools were divided into the five following treatment groups: computer simulation of frog dissection, computer simulation before dissection, traditional hands-on frog dissection, dissection before computer simulation, and textual worksheet materials. The effects on achievement were evaluated by labeling 10 structures on three diagrams, identifying 11 pinned structures on a prosected frog, and answering 9 multiple-choice questions over the dissection process. Attitude was evaluated using a thirty item survey with a five-point Likert scale. The quasi-experimental design was pretest/post-test/post-test nonequivalent group for both control and experimental groups, a 2 x 2 x 5 completely randomized factorial design (gender, school, five treatments). The pretest/post-test design was incorporated to control for prior knowledge using analysis of covariance. The dissection only group evidenced a significantly higher performance than all other treatments except dissection-then-computer on the post-test segment requiring students to label pinned anatomical parts on a prosected frog. Interactions between treatment and school in addition to interaction between treatment and gender were found to be significant. The diagram and attitude post-tests evidenced no significant difference. Results on the nine multiple-choice questions about dissection procedures indicated a significant difference between schools. The interaction between treatment and school was also found to be significant. On a delayed post-test, a significant difference in gender was found on the diagram labeling segment of the post-test. Males were reported to have the higher score. Since existing research conflicts with this study's results, additional research using authentic assessment is recommended. Instruction should be aligned with dissection content and process objectives for each treatment group, and the teacher variable should be controlled.

Visualizing protein interactions and dynamics: evolving a visual language for molecular animation.

PubMed

Jenkinson, Jodie; McGill, Gaël

2012-01-01

Undergraduate biology education provides students with a number of learning challenges. Subject areas that are particularly difficult to understand include protein conformational change and stability, diffusion and random molecular motion, and molecular crowding. In this study, we examined the relative effectiveness of three-dimensional visualization techniques for learning about protein conformation and molecular motion in association with a ligand-receptor binding event. Increasingly complex versions of the same binding event were depicted in each of four animated treatments. Students (n = 131) were recruited from the undergraduate biology program at University of Toronto, Mississauga. Visualization media were developed in the Center for Molecular and Cellular Dynamics at Harvard Medical School. Stem cell factor ligand and cKit receptor tyrosine kinase were used as a classical example of a ligand-induced receptor dimerization and activation event. Each group completed a pretest, viewed one of four variants of the animation, and completed a posttest and, at 2 wk following the assessment, a delayed posttest. Overall, the most complex animation was the most effective at fostering students' understanding of the events depicted. These results suggest that, in select learning contexts, increasingly complex representations may be more desirable for conveying the dynamic nature of cell binding events.

Facilitating problem solving in high school chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabel, Dorothy L.; Sherwood, Robert D.

The major purpose for conducting this study was to determine whether certain instructional strategies were superior to others in teaching high school chemistry students problem solving. The effectiveness of four instructional strategies for teaching problem solving to students of various proportional reasoning ability, verbal and visual preference, and mathematics anxiety were compared in this aptitude by treatment interaction study. The strategies used were the factor-label method, analogies, diagrams, and proportionality. Six hundred and nine high school students in eight schools were randomly assigned to one of four teaching strategies within each classroom. Students used programmed booklets to study the mole concept, the gas laws, stoichiometry, and molarity. Problem-solving ability was measured by a series of immediate posttests, delayed posttests and the ACS-NSTA Examination in High School Chemistry. Results showed that mathematics anxiety is negatively correlated with science achievement and that problem solving is dependent on students' proportional reasoning ability. The factor-label method was found to be the most desirable method and proportionality the least desirable method for teaching the mole concept. However, the proportionality method was best for teaching the gas laws. Several second-order interactions were found to be significant when mathematics anxiety was one of the aptitudes involved.

Assessing Effectiveness of a Nonhuman Animal Welfare Education Program for Primary School Children.

PubMed

Hawkins, Roxanne D; Williams, Joanne M

2017-01-01

Nonhuman animal welfare education aims to promote positive relationships between children and animals and thus improve animal welfare, yet few scientific evaluations of these programs exist. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an education program developed by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) that included 4 interventions focusing on pets (companion animals), wild animals, farm animals, and general animal rescues. Knowledge, attachment to pets, and attitudes and beliefs about animal minds were assessed at pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest using a questionnaire administered to 1,217 Scottish children aged 7 to 13 years old. Results showed a significant positive impact of the program on knowledge about animals and the Scottish SPCA for all interventions. The pet and farming interventions significantly impacted children's beliefs about animal minds. There were trends toward improvements in a range of other measures. This study highlights the importance of teaching animal welfare education to children for early prevention of animal cruelty, discusses the need to base this education on theory and research to find effective change, and demonstrates how evidence-based practice can inform future education programs.

A randomized, controlled trial to teach middle school children to recognize stroke and call 911: the kids identifying and defeating stroke project.

PubMed

Morgenstern, Lewis B; Gonzales, Nicole R; Maddox, Katherine E; Brown, Devin L; Karim, Asha P; Espinosa, Nina; Moyé, Lemuel A; Pary, Jennifer K; Grotta, James C; Lisabeth, Lynda D; Conley, Kathleen M

2007-11-01

Underutilization of acute stroke therapy is driven by delay to hospital arrival. We present the primary results of a pilot, randomized, controlled trial to encourage calling 911 for witnessed stroke among middle school children and their parents. This project occurred in Corpus Christi, an urban Texas community of 325,000. Three intervention and 3 control schools were randomly selected. The intervention contained 12 hours of classroom instruction divided among sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Parents were educated indirectly through homework assignments. Two-sample t tests were used to compare pretest and posttest responses. Domain 1 test questions involved stroke pathophysiology. Intervention students improved from 29% to 34% correct; control students changed from 28% to 25%. Domain 2 test questions involved stroke symptom knowledge. Intervention school students changed from 28% correct to 43%; control school students answered 25% correctly on the pretest and 29% on the posttest. Domain 3 test questions involved what to do for witnessed stroke. Intervention school students answered 36% of questions correctly on the pretest and 54% correctly on the posttest, whereas control students changed from 32% correct to 34%. A comparison of change in the mean proportion correct over time between intervention and control students was P<0.001 for each of the 3 individual domains. A poor parental response rate impaired the ability to assess parental improvement. A scientific, theory-based, educational intervention can potentially improve intent to call 911 for stroke among middle school children. A different mechanism is needed to effectively diffuse the curriculum to parents.

Long-lasting reduction in postural asymmetry by prism adaptation after right brain lesion without neglect.

PubMed

Hugues, Aurélien; Di Marco, Julie; Lunven, Marine; Jacquin-Courtois, Sophie; Rossetti, Yves; Bonan, Isabelle; Rode, Gilles

2015-09-01

Right brain damage (RBD) involves postural asymmetry and spatial frame disorders. In acute RBD patients, postural asymmetry is immediately reduced after one single session of prism adaptation (PA), without assessment of effects on spatial frames. To assess long-term effects of PA on posture and spatial frames in chronic RBD patients, without neglect. Six chronic RBD patients without neglect (mean delay 45 months) were included. Each patient sustained 10 PA sessions of 20 min during 2 weeks. Outcome measures were: (1) posturographic analysis (mediolateral position of centre of pressure (X cop), (2) subjective straight ahead (SSA) and perception of longitudinal body axis (LBA). Each parameter was assessed by three pretests and three post-tests (+2 h, day + 3 and day + 7). In pretests, patients showed a shift of the X cop and SSA. In post-tests, results displayed (1) a significant reduction in mediolateral postural asymmetry at D + 7; (2) a significant left deviation of SSA at D + 3 and enduring at D + 7; and (3) no significant modification of LBA. The mean curves of X cop and SSA between pre- and post-tests were similar. PA involves persistent reduction in postural asymmetry in RBD patients without neglect. These findings were obtained at a chronic stage. This new effect cannot be explained by reduction in spatial attentional shift. Improvement may be explained by a better calibration of extra personal space frames used for posture, without effect on personal space frame. Findings argue in favour of a bottom-up effect of PA on mechanisms underlying spatial cognition.

The importance of explicitly mapping instructional analogies in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asay, Loretta Johnson

Analogies are ubiquitous during instruction in science classrooms, yet research about the effectiveness of using analogies has produced mixed results. An aspect seldom studied is a model of instruction when using analogies. The few existing models for instruction with analogies have not often been examined quantitatively. The Teaching With Analogies (TWA) model (Glynn, 1991) is one of the models frequently cited in the variety of research about analogies. The TWA model outlines steps for instruction, including the step of explicitly mapping the features of the source to the target. An experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of explicitly mapping the features of the source and target in an analogy during computer-based instruction about electrical circuits. Explicit mapping was compared to no mapping and to a control with no analogy. Participants were ninth- and tenth-grade biology students who were each randomly assigned to one of three conditions (no analogy module, analogy module, or explicitly mapped analogy module) for computer-based instruction. Subjects took a pre-test before the instruction, which was used to assign them to a level of previous knowledge about electrical circuits for analysis of any differential effects. After the instruction modules, students took a post-test about electrical circuits. Two weeks later, they took a delayed post-test. No advantage was found for explicitly mapping the analogy. Learning patterns were the same, regardless of the type of instruction. Those who knew the least about electrical circuits, based on the pre-test, made the most gains. After the two-week delay, this group maintained the largest amount of their gain. Implications exist for science education classrooms, as analogy use should be based on research about effective practices. Further studies are suggested to foster the building of research-based models for classroom instruction with analogies.

Army Training Study: Training Effectiveness Analysis (TEA) Summary.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-08-08

eliminated and new means computed. The disadvantage of this approach is the loss of some responses from the data base . In view of the improved ... improve over the 3 week training period. Exercises were of two basic types: meeting engagements (N = 33) and attack/defense (delay) (N = 26). The...posttest exercises were counter- balanced across units. A feedback session, the format and context of which were being pilot-tested in the effort

Peer Group Intervention for HIV Prevention among Health Workers in Chile

PubMed Central

Norr, Kathleen F.; Ferrer, Lilian; Cianelli, Rosina; Crittenden, Kathleen S.; Irarrázabal, Lisette; Cabieses, Báltica; Araya, Alejandra; Bernales, Margarita

2011-01-01

We tested the impacts of a professionally assisted peer group intervention on Chilean health workers' HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and 3-month posttest. Two Santiago suburbs were randomly assigned to the intervention or delayed intervention control condition, and five community clinics per suburb participated. Interested workers at the intervention (n = 262) and control (n = 293) clinics participated and completed both evaluations. At posttest, intervention clinic workers had higher knowledge and more positive attitudes regarding HIV, condoms, stigmatization, and self-efficacy for prevention. They reported more partner discussion about safer sex, less unprotected sex, and more involvement in HIV prevention activities in the clinic and the community, but they did not report fewer sexual partners or more standard precautions behaviors. Because of these positive impacts, the program will become a regular continuing education unit that can be used to meet health worker licensing requirements. PMID:21497113

Perceptual experience and posttest improvements in perceptual accuracy and consistency.

PubMed

Wagman, Jeffrey B; McBride, Dawn M; Trefzger, Amanda J

2008-08-01

Two experiments investigated the relationship between perceptual experience (during practice) and posttest improvements in perceptual accuracy and consistency. Experiment 1 investigated the potential relationship between how often knowledge of results (KR) is provided during a practice session and posttest improvements in perceptual accuracy. Experiment 2 investigated the potential relationship between how often practice (PR) is provided during a practice session and posttest improvements in perceptual consistency. The results of both experiments are consistent with previous findings that perceptual accuracy improves only when practice includes KR and that perceptual consistency improves regardless of whether practice includes KR. In addition, the results showed that although there is a relationship between how often KR is provided during a practice session and posttest improvements in perceptual accuracy, there is no relationship between how often PR is provided during a practice session and posttest improvements in consistency.

Interpersonal Skills Summary Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

pretest to posttest or posttest only between a trained and non-trained group ...resulted in higher cognitive gains pretest to posttest for the treatment group over the non attending control group , but the treatment group further... Pretest AND Posttest Manipulations: 0 - Not enough detail provided 1 - Treatment Only 2 - "Other training" comparison group 3 - "No

Provision of test results and posttest counseling at STD clinics in 24 health departments: U.S., 2007.

PubMed

Begley, Elin; VanHandel, Michelle

2012-01-01

We determined the demographic and HIV test characteristics of tests conducted in CDC-funded sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics with provision of test results and posttest counseling. We used CDC's HIV Counseling and Testing System data from 2007 for the 24 U.S. health departments that reported test-level data from STD clinics. We calculated and analyzed newly identified HIV positivity and the percentage of tests with provision of test results and posttest counseling (provision of posttest counseling), by demographic and HIV-related characteristics. Of 372,757 tests conducted among people without a previous HIV diagnosis by self-report, provision of posttest counseling was documented for 191,582 (51.4%) HIV tests overall and 1,922 (71.2%) newly identified HIV-positive test results. At these STD clinics, provision of posttest counseling varied by HIV serostatus, age, race/ethnicity, test type, and risk category; however, documentation of posttest counseling was missing for more than 20% of tests. The newly identified HIV positivity among all testers was 0.7%. One of the main goals of HIV counseling and testing is to inform people of their HIV status, because knowledge of one's HIV-positive serostatus can result in a reduction in risk behaviors and allow the person to access HIV medical care and treatment. STD clinics offering HIV testing may need to further their emphasis on increasing the proportion of clients who are provided posttest counseling and on improving documentation of this information.

Using a Music Video Parody to Promote Breastfeeding and Increase Comfort Levels Among Young Adults.

PubMed

Austen, Erin L; Beadle, Julie; Lukeman, Sionnach; Lukeman, Ellen; Aquino, Nicola

2017-08-01

North Americans are not meeting the World Health Organization's breastfeeding recommendations. Young adults understand that breastfeeding is healthy but are uncomfortable seeing breastfeeding. Research aim: The aim of the current project was to determine if a music video parody promoting breastfeeding is perceived by young adults to be an effective means of promotion and if exposure to such a video could increase comfort levels. Young adults rated how comfortable they felt looking at breastfeeding and bottle-feeding images (pretest). Two months later, a subset of participants watched the music video parody "Breastfeeding My Baby." In Phase 1, participants completed the picture-rating task again (posttest) after a 2-month delay, plus a survey to assess memory and perception of the video. In Phase 2, participants were reminded of the video before completing the comfort ratings, and in the final phase, posttest measures were administered only 1 week after exposure to the video. Across all phases, the video was perceived to be effective and was memorable. Breastfeeding comfort ratings were comparable at pretest across participant groups; comfort ratings improved at posttest for participants who saw the video but only if they were reminded of seeing it before providing their ratings. At shorter intervals between seeing the video and completing the posttests, comfort ratings for breastfeeding images increased for all participants, highlighting the general importance of exposure to breastfeeding. Young adults are receptive to using a music video parody to promote breastfeeding, which can help to increase comfort levels with breastfeeding.

Identification of mistakes and their correction by a small group discussion as a revision exercise at the end of a teaching module in biochemistry.

PubMed

Bobby, Zachariah; Nandeesha, H; Sridhar, M G; Soundravally, R; Setiya, Sajita; Babu, M Sathish; Niranjan, G

2014-01-01

Graduate medical students often get less opportunity for clarifying their doubts and to reinforce their concepts after lecture classes. The Medical Council of India (MCI) encourages group discussions among students. We evaluated the effect of identifying mistakes in a given set of wrong statements and their correction by a small group discussion by graduate medical students as a revision exercise. At the end of a module, a pre-test consisting of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) was conducted. Later, a set of incorrect statements related to the topic was given to the students and they were asked to identify the mistakes and correct them in a small group discussion. The effects on low, medium and high achievers were evaluated by a post-test and delayed post-tests with the same set of MCQs. The mean post-test marks were significantly higher among all the three groups compared to the pre-test marks. The gain from the small group discussion was equal among low, medium and high achievers. The gain from the exercise was retained among low, medium and high achievers after 15 days. Identification of mistakes in statements and their correction by a small group discussion is an effective, but unconventional revision exercise in biochemistry. Copyright 2014, NMJI.

Learning About Bird Species on the Primary Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randler, Christoph

2009-04-01

Animal species identification is often emphasized as a basic prerequisite for an understanding of ecology because ecological interactions are based on interactions between species at least as it is taught on the school level. Therefore, training identification skills or using identification books seems a worthwhile task in biology education, and should already start on the primary level. On the primary level, however, complex interactions could not be taught but pupils are often interested in basic knowledge about species. We developed a hands-on, group-based and self-determined learning phase organized in workstations. About 138 pupils (2nd-4th graders) participated in this study. The two groups received an identification treatment with six different bird species. These were presented either as soft toys or as taxidermy specimen. Both groups scored similar prior and after the treatment (posttest 1) and with a delay of 6-8 weeks (posttest 2). More complex general linear modeling revealed a significant influence of prior knowledge, treatment and of grade (2nd, 3rd or 4th grade) on the first posttest while in the retention test gender differences emerged. We suggest that soft toys may be of equal value for teaching species identification on the primary level compared to natural taxidermic specimen, especially when considering pricing, insensitivity to handling, and contamination with agents used for preservation.

Posttest analysis of MIST Test 330302 using TRAC-PF1/MOD1

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

Boyack, B E

This report discusses a posttest analysis of Multi-Loop Integral System Test (MIST) 330302 which has been performed using TRAC-PF1/MOD1. This test was one of group performed in the MIST facility to investigate high-pressure injection (HPI)-power-operated relief valve (PORV) cooling, also known as feed-and-bleed cooling. In Test 330302, HPI cooling was delayed 20 min after opening and locking the PORV open to induce extensive system voiding. We have concluded that the TRAC-calculated results are in reasonable overall agreement with the data for Test 330302. All major trends and phenomena were correctly predicted. Differences observed between the measured and calculated results havemore » been traced and related, in part, to deficiencies in our knowledge of the facility configuration and operation. We have identified two models forwhich additional review is appropriate. However, in general, the TRAC closure models and correlations appear to be adequate for the prediction of the phenomena expected to occur during feed-and-bleed transientsin the MIST facility. We believe that the correct conclusions about trends and phenomena will be reached if the code is used in similar applications. Conclusions reached regarding use of the code to calculate similar phenomena in full-size plants (scaling implications) and regulatory implications of this work are also presented.« less

Pretest-posttest designs and measurement of change.

PubMed

Dimitrov, Dimiter M; Rumrill, Phillip D

2003-01-01

The article examines issues involved in comparing groups and measuring change with pretest and posttest data. Different pretest-posttest designs are presented in a manner that can help rehabilitation professionals to better understand and determine effects resulting from selected interventions. The reliability of gain scores in pretest-posttest measurement is also discussed in the context of rehabilitation research and practice.

Pretest-Posttest-Posttest Multilevel IRT Modeling of Competence Growth of Students in Higher Education in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Susanne; Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Olga; Fox, Jean-Paul

2016-01-01

Longitudinal research in higher education faces several challenges. Appropriate methods of analyzing competence growth of students are needed to deal with those challenges and thereby obtain valid results. In this article, a pretest-posttest-posttest multivariate multilevel IRT model for repeated measures is introduced which is designed to address…

In-Situ Tuff Water Migration/Heater Experiment: posttest thermal analysis

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

Eaton, R.R.; Johnstone, J.K.; Nunziato, J.W.

This report describes posttest laboratory experiments and thermal computations for the In-Situ Tuff Water Migration/Heater Experiment that was conducted in Grouse Canyon Welded Tuff in G-Tunnel, Nevada Test Site. Posttest laboratory experiments were designed to determine the accuracy of the temperatures measured by the rockwall thermocouples during the in-situ test. The posttest laboratory experiments showed that the measured in-situ rockwall temperatures were 10 to 20{sup 0}C higher than the true rockwall temperatures. The posttest computational results, obtained with the thermal conduction code COYOTE, were compared with the experimentally obtained data and with calculated pretest results. Daily heater output power fluctuationsmore » (+-4%) caused by input power line variations and the sensitivity of temperature to heater output power required care in selecting the average heater output power values used in the code. The posttest calculated results compare reasonably well with the experimental data. 10 references, 14 figures, 5 tables.« less

A Study of The Effect of Preschool Children's Participation in Sensorimotor Activities on Their Understanding of the Mechanical Equilibrium of a Balance Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis; Anastasiou, Leonidas; Konsolas, Manos; Prevezanou, Barbara

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether participation in sensorimotor activities by preschool children involving their own bodily balance while walking on a beam over the floor has an effect on their understanding of the mechanical equilibrium of a balance beam. The balance beam consisted of a horizontal stick balancing around its center of mass (middle point), while carrying equal-weight objects on either side of it. The study utilized a two-group design, and was conducted in three phases (pre-test, treatment and post-test). The results of the study provide evidence that there was such an effect, since the children (who participated in the sensorimotor activities) could select out of a number of objects those two with the same weight regardless of their shape, size or colour, in order to balance the stick. This effect also can be seen when a comparison is made with a second group of children, which had previously participated in a hands-on activity regarding the equilibrium of a similar balance beam, and which (children), therefore, had a definite advantage over the other children who had participated in the sensorimotor activity. A Chi Square Test showed no significant differences between the two groups on both an immediate and a delayed post-test, while the McNemar Test for the Significance of Change showed a statistically significant difference (that is, a negative change in performance between the first and the second post-test) only within the hands-on group. This difference represents evidence that the children from the sensorimotor group remembered better the rule they were applying (i.e., selecting equal-weight objects) in order to balance the beam.

Real Time Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

to post-test. Table 4 Learning Scores for the Five Spiral 1 Classes Spiral 1 Class Pilots Sensors Pretest Posttest Difference Pretest Posttest ...results from the five Spiral 1 classes. Table 6 Pretest / Posttest Gain Scores Associated with Each Learning Test Item Test Item Class Item...SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE II REPORT. Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. (Approval given

Helping students revise disruptive experientially supported ideas about thermodynamics: Computer visualizations and tactile models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Douglas; Jorde, Doris

2004-01-01

This study analyzes the impact of an integrated sensory model within a thermal equilibrium visualization. We hypothesized that this intervention would not only help students revise their disruptive experientially supported ideas about why objects feel hot or cold, but also increase their understanding of thermal equilibrium. The analysis synthesizes test data and interviews to measure the impact of this strategy. Results show that students in the experimental tactile group significantly outperform their control group counterparts on posttests and delayed posttests, not only on tactile explanations, but also on thermal equilibrium explanations. Interview transcripts of experimental and control group students corroborate these findings. Discussion addresses improving the tactile model as well as application of the strategy to other science topics. The discussion also considers possible incorporation of actual kinetic or thermal haptic feedback to reinforce the current audio and visual feedback of the visualization. This research builds on the conceptual change literature about the nature and role of students' experientially supported ideas as well as our understanding of curriculum and visualization design to support students in learning about thermodynamics, a science topic on which students perform poorly as shown by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) studies.

Visualizing Protein Interactions and Dynamics: Evolving a Visual Language for Molecular Animation

PubMed Central

Jenkinson, Jodie; McGill, Gaël

2012-01-01

Undergraduate biology education provides students with a number of learning challenges. Subject areas that are particularly difficult to understand include protein conformational change and stability, diffusion and random molecular motion, and molecular crowding. In this study, we examined the relative effectiveness of three-dimensional visualization techniques for learning about protein conformation and molecular motion in association with a ligand–receptor binding event. Increasingly complex versions of the same binding event were depicted in each of four animated treatments. Students (n = 131) were recruited from the undergraduate biology program at University of Toronto, Mississauga. Visualization media were developed in the Center for Molecular and Cellular Dynamics at Harvard Medical School. Stem cell factor ligand and cKit receptor tyrosine kinase were used as a classical example of a ligand-induced receptor dimerization and activation event. Each group completed a pretest, viewed one of four variants of the animation, and completed a posttest and, at 2 wk following the assessment, a delayed posttest. Overall, the most complex animation was the most effective at fostering students' understanding of the events depicted. These results suggest that, in select learning contexts, increasingly complex representations may be more desirable for conveying the dynamic nature of cell binding events. PMID:22383622

Effects of the use of thematic organizers in conjunction with concept mapping on learning, misconceptions, and retention in middle school science class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keown, Sandra L.

This study was devised to determine effects of the use of interactive thematic organizers and concept maps in middle school science classes during a unit study on minerals. The design, a pretest-posttest control group, consisted of matched groups (three experimental groups and one comparison group). It also included a student survey assessing qualitative aspects of the investigation. The 67 6th-grade students and one science teacher who participated in the study were from an independent K-12 school. Students represented a normal, well-distributed range of abilities. Group I (control) proceeded with their usual method of studying a unit---reading aloud the text and answering workbook questions. Group II worked with interactive thematic organizers, designed to activate prior knowledge and help students make inferences about target concepts in three treatments. Group III created three interactive concept maps, which represented both understandings and misconceptions. Concept maps were reviewed and repaired as students completed each treatment. Group IV participated in both thematic organizer and concept map treatments. Statistical analyses were determined through a pretest and a delayed recall posttest essay for all four groups. Two scores were assigned---one quantitative raw score of correct explicit answers and one rubric score based on the quality of interpretive responses. Group II also received scores for thematic organizer responses. Group III received rubric scores for concept maps. Group IV received all possible scores. Paired t-tests reported comparisons of scores across the treatment groups. A linear regression indicated whether or not concept map misconceptions affected posttest scores. Finally, an ANCOVA reported statistical significance across the four treatment groups. Findings of data analysis indicated statistically significant improvement in posttest scores among students in the three experimental groups. Students who participated in both treatments represented the highest scores among the four groups. Results of the ANCOVA indicated there was statistically significant difference in scores among the four treatments. Recommendations were made to further investigate development of interactive thematic organizers with student-chosen hyperlinks to concepts, as well as a recommendation that researchers investigate teacher understandings of interpretive purpose and form in the creation of thematic organizers.

HIV/AIDS Prevention Among the Male Population: Results of a Peer Education Program for Taxicab and Tricycle Drivers in the Philippines

PubMed Central

Morisky, Donald E.; Nguyen, Chrystene; Ang, Alfonso; Tiglao, Teodora V.

2011-01-01

This study assesses the results of a 2-year community-based peer education program aimed at increasing HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes toward condoms, and condom use behavior among taxicab and tricycle drivers in the Philippines. Pretest, posttest, and follow-up data were collected throughout the educational intervention program. The results of the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate a significant change on knowledge about HIV/AIDS from baseline to posttest and from posttest to follow-up (F = 449.27, df = 2, p < .001). There was also a significant change on attitudes about condom use from baseline to posttest and from posttest to follow-up (F = 425.19, df = 2, p = 0.001), and a significant effect on condom use behavior with commercial sex workers from baseline to posttest and follow-up (F = 428.31, df = 2, p = .001). The peer-mediated intervention was found to be an effective means of HIV/AIDS prevention among taxi and tricycle drivers in the Philippines. PMID:15642754

ClueConnect: a word array game to promote student comprehension of key terminology in an introductory anatomy and physiology course.

PubMed

Burleson, Kathryn M; Olimpo, Jeffrey T

2016-06-01

The sheer amount of terminology and conceptual knowledge required for anatomy and physiology can be overwhelming for students. Educational games are one approach to reinforce such knowledge. In this activity, students worked collaboratively to review anatomy and physiology concepts by creating arrays of descriptive tiles to define a term. Once guessed, students located the structure or process within diagrams of the body. The game challenged students to think about course vocabulary in novel ways and to use their collective knowledge to get their classmates to guess the terms. Comparison of pretest/posttest/delayed posttest data revealed that students achieved statistically significant learning gains for each unit after playing the game, and a survey of student perceptions demonstrated that the game was helpful for learning vocabulary as well as fun to play. The game is easily adaptable for a variety of lower- and upper-division courses. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Peer group intervention for HIV prevention among health workers in Chile.

PubMed

Norr, Kathleen F; Ferrer, Lilian; Cianelli, Rosina; Crittenden, Kathleen S; Irarrázabal, Lisette; Cabieses, Báltica; Araya, Alejandra; Bernales, Margarita

2012-01-01

We tested the impacts of a professionally assisted peer-group intervention on Chilean health workers' HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and 3-month posttest. Two Santiago suburbs were randomly assigned to the intervention or delayed intervention control condition. Five community clinics per suburb participated. Interested workers at the intervention (n = 262) and control (n = 293) clinics participated and completed both evaluations. At posttest, intervention clinic workers had higher knowledge and more positive attitudes regarding HIV, condoms, stigmatization, and self-efficacy for prevention. They reported more partner discussion about safer sex, less unprotected sex, and more involvement in HIV prevention activities in the clinic and the community, but they did not report fewer sexual partners or more standard precautions behaviors. Because of these positive impacts, the program will become a regular continuing education unit that can be used to meet health-worker licensing requirements. Copyright © 2012 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A number sense intervention for low-income kindergartners at risk for mathematics difficulties.

PubMed

Dyson, Nancy I; Jordan, Nancy C; Glutting, Joseph

2013-01-01

Early number sense is a strong predictor of later success in school mathematics. A disproportionate number of children from low-income families come to first grade with weak number competencies, leaving them at risk for a cycle of failure. The present study examined the effects of an 8-week number sense intervention to develop number competencies of low-income kindergartners (N = 121). The intervention purposefully targeted whole number concepts related to counting, comparing, and manipulating sets. Children were randomly assigned to either a number sense intervention or a business as usual contrast group. The intervention was carried out in small-group, 30-min sessions, 3 days per week, for a total of 24 sessions. Controlling for number sense at pretest, the intervention group made meaningful gains relative to the control group at immediate as well delayed posttest on a measure of early numeracy. Intervention children also performed better than controls on a standardized test of mathematics calculation at immediate posttest.

A Number Sense Intervention for Low-Income Kindergartners at Risk for Mathematics Difficulties

PubMed Central

Dyson, Nancy I.; Jordan, Nancy C.; Glutting, Joseph

2012-01-01

Early number sense is a strong predictor of later success in school mathematics. A disproportionate number of children from low-income families come to first grade with weak number competencies, leaving them at-risk for a cycle of failure. The present study examined the effects of an 8-week number sense intervention to develop number competencies of low-income kindergartners (n = 121). The intervention purposefully targeted whole number concepts related to counting, comparing, and manipulating sets. Children were randomly assigned either to a number sense intervention or a business as usual contrast group. The intervention was carried out in small group, 30-minute sessions, 3 days per week for a total of 24 sessions. Controlling for number sense at pretest, the intervention group made meaningful gains relative to the control group at immediate as well delayed posttest on a measure of early numeracy. Intervention children also performed better than controls on a standardized test of mathematics calculation at immediate posttest. PMID:21685346

SLSF in-reactor local fault safety experiment P4. Final report

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

Thompson, D. H.; Holland, J. W.; Braid, T. H.

The Sodium Loop Safety Facility (SLSF), a major facility in the US fast-reactor safety program, has been used to simulate a variety of sodium-cooled fast reactor accidents. SLSF experiment P4 was conducted to investigate the behavior of a "worse-than-case" local fault configuration. Objectives of this experiment were to eject molten fuel into a 37-pin bundle of full-length Fast-Test-Reactor-type fuel pins form heat-generating fuel canisters, to characterize the severity of any molten fuel-coolant interaction, and to demonstrate that any resulting blockage could either be tolerated during continued power operation or detected by global monitors to prevent fuel failure propagation. The designmore » goal for molten fuel release was 10 to 30 g. Explusion of molten fuel from fuel canisters caused failure of adjacent pins and a partial flow channel blockage in the fuel bundle during full-power operation. Molten fuel and fuel debris also lodged against the inner surface of the test subassembly hex-can wall. The total fuel disruption of 310 g evaluated from posttest examination data was in excellent agreement with results from the SLSF delayed neutron detection system, but exceeded the target molten fuel release by an order of magnitude. This report contains a summary description of the SLSF in-reactor loop and support systems and the experiment operations. results of the detailed macro- and microexamination of disrupted fuel and metal and results from the analysis of the on-line experimental data are described, as are the interpretations and conclusions drawn from the posttest evaluations. 60 refs., 74 figs.« less

Impacts of Professional Development in Integrated STEM Education on Teacher Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectancy, and Stem Career Awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knowles, J. Geoff

This research analyzed the effects of teacher professional development and lesson implementation in integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) on: 1.) Teacher self-efficacy and their confidence to teach specific STEM subjects; 2.) Teaching outcome expectancy beliefs concerning the impact of actions by teachers on student learning; and 3.) Teacher awareness of STEM careers. High school science and technology education teachers participating in the Teachers and Researchers Advancing Integrated Lessons in STEM (TRAILS) project experimental group attended a ten-day summer professional development institute designed to educate teachers in using an integrated STEM education model to implement integrated STEM lessons. The research design utilized a quasi-experimental nonequivalent comparison group design that incorporated an experimental group and an untreated comparison group with both pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest assessments on non-randomized participants. Teacher self-efficacy has been identified as a key factor in effective teaching and student learning, and teacher awareness of STEM careers impacts students as they consider career choices. The T-STEM Survey for teachers was given for the pretest and posttest assessments to measure attitudes and beliefs toward the specific constructs of this study. Significant effects of the TRAILS professional development were found in the teacher group (experimental or comparison) and teacher subject (technology or science) in pretest and posttest scores using cumulative link models for the constructs of teacher self-efficacy and beliefs to teach STEM subjects, teacher outcome expectancy beliefs, and teacher awareness of STEM careers. Effect sizes ranged from small to large varying by construct and assessment time. Highly significant p-values and effect sizes revealed impacts on science teachers were greater when teacher subject groups were analyzed separately.

Using Game Play to Diagnose and Remediate Students’ Misconceptions in Solving Equations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-21

on pretest or posttest , and no main effects for assessment form or condition were found on pretest or posttest . Results further...attachment). Table 3 (see Appendix P2- D in the Attachment) reports item-level performance on the pretest and posttest . These findings indicated that...approximately 12% of students scored incorrect on two pretest items then correct on the posttest , and 18% increased from incorrect to correct on

Visual search and coordination changes in response to video and point-light demonstrations without KR.

PubMed

Horn, R R; Williams, A M; Scott, M A; Hodges, N J

2005-07-01

The authors examined the observational learning of 24 participants whom they constrained to use the model by removing intrinsic visual knowledge of results (KR). Matched participants assigned to video (VID), point-light (PL), and no-model (CON) groups performed a soccer-chipping task in which vision was occluded at ball contact. Pre- and posttests were interspersed with alternating periods of demonstration and acquisition. The authors assessed delayed retention 2-3 days later. In support of the visual perception perspective, the participants who observed the models showed immediate and enduring changes to more closely imitate the model's relative motion. While observing the demonstration, the PL group participants were more selective in their visual search than were the VID group participants but did not perform more accurately or learn more.

Predicting adaptation to presymptomatic DNA testing for late onset disorders: who will experience distress? Rotterdam Leiden Genetics Workgroup.

PubMed Central

DudokdeWit, A C; Tibben, A; Duivenvoorden, H J; Niermeijer, M F; Passchier, J

1998-01-01

The first comparative study on predicting post-test distress (conceptualised by intrusion and avoidance, measured with the Impact of Event Scale) after presymptomatic genetic testing for Huntington's disease (HD, n=25), cancer syndromes (familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP, n=23)), and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC, n=10) is reported. The variables with the highest predictive potential of post-test distress are presented. Participants who were depressed before the test were more distressed after testing, but we found that those who were anxious before the test were less distressed, that is, had less intrusive thoughts post-test. Other factors associated with a higher level of post-test intrusion were gender (being a woman), having children, and pre-test intrusion. Religion and being at risk for HBOC were associated with less post-test intrusion. Participants who showed avoidance behaviour before the test and those who had many people available for support showed more avoidance behaviour post-test. The test result did not additionally contribute to post-test distress. The prima facie simple notion that the test result, as such, determines the distress experienced seems to be a misrepresentation of the complex reality. PMID:9733033

Evaluation of Highly Realistic Training for Navy Corpsmen: Results for Field Medical Training Battalion-West

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-14

suggestions do you have for improving the training?” Demographics. The pretest and posttest asked for information on participants’ gender, age, race...confidence about performing specific hands- on medical procedures. Considered together, the training satisfaction and pretest / posttest results suggest that...highest by participants was the use of live actors. Comparisons of pretest and posttest survey responses revealed that the training produced significant

Impact of Adapted Hypermedia on Undergraduate Students' Learning of Astronomy in an Elearning Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuel, Brian

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the effectiveness of matching learners' optimal learning styles to their overall knowledge retention. The study attempted to determine if learners who are placed in an online learning environment that matches their optimal learning styles will retain the information at a higher rate than those learners who are not in an adapted learning environment. There were 56 participants that took one of two lessons; the first lesson was textual based, had no hypertext, and was not influenced heavily by the coherence principle, while the second lesson was multimedia based utilizing hypermedia guided by the coherence principle. Each participant took Felder and Soloman's (1991, 2000) Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire and was classified using the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model (FSLSM; 1998) into four individual categories. Groups were separated using the Visual/Verbal section of the FSLSM with 55% (n = 31) of participants going to the adapted group, and 45% (n =25) of participants going to the non-adapted group. Each participant completed an immediate posttest directly after the lesson and a retention posttest a week later. Several repeated measures MANOVA tests were conducted to measure the significance of differences in the tests between groups and within groups. Repeated measures MANOVA tests were conducted to determine if significance existed between the immediate posttest results and the retention posttest results. Also, participants were asked their perspectives if the lesson type they received was beneficial to their perceived learning of the material. Of the 56 students who took part in this study, 31 students were placed in the adapted group and 25 in the non-adapted group based on outcomes of the ILS and the FLSSM. No significant differences were found between groups taking the multimedia lesson and the textual lesson in the immediate posttest. No significant differences were found between the adapted and the non-adapted groups on the immediate posttest. No significant difference was found between the adapted and the non-adapted groups on the retention posttest. However, results also revealed that the adapted group scored significantly higher on the retention posttest when compared with the immediate posttest. Interestingly, the non-adapted group scored significantly higher on the immediate posttest when compared with the retention posttest. When queried about the perception of benefit of the lesson style, 42% of the adapted group replied in the affirmative following the immediate posttest, yet that percentage grew to 81% following the retention posttest. The non-adapted group had 28% reply in the affirmative following the immediate posttest, and that percentage grew to 48% following the retention posttest. Both groups found benefit, yet the numbers associated with the adapted group were higher. Overall perceptions of benefit corresponded to higher test scores as opposed to those who did not find benefit, who had a lower score.

Beyond Perception: A Pretest and Posttest Evaluation of a Regional Internet Extension Inservice Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lippert, Robert M.; Plank, Owen; Radhakrishna, Rama

2000-01-01

Internet inservice training was offered to 150 county Extension agents representing six southeastern states, who used Web-based materials, an online pretest/posttest, and listserv discussions. Questionnaire responses indicated that most agents were very receptive to this method. Pretest/posttest scores show that the training resulted in a…

Outcomes of a 4-year program with higher education and employment goals for individuals diagnosed with mental illness.

PubMed

Schindler, Victoria P; Sauerwald, Camille

2013-01-01

This study examined outcomes of the first four years (2005-2009) of the Bridge Program, an occupational therapy (OT) program that incorporates principles of supported education and supported employment. This program was developed to assist individuals with mental illness to achieve higher education and employment goals. Forty-eight adult participants with various mental health diagnoses. A quantitative one-group pretest-posttest survey design and posttest qualitative focus groups were used. Participants enrolled in higher education increased from 7 to 11 (pretest=15%; posttest=23%), participants employed increased from 5 to 19 (pretest=10%; posttest=40%), and the combined category of higher education/employment increased from 12 to 30 (pretest=25%; posttest=63%) Statistical significance was achieved from pre to posttest in the employment sample (p<0.000), and in the combined sample of higher education/employment (p< 0.000), but was not achieved in the higher education sample from pre to posttest (p=0.125). Quantitative and qualitative results support that an OT program incorporating principles of supported education and employment can assist individuals with mental illness to achieve higher education and employment goals. Results also outlined items participants found to be supports and barriers to achieving goals.

The Development and Application of the RAND Program Classification Tool. The RAND Toolkit, Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

one may be selected.)  Pretest /baseline only  Posttest only  Pre-post  Pre-post with comparison group ...following outcome data (used to identify the results of a program’s efforts)? (More than one may be selected.)  Pretest /baseline only  Posttest only...results of a program’s efforts)? o Pretest /baseline only o Posttest only o Pre-post o Pre-post with comparison group o Randomized controlled trial

Pilot Judgment Training and Evaluation. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

groups . The experimental group received a written pretest , judgment ground and flight training, a written posttest , and an...control group received the written pretest and posttest along with the experimental group . The resulting data indicated statistically significant...flight. The academic control group received the same written pretest and posttest as the experimental group . The subjects were all students at

Improving the social-conversational skills of developmentally delayed children: an intervention study.

PubMed

Girolametto, L E

1988-05-01

Twenty mothers and their preschool-aged, developmentally delayed children participated in this parent-focused intervention study. Nine mother-child dyads received an 11-week training program that espoused a social-conversational approach, while 11 dyads served as controls. Pre- and posttest videotapes were transcribed and coded to yield measures of turn taking, as well as indexes of responsiveness, topic control, and uninvolvement. Following treatment, the mothers in the experimental group were more responsive to and less controlling of their children's behavior than the mothers in the comparison group. The children initiated more topics, were more responsive to their mother's preceding turns, and used more verbal turns and a more diverse vocabulary than the control group children. No differences in language development, as measured by a standardized test, were found. Individual maternal responses to intervention as well as implications for modifying parent training programs are discussed.

The Comparative Effects of Prediction/Discussion-Based Learning Cycle, Conceptual Change Text, and Traditional Instructions on Student Understanding of Genetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yilmaz, Diba; Tekkaya, Ceren; Sungur, Semra

2011-03-01

The present study examined the comparative effects of a prediction/discussion-based learning cycle, conceptual change text (CCT), and traditional instructions on students' understanding of genetics concepts. A quasi-experimental research design of the pre-test-post-test non-equivalent control group was adopted. The three intact classes, taught by the same science teacher, were randomly assigned as prediction/discussion-based learning cycle class (N = 30), CCT class (N = 25), and traditional class (N = 26). Participants completed the genetics concept test as pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test to examine the effects of instructional strategies on their genetics understanding and retention. While the dependent variable of this study was students' understanding of genetics, the independent variables were time (Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3) and mode of instruction. The mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance revealed that students in both prediction/discussion-based learning cycle and CCT groups understood the genetics concepts and retained their knowledge significantly better than students in the traditional instruction group.

Border Hunter Research Technical Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-31

pretest score was 27% correct, and the mean posttest score was 76% correct. This result represents a statisti- cally significant increase in scores between... pretest and posttest (p < .01), indicating an increase in declarative knowledge following the tracking instruction. Similar- ly, the combat...tween pretest and posttest (p < .01), indicating an in- crease in declarative knowledge following the profiling instruction. The mean profiling pretest

Effects of learning content in context on knowledge acquisition and recall: a pretest-posttest control group design.

PubMed

Bergman, Esther M; de Bruin, Anique B H; Vorstenbosch, Marc A T M; Kooloos, Jan G M; Puts, Ghita C W M; Leppink, Jimmie; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2015-08-15

It is generally assumed that learning in context increases performance. This study investigates the relationship between the characteristics of a paper-patient context (relevance and familiarity), the mechanisms through which the cognitive dimension of context could improve learning (activation of prior knowledge, elaboration and increasing retrieval cues), and test performance. A total of 145 medical students completed a pretest of 40 questions, of which half were with a patient vignette. One week later, they studied musculoskeletal anatomy in the dissection room without a paper-patient context (control group) or with (ir)relevant-(un)familiar context (experimental groups), and completed a cognitive load scale. Following a short delay, the students completed a posttest. Surprisingly, our results show that students who studied in context did not perform better than students who studied without context. This finding may be explained by an interaction of the participants' expertise level, the nature of anatomical knowledge and students' approaches to learning. A relevant-familiar context only reduced the negative effect of learning the content in context. Our results suggest discouraging the introduction of an uncommon disease to illustrate a basic science concept. Higher self-perceived learning scores predict higher performance. Interestingly, students performed significantly better on the questions with context in both tests, possibly due to a 'framing effect'. Since studies focusing on the physical and affective dimensions of context have also failed to find a positive influence of learning in a clinically relevant context, further research seems necessary to refine our theories around the role of context in learning.

An Evaluation of the Effect of a Quality Circle Intervention on Attitudinal Variables in Three DoD Organizations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

and Control Groups on the Pretest .......................... 57 XI. T-tests Between Full-term QC and Control Groups on the Posttest ...two groups differed at the pretest in terms of self-rated job performance and job involvement. At the posttest , one significant result emerged. Table...8 Static Group Designs .......................... 9 Pretest / posttest Designs ...................... 9 Nonequivalent Control Group

Assertion training therapy in psychiatric milieus.

PubMed

Aschen, S R

1997-02-01

The current investigation involved an attempt to develop a clinical procedure to decrease anxiety and increase responsiveness (assertion) of psychiatric inpatients of both sexes in mixed diagnostic categories and to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure. Using a Solomon Four-Group Design, patients, matched on age, sex, and diagnosis, were assigned to one of the following conditions: (1) pretest, treatment, posttest; (2) pretest, no treatment, posttest; (3) treatment, posttest; or (4) no treatment, posttest. The Gambrill-Richey Assertive Inventory was used to assess patient Degree of Discomfort and Response Probability with and without assertion training therapy. Results indicated that (1) patients receiving assertion training therapy were less anxious and more responsive after treatment than before, (2) patients receiving assertion training therapy were less anxious and more responsive than were matched control subjects, (3) control subjects who received no assertion training therapy and who were pretested showed moderate significant gains on the posttest measure, (4) patients reported a greater reduction of anxiety than they did an increase in responsiveness, and (5) pretesting did not significantly influence posttest scores.

Social Awareness and Action Training (SAAT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

pretest and three additional Soldiers who were not available at pretest . We were able to determine why Soldiers did not complete the posttest . One person...outliers in the pretest and in 11 the posttest was within the range one would expect by chance. Because outliers can significantly bias the...revised the Social Fitness Training and performed a second pilot study using a pretest - posttest design at Fort Sill in March, 2012. Results revealed

Effects of fatiguing constant versus alternating intensity intermittent isometric muscle actions on maximal torque and neuromuscular responses

PubMed Central

Smith, C.M.; Housh, T.J.; Hill, E.C.; Cochrane, K.C.; Jenkins, N.D.M.; Schmidt, R.J.; Johnson, G.O.

2016-01-01

Objective: To determine the effects of constant versus alternating applications of torque during fatiguing, intermittent isometric muscle actions of the leg extensors on maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque and neuromuscular responses. Methods: Sixteen subjects performed two protocols, each consisting of 50 intermittent isometric muscle actions of the leg extensors with equal average load at a constant 60% MVIC or alternating 40 then 80% (40/80%) MVIC with a work-to-rest ratio of 6-s on and 2-s off. MVIC torque as well as electromyographic signals from the vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and rectus femoris (RF) and mechanomyographic signals from the VL were recorded pretest, immediately posttest, and 5-min posttest. Results: The results indicated that there were no time-related differences between the 60% MVIC and 40/80% MVIC protocols. The MVIC torque decreased posttest (22 to 26%) and remained depressed 5-min posttest (9%). There were decreases in electromyographic frequency (14 to 19%) and mechanomyographic frequency (23 to 24%) posttest that returned to pretest levels 5-min posttest. There were no changes in electromyographic amplitude and mechanomyogrpahic amplitude. Conclusions: These findings suggested that these neuromuscular parameters did not track the fatigue-induced changes in MVIC torque after 5-min of recovery. PMID:27973384

Assessment of two different types of bias affecting the results of outcome-based evaluation in undergraduate medical education

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Estimating learning outcome from comparative student self-ratings is a reliable and valid method to identify specific strengths and shortcomings in undergraduate medical curricula. However, requiring students to complete two evaluation forms (i.e. one before and one after teaching) might adversely affect response rates. Alternatively, students could be asked to rate their initial performance level retrospectively. This approach might threaten the validity of results due to response shift or effort justification bias. Methods Two consecutive cohorts of medical students enrolled in a six-week cardio-respiratory module were enrolled in this study. In both cohorts, performance gain was estimated for 33 specific learning objectives. In the first cohort, outcomes calculated from ratings provided before (pretest) and after (posttest) teaching were compared to outcomes derived from comparative self-ratings collected after teaching only (thentest and posttest). In the second cohort, only thentests and posttests were used to calculate outcomes, but data collection tools differed with regard to item presentation. In one group, thentest and posttest ratings were obtained sequentially on separate forms while in the other, both ratings were obtained simultaneously for each learning objective. Results Using thentest ratings to calculate performance gain produced slightly higher values than using true pretest ratings. Direct comparison of then- and posttest ratings also yielded slightly higher performance gain than sequential ratings, but this effect was negligibly small. Conclusions Given the small effect sizes, using thentests appears to be equivalent to using true pretest ratings. Item presentation in the posttest does not significantly impact on results. PMID:25043503

Posttest REALP4 analysis of LOFT experiment L1-3A

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

White, J.R.; Holmstrom, H.L.O.

This report presents selected results of posttest RELAP4 modeling of LOFT loss-of-coolant experiment L1-3A, a double-ended isothermal cold leg break with lower plenum emergency core coolant injection. Comparisons are presented between the pretest prediction, the posttest analysis, and the experimental data. It is concluded that pressurizer modeling is important for accurately predicting system behavior during the initial portion of saturated blowdown. Using measured initial conditions rather than nominal specified initial conditions did not influence the system model results significantly. Using finer nodalization in the reactor vessel improved the prediction of the system pressure history by minimizing steam condensation effects. Unequalmore » steam condensation between the downcomer and core volumes appear to cause the manometer oscillations observed in both the pretest and posttest RELAP4 analysis.« less

Improving the 'how' and 'what' decisions of elite table tennis players.

PubMed

Raab, Markus; Masters, Rich S W; Maxwell, Jonathan P

2005-06-01

Training methods in sport usually focus on improving either technical or tactical aspects of performance, ignoring the fact that successful performance requires the athlete to simultaneously decide what movement to perform and how it should be executed. Young elite table tennis players were trained, in a first phase, to improve their forehand and backhand movements and, in a second phase, to make a tactical switch between forehand and backhand movements. Half of the players took part in behavioral training focusing on how to perform the required movements, whereas half received additional video feedback about their technical and tactical performance (decision training). The results indicate that improvements of how decisions (techniques) and what decisions (tactics) can occur as a consequence of combining technical and tactical training. These results were stable in delayed Post-test analyses of competitive matches. It was concluded that a combination of both technical and tactical training is beneficial to elite table tennis performers, particularly during early seasonal training programs.

Adaptive and Nonadaptive Training Technology for Small Unmanned Aerial System Employment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

to the pretest . They also completed questionnaires on their opinions of the training experience. Findings: The posttest results were inconclusive...until the posttest . For example, for the Pretest condition, lucky correct guesses on the pretest would allow the student to skip relevant didactic...gains by comparing performance on a pretest with that of a posttest . If we used the authentic flow, students in the nonadaptive condition would have to

77 FR 65553 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-29

... results; and (4)Information about post-test follow-ups, including notification of test result, post-test...) Monitoring and Evaluation System to collect standardized, non-identifying, client-level and test-level...-identifying information from funded grantees, including: (1) Information about test sites that provide HEPTLC...

77 FR 34952 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-12

... results; and (4) Information about post-test follow- ups, including notification of test result, post-test...) Monitoring and Evaluation System to collect standardized, non-identifying, client-level and test-level...-identifying information from funded grantees, including: (1) Information about test sites that provide HEPTLC...

Pre- and Post-Test Results of KEEP Class 2: 1973-74. Technical Report #40.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Candy

This report presents the pre-and posttest results for the kindergarten year of the Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) Class 2, 1973-1974. Results are presented for the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), and the Standard English Repetition Test (SERT). Comparisons are made…

Effects of metacognitive exercise on the development of scientific reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearsall, Susan Helen

1999-12-01

The essence of scientific reasoning is the coordination of theory and evidence. Kuhn (1998) implicates metacognitive skill in reflecting on one's theories, and metastrategic management of inferential strategies involved in their coordination with evidence, as critical to scientific reasoning. The present study investigates how metacognitive exercise may improve children's performance on scientific reasoning tasks. Two groups composed of 50 fifth- and sixth-grade students engaged in a scientific investigation activity over six weekly sessions. Additionally, one group engaged in an activity involving reflection on others' performance on the task, while the comparison group spent equivalent time on an unrelated task. Children in the experimental condition showed significant improvement (relative to those in the comparison condition) in terms of the sequence identified by Kuhn et al. (1995), from entirely theory-based reasoning to the skilled coordination of theory and evidence. This improvement, however, was confined to the beginning levels in the sequence. Specifically, experimental subjects attended to and employed evidence in their reasoning to a greater extent than did comparison subjects, even though their inferences remained largely invalid. Also, experimental subjects showed a marginally significant trend toward greater use of multiple-instance evidence (which, unlike single instance evidence, allowed them to make comparative inferences). On a delayed posttest, children in the experimental condition continued to use evidence to justify their inferences to a significantly greater extent than the comparison group. In contrast, performance increased only slightly on a transfer task and group differences were largely nonsignificant. At the delayed posttest, experimental children's level of performance on the metacognitive activity was compared to their performance on the main task. Results indicated that when children were not consistent on both tasks, performance was superior on the metacognitive task. This finding points to a utilization deficiency. Future research should focus on helping children close the gap between knowing strategies and using them. Like the main findings documenting the benefits of enhancing metacognitive awareness, identification of this gap points to the critical role of metacognitive awareness and understanding in skilled thinking.

The Effect of Information Level on Human-Agent Interaction for Route Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

13 Fig. 4 Experiment 1 shows regression results for time spent at DP predicting posttest trust group membership for the high LOI...decision time by pretest trust group membership. Bars denote standard error (SE). DT at DP was evaluated to see if it predicted posttest trust... group . Linear regression indicated that DT at DP was not a significant predictor of posttest trust for the Low or the Medium LOI conditions; however, it

Assessing Performance Outcomes of New Graduates Utilizing Simulation in a Military Transition Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

pretest and posttests ( p G .05). An additional analysis was conducted to determine if there were differences in outcomes based on whether par- ticipants...would be predicted based on FIGURE 1 Pretest and posttest mean performance scores for all 26 objectives of the anaphylaxis scenario. FIGURE 2 Pretest ...clinical practice. Another limitation of the study is the use of a pretest / posttest designwithout a control group for comparison of results. Finally

Laboratory Characterization of Talley Brick

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-01

specimen’s wet, bulk, or “as-tested” density. Results from these determinations are provided in Table 1. Measurements of posttest water content1...ASTM 2005d). Based on the appropriate values of posttest water content, wet density, and an assumed grain density of 2.89 Mg/m3, values of dry... Posttest Axial P Radial P Axial S Radial S Wet Water Dry Degree of ’Wave ’Wave ’Wave \\Vave Test Density Conte-nt, Density, Porosity, Saturation

Semiparametric Estimation of Treatment Effect in a Pretest–Posttest Study with Missing Data

PubMed Central

Davidian, Marie; Tsiatis, Anastasios A.; Leon, Selene

2008-01-01

The pretest–posttest study is commonplace in numerous applications. Typically, subjects are randomized to two treatments, and response is measured at baseline, prior to intervention with the randomized treatment (pretest), and at prespecified follow-up time (posttest). Interest focuses on the effect of treatments on the change between mean baseline and follow-up response. Missing posttest response for some subjects is routine, and disregarding missing cases can lead to invalid inference. Despite the popularity of this design, a consensus on an appropriate analysis when no data are missing, let alone for taking into account missing follow-up, does not exist. Under a semiparametric perspective on the pretest–posttest model, in which limited distributional assumptions on pretest or posttest response are made, we show how the theory of Robins, Rotnitzky and Zhao may be used to characterize a class of consistent treatment effect estimators and to identify the efficient estimator in the class. We then describe how the theoretical results translate into practice. The development not only shows how a unified framework for inference in this setting emerges from the Robins, Rotnitzky and Zhao theory, but also provides a review and demonstration of the key aspects of this theory in a familiar context. The results are also relevant to the problem of comparing two treatment means with adjustment for baseline covariates. PMID:19081743

Semiparametric Estimation of Treatment Effect in a Pretest-Posttest Study with Missing Data.

PubMed

Davidian, Marie; Tsiatis, Anastasios A; Leon, Selene

2005-08-01

The pretest-posttest study is commonplace in numerous applications. Typically, subjects are randomized to two treatments, and response is measured at baseline, prior to intervention with the randomized treatment (pretest), and at prespecified follow-up time (posttest). Interest focuses on the effect of treatments on the change between mean baseline and follow-up response. Missing posttest response for some subjects is routine, and disregarding missing cases can lead to invalid inference. Despite the popularity of this design, a consensus on an appropriate analysis when no data are missing, let alone for taking into account missing follow-up, does not exist. Under a semiparametric perspective on the pretest-posttest model, in which limited distributional assumptions on pretest or posttest response are made, we show how the theory of Robins, Rotnitzky and Zhao may be used to characterize a class of consistent treatment effect estimators and to identify the efficient estimator in the class. We then describe how the theoretical results translate into practice. The development not only shows how a unified framework for inference in this setting emerges from the Robins, Rotnitzky and Zhao theory, but also provides a review and demonstration of the key aspects of this theory in a familiar context. The results are also relevant to the problem of comparing two treatment means with adjustment for baseline covariates.

Assessment of two different types of bias affecting the results of outcome-based evaluation in undergraduate medical education.

PubMed

Schiekirka, Sarah; Anders, Sven; Raupach, Tobias

2014-07-21

Estimating learning outcome from comparative student self-ratings is a reliable and valid method to identify specific strengths and shortcomings in undergraduate medical curricula. However, requiring students to complete two evaluation forms (i.e. one before and one after teaching) might adversely affect response rates. Alternatively, students could be asked to rate their initial performance level retrospectively. This approach might threaten the validity of results due to response shift or effort justification bias. Two consecutive cohorts of medical students enrolled in a six-week cardio-respiratory module were enrolled in this study. In both cohorts, performance gain was estimated for 33 specific learning objectives. In the first cohort, outcomes calculated from ratings provided before (pretest) and after (posttest) teaching were compared to outcomes derived from comparative self-ratings collected after teaching only (thentest and posttest). In the second cohort, only thentests and posttests were used to calculate outcomes, but data collection tools differed with regard to item presentation. In one group, thentest and posttest ratings were obtained sequentially on separate forms while in the other, both ratings were obtained simultaneously for each learning objective. Using thentest ratings to calculate performance gain produced slightly higher values than using true pretest ratings. Direct comparison of then- and posttest ratings also yielded slightly higher performance gain than sequential ratings, but this effect was negligibly small. Given the small effect sizes, using thentests appears to be equivalent to using true pretest ratings. Item presentation in the posttest does not significantly impact on results.

The Acute Effects of Hold-Relax Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation With Vibration Therapy on Glenohumeral Internal-Rotation Deficit.

PubMed

Tucker, W Steven; Slone, Stephen W

2016-08-01

Clinicians use various stretching techniques to prevent the onset of and treat glenohumeral internal-rotation deficit (GIRD). It is unknown which stretching technique is the most effective. To investigate the acute effects of hold-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) with and without vibration therapy on internal rotation in individuals with GIRD. 2-within (stretch × time) comparison with repeated measures. Controlled laboratory. 11 male current and former overhead athletes (19.8 ± 1.4 y, 184.5 ± 4.5 cm, 91.8 ± 11.6 kg) who presented with GIRD. At 3 separate sessions, participants performed 1 of 3 randomly assigned stretches: hold-relax PNF (PNF), hold-relax PNF in combination with a whole-body-vibration unit set at 30 Hz (PNF-V), and static stretch (SS). Pretest and posttest maximum passive glenohumeral internal-rotation measurements were taken with a digital protractor. The dependent variables were the mean glenohumeral internal-rotation measurements taken at the pretest and posttest. The influence of stretch (PNF, PNF-V, and SS) and time (pretest and posttest) on mean glenohumeral internal rotation was compared using a 3 × 2 factorial ANOVA with repeated measures on both variables (P ≤ .05). There was a stretch-by-time interaction (F2,20 = 34.697, P < .001). Post hoc testing revealed that the PNF posttest (73.0° ± 10.4°) was greater than the PNF pretest (60.0° ± 11.8°), the PNF-V posttest (74.7° ± 10.0°) was greater than the PNF-V pretest (57.4° ± 10.4°), and the SS posttest (67.0° ± 10.7°) was greater than the SS pretest (60.1° ± 9.4°). When comparing the posttest values, the PNF-V posttest was greater than the SS posttest. All 3 stretches (PNF, PNF-V, and SS) resulted in acute increases in glenohumeral internal rotation in individuals presenting with GIRD. The PNF-V stretch resulted in the greatest increase and would be the most clinically beneficial for patients with GIRD.

Interprofessional, multiple step simulation course improves pediatric resident and nursing staff management of pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis

PubMed Central

Larson-Williams, Linnea M; Youngblood, Amber Q; Peterson, Dawn Taylor; Zinkan, J Lynn; White, Marjorie L; Abdul-Latif, Hussein; Matalka, Leen; Epps, Stephen N; Tofil, Nancy M

2016-01-01

AIM To investigate the use of a multidisciplinary, longitudinal simulation to educate pediatric residents and nurses on management of pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. METHODS A multidisciplinary, multiple step simulation course was developed by faculty and staff using a modified Delphi method from the Pediatric Simulation Center and pediatric endocrinology department. Effectiveness of the simulation for the residents was measured with a pre- and post-test and a reference group not exposed to simulation. A follow up post-test was completed 3-6 mo after the simulation. Nurses completed a survey regarding the education activity. RESULTS Pediatric and medicine-pediatric residents (n = 20) and pediatric nurses (n = 25) completed the simulation course. Graduating residents (n = 16) were used as reference group. Pretest results were similar in the control and intervention group (74% ± 10% vs 76% ± 15%, P = 0.658). After completing the intervention, participants improved in the immediate post-test in comparison to themselves and the control group (84% ± 12% post study; P < 0.05). The 3-6 mo follow up post-test results demonstrated knowledge decay when compared to their immediate post-test results (78% ± 14%, P = 0.761). Residents and nurses felt the interdisciplinary and longitudinal nature of the simulation helped with learning. CONCLUSION Results suggest a multidisciplinary, longitudinal simulation improves immediate post-intervention knowledge but important knowledge decay occurs, future studies are needed to determine ways to decrease this decay. PMID:27896145

Effects of leisure education on self-rated health among older adults.

PubMed

Chang, Liang-Chih; Yu, Ping; Jeng, Mei-Yuan

2015-01-01

This study examined whether a leisure education program could promote leisure autonomy and self-rated health (SRH) among older adults. A pretest-posttest randomized experimental design was conducted. Subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). Data related to leisure autonomy and SRH were collected shortly before and after the experiment. Pretest and posttest data were analyzed using an analysis of covariance. The results indicated that the average posttest scores of leisure autonomy and SRH in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Implications of the results are discussed.

Culture Camp, Ethnic Identity, and Adoption Socialization for Korean Adoptees: A Pretest and Posttest Study.

PubMed

Baden, Amanda L

2015-12-01

This study explores the impact of racial-ethnic socialization on adopted South Korean children and adolescents who attended a sleepaway Korean culture camp for one week. This camp provided racial-ethnic socialization experiences via exposure to camp counselors, staff, and teachers who were Korean Americans, Korean nationals, and Korean adult adoptees, and exposure to cultural activities and discussions. Using a pretest-posttest design to control for the lack of a comparison group (McCall & Green, ), 75 Korean adoptee children and adolescents (mean age = 12.96) completed both the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) surveys at pretest and posttest, and completed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) at posttest. Results indicated that adoptees reported lower levels of depression at the end of camp than at the beginning of camp, but little variance could be attributed to ethnic identity at posttest. The results of this study suggest that scholars investigate the possibility that adoptee culture camps may provide an adoption socialization experience that may be more salient for adoptees than the racial-ethnic socialization that was intended. Implications for research and practice are discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing and Evaluating Department of Defense Efforts to Inform, Influence, and Persuade: Desk Reference

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

128 O’Hanlon, Michael, 187n107 OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), 1, 299 Olshefsky, Alisa M., 308n39 one - group pretest - posttest design, 154–155 online...procedures may result in differences between the pretest and posttest . Hawthorne effect Subjects may react positively to being part of the treatment group ...and Devra Moehler, used a four- group posttest -only design with two controls. Tro tro riders in Ghana were randomized to one of four conditions: a

Computational Conceptual Change: An Explanation-Based Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

case for students in the control group of Chi et al. (1994a) who (1) explained blood flow in terms of the heart on a pretest , (2) read a textbook...Chi et al. (1994a) who complete a pretest about the circulatory system, read a textbook passage on the topic, and then complete a posttest to assess...model on the posttest . In total, 33% of the control group and 66% of the prompted group reached the correct mental model at the posttest . Results are

Pretest Scores Uniquely Predict 1-Year-Delayed Performance in a Simulation-Based Mastery Course for Central Line Insertion.

PubMed

Diederich, Emily; Thomas, Laura; Mahnken, Jonathan; Lineberry, Matthew

2018-06-01

Within simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) courses, there is inconsistent inclusion of learner pretesting, which requires considerable resources and is contrary to popular instructional frameworks. However, it may have several benefits, including its direct benefit as a form of deliberate practice and its facilitation of more learner-specific subsequent deliberate practice. We consider an unexplored potential benefit of pretesting: its ability to predict variable long-term learner performance. Twenty-seven residents completed an SBML course in central line insertion. Residents were tested on simulated central line insertion precourse, immediately postcourse, and after between 64 and 82 weeks. We analyzed pretest scores' prediction of delayed test scores, above and beyond prediction by program year, line insertion experiences in the interim, and immediate posttest scores. Pretest scores related strongly to delayed test scores (r = 0.59, P = 0.01; disattenuated ρ = 0.75). The number of independent central lines inserted also related to year-delayed test scores (r = 0.44, P = 0.02); other predictors did not discernibly relate. In a regression model jointly predicting delayed test scores, pretest was a significant predictor (β = 0.487, P = 0.011); number of independent insertions was not (β = 0.234, P = 0.198). This study suggests that pretests can play a major role in predicting learner variance in learning gains from SBML courses, thus facilitating more targeted refresher training. It also exposes a risk in SBML courses that learners who meet immediate mastery standards may be incorrectly assumed to have equal long-term learning gains.

Pretests or advance organizers for Web-based allergy-immunology medical education? A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Rank, Matthew A; Volcheck, Gerald W; Swagger, Timothy; Cook, David A

2012-01-01

Web-based modules may facilitate instruction on core topics in allergy and immunology (AI). Pretests (PTs) have been shown to improve learning in Web-based courses, but their effectiveness in comparison with advance organizers (AOs) is unknown. We performed a randomized controlled trial of a Web-based educational intervention for teaching the practical aspects of allergen immunotherapy (AIT). AI Fellows-in-Training were randomly assigned to receive the introduction to the modules in an AO outline (AO group) or as PT questions (PT group). The primary outcome was the difference in posttest scores between groups. The secondary outcome was the difference in PT and posttest scores in the PT group. Thirty participants in the AO group and 35 in the PT group completed the modules and the posttest. The mean (SD) posttest score for the AO group was 74% (14%) compared with 73% (9%) for the PT group, a mean difference of -1% (95% CI, -7%, 5%; p = 0.67). A multivariate analysis controlling for year-in-training and total time spent on the modules revealed virtually identical results. The mean (SD) PT score for the PT group increased from 49 (10%) to 73% (9%), a mean difference of 24% (95% CI, 19%, 28%; p < 0.0001). Introducing Web-based allergy education with PT questions or an AO resulted in similar posttest scores. Posttest scores in the PT group improved significantly compared with PT scores.

Knowledge of Acne among Medical Students: Pretest and Posttest Assessment

PubMed Central

Shivaswamy, Kanakapura Nanjundaswamy; Shyamprasad, Arakali Lakshminarayana; Sumathy, Tharayil Kunneth; Ranganathan, Chandrashekaran; Kumar, Shanmugan Praveen

2014-01-01

Background. Acne vulgaris is a disorder of sebaceous glands mainly affecting the adolescent population. There are some misconceptions about acne not only in the general population but also among the medical students. Methods. Second year medical undergraduate students attending dermatology postings for the first time were included in the study. A questionnaire (in yes or no answer format) with 20 questions on acne, each carrying one mark, was to be answered by the students. The students were categorized into 4 grades based on the marks obtained: Grade I 90% marks and above, Grade II 75%–90%, Grade III 50%–74%, and Grade IV <50% marks obtained. Results. Of the 144 students of the batch, 95 (69.5%) completed both pretest and posttest questionnaires. The average pretest score was 14.1 and that of the posttest was 16.9. The percentage of improvement in mean score from pretest to posttest was 16.5. Fischer's exact test was applied to analyze the improvement in scores between pretest and posttests which is significant at P = 0.015 (P < 0.05). In the paired t-test the improvement in mean scores between pretest and posttest was significant at P < 0.001. PMID:24600519

Knowledge of Acne among Medical Students: Pretest and Posttest Assessment.

PubMed

Shivaswamy, Kanakapura Nanjundaswamy; Shyamprasad, Arakali Lakshminarayana; Sumathy, Tharayil Kunneth; Ranganathan, Chandrashekaran; Kumar, Shanmugan Praveen

2014-01-01

Background. Acne vulgaris is a disorder of sebaceous glands mainly affecting the adolescent population. There are some misconceptions about acne not only in the general population but also among the medical students. Methods. Second year medical undergraduate students attending dermatology postings for the first time were included in the study. A questionnaire (in yes or no answer format) with 20 questions on acne, each carrying one mark, was to be answered by the students. The students were categorized into 4 grades based on the marks obtained: Grade I 90% marks and above, Grade II 75%-90%, Grade III 50%-74%, and Grade IV <50% marks obtained. Results. Of the 144 students of the batch, 95 (69.5%) completed both pretest and posttest questionnaires. The average pretest score was 14.1 and that of the posttest was 16.9. The percentage of improvement in mean score from pretest to posttest was 16.5. Fischer's exact test was applied to analyze the improvement in scores between pretest and posttests which is significant at P = 0.015 (P < 0.05). In the paired t-test the improvement in mean scores between pretest and posttest was significant at P < 0.001.

Nutrition intervention group program based on preaction-stage-oriented change processes of the Transtheoretical Model promotes long-term reduction in dietary fat intake.

PubMed

Finckenor, M; Byrd-Bredbenner, C

2000-03-01

To develop and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of an intervention program, based on preaction-stage-oriented change processes of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, that could be delivered in a group setting to help participants lower dietary fat intake. An enhanced version of the nonequivalent control group experimental design was used. Entire sections of an undergraduate introductory nutrition science course were assigned to an experimental, pretest/posttest control, or posttest-only control group. Daily fat intake and stage of change of the experimental and pretest/posttest control groups were determined at the pretest and posttest and 1-year later at a follow-up test. Every 1 to 2 weeks during the study, stage of change of the experimental group was assessed. Daily fat intake of the experimental group was assessed at study midpoint. Daily fat intake and stage of change of the posttest-only control group was determined at the posttest. Pretest results were used to place participants of the experimental and pretest/posttest control groups in either the preaction stage (i.e., precontemplation, contemplation, or preparation) or the action/maintenance stage. The sample consisted of 38, 30, and 42 undergraduate students who were assigned to the experimental, pretest/posttest control, and posttest-only control groups, respectively. The experimental group participated in a group-based, dietary fat intake intervention that included a series of 11 lessons taught over a 14-week period. Each lesson was based on 1 or 2 of the preaction-stage-oriented change processes of the Transtheoretical Model. Data were evaluated to determine the effects of the intervention program on long-term dietary fat reduction and stage of change progression. Analysis of variance, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and paired t tests. For pretest and posttest dietary fat intake scores, stage and time were significant, and there was a significant time-by-stage interaction. Time was significant for pretest and posttest stage scores. Subjects in the preaction-stage experimental group significantly increased their mean stage of change and reduced their fat intake between the pretest and posttest; these changes persisted for 1 year. Pretest/posttest control group participants who began in a preaction stage also significantly increased their mean stage and reduced fat intake by the posttest, but these changes did not endure until the follow-up test. This intervention program produced an enduring, significant reduction in mean dietary fat consumption and a significant progression in mean stage of change of subjects in the experimental group who were in the preaction stage. It may be appropriate to design group interventions to use preaction stage processes rather than the more traditionally used action and maintenance stages change processes.

Time devoted to pre- and post-HIV test counselling in different health services according to participants of a rapid testing program in Madrid, Spain.

PubMed

Hoyos Miller, Juan; Fernández-Balbuena, Sonia; Belza Egozcue, María José; García de Olalla, Patricia; Pulido Manzanero, Jose; Molist Señe, Gemma; de la Fuente de Hoz, Luis

2014-02-01

The role of pre- and post-test counselling in new HIV testing strategies to reduce delayed diagnosis has been debated. Data on time devoted to counselling are scarce. One approach to this problem is to explore patients' views on the time devoted to counselling by venue of their last HIV test. We analysed data from 1568 people with a previous HIV test who attended a mobile HIV testing program in Madrid between May and December 2008. The majority (71%) were men (48% had had sex with other men), 51% were <30 years, 40% were foreigners, 56% had a university degree, and 40% had the most recent HIV test within the last year. As regards pre-test counselling, 30% stated they were told only that they would receive the test; 26.3% reported <10 min; 20.4% about 10 min; and 24.2%, 15 min or more. For post-test counselling: 40.2% stated they were told only that the test was negative; 24.9% reported 2-6 min; 16.4% about 10 min; and 18.5%, 15 min or more. The percentage of participants who reported no counselling time was higher among those tested in general health services: primary care, hospital settings and private laboratories (over 40% in pre-test, over 50% in post-test counselling). Women received less counselling time than men in almost all settings. Policies to expand HIV testing in general health services should take this current medical behaviour into account. Any mention of the need for counselling can be a barrier to expansion, because HIV is becoming less of a priority in developed countries. Oral consent should be the only requirement. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Effects on seventh-grade students' achievement and science anxiety of alternatives to conventional frog dissection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marszalek, Christine Susan

1998-12-01

The purpose of this study in a suburban school district was to investigate and compare the level of learning and long-term retention of frog internal anatomy between seventh-grade students using an interactive CD tutorial, a desktop microworld, and conventional frog dissection. Students' anxiety toward science was also compared across the three treatment groups and between genders. Additional data on the students' preferred learning style were used to explore possible interaction effects with their respective instructional activity. Subjects participating in the study were all seventh-grade students in one junior-high school, numbering 280 in total. Classes were randomly assigned to the three modes of instruction for the dissection of a frog: a CD-tutorial dissection, a desktop microworld dissection, and a conventional dissection. The Conventional treatment was the traditional physical dissection using a preserved frog specimen and lab dissection tools. The CD-Tutorial treatment was the interactive tutorial Digital Frog from Digital Frog International. The Microworld treatment was a desktop microworld environment composed of Operation Frog on CD supplemented with other programs to provide additional avenues for learning. Data collection and testing occurred prior to treatment, one day after treatment, and three months after treatment. Data collected showed mixed results for all measures taken. The differences in achievement gained favoring the conventional treatment from pretest to both posttests appear to have leveled out somewhat over time. Although anxiety levels declined for both genders after treatment, females continued to report significantly higher science anxiety than males. There appears to be a relationship between treatment and gender in terms of effect on science anxiety. For all three measures taken--pretest, immediate posttest and delayed posttest--no significant difference in achievement by learning style was observed. Learning style alone does not appear to be related to achievement in this study. However, the interaction between learning style and treatment was significant in some cases. In looking at achievement defined as gain scores among the three achievement measures, only some cases within the microworld treatment proved to be significant.

Blended Learning Versus Traditional Lecture in Introductory Nursing Pathophysiology Courses.

PubMed

Blissitt, Andrea Marie

2016-04-01

Currently, many undergraduate nursing courses use blended-learning course formats with success; however, little evidence exists that supports the use of blended formats in introductory pathophysiology courses. The purpose of this study was to compare the scores on pre- and posttests and course satisfaction between traditional and blended course formats in an introductory nursing pathophysiology course. This study used a quantitative, quasi-experimental, nonrandomized control group, pretest-posttest design. Analysis of covariance compared pre- and posttest scores, and a t test for independent samples compared students' reported course satisfaction of the traditional and blended course formats. Results indicated that the differences in posttest scores were not statistically significant between groups. Students in the traditional group reported statistically significantly higher satisfaction ratings than students in the blended group. The results of this study support the need for further research of using blended learning in introductory pathophysiology courses in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing programs. Further investigation into how satisfaction is affected by course formats is needed. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

USE OF A NOVEL BOARD GAME IN A CLINICAL ROTATION FOR LEARNING THORACIC DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSES IN VETERINARY MEDICAL IMAGING.

PubMed

Ober, Christopher P

2017-03-01

When confronted with various findings on thoracic radiographs, fourth-year veterinary students often have difficulty generating appropriate lists of differential diagnoses. The purpose of this one-group, pretest, posttest experimental study was to determine if a game could be used as an adjunct teaching method to improve students' understanding of connections between imaging findings and differential diagnoses. A novel board game focusing on differential diagnoses in thoracic radiography was developed. One hundred fourth-year veterinary students took a brief pretest, played the board game, and took a brief posttest as a part of their respective clinical radiology rotations. Pretest results were compared to posttest results using a paired t-test to determine if playing the game impacted student understanding. Students' mean scores on the posttest were significantly higher than mean pretest scores (P < 0.0001). Thus, results indicate that playing the board game resulted in improved short-term understanding of thoracic differential diagnoses by fourth-year students, and use of the board game on a clinical rotation seems to be a beneficial part of the learning process. © 2016 American College of Veterinary Radiology.

Understanding pretest and posttest reactions to cognitive ability and personality tests.

PubMed

Chan, D; Schmitt, N; Sacco, J M; DeShon, R P

1998-06-01

To understand the nature of test reactions and their relationship to test performance, the relationships among belief in tests, pretest reactions, test performance, and posttest reactions were modeled for cognitive ability and personality tests. Results from structural equation models that were fitted to responses from 197 undergraduate examinees supported the hypothesized relationships. On the cognitive ability test, pretest reactions affected test performance and mediated the relationship between belief in tests and test performance. Test performance affected posttest reactions even after taking into account the effect of pretest reactions. On the personality test, belief in tests affected pretest and posttest reactions, but the three variables were unrelated to test performance (Conscientiousness scores). Conceptual, methodological, and practical implications of the findings are discussed in the context of research on test reactions and test performance.

Are Podcasts Effective at Educating African-American Men about Diabetes?

PubMed Central

Ross, Levi; Iwanenko, Walter; Schiffert, Judith; Sen, Arup

2013-01-01

Education is a critical component of the National Blueprint to eliminate racial disparities in diabetes. Research indicates that traditional methods of diabetes education has had limited effectiveness with minority populations and suggest that different educational approaches be explored. The purpose of the research was to explore the effectiveness of an emergent technology (podcast) for use in educating inner-city, African-American men about diabetes prevention. Thirty African-American men participated in self-administered, pretest-posttest surveys in August 2009. Surveys collected information on demographic characteristics, perceptions of diabetes and diabetes knowledge. Paired samples t-test was computed to evaluate pretest-posttest changes in overall knowledge. McNemar or binomial tests were computed to evaluate pretest-posttest knowledge changes on each of the 15 individual knowledge items. Diabetes knowledge scores for the sample increased from 8.27 at pretest to 10.47 at posttest (p = .001). Posttest knowledge scores increased for 77% of men, stayed the same for 13%, and decreased for 10%. Men who listened to the podcast correctly answered 40% more knowledge questions on their posttest assessments. Results from this exploratory study suggest that podcasts are useful for helping inner-city, African-American men recall diabetes prevention information. Additional research is recommended with larger randomly selected samples using more rigorous research designs. PMID:22516566

Are podcasts effective at educating African American men about diabetes?

PubMed

Johnson, Jarrett; Ross, Levi; Iwanenko, Walter; Schiffert, Judith; Sen, Arup

2012-09-01

Education is a critical component of the National Blueprint to eliminate racial disparities in diabetes. Research indicates that traditional methods of diabetes education has had limited effectiveness with minority populations and suggests that different educational approaches be explored. The purpose of the research was to explore the effectiveness of an emergent technology (podcast) for use in educating inner-city, African American men about diabetes prevention. Thirty African American men participated in self-administered, pretest-posttest surveys in August 2009. Surveys collected information on demographic characteristics, perceptions of diabetes, and diabetes knowledge. Paired samples t test was computed to evaluate pretest-posttest changes in overall knowledge. McNemar or binomial tests were computed to evaluate pretest-posttest knowledge changes on each of the 15 individual knowledge items. Diabetes knowledge scores for the sample increased from 8.27 at pretest to 10.47 at posttest (p = .001). Posttest knowledge scores increased for 77% of men, stayed the same for 13%, and decreased for 10%. Men who listened to the podcast correctly answered 40% more knowledge questions on their posttest assessments. Results from this exploratory study suggest that podcasts are useful for helping inner-city, African American men recall diabetes prevention information. Additional research is recommended with larger randomly selected samples using more rigorous research designs.

'Hip-hop' stroke: a stroke educational program for elementary school children living in a high-risk community.

PubMed

Williams, Olajide; Noble, James M

2008-10-01

Public stroke recognition is poor and poses a barrier to acute stroke treatment. We describe a stroke literacy program that teaches elementary school children in high-risk communities to recognize stroke and form an urgent action plan; we then present results of an intervention study using the program. "Hip-Hop" Stroke uses culturally and age-appropriate music and dance to enhance an interactive didactic curriculum including the FAST mnemonic (Facial droop, Arm weakness, Speech disturbance, Time to call 911). The program occurred in central Harlem, New York City, a community with high stroke risk. During the 2006 to 2007 school year, 582 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders (9 to 11 years of age) participated in 1-hour sessions over 3 consecutive days. Stroke knowledge was tested before and after the program with a 94% group participant retention. Students learned and retained knowledge well for stroke localization (20% correct before intervention, 93% correct immediately afterward, and 86% correct after 3-month delay; P<0.001 both posttests versus baseline), the term "brain attack" (16% pretest, 95% immediate, 86% delayed; P<0.001), and to call 911 for stroke (78% pretest, 99.8% immediate, 98% delayed; P<0.001). FAST stroke symptoms (facial droop and slurred speech) were better retained than non-FAST symptoms (headache and blurred vision) at 3 months (P<0.001). For stroke prevention measures, dietary change and exercise were better learned than concepts of diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol. Elementary school children are educable about stroke, retain their knowledge well, and may be able to appropriately activate emergency services for acute stroke. Incorporating cultural elements such as hip-hop music may improve retention of stroke knowledge among the youth.

Effect of rater training on reliability and accuracy of mini-CEX scores: a randomized, controlled trial.

PubMed

Cook, David A; Dupras, Denise M; Beckman, Thomas J; Thomas, Kris G; Pankratz, V Shane

2009-01-01

Mini-CEX scores assess resident competence. Rater training might improve mini-CEX score interrater reliability, but evidence is lacking. Evaluate a rater training workshop using interrater reliability and accuracy. Randomized trial (immediate versus delayed workshop) and single-group pre/post study (randomized groups combined). Academic medical center. Fifty-two internal medicine clinic preceptors (31 randomized and 21 additional workshop attendees). The workshop included rater error training, performance dimension training, behavioral observation training, and frame of reference training using lecture, video, and facilitated discussion. Delayed group received no intervention until after posttest. Mini-CEX ratings at baseline (just before workshop for workshop group), and four weeks later using videotaped resident-patient encounters; mini-CEX ratings of live resident-patient encounters one year preceding and one year following the workshop; rater confidence using mini-CEX. Among 31 randomized participants, interrater reliabilities in the delayed group (baseline intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.43, follow-up 0.53) and workshop group (baseline 0.40, follow-up 0.43) were not significantly different (p = 0.19). Mean ratings were similar at baseline (delayed 4.9 [95% confidence interval 4.6-5.2], workshop 4.8 [4.5-5.1]) and follow-up (delayed 5.4 [5.0-5.7], workshop 5.3 [5.0-5.6]; p = 0.88 for interaction). For the entire cohort, rater confidence (1 = not confident, 6 = very confident) improved from mean (SD) 3.8 (1.4) to 4.4 (1.0), p = 0.018. Interrater reliability for ratings of live encounters (entire cohort) was higher after the workshop (ICC 0.34) than before (ICC 0.18) but the standard error of measurement was similar for both periods. Rater training did not improve interrater reliability or accuracy of mini-CEX scores. clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00667940

Evaluation of Faun MLC-70 Trackway Mat System Under Simulated F-15 Traffic

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

stronger soils. Results of traffic tests presented herein include individual mat panel properties, pretest and posttest sub- grade soil conditions, subgrade...strength of the subgrade had changed during the evaluation. The average pretest and posttest CBR measurements for each item are shown in Table 3... Pretest A1 25.2 50 A2 33.3 60 A3 30.9 35 Posttest A1 12.5 10 -12.7 -40 A2 18.5 15 -14.8 -45 A3 12.8 30 -18.1 -5 2.3.1.2 Mat

Accelerating the development of formal thinking in middle and high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adey, Philip; Shayer, Michael

In an attempt to accelerate the development of formal operations in average young adolescents, intervention lessons relating to all formal schemata were designed in the context of school science courses. Over a period of two years, up to 30 intervention lessons were given by science teachers to their classes in eight schools. Boys who started the program aged 12+ showed a pre-posttest effect size on Piagetian tests of 0.89 SD compared with control classes. In terms of British norms for the development of operational thinking this was a mean change from the 51st to the 74th percentile. Neither the middle school students nor the 12+ girls showed greater gain than the controls. Gains were shown by girls in one 11+ class and in the two 11+ laboratory classes. In the laboratory school students given intervention lessons by the researchers maintained their gains over controls in formal operations at a delayed posttest one year after cessation of the program. There was no effect on tests of science achievement during the intervention. It was argued that the interventions needed to be accompanied by in-service training designed to enable teachers to change their teaching style in line with their students' increased operational thinking capacity.

An enhanced methodology for spacecraft correlation activity using virtual testing tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remedia, Marcello; Aglietti, Guglielmo S.; Appolloni, Matteo; Cozzani, Alessandro; Kiley, Andrew

2017-11-01

Test planning and post-test correlation activity have been issues of growing importance in the last few decades and many methodologies have been developed to either quantify or improve the correlation between computational and experimental results. In this article the methodologies established so far are enhanced with the implementation of a recently developed procedure called Virtual Testing. In the context of fixed-base sinusoidal tests (commonly used in the space sector for correlation), there are several factors in the test campaign that affect the behaviour of the satellite and are not normally taken into account when performing analyses: different boundary conditions created by the shaker's own dynamics, non-perfect control system, signal delays etc. All these factors are the core of the Virtual Testing implementation, which will be thoroughly explained in this article and applied to the specific case of Bepi-Colombo spacecraft tested on the ESA QUAD Shaker. Correlation activity will be performed in the various stages of the process, showing important improvements observed after applying the final complete methodology.

Rural Health, Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-served Area (CERMUSA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

Pretest I Posttest of Cognitive Knowledge, • Pretest I Posttest of Knowledge (Self Perception), • VCS Feature Comparison. Pretest I Posttest of Cognitive...This measurement was the change between the pretest and posttest scores. Figure 6 represents the average pretest , posttest , and difference scores for...to the educational intervention, each case student’s average posttest scores increased over the pretest scores. Also, in each case, the

Laboratory Characterization of Type N Mortar

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

and test results are documented in Chapter 2. Comparative plots and anal- yses of the experimental results are presented in Chapter 3. A summary is...determinations are provided in Table 1. Measurements of posttest water content1 were conducted in accordance with procedures given in American Society for...Testing and Materials (ASTM) D 2216 (ASTM 2005d). Based on the appropriate values of posttest water content, wet density, and an assumed grain density

An Assessment of Drug Education-Prevention Programs in the U.S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-01-01

education program at one post. In addition, group interviews were conducted with a total of 191 enlisted men. Both the survey data and the pretest ...with Drug Education Effects of Education on Drug Use Pretest - Posttest Results Interview Results DISCUSSION REFERENCES DISTRIBUTION LIST Page...evaluated by means of a separate-sample pretest - posttest design, using 220 subjects.8 In addition, group Interviews were conducted with randomly

75 FR 7610 - Office of Urban Indian Health Programs; Title V HIV/AIDS Competing Continuation Grants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-22

... routine and/or rapid HIV screening, prevention, and pre- and post-test counseling (when appropriate... as per 2006 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and pre- and post-test... results including linkages to care. Grantees may choose to bundle HIV tests with sexually transmitted...

Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach DOS Commands: A Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWeeney, Mark G.

1992-01-01

Describes a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program used to teach DOS commands. Pretest and posttest results for 65 graduate students using the program are reported, and it is concluded that the CAI program significantly aided the students. Sample screen displays for the program and several questions from the pre/posttest are included. (nine…

The Use of Pre-/Posttest and Self-Assessment Tools in a French Pronunciation Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lappin-Fortin, Kerry; Rye, B. J.

2014-01-01

This study investigated the relationships between students' self-assessments and experts' assessments in a university French pronunciation course for nonnative speakers using a pre-/posttest design. Results indicated that students were relatively accurate when making a global assessment (Time 1) and when judging some specific aspects of…

Prevalence and correlates of human immunodeficiency virus testing and posttest counseling among outpatients with serious mental illness.

PubMed

Desai, Mayur M; Rosenheck, Robert A; Desai, Rani A

2007-09-01

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of receipt of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, test results, and posttest counseling among outpatients with serious mental illness at 3 public-sector facilities in Connecticut (N = 487). A substantial proportion (41.9%) reported never having been tested for HIV, including fully one-third of those who were "very afraid" of getting acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Independent correlates of HIV testing included younger age, felony criminal history, stronger therapeutic alliance with one's primary clinician, and increased drug problems and psychological distress. Of those tested, nearly all (96.5%) reported receiving the test results; however, only half (50.5%) reported receiving any posttest counseling. Independent correlates of posttest counseling included higher educational level, felony criminal history, and receipt of community-based case management services. Greater efforts are needed to increase HIV testing and counseling among persons with serious mental illness to better identify and care for HIV-positive individuals and potentially reduce future transmission of the virus in this vulnerable, at-risk population.

Making working memory work: a meta-analysis of executive-control and working memory training in older adults.

PubMed

Karbach, Julia; Verhaeghen, Paul

2014-11-01

This meta-analysis examined the effects of process-based executive-function and working memory training (49 articles, 61 independent samples) in older adults (> 60 years). The interventions resulted in significant effects on performance on the trained task and near-transfer tasks; significant results were obtained for the net pretest-to-posttest gain relative to active and passive control groups and for the net effect at posttest relative to active and passive control groups. Far-transfer effects were smaller than near-transfer effects but were significant for the net pretest-to-posttest gain relative to passive control groups and for the net gain at posttest relative to both active and passive control groups. We detected marginally significant differences in training-induced improvements between working memory and executive-function training, but no differences between the training-induced improvements observed in older adults and younger adults, between the benefits associated with adaptive and nonadaptive training, or between the effects in active and passive control conditions. Gains did not vary with total training time. © The Author(s) 2014.

Overcoming nursing barriers to intensive care unit early mobilisation: A quality improvement project.

PubMed

Hunter, Oluwatobi O; George, Elisabeth L; Ren, Dianxu; Morgan, Douglas; Rosenzweig, Margaret; Klinefelter Tuite, Patricia

2017-06-01

To increase adherence with intensive care unit mobility by developing and implementing a mobility training program that addresses nursing barriers to early mobilisation. An intensive care unit mobility training program was developed, implemented and evaluated with a pre-test, immediate post-test and eight-week post-test. Patient mobility was tracked before and after training. A ten bed cardiac intensive care unit. The training program's efficacy was measured by comparing pre-test, immediate post-test and 8-week post-test scores. Patient mobilisation rates before and after training were compared. Protocol compliance was measured in the post training group. Nursing knowledge increased from pre-test to immediate post-test (p<0.0001) and pre-test to 8-week post-test (p<0.0001). Mean test scores decreased by seven points from immediate post-test (80±12) to 8-week post-test (73±14). Fear significantly decreased from pre-test to immediate post-test (p=0.03), but not from pre-test to 8-week post-test (p=0.06) or immediate post-test to 8-week post-test (p=0.46). Post training patient mobility rates increased although not significantly (p=0.07). Post training protocol compliance was 78%. The project successfully increased adherence with intensive care unit mobility and indicates that a training program could improve adoption of early mobility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is online pediatric continuing education effective in a rural state?

PubMed

Warren, Linda; Sapien, Robert; Fullerton-Gleason, Lynne

2008-01-01

This prospective study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of online pediatric education for prehospital emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Online emergency medical services (EMS) continuing education modules, on various pediatric emergency topics, were developed for dissemination statewide. Pre- and posttest scores were compared by EMT level of training, rural versus urban location, and individual module performance. A total of 539 participants completed both the pre- and posttests. Of these, more than one-third (38.0%) reported Bernalillo County, the only urban county in the state, as the county in which they worked. Pretest scores ranged from 0 to 15 (mean = 8.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.2, 8.7), with a median of 8.0 and a mode of 8.0. Posttest scores were higher, ranging from 4 to 15 (mean = 11.6; 95% CI = 11.4, 11.7). For the posttest, the median score was 12.0 and the mode was 13.0. Urban and rural EMTs improved in posttests comparably. EMT-Basic participants' scores improved (mean change in score = 3.4, 95% CI = 3.1, 3.7) more than those of EMT-Intermediates (mean = 2.9, 95% CI = 2.5, 3.2) or EMT-Paramedics (mean = 2.7, 95% CI = 2.2, 3.3). 1) The New Mexico EMS for Children (EMSC) online pediatric continuing education program increased EMTs' cognitive knowledge; 2) rural EMTs accessed the training more than urban EMTs; and 3) although pre- and posttest results varied by EMT licensure level, improvements in scores also varied such that posttest scores were more similar than pretest scores.

Improving Community Stroke Preparedness in the HHS (Hip-Hop Stroke) Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Williams, Olajide; Leighton-Herrmann Quinn, Ellyn; Teresi, Jeanne; Eimicke, Joseph P; Kong, Jian; Ogedegbe, Gbenga; Noble, James

2018-04-01

Deficiencies in stroke preparedness cause major delays to stroke thrombolysis, particularly among economically disadvantaged minorities. We evaluated the effectiveness of a stroke preparedness intervention delivered to preadolescent urban public school children on the stroke knowledge/preparedness of their parents. We recruited 3070 fourth through sixth graders and 1144 parents from 22 schools into a cluster randomized trial with schools randomized to the HHS (Hip-Hop Stroke) intervention or attentional control (nutrition classes). HHS is a 3-hour culturally tailored, theory-based, multimedia stroke literacy intervention targeting school children, which systematically empowers children to share stroke information with parents. Our main outcome measures were stroke knowledge/preparedness of children and parents using validated surrogates. Among children, it was estimated that 1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-1%) of controls and 2% (95% CI, 1%-4%; P =0.09) of the intervention group demonstrated optimal stroke preparedness (perfect scores on the knowledge/preparedness test) at baseline, increasing to 57% (95% CI, 44%-69%) immediately after the program in the intervention group compared with 1% (95% CI, 0%-1%; P <0.001) among controls. At 3-month follow-up, 24% (95% CI, 15%-33%) of the intervention group retained optimal preparedness, compared with 2% (95% CI, 0%-3%; P <0.001) of controls. Only 3% (95% CI, 2%-4%) of parents in the intervention group could identify all 4 letters of the stroke FAST (Facial droop, Arm weakness, Speech disturbance, Time to call 911) acronym at baseline, increasing to 20% at immediate post-test (95% CI, 16%-24%) and 17% at 3-month delayed post-test (95% CI, 13%-21%; P =0.0062), with no significant changes (3% identification) among controls. Four children, all in the intervention group, called 911 for real-life stroke symptoms, in 1 case overruling a parent's wait-and-see approach. HHS is an effective, intergenerational model for increasing stroke preparedness among economically disadvantaged minorities. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01497886. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Perceptual and acoustic outcomes of voice therapy for male-to-female transgender individuals immediately after therapy and 15 months later.

PubMed

Gelfer, Marylou Pausewang; Tice, Ruthanne M

2013-05-01

The present study examined how effectively listeners' perceptions of gender could be changed from male to female for male-to-female (MTF) transgender (TG) clients based on the voice signal alone, immediately after voice therapy and at long-term follow-up. Short- and long-term changes in masculinity and femininity ratings and acoustic measures of speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) and vowel formant frequencies were also investigated. Prospective treatment study. Five MTF TG clients, five control female speakers, and five control male speakers provided a variety of speech samples for later analysis. The TG clients then underwent 8 weeks of voice therapy. Voice samples were collected immediately at the termination of therapy and again 15 months later. Two groups of listeners were recruited to evaluate gender and provide masculinity and femininity ratings. Perceptual results revealed that TG subjects were perceived as female 1.9% of the time in the pretest, 50.8% of the time in the immediate posttest, and 33.1% of the time in the long-term posttest. The TG speakers were also perceived as significantly less masculine and more feminine in the immediate posttest and the long-term posttest compared with the pre-test. Some acoustic measures showed significant differences between the pretest and the immediate posttest and long-term posttest. It appeared that 8 weeks of voice therapy could result in vocal changes in MTF TG individuals that persist at least partially for up to 15 months. However, some TG subjects were more successful with voice feminization than others. Copyright © 2013 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

A pilot study: the development of a culturally tailored Malaysian Diabetes Education Module (MY-DEMO) based on the Health Belief Model

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Diabetes education and self-care remains the cornerstone of diabetes management. There are many structured diabetes modules available in the United Kingdom, Europe and United States of America. Contrastingly, few structured and validated diabetes modules are available in Malaysia. This pilot study aims to develop and validate diabetes education material suitable and tailored for a multicultural society like Malaysia. Methods The theoretical framework of this module was founded from the Health Belief Model (HBM). The participants were assessed using 6-item pre- and post-test questionnaires that measured some of the known HBM constructs namely cues to action, perceived severity and perceived benefit. Data was analysed using PASW Statistics 18.0. Results The pre- and post-test questionnaires were administered to 88 participants (31 males). In general, there was a significant increase in the total score in post-test (97.34 ± 6.13%) compared to pre-test (92.80 ± 12.83%) (p < 0.05) and a significant increase in excellent score (>85%) at post-test (84.1%) compared to pre-test (70.5%) (p < 0.05). There was an improvement in post-test score in 4 of 6 items tested. The remaining 2 items which measured the perceived severity and cues to action had poorer post-test score. Conclusions The preliminary results from this pilot study suggest contextualised content material embedded within MY DEMO maybe suitable for integration with the existing diabetes education programmes. This was the first known validated diabetes education programme available in the Malay language. PMID:24708715

The effects of a combination of text structure awareness and graphic postorganizers on recall and retention of science knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiegel, George F., Jr.; Barufaldi, James P.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a self-regulated strategy on immediate recall and retention of science knowledge in community-college anatomy and physiology students who participated in a 14-hour (8 weeks) study skills class. The class emphasized the recognition of five common science textbook text structures (cause and effect, classification, enumeration, generalization, and sequence) and the construction of graphic postorganizers of the text structures. A pretest, two immediate posttests, and a retention posttest were used to measure recall and retention. Results indicated that on immediate posttests students who actively constructed graphic postorganizers of the test structure recalled significantly more content than did the control students who simply underlined, reread, or highlighted. On a 3-week retention posttest, those students in the study skills class retained significantly more of the material studied than did the control group of students.

Effect of a group adherence intervention for Mexican-American older adults with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Haltiwanger, Emily Piven

2012-01-01

I evaluated the effect of a culturally tailored, peer-led support group intervention on improvement in adherence behaviors of Mexican-American older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and obtained feedback on the cultural relevance of the manual that structured the intervention. The one-group pretest-posttest design used five self-report questionnaires and blood testing to measure change among 4 men and 12 women, ages 60-85. Empowerment, self-efficacy, and attitude were highly significant at 2-, 4-, and 6-mo posttests. Glycosylated hemoglobin test results were significant at p < .05 between pretest and 2-mo posttest with a stabilizing effect on the 6-mo posttest. Mexican-American older adults' adherence may improve with a culturally sensitive, structured peer-led program with indirect consultation from an occupational therapist. Copyright © 2012 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Impact of a Required Pharmaceutical Calculations Course on Mathematics Ability and Knowledge Retention

PubMed Central

Buring, Shauna M.; Papas, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Objective. To assess doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students’ mathematics ability by content area before and after completing a required pharmaceutical calculations course and to analyze changes in scores. Methods. A mathematics skills assessment was administered to 2 cohorts of pharmacy students (class of 2013 and 2014) before and after completing a pharmaceutical calculations course. The posttest was administered to the second cohort 6 months after completing the course to assess knowledge retention. Results. Both cohorts performed significantly better on the posttest (cohort 1, 13% higher scores; cohort 2, 15.9% higher scores). Significant improvement on posttest scores was observed in 6 of the 10 content areas for cohorts 1 and 2. Both cohorts scored lower in percentage calculations on the posttest than on the pretest. Conclusions. A required, 1-credit-hour pharmaceutical calculations course improved PharmD students’ overall ability to perform fundamental and application-based calculations. PMID:23966727

Prediction of psychological functioning one year after the predictive test for Huntington's disease and impact of the test result on reproductive decision making.

PubMed Central

Decruyenaere, M; Evers-Kiebooms, G; Boogaerts, A; Cassiman, J J; Cloostermans, T; Demyttenaere, K; Dom, R; Fryns, J P; Van den Berghe, H

1996-01-01

For people at risk for Huntington's disease, the anxiety and uncertainty about the future may be very burdensome and may be an obstacle to personal decision making about important life issues, for example, procreation. For some at risk persons, this situation is the reason for requesting predictive DNA testing. The aim of this paper is two-fold. First, we want to evaluate whether knowing one's carrier status reduces anxiety and uncertainty and whether it facilitates decision making about procreation. Second, we endeavour to identify pretest predictors of psychological adaptation one year after the predictive test (psychometric evaluation of general anxiety, depression level, and ego strength). The impact of the predictive test result was assessed in 53 subjects tested, using pre- and post-test psychometric measurement and self-report data of follow up interviews. Mean anxiety and depression levels were significantly decreased one year after a good test result; there was no significant change in the case of a bad test result. The mean personality profile, including ego strength, remained unchanged one year after the test. The study further shows that the test result had a definite impact on reproductive decision making. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to select the best predictors of the subject's post-test reactions. The results indicate that a careful evaluation of pretest ego strength, depression level, and coping strategies may be helpful in predicting post-test reactions, independently of the carrier status. Test result (carrier/ non-carrier), gender, and age did not significantly contribute to the prediction. About one third of the variance of post-test anxiety and depression level and more than half of the variance of ego strength was explained, implying that other psychological or social aspects should also be taken into account when predicting individual post-test reactions. PMID:8880572

TRAC-PD2 posttest analysis of the CCTF Evaluation-Model Test C1-19 (Run 38). [PWR

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

Motley, F.

The results of a Transient Reactor Analysis Code posttest analysis of the Cylindral Core Test Facility Evaluation-Model Test agree very well with the results of the experiment. The good agreement obtained verifies the multidimensional analysis capability of the TRAC code. Because of the steep radial power profile, the importance of using fine noding in the core region was demonstrated (as compared with poorer results obtained from an earlier pretest prediction that used a coarsely noded model).

Developing gerontological competency: a curriculum approach.

PubMed

Galambos, Colleen; Curl, Angela

2013-01-01

This study describes a competency-based educational approach to course development, implementation, and evaluation. The course model is presented, including its philosophical base. The authors hypothesized that student participation in a competency-based graduate gerontology course would increase their perceived competency level. Results indicate that students (N = 74 students; 2008-2011) rated their competency skill level as higher at posttest than at the pretest (paired t-tests, p < .01), as measured by the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II. In addition, pretest/posttest results on the Myths of Aging checklist and Expectations Regarding Aging survey supported increases of perceived knowledge of older adults at posttest (p < .01). This project illustrates the benefits of organizing and implementing competency-based curriculum so that students are better prepared to work with older adults when they graduate.

Thinking Maps: An innovative way to increase sixth-grade student achievement in social studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Tamita

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effect of Thinking Maps on the achievement of 6th-grade social studies students in order to determine its effectiveness. The population of this study came from a suburban middle school in the state of Georgia. The quantitative data included a pretest and posttest. The study was designed to find (a) whether there is a significant difference between the mean posttest scores on the benchmark test of 6th-grade students who are taught with either Thinking Maps or traditional social studies methods, (b) whether there is a significant difference between the mean posttest scores on the benchmark test of 6th-grade male versus female social studies students, and (c) whether there is a significant interaction between 6th-grade students' type of social studies class and gender as to differentially affect their mean posttest scores on the benchmark test. To answer these questions, students' pretest and posttest were compared to determine if there was a statistically significant difference after Thinking Maps were implemented with the treatment group for 9 weeks. The results indicate that there was no significant difference in the test scores between the students who were taught with Thinking Maps and the students who were taught without Thinking Maps. However, the students taught with Thinking Maps had the higher adjusted posttest scores.

The Effects of Interactive Graphics Analogies on Recall of Concepts in Science

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-08-01

processing , in the Craik and Lockhart sense, were induced by this postlesson condition. 3. The fact that students were able to deal with both...higher scores on a graphics posttest in Experiment III. These results suggest that both shallow and deep processing , in the Craik and Lockhart ...graphics posttest in Experiment III. These results suggest that both shallow and deep processing , in the Cralk and Lockhart sense, were induced by

The inclusion of 'then-test' questions in post-test questionnaires alters post-test responses: a randomized study of bias in health program evaluation.

PubMed

Nolte, Sandra; Elsworth, Gerald R; Sinclair, Andrew J; Osborne, Richard H

2012-04-01

Program evaluations are frequently based on 'then-test' data, i.e., pre-test collected in retrospect. While the application of the then-test has practical advantages, little is known about the validity of then-test data. Because of the collection of then-test in close proximity to post-test questions, this study was aimed at exploring whether the presence of then-test questions in post-test questionnaires influenced subjects' responses to post-test. To test the influence of then-test questions, we designed a randomized three-group study in the context of chronic disease self-management programs. Interventions had comparable goals and philosophies, and all 949 study participants filled out identical Health Education Impact Questionnaires (heiQ) at pre-test. At post-test, participants were then randomized to one of the following three groups: Group A responded to post-test questions only (n = 331); Group B filled out transition questions in addition to post-test (n = 304); and Group C filled out then-test questions in addition to post-test (n = 314). Significant post-test differences were found in six of eight heiQ scales, with respondents who filled out then-test questions reporting significantly higher post-test scores than respondents of the other groups. This study provides evidence that the inclusion of then-test questions alters post-test responses, suggesting that change scores based on then-test data be interpreted with care.

Weight management practices and their relationship to knowledge, perception and health status of Saudi females attending diet clinics in Riyadh city.

PubMed

Albassam, Reem Suliman; Abdel Gawwad, Ensaf S; Khanam, Latifa

2007-01-01

The objective of the study was to identify weight management (WM) practices among women attending diet clinics in Riyadh city, assess their impact on knowledge, perceptions, nutritional and health status and define some predictors for weight reduction among these women. The pretest-posttest research design was used. All female clients attending 8 diet clinics for the first visit within 8 months period and fulfilling the study inclusion criteria (212 out of 263) were included. The results show that out of 170 females who had previously tried to lose weight, only 32.4% reported success in reducing weight, meanwhile 61.7% reported weight regain. The mean total score of dietary practices, physical activity score, self efficacy and satisfaction of self-body image were improved significantly at posttest. Analysis of 24 h. dietary recall revealed that total energy and nutrients intake were significantly reduced at posttest. Dieting related problems increased significantly at posttest. Nutritional knowledge was at moderately fair level at both pretest and posttest; however it showed a significant improvement in the posttest. Perceived severity, perceived barriers and negative modeling effect were significantly decreased at the posttest. Over expectation for weight reduction was clearly evident as posttest body mass index (BMI) revealed a wide discrepancy between the expected and final weights. However, as compared to initial and final BMI, there was an increase in women who attained normal weight and a decrease in the percentage of obese and morbid obese women. All anthropometric indices, blood pressure, biochemical investigation showed significant improvement at posttest. Among the five WM modalities studied, moderate hypo-calorie plan diet modality was the longest (chi = 5.6 month) with the least weight loss (7.8%) and the minimum side effects. Both groups under very low calorie diet and protein diet had the highest weight reduction (13.2% &12.3%), at the same time both diets exhibited the highest number of side effects. The study recommends use of the primary approach for achieving weight loss through therapeutic life style change with banning those modalities accompanied with serious health complications.

Using inquiry-based instructional strategies in third-grade science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Fanicia D.

The purpose of the study was to determine if the use of inquiry-based instructional strategies as compared to traditional instructional strategies would increase third-grade students' achievement in science, based on the pretest/posttest of the school system and the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Inquiry-based instruction, presented students with a question, an observation, a data set, or a hypothesis for problem solving such as scientists use when working in real-world situations. This descriptive research employed a quantitative strategy using a pretest/posttest control group design. The research compared the science academic achievement levels of one Grade 3 class [N=14] exposed to a teacher's inquiry-based instructional strategies as compared to one Grade 3 class [ N=18] exposed to a teacher's traditional instructional strategies. The study compared the science academic performance levels of third-grade students as measured by pretest/posttest mean scores from the school system-based assessment and the Georgia CRCT. Four research hypotheses were examined. Based on the overall findings from this study, both the experimental group and the control group significantly increased their mean scores from the pretests to the posttests. The amount of gain from the pretest to the posttest was significantly greater for the experimental group than the control group for pretest/posttest 1 [t(12) = 8.79, p < .01] and pretest/posttest 2 [t(12) = 9.40, p < .01]. The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group with regard to their mean number of items answered correctly on the life sciences test [t(27) = -1.95, p = .06]. Finally, the control group did not outperform the experimental group on any of the comparisons made throughout this study. The results of this study provide empirical support for the effectiveness of the use of inquiry-based learning strategies, given that the experimental group outperformed the control group on all four posttests, on the science CRCT and on the individual Science portions on the test including earth, life and physical sciences. In fact, this study was able to detect significant differences between the experimental group and the control group with regard to the degree to which the students improved from the pretests to the posttests.

A Behavioral Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury-Associated Visual Dysfunction Based on Adult Cortical Plasticity

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

reported by the subjects. Based on the accumulate data, we prepared an updated set of pretest / posttest and training protocol in order to improve the...the  initial  pretests ,  the  training  and  the  posttests   in  the  control  group .  There  was  a  remarkable  improvement  in  the  objective...here  their  results.  All  measurements  of  the  visual  functions  are  shown  before  ( pretest )  and  after  ( posttest )  completing 20 training

Flexible Coherence: Re-Thinking e-Learning Design Principles for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Bradley E.

2013-01-01

This article presents the results from a post-test only experiment conducted in 2011 with undergraduate and graduate students (N = 67) from individualist and collectivist cultures. Demographic information was collected through questions appearing at the end of a post-test administered to subjects after completing the e-learning module. Each person…

Pretest and Posttest Results of the First KEEP Program Year. Technical Report #5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallimore, Ronald; And Others

This report presents a pre- and posttest evaluation of the first program year of the Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP). Each of the 28 children in the KEEP kindergarten class received three tests: the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), and the Standard English Repetition…

Eye-tracking of visual attention in web-based assessment using the Force Concept Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jing; Chen, Li; Fu, Zhao; Fritchman, Joseph; Bao, Lei

2017-07-01

This study used eye-tracking technology to investigate students’ visual attention while taking the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) in a web-based interface. Eighty nine university students were randomly selected into a pre-test group and a post-test group. Students took the 30-question FCI on a computer equipped with an eye-tracker. There were seven weeks of instruction between the pre- and post-test data collection. Students’ performance on the FCI improved significantly from pre-test to post-test. Meanwhile, the eye-tracking results reveal that the time students spent on taking the FCI test was not affected by student performance and did not change from pre-test to post-test. Analysis of students’ attention to answer choices shows that on the pre-test students primarily focused on the naïve choices and ignored the expert choices. On the post-test, although students had shifted their primary attention to the expert choices, they still kept a high level of attention to the naïve choices, indicating significant conceptual mixing and competition during problem solving. Outcomes of this study provide new insights on students’ conceptual development in learning physics.

The effect of peer assisted learning (PAL) on anatomic competencies of prospective student’s biology teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diana, S.

2018-05-01

Research about the effect of Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) strategy on Plant Anatomy Course, which aims to improve anatomic competencies of prospective student’s biology teacher, has been done. This study used a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design. The draft includes a group of students who were given a pre-test which is then followed by observing the PAL treatment process and post-test. The other students group (control) was given the pre-test and post-test only. The PAL program began with a discussion between the lecturer and the tutor about the pretest results and then discussion between the tutors and their tutees in the class about the responses items. After that, all students were assigned to answer a set of response items, and then did the posttest. The results showed that the PAL strategy can increase student’s anatomic literacy significantly and can increase student’s anatomic lab skills no significantly. Thus the PAL strategy implementation has a potential to improve student’s anatomic competencies. The generally students weaknesses were they lack practice in interpreting of research results in the graphs form and rarely shared about anatomic lab skills. All students respond positively to the PAL strategy.

Assessment of long-term knowledge retention following single-day simulation training for uncommon but critical obstetrical events

PubMed Central

Vadnais, Mary A.; Dodge, Laura E.; Awtrey, Christopher S.; Ricciotti, Hope A.; Golen, Toni H.; Hacker, Michele R.

2013-01-01

Objective The objectives were to determine (i) whether simulation training results in short-term and long-term improvement in the management of uncommon but critical obstetrical events and (ii) to determine whether there was additional benefit from annual exposure to the workshop. Methods Physicians completed a pretest to measure knowledge and confidence in the management of eclampsia, shoulder dystocia, postpartum hemorrhage and vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery. They then attended a simulation workshop and immediately completed a posttest. Residents completed the same posttests 4 and 12 months later, and attending physicians completed the posttest at 12 months. Physicians participated in the same simulation workshop 1 year later and then completed a final posttest. Scores were compared using paired t-tests. Results Physicians demonstrated improved knowledge and comfort immediately after simulation. Residents maintained this improvement at 1 year. Attending physicians remained more comfortable managing these scenarios up to 1 year later; however, knowledge retention diminished with time. Repeating the simulation after 1 year brought additional improvement to physicians. Conclusion Simulation training can result in short-term and contribute to long-term improvement in objective measures of knowledge and comfort level in managing uncommon but critical obstetrical events. Repeat exposure to simulation training after 1 year can yield additional benefits. PMID:22191668

Internet-Based, Culturally Sensitive, Problem-Solving Therapy for Turkish Migrants With Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

van 't Hof, Edith; van Ballegooijen, Wouter; Christensen, Helen; Riper, Heleen

2013-01-01

Background Turkish migrants living in the Netherlands have a high prevalence of depressive disorders, but experience considerable obstacles to accessing professional help. Providing easily accessible Internet treatments may help to overcome these barriers. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive, guided, self-help, problem-solving intervention through the Internet for reducing depressive symptoms in Turkish migrants. Methods A two-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted. The primary outcome measure was the severity of depressive symptoms; secondary outcome measures were somatic symptoms, anxiety, quality of life, and satisfaction with the treatment. Participants were assessed online at baseline, posttest (6 weeks after baseline), and 4 months after baseline. Posttest results were analyzed on the intention-to-treat sample. Missing values were estimated by means of multiple imputation. Differences in clinical outcome between groups were analyzed with a t test. Cohen’s d was used to determine the between-groups effect size at posttreatment and follow-up. Results Turkish adults (N=96) with depressive symptoms were randomized to the experimental group (n=49) or to a waitlist control group (n=47). High attrition rates were found among the 96 participants of which 42% (40/96) did not complete the posttest (6 weeks) and 62% (59/96) participants did not complete the follow-up assessment at 4 months. No significant difference between the experimental group and the control group was found for depression at posttest. Recovery occurred significantly more often in the experimental group (33%, 16/49) than in the control group (9%, 4/47) at posttest (P=.02). Because of the high attrition rate, a completers-only analysis was conducted at follow-up. The experimental group showed significant improvement in depression compared to the control group both at posttest (P=.01) and follow-up (P=.01). Conclusions The results of this study did not show a significant effect on the reduction of depressive symptoms. However, the effect size at posttest was high, which might be an indicator of the possible effectiveness of the intervention when assessed in a larger sample and robust trial. Future research should replicate our study with adequately powered samples. Trial Registration Dutch Trial Register: NTR2303. http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2303 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6IOxNgoDu). PMID:24121307

Designing Adaptive Instructional Environments: Insights from Empirical Evidence

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

theorems. Cohen’s f effect size for pretest to posttest gain, averaged across different problems = 0.46. 7 Basis for Adaptation Ability of...problems and took a posttest . Measures of Learning 26-item multiple choice pretest and posttest . Effect size on posttest scores as measured by...solving algebraic equations. Measures of Learning Pretest and posttest using rapid diagnostic testing procedure: Student had to provide their

Experiential curriculum improves medical students' ability to answer clinical questions using the internet.

PubMed

Alper, Brian S; Vinson, Daniel C

2005-09-01

Teaching about evidence-based medicine (EBM) is widespread, yet physicians still use rapid references preferentially over EBM techniques such as literature searching and appraisal of original research. The Internet now provides rapid access to preappraised evidence. We provided clinically integrated teaching of using the Internet to answer clinical questions for third-year medical students and assessed the change in their search skills. The curriculum included two 90-minute computer lab sessions with teaching of search skills related to clinical questions. Immediately before the first and after the second session, students recorded sites searched, time needed for searching, and answers found for three standardized questions. Pretest and posttest questions were matched and reversed with each block. Eighty-six students completed pretests and posttests. For two questions about conventional medical care, posttest answer quality was significantly higher, and posttest search times were significantly shorter, by 1.6 minutes for question 1 (mean pretest search time 6.3 minutes, mean posttest search time 4.7 minutes) and 1.9 minutes for question 2 (mean pretest search time 8 minutes, mean posttest search time 6.1 minutes). For a question about herbal medicine, results were similar, but there were smaller differences that did not reach statistical significance. Students used or found significantly fewer sites on the posttest than on the pretest to find answers for all three question types (absolute difference=0.3 sites for each question). CONCLUSIONS Introducing students to useful Web sites, practicing answering clinical questions, and integrating this process with clinical rotation experiences can reduce the effort that students need to find answers and improve the quality of answers they find.

Examining evolving performance on the Force Concept Inventory using factor analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semak, M. R.; Dietz, R. D.; Pearson, R. H.; Willis, C. W.

2017-06-01

The application of factor analysis to the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has proven to be problematic. Some studies have suggested that factor analysis of test results serves as a helpful tool in assessing the recognition of Newtonian concepts by students. Other work has produced at best ambiguous results. For the FCI administered as a pre- and post-test, we see factor analysis as a tool by which the changes in conceptual associations made by our students may be gauged given the evolution of their response patterns. This analysis allows us to identify and track conceptual linkages, affording us insight as to how our students have matured due to instruction. We report on our analysis of 427 pre- and post-tests. The factor models for the pre- and post-tests are explored and compared along with the methodology by which these models were fit to the data. The post-test factor pattern is more aligned with an expert's interpretation of the questions' content, as it allows for a more readily identifiable relationship between factors and physical concepts. We discuss this evolution in the context of approaching the characteristics of an expert with force concepts. Also, we find that certain test items do not significantly contribute to the pre- or post-test factor models and attempt explanations as to why this is so. This may suggest that such questions may not be effective in probing the conceptual understanding of our students.

Mathematical vs. conceptual understanding: Where do we draw the line?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadaghiani, Homeyra; Aguilera, Nicholas

2013-01-01

This research involved high school physics students and how they learn to understand Newton's laws as they relate to falling bodies and projectile motion. Students in introductory, algebra-based, high school physics classes were evaluated based on their prior knowledge through a pretest, designed to assess their initial comprehension of the motion of falling bodies and projectiles. Groups were divided and taught separately with an emphasis on either mathematical derivation of equations, followed by brief conceptual discussions, or on thorough conceptual analysis, followed by a brief mathematical verification. After a posttest was given, an evaluation of the responses and explanations of each group of students was used to determine which method of instruction was more effective. Results indicate that after the conceptual group and math groups achieved similar scores on the pretest, the conceptual group obtained a slightly higher normalized gain of 25% on the posttest, compared to the mathematical group's normalized gain of 16% (unpaired two-tailed t-test P value for posttest results was 0.1037) and, while within standard deviations, also achieved higher overall scores on all posttest questions and higher normalized gains on all but one posttest question. Further, most students, even thoes in the mathematically-instructed group, were more inclined to give conceptually-based responses on postest questions than mathematically-based ones. In the context of this topic, the dominating difficulty for both groups was in analyzing two-dimensional projectile motion and, more specifically, the behavior of each onedimensional component of such motion.

The effect of phosphatidylserine on golf performance

PubMed Central

Jäger, Ralf; Purpura, Martin; Geiss, Kurt-Reiner; Weiß, Michael; Baumeister, Jochen; Amatulli, Francesco; Schröder, Lars; Herwegen, Holger

2007-01-01

Background A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed to evaluate the effect of oral phosphatidylserine (PS) supplementation on golf performance in healthy young golfers with handicaps of 15–40. Methods Perceived stress, heart rate and the quality of the ball flight was evaluated before (pre-test) and after (post-test) 42 days of 200 mg per day PS (n = 10) or placebo (n = 10) intake in the form of a nutritional bar. Subjects teed-off 20 times aiming at a green 135 meters from the tee area. Results PS supplementation significantly increased (p < 0.05) the number of good ball flights (mean: pre-test 8.3 ± 3.5, post-test 10.1 ± 3.0), whereas placebo intake (mean: pre-test 7.8 ± 2.4, post-test 7.9 ± 3.6) had no effect. PS supplementation showed a trend towards improving perceived stress levels during teeing-off (mean: pre-test 5.8 ± 2.0, post-test 4.0 ± 2.0, p = 0.07), whereas stress levels remained unchanged in the placebo group (mean: pre-test: 5.1 ± 2.0, post-test: 5.1 ± 3.1). Supplementation did not influence mean heart rate in either group. Conclusion It is concluded that six weeks of PS supplementation shows a statistically not significant tendency (p = 0.07) to improve perceived stress levels in golfers and significantly improves (p < 0.05) the number of good ball flights during tee-off which might result in improved golf scores. PMID:18053194

Simulation-based education with mastery learning improves residents' lumbar puncture skills

PubMed Central

Cohen, Elaine R.; Caprio, Timothy; McGaghie, William C.; Simuni, Tanya; Wayne, Diane B.

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) on internal medicine residents' lumbar puncture (LP) skills, assess neurology residents' acquired LP skills from traditional clinical education, and compare the results of SBML to traditional clinical education. Methods: This study was a pretest-posttest design with a comparison group. Fifty-eight postgraduate year (PGY) 1 internal medicine residents received an SBML intervention in LP. Residents completed a baseline skill assessment (pretest) using a 21-item LP checklist. After a 3-hour session featuring deliberate practice and feedback, residents completed a posttest and were expected to meet or exceed a minimum passing score (MPS) set by an expert panel. Simulator-trained residents' pretest and posttest scores were compared to assess the impact of the intervention. Thirty-six PGY2, 3, and 4 neurology residents from 3 medical centers completed the same simulated LP assessment without SBML. SBML posttest scores were compared to neurology residents' baseline scores. Results: PGY1 internal medicine residents improved from a mean of 46.3% to 95.7% after SBML (p < 0.001) and all met the MPS at final posttest. The performance of traditionally trained neurology residents was significantly lower than simulator-trained residents (mean 65.4%, p < 0.001) and only 6% met the MPS. Conclusions: Residents who completed SBML showed significant improvement in LP procedural skills. Few neurology residents were competent to perform a simulated LP despite clinical experience with the procedure. PMID:22675080

Do Pretests Increase Student Achievement as Measured by Posttests?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bancroft, Roger J.

This report describes a study of the effects of using pretests in science classes on chapter test achievement results. The targeted population consisted of eighth grade science students at a junior high school from 1992 to 2001. Whether giving a pretest followed by a posttest at the end of the chapter, or giving only the test at chapter end…

A Compendium of Sexual Assault Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

2007; Klaw et al., 2005; Lonsway et al., 1998). Typically, participants completed a pretest and a posttest evaluation, and studies sometimes included...Determine whether theatrical sexual assault prevention programs induce long-term attitude change Selected Results: Posttest scores were lower than pretest ...more moti- vated the participants were to see the program, the greater the effect of the program. The researchers also found that pretesting

Variable approaches to genetic counseling for microarray regions of homozygosity associated with parental relatedness.

PubMed

Grote, Lauren; Myers, Melanie; Lovell, Anne; Saal, Howard; Sund, Kristen Lipscomb

2014-01-01

SNP microarrays are capable of detecting regions of homozygosity (ROH) which can suggest parental relatedness. This study was designed to describe pre- and post-test counseling practices of genetics professionals regarding ROH, explore perceived comfort and ethical concerns in the follow-up of such results, demonstrate awareness of laws surrounding duty to report consanguinity and incest, and allow respondents to share their personal experiences with results suggesting a parental relationship. A 35 question survey was administered to 240 genetic counselors and geneticists who had ordered or counseled for SNP microarray. The results are presented using descriptive statistics. There was variation in both pre- and post-test counseling practices of genetics professionals. Twenty-five percent of respondents reported pre-test counseling that ROH can indicate parental relatedness. The most commonly reported ethical concern was disclosure of findings suggesting parental relatedness to parents of the patient; only 48.4% reported disclosing parental relatedness when indicated. Fifty-seven percent felt comfortable receiving results suggesting parental consanguinity while 17% felt comfortable receiving results suggesting parental incest. Twenty percent of respondents were extremely/moderately familiar with the laws about duty to report incest. Personal experiences in post-test counseling included both parental acknowledgement and denial of relatedness. This study highlights the differences in genetics professionals' pre- and post-test counseling practices, comfort, and experiences surrounding parental relatedness suggested by SNP microarray results. It identifies a need for professional organizations to offer guidance to genetics professionals about how to respond to and counsel for molecular results suggesting parental consanguinity or incest. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transfer of task-switching training in older age: the role of verbal processes.

PubMed

Karbach, Julia; Mang, Sandra; Kray, Jutta

2010-09-01

This study investigated the influence of verbal self-instructions (VSI) on the transfer of task-switching training in older adults (56-78 years). We applied an internally cued switching paradigm in a pretest-training-posttest design. Training-related improvements were not modulated by VSI. Transfer (the pretest-posttest reduction of switch costs) was most pronounced when participants applied the VSI at posttest after practicing the switching task without VSI. The results indicate that in contrast to transfer of executive control training, transfer of (verbal) strategy training seems to be limited and that VSI is most beneficial when the task-switching abilities are already well practiced. (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

A cross-national study of calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, Jun; Friedler, Louis M.; Wolff, Edward F.; Li, Jun; Rhea, Karen

2015-05-01

The results from a cross-national study comparing calculus performance of students at East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai and students at the University of Michigan before and after their first university calculus course are presented. Overall, ECNU significantly outperformed Michigan on both the pre- and post-tests, but the Michigan students showed a larger gain and normalized gain, and hence narrowed the gap. ECNU's superior performance was especially striking on the subset of problems requiring only a pre-calculus background. On those, Michigan's post-test scores were below ECNU's pre-test scores and, indeed, ECNU's higher performance on both the overall pre-test and overall post-test is attributable to its success on these problems.

AM2 Brickwork Pattern Evaluation with Refurbished Matting

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

13 2.3.1 Subgrade construction and posttest forensics...19 Figure 18. Posttest DCP data for the F...51 Figure 51. V2W, V2E (a) pretest and (b) posttest and V1-C (c) pretest and (d) posttest . ................... 51 Figure 52

Dynamic versus isometric electromechanical delay in non-fatigued and fatigued muscle: A combined electromyographic, mechanomyographic, and force approach.

PubMed

Smith, Cory M; Housh, Terry J; Hill, Ethan C; Johnson, Glen O; Schmidt, Richard J

2017-04-01

This study used a combined electromyographic, mechanomyographic, and force approach to identify electromechanical delay (EMD) from the onsets of the electromyographic to force signals (EMD E-F ), onsets of the electromyographic to mechanomyogrpahic signals (EMD E-M ), and onsets of mechanomyographic to force signals (EMD M-F ). The purposes of the current study were to examine: (1) the differences in EMD E-F , EMD E-M , and EMD M-F from the vastus lateralis during maximal, voluntary dynamic (1 repetition maximum [1-RM]) and isometric (maximal voluntary isometric contraction [MVIC]) muscle actions; and (2) the effects of fatigue on EMD E-F , EMD M-F , and EMD E-M . Ten men performed pretest and posttest 1-RM and MVIC leg extension muscle actions. The fatiguing workbout consisted of 70% 1-RM dynamic constant external resistance leg extension muscle actions to failure. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between 1-RM and MVIC EMD E-F , EMD E-M , or EMD M-F. There were, however, significant fatigue-induced increases in EMD E-F (94% and 63%), EMD E-M (107%), and EMD M-F (63%) for both the 1-RM and MVIC measurements. Therefore, these findings demonstrated the effects of fatigue on EMD measures and supported comparisons among studies which examined dynamic or isometric EMD measures from the vastus lateralis using a combined electromyographic, mechanomyographic, and force approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting high school students' conceptual understandings of the particulate nature of matter through multiple representations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adadan, Emine

This study mainly explored the efficacy of the two instructional interventions, namely Reform-Based Teaching with Multiple Representations (RBTw/MR) and Reform-Based Teaching (RBT) on stimulating change in students' conceptual understandings of the particulate nature of matter (PNM) and maintaining those scientific understandings constructed during the instruction over a three-month period. In this context, this study also examined the RBTw/MR and RBT students' types of conceptual understandings of the PNM before, immediately after and three-months after the interventions. This study was conducted in two introductory level chemistry classes of a suburban high school. The participants of the study included a total of 42 students who were enrolled in one of the two classes of the chemistry teacher who taught both of the classes. Both the RBTw/MR and the RBT group students were engaged in the same activities with the same sequence of experiences. However, the RBTw/MR instruction differed from the RBT instruction in terms of the frequency of using the multiple representations in relationship to the macroscopic phenomenon and the likely actions that occur at the submicroscopic level. A quasi-experimental control group research design with a pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest was employed by incorporating qualitative data collection and analysis methods. In order to assess students' conceptual understanding of the PNM, the open-ended questionnaire, namely Nature of Matter Diagnostic Questions, was administered to both groups just before, immediately after and three months after the instructional interventions. Fifteen of the 42 students were also interviewed following the posttest. The results of the study revealed the positive short- and long-term learning impacts on the RBTw/MR students' conceptual understandings of the PNM. Before the instruction, a majority of students in both groups (82.6%, RBTw/MR; 73.7%, RBT) held nonscientific types of conceptual understandings of the PNM. Immediately following the instruction, 52.1% of the RBTw/MR students held the types of conceptual understandings of either scientific or scientific fragments. Three months after the instruction, 34.8% of the RBTw/MR students held onto their scientific conceptual understandings of the PNM, only 15.8% of the RBT students' conceptual understandings of the PNM differed from their initial type of conceptual understandings.

Phonological awareness intervention and attention efficiency in children at risk: evidence of effectiveness on visual attention.

PubMed

Porta, María Elsa; Carrada, Mariana Andrea; Ison, Mirta Susana

2016-05-31

Using a pretest and posttest comparison group design, this 20 weeks study investigated the effects of a phonological awareness training program (PATP) on attention efficiency (AE) in 57 children (age = 5 to 6 years) at risk. The experimental group received the PATP (EG; n=30). We obtained pretest and posttest measures of phonological awareness and AE. The ANOVA showed significant interaction effects of the PATP and time on phonological awareness and AE. For both groups, posttest AE score means were higher than pretest score means. Pretest measures showed that the AE score mean for the EG was lower than that for the Control Group (CG; n=31); whereas posttest data showed no between group differences. Contrast analysis showed that the EG gained a greater level of phonological awareness ability and AE over CG. Our results indicate that children's attention efficiency not only improved as they developed, but also increased by means of a PATP.

Development and evaluation of the Kids Count Farm Safety Lesson.

PubMed

Liller, K D; Noland, V; Rijal, P; Pesce, K; Gonzalez, R

2002-11-01

The Kids Count Farm Safety Lesson was delivered to nearly 2,000 fifth-grade students in 15 rural schools in Hillsborough County, Florida. The lesson covered animal, machinery, water, and general safety topics applicable to farming in Florida. A staggered pretest-posttest study design was followed whereby five schools received a multiple-choice pretest and posttest and the remainder of the schools (N = 10) received the posttest only. Results of the study showed a significant increase in the mean number of correct answers on the posttests compared to the pretests. There was no significant difference in the mean number of correct answers of those students who received the pretest and those students who had not, eliminating a "pretest" effect. This study fills an important gap in the literature by evaluating a farm safety curriculum offered in the elementary school setting. It also included migrant schoolchildren in the study population. It is strongly recommended that agricultural safety information be included into the health education curriculum of these elementary schools.

The effect of education given before surgery on self-esteem and body image in women undergoing hysterectomy

PubMed Central

Yaman, Şengül; Ayaz, Sultan

2015-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of information provided before surgery on the self-esteem and body image of women undergoing hysterectomy. Materials and Methods: The study had a semi-experimental design with pre-post tests. A total of 60 women were included in the study and divided into two groups, the intervention group (n=30) and control group (n=30). A questionnaire, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and the body image scale were used to collect data. Results: The pre- and post-test body image scores were similar in the intervention group patients, but the post-test scores were significantly higher in the control group (p<0.05). The pre- and post-test self-esteem scores were again similar in the intervention group, but the post-test scores were significantly lower in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that health education given to patients prior to hysterectomy protects body image and consequently self-esteem. PMID:28913071

The effect of critical thinking education on nursing students' problem-solving skills.

PubMed

Kanbay, Yalçın; Okanlı, Ayşe

2017-06-01

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of critical thinking education on nursing students' problem-solving skills. This study was conducted with 93 nursing students, 49 in the control group and 44 in the education group. The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and the Problem-solving Inventory were administered to them before and after 12 weeks of critical thinking education. The education group's mean critical thinking score was 253.61 on the pretest and 268.72 on the posttest. This increase was statistically significant (p < .001). The posttest mean score of the control group fell to 258.18 on the posttest after a pretest mean score of 260.79, and this difference was statistically significant (p < .001). According to the posttest results, the problem-solving skills of education group increased significantly (p < .001), while the control group's score fell significantly (p < .001). This study determined that critical thinking education improves problem-solving skills.

Evaluation of a teen parent program designed to reduce child abuse and neglect and to strengthen families.

PubMed

Marshall, E; Buckner, E; Powell, K

1991-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a teen parent program designed to increase parents' self-esteem, improve parenting skills, and increase parental knowledge about child development. Subjects (n = 30) in the program were referred from public health services. Control subjects (n = 30) were served by a local health department. Subjects were tested before and on completion of the program (or 6-9 months later for controls) using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI), the Inventory of Parents' Experiences (IPE), and the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST). Findings included (a) intervention subjects scored lower than control subjects on the pretesting in self-esteem (p less than 0.05), parental role satisfaction (p less than 0.05), and community support (p less than 0.0001); (b) control subjects scored lower on satisfaction with intimate relationships (p less than 0.0001); (c) at post-test, there were no statistically significant differences, and intervention subjects recorded self-esteem scores had increased to control levels; and (d) no developmental delays were detected in newborns at either pre- or post-testing. Implications of this study include (a) data support effectiveness of the program in enhancing self-esteem, maintaining satisfaction in parental role, and increasing community support for teen parents; and (b) evaluation of teen parent programs' effects should be done every 3-6 months to reduce subject attrition.

The Impact of Prolonged Participation in a Pro-Social Cognitive Behavioral Skills Program on Elementary Age Students, with Behavior Related Disorders, Behavior Accelerative, Behavior Reductive, and Return to Regular Classroom Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esser, Ted H.

2012-01-01

Overall, pretest-posttest results indicated statistically significant pretest beginning program compared to posttest ending program percentage of behavioral improvement for on task, following directions, and positive interactions outcomes improvement for individual students who completed the elementary grades pro-social cognitive behavioral skills…

Mentors Offering Maternal Support (M.O.M.S.)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-02

at Sessions 1, 5, and 8. Table 1. Pretest - posttest , randomized, controlled, repeated measured design Experimental Intervention Sessions...theoretical mediators of self-esteem and emotional support (0.6 standard deviation change from pretest to posttest ) with reduction of effect to 0.4...always brought back to the designated topic . In order to have statistically significant results for the outcome variables the study sessions must

Treatment Effects for Older Struggling Readers: An Application of Moderated Mediation.

PubMed

Roberts, Greg; Fletcher, Jack M; Stuebing, Karla K; Barth, Amy E; Vaughn, Sharon

2013-02-01

This study used multigroup structural equations to evaluate the possibility that a theory-driven, evidence-based, yearlong reading program for sixth-grade struggling readers moderates the interrelationships among elements of the simple model of reading (i.e., listening comprehension, word reading, and reading comprehension; Hoover & Gough, 1990). Our specific interest was in the relation of theory, program, and evaluation. Our motivating assumptions were that 1) a well-designed, theory-based program affects performance in predictable ways and that 2) treatment effects may be present even when group differences in posttest means are not robust. The analysis sample comprised 327 students, 113 in the business-as-usual condition and 214 in treatment. We pretested students in the fall of sixth grade and collected posttest data in the fall of seventh grade. There were 217 cases in the posttest sample, 47 comparison students and 170 treatment students at posttest. The findings support the possibility that treated sixth-grade students improved in response to an intensive, yearlong intervention, when conceptualizing change in terms of predictable interrelationships of important underlying skills, rather than in terms of group mean differences at posttest. Specifically, the results suggest that verbal knowledge is less proximal to the reading comprehension of students who have become proficient in the use of text processing and reading comprehension strategies.

Treatment Effects for Older Struggling Readers: An Application of Moderated Mediation

PubMed Central

Roberts, Greg; Fletcher, Jack M.; Stuebing, Karla K.; Barth, Amy E.; Vaughn, Sharon

2012-01-01

This study used multigroup structural equations to evaluate the possibility that a theory-driven, evidence-based, yearlong reading program for sixth-grade struggling readers moderates the interrelationships among elements of the simple model of reading (i.e., listening comprehension, word reading, and reading comprehension; Hoover & Gough, 1990). Our specific interest was in the relation of theory, program, and evaluation. Our motivating assumptions were that 1) a well-designed, theory-based program affects performance in predictable ways and that 2) treatment effects may be present even when group differences in posttest means are not robust. The analysis sample comprised 327 students, 113 in the business-as-usual condition and 214 in treatment. We pretested students in the fall of sixth grade and collected posttest data in the fall of seventh grade. There were 217 cases in the posttest sample, 47 comparison students and 170 treatment students at posttest. The findings support the possibility that treated sixth-grade students improved in response to an intensive, yearlong intervention, when conceptualizing change in terms of predictable interrelationships of important underlying skills, rather than in terms of group mean differences at posttest. Specifically, the results suggest that verbal knowledge is less proximal to the reading comprehension of students who have become proficient in the use of text processing and reading comprehension strategies. PMID:23472048

Scientific method by argumentation design: learning process for maintaining student’s retention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siswanto; Yusiran; Asriyadin; Gumilar, S.; Subali, B.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research describes the effect of scientific methods designed by argumentation in maintaining retention of pre-service physics teachers (students) in mechanical concept. This learning consists of five stages including the first two stages namely observing and questioning. While the next three stages of reasoning, trying, and communicating are made of argumentation design. To know the effectiveness of treatment, students are given pre-test and post-test in one time. On the other hand, students were given advanced post-test to know the durability of retention as many as four times in four months. The results show that there was mean difference between pre-test and post-test based on the Wilcoxon test (z = -3.4, p=0.001). While the effectiveness of treatment is in the high category based on normalized gain values ( = 0.86). Meanwhile, mean difference of all post-test is significantly different based on Analysis of Varian (F = 365.63, p = 0.00). However, in the fourth month, students retention rates began to stabilize based on Tuckey’s HSD (p=0.074) for comparison of mean difference between fourth and fifth post-test. Overall, learning designed can maintain students retention within 4 months after the learning finish.

Efficacy and Efficiency of Webcast Orientations Versus Live Resident Orientations: Results of a 2-Year Survey

PubMed Central

Andolsek, Kathryn M.; Murphy, Gwen; Pinheiro, Sandro; Petrusa, Emil; Tuck, Tammy; Weinerth, John

2010-01-01

Background Beginning a graduate medical education training program is associated with a steep learning curve for incoming residents. Objective To compare the efficacy and efficiency of live versus webcast formats for Institutional Orientation. Methods This 2-year non-blinded study, with a nonrandomized cohort, compares outcomes for trainees oriented Summer 2005 in a ‘‘live-lecture’’ format with trainees oriented Summer 2006 using a webcast format. Outcomes include posttest success, the time required, presentation quality and utility, and cost. Results In 2005, 249 trainees attended the live orientation. Of the 211 who completed the posttest; 132 (63%) passed it within 3 attempts. Of the 241 trainees in 2006, 236 completed the posttest. Of these, 215 (91%) passed it within 3 attempts. Compared to the live-lecture cohort, the webcast cohort rated the posttest as more difficult. Despite performing better, significantly fewer trainees in the webcast cohort rated the posttest as “appropriate” (χ2 =  5 28.57, df 5 1, P , .001). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups on their perceptions of quality and utility of the presentations. While the first year cost of the webcast exceeded that of live lectures, the amortized cost was nearly identical to the live-lecture costs. Discussion As corroborated by resident comments, the web-based approach was more effective because it provided trainees flexibility regarding when to study, options on how to view the material, and opportunities to review it if needed for mastery. We plan to continue using the webcast strategy, revising the content as needed. PMID:21975900

Kids and communities count: reaching migrant children and families with the North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT).

PubMed

Liller, K D; Pintado, I

2005-08-01

The Kids and Communities Count Farm Safety Lesson is a follow-up to our Kids Count Lesson that used the North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks (NAGCAT) and was previously delivered to nearly 2,000 fifth-grade students in Hillsborough County, Florida. This year, the lesson was administered in two migrant schools and included a parent survey and a presentation of the lesson in a community setting. The lesson covers animal, machinery, water, and general safety topics applicable to farming in Florida. A staggered pretest-posttest study design was followed whereby school 1 (N = 66) received a multiple-choice pretest and posttest and school 2 (N = 91) received the posttest only, for a total sample size of 157 participants. Results of the study showed a significant increase in the mean number of correct answers on the posttest compared to the pretest, such that the mean score improved from 5.0 on the pretest to 6.6 on the posttest (paired t-test, p = 0.000). The results of the parent survey and the administration of the lesson in the community showed that over 50% of the 106 parent participants reported that their children were practicing safe farm behaviors since the lesson; however, there was a particular need to address pesticide safety in the community. This study shows the efficacy of the Kids Count lesson in improving farm safety knowledge among migrant school children, and the applicability and acceptance of the lesson by parents and community members.

Post-test evaluation of the geology, geochemistry, microbiology, and hydrology of the in situ air stripping demonstration site at the Savannah River Site

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

Eddy Dilek, C.A.; Looney, B.B.; Hazen, T.C.

A full-scale demonstration of the use of horizontal wells for in situ air stripping for environment restoration was completed as part of the Savannah River Integrated Demonstration Program. The demonstration of in situ air stripping was the first in a series of demonstrations of innovative remediation technologies for the cleanup of sites contaminated with volatile organic contaminants. The in situ air stripping system consisted of two directionally drilled wells that delivered gases to and extract contamination from the subsurface. The demonstration was designed to remediate soils and sediments in the unsaturated and saturated zones as well as groundwater contaminated withmore » volatile organic compounds. The demonstration successfully removed significant quantities of solvent from the subsurface. The field site and horizontal wells were subsequently used for an in situ bioremediation demonstration during which methane was added to the injected air. The field conditions documented herein represent the baseline status of the site for evaluating the in situ bioremediation as well as the post-test conditions for the in situ air stripping demonstration. Characterization activities focused on documenting the nature and distribution of contamination in the subsurface. The post-test characterization activities discussed herein include results from the analysis of sediment samples, three-dimensional images of the pretest and post-test data, contaminant inventories estimated from pretest and post-test models, a detailed lithologic cross sections of the site, results of aquifer testing, and measurements of geotechnical parameters of undisturbed core sediments.« less

A pilot study: the development of a culturally tailored Malaysian Diabetes Education Module (MY-DEMO) based on the Health Belief Model.

PubMed

Ahmad, Badariah; Ramadas, Amutha; Kia Fatt, Quek; Md Zain, Anuar Zaini

2014-04-08

Diabetes education and self-care remains the cornerstone of diabetes management. There are many structured diabetes modules available in the United Kingdom, Europe and United States of America. Contrastingly, few structured and validated diabetes modules are available in Malaysia. This pilot study aims to develop and validate diabetes education material suitable and tailored for a multicultural society like Malaysia. The theoretical framework of this module was founded from the Health Belief Model (HBM). The participants were assessed using 6-item pre- and post-test questionnaires that measured some of the known HBM constructs namely cues to action, perceived severity and perceived benefit. Data was analysed using PASW Statistics 18.0. The pre- and post-test questionnaires were administered to 88 participants (31 males). In general, there was a significant increase in the total score in post-test (97.34 ± 6.13%) compared to pre-test (92.80 ± 12.83%) (p < 0.05) and a significant increase in excellent score (>85%) at post-test (84.1%) compared to pre-test (70.5%) (p < 0.05). There was an improvement in post-test score in 4 of 6 items tested. The remaining 2 items which measured the perceived severity and cues to action had poorer post-test score. The preliminary results from this pilot study suggest contextualised content material embedded within MY DEMO maybe suitable for integration with the existing diabetes education programmes. This was the first known validated diabetes education programme available in the Malay language.

Responsiveness of the Countermovement Jump and Handgrip Strength to an Incremental Running Test in Endurance Athletes: Influence of Sex

PubMed Central

García-Pinillos, Felipe; Delgado-Floody, Pedro; Martínez-Salazar, Cristian; Latorre-Román, Pedro Á.

2018-01-01

Abstract The present study analyzed the acute effects of an incremental running test on countermovement jump (CMJ) and handgrip strength performance in endurance athletes, considering the effect of post-exercise recovery time and sex. Thirty-three recreationally trained long-distance runners, 20 men and 13 women, participated voluntarily in this study. The participants performed the Léger test, moreover, the CMJ and handgrip strength tests were carried out before and after the running test and during different stages of recovery (at the 1st min of recovery (posttest1), 5th min of recovery (posttest2), and 10th min of recovery (posttest3)). Two-way analysis of variance revealed a significant improvement in the CMJ (pre-posttest1, p = 0.001) and handgrip strength (pre-posttest2, p = 0.017) during recovery time. The Pearson’s Chi-2 test showed no significant relationship (p ≥ 0.05) between sex and post-activation potentiation (PAP). A linear regression analysis pointed to heart rate recovery as a predictive factor of CMJ improvement (PAP). In conclusion, despite significant fatigue reached during the Léger test, the long-distance runners did not experience an impaired CMJ and handgrip strength performance, either men or women, achieving an improvement (PAP) in posttest conditions. The results obtained showed no significant relationship between sex and PAP. Moreover, significant effect of recovery after running at high intensity on CMJ performance and handgrip strength was found. Finally, the data suggest that PAP condition can be predicted by heart rate recovery in endurance runners. PMID:29599872

Post-Test Inspection of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Long-Duration Test Hardware: Discharge and Neutralizer Cathodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shastry, Rohit; Soulas, George C.

2016-01-01

The NEXT Long-Duration Test is part of a comprehensive thruster service life assessment intended to demonstrate overall throughput capability, validate service life models, quantify wear rates as a function of time and operating condition, and identify any unknown life-limiting mechanisms. The test was voluntarily terminated in April 2014 after demonstrating 51,184 hours of high-voltage operation, 918 kg of propellant throughput, and 35.5 MN-s of total impulse. The post-test inspection of the thruster hardware began shortly afterwards with a combination of non-destructive and destructive analysis techniques, and is presently nearing completion. This presentation presents relevant results of the post-test inspection for both discharge and neutralizer cathodes.

Examining Students' Self-Perceived Competence and Comfort in an Experiential Play Therapy Counseling Course: A Single Group Pretest-Posttest Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flasch, Paulina; Taylor, Dalena; Clauber, Rikke Nynne; Robinson, Edward, III

2017-01-01

The current study utilized a single-group pretest-posttest design to evaluate students' self-perceived competence and comfort of using a variety of play therapy techniques and interventions with a range of client populations as a result of taking a one-week intensive course in Play Therapy. In an effort to conduct course evaluation and explore…

40 CFR 89.408 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 89.408 Section... Procedures § 89.408 Post-test procedures. (a) A hangup check is recommended at the completion of the last...) Record the post-test data specified in § 89.405(f). (e) For a valid test, the zero and span checks...

40 CFR 86.342-79 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 86.342-79... Post-test procedures. (a) Begin a hang-up check within 30 seconds of the completion of the last mode in... does not meet the requirements of § 86.328 the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data...

40 CFR 86.342-79 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 86.342-79... Post-test procedures. (a) Begin a hang-up check within 30 seconds of the completion of the last mode in... does not meet the requirements of § 86.328 the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data...

40 CFR 90.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 90.411... Test Procedures § 90.411 Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a HC hang-up check within 60...), the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data specified in § 90.405(e). (e) For a valid...

40 CFR 90.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 90.411... Test Procedures § 90.411 Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a HC hang-up check within 60...), the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data specified in § 90.405(e). (e) For a valid...

40 CFR 90.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 90.411... Test Procedures § 90.411 Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a HC hang-up check within 60...), the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data specified in § 90.405(e). (e) For a valid...

40 CFR 90.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 90.411... Test Procedures § 90.411 Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a HC hang-up check within 60...), the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data specified in § 90.405(e). (e) For a valid...

40 CFR 89.408 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 89.408 Section... Procedures § 89.408 Post-test procedures. (a) A hangup check is recommended at the completion of the last...) Record the post-test data specified in § 89.405(f). (e) For a valid test, the zero and span checks...

40 CFR 91.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 91.411... Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a hang-up check within 60 seconds of the completion of the... and record the post-test data specified in § 91.405(e). (e) For a valid test, the analyzer drift...

40 CFR 91.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 91.411... Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a hang-up check within 60 seconds of the completion of the... and record the post-test data specified in § 91.405(e). (e) For a valid test, the analyzer drift...

40 CFR 91.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Post-test analyzer procedures. 91.411... Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a hang-up check within 60 seconds of the completion of the... and record the post-test data specified in § 91.405(e). (e) For a valid test, the analyzer drift...

40 CFR 91.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 91.411... Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a hang-up check within 60 seconds of the completion of the... and record the post-test data specified in § 91.405(e). (e) For a valid test, the analyzer drift...

40 CFR 89.408 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 89.408 Section... Procedures § 89.408 Post-test procedures. (a) A hangup check is recommended at the completion of the last...) Record the post-test data specified in § 89.405(f). (e) For a valid test, the zero and span checks...

40 CFR 89.408 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 89.408 Section... Procedures § 89.408 Post-test procedures. (a) A hangup check is recommended at the completion of the last...) Record the post-test data specified in § 89.405(f). (e) For a valid test, the zero and span checks...

40 CFR 89.408 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Post-test procedures. 89.408 Section 89... Procedures § 89.408 Post-test procedures. (a) A hangup check is recommended at the completion of the last...) Record the post-test data specified in § 89.405(f). (e) For a valid test, the zero and span checks...

40 CFR 86.342-79 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 86.342-79... Post-test procedures. (a) Begin a hang-up check within 30 seconds of the completion of the last mode in... does not meet the requirements of § 86.328 the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data...

40 CFR 86.342-79 - Post-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Post-test procedures. 86.342-79... Post-test procedures. (a) Begin a hang-up check within 30 seconds of the completion of the last mode in... does not meet the requirements of § 86.328 the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data...

40 CFR 91.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Post-test analyzer procedures. 91.411... Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a hang-up check within 60 seconds of the completion of the... and record the post-test data specified in § 91.405(e). (e) For a valid test, the analyzer drift...

40 CFR 90.411 - Post-test analyzer procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Post-test analyzer procedures. 90.411... Test Procedures § 90.411 Post-test analyzer procedures. (a) Perform a HC hang-up check within 60...), the test is void. (d) Read and record the post-test data specified in § 90.405(e). (e) For a valid...

Engine Tune-up Service. Unit 6: Emission Control Systems. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, David T.; May, Theodore R.

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 6, Emission Control Systems, available separately as CE 031 220. Focus of the posttests is inspecting, testing, and servicing emission control systems. One multiple choice posttest is provided that covers the seven performance objectives contained in…

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 4: Secondary Circuit. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, David T.

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 4, Secondary Circuit, available separately as CE 031 214. Focus of the posttests is testing and servicing the secondary ignition circuit. One multiple choice posttest is provided that covers the seven performance objectives contained in the unit. (No…

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 3: Primary Circuit. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, David T.

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 3, Primary Circuit, available separately as CE 031 211. Focus of the posttests is setting the primary ignition circuit. One multiple choice posttest is provided, covering the eight performance objectives contained in the unit. (No answer key is…

Teaching the Biological Consequences of Alcohol Abuse through an Online Game: Impacts among Secondary Students

PubMed Central

Klisch, Yvonne; Miller, Leslie M.; Beier, Margaret E.; Wang, Shu

2012-01-01

A multimedia game was designed to serve as a dual-purpose intervention that aligned with National Science Content Standards, while also conveying knowledge about the consequences of alcohol consumption for a secondary school audience. A tertiary goal was to positively impact adolescents' attitudes toward science through career role-play experiences within the game. In a pretest/delayed posttest design, middle and high school students, both male and female, demonstrated significant gains on measures of content knowledge and attitudes toward science. The best predictors of these outcomes were the players' ratings of the game's usability and satisfaction with the game. The outcomes suggest that game interventions can successfully teach standards-based science content, target age-appropriate health messages, and impact students' attitudes toward science. PMID:22383621

Teaching the biological consequences of alcohol abuse through an online game: impacts among secondary students.

PubMed

Klisch, Yvonne; Miller, Leslie M; Beier, Margaret E; Wang, Shu

2012-01-01

A multimedia game was designed to serve as a dual-purpose intervention that aligned with National Science Content Standards, while also conveying knowledge about the consequences of alcohol consumption for a secondary school audience. A tertiary goal was to positively impact adolescents' attitudes toward science through career role-play experiences within the game. In a pretest/delayed posttest design, middle and high school students, both male and female, demonstrated significant gains on measures of content knowledge and attitudes toward science. The best predictors of these outcomes were the players' ratings of the game's usability and satisfaction with the game. The outcomes suggest that game interventions can successfully teach standards-based science content, target age-appropriate health messages, and impact students' attitudes toward science.

Internet-based, culturally sensitive, problem-solving therapy for Turkish migrants with depression: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Ünlü Ince, Burçin; Cuijpers, Pim; van 't Hof, Edith; van Ballegooijen, Wouter; Christensen, Helen; Riper, Heleen

2013-10-11

Turkish migrants living in the Netherlands have a high prevalence of depressive disorders, but experience considerable obstacles to accessing professional help. Providing easily accessible Internet treatments may help to overcome these barriers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive, guided, self-help, problem-solving intervention through the Internet for reducing depressive symptoms in Turkish migrants. A two-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted. The primary outcome measure was the severity of depressive symptoms; secondary outcome measures were somatic symptoms, anxiety, quality of life, and satisfaction with the treatment. Participants were assessed online at baseline, posttest (6 weeks after baseline), and 4 months after baseline. Posttest results were analyzed on the intention-to-treat sample. Missing values were estimated by means of multiple imputation. Differences in clinical outcome between groups were analyzed with a t test. Cohen's d was used to determine the between-groups effect size at posttreatment and follow-up. Turkish adults (N=96) with depressive symptoms were randomized to the experimental group (n=49) or to a waitlist control group (n=47). High attrition rates were found among the 96 participants of which 42% (40/96) did not complete the posttest (6 weeks) and 62% (59/96) participants did not complete the follow-up assessment at 4 months. No significant difference between the experimental group and the control group was found for depression at posttest. Recovery occurred significantly more often in the experimental group (33%, 16/49) than in the control group (9%, 4/47) at posttest (P=.02). Because of the high attrition rate, a completers-only analysis was conducted at follow-up. The experimental group showed significant improvement in depression compared to the control group both at posttest (P=.01) and follow-up (P=.01). The results of this study did not show a significant effect on the reduction of depressive symptoms. However, the effect size at posttest was high, which might be an indicator of the possible effectiveness of the intervention when assessed in a larger sample and robust trial. Future research should replicate our study with adequately powered samples. Dutch Trial Register: NTR2303. http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2303 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6IOxNgoDu).

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST): neuropsychological mechanisms of change.

PubMed

Hall, Louise; Orrell, Martin; Stott, Joshua; Spector, Aimee

2013-03-01

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is an evidence-based psychosocial intervention for people with dementia consisting of 14 group sessions aiming to stimulate various areas of cognition. This study examined the effects of CST on specific cognitive domains and explored the neuropsychological processes underpinning any effects. A total of 34 participants with mild to moderate dementia were included. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants completed a battery of neuropsychological tests in the week before and after the manualised seven-week CST programme. There were significant improvement pre- to post-CST group on measures of delayed verbal recall (WMS III logical memory subtest - delayed), visual memory (WMS III visual reproduction subtest - delayed), orientation (WMS III information and orientation subscale), and auditory comprehension (Token Test). There were no significant changes on measures of naming (Boston Naming Test-2), attention (Trail Making Test A/Digit Span), executive function (DKEFS verbal fluency/Trail Making Test B), praxis (WMS III visual reproduction - immediate) or on a general cognitive screen (MMSE). Memory, comprehension of syntax, and orientation appear to be the cognitive domains most impacted by CST. One hypothesis is that the language-based nature of CST enhances neural pathways responsible for processing of syntax, possibly also aiding verbal recall. Another is that the reduction in negative self-stereotypes due to the de-stigmatising effect of CST may impact on language and memory, domains that are the primary focus of CST. Further research is required to substantiate these hypotheses.

Effectiveness evaluation of Contra Caries Oral Health Education Program for improving Spanish-speaking parents’ preventive oral health knowledge and behaviors for their young children

PubMed Central

Hoeft, Kristin S.; Barker, Judith C.; Shiboski, Stephen; Guzman, Estela Pantoja; Hiatt, Robert A.

2016-01-01

Objectives To determine the effectiveness of the Contra Caries Oral Health Education Program (CCOHEP) for improving low-income, Spanish-speaking parents’ oral health knowledge and behaviors for their young children. Mexican American children in the United States suffer disproportionately high prevalence and severity of early childhood caries, yet few evaluated, theory-based behavioral interventions exist for this population. CCOHEP is a theory-based curriculum consisting of four 2-hour interactive classes designed for and by Spanish speakers and led by designated community health educators (promotoras). Topics included children’s oral hygiene, caries etiology, dental procedures, nutrition, child behavior management and parent skill-building activities. Methods Low-income Spanish-speaking parents/caregivers of children aged 0–5 years were recruited through community services in an agricultural city in California. Survey questions from the Oral Health Basic Research Facts Questionnaire measuring oral health related behaviors and knowledge were verbally administered before, immediately after, and 3 months after attendance at CCOHEP. Five questions measured aspects of parental tooth brushing for their children (frequency, using fluoridated toothpaste, brushing before bed, not drinking or eating after nighttime brushing, adult assistance), three questions measured other oral health behaviors, and 16 questions measured oral health-related knowledge. Analyses of within-person changes between pre- and posttests, and again between post-test and three month follow up consisted of McNemar’s test for binary outcomes and sign tests for ordinal outcomes. Results Overall, 105 caregivers participated in CCOHEP (n= 105 pretest, n=95 posttest, n=79 second posttest). At baseline, all parents self-reported doing at least one aspect of toothbrushing correctly, but only 13% reported performing all five aspects according to professional guidelines. At posttest, 44% of parents reported completing all aspects of tooth brushing according to professional guidelines (p<.001). Statistically significant improvements were seen in 4 aspects of toothbrushing (p≤.008) between pretest and posttest (all but adult assistance). The second posttest showed 3 of these improvements were maintained, while adult assistance and the other reported behaviors improved (p≤.008). Between pretest and posttest, checking child’s teeth monthly and frequency of sweet drinks consumption improved (p≤.008) while frequency of eating sweet foods did not change. Knowledge was high at baseline (mean 12.83 of 16), but 6 knowledge items improved significantly between pretest and posttest. Improvements were maintained at second posttest. Conclusions CCOHEP improved low-income Spanish-speaking parents’ oral hygiene knowledge and self-reported behaviors for their young children, and change was sustained 3 months after the end of the intervention. Future, more rigorous evaluation of the intervention is recommended. PMID:27517458

Engine Tune-up Service. Unit 2: Charging System. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Roger L.; Bacon, E. Miles

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 2, Charging System, available separately as CE 031 208. Focus of the posttest is on the testing of the charging system. One multiple choice posttest is provided, that covers the three performance objectives contained in the unit. (No answer key is…

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 5: Fuel and Carburetion Systems. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morse, David T.

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 5, Fuel and Carburetion Systems; available separately as CE 031 217. Focus of the posttests is the inspecting and servicing of the fuel and carburetion systems. One multiple choice posttest is provided that covers the 10 performance objectives…

Army Institutional Training: Current Status and Future Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

one-group posttest 2. two-group posttest only with nonequivalent comparison group 3. two-group pretest - posttest with nonequivalent comparison group...multiple posttests ii. What problems have you encountered in conducting this type of experimental/quasi-experimental research ? 10. If you were...U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Report 1921 Army Institutional Training: Current

A Simulation Study on the Performance of the Simple Difference and Covariance-Adjusted Scores in Randomized Experimental Designs.

PubMed

Petscher, Yaacov; Schatschneider, Christopher

2011-01-01

Research by Huck and McLean (1975) demonstrated that the covariance-adjusted score is more powerful than the simple difference score, yet recent reviews indicate researchers are equally likely to use either score type in two-wave randomized experimental designs. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to examine the conditions under which the simple difference and covariance-adjusted scores were more or less powerful to detect treatment effects when relaxing certain assumptions made by Huck and McLean (1975). Four factors were manipulated in the design including sample size, normality of the pretest and posttest distributions, the correlation between pretest and posttest, and posttest variance. A 5 × 5 × 4 × 3 mostly crossed design was run with 1,000 replications per condition, resulting in 226,000 unique samples. The gain score was nearly as powerful as the covariance-adjusted score when pretest and posttest variances were equal, and as powerful in fan-spread growth conditions; thus, under certain circumstances the gain score could be used in two-wave randomized experimental designs.

A Simulation Study on the Performance of the Simple Difference and Covariance-Adjusted Scores in Randomized Experimental Designs

PubMed Central

Petscher, Yaacov; Schatschneider, Christopher

2015-01-01

Research by Huck and McLean (1975) demonstrated that the covariance-adjusted score is more powerful than the simple difference score, yet recent reviews indicate researchers are equally likely to use either score type in two-wave randomized experimental designs. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to examine the conditions under which the simple difference and covariance-adjusted scores were more or less powerful to detect treatment effects when relaxing certain assumptions made by Huck and McLean (1975). Four factors were manipulated in the design including sample size, normality of the pretest and posttest distributions, the correlation between pretest and posttest, and posttest variance. A 5 × 5 × 4 × 3 mostly crossed design was run with 1,000 replications per condition, resulting in 226,000 unique samples. The gain score was nearly as powerful as the covariance-adjusted score when pretest and posttest variances were equal, and as powerful in fan-spread growth conditions; thus, under certain circumstances the gain score could be used in two-wave randomized experimental designs. PMID:26379310

Effect of teaching mathematics using GeoGebra on students' with dissimilar spatial visualisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakar, Kamariah Abu; Ayub, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd; Tarmizi, Rohani Ahmad; Luan, Wong Su

2015-10-01

This study examined the effects of GeoGebra on mathematics performance of students with different spatial visualization. A qusai-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design was conducted. A total of 71 students from two intact groups were involved in the study. They were in two groups and each group was randonly assigned to the experimental group (36 students) and control group (35 students). A spatial visual test to identify students with high or low visualization, and a mathematics performance pre-test were administered at the initial stage of this study. A post-test was administered after 12 weeks of treatment using GeoGebra. Analyses of Covarion (ANCOVA) was used to adjust for the pre-test score. Findings showed that the group with access to GeoGebra achieved significantly better test scores in the posttest as compared to the group which followed the traditional teaching method. A two-way ANCOVA used to analyse the effect of students' spatial visualization on post-test performance showed that there was no effect. The results from this study suggested that using GeoGebra had helped the students to score better in the posttest. However, there is no significance difference on mathematics performances on students with difference types of spatial visualisastion. This study indicates that GeoGebra is useful in enhancing the teaching and learning of mathematics.

PROTECT YOUR HEART: A CULTURE-SPECIFIC, MULTIMEDIA CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM

PubMed Central

Shah, Amy; Clayman, Marla L.; Lauderdale, Diane S.; Khurana, Neerja; Glass, Sara; Kandula, Namratha R.

2016-01-01

Objectives South Asians (SAs), the second fastest growing racial/ethnic minority in the United States., have high rates of coronary heart disease (CHD). Few CHD prevention efforts target this population. We developed and tested a culture-specific, multimedia CHD prevention education program in English and Hindi for SAs. Methods Participants were recruited from community organizations in Chicago, IL between June-October 2011. Bilingual interviewers used questionnaires to assess participants’ knowledge and perceptions before and after the patient education program. Change from pre- to post-test score was calculated using a paired t-test. Linear regression was used to determine the association between post-test scores and education and language. Results Participants’ (n=112) average age was 41 years, 67% had more than a high school education, and 50% spoke Hindi. Participants’ mean pre-test score was 15 (Standard Deviation= 4). After the patient education program, post-test scores increased significantly among all participants (post-test score=24, SD=4), including those with limited-English proficiency. Lower education was associated with a lower post-test score (Beta-coefficient= −2.2, 95% CI= −0.68, −3.8) in adjusted regression. Conclusions A culture-specific, multimedia patient education program significantly improved knowledge and perceptions about CHD prevention among SA immigrants. Culturally-salient, multimedia education may be an effective and engaging way to deliver health information to diverse patient populations. PMID:25647363

Treatment of premenstrual syndrome: Appraising the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in addition to calcium supplement plus vitamin D.

PubMed

Karimi, Zahra; Dehkordi, Mahnaz Aliakbari; Alipour, Ahmad; Mohtashami, Tayebeh

2018-03-01

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) consists of repetitious physical and psychological symptoms. The symptoms occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual period and cease when the menstrual period starts. This study included pre-test and post-test experiments between a control group and a test group. The statistical population involved 40 females, chosen based on multistage cluster sampling. The participants were then divided into four groups to undergo treatment with calcium supplement plus vitamin D together with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and were screened with the Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Test (PSST). The pre-test and post-test scores in the PSST, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and Bell's Adjustment Inventory (BAI) were used as assessment tools (p < .05). According to the parameters of PMS symptoms, when evaluating the pre-test and post-test scores, the overall score of each individual in the experimental group was improved and a significant effect for the combination of calcium supplement plus vitamin D together with CBT was observed in comparison to the post-test control group. A comparison of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) results collected from the pre-test and post-test scores revealed that the method of treatment was beneficial for PMS, adjustment, and general health. © 2018 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The effect of musical attention control training (MACT) on attention skills of adolescents with neurodevelopmental delays: a pilot study.

PubMed

Pasiali, Varvara; LaGasse, A Blythe; Penn, Saundra L

2014-01-01

Given the effect of musical training on the rate and accuracy of processing auditory information, therapeutic uses of music may potentially have remedial benefits for individuals with neurodevelopmental deficits. However, additional studies are needed to establish efficacy of music therapy interventions for attention skills in children/adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities including those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). To establish feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a group music therapy protocol to improve attention skills (sustained, selective, attentional control/switching) in adolescents diagnosed with autism and/or developmental delays. This single group pretest/posttest study took place in a private school for high functioning adolescents with neurodevelopmental delays. Nine students (4 males, 5 females), ages 13 to 20, participated in the study. Autism severity was assessed using the CARS2-HF and indicated the following distribution for study participants: severe (n = 3), mild (n = 4), or minimal/no (n = 2) symptoms. We assessed feasibility of implementing a 45-min Musical Attention Control Training (MACT) intervention delivered by a board-certified music therapist eight times over 6 weeks in a school setting. We also examined preliminary efficacy of the MACT to improve attention skills using the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch). Parental consent rate was 100%. All nine participants successfully completed testing measures and 6 weeks of the intervention. Average participation rate was 97%. Data analysis showed positive trends and improvements on measures of attentional control/switching and selective attention. The results showed that the intervention and testing measures were feasible to implement and acceptable to the participants who all completed the protocol. Data analysis demonstrated positive trends indicating that more research on the use of music therapy attention training in high-functioning adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities is warranted. © the American Music Therapy Association 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Transfer of SIMNET Training in the Armor Officer Basic Course

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

group correctly performed more tasks in the posttest , but the difference was not statistically significant for these small samples. Gains from pretest ...to posttest were not compared statistically, but the field-trained group showed little average gain. Based on these results and other supporting data...that serve as a control group , and (b) SIMNET classes after the change that serve as a treatment group . The comparison is termed quasi - experimental

Models of service delivery for cancer genetic risk assessment and counseling.

PubMed

Trepanier, Angela M; Allain, Dawn C

2014-04-01

Increasing awareness of and the potentially concomitant increasing demand for cancer genetic services is driving the need to explore more efficient models of service delivery. The aims of this study were to determine which service delivery models are most commonly used by genetic counselors, assess how often they are used, compare the efficiency of each model as well as impact on access to services, and investigate the perceived benefits and barriers of each. Full members of the NSGC Familial Cancer Special Interest Group who subscribe to its listserv were invited to participate in a web-based survey. Eligible respondents were asked which of ten defined service delivery models they use and specific questions related to aspects of model use. One-hundred ninety-two of the approximately 450 members of the listserv responded (42.7%); 177 (92.2%) had provided clinical service in the last year and were eligible to complete all sections of the survey. The four direct care models most commonly used were the (traditional) face-to-face pre- and post-test model (92.2%), the face-to-face pretest without face-to-face post-test model (86.5%), the post-test counseling only for complex results model (36.2%), and the post test counseling for all results model (18.3%). Those using the face-to-face pretest only, post-test all, and post-test complex models reported seeing more new patients than when they used the traditional model and these differences were statistically significantly. There were no significant differences in appointment wait times or distances traveled by patients when comparing use of the traditional model to the other three models. Respondents recognize that a benefit of using alternative service delivery models is increased access to services; however, some are concerned that this may affect quality of care.

The Effects of White Noise on Agitated Behaviors, Mental Status, and Activities of Daily Living in Older Adults With Dementia.

PubMed

Lin, Li-Wei; Weng, Shu-Chuan; Wu, Hua-Shan; Tsai, Lu-Jen; Lin, Ya-Ling; Yeh, Shu-Hui

2018-02-01

The aging of society is a global trend, and care of older adults with dementia is an urgent challenge. As dementia progresses, patients exhibit negative emotions, memory disorders, sleep disorders, and agitated behavior. Agitated behavior is one of the most difficult problems for family caregivers and healthcare providers to handle when caring for older adults with dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of white noise in improving agitated behavior, mental status, and activities of daily living in older adults with dementia. An experimental research design was used to study elderly participants two times (pretest and posttest). Six dementia care centers in central and southern Taiwan were targeted to recruit participants. There were 63 participants: 28 were in the experimental group, and 35 were in the comparison group. Experimental group participants received 20 minutes of white noise consisting of ocean, rain, wind, and running water sounds between 4 and 5 P.M. daily over a period of 4 weeks. The comparison group received routine care. Questionnaires were completed, and observations of agitated behaviors were collected before and after the intervention. Agitated behavior in the experimental group improved significantly between pretest and posttest. Furthermore, posttest scores on the Mini-Mental Status Examination and Barthel Index were slightly better for this group than at pretest. However, the experimental group registered no significant difference in mental status or activities of daily living at posttest. For the comparison group, agitated behavior was unchanged between pretest and posttest. The results of this study support white noise as a simple, convenient, and noninvasive intervention that improves agitated behavior in older adults with dementia. These results may provide a reference for related healthcare providers, educators, and administrators who care for older adults with dementia.

The effectiveness of a staff education program on the use of continuous EEG with patients in neuroscience intensive care units.

PubMed

Seiler, Lisa; Fields, Jennifer; Peach, Elizabeth; Zwerin, Suzanne; Savage, Christine

2012-04-01

Approximately a third of patients in neuroscience intensive care units (ICUs) experience subclinical seizures and, as a result, are at higher risk for poor outcomes. The use of continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) monitoring can help nurses detect seizure activity and initiate early prevention. Nurse competency in the use of cEEG is important to facilitate effective bedside monitoring. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a staff educational program aimed at improving the knowledge of nurses in the use of cEEG monitoring in adults. A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest 1-group design was utilized. Neuroscience ICU registered nurses, whose experience ranged from 2 months to 24 years, participated in the study. Participants completed a pretest on seizure knowledge and the use of cEEG monitoring. Participants received a 4-hour educational session on the use of cEEG monitoring. Immediately after the program and again 1 month later, they completed a posttest. Test scores improved significantly from pretest to the first posttest (t = -15.093, p < .001). Although there was a slight decline in the mean score from the posttest to the 1-month follow-up, posttest scores were significantly better than the pretest score (t = -12.42, df = 44, p < .001). Whereas years of experience correlated positively to the pretest score, after the intervention, no such correlation was evident. The results demonstrated that an educational program improved the competency of nurses in the use of cEEG with adult patients in a neuroscience ICU and that this knowledge was sustained over time. Further research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of this intervention in other settings.

Appropriate use of CT perfusion following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a Bayesian analysis approach.

PubMed

Killeen, R P; Gupta, A; Delaney, H; Johnson, C E; Tsiouris, A J; Comunale, J; Fink, M E; Mangat, H S; Segal, A Z; Mushlin, A I; Sanelli, P C

2014-03-01

In recent years CTP has been used as a complementary diagnostic tool in the evaluation of delayed cerebral ischemia and vasospasm. Our aim was to determine the test characteristics of CTP for detecting delayed cerebral ischemia and vasospasm in SAH, and then to apply Bayesian analysis to identify subgroups for its appropriate use. Our retrospective cohort comprised consecutive patients with SAH and CTP performed between days 6 and 8 following aneurysm rupture. Delayed cerebral ischemia was determined according to primary outcome measures of infarction and/or permanent neurologic deficits. Vasospasm was determined by using DSA. The test characteristics of CTP and its 95% CIs were calculated. Graphs of conditional probabilities were constructed by using Bayesian techniques. Local treatment thresholds (posttest probability of delayed cerebral ischemia needed to initiate induced hypertension, hypervolemia, and hemodilution or intra-arterial therapy) were determined via a survey of 6 independent neurologists. Ninety-seven patients with SAH were included in the study; 39% (38/97) developed delayed cerebral ischemia. Qualitative CTP deficits were seen in 49% (48/97), occurring in 84% (32/38) with delayed cerebral ischemia and 27% (16/59) without. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (95% CI) for CTP were 0.84 (0.73-0.96), 0.73 (0.62-0.84), 0.67 (0.51-0.79), and 0.88 (0.74-0.94), respectively. A subgroup of 57 patients underwent DSA; 63% (36/57) developed vasospasm. Qualitative CTP deficits were seen in 70% (40/57), occurring in 97% (35/36) with vasospasm and 23% (5/21) without. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (95% CI) for CTP were 0.97 (0.92-1.0), 0.76 (0.58-0.94), 0.88 (0.72-0.95), and 0.94 (0.69-0.99), respectively. Treatment thresholds were determined as 30% for induced hypertension, hypervolemia, and hemodilution and 70% for intra-arterial therapy. Positive CTP findings identify patients who should be carefully considered for induced hypertension, hypervolemia, and hemodilution and/or intra-arterial therapy while negative CTP findings are useful in guiding a no-treatment decision.

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 1: Battery and Cranking System. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodson-Roberts, Ludy; And Others

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 1, Battery and Cranking System. Focus of the posttests is the testing of the battery and cranking system. Four multiple choice posttests are provided, one for each of the performance objectives contained in the unit. (No answer keys are provided.)…

Improving the Army’s Assessment of Interactive Multimedia Instruction Courseware

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

pretests and posttests , along with automated procedures to analyze and report test scores across courses or schools. Learning (knowledge retention...determine whether the training program (versus other factors) accounts for differences in pretest and posttest scores (although some study designs allow...based efforts have also been made. Learning Many courses have posttests , but there are no reports of pretest / posttest comparisons across courses or

Persuasive technology in teaching acute pain assessment in nursing: Results in learning based on pre and post-testing.

PubMed

Alvarez, Ana Graziela; Dal Sasso, Grace T Marcon; Iyengar, M Sriram

2017-03-01

Thousands of patients seek health services every day with complaints of pain. However, adequate pain assessment is still flawed, a fact that is partly related to gaps in professional learning on this topic. Innovative strategies such as the use of a virtual learning object mediated by persuasive technology in the learning of undergraduate nursing students can help to fill these gaps and to provide different ways of learning to learn. To evaluate the results in learning among undergraduate nursing students about assessment of acute pain in adults and newborns, before and after an online educational intervention. This is a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent study using pre-and post-testing. Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. 75 undergraduate nursing students. Our study was conducted in three steps (pre-test, education intervention, post-test). Data were collected from November 2013 to February 2014. The educational intervention was performed using online access to virtual learning object about acute pain assessment, which students accessed on their mobile devices. A significant difference was seen in student learning (p<0.001) in the post-test compared with the pre-test results. The students understood the importance of the topic, and were satisfied and motivated by the technology and method applied. The use of persuasive technology such as small mobile devices as mediators of online educational interventions broadens learning spaces in an innovative, flexible, motivational, and promising manner. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of a pre-coded food diary used among 60-80 year old men: comparison of self-reported energy intake with objectively recorded energy expenditure.

PubMed

Stea, Tonje H; Andersen, Lene F; Paulsen, Gøran; Hetlelid, Ken J; Lohne-Seiler, Hilde; Adnanes, Svanhild; Bjørnsen, Thomas; Salvesen, Svein; Berntsen, Sveinung

2014-01-01

To validate energy intake (EI) estimated from a pre-coded food diary (PFD) against energy expenditure (EE) measured with a valid physical activity monitor (SenseWear Pro3 Armband) and to evaluate whether misreporting was associated with overweight/obesity in a group of elderly men. Forty-seven healthy Norwegian men, 60-80 years old, completed the study. As this study was part of a larger intervention study, cross-sectional data were collected at both baseline and post-test. Participants recorded their food intake for four consecutive days using food diaries and wore SenseWear Pro3 Armband (SWA) during the same period. Only participants with complete data sets at both baseline and post-test were included in the study. The group average EI was 17% lower at baseline and 18% lower at post-test compared to measured EE. Mean difference from Bland-Altman plot for EI and EE was -1.5 MJ/day (±1.96 SD: -7.0, 4.0 MJ/day) at baseline and -1.6 MJ/day (-6.6, 3.4 MJ/day) at post-test. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.30 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.54, p = 0.018) at baseline and 0.34 (0.06, 0.57, p = 0.009) at post-test. Higher values of underreporting was shown among overweight/obese compared to normal weight participants at both baseline and post-test (p≤ 0.001), respectively. The results indicate that the PFD could be a useful tool for estimating energy intake in normal weight elderly men. On the other hand, the PFD seems to be less suitable for estimating energy intake in overweight/obese elderly men.

Short-term Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Obesity and Aerobic Fitness of Adolescent Girls.

PubMed

Kelishadi, Roya; Minasian, Vazgen; Marandi, Sayed Mohammad; Farajzadegan, Ziba; Khalighinejad, Pooyan; Shirdavani, Soheila; Omidi, Razieh

2014-12-01

In the past two decades, physical activity has decreased during both childhood and adolescence, and particularly adolescence. It seems that schools are attractive settings in which to implement interventions designed in order to promote physical activity in children; but in Iranian students, few studies have evaluated the effects of such interventions on overweight and obese children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a short-term school-based physical activity on obesity and aerobic fitness in 12-14 years aged girls. This is a study with single group pretest and posttest design, in which 129 middle school girls in city of Isfahan were assessed based on preventive plan of inactivity in children at the Provincial Health Office. Variables, including weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage and aerobic power of subjects were measured using valid tests. This study showed that subjects' body fat percentage changed about 3.6% (37.74% pretest vs. 36.39% posttest), VO2 max changed 7.43% (29.72 pretest vs. 31.93 posttest), WHR changed 1.12% (0.89 pretest vs. 0.88 posttest), whereas BMI was changed 1.65% (27.80 pretest vs. 27.34 posttest). Findings also revealed that there were significant differences between fat percent, (P = 0.001) and VO2 max (P = 0.001) of subjects, but there was no difference between BMI of them in pre- and post-tests (P = 0.361). These results suggest that even a short-term exercise intervention may lead to positive changes in body fat percentage, WHR and aerobic fitness of overweight children. Therefore, school-based physical activity interventions can be an effective preventive strategy to control obesity and overweight in students.

The Effects of Training on Knowledge and Beliefs About Breast Cancer and Early Diagnosis Methods Among Women.

PubMed

Yılmaz, Meryem; Sayın, Yazile; Cengiz, Hatice Öner

2017-10-01

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common female malignancy in the world and Turkey. Its prevalence and mortality are surprisingly increasing at a rapid rate. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of training sessions on women's knowledge of relevant risk factors of BC and screening methods, screening behaviors and health beliefs among of healthy women in Turkey. In this study, in order to establish the efficiency of BC training, a semi-empirical single group pre-test & post-test research model was used. The data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire and by using the Turkish version of Champion's health belief model scale (CHBMS). The pre-test was performed before the training and after one week of the training, post-test was performed with a questionnaire having the same content. In total, 244 women participated in the study. The average age of the women was 39.44 (SD=1.06) years. The mean total knowledge score increased significantly (p<.001) from 9.05 in the pre-test to 16.53 in the post-test. The results showed that both mean knowledge scores and CHBMS subscales scores of the women were increased significantly (p<.001) from the pre-test to the post-test. In multiple linear regression analysis, BC screening knowledge of women with susceptibility, benefit, self-efficacy and health motivation subscales of CHBMS, breast self-examination (BSE) practice and self-efficacy were also significant in the post-test; in the pre- and post-tests, a significant relationship among the level of education of women, susceptibility and seriousness was found (p<.001). The study showed that the training program had profound effects on BC knowledge, screening behaviors and health beliefs of women.

The Retention of Geologic Misconceptions: Alternative Ideas That Persist After Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wandersee, J. H.; Clary, R. M.; Anderson, S. W.; Libarkin, J.

2003-12-01

We used a 30 item multiple-choice instrument called the geoscience concept test (GCT) to study learning in introductory college-level science courses. The GCT uses common misconceptions as wrong answers, and allows us to pre- and post-test individual courses to gauge the effectiveness of instruction. The GCT was given at the beginning of the semester to 2215 college students in 42 classes at 32 different institutions in 19 different states (21 public and 6 private four-year institutions, 4 community colleges, and one tribal college). The pilot was also given to 1907 students as a semester-end post-test in 30 different classes. We were able to match pre- and post-test results for 967 students through an analysis of volunteered personal and demographic data. Although statistical analysis shows that learning occurred in all classes, closer inspection of the data show that the student population retained a number of misconceptions. Students retained several incorrect ideas relating to geologic time despite instruction. For example, 71% of post-tested students believe that the study of fossils, rock layers, or carbon is the most accurate means for calculating the age of the Earth. Nearly 25% of students believed that dinosaurs only existed on Earth for 500,000 years, and 40% believe dinosaurs came into existence about halfway through the geologic time scale. Many alternative ideas about plate tectonics and the formation of rocks also existed after instruction. Nearly half of the post-tested students (47%) believed that tectonic plates do not extend all way to the surface of the Earth, and 65% did not believe that animals could form oceanic rocks. Identification of strongly held misconceptions in a post-tested student population provides instructors with information that could impact the way they present material to their introductory classes.

Effects of music listening on depressed women in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lai, Y M

1999-01-01

This study investigated the physiological and psychological effects of music listening on depressed women in Taiwan. Through the use of a pretest-posttest, control group, experimental design, the heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and immediate mood states before and after a music/sound intervention were measured in 30 women. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and with t tests. A qualitative questionnaire was administered to participants to elicit information related to the subjective experience of music/sound listening. Significant posttest differences were found in experimental group participants' heart rates, respiratory rates, blood pressure, and tranquil mood states. Significant posttest differences also were found in control group participants' heart rates and tranquil mood states. The results support the use of music listening as a body-mind healing modality for depressed women.

Analysis of Phenix end-of-life natural convection test with the MARS-LMR code

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

Jeong, H. Y.; Ha, K. S.; Lee, K. L.

The end-of-life test of Phenix reactor performed by the CEA provided an opportunity to have reliable and valuable test data for the validation and verification of a SFR system analysis code. KAERI joined this international program for the analysis of Phenix end-of-life natural circulation test coordinated by the IAEA from 2008. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the capability of existing SFR system analysis code MARS-LMR and to identify any limitation of the code. The analysis was performed in three stages: pre-test analysis, blind posttest analysis, and final post-test analysis. In the pre-test analysis, the design conditionsmore » provided by the CEA were used to obtain a prediction of the test. The blind post-test analysis was based on the test conditions measured during the tests but the test results were not provided from the CEA. The final post-test analysis was performed to predict the test results as accurate as possible by improving the previous modeling of the test. Based on the pre-test analysis and blind test analysis, the modeling for heat structures in the hot pool and cold pool, steel structures in the core, heat loss from roof and vessel, and the flow path at core outlet were reinforced in the final analysis. The results of the final post-test analysis could be characterized into three different phases. In the early phase, the MARS-LMR simulated the heat-up process correctly due to the enhanced heat structure modeling. In the mid phase before the opening of SG casing, the code reproduced the decrease of core outlet temperature successfully. Finally, in the later phase the increase of heat removal by the opening of the SG opening was well predicted with the MARS-LMR code. (authors)« less

Self-regulated learning in simulation-based training: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Brydges, Ryan; Manzone, Julian; Shanks, David; Hatala, Rose; Hamstra, Stanley J; Zendejas, Benjamin; Cook, David A

2015-04-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) requires an active learner who has developed a set of processes for managing the achievement of learning goals. Simulation-based training is one context in which trainees can safely practise learning how to learn. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate, in the simulation-based training context, the effectiveness of interventions designed to support trainees in SRL activities. We used the social-cognitive model of SRL to guide a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the links between instructor supervision, supports or scaffolds for SRL, and educational outcomes. We searched databases including MEDLINE and Scopus, and previous reviews, for material published until December 2011. Studies comparing simulation-based SRL interventions with another intervention for teaching health professionals were included. Reviewers worked independently and in duplicate to extract information on learners, study quality and educational outcomes. We used random-effects meta-analysis to compare the effects of supervision (instructor present or absent) and SRL educational supports (e.g. goal-setting study guides present or absent). From 11,064 articles, we included 32 studies enrolling 2482 trainees. Only eight of the 32 studies included educational supports for SRL. Compared with instructor-supervised interventions, unsupervised interventions were associated with poorer immediate post-test outcomes (pooled effect size: -0.34, p = 0.09; n = 19 studies) and negligible effects on delayed (i.e. > 1 week) retention tests (pooled effect size: 0.11, p = 0.63; n = 8 studies). Interventions including SRL supports were associated with small benefits compared with interventions without supports on both immediate post-tests (pooled effect size: 0.23, p = 0.22; n = 5 studies) and delayed retention tests (pooled effect size: 0.44, p = 0.067; n = 3 studies). Few studies in the simulation literature have designed SRL training to explicitly support trainees' capacity to self-regulate their learning. We recommend that educators and researchers shift from thinking about SRL as learning alone to thinking of SRL as comprising a shared responsibility between the trainee and the instructional designer (i.e. learning using designed supports that help prepare individuals for future learning). © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Certification testing as an acute naturalistic stressor for disaster dog handlers.

PubMed

Lit, L; Boehm, D; Marzke, S; Schweitzer, J; Oberbauer, A M

2010-09-01

USA Federal Disaster Canine Teams, consisting of a handler and a dog, are essential for locating survivors following a disaster. Certification, required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue organization, requires two successful mock searches. Confirmation of the certification testing process as an acute stressor might offer further opportunities to consider stress effects on handlers and dogs in a controlled environment. This study used a pretest-posttest design to evaluate relationships between salivary hormone concentrations (cortisol and testosterone) and subjective stress ratings in handlers and controls, handler assessments of stress in their dogs, and posttest temperature and pulse rate in dogs. Posttest, both subjective stress ratings and salivary cortisol concentration were higher in handlers than controls with both correlated to handlers' assessment of stress in their dogs. Handlers' posttest salivary cortisol concentration was associated with posttest dog pulse and temperature. Posttest cortisol concentration was lower in handlers who were successfully certified compared with those who failed, and was also lower in handlers whose primary occupation was "firefighter". Salivary testosterone concentrations increased from pretest to posttest in handlers but decreased in controls, and higher posttest handler testosterone concentration was negatively associated with posttest dog pulse rate. These findings confirm certification testing as an acute stressor, suggest a relationship between stress and performance moderated by occupation, and demonstrate an interaction between handler stress and dog physiological responses. This certification testing offers a controlled environment for targeted evaluation of effects of an acute naturalistic stressor on disaster dog handlers and dogs.

Effects of interactive teaching on university students’ knowledge and attitude toward reproductive health: a pilot study in Jordan

PubMed Central

Ali, Reem A; Alnatour, Ahlam; Alnuaimi, Karimeh; Alzoubi, Fatmeh; Almomani, Maysa; Othman, Areej

2018-01-01

Background Youths in Jordan lack knowledge related to reproductive health (RH). Interactive teaching methods showed positive results in enhancing health awareness and adopting healthy practices among students. Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the usefulness of interactive teaching in promoting health awareness of RH among nonmedical university students in Jordan. Methods We employed a quasi-experimental one group pretest and posttest design for a purposive sample of 210 students (18–24 years). Knowledge and attitudes regarding RH issues were assessed using a questionnaire developed by the researchers. Results A significant improvement in students’ knowledge and attitudes toward RH was evident. Female students had higher scores on knowledge than male students in the pretest; this difference was smaller in the posttest. Also, female students had significantly more positive attitudes toward RH in pretest than males, although this difference vanished in the posttest. Study results indicated that students benefit from study intervention regardless their gender. Conclusion Integrating RH into university’s curriculum coupled with interactive learning approach is a powerful way to promote RH awareness among youths. PMID:29719404

ANCOVA Versus CHANGE From Baseline in Nonrandomized Studies: The Difference.

PubMed

van Breukelen, Gerard J P

2013-11-01

The pretest-posttest control group design can be analyzed with the posttest as dependent variable and the pretest as covariate (ANCOVA) or with the difference between posttest and pretest as dependent variable (CHANGE). These 2 methods can give contradictory results if groups differ at pretest, a phenomenon that is known as Lord's paradox. Literature claims that ANCOVA is preferable if treatment assignment is based on randomization or on the pretest and questionable for preexisting groups. Some literature suggests that Lord's paradox has to do with measurement error in the pretest. This article shows two new things: First, the claims are confirmed by proving the mathematical equivalence of ANCOVA to a repeated measures model without group effect at pretest. Second, correction for measurement error in the pretest is shown to lead back to ANCOVA or to CHANGE, depending on the assumed absence or presence of a true group difference at pretest. These two new theoretical results are illustrated with multilevel (mixed) regression and structural equation modeling of data from two studies.

Feedback in Videogame-based Adaptive Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

participants on the pretest and posttest may lead to bias. This is especially the case in this research because the time lapse between the pretest and...experiment was the posttest which took 15 minutes to complete. The entire experiment took between 1 and 2 hours. Measures. Pretest and Posttest VECTOR...Scenario Questionnaire. The pretest and posttest were made specifically to measure the learning objectives of VECTOR and was used as a measure of

Effect of Resuscitation Training on BLS Skills

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-15

outcome on the BLS Posttest . Relationship of BLS Pretest Success to BLS Posttest Success The data set was partitioned by group status (Control vs...N04-004 38 Table 50. Example Crosstabulation for Experimental Group Pretest Anxiety Levels by Posttest Pass/Fail We wondered whether pre-to...test design was used. Participants were randomized into an experimental group that received pre-testing, a first responder course, and post-testing

Dynamic Assessment of School-Age Children’s Narrative Ability

PubMed Central

Peña, Elizabeth D.; Gillam, Ronald B.; Malek, Melynn; Ruiz-Felter, Roxanna; Resendiz, Maria; Fiestas, Christine; Sabel, Tracy

2008-01-01

Two experiments examined reliability and classification accuracy of a narration-based dynamic assessment task. Purpose The first experiment evaluated whether parallel results were obtained from stories created in response to 2 different wordless picture books. If so, the tasks and measures would be appropriate for assessing pretest and posttest change within a dynamic assessment format. The second experiment evaluated the extent to which children with language impairments performed differently than typically developing controls on dynamic assessment of narrative language. Method In the first experiment, 58 1st- and 2nd-grade children told 2 stories about wordless picture books. Stories were rated on macrostructural and microstructural aspects of language form and content, and the ratings were subjected to reliability analyses. In the second experiment, 71 children participated in dynamic assessment. There were 3 phases: a pretest phase, in which children created a story that corresponded to 1 of the wordless picture books from Experiment 1; a teaching phase, in which children attended 2 short mediation sessions that focused on storytelling ability; and a posttest phase, in which children created a story that corresponded to a second wordless picture book from Experiment 1. Analyses compared the pretest and posttest stories that were told by 2 groups of children who received mediated learning (typical and language impaired groups) and a no-treatment control group of typically developing children from Experiment 1. Results The results of the first experiment indicated that the narrative measures applied to stories about 2 different wordless picture books had good internal consistency. In Experiment 2, typically developing children who received mediated learning demonstrated a greater amount of pretest to posttest change than children in the language impaired and control groups. Classification analysis indicated better specificity and sensitivity values for measures of response to intervention (modifiability) and posttest storytelling than for measures of pretest storytelling. Observation of modifiability was the single best indicator of language impairment. Posttest measures and modifiability together yielded no misclassifications. Conclusion The first experiment supported the use of 2 wordless picture books as stimulus materials for collecting narratives before and after mediation within a dynamic assessment paradigm. The second experiment supported the use of dynamic assessment for accurately identifying language impairments in school-age children. PMID:17077213

Task-based learning versus problem-oriented lecture in neurology continuing medical education.

PubMed

Vakani, Farhan; Jafri, Wasim; Ahmad, Amina; Sonawalla, Aziz; Sheerani, Mughis

2014-01-01

To determine whether general practitioners learned better with task-based learning or problem-oriented lecture in a Continuing Medical Education (CME) set-up. Quasi-experimental study. The Aga Khan University, Karachi campus, from April to June 2012. Fifty-nine physicians were given a choice to opt for either Task-based Learning (TBL) or Problem Oriented Lecture (PBL) in a continuing medical education set-up about headaches. The TBL group had 30 participants divided into 10 small groups, and were assigned case-based tasks. The lecture group had 29 participants. Both groups were given a pre and a post-test. Pre/post assessment was done using one-best MCQs. The reliability coefficient of scores for both the groups was estimated through Cronbach's alpha. An item analysis for difficulty and discriminatory indices was calculated for both the groups. Paired t-test was used to determine the difference between pre- and post-test scores of both groups. Independent t-test was used to compare the impact of the two teaching methods in terms of learning through scores produced by MCQ test. Cronbach's alpha was 0.672 for the lecture group and 0.881 for TBL group. Item analysis for difficulty (p) and discriminatory indexes (d) was obtained for both groups. The results for the lecture group showed pre-test (p) = 42% vs. post-test (p) = 43%; pre- test (d) = 0.60 vs. post-test (d) = 0.40. The TBL group showed pre -test (p) = 48% vs. post-test (p) = 70%; pre-test (d) = 0.69 vs. post-test (d) = 0.73. Lecture group pre-/post-test mean scores were (8.52 ± 2.95 vs. 12.41 ± 2.65; p < 0.001), where TBL group showed (9.70 ± 3.65 vs. 14 ± 3.99; p < 0.001). Independent t-test exhibited an insignificant difference at baseline (lecture 8.52 ± 2.95 vs. TBL 9.70 ± 3.65; p = 0.177). The post-scores were not statistically different lecture 12.41 ± 2.65 vs. TBL 14 ± 3.99; p = 0.07). Both delivery methods were found to be equally effective, showing statistically insignificant differences. However, TBL groups' post-test higher mean scores and radical increase in the post-test difficulty index demonstrated improved learning through TBL delivery and calls for further exploration of longitudinal studies in the context of CME.

Post-Test Inspection of Nasa's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Long Duration Test Hardware: Ion Optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soulas, George C.; Shastry, Rohit

2016-01-01

A Long Duration Test (LDT) was initiated in June 2005 as a part of NASAs Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) service life validation approach. Testing was voluntarily terminated in February 2014, with the thruster accumulating 51,184 hours of operation, processing 918 kg of xenon propellant, and delivering 35.5 MN-s of total impulse. This presentation will present the post-test inspection results to date for the thrusters ion optics.

AM2 3-4 Alternate Lay Pattern Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

the target CBR of 6 was achieved. The results of the CBR, moisture, and density tests during construction ( pretest ) and after trafficking ( posttest ...lift to verify that the target CBR of 6 had been reasonably achieved. If the average pretest CBR of a lift differed from the target value by more...for both test items are shown in Table 3. The posttest in situ CBR, moisture, and density measurements were used to determine the depth of

Acceptability of Mental Health Stigma-Reduction Training and Initial Effects on Awareness Among Military Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-13

attitudes. The primary limitation in this study was the one - group pretest – posttest design for the assessment of change in stigma awareness. The results...participated in a pretest , 2‑h stigma‑reduction training and immediate posttest . Acceptability of the training was measured by querying participants about...SpringerPlus (2015) 4:606 concern and how to conduct a group discussion about confidentiality and treatment options based on a segment from the

Nurse Education, Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas (CERMUSA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

didactic portion o Online pre-test and post-test o Online survey • Statistical validity: o The study investigators enrolled 134 participants...NURSE.SAS Datacut: 2014-01-17 Generated: 2014-01-26:16:40 Table 2.09: Summary Statistics , Does your curriculum teach students how to develop a personal...disasters. Pre-test post-test results indicated that the delivery of didactic material via an online course management system is an effective

Proceedings of the 2011 AFMS Medical Research Symposium. Volume 4. Healthcare Informatics Track

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-02

pretest and posttest , a survey of 10 five-point Likert scale questions on managing critical children before and after, and 2 videotaped pediatric...critical care simulations with debriefings after each scenario. Results: Fund of knowledge improved from a pretest score of 60% to a posttest score of...02--2012 Proceedings 02-08-2011 to 04-08-2011 Proceedings of the 2011 AFMS Medical Research Symposium. Volume 4. Healthcare Informatics Track Major

The effectiveness of assertiveness training for school-aged children on bullying and assertiveness level.

PubMed

Avşar, Fatma; Ayaz Alkaya, Sultan

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an assertive training for school-aged children on peer bullying and assertiveness. A quasi-experimental design using pre- and post-testing was conducted. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, an assertiveness scale, and the peer victimization scale. The training program was comprised of eight sessions which were implemented to intervention group. Descriptive characteristics were not statistically different between the groups (p>0.05). The peer victimization victim dimension results show that post-test mean scores of the students in the intervention group were lower than the pre-test mean scores (p<0.05). For the control group, no significant change was found in the pre-test and post-test mean scores (p>0.05). A comparison of the mean pre-test/post-test scores of peer-victimization bully dimension of the students' intervention and control groups revealed that the mean post-test scores of the students in the each group decreased (p>0.05). An assertiveness training program increased the assertiveness level and reduced the state of being victims, but did not affect the state of being bullies. The results of this study can help children acquire assertive behaviors instead of negative behaviors such as aggression and shyness, and help them to build effective social communication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding of multigene test results among males undergoing germline testing for inherited prostate cancer: Implications for genetic counseling.

PubMed

Giri, Veda N; Obeid, Elias; Hegarty, Sarah E; Gross, Laura; Bealin, Lisa; Hyatt, Colette; Fang, Carolyn Y; Leader, Amy

2018-04-14

Genetic testing (GT) for prostate cancer (PCA) is rising, with limited insights regarding genetic counseling (GC) needs of males. Genetic Evaluation of Men (GEM) is a prospective multigene testing study for inherited PCA. Men undergoing GC were surveyed on knowledge of cancer risk and genetics (CRG) and understanding of personal GT results to identify GC needs. GEM participants with or high-risk for PCA were recruited. Pre-test GC was in-person, with video and handout, or via telehealth. Post-test disclosure was in-person, by phone, or via telehealth. Clinical and family history data were obtained from participant surveys and medical records. Participants completed measures of knowledge of CRG, literacy, and numeracy pre-test and post-test. Understanding of personal genetic results was assessed post-test. Factors associated with knowledge of CRG and understanding of personal genetic results were examined using multivariable linear regression or McNemar's test. Among 109 men who completed pre- and post-GT surveys, multivariable analysis revealed family history meeting hereditary cancer syndrome (HCS) criteria was significantly predictive of higher baseline knowledge (P = 0.040). Of 101 men who responded definitively regarding understanding of results, 13 incorrectly reported their result (McNemar's P < 0.001). Factors significantly associated with discordance between reported and actual results included having a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) (P < 0.001) and undergoing GC via pre-test video and post-test phone disclosure (P = 0.015). While meeting criteria for HCS was associated with higher knowledge of CRG, understanding of personal GT results was lacking among a subset of males with VUS. A more exploratory finding was lack of understanding of results among men who underwent GC utilizing video and phone. Studies optimizing GC strategies for males undergoing multigene testing for inherited PCA are warranted. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Best Practices in the Design of Aerobic Training Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-02

a pretest - posttest design. To determine the effect size due to training, estimates of the training response were adjusted for the type of research ...studies reviewed here employed pretest - posttest research designs. In such cases, the correlation of pretest scores with posttest scores affects the... pretest - posttest correlation (see Appendix A). was measured more than twice in some studies. When this was the case, ES was computed using the initial and

Resistance Training: Identifying Best Practices?

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-18

pretest – posttest research designs. In such cases, the correlation of pretest scores with posttest scores affects the sampling variance that is the ES...magnitude of the pretest – posttest correlation (see Appendix A). Strength was measured more than twice in some studies. When this was the case, ES was...included in this review used a pretest – posttest design. For this reason, methods described by Morris and DeShon (2002) were applied to compute

Relationship of college student characteristics and inquiry-based geometrical optics instruction to knowledge of image formation with light-ray tracing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isik, Hakan

This study is premised on the fact that student conceptions of optics appear to be unrelated to student characteristics of gender, age, years since high school graduation, or previous academic experiences. This study investigated the relationships between student characteristics and student performance on image formation test items and the changes in student conceptions of optics after an introductory inquiry-based physics course. Data was collected from 39 college students who were involved in an inquiry-based physics course teaching topics of geometrical optics. Student data concerning characteristics and previous experiences with optics and mathematics were collected. Assessment of student understanding of optics knowledge for pinholes, plane mirrors, refraction, and convex lenses was collected with, the Test of Image Formation with Light-Ray Tracing instrument. Total scale and subscale scores representing the optics instrument content were derived from student pretest and posttest responses. The types of knowledge, needed to answer each optics item correctly, were categorized as situational, conceptual, procedural, and strategic knowledge. These types of knowledge were associated with student correct and incorrect responses to each item to explain the existences and changes in student scientific and naive conceptions. Correlation and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the student characteristics and academic experiences that significantly predicted scores on the subscales of the test. The results showed that student experience with calculus was a significant predictor of student performance on the total scale as well as on the refraction subscale of the Test of Image Formation with Light-Ray Tracing. A combination of student age and previous academic experience with precalculus was a significant predictor of student performance on the pretest pinhole subscale. Student characteristic of years since high school graduation significantly predicted the gain in student scores on pinhole and plane-mirror items from the pretest to the posttest with those students who were most recent graduates from high school doing better. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance of the Test of Image Formation with Light-Ray Tracing pinhole scale and individual item changes from the pretest to the posttest resulted in statistically significant mean differences between total scores as well as between various individual pinhole items. There were no significant changes for individual plane-mirror items from pretest to posttest. Results revealed that there is a perceivable relationship between student optics-content knowledge and the types of knowledge required by items. At the pretest, the greatest selection of wrong responses related to the items requiring situational type of knowledge and the fewest selection of wrong responses was relate to the items requiring procedural type of knowledge. Student selection of wrong options for each item revealed the following naive optics conceptions: pinholes do not create reversed images (pretest), size and sharpness of pinhole images are related to the focus of a pinhole camera (pretest and posttest); propagation of light rays are interpreted as being radial rather than directional (pretest and posttest); no conception of image formation and observation for parallel mirrors (pretest and posttest), the place of an image depends on the position of the observer (pretest and posttest), a plane mirror reflects the images of the objects placed at one side of the mirror and the observers who were positioned at the other side of the mirror can see them (pretest and posttest); applying the law of reflection to plane mirrors without considering the variations in angles of incidence and reflection (pretest and posttest), and image observation is confused with the image formation in mirrors placed perpendicular to one another (pretest and posttest). Future research should focus on the acquisition, development, and identification of reliable measures of optics concepts, processes, types of knowledge, and specific optics understanding (i.e., pinhole, plane-mirror). Future research should focus on the identification of the more critical concepts such as changes in size and sharpness of pinhole images, image observation, image formation in general, and image formation and observation in parallel mirrors. Future research can be conducted with a larger set of participants so as to compare different instructional methods and address instructional deficiencies using more efficient statistical methods. Comparative studies can be conducted to investigate the relations of various instructional strategies on student conceptions of optics.

The impact of science education games on prescription drug abuse attitudes among teens: a case study.

PubMed

Klisch, Yvonne; Bowling, Kristi G; Miller, Leslie M; Ramos, Miguel A

2013-01-01

Two online science education games, in which players learn about the risks of prescription drug abuse in the context of investigating crimes, were evaluated to determine shifts of prescription drug abuse attitudes attributable to game exposure. High school students from grades 11 and 12 (n = 179) were assigned to one of the games and participated in a pretest, two game-play sessions, and a delayed posttest. Students in both groups demonstrated more negative attitudes toward prescription drug abuse after playing the game, driven by changes of students' normative beliefs and their ability to make the connection between prescription drug abuse and illicit drugs. A secondary aim was to assess gains in science knowledge; however, due to low internal consistency reliabilities of content measures, students' knowledge acquisition could not be determined.

Changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior as a result of a community-based AIDS prevention program.

PubMed

Miller, T E; Booraem, C; Flowers, J V; Iversen, A E

1990-01-01

The study evaluates the outcome of a California-based AIDS prevention program, "Stop AIDS." Community discussion groups focusing on information, attitudes, and behavior associated with HIV infection and transmission were conducted in one-time, 3 1/2-hour sessions. Participants completed different versions of the AIDS Prevention Test before and after the discussion group. Significant positive shifts in information, attitudes, and behavior were observed as a function of the discussion group participation. Whereas pretest knowledge correlated with pretest behavior and posttest knowledge, only pretest behavior correlated with the crucial variable of posttest intended behavior. When changes from pretest to posttest were analyzed, both information and attitude change correlated to changes in behavior. The intervention and evaluation procedures are proposed as a replicable national model for community-based AIDS prevention programs.

Making instruction and assessment responsive to diverse students' progress: group-administered dynamic assessment in teaching mathematics.

PubMed

Jeltova, Ida; Birney, Damian; Fredine, Nancy; Jarvin, Linda; Sternberg, Robert J; Grigorenko, Elena L

2011-01-01

This study entailed a 3 (instructional intervention) × 2 (assessment-type) between-subjects experimental design employing a pretest-intervention-posttest methodology. The instructional interventions were administered between subjects in three conditions: (a) dynamic instruction, (b) triarchic or theory of successful intelligence-control instruction, and (c) standard-control instruction. The assessment-type consisted between subjects of either (a) a group-administered dynamic posttest or (b) the same group-administered posttest interspersed with a control filler activity. Performance in different mathematics content areas taught in fourth grade was investigated. In total, 1,332 students and 63 classroom teachers in 24 schools across six school districts participated in the study. The results indicate the advantages of using dynamic instruction and assessment in regular classrooms while teaching mathematics, especially when the student body is highly ethnically diverse.

The effects of collaborative concept mapping on the achievement, science self-efficacy and attitude toward science of female eighth-grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledger, Antoinette Frances

This study sought to examine whether collaborative concept mapping would affect the achievement, science self-efficacy and attitude toward science of female eighth grade science students. The research questions are: (1) Will the use of collaborative concept mapping affect the achievement of female students in science? (2) Will the use of collaborative concept mapping affect the science self-efficacy of female students? (3) Will the use of collaborative concept mapping affect the attitudes of females toward science? The study was quasi-experimental and utilized a pretest-posttest design for both experimental and control groups. Eighth grade female and male students from three schools in a large northeastern school district participated in this study. The achievement test consisted of 10 multiple choice and two open-response questions and used questions from state-wide and national assessments as well as teacher-constructed items. A 29 item Likert type instrument (McMillan, 1992) was administered to measure science self-efficacy and attitude toward science. The study was of 12 weeks duration. During the study, experimental group students were asked to perform collaborative concept map construction in single sex dyads using specific terms designated by the classroom teacher and the researcher. During classroom visitations, student perceptions of collaborative concept mapping were collected and were used to provide insight into the results of the quantitative data analysis. Data from the pre and posttest instruments were analyzed for both experimental and control groups using t-tests. Additionally, the three teachers were interviewed and their perceptions of the study were also used to gain insight into the results of the study. The analysis of data showed that experimental group females showed significantly higher gains in achievement than control group females. An additional analysis of data showed experimental group males showed significantly greater gains in achievement than experimental group females. The analysis of science self-efficacy data showed that neither experimental nor control group females increased their scores pre to posttest, both showed small decreases in scores. However, the posttest scores of the experimental group females were significantly higher than the posttest scores of the control group females. The analysis of the attitude toward science survey data showed that the scores of the experimental group females did not change from pre to posttest. However, scores of the control group females declined from pre to posttest. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Post-test probability for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia based on umbilical cord blood bilirubin, direct antiglobulin test, and ABO compatibility results.

PubMed

Peeters, Bart; Geerts, Inge; Van Mullem, Mia; Micalessi, Isabel; Saegeman, Veroniek; Moerman, Jan

2016-05-01

Many hospitals opt for early postnatal discharge of newborns with a potential risk of readmission for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Assays/algorithms with the possibility to improve prediction of significant neonatal hyperbilirubinemia are needed to optimize screening protocols and safe discharge of neonates. This study investigated the predictive value of umbilical cord blood (UCB) testing for significant hyperbilirubinemia. Neonatal UCB bilirubin, UCB direct antiglobulin test (DAT), and blood group were determined, as well as the maternal blood group and the red blood cell antibody status. Moreover, in newborns with clinically apparent jaundice after visual assessment, plasma total bilirubin (TB) was measured. Clinical factors positively associated with UCB bilirubin were ABO incompatibility, positive DAT, presence of maternal red cell antibodies, alarming visual assessment and significant hyperbilirubinemia in the first 6 days of life. UCB bilirubin performed clinically well with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95 % CI 0.80-0.84). The combined UCB bilirubin, DAT, and blood group analysis outperformed results of these parameters considered separately to detect significant hyperbilirubinemia and correlated exponentially with hyperbilirubinemia post-test probability. Post-test probabilities for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia can be calculated using exponential functions defined by UCB bilirubin, DAT, and ABO compatibility results. • The diagnostic value of the triad umbilical cord blood bilirubin measurement, direct antiglobulin testing and blood group analysis for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia remains unclear in literature. • Currently no guideline recommends screening for hyperbilirubinemia using umbilical cord blood. What is New: • Post-test probability for hyperbilirubinemia correlated exponentially with umbilical cord blood bilirubin in different risk groups defined by direct antiglobulin test and ABO blood group compatibility results. • Exponential functions can be used to calculate hyperbilirubinemia probability.

The Value of Training: Analysis of DAU’s Requirements Management Training Results

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

test outcomes. According to Kim and Wilson (2010), “there can be substantial effects of pretest on posttest , especially when the duration between them...determine whether one group might be better prepared for the advanced concepts course. The DAU faculty compares pre-test data to post-test data to...this assumption, however. The means of the group scores on the pre-test varied only between 49.5 and 53.7. An ANOVA test on the groups revealed no

Effectiveness of a caregiver education program on providing oral care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Fickert, Nancy A; Ross, Diana

2012-06-01

Caregivers who work in community living arrangements or intermediate care facilities are responsible for the oral hygiene of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Oral hygiene training programs do not exist in many organizations, despite concerns about the oral care of this population. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a caregiver educational program. This study used a quasi-experimental one-group pretest/posttest design with repeated measures to describe the outcomes of an educational program. Program participants demonstrated oral hygiene skills on each other while being scored by a trained observer, after which they completed an oral hygiene compliance survey. After three months, a follow-up included the same posttest, demonstration of oral hygiene skills, and repeat of the compliance survey. Paired-sample t-tests of oral hygiene knowledge showed a statistically significant improvement from pretest to posttest and from pretest to three-month posttest. Oral hygiene skills and compliance improved. Results demonstrate evidence that caregiver education improves knowledge, skill, and compliance in oral hygiene. Further studies are required to demonstrate the value of providing oral hygiene education and training for caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Florida physicians regarding dengue before and after an educational intervention.

PubMed

Doblecki-Lewis, Susanne; Chang, Aileen; Jiddou-Yaldoo, Renee; Tomashek, Kay M; Stanek, Danielle; Anil, Leena; Lichtenberger, Paola

2016-04-26

Failure to recognize and appropriately manage dengue early in the clinical course may result in late initiation of supportive treatment for severe disease. In Florida, travel-related and autochthonous dengue occur and are likely under-recognized. The objective of this study was to evaluate physician knowledge of dengue and its management before and after an educational intervention in Florida. From 2012-13 we conducted 14 grand-rounds style lectures on dengue clinical management attended by 413 physicians, and analyzed data from the pre- and post-tests. Of those attending, 231 and 220 completed the pre-and post-tests, respectively. Overall, the mean pre-test score for knowledge-based questions was 74.3 and average post-test score was 94.2%, indicating a mean increase of 19.9% (P < 0.0001, 95% CI 17.7-22.4). Reported confidence in dengue recognition and management also increased. Non-US trained physicians and those who had treated more than ten dengue cases performed significantly better in the pre-test. Post-test scores did not differ by subgroup. The train-the-trainer approach with grand-rounds style presentations appear to be an effective intervention to improve knowledge of dengue among physicians.

Impact of a Workshop About Aging on the Empathy Scores of Pharmacy and Medical Students

PubMed Central

Fjortoft, Nancy; Hojat, Mohammadreza

2012-01-01

Objective. To measure changes in pharmacy and medical students’ empathy scores after a 40-minute workshop during which students observed and discussed a theatrical performance about the challenges of aging. Methods. First-year pharmacy and medical students (n = 187 and n = 183, respectively) participating in the workshop observed and discussed a 10-minute performance in which students enacted problems and concerns faced by elderly patients. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) was administered just prior to the workshop (pretest), immediately afterward (posttest 1), and 7 or 26 days afterward (posttest 2). Results. Empathy increased significantly from pretest to posttest 1 for students of each profession (p <0.01). Improvement in empathy scores declined by the time the JSE was readministered to pharmacy students 7 days later and to medical students 26 days later (posttest 2). Similar patterns of improved and declining empathy were found when the data were analyzed by gender and medical student specialty interest (ie, primary vs non-primary care specialties). Conclusion. Empathy scores increased but were not sustained for both pharmacy and medical students after a brief workshop on aging that required limited personnel resources. PMID:22412208

BALANCE, BODY MOTION AND MUSCLE ACTIVITY AFTER HIGH VOLUME SHORT TERM DANCE-BASED REHABILITATION IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE: A PILOT STUDY

PubMed Central

McKay, J. Lucas; Ting, Lena H.; Hackney, Madeleine E.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The objectives of this pilot study were to 1) evaluate the feasibility and investigate the efficacy of a 3-week, high volume (450 minutes/week) Adapted Tango intervention for community dwelling individuals with mild-moderate PD, and to 2) investigate the potential efficacy of Adapted Tango in modifying electromyographic (EMG) activity and center of body mass (CoM) displacement during automatic postural responses to support surface perturbations. METHODS Individuals with PD (n=26) were recruited for high volume Adapted Tango (15 lessons, 1.5 hour each over 3 weeks). Twenty participants were assessed with clinical balance and gait measures before and after the intervention. Nine participants were also assessed with support-surface translation perturbations. RESULTS Overall adherence to the intervention was 77%. At posttest, peak forward CoM displacement was reduced (4.0±0.9 cm, pretest, vs. 3.7±1.1 cm, posttest; P=0.03; Cohen’s d=0.30) and correlated to improvements on Berg Balance Scale (BBS; rho=−0.68; P=0.04) and Dynamic Gait Index (rho=−0.75; P=0.03). Overall antagonist onset time was delayed (27 ms; P=0.02; d=0.90) and duration was reduced (56 ms, ≈39%, P=0.02; d=0.45). Reductions in EMG magnitude were also observed (P<0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Adherence was acceptable and improvements on clinical measures of balance and gait were comparable to that obtained with lower volume, 12-week programs. Following participation in Adapted Tango, changes in kinematic and some EMG measures of perturbation responses were observed in addition to improvements in clinical measures. We conclude that 3-week, high volume Adapted Tango is feasible and represents a viable alternative to longer duration adapted dance programs. Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1) PMID:27576092

Substance Use Prevention for Urban American Indian Youth: A Efficacy Trial of the Culturally Adapted Living in 2 Worlds Program.

PubMed

Kulis, Stephen S; Ayers, Stephanie L; Harthun, Mary L

2017-04-01

This article describes a small efficacy trial of the Living in 2 Worlds (L2W) substance use prevention curriculum, a culturally adapted version of keepin' it REAL (kiR) redesigned for urban American Indian (AI) middle school students. Focused on strengthening resiliency and AI cultural engagement, L2W teaches drug resistance skills, decision making, and culturally grounded prevention messages. Using cluster random assignment, the research team randomized three urban middle schools with enrichment classes for AI students. AI teachers of these classes delivered the L2W curriculum in two schools; the remaining school implemented kiR, unadapted, and became the comparison group. AI students (N = 107) completed a pretest questionnaire before they received the manualized curriculum lessons, and a posttest (85% completion) 1 month after the final lesson. We assessed the adapted L2W intervention, compared to kiR, with paired t tests, baseline adjusted general linear models, and effect size estimates (Cohen's d). Differences between the L2W and kiR groups reached statistically significant thresholds for four outcomes. Youth receiving L2W, compared to kiR, reported less growth in cigarette use from pretest to posttest, less frequent use of the Leave drug resistance strategy, and less loss of connections to AI spirituality and cultural traditions. For other substance use behaviors and antecedents, the direction of the non-significant effects in small sample tests was toward more positive outcomes in L2W and small to medium effect sizes. Results suggest that evidence-based substance use prevention programs that are culturally adapted for urban AI adolescents, like L2W, can be a foundation for prevention approaches to help delay initiation and slow increases in substance use. In addition to study limitations, we discuss implementation challenges in delivering school-based interventions for urban AI populations.

The good, the bad, and the healthy: impacts of emotional disclosure of trauma on resilient self-concept and psychological distress.

PubMed

Hemenover, Scott H

2003-10-01

This study examined the impact of disclosing traumas on resilient self-perceptions and psychological distress. Participants (N = 50) wrote about a traumatic life event or their plans for the next day and completed measures of resilience and distress before disclosing (pretest) and 3 months later (posttest). Results revealed that trauma participants increased in positive self-perceptions (mastery, personal growth, self-acceptance) and decreased in distress (depression, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, somatization) from pretest to posttest. Control participants showed no changes except for autonomy, on which they decreased. Results suggest that in addition to reducing psychological distress, disclosing traumas change self-perception, resulting in a more resilient self-concept.

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Meditation Compared to Exposure Therapy and Education Control on PTSD in Veterans

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

female; mean age= 48). Three-month posttesting compliance is 82% (136 eligible for 3-month posttesting as of September 30, 2015 with 112 actually... posttested ). Task 6: Delivery of Treatments (on target) Through the end of September, 2015, 157 subjects have been randomized which meets our target...in the Appendices section. The data is presented by treatment arm in a blinded manner. Posttest data is not being analyzed or presented in any form

The effect of student-centered and teacher-centered instruction with and without conceptual advocacy on biology students' misconceptions, achievement, attitudes toward science, and cognitive retention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallop, Roger Graham

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of student-centered and teacher-centered instructional strategies with and without conceptual advocacy (CA) on ninth-grade biology students' misconceptions (MIS), biology achievement (ACH), attitudes toward science (ATT), and cognitive retention of scientific method and measurement, spontaneous generation, and characteristics of living things. Students were purposively selected using intact classes and assigned to one of four treatment groups (i.e., student-centered instruction without CA, student-centered instruction with CA, teacher-centered instruction with CA, and teacher-centered instruction without CA). A modified quasi-experimental design was used in which students were not matched in the conventional sense but instead, groups were shown to be equivalent on the dependent measure via a pretest. A 5-day treatment implementation period addressed science conceptions under investigation. The treatment period was based on the number of class periods teachers at the target school actually spend teaching the biological concepts under investigation using traditional instruction. At the end of the treatment period, students were posttested using the Concepts in Biology instrument and Science Questionnaire. Eight weeks after the posttest, these instruments were administered again as a delayed posttest to determine cognitive retention of the correct biological conceptions and attitudes toward science. MANCOVA and follow-up univariate ANCOVA results indicated that student-centered instruction without CA (i.e., Group 1) did not have a significant effect on students' MIS, ACH, and ATT (F = .029, p = .8658; F = .002, p =.9688, F = .292, p = .5897, respectively). On the other hand, student-centered instruction with CA (i.e., Group 2) had a significant effect on students' MIS and ACH (F =10.33, p = .0016 and F = 10.17, p = .0017, respectively), but did not on ATT (F = .433, p = .5117). Teacher-centered instruction with CA (i.e., Group 3) had a significant effect on students' MIS in favor of Group 4 (i.e., control group) (F = 4.11, p = .0444), and did not have a significant effect on ACH and ATT (F = 1.83, p = .1777 and F = 1.89, p = .1709, respectively). Student gender and teacher gender did not have a significant effect on students' MIS, ACH, and ATT. In the cognitive retention model, there was no significant difference among the research factors relative to the 3 dependent measures.

Optimizing otoscopy competency in audiology students through supplementary otoscopy training.

PubMed

Kaf, Wafaa A; Masterson, Caleb G; Dion, Nancy; Berg, Susan L; Abdelhakiem, Mohamed K

2013-10-01

Scope of practice in audiology encompasses proficiency in visual inspection of ear canal and tympanic membrane (TM) as well as otoscopy interpretation skills to determine normal versus abnormal conditions of outer and middle ear. Audiology students can develop skills in otoscopy through education and supervised training. Studies have shown that additional otoscopy training increased skills in medical students and general practitioners. However, educational and supervised practices targeting otoscopy competency during audiology graduate coursework are lacking. Also, no studies have attempted to determine otoscopy skills among audiology students. To determine the effectiveness of the otoscopy training model on clinical competency and confidence level of audiology students in performing and interpreting otoscopy. A combination of experimental treatment design with random assignment of treatment and control groups and delayed treatment for control group. Thirty-two first- and second-year audiology graduate students who were enrolled in a pediatric audiology class participated in this study. Students were randomly assigned to the control (n = 16, 14 females) or experimental (n = 16, 14 females) group. Participants in the experimental group received supplementary otoscopy training including didactic otoscopy lectures as well as clinical training using manikin ears. The control group received the same pretest and posttest and then completed a third assessment (posttest 2) after receiving the same training. An evaluation of knowledge and skills regarding otoscopy between groups and time was conducted at three times: (a) pretraining, (b) upon completion of training for the experimental group, (c) upon completion of training by the control group. The evaluation consisted of a written exam, a clinical exam, and a self-perception rating of confidence. Both written exam scores and clinical exam scores (otoscopy manikin) were analyzed via two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), whereas chi-square (χ²) statistic was conducted to evaluate the effects of training on the confidence level of students of both groups. Experimental and control groups demonstrated significant increased overall competency in otoscopy following the otoscopy training model with didactic and laboratory components. Posttest confidence ratings showed increases in all groups, and there were no significant differences between groups. The need for supplementary otoscopy training was warranted by low knowledge and clinical competency in otoscopy skills of audiology students as measured by pretest mean scores. After completing the training, both experimental and control groups showed significant improvement in knowledge and competency. Results also suggest that perceived confidence ratings may be misleading in determining students' clinical otoscopy skills. American Academy of Audiology.

The Effects of High- and Low-Anxiety Training on the Anticipation Judgments of Elite Performers.

PubMed

Alder, David; Ford, Paul R; Causer, Joe; Williams, A Mark

2016-02-01

We examined the effects of high- versus low-anxiety conditions during video-based training of anticipation judgments using international-level badminton players facing serves and the transfer to high-anxiety and field-based conditions. Players were assigned to a high-anxiety training (HA), low-anxiety training (LA) or control group (CON) in a pretraining-posttest design. In the pre- and posttest, players anticipated serves from video and on court under high- and low-anxiety conditions. In the video-based high-anxiety pretest, anticipation response accuracy was lower and final fixations shorter when compared with the low-anxiety pretest. In the low-anxiety posttest, HA and LA demonstrated greater accuracy of judgments and longer final fixations compared with pretest and CON. In the high-anxiety posttest, HA maintained accuracy when compared with the low-anxiety posttest, whereas LA had lower accuracy. In the on-court posttest, the training groups demonstrated greater accuracy of judgments compared with the pretest and CON.

Impact of Integrated Science and English Language Arts Literacy Supplemental Instructional Intervention on Science Academic Achievement of Elementary Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marks, Jamar Terry

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design study was to determine if any differences existed in upper elementary school students' science academic achievement when instructed using an 8-week integrated science and English language arts literacy supplemental instructional intervention in conjunction with traditional science classroom instruction as compared to when instructed using solely traditional science classroom instruction. The targeted sample population consisted of fourth-grade students enrolled in a public elementary school located in the southeastern region of the United States. The convenience sample size consisted of 115 fourth-grade students enrolled in science classes. The pretest and posttest academic achievement data collected consisted of the science segment from the Spring 2015, and Spring 2016 state standardized assessments. Pretest and posttest academic achievement data were analyzed using an ANCOVA statistical procedure to test for differences, and the researcher reported the results of the statistical analysis. The results of the study show no significant difference in science academic achievement between treatment and control groups. An interpretation of the results and recommendations for future research were provided by the researcher upon completion of the statistical analysis.

Systematic instruction for individuals with acquired brain injury: Results of a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Powell, Laurie Ehlhardt; Glang, Ann; Ettel, Deborah; Todis, Bonnie; Sohlberg, McKay; Albin, Richard

2012-01-01

The goal of this study was to experimentally evaluate systematic instruction compared with trial-and-error learning (conventional instruction) applied to assistive technology for cognition (ATC), in a double blind, pretest-posttest, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-nine persons with moderate-severe cognitive impairments due to acquired brain injury (15 in systematic instruction group; 14 in conventional instruction) completed the study. Both groups received 12, 45-minute individual training sessions targeting selected skills on the Palm Tungsten E2 personal digital assistant (PDA). A criterion-based assessment of PDA skills was used to evaluate accuracy, fluency/efficiency, maintenance, and generalization of skills. There were no significant differences between groups at immediate posttest with regard to accuracy and fluency. However, significant differences emerged at 30-day follow-up in favor of systematic instruction. Furthermore, systematic instruction participants performed significantly better at immediate posttest generalizing trained PDA skills when interacting with people other than the instructor. These results demonstrate that systematic instruction applied to ATC results in better skill maintenance and generalization than trial-and-error learning for individuals with moderate-severe cognitive impairments due to acquired brain injury. Implications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:22264146

Implementing thinking aloud pair and Pólya problem solving strategies in fractions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpol, N. S. H.; Shahrill, M.; Li, H.-C.; Prahmana, R. C. I.

2017-12-01

This study implemented two pedagogical strategies, the Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving and Pólya’s Problem Solving, to support students’ learning of fractions. The participants were 51 students (ages 11-13) from two Year 7 classes in a government secondary school in Brunei Darussalam. A mixed method design was employed in the present study, with data collected from the pre- and post-tests, problem solving behaviour questionnaire and interviews. The study aimed to explore if there were differences in the students’ problem solving behaviour before and after the implementation of the problem solving strategies. Results from the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test revealed a significant difference in the test results regarding student problem solving behaviour, z = -3.68, p = .000, with a higher mean score for the post-test (M = 95.5, SD = 13.8) than for the pre-test (M = 88.9, SD = 15.2). This implied that there was improvement in the students’ problem solving performance from the pre-test to the post-test. Results from the questionnaire showed that more than half of the students increased scores in all four stages of the Pólya’s problem solving strategy, which provided further evidence of the students’ improvement in problem solving.

Adaptive Seat Energy Absorbers for Enhanced Crash Safety: Technology Demonstration

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

percentile male occupant and 21 ft/s crash velocity ............................................................................69 Fig. 78 Posttest ...34 ft/s crash velocity ............................................................................71 Fig. 82 Posttest photo for test no. 2, 50th...74 Fig. 86 Posttest photo for test no. 3, 50th percentile male occupant and 42

40 CFR 1065.672 - Drift correction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... interval gas analyzer response to the span gas concentration. x postspan = post-test interval gas analyzer... = post-test interval gas analyzer response to the zero gas concentration. Example: x refzero = 0 µmol/mol... occurred before one or more previous test intervals. (4) For any post-test interval concentrations, use...

40 CFR 1065.672 - Drift correction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... interval gas analyzer response to the span gas concentration. x postspan = post-test interval gas analyzer... = post-test interval gas analyzer response to the zero gas concentration. Example: x refzero = 0 µmol/mol... occurred before one or more previous test intervals. (4) For any post-test interval concentrations, use...

40 CFR 1065.672 - Drift correction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... interval gas analyzer response to the span gas concentration. x postspan = post-test interval gas analyzer... = post-test interval gas analyzer response to the zero gas concentration. Example: x refzero = 0 µmol/mol... occurred before one or more previous test intervals. (4) For any post-test interval concentrations, use...

40 CFR 1065.672 - Drift correction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... interval gas analyzer response to the span gas concentration. x postspan = post-test interval gas analyzer... = post-test interval gas analyzer response to the zero gas concentration. Example: x refzero = 0 µmol/mol... occurred before one or more previous test intervals. (4) For any post-test interval concentrations, use...

40 CFR 1065.672 - Drift correction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... interval gas analyzer response to the span gas concentration. x postspan = post-test interval gas analyzer... = post-test interval gas analyzer response to the zero gas concentration. Example: x refzero = 0 µmol/mol... occurred before one or more previous test intervals. (4) For any post-test interval concentrations, use...

Assessing the Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning as a New Approach on Health Care Provider Ethical Reasoning Development in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Bazrafcan, Leila; Takmil, Farnaz; Shokrpour, Nasrin

2018-06-18

Problem-based learning (PBL) has become a distinct approach in learning. To assess the effectiveness of PBL in teaching ethics to medical students and the effect it has on their ethical reasoning, we decided to hold a PBL ethics workshop and then evaluate them based on pretest and posttest. This quasi-experimental comparative study in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences was designed based on pretest-posttest nonequivalent groups. After obtaining their consent, 120 health care providers were randomly selected and assigned in 4 groups and then asked to attend the ethics workshop. For measuring the participants' ethical reasoning through pretesting and posttesting, a case study consisting of 21 multiple-choice questions (cognitive domain-apply level) was performed. Data were then collected using a questionnaire, which was completed by the participants and analyzed using SPSS software (version 17). The comparison between the participants' attitude and knowledge toward ethics before and after the workshop revealed that all indices in the cognitive domain were changed (P < .001). The scores of pretest and posttest were significantly different. As to the results of our study, the PBL groups showed a more positive learning attitude and higher motivation in comparison with the control group who were subjected to traditional-based method of learning. The result of our study suggests that PBL can and should be used as an alternative method in teaching ethics in medical students because it is more effective and motivates the students.

The effect of domain-general inhibition-related training on language switching: An ERP study.

PubMed

Liu, Huanhuan; Liang, Lijuan; Dunlap, Susan; Fan, Ning; Chen, Baoguo

2016-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that inhibitory control ability could be improved by training, and the Inhibitory Control (IC) Model implies that enhanced domain-general inhibition may elicit certain changes in language switch costs. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effects of domain-general inhibition training on performance in a language switching task, including which phase of domain-general inhibitory control benefits from training during an overt picture naming task in L1 and L2, using the event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Results showed that the language switch costs of bilinguals with high inhibitory control (high-IC) were symmetrical in both pretest and posttest, and those of bilinguals with low inhibitory control (low-IC) were asymmetrical in the pretest, but symmetrical in the posttest. Moreover, the high-IC group showed a larger LPC (late positive component) for L2 switch trials than for L1 trials in both pretest and posttest. In contrast, the low-IC group only exhibited a similar pattern of LPC in the posttest, but not in the pretest. These results indicate that inhibition training could increase the efficiency of language switching, and inhibitory control may play a key role during the lexical selection response phase. Overall, the present study is the first one to provide electrophysiological evidence for individual differences in the domain-general inhibition impact on language switching performance in low-proficient bilinguals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Features of postfailure fuel behavior in transient overpower and transient undercooled/overpower tests in the transient reactor test facility

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

Doerner, R.C.; Bauer, T.H.; Morman, J.A.

Prototypic oxide fuel was subjected to simulated, fast reactor severe accident conditions in a series of in-pile tests in the Transient Reactor Test Facility reactor. Seven experiments were performed on fresh and previously irradiated oxide fuel pins under transient overpower and transient undercooled. overpower accident conditions. For each of the tests, fuel motions were observed by the hodoscope. Hodoscope data are correlated with coolant flow, pressure, and temperature data recorded by the loop instrumentation. Data were analyzed from the onset of initial failure to a final mass distribution at the end of the test. In this paper results of thesemore » analyses are compared to pre- and posttest accident calculations and to posttest metallographic accident calculations and to posttest metallographic examinations and computed tomographic reconstructions from neutron radiographs.« less

Reducing skin cancer risk: an intervention based on protection motivation theory.

PubMed

McClendon, B T; Prentice-Dunn, S

2001-05-01

Caucasian college students who intentionally tanned participated in a brief skin cancer intervention based on protection motivation theory (PMT). This intervention targeted skin appearance and consisted of brief lectures, a comprehensive essay, video clips about a young man who died of melanoma, and short discussions. Compared to a waitlist control group, the intervention group showed increases on PMT variables and intentions at post-test. The waitlist group later received the intervention and showed similar increases. Additionally, all but one PMT variable maintained post-test levels at a one-month follow-up. Photographs taken at post-test and at the one-month follow-up were judged by raters blind to the hypothesis. Seventy-two percent of participants were judged to have lighter skin whereas only 16 percent had darker skin. These results provide additional support for theory-based methods for changing maladaptive attitudes and behaviors associated with skin cancer risk.

Depression and helplessness-induced cognitive deficits in the aged.

PubMed

Kennelly, K J; Hayslip, B; Richardson, S K

1985-01-01

Sixty-six community-residing elderly (mean age = 72.5) were categorized as depressed (mean = 11.3) or nondepressed (mean = 3.9) based on Beck Depression Inventory scores. After a pre-test battery measuring short-term memory and crystallized/fluid intelligence, the subjects responded to a word association task, disguised as a test of interpersonal empathy, under response dependent or response independent reinforcement conditions, or were assigned to a no treatment control. A post-test battery of alternate forms followed. Four of seven measures showed significant pre- to post-test declines in performance. For two of these four, response dependent reinforcement prevented otherwise significant declines. With pre-test differences statistically controlled, depression produced significant post-test deficits in three measures. Response dependent reinforcement eliminated this depression deficit in one measure. The results indicate that depression may exacerbate fatigue effects for the elderly and response dependent reinforcement may prevent fatigue-caused deficits in short-term memory.

Pretest expectations strongly influence interpretation of abnormal laboratory results and further management

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Abnormal results of diagnostic laboratory tests can be difficult to interpret when disease probability is very low. Although most physicians generally do not use Bayesian calculations to interpret abnormal results, their estimates of pretest disease probability and reasons for ordering diagnostic tests may - in a more implicit manner - influence test interpretation and further management. A better understanding of this influence may help to improve test interpretation and management. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the influence of physicians' pretest disease probability estimates, and their reasons for ordering diagnostic tests, on test result interpretation, posttest probability estimates and further management. Methods Prospective study among 87 primary care physicians in the Netherlands who each ordered laboratory tests for 25 patients. They recorded their reasons for ordering the tests (to exclude or confirm disease or to reassure patients) and their pretest disease probability estimates. Upon receiving the results they recorded how they interpreted the tests, their posttest probability estimates and further management. Logistic regression was used to analyse whether the pretest probability and the reasons for ordering tests influenced the interpretation, the posttest probability estimates and the decisions on further management. Results The physicians ordered tests for diagnostic purposes for 1253 patients; 742 patients had an abnormal result (64%). Physicians' pretest probability estimates and their reasons for ordering diagnostic tests influenced test interpretation, posttest probability estimates and further management. Abnormal results of tests ordered for reasons of reassurance were significantly more likely to be interpreted as normal (65.8%) compared to tests ordered to confirm a diagnosis or exclude a disease (27.7% and 50.9%, respectively). The odds for abnormal results to be interpreted as normal were much lower when the physician estimated a high pretest disease probability, compared to a low pretest probability estimate (OR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.07-0.52, p < 0.001). Conclusions Interpretation and management of abnormal test results were strongly influenced by physicians' estimation of pretest disease probability and by the reason for ordering the test. By relating abnormal laboratory results to their pretest expectations, physicians may seek a balance between over- and under-reacting to laboratory test results. PMID:20158908

Effects of interactive teaching on university students' knowledge and attitude toward reproductive health: a pilot study in Jordan.

PubMed

Ali, Reem A; Alnatour, Ahlam; Alnuaimi, Karimeh; Alzoubi, Fatmeh; Almomani, Maysa; Othman, Areej

2018-01-01

Youths in Jordan lack knowledge related to reproductive health (RH). Interactive teaching methods showed positive results in enhancing health awareness and adopting healthy practices among students. The objective of this study was to examine the usefulness of interactive teaching in promoting health awareness of RH among nonmedical university students in Jordan. We employed a quasi-experimental one group pretest and posttest design for a purposive sample of 210 students (18-24 years). Knowledge and attitudes regarding RH issues were assessed using a questionnaire developed by the researchers. A significant improvement in students' knowledge and attitudes toward RH was evident. Female students had higher scores on knowledge than male students in the pretest; this difference was smaller in the posttest. Also, female students had significantly more positive attitudes toward RH in pretest than males, although this difference vanished in the posttest. Study results indicated that students benefit from study intervention regardless their gender. Integrating RH into university's curriculum coupled with interactive learning approach is a powerful way to promote RH awareness among youths.

The role of working memory and fluency practice on the reading comprehension of students who are dysfluent readers.

PubMed

Swanson, H Lee; O'Connor, Rollanda

2009-01-01

The authors investigated whether practice in reading fluency had a causal influence on the relationship between working memory (WM) and text comprehension for 155 students in Grades 2 and 4 who were poor or average readers. Dysfluent readers were randomly assigned to repeated reading or continuous reading practice conditions and compared with untreated dysfluent and fluent readers on posttest measures of fluency, word identification, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Three main findings emerged: (a) The influence of WM on text comprehension was not related to fluency training, (b) dysfluent readers in the continuous-reading condition had higher posttest scores than dysfluent readers in the other conditions on measures of text comprehension but not on vocabulary, and (c) individual differences in WM better predicted posttest comprehension performance than word-attack skills. In general, the results suggested that although continuous reading increased comprehension, fluency practice did not compensate for WM demands. The results were interpreted within a model that viewed reading comprehension processes as competing for a limited supply of WM resources that operate independent of fluency.

High-fidelity simulation versus case-based discussion for teaching medical students in Brazil about pediatric emergencies

PubMed Central

Couto, Thomaz Bittencourt; Farhat, Sylvia C.L.; Geis, Gary L; Olsen, Orjan; Schvartsman, Claudio

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare high-fidelity simulation with case-based discussion for teaching medical students about pediatric emergencies, as assessed by a knowledge post-test, a knowledge retention test and a survey of satisfaction with the method. METHODS: This was a non-randomized controlled study using a crossover design for the methods, as well as multiple-choice questionnaire tests and a satisfaction survey. Final-year medical students were allocated into two groups: group 1 participated in an anaphylaxis simulation and a discussion of a supraventricular tachycardia case, and conversely, group 2 participated in a discussion of an anaphylaxis case and a supraventricular tachycardia simulation. Students were tested on each theme at the end of their rotation (post-test) and 4–6 months later (retention test). RESULTS: Most students (108, or 66.3%) completed all of the tests. The mean scores for simulation versus case-based discussion were respectively 43.6% versus 46.6% for the anaphylaxis pre-test (p=0.42), 63.5% versus 67.8% for the post-test (p=0.13) and 61.5% versus 65.5% for the retention test (p=0.19). Additionally, the mean scores were respectively 33.9% versus 31.6% for the supraventricular tachycardia pre-test (p=0.44), 42.5% versus 47.7% for the post-test (p=0.09) and 41.5% versus 39.5% for the retention test (p=0.47). For both themes, there was improvement between the pre-test and the post-test (p<0.05), and no significant difference was observed between the post-test and the retention test (p>0.05). Moreover, the satisfaction survey revealed a preference for simulation (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: As a single intervention, simulation is not significantly different from case-based discussion in terms of acquisition and retention of knowledge but is superior in terms of student satisfaction. PMID:26106956

40 CFR 90.405 - Recorded information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... addition to a pre- and post-test measurement. (4) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify for each test... applicable. (e) Test data; post-test. (1) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify the hang-up check. (2...). (4) Barometric pressure, post-test segment. [60 FR 34598, July 13, 1995, as amended at 70 FR 40449...

40 CFR 91.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 91.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate the operating range of each analyzer...

40 CFR 91.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 91.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate the operating range of each analyzer...

40 CFR 91.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 91.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate the operating range of each analyzer...

40 CFR 90.405 - Recorded information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... addition to a pre- and post-test measurement. (4) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify for each test... applicable. (e) Test data; post-test. (1) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify the hang-up check. (2...). (4) Barometric pressure, post-test segment. [60 FR 34598, July 13, 1995, as amended at 70 FR 40449...

40 CFR 90.405 - Recorded information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... addition to a pre- and post-test measurement. (4) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify for each test... applicable. (e) Test data; post-test. (1) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify the hang-up check. (2...). (4) Barometric pressure, post-test segment. [60 FR 34598, July 13, 1995, as amended at 70 FR 40449...

40 CFR 90.405 - Recorded information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... addition to a pre- and post-test measurement. (4) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify for each test... applicable. (e) Test data; post-test. (1) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify the hang-up check. (2...). (4) Barometric pressure, post-test segment. [60 FR 34598, July 13, 1995, as amended at 70 FR 40449...

40 CFR 91.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 91.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate the operating range of each analyzer...

40 CFR 90.405 - Recorded information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... addition to a pre- and post-test measurement. (4) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify for each test... applicable. (e) Test data; post-test. (1) Recorder chart or equivalent. Identify the hang-up check. (2...). (4) Barometric pressure, post-test segment. [60 FR 34598, July 13, 1995, as amended at 70 FR 40449...

40 CFR 91.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 91.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate the operating range of each analyzer...

76 FR 31927 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Formative Research...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-02

... (pretest) survey, and one at posttest, for a total of two responses each. Finally, the school foodservice... inform curriculum revisions. A longitudinal, repeated measure, pretest-posttest design with a combination... students will be asked to participate in a pre-intervention (pretest) survey, post-intervention (posttest...

Improving Science Achievement and Attitudes of Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders-White, Pamela

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of structured note-taking compared to traditional note-taking on the acquisition of scientific knowledge for students with and without learning disabilities (LD) and students with reading difficulties (RD). An additional purpose was to examine whether the two note-taking methods affected students' attitudes toward science. The sample population consisted of 203 fifth grade students across four public schools in the southern area of the United States. A standardized instrument aligned to Florida's science standards was used to measure the acquisition of scientific knowledge and the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA) was used to measure seven distinct science-related attitudes. For meaningful analyses, students with LD and students with RD were collapsed to form a single group due to the small numbers of participants in each of the subgroups; the collapsed group was referred to as "low achievers." A three-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine the effects of the pretest-posttest Science Interim assessment by group, type of student, and gender. The pretest-posttest Science Interim assessment scores were the within-group factor, while group, type of student, and gender were the between-groups factors. Results revealed that there was a significant interaction between the pretest-posttest Science Interim assessment and group, F(1, 191) = 9.320, p = .003, indicating that scientific knowledge scores increased for the experimental group, but decreased for the control group. Results also indicated that there was a significant three-way interaction between the pretest-posttest Science Interim assessment, group, and gender, F(1, 191) = 5.197, p = .024, showing that all participants in the experimental group improved their scores; while in the control group, female scores decreased and male scores increased. Participants in the experimental and control groups did not show improved attitudes toward science, as measured by the pretest-posttest TOSRA constructs.

Pretest expectations strongly influence interpretation of abnormal laboratory results and further management.

PubMed

Houben, Paul H H; van der Weijden, Trudy; Winkens, Bjorn; Winkens, Ron A G; Grol, Richard P T M

2010-02-16

Abnormal results of diagnostic laboratory tests can be difficult to interpret when disease probability is very low. Although most physicians generally do not use Bayesian calculations to interpret abnormal results, their estimates of pretest disease probability and reasons for ordering diagnostic tests may--in a more implicit manner--influence test interpretation and further management. A better understanding of this influence may help to improve test interpretation and management. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the influence of physicians' pretest disease probability estimates, and their reasons for ordering diagnostic tests, on test result interpretation, posttest probability estimates and further management. Prospective study among 87 primary care physicians in the Netherlands who each ordered laboratory tests for 25 patients. They recorded their reasons for ordering the tests (to exclude or confirm disease or to reassure patients) and their pretest disease probability estimates. Upon receiving the results they recorded how they interpreted the tests, their posttest probability estimates and further management. Logistic regression was used to analyse whether the pretest probability and the reasons for ordering tests influenced the interpretation, the posttest probability estimates and the decisions on further management. The physicians ordered tests for diagnostic purposes for 1253 patients; 742 patients had an abnormal result (64%). Physicians' pretest probability estimates and their reasons for ordering diagnostic tests influenced test interpretation, posttest probability estimates and further management. Abnormal results of tests ordered for reasons of reassurance were significantly more likely to be interpreted as normal (65.8%) compared to tests ordered to confirm a diagnosis or exclude a disease (27.7% and 50.9%, respectively). The odds for abnormal results to be interpreted as normal were much lower when the physician estimated a high pretest disease probability, compared to a low pretest probability estimate (OR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.07-0.52, p < 0.001). Interpretation and management of abnormal test results were strongly influenced by physicians' estimation of pretest disease probability and by the reason for ordering the test. By relating abnormal laboratory results to their pretest expectations, physicians may seek a balance between over- and under-reacting to laboratory test results.

HIV single staging algorithm: integration and maximization of resources by reducing time between HIV diagnosis and treatment.

PubMed

Bennett, Berry; Hardy, Bonnie; Fordan, Sally; Haddock-Morilla, Lizzette; Rowlinson, Marie-Claire; Crowe, Susanne

2013-12-01

Early HIV diagnosis, linkage and engagement into care are vital to improved personal health outcomes. The initiation of antiretroviral therapy, with retention in care and drug adherence leads to viral load suppression, a significant decrease in HIV transmission rates and ultimately a reduction in HIV incidence rates. In the U.S only 51% of those diagnosed with HIV infection are retained in care and 28% have a suppressed viral load. Reducing the time and number of visits from HIV diagnosis to entry into care, has the potential to engage and treat an increased number of infected individuals. (1) Evaluate the feasibility of conducting HIV-1 supplemental testing concurrently with baseline clinical management testing; (2) to evaluate whether all tests could be completed and reported prior to the traditional posttest counseling appointment; (3) to monitor the return activity for posttest and medical provider appointments. Baseline CD4 and HIV-1 viral load tests were performed concurrently with an HIV-1/2 antibody immunoassay (IA) and HIV-1 Western blot (WB) on 105 individuals with preliminary positive rapid test results. Participating study-sites were located in high-risk, high-morbidity locations: a county jail, a county mobile unit and a county hospital emergency department. Based on the individual's self-reporting statement of "No" to a previous HIV diagnosis and the POC preliminary positive rapid test result, blood specimens were processed via the Single Staging Algorithm. Study site data and medical record review established time intervals between the rapid test and subsequent visits. Of the 105 individuals with HIV-1 preliminary positive rapid test results, 102 were confirmed positive with HIV-1 WB (plus 3rd generation IA repeatedly reactive) and one was confirmed by an HIV-1 WB indeterminate (gp160), HIV-1 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) reactive (an algorithm-defined early infection). The concordance between POC preliminary positive rapid tests and the confirmatory test of the single staging algorithm was 98%. Ninety-six (91%) HIV-1 baseline viral load test results and 82 (78%) CD4/CD8 absolute counts were performed and made available to the provider prior to posttest counseling. The average number of visits for posttest counseling at 14 days was 44.7% (range 37.9-56.5%) with an additional 31.1% (range 22.7-37.9%) returning within 30 days. The average number of clients that returned for the medical provider appointment was 55.4%. A high percentage of HIV-1 clinical management baseline results (78-91%) and 100% confirmatory diagnostic results were completed and reported prior to the traditional posttest counseling appointment. Additional data and analysis is needed to determine the impact of the Single Staging Algorithm on medical provider appointments if the posttest appointment is more than 30 days after the preliminary HIV diagnosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterizing the gender gap in introductory physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost, Lauren E.; Pollock, Steven J.; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2009-06-01

Previous research [S. J. Pollock , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 1 (2007)] showed that despite the use of interactive engagement techniques, the gap in performance between males and females on a conceptual learning survey persisted from pretest to post-test at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Such findings were counter to previously published work [M. Lorenzo , Am. J. Phys. 74, 118 (2006)]. This study begins by identifying a variety of other gender differences. There is a small but significant difference in the course grades of males and females. Males and females have significantly different prior understandings of physics and mathematics. Females are less likely to take high school physics than males, although they are equally likely to take high school calculus. Males and females also differ in their incoming attitudes and beliefs about physics. This collection of background factors is analyzed to determine the extent to which each factor correlates with performance on a conceptual post-test and with gender. Binned by quintiles, we observe that males and females with similar pretest scores do not have significantly different post-test scores (p>0.2) . The post-test data are then modeled using two regression models (multiple regression and logistic regression) to estimate the gender gap in post-test scores after controlling for these important prior factors. These prior factors account for about 70% of the observed gender gap. The results indicate that the gender gap exists in interactive physics classes at our institution but is largely associated with differences in previous physics and math knowledge and incoming attitudes and beliefs.

Altered visual sensory fusion in children with reading difficulties.

PubMed

González-Castro, P; Rodríguez, C; Núñez, J C; Vallejo, G; González-Pienda, J A

2014-12-01

Reading is a multi-sensory and multi-cognitive task, and its difficulties (e.g., dyslexia) are not a unitary disorder. There are probably a variety of manifestations that relate to the actual site of impairment. A randomized, pre-test/post-test nonequivalent-groups design was conducted over 4 months with three groups aged between 6 and 8 years. One group comprised 76 participants (34 boys, 42 girls) with reading difficulties and altered sensory fusion (RD+ASF), a second group was made up of 123 students (59 boys, 64 girls) with reading difficulties but without altered sensory fusion (RD), and a third group comprised 81 participants (39 boys, 42 girls) who were young readers (RL) without reading delay, paired with the RD group on reading level. The experimental groups received intervention in the skills of control, stimulus recognition, and phonological awareness during a 4-month period. Both pre-test and post-test measures of errors in reading mechanics and reading routes (word and pseudo-word) were obtained. Poorer results in mechanics and reading routes of the RD+ASF group suggest that the effectiveness of the intervention depended on the characteristics of the groups and on the presence of sensory fusion deficits in the RD students.

Can 28-Month-Old Children Learn Spatial Prepositions Robustly from Pictures? Yes, When Narrative Input Is Provided

PubMed Central

Rohlfing, Katharina J.; Nachtigäller, Kerstin

2016-01-01

The learning of spatial prepositions is assumed to be based on experience in space. In a slow mapping study, we investigated whether 31 German 28-month-old children could robustly learn the German spatial prepositions hinter [behind] and neben [next to] from pictures, and whether a narrative input can compensate for a lack of immediate experience in space. One group of children received pictures with a narrative input as a training to understand spatial prepositions. In two further groups, we controlled (a) for the narrative input by providing unconnected speech during the training and (b) for the learning material by training the children on toys rather than pictures. We assessed children’s understanding of spatial prepositions at three different time points: pretest, immediate test, and delayed posttest. Results showed improved word retention in children from the narrative but not the control group receiving unconnected speech. Neither of the trained groups succeeded in generalization to novel referents. Finally, all groups were instructed to deal with untrained material in the test to investigate the robustness of learning across tasks. None of the groups succeeded in this task transfer. PMID:27471479

The malleability of spatial skills: a meta-analysis of training studies.

PubMed

Uttal, David H; Meadow, Nathaniel G; Tipton, Elizabeth; Hand, Linda L; Alden, Alison R; Warren, Christopher; Newcombe, Nora S

2013-03-01

Having good spatial skills strongly predicts achievement and attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (e.g., Shea, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2001; Wai, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2009). Improving spatial skills is therefore of both theoretical and practical importance. To determine whether and to what extent training and experience can improve these skills, we meta-analyzed 217 research studies investigating the magnitude, moderators, durability, and generalizability of training on spatial skills. After eliminating outliers, the average effect size (Hedges's g) for training relative to control was 0.47 (SE = 0.04). Training effects were stable and were not affected by delays between training and posttesting. Training also transferred to other spatial tasks that were not directly trained. We analyzed the effects of several moderators, including the presence and type of control groups, sex, age, and type of training. Additionally, we included a theoretically motivated typology of spatial skills that emphasizes 2 dimensions: intrinsic versus extrinsic and static versus dynamic (Newcombe & Shipley, in press). Finally, we consider the potential educational and policy implications of directly training spatial skills. Considered together, the results suggest that spatially enriched education could pay substantial dividends in increasing participation in mathematics, science, and engineering. © 2013 American Psychological Association

The Use of Interactive Computer Animations Based on POE as a Presentation Tool in Primary Science Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akpınar, Ercan

2014-08-01

This study investigates the effects of using interactive computer animations based on predict-observe-explain (POE) as a presentation tool on primary school students' understanding of the static electricity concepts. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design was utilized in this study. The experiment group consisted of 30 students, and the control group of 27 students. The control group received normal instruction in which the teacher provided instruction by means of lecture, discussion and homework. Whereas in the experiment group, dynamic and interactive animations based on POE were used as a presentation tool. Data collection tools used in the study were static electricity concept test and open-ended questions. The static electricity concept test was used as pre-test before the implementation, as post-test at the end of the implementation and as delay test approximately 6 weeks after the implementation. Open-ended questions were used at the end of the implementation and approximately 6 weeks after the implementation. Results indicated that the interactive animations used as presentation tools were more effective on the students' understanding of static electricity concepts compared to normal instruction.

Metamorphological awareness and EFL students' memory, retention, and retrieval of English adjectival lexicons.

PubMed

Zhang, Lawrence Jun

2002-12-01

Research has shown that foreign or second language learners' metalinguistic awareness has important effects on their acquisition of the target language. Important among a multitude of the concerns are problems these learners encounter when they have to process the morphological features of individual words, particularly in the acquisition of literacy skills. Nevertheless, for students who learn English as a foreign or second language for academic purposes, one of the biggest challenges in their advanced study is how they can effectively remember, retain, and retrieve the colossal number of newly learnt English vocabulary, including adjectival lexicons, to enhance their academic success. Results from the present report on the effects of metamorphological awareness of 65 adult Chinese EFL learners' memory, retention, and retrieval of adjectival lexicons show that, although the subjects in the two groups did not differ significantly in their performance on a pretest designed to check their lexical knowledge and no sex difference was observed, statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in both conditions (immediate and delayed retrievals) on a posttest. The experimental group and women predominantly performed better in the memory-retention-retrieval tasks assigned to them. Implications for educational research and practices are also discussed.

Dynamic assessment of school-age children's narrative ability: an experimental investigation of classification accuracy.

PubMed

Peña, Elizabeth D; Gillam, Ronald B; Malek, Melynn; Ruiz-Felter, Roxanna; Resendiz, Maria; Fiestas, Christine; Sabel, Tracy

2006-10-01

Two experiments examined reliability and classification accuracy of a narration-based dynamic assessment task. The first experiment evaluated whether parallel results were obtained from stories created in response to 2 different wordless picture books. If so, the tasks and measures would be appropriate for assessing pretest and posttest change within a dynamic assessment format. The second experiment evaluated the extent to which children with language impairments performed differently than typically developing controls on dynamic assessment of narrative language. In the first experiment, 58 1st- and 2nd-grade children told 2 stories about wordless picture books. Stories were rated on macrostructural and microstructural aspects of language form and content, and the ratings were subjected to reliability analyses. In the second experiment, 71 children participated in dynamic assessment. There were 3 phases: a pretest phase, in which children created a story that corresponded to 1 of the wordless picture books from Experiment 1; a teaching phase, in which children attended 2 short mediation sessions that focused on storytelling ability; and a posttest phase, in which children created a story that corresponded to a second wordless picture book from Experiment 1. Analyses compared the pretest and posttest stories that were told by 2 groups of children who received mediated learning (typical and language impaired groups) and a no-treatment control group of typically developing children from Experiment 1. The results of the first experiment indicated that the narrative measures applied to stories about 2 different wordless picture books had good internal consistency. In Experiment 2, typically developing children who received mediated learning demonstrated a greater amount of pretest to posttest change than children in the language impaired and control groups. Classification analysis indicated better specificity and sensitivity values for measures of response to intervention (modifiability) and posttest storytelling than for measures of pretest storytelling. Observation of modifiability was the single best indicator of language impairment. Posttest measures and modifiability together yielded no misclassifications. The first experiment supported the use of 2 wordless picture books as stimulus materials for collecting narratives before and after mediation within a dynamic assessment paradigm. The second experiment supported the use of dynamic assessment for accurately identifying language impairments in school-age children.

Instruction and Jump-Landing Kinematics in College-Aged Female Athletes Over Time

PubMed Central

Etnoyer, Jena; Cortes, Nelson; Ringleb, Stacie I.; Van Lunen, Bonnie L.; Onate, James A.

2013-01-01

Context: Instruction can be used to alter the biomechanical movement patterns associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Objective: To determine the effects of instruction through combination (self and expert) feedback or self-feedback on lower extremity kinematics during the box–drop-jump task, running–stop-jump task, and sidestep-cutting maneuver over time in college-aged female athletes. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Forty-three physically active women (age = 21.47 ± 1.55 years, height = 1.65 ± 0.08 m, mass = 63.78 ± 12.00 kg) with no history of ACL or lower extremity injuries or surgery in the 2 months before the study were assigned randomly to 3 groups: self-feedback (SE), combination feedback (CB), or control (CT). Intervention(s): Participants performed a box–drop-jump task for the pretest and then received feedback about their landing mechanics. After the intervention, they performed an immediate posttest of the box–drop-jump task and a running–stop-jump transfer test. Participants returned 1 month later for a retention test of each task and a sidestep-cutting maneuver. Kinematic data were collected with an 8-camera system sampled at 500 Hz. Main Outcome Measure(s): The independent variables were feedback group (3), test time (3), and task (3). The dependent variables were knee- and hip-flexion, knee-valgus, and hip- abduction kinematics at initial contact and at peak knee flexion. Results: For the box–drop-jump task, knee- and hip-flexion angles at initial contact were greater at the posttest than at the retention test (P < .001). At peak knee flexion, hip flexion was greater at the posttest than at the pretest (P = .003) and was greater at the retention test than at the pretest (P = .04); knee valgus was greater at the retention test than at the pretest (P = .03) and posttest (P = .02). Peak knee flexion was greater for the CB than the SE group (P = .03) during the box–drop-jump task at posttest. For the running–stop-jump task at the posttest, the CB group had greater peak knee flexion than the SE and CT (P ≤ .05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that feedback involving a combination of self-feedback and expert video feedback with oral instruction effectively improved lower extremity kinematics during jump-landing tasks. PMID:23672380

Comparison of three Bayesian methods to estimate posttest probability in patients undergoing exercise stress testing

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

Morise, A.P.; Duval, R.D.

To determine whether recent refinements in Bayesian methods have led to improved diagnostic ability, 3 methods using Bayes' theorem and the independence assumption for estimating posttest probability after exercise stress testing were compared. Each method differed in the number of variables considered in the posttest probability estimate (method A = 5, method B = 6 and method C = 15). Method C is better known as CADENZA. There were 436 patients (250 men and 186 women) who underwent stress testing (135 had concurrent thallium scintigraphy) followed within 2 months by coronary arteriography. Coronary artery disease ((CAD), at least 1 vesselmore » with greater than or equal to 50% diameter narrowing) was seen in 169 (38%). Mean pretest probabilities using each method were not different. However, the mean posttest probabilities for CADENZA were significantly greater than those for method A or B (p less than 0.0001). Each decile of posttest probability was compared to the actual prevalence of CAD in that decile. At posttest probabilities less than or equal to 20%, there was underestimation of CAD. However, at posttest probabilities greater than or equal to 60%, there was overestimation of CAD by all methods, especially CADENZA. Comparison of sensitivity and specificity at every fifth percentile of posttest probability revealed that CADENZA was significantly more sensitive and less specific than methods A and B. Therefore, at lower probability thresholds, CADENZA was a better screening method. However, methods A or B still had merit as a means to confirm higher probabilities generated by CADENZA (especially greater than or equal to 60%).« less

Update of the NEXT Ion Thruster Service Life Assessment with Post-Test Correlation to the Long Duration Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yim, John T.; Soulas, George C.; Shastry, Rohit; Choi, Maria; Mackey, Jonathan A.; Sarver-Verhey, Timothy R.

2017-01-01

The service life assessment for NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster is updated to incorporate the results from the successful and voluntarily early completion of the 51,184 hour long duration test which demonstrated 918 kg of total xenon throughput. The results of the numerous post-test investigations including destructive interrogations have been assessed against all of the critical known and suspected failure mechanisms to update the life and throughput expectations for each major component. Analysis results of two of the most acute failure mechanisms, namely pit-and-groove erosion and aperture enlargement of the accelerator grid, are not updated in this work but will be published at a future time after analysis completion.

Posttest RELAP5 simulations of the Semiscale S-UT series experiments. [PWR

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

Leonard, M.T.

The RELAP5/MOD1 computer code was used to perform posttest calculations, simulating six experiments, run in the Semiscale Mod-2A facility, investigating the effects of upper head injection on small break transient behavior. The results of these calculations and corresponding test data are presented in this report. An evaluation is made of the capability of RELAP5 to calculate the thermal-hydraulic response of the Mod-2A system over a spectrum of break sizes, with and without the use of upper head injection.

Measuring Student Learning in Social Statistics: A Pretest-Posttest Study of Knowledge Gain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delucchi, Michael

2014-01-01

This study used a pretest-posttest design to measure student learning in undergraduate statistics. Data were derived from 185 students enrolled in six different sections of a social statistics course taught over a seven-year period by the same sociology instructor. The pretest-posttest instrument reveals statistically significant gains in…

Experimental Evaluation of the Failure of a Seismic Design Category - B Precast Concrete Beam-Column Connection System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

27  Figure 37. Posttest view of SDC-B experimental specimen...center vertical displacement (y2) vs. time (x). .............................................. 28  Figure 40. Posttest front view of the SDC B top...center column. .......................................................... 30  Figure 41. Posttest front view of end columns

40 CFR 90.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 90.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate only the range of each analyzer used during the engine exhaust emission test prior to and after each test in...

40 CFR 90.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 90.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate only the range of each analyzer used during the engine exhaust emission test prior to and after each test in...

40 CFR 89.314 - Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pre- and post-test calibration of... Test Equipment Provisions § 89.314 Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers. Each operating range used during the test shall be checked prior to and after each test in accordance with the following...

40 CFR 89.314 - Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pre- and post-test calibration of... Test Equipment Provisions § 89.314 Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers. Each operating range used during the test shall be checked prior to and after each test in accordance with the following...

40 CFR 90.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 90.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate only the range of each analyzer used during the engine exhaust emission test prior to and after each test in...

40 CFR 90.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration... Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 90.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate only the range of each analyzer used during the engine exhaust emission test prior to and after each test in...

40 CFR 1065.1109 - Post-test sampler disassembly and sample extraction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Post-test sampler disassembly and... Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds § 1065.1109 Post-test sampler disassembly and sample extraction. This... environment as follows after the test: (1) Remove the PM filter, PUF plugs, and all the XAD-2 from the...

40 CFR 90.326 - Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pre- and post-test analyzer... Emission Test Equipment Provisions § 90.326 Pre- and post-test analyzer calibration. Calibrate only the range of each analyzer used during the engine exhaust emission test prior to and after each test in...

40 CFR 89.314 - Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pre- and post-test calibration of... Test Equipment Provisions § 89.314 Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers. Each operating range used during the test shall be checked prior to and after each test in accordance with the following...

40 CFR 89.314 - Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Pre- and post-test calibration of... Test Equipment Provisions § 89.314 Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers. Each operating range used during the test shall be checked prior to and after each test in accordance with the following...

40 CFR 89.314 - Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pre- and post-test calibration of... Test Equipment Provisions § 89.314 Pre- and post-test calibration of analyzers. Each operating range used during the test shall be checked prior to and after each test in accordance with the following...

Power in randomized group comparisons: the value of adding a single intermediate time point to a traditional pretest-posttest design.

PubMed

Venter, Anre; Maxwell, Scott E; Bolig, Erika

2002-06-01

Adding a pretest as a covariate to a randomized posttest-only design increases statistical power, as does the addition of intermediate time points to a randomized pretest-posttest design. Although typically 5 waves of data are required in this instance to produce meaningful gains in power, a 3-wave intensive design allows the evaluation of the straight-line growth model and may reduce the effect of missing data. The authors identify the statistically most powerful method of data analysis in the 3-wave intensive design. If straight-line growth is assumed, the pretest-posttest slope must assume fairly extreme values for the intermediate time point to increase power beyond the standard analysis of covariance on the posttest with the pretest as covariate, ignoring the intermediate time point.

Effects of ceftriaxone on conditioned nicotine reward in rats.

PubMed

Philogene-Khalid, Helene L; Simmons, Steven J; Muschamp, John W; Rawls, Scott M

2017-09-01

Nicotine is the addictive compound in tobacco products which exerts psychosomatic effects that contribute to abuse and to low rates of abstinence in treatment-seeking smokers. At present, the most successful smoking cessation aide helps one in four individuals quit smoking at 1 year postcessation. New adjunctive therapies are needed to improve status of smoking-related public health crises, and β-lactam antibiotics are one class of potential therapies as they favorably augment extrasynaptic glutamate clearance. Our study used two-chamber place conditioning to assess effects of ceftriaxone (CTX) on persistence of conditioned nicotine reward. Rats were conditioned to associate nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, subcutaneous) with one context and vehicle with an alternative context. After initial post-test, rats received either daily ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) or saline. All rats showed nicotine place preference during post-test 1. CTX-treated rats meeting extinction criterion by post-test 7 showed significantly reduced preference for the nicotine-paired context during post-test 2 compared with vehicle-treated rats. We interpret these data to support the further study of CTX as a smoking cessation aide. Our results suggest that CTX reduces persistence of conditioned nicotine reward and may be helpful for improving abstinence rates in a subset of treatment-seeking smokers.

Influence of Motivational Interviewing on Explicit and Implicit Alcohol-Related Cognition and Alcohol Use in At-Risk Adolescents

PubMed Central

Thush, Carolien; Wiers, Reinout W.; Moerbeek, Mirjam; Ames, Susan L.; Grenard, Jerry L.; Sussman, Steve; Stacy, Alan W.

2011-01-01

Both implicit and explicit cognitions play an important role in the development of addictive behavior. This study investigated the influence of a single-session motivational interview (MI) on implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognition and whether this intervention was successful in consequently decreasing alcohol use in at-risk adolescents. Implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions were assessed at pretest and one month posttest in 125 Dutch at-risk adolescents ranging in age from 15 to 23 (51 males) with adapted versions of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and an expectancy questionnaire. Motivation to change, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were measured with self-report questionnaires, at pretest, at posttest after one month, and at the six-month follow-up. Although the quality of the intervention was rated positively, the results did not yield support for any differential effects of the intervention on drinking behavior or readiness to change at posttest and six-month follow-up. There were indications of changes in implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions between pretest and posttest. Our findings raise questions regarding the use of MI in this particular at-risk adolescent population and the mechanisms through which MI is effective. PMID:19290699

Influence of motivational interviewing on explicit and implicit alcohol-related cognition and alcohol use in at-risk adolescents.

PubMed

Thush, Carolien; Wiers, Reinout W; Moerbeek, Mirjam; Ames, Susan L; Grenard, Jerry L; Sussman, Steve; Stacy, Alan W

2009-03-01

Both implicit and explicit cognitions play an important role in the development of addictive behavior. This study investigated the influence of a single-session motivational interview (MI) on implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognition and whether this intervention was successful in consequently decreasing alcohol use in at-risk adolescents. Implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions were assessed at pretest and one month posttest in 125 Dutch at-risk adolescents ranging in age from 15 to 23 (51 males) with adapted versions of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and an expectancy questionnaire. Motivation to change, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were measured with self-report questionnaires, at pretest, at posttest after one month, and at the six-month follow-up. Although the quality of the intervention was rated positively, the results did not yield support for any differential effects of the intervention on drinking behavior or readiness to change at posttest and six-month follow-up. There were indications of changes in implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions between pretest and posttest. Our findings raise questions regarding the use of MI in this particular at-risk adolescent population and the mechanisms through which MI is effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of an infant simulator intervention for teen pregnancy prevention.

PubMed

Herrman, Judith W; Waterhouse, Julie K; Chiquoine, Julie

2011-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of simulation as a strategy to influence teens' perceptions of pregnancy and parenting. This pilot study was a preexperimental, one group pre/posttest design. The school-based wellness center of a high school was the setting for the weekly sessions and the pre/posttest administration. Sample members participated in 6 weekly Baby Think it Over (BTIO) classes and an infant simulator experience. The final sample included 79 teens age 14 to 18 years who attended one of eight BTIO sessions. We used the Thoughts on Teen Parenting Survey (TTPS) to assess the perceptions of teens with regard to the costs and rewards associated with teen parenting. The TTPS yields a composite score of the teen attitudes toward the teen parenting experience and eight subscale scores that assess different areas of teen life. No significant differences were found in the mean pre/posttest scores or in correlations of the demographic data and mean scores. Two significant differences in pre/posttest subscale scores were in the areas of friends and personal characteristics. The results of this study suggest that the effectiveness of using infant simulators to influence the perceptions of teens about the reality of teen parenting is minimal. © 2011 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

The state of Illinois obstetric hemorrhage project: pre-project and post-training examination scores.

PubMed

Wong, Cynthia A; Scott, Shirley; Jones, Robin L; Walzer, Jennifer; Geller, Stacie

2016-03-01

The Illinois Department of Public Health mandated that all clinicians who provide care to obstetric patients participate in the Illinois Obstetric Hemorrhage Project. The aim of the current report is to describe change in knowledge among providers engaged in the project, as assessed by pre- and post-tests. The project, implemented 2008 to 2010, included four components: a written 25-item multiple-choice examination (pre-test), a didactic lecture, skill stations (for teaching blood loss estimation), and a simulation drill and debriefing. Participants completed a post-test 6 months later. Pre- and post-test examination scores were compared. Data from 95 hospitals are included in this analysis (9456 paired test results). The proportion of participants who scored ≥88% correct answers increased from 10.9% on the pre-test to 49.1% on the post-test (p < 0.0001). Registered nurses made greater improvements in test scores than anesthesia and obstetric providers (p < 0.0001). The Illinois Obstetric Hemorrhage Project was successful in improving knowledge of obstetric hemorrhage in a large number of providers with different expertise and experience levels. Further long-term study is essential to determine whether the skills acquired during the Project contribute to improved obstetric hemorrhage outcomes for the women of Illinois.

Group based learning among caregivers: assessing mothers' knowledge before and after an early childhood intervention in rural Guatemala.

PubMed

Domek, Gretchen J; Macdonald, Brittney; Cooper, Catherine; Cunningham, Maureen; Abdel-Maksoud, Madiha; Berman, Stephen

2017-08-01

The first three years of a child's life are a critical period for brain growth and development. Caregiver interventions during this period that improve early childhood health and development have the potential to enhance a child's physical, mental, and social well-being. This was a pretest/posttest quasi experimental program evaluation. Early childhood education materials were adapted to create two separate interventions consisting of 30-page interactive flipchart talks to educate mothers on health and development topics relevant to 0-6 and 6-12 month old children. Three community health workers performed the talks with groups of 5-8 mothers. Short learning assessments were given individually to each mother pre-intervention (pretest), immediately post-intervention (posttest 1), and two weeks post-intervention (posttest 2). Demographic surveys and focus group discussions were conducted with all participants. Mothers ( n = 77) had an average age of 33.6 years and had an average of 3.6 living children. Most of the mothers (71%) had received some primary education, but 23% had received no formal schooling. For the 0-6 months flipchart learning assessment ( n = 38), the mean pretest score was 77% correct. The mean posttest 1 score improved to 87% ( p < 0.0001), and the mean posttest 2 score improved further from the mean posttest 1 score to 90% ( p = 0.01). For the 6-12 months flipchart learning assessment ( n = 39), the mean pretest score was 78%. The mean posttest 1 score improved to 89% ( p < 0.0001), and the mean posttest 2 score improved further from the mean posttest 1 score to 92% ( p = 0.03). Mothers in an impoverished region of southwestern Guatemala significantly increased their knowledge about child health topics following a short interactive group talk. Mothers further increased their knowledge two weeks after the intervention, without specific re-exposure to the intervention materials, suggesting assimilation and informal reinforcement through group based learning with other mothers in their community.

Effects of Volitional Spine Stabilization and Lower-Extremity Fatigue on the Knee and Ankle During Landing Performance in a Population With Recurrent Low Back Pain.

PubMed

Haddas, Ram; Sawyer, Steven F; Sizer, Phillip S; Brooks, Toby; Chyu, Ming-Chien; James, C Roger

2017-09-01

Recurrent lower back pain (rLBP) and neuromuscular fatigue are independently thought to increase the risk of lower extremity (LE) injury. Volitional preemptive abdominal contraction (VPAC) is thought to improve lumbar spine and pelvis control in individuals with rLBP. The effects of VPAC on fatigued landing performance in individuals with rLBP are unknown. To determine the effects of VPAC and LE fatigue on landing performance in a rLBP population. Cross-sectional pretest-posttest cohort control design. A clinical biomechanics laboratory. 32 rLBP (age 21.2 ± 2.7 y) but without current symptoms and 33 healthy (age 20.9 ± 2.3 y) subjects. (i) Volitional preemptive abdominal contraction using abdominal bracing and (ii) fatigue using submaximal free-weight squat protocol with 15% body weight until task failure was achieved. Knee and ankle angles, moments, electromyographic measurements from semitendinosus and vastus medialis muscles, and ground reaction force (GRF) were collected during 0.30 m drop-jump landings. The VPAC resulted in significantly earlier muscle onsets across all muscles with and without fatigue in both groups (mean ± SD, 0.063 ± 0.016 s earlier; P ≤ .001). Fatigue significantly delayed semitendinosus muscle onsets (0.033 ± 0.024 s later; P ≤ .001), decreased GRF (P ≤ .001), and altered landing kinematics in a variety of ways. The rLBP group exhibited delayed semitendinosus and vastus medialis muscle onsets (0.031 ± 0.028 s later; P ≤ .001) and 1.8° less knee flexion at initial contact (P ≤ .008). The VPAC decreases some of the detrimental effects of fatigue on landing biomechanics and thus may reduce LE injury risk in a rLBP population.

Development and Assessment of an HIV-focused E-learning Flipped Classroom Curriculum in an Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program

PubMed Central

Bares, Sara; Sandkovsky, Uriel

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Most of the care of HIV-infected patients is now provided in the clinic where there is less time for bedside teaching than in the inpatient setting. We sought to augment the clinical experience by developing an HIV-focused e-learning flipped classroom curriculum in our ID fellowship program. Methods Six e-learning modules were developed using Articulate Storyline. Topics included: HIV Diagnosis, Evaluation of the HIV-infected Patient, When to Start Antiretroviral Therapy, What to Start, HIV Resistance, and HIV Drug-Drug Interactions. Modules were made available 1 week in advance, lasted 20 minutes, and included interactive questions. Class time was spent discussing clinical cases related to the module. The IDSA “HIV Medicine in Clinical Practice” exam and pre and post-course surveys were administered to measure changes in both objective and self-perceived knowledge before and after completion of the curriculum. Wilcoxon-signed rank test was used to compare test results between the 2 periods. Results Seven fellows participated in the curriculum and 10 fellows completed the pre and post-tests (3 fellows tested only with pretest as they were finishing fellowship, 4 fellows took both pre and post- test, and 3 fellows only took the post-test). Overall scores between pre-and post-test were not significantly different between pooled pre- and post-test results (7 fellows took each test) (P = 0.8). Among the 4 fellows who completed both tests, there was a trend to improved scores (P = 0.06). 7 of 7 fellows completed the pre- and post-curriculum surveys. All agreed or strongly agreed that the flipped classroom model enhanced their learning of the material and self-perceived knowledge improved in all assessed areas following participation in the curriculum (see Figure). Conclusion The introduction of the e-learning modules in a flipped classroom format was well received by fellows and allowed for better preparation and discussion of HIV-related topics. Although pre-and post-test results were unchanged, self-perceived confidence in clinical skills improved for all fellows. The flipped classroom might be a promising method to enhance HIV-focused clinical education for fellows. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Dietetics students' ability to choose appropriate communication and counseling methods is improved by teaching behavior-change strategies in computer-assisted instruction.

PubMed

Puri, Ruchi; Bell, Carol; Evers, William D

2010-06-01

Several models and theories have been proposed to help registered dietitians (RD) counsel and communicate nutrition information to patients. However, there is little time for students or interns to observe and/or participate in counseling sessions. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) can be used to give students more opportunity to observe the various methods and theories of counseling. This study used CAI simulations of RD-client communications to examine whether students who worked through the CAI modules would choose more appropriate counseling methods. Modules were created based on information from experienced RD. They contained videos of RD-patient interactions and demonstrated helpful and less helpful methods of communication. Students in didactic programs in dietetics accessed the modules via the Internet. The intervention group of students received a pretest module, two tutorial modules, and a posttest module. The control group only received the pretest and posttest modules. Data were collected during three semesters in 2006 and 2007. Two sample t tests were used to compare pretest and posttest scores. The influence of other factors was measured using factorial analysis of variance. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Eleven didactic programs participated. A total of 350 students were in the intervention group and 102 students were in the control group. Pretest scores were not different (6.30+/-0.26 vs 6.21+/-0.15, control and intervention, respectively). The intervention group's posttest score was higher than its pretest score (6.21+/-0.15 vs 6.65+/-0.16, pretest and posttest, respectively). Change in score from pretest to posttest was higher for the intervention group (-0.02+/-0.20 vs 0.44+/-0.11, control and intervention, respectively). For the 21 questions in the tutorials, those who answered 19 to 21 correctly had a greater increase from pretest to posttest than those who answered <13 correctly (-0.44+/-0.37 vs 0.84+/-0.17, <13 and 19 to 21 correct, respectively). There was no effect of instructor, grade point average, school year, or prior counseling on the results. The study provides evidence that the use of CAI can improve communication and counseling methods for dietetics students. 2010 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of a Self-Instructional Radiographic Anatomy Module for Dental Hygiene Faculty Calibration.

PubMed

Brame, Jennifer L; AlGheithy, Demah Salem; Platin, Enrique; Mitchell, Shannon H

2017-06-01

Purpose: Dental hygiene educators often provide inconsistent instruction in clinical settings and various attempts to address the lack of consistency have been reported in the literature. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if the use of a use of a self-instructional, radiographic anatomy (SIRA) module improved DH faculty calibration regarding the identifica-tion of normal intraoral and extraoral radiographic anatomy and whether its effect could be sustained over a period of four months. Methods: A convenience sample consisting of all dental hygiene faculty members involved in clinical instruction (N=23) at the University of North Carolina (UNC) was invited to complete the four parts of this online pilot study: a pre-test, review of the SIRA module, an immediate post-test, and a four-month follow-up post-test. Descriptive analyses, the Friedman's ANOVA, and the exact form of the Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank test were used to an-alyze the data. Level of significance was set at 0.05. Participants who did not complete all parts of the study were omitted from data analysis comparing the pre to post-test performance. Results: The pre-test response rate was 73.9% (N=17), and 88.2% (N=15) of those initial participants completed both the immediate and follow-up post-tests. Faculty completing all parts of the study consisted of: 5 full-time faculty, 5 part-time faculty, and 5 graduate teaching assistants. The Friedman's ANOVA revealed no statistically significant difference (P=0.179) in percentages of correct responses between the three tests (pre, post and follow-up). The exact form of the Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank test revealed marginal significance when comparing percent of correct responses at pre-test and immediate post-test (P=0.054), and no statistically significant difference when comparing percent of correct responses at immediate post-test and the follow-up post-test four months later (P=0.106). Conclusions: Use of a SIRA module did not significantly affect DH faculty test performance. Lack of statistical significance in the percentages of correct responses between the three tests may have been affected by the small number of participants completing all four parts of the study (N=15). Additional research is needed to identify and improve methods for faculty calibration. Copyright © 2017 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Student Motivation from and Resistance to Active Learning Rooted in Essential Science Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, David C.; Sadler, Troy D.; Barlow, Angela T.; Smith-Walters, Cindi

2017-12-01

Several studies have found active learning to enhance students' motivation and attitudes. Yet, faculty indicate that students resist active learning and censure them on evaluations after incorporating active learning into their instruction, resulting in an apparent paradox. We argue that the disparity in findings across previous studies is the result of variation in the active learning instruction that was implemented. The purpose of this study was to illuminate sources of motivation from and resistance to active learning that resulted from a novel, exemplary active-learning approach rooted in essential science practices and supported by science education literature. This approach was enacted over the course of 4 weeks in eight sections of an introductory undergraduate biology laboratory course. A plant concept inventory, administered to students as a pre-, post-, and delayed-posttest indicated significant proximal and distal learning gains. Qualitative analysis of open-response questionnaires and interviews elucidated sources of motivation and resistance that resulted from this active-learning approach. Several participants indicated this approach enhanced interest, creativity, and motivation to prepare, and resulted in a challenging learning environment that facilitated the sharing of diverse perspectives and the development of a community of learners. Sources of resistance to active learning included participants' unfamiliarity with essential science practices, having to struggle with uncertainty in the absence of authoritative information, and the extra effort required to actively construct knowledge as compared to learning via traditional, teacher-centered instruction. Implications for implementation, including tips for reducing student resistance to active learning, are discussed.

Multilevel Multidimensional Item Response Model with a Multilevel Latent Covariate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Sun-Joo; Bottge, Brian A.

2015-01-01

In a pretest-posttest cluster-randomized trial, one of the methods commonly used to detect an intervention effect involves controlling pre-test scores and other related covariates while estimating an intervention effect at post-test. In many applications in education, the total post-test and pre-test scores that ignores measurement error in the…

34 CFR 462.43 - How is educational gain measured?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...(b), with the student's educational functioning level as measured by the post-test described in § 462... reading score on the pre-test with the reading score on the post-test. (2) A student is considered to have made an educational gain when the student's post-test indicates that the student has completed one or...

34 CFR 462.41 - How must tests be administered in order to accurately measure educational gain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... identified in its State's assessment policy. (c) Post-test. A local eligible provider must— (1) Administer a post-test to measure a student's educational functioning level after a set time period or number of instructional hours; (2) Administer the post-test to students at a uniform time, according to its State's...

77 FR 9628 - Taking and Importing Marine Mammals: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Navy's Mission...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

..., and post-test monitoring for both sonar events. No stranded or injured marine mammals or sea turtles.... The monitoring included two re-test flights; two flights during the test; and one post-test flight... two pre-test flights; one flight during the test; and one post-test flight. Focal follow behavioral...

34 CFR 462.41 - How must tests be administered in order to accurately measure educational gain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... identified in its State's assessment policy. (c) Post-test. A local eligible provider must— (1) Administer a post-test to measure a student's educational functioning level after a set time period or number of instructional hours; (2) Administer the post-test to students at a uniform time, according to its State's...

34 CFR 462.43 - How is educational gain measured?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...(b), with the student's educational functioning level as measured by the post-test described in § 462... reading score on the pre-test with the reading score on the post-test. (2) A student is considered to have made an educational gain when the student's post-test indicates that the student has completed one or...

34 CFR 462.43 - How is educational gain measured?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...(b), with the student's educational functioning level as measured by the post-test described in § 462... reading score on the pre-test with the reading score on the post-test. (2) A student is considered to have made an educational gain when the student's post-test indicates that the student has completed one or...

34 CFR 462.43 - How is educational gain measured?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...(b), with the student's educational functioning level as measured by the post-test described in § 462... reading score on the pre-test with the reading score on the post-test. (2) A student is considered to have made an educational gain when the student's post-test indicates that the student has completed one or...

34 CFR 462.41 - How must tests be administered in order to accurately measure educational gain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... identified in its State's assessment policy. (c) Post-test. A local eligible provider must— (1) Administer a post-test to measure a student's educational functioning level after a set time period or number of instructional hours; (2) Administer the post-test to students at a uniform time, according to its State's...

34 CFR 462.41 - How must tests be administered in order to accurately measure educational gain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... identified in its State's assessment policy. (c) Post-test. A local eligible provider must— (1) Administer a post-test to measure a student's educational functioning level after a set time period or number of instructional hours; (2) Administer the post-test to students at a uniform time, according to its State's...

34 CFR 462.43 - How is educational gain measured?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...(b), with the student's educational functioning level as measured by the post-test described in § 462... reading score on the pre-test with the reading score on the post-test. (2) A student is considered to have made an educational gain when the student's post-test indicates that the student has completed one or...

34 CFR 462.41 - How must tests be administered in order to accurately measure educational gain?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... identified in its State's assessment policy. (c) Post-test. A local eligible provider must— (1) Administer a post-test to measure a student's educational functioning level after a set time period or number of instructional hours; (2) Administer the post-test to students at a uniform time, according to its State's...

Applying evidence-based health care to musculoskeletal patients as an educational strategy for chiropractic interns (a one-group pretest-posttest study).

PubMed

Fernandez, Charles E; Delaney, Paul M

2004-05-01

To describe and measure the effectiveness of a problem-based educational strategy for teaching evidence-based health care (EBHC) to chiropractic interns, which focused on the development and appraisal of answerable clinical questions using actual musculoskeletal patients. A 1-group pretest-posttest design (simple panel design) with investigator-blinded survey administration was used to measure effectiveness of educational activities using adult learning theory with a study population of interns (n=31) at a chiropractic college (Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, Southern California University of Health Sciences [LACC/SCUHS]) teaching clinic. Activities included 2 workshops on constructing clinical questions and critical appraisal of published research and independent patient-based EBHC assignments. A qualitative self-assessment survey was administered before and after a 6-week period of EBHC activities to measure their effectiveness. Sign tests and paired t tests were utilized to determine P values for significant difference of score results. Eighty-one percent of subjects completed the pretest-posttest surveys. All survey item responses showed an average increase in subjects' self-rating of skills and attitudes from pretest to posttest. There were statistically significant differences in interns' self-assessed ability to construct an answerable clinical question and appraise research articles and apply them to patient management, as well as their rating of importance of EBHC in patient decision making. The results of this study suggest that having chiropractic interns apply EBHC to actual musculoskeletal patients along with attending EBHC workshops had a positive impact on interns' perceived ability to practice EBHC.

A study of the effect of a visual arts-based program on the scores of Jefferson scale for physician empathy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The effect of visual arts interventions on development of empathy has not been quantitatively investigated. A study was conducted on the effect of a visual arts-based program on the scores of the Jefferson Scale for Physician Empathy (JSPE). Methods A total of 110 clerks (n = 92) and first-year postgraduate residents (PGY1s) (n = 18) participating in the program were recruited into this study. The 4-hr program covered the subjects of learning to interpret paintings, interpreting paintings relating to medicine, illness and human suffering, the related-topics of humanitarianism and the other humanities fields and values and meaning. The JSPE was completed at the beginning (pretest) and the end (posttest) of the program. Results There was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest JSPE scores. The average of the scores for the pretest was lower in the subgroup of PGY1s than the subgroup of clerks (p = 0.0358). An increased but not significantly mean posttest JESPE score was noted for the subgroup of PGY1s. Neither the females nor the males had higher posttest JSPE scores than the pretest scores. Conclusions Although using a structured visual arts-based program as an intervention may be useful to enhance medical students’ empathy, our results failed to show a positive effect on the JSPE Scores for a group of clerks and PGY1s. This suggests that further experimental studies are needed if quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of visual-arts based programs on empathy is to be investigated. PMID:24156472

E-Beam Capture Aid Drawing Based Modelling on Cell Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, T.; Rahmat, A.; Redjeki, S.; Rahman, T.

2017-09-01

The objectives of this research are to find out how far Drawing-based Modeling assisted with E-Beam Capture could support student’s scientific reasoning skill using Drawing - based Modeling approach assisted with E-Beam Capture. The research design that is used for this research is the Pre-test and Post-test Design. The data collection of scientific reasoning skills is collected by giving multiple choice questions before and after the lesson. The data analysis of scientific reasoning skills is using scientific reasoning assessment rubric. The results show an improvement of student’s scientific reasoning in every indicator; an improvement in generativity which shows 2 students achieving high scores, 3 students in elaboration reasoning, 4 students in justification, 3 students in explanation, 3 students in logic coherency, 2 students in synthesis. The research result in student’s explanation reasoning has the highest number of students with high scores, which shows 20 students with high scores in the pre-test and 23 students in post-test and synthesis reasoning shows the lowest number, which shows 1 student in the pretest and 3 students in posttest. The research result gives the conclusion that Drawing-based Modeling approach assisted with E-Beam Capture could not yet support student’s scientific reasoning skills comprehensively.

Is Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Effective for Men With Poststroke Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms? A Single-Blinded Randomized, Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Tibaek, Sigrid; Gard, Gunvor; Dehlendorff, Christian; Iversen, Helle K; Biering-Soerensen, Fin; Jensen, Rigmor

2017-09-01

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of pelvic floor muscle training in men with poststroke lower urinary tract symptoms. Thirty-one poststroke men, median age 68 years, were included in this single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Thirty participants, 15 in each group, completed the study. The intervention consisted of 3 months (12 weekly sessions) of pelvic floor muscle training in groups and home exercises. The effect was evaluated by the DAN-PSS-1 (Danish Prostate Symptom Score) questionnaire, a voiding diary, and digital anal palpation of the pelvic floor muscle. The DAN-PSS-1, symptom score indicated a statistical significant improvement ( p < .01) in the treatment group from pretest to posttest, but not in the control group. The DAN-PSS-1, total score improved statistically significantly in both groups from pretest to posttest (treatment group: p < .01; control group: p = .03). The median voiding frequency per 24 hours decreased from 11 at pretest to 7 (36%; p = .04) at posttest and to 8 (27%; p = .02) at follow-up in treatment group, although not statistical significantly more than the control group. The treatment group but not the control group improved statistically significantly in pelvic floor muscle function ( p < .01) and strength ( p < .01) from pretest to posttest and from pretest to follow-up ( p = .03; p < .01). Compared with the control group the pretest to posttest was significantly better in the treatment group ( p = .03). The results indicate that pelvic floor muscle training has an effect for lower urinary tract symptoms, although statistical significance was only seen for pelvic floor muscle.

Short-term Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Obesity and Cardiovascular Fitness of 12-14-year-old Boy Students.

PubMed

Marandi, Sayed Mohammad; Minasian, Vazgen; Kelishadi, Roya; Khalighinejad, Pooyan; Borojeni, Marjan Momeni; Borghi, Sayed Hashem

2014-12-01

Some local governments have implemented strategies to increase physical activity as a way to control obesity in children, but in Iranian students few studies have evaluated the effects of such interventions on overweight and obese children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a short-term school-based physical activity on obesity and cardiovascular fitness in 12-14-year-old boy students. This study showed an intervention effect on some health-related fitness factors in students. A number of 127 boy students aged 12-14 years, in the city of Isfahan, based on preventive plan of inactivity in children at the provincial Health office selected randomly as subjects. Measurement variables include; weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), body-fat percent and aerobic power of subjects measured by valid tests. This study revealed that body-fat percentage of this students changed near to 17.84% (42.25% pretest vs. 34.71% posttest), WHR 0.44%, (0.915 pretest vs. 0.911 posttest), VO2 max changed 8.54% (27.84 pretest vs. 30.22 posttest) whereas BMI was changed 2.61% (26.81 pretest vs. 26.03 posttest). Results also revealed that there were significant differences between fat percent, (P = 0.001) and VO2 max (P = 0.001), but there was no difference between BMI of subjects in pre and posttests (P = 0.452). Findings of this study signify that an implementation of short-term intervention components in the school system may have a beneficial effect on body-fat percentage and cardiovascular fitness of overweight/obese children.

Does prevalence matter to physicians in estimating post-test probability of disease? A randomized trial.

PubMed

Agoritsas, Thomas; Courvoisier, Delphine S; Combescure, Christophe; Deom, Marie; Perneger, Thomas V

2011-04-01

The probability of a disease following a diagnostic test depends on the sensitivity and specificity of the test, but also on the prevalence of the disease in the population of interest (or pre-test probability). How physicians use this information is not well known. To assess whether physicians correctly estimate post-test probability according to various levels of prevalence and explore this skill across respondent groups. Randomized trial. Population-based sample of 1,361 physicians of all clinical specialties. We described a scenario of a highly accurate screening test (sensitivity 99% and specificity 99%) in which we randomly manipulated the prevalence of the disease (1%, 2%, 10%, 25%, 95%, or no information). We asked physicians to estimate the probability of disease following a positive test (categorized as <60%, 60-79%, 80-94%, 95-99.9%, and >99.9%). Each answer was correct for a different version of the scenario, and no answer was possible in the "no information" scenario. We estimated the proportion of physicians proficient in assessing post-test probability as the proportion of correct answers beyond the distribution of answers attributable to guessing. Most respondents in each of the six groups (67%-82%) selected a post-test probability of 95-99.9%, regardless of the prevalence of disease and even when no information on prevalence was provided. This answer was correct only for a prevalence of 25%. We estimated that 9.1% (95% CI 6.0-14.0) of respondents knew how to assess correctly the post-test probability. This proportion did not vary with clinical experience or practice setting. Most physicians do not take into account the prevalence of disease when interpreting a positive test result. This may cause unnecessary testing and diagnostic errors.

Evaluation of retention of knowledge and skills imparted to first-year medical students through basic life support training.

PubMed

Pande, Sushma; Pande, Santosh; Parate, Vrushali; Pande, Sanket; Sukhsohale, Neelam

2014-03-01

Poor awareness among medical graduates about basic life support (BLS) is a matter of great concern. The presence of a trained rescuer is the key determinant of ultimate survival from life-threatening emergencies. To achieve this goal, early exposure to such life-saving skills is the right decision to foster these skills for medical students, which can be reenforced in succeeding years. Forty-two first-year medical students participated in this study. The entire procedure consisted of faculty training, assessment of knowledge of students by a pretest questionnaire, a lecture, a demonstration, and hands-on training using a mannequin (with special emphasis on the site, depth, rate, and sustainment of uninterrupted chest compressions). Posttest 1 was conducted to assess the knowledge gained. The retention of knowledge and skills in the second year was evaluated by posttest 2 and directly observed procedural skills, respectively. Student feedback was collected on five-point Likert scale. Analysis using a Freidman test indicated the mean rank for posttest 1 (2.81) to be significantly higher than the pretest (1.26), indicating a gain in knowledge. The mean rank for posttest 2 (1.93) was lower than for posttest 1 (2.81) but was significantly higher compared with the pretest (1.26), indicating a significant retention of knowledge during the second year. Directly observed procedural skill evaluation showed that 7% students could perform all the seven steps correctly and that 74% students could perform three or more steps correctly, signifying a good retention of skill. Two students taught BLS skills to their family members as well. The results of this study suggest that the program provides students with sound basic knowledge and adequate practical skills in BLS.

AM2 Mat End Connector Modeling and Performance Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

9 3.2.1 Subgrade construction and posttest forensics...layout. 3.2.1 Subgrade construction and posttest forensics The test section subgrade was built using in-place material from a previous AM2 test...area 50 ft wide by 42 ft long of the existing test bed was removed and replaced with newly processed material. Posttest values from the previous

The Propagation of Errors in Experimental Data Analysis: A Comparison of Pre-and Post-Test Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorard, Stephen

2013-01-01

Experimental designs involving the randomization of cases to treatment and control groups are powerful and under-used in many areas of social science and social policy. This paper reminds readers of the pre-and post-test, and the post-test only, designs, before explaining briefly how measurement errors propagate according to error theory. The…

78 FR 34103 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-06

... mine personnel about their behaviors the previous week, and (4) a post-test concerning miners' attitude... pre- and post-test and be interviewed upon completion of the intervention period. The operators at... Worksheet 109 1 15/60 27 Week 4 Worksheet 109 1 15/60 27 Week 5 Worksheet 109 1 15/60 27 Post-test Survey...

76 FR 80347 - Applications for New Awards; Indian Education-Demonstration Grants for Indian Children

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-23

... and communication development as evidenced by a pre- and post-test each project year; (2) the... evidenced by a pre- and post-test each project year; (3) the percentage of three- and four-year-old American... of social development as evidenced by a pre- and post-test each project year; (4) the percentage of...

77 FR 75420 - Applications for New Awards; Indian Education-Demonstration Grants for Indian Children

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-20

... development as evidenced by a pre- and post-test each project year; (2) the percentage of three- and four-year... post-test each project year; (3) the percentage of three- and four-year-old American Indian and Alaska... development as evidenced by a pre- and post-test each project year; (4) the percentage of high school American...

78 FR 56714 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-13

... Permanency Posttest........ CAFAS pretest 12 4 5 1.0 20 Caseworker discussion for 60 20 1 0.5 10 CAFAS pretest completion... CAFAS posttest 12 4 5 1.0 20 Caseworker discussion for 60 20 1 0.5 10 CAFAS posttest... permanency outcomes for particular groups of children and youth who are at risk for long- term foster care...

Tailoring Multimedia Instruction to Soldier Needs

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

Pretest Score (Mean % Items Correct) 39% 34% 48% 51% 51% 45% Posttest (Mean % Items Correct) 47% 44% 66% 60% 63% 56...Stepwise regression was used to examine the relationship between Soldiers’ posttest scores (criterion) and their pretest scores, training time, type of...differences among IMI types had no effect.) Pretest scores predicted posttest scores for both Adjust Indirect Fire (βstandardized = .66, t = 6.36

Impact of Steel Fiber Size and Shape on the Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

32 Appendix B: DTT Specimens Pretest / Posttest ..................................................................................... 36 Appendix C...type and then subsequently compared to that material’s UCS. Figure 6 shows the splitting tensile testing set-up, both pretest and posttest . Figure...9 show the actual test configuration, pretest and posttest , respectively. This configuration utilized a chucking mechanism suited to the shape of

The Effect of a Leadership Development Course on Student Members of a Coeducational Greek-Letter Service Fraternity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Jamie C.

2017-01-01

This study involved a one group pretest-posttest study to analyze the effectiveness of the Alpha Phi Omega leadership development course titled SERVE. This study focused on the collegiate members of this coeducational service fraternity. The Student Leadership Practices Inventory was administered as both a pretest and posttest; the posttest was…

Evaluation of a Fatigue Countermeasures Training Program for Flight Attendants

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

pretest — posttest with control group design . However, only a handful... pretest – posttest design in which a group of individuals, who will eventually be trained, serve as a control group until they receive the training... group ,” the design allows an evaluation of significant mean differences between: 1) the pretest — posttest perfor- mance of the training group , 2)

Zip Pak (Boys) for Third Reader Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Norval C., Comp.

Aim of the Zip Pak is to improve the migrant child's interest in reading. Behavioral objectives are to have the migrant child indicate 10 percent happier faces on the posttest; to have an equal number of blame-self, blame-others on the posttest; and to have 25 percent more praise-self on the posttest. The workbook for boys includes a story about…

Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in Reducing Aggression of Individuals at the Juvenile Correction and Rehabilitation Center.

PubMed

Milani, Atefeh; Nikmanesh, Zahra; Farnam, Ali

2013-12-01

In the present era, delinquency in children and adolescents is undoubtedly a difficult and upsetting issue attracting the attention of many experts such as psychologists, sociologists, and criminologists. These experts often try to answer why a number of children and adolescents engage in various crimes such as aggressive and anti-social crimes. They also try to find out how these crimes can be prevented. The present study investigates the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training (MBCT) in reducing aggression in a juvenile correction and rehabilitation center of Zahedan province during years 1991 to 1992. This experimental study included an experimental and a control group with a pretest, posttest, and follow-up approach. The Buss and Perry aggression questionnaire (1992) was used for data collection. The sample group included 22 (10 experimental and 12 control groups) adolescent males in a juvenile correction and rehabilitation center of Zahedan province who were selected through a census method. Using a matching method based on the pre-test scores of the aggression questionnaire, they were then divided into two equivalent categories and were randomly assigned to the two groups. Mindfulness-based cognitive training took the group training in 8 sessions administered on experimental group. The follow-up test was conducted two weeks after the end of the posttest sessions. The results were analyzed using ANCOVA. The results of ANCOVA showed that mindfulness-based cognitive training could significantly reduce aggression during posttest and follow-up test phases in the experimental group, compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, the results indicated the effectiveness of this method in significantly reducing anger, physical aggression, and hostility during posttest and follow-up test phases (P < 0.05). However, no significant reduction was observed in the verbal aggression subscale. According to the results of the present study, mindfulness-based cognitive training seems to be effective for reducing aggressive behaviors.

Preliminary posttest analysis of LOFT loss-of-coolant experiment L2-2

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

White, J.R.; Grush, W.H.; Keeler, C.D.

A preliminary posttest analysis of Loss-of-Coolant Experiment (LOCE) L2-2, which was conducted in the Loss-of-Fluid Test (LOFT) facility, was performed to gain an understanding of the cause of the disparity between predicted and measured fuel rod cladding temperature responses in the LOFT core. LOCE L2-2 is the first experiment in the LOFT Power Ascension Series L2 (first series of LOFT nuclear experiments), which was designed to investigate the response of the LOFT nuclear core to the blowdown, refill, and reflood transients during LOCEs conducted at gradually increasing power levels. LOCE L2-2 was conducted at 50% power (25 MW, 26.38 kW/m).more » Results show that a core-wide rewet occurred early in the transient (during blowdown starting at about 7 s after rupture) which was not calculated in the pretest prediction analysis. This early core-wide rewet resulted in the peak fuel rod cladding temperatures being lower (by a mean value of 166/sup 0/K for 24 thermocouples) than had been calculated. This preliminary posttest analysis was concerned solely with determining why the early core-wide rewet was not predicted by the RELAP4/MOD6 pretest analysis and be no means is it a complete posttest analysis of LOCE L2-2 results. However, during this analysis, several errors made in the prettest analysis were found, and their impact on the predicted results is assessed. Three factors were postulated to have caused the disparity between predicted and measured fuel rod cladding temperatures for LOCE L2-2: (a) the initial fuel rod stored energy, (b) the heat transfer surface, and (c) the hydraulics calculation. These factors were examined and are discussed in this report. It was determined that core hydraulics, as influenced by the calculation of broken loop cold leg break flow, was the major factor causing the disparity.« less

Post-Test Inspection of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Long-Duration Test Hardware: Discharge and Neutralizer Cathodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shastry, Rohit; Soulas, George C.

2016-01-01

The NEXT Long-Duration Test is part of a comprehensive thruster service life assessment intended to demonstrate overall throughput capability, validate service life models, quantify wear rates as a function of time and operating condition, and identify any unknown life-limiting mechanisms. The test was voluntarily terminated in February 2014 after demonstrating 51,184 hours of high-voltage operation, 918 kg of propellant throughput, and 35.5 MN-s of total impulse. The post-test inspection of the thruster hardware began shortly afterwards with a combination of non-destructive and destructive analysis techniques, and is presently nearing completion. This paper presents relevant results of the post-test inspection for both discharge and neutralizer cathodes. Discharge keeper erosion was found to be significantly reduced from what was observed in the NEXT 2 kh wear test and NSTAR Extended Life Test, providing adequate protection of vital cathode components throughout the test with ample lifetime remaining. The area of the discharge cathode orifice plate that was exposed by the keeper orifice exhibited net erosion, leading to cathode plate material building up in the cathode-keeper gap and causing a thermally-induced electrical short observed during the test. Significant erosion of the neutralizer cathode orifice was also found and is believed to be the root cause of an observed loss in flow margin. Deposition within the neutralizer keeper orifice as well as on the downstream surface was thicker than expected, potentially resulting in a facility-induced impact on the measured flow margin from plume mode. Neutralizer keeper wall erosion on the beam side was found to be significantly lower compared to the NEXT 2 kh wear test, likely due to the reduction in beam extraction diameter of the ion optics that resulted in decreased ion impingement. Results from the post-test inspection have led to some minor thruster design improvements.

Measurements for the BETC in-situ combustion experiment. [Post test surveys

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

Wayland, J.R.; Bartel, L.C.

The Bartlesville Energy Technology Center (BETC) in situ combustion pilot project near Bartlette, Kansas, was studied using controlled source audio-magnetotelluric (CSAMT) mapping, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), conventional geophysical logging and modeling of the fireflood. Measurements of formation resistivity changes induced by in situ combustion indicate that CSAMT resistivity maps should show an increase in apparent resistivity. The substantial decrease of apparent resistivity measured within the five spot pattern indicated a complex sequence of events. Using the results from the CSAMT surveys the fire front was located and posttest core samples were obtained. The posttest core samples were examined using TGAmore » techniques, and using information from combustion tube runs as standards, the location of the fire front in the core samples from the posttest holes was inferred. Models of the reservoir in situ combustion process were developed to help analyze the field results. The combustion kinematics, when used in conjunction with CSAMT and TGA techniques, indicated that considerable bypass of injected air occurred with an influx of brine into previously burned zones. This experiment offered an opportunity to integrate several new techniques into a systematic study of a difficult problem.« less

Dealing with nuclear-related emotions: an investigation of the despair and empowerment process

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

Lilly-Weber, J.M.

1986-01-01

The main goal of this study was to determine the short-term and follow-up effectiveness of despair and empowerment workshops. Such workshops are designed to encourage the expression of feelings related to the nuclear threat (as well as other planetary issues), and to generate a greater sense of personal powerfulness. Results were as follows. At pretest, experimental workshop participants reported a significantly lower level of nuclear-related denial, and were found to be significantly more politically active than control participants. When controlling for these pretest differences, no significant differences were found across conditions at post-test or follow-up. In addition, experimental workshop participantsmore » were found to report significantly more powerfulness than nonworkshop control participants at post-test, but no significant post-test differences were found between the two workshop conditions. Open ended evaluation questions, asked only of experimental workshop participants, suggested that most participants responded favorably to the despair and empowerment workshops - particularly in reference to being given the opportunity to express their nuclear-related concerns and to feel supported by others. In summary, this study provides some evidence, despite mixed results, of the effectiveness of despair and empowerment workshops.« less

The effects of counting blessings on subjective well-being: a gratitude intervention in a Spanish sample.

PubMed

Martínez-Martí, María Luisa; Avia, María Dolores; Hernández-Lloreda, María José

2010-11-01

This study examined a gratitude intervention repeating Emmons and McCullough study (2003) in a Spanish sample, Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (gratitude, hassles and any event) and kept daily records during 2 weeks of gratitude, affect, quality of relationships, physical and subjective well-being. We added design features to assess the intervention long-term impact (follow-up measures), and to improve the design control (pre-treatment measures). Following the cited authors' analysis, i.e., comparing groups only in the post-test, we replicated their results, finding differences in positive affect and gratitude between the gratitude condition and the hassles condition. However, when including both the pre and the follow-up measures in the analysis, results were replicated only partially, as the difference in gratitude disappeared. Moreover, the difference in positive affect between groups in the post-test seemed to be influenced mainly by a decrease in positive affect in the hassles group. Post-test differences between groups in positive affect disappeared in the follow-up. Gratitude interventions may have an effect on well-being, but we consider other methods to promote gratitude besides gratitude journals should be tested.

Improving secondary prevention screening in clinical encounters using mhealth among prelicensure master's entry clinical nursing students.

PubMed

FitzGerald, Leah Z; Rorie, Anne; Salem, Benissa E

2015-04-01

To determine the feasibility and acceptability of a mHealth application among nursing students for health promotion and secondary prevention health recommendations for hospitalized adult patients. A pretest-posttest design with a convenience sample of 169 prelicensure master's entry clinical nursing students in a large urban public university. Survey questions assessed intention to use, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, voluntariness, clinical area relevance, output quality, and result demonstrability of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) evidence-based practice guidelines via the mHealth application. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to explore sociodemographics; paired t-tests were used to evaluate pre- and posttest differences. Pre- and posttest significant differences (p < .01) were found between intention to use, perceived usefulness, subjective norm, voluntariness, image, clinical relevance, result demonstrability, and output quality (p < .02). Ease use of a mHealth application was not significantly different. These findings highlight the need to integrate evidence-based practice tools using mHealth technology among prelicensure master's entry clinical nursing students in order to engage and foster translational learning and improve dissemination of secondary prevention screening guidelines among hospitalized patients. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

High School Intervention for Influenza Biology and Epidemics/Pandemics: Impact on Conceptual Understanding among Adolescents

PubMed Central

Hasni, Abdelkrim

2009-01-01

Understanding real-life issues such as influenza epidemiology may be of particular interest to the development of scientific knowledge and initiation of conceptual changes about viruses and their life cycles for high school students. The goal of this research project was to foster the development of adolescents' conceptual understanding of viruses and influenza biology. Thus, the project included two components: 1) pre- and posttests to determine students' conceptions about influenza biology, epidemics/pandemics, and vaccination; and 2) design an intervention that supports conceptual change to promote improvements in influenza knowledge based on these primary conceptions. Thirty-five female students from a high school biology class participated in a series of instructional activities and pre- and posttest assessments. Results from the pretest indicated that high school students exhibit a limited understanding of concepts related to viruses. Six weeks after an intervention that promoted active learning, results from a posttest showed that conceptions about influenza are more accurately related to the provided scientific knowledge. Although adolescents have nonscientific models to explain influenza biology, we showed that a carefully designed intervention can affect students' knowledge as well as influence the implementation of health education programs in secondary schools. PMID:19255137

A Preliminary Investigation of Dynamic Assessment With Native American Kindergartners.

PubMed

Ukrainetz, Teresa A; Harpell, Stacey; Walsh, Chandra; Coyle, Catherine

2000-04-01

This study examined dynamic assessment as a lessbiased evaluation procedure for assessing the languagelearning ability of Native American children. Twenty-three Arapahoe/Shoshone kindergartners were identified as stronger (n = 15) or weaker (n = 8) language learners through teacher report and examiner classroom observation. Through a test-teach-test protocol, participants were briefly taught the principles of categorization. Participant responses to learning were measured in terms of an index of modifiability and post-test categorization scores. The modifiability index, determined during the teaching phase, was a combined score reflecting the child's learning strategies, such as ability to attend, plan, and self-regulate, and the child's responses to the learning situation. Post-test scores consisted of performance on expressive and receptive subtests from a standardized categorization test after partialling out pretest score differences. Effect sizes and confidence intervals were also determined. Group and individual results indicated that modifiability and post-test scores were significantly greater for stronger than for weaker language learners. The response to modifiability components was a better discriminator than was the learner strategies components. These results provide support for the further development of dynamic assessment as a valid measure of language learning ability in minority children.

Are awareness questionnaires valid? Investigating the use of posttest questionnaires for assessing awareness in implicit memory tests.

PubMed

Barnhardt, Terrence M; Geraci, Lisa

2008-01-01

Two experiments--one employing a perceptual implicit memory test and the other a conceptual implicit memory test--investigated the validity of posttest questionnaires for determining the incidence of awareness in implicit memory tests. In both experiments, a condition in which none of the studied words could be used as test responses (i.e., the none-studied condition) was compared with a standard implicit test condition. Results showed that reports of awareness on the posttest questionnaire were much less frequent in the none-studied condition than in the standard condition. This was especially true after deep processing at study. In both experiments, 83% of the participants in the none-studied condition stated they were unaware even though there were strong demands for claiming awareness. Although there was a small bias in the questionnaire (i.e., 17% of the participants in the none-studied condition stated they were aware), overall, there was strong support for the validity of awareness questionnaires.

Educating health care professionals on human trafficking.

PubMed

Grace, Aimee M; Lippert, Suzanne; Collins, Kristin; Pineda, Noelle; Tolani, Alisha; Walker, Rebecca; Jeong, Monica; Trounce, Milana Boukhman; Graham-Lamberts, Caroline; Bersamin, Melina; Martinez, Jeremy; Dotzler, Jennifer; Vanek, John; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Chamberlain, Lisa J; Horwitz, Sarah M

2014-12-01

The US Department of State estimates that there are between 4 and 27 million individuals worldwide in some form of modern slavery. Recent studies have demonstrated that 28% to 50% of trafficking victims in the United States encountered health care professionals while in captivity, but were not identified and recognized. This study aimed to determine whether an educational presentation increased emergency department (ED) providers' recognition of human trafficking (HT) victims and knowledge of resources to manage cases of HT. The 20 largest San Francisco Bay Area EDs were randomized into intervention (10 EDs) or delayed intervention comparison groups (10 EDs) to receive a standardized educational presentation containing the following: background about HT, relevance of HT to health care, clinical signs in potential victims, and referral options for potential victims. Participants in the delayed intervention group completed a pretest in the period the immediate intervention group received the educational presentation, and all participants were assessed immediately before (pretest) and after (posttest) the intervention. The intervention effect was tested by comparing the pre-post change in the intervention group to the change in 2 pretests in the delayed intervention group adjusted for the effect of clustering within EDs. The 4 primary outcomes were importance of knowledge of HT to the participant's profession (5-point Likert scale), self-rated knowledge of HT (5-point Likert scale), knowledge of who to call for potential HT victims (yes/no), and suspecting that a patient was a victim of HT (yes/no). There were 258 study participants from 14 EDs; 141 from 8 EDs in the intervention group and 117 from 7 EDs in the delayed intervention comparison group, of which 20 served as the delayed intervention comparison group. Participants in the intervention group reported greater increases in their level of knowledge about HT versus those in the delayed intervention comparison group (1.42 vs -0.15; adjusted difference = 1.57 [95% confidence interval, 1.02-2.12]; P < 0.001). Pretest ratings of the importance of knowledge about HT to the participant's profession were high in both groups and there was no intervention effect (0.31 vs 0.55; -0.24 [-0.90-0.42], P = 0.49). Knowing who to call for potential HT victims increased from 7.2% to 59% in the intervention group and was unchanged (15%) in the delayed intervention comparison group (61.4% [28.5%-94.4%]; P < 0.01). The proportion of participants who suspected their patient was a victim of HT increased from 17% to 38% in the intervention group and remained unchanged (10%) in the delayed intervention comparison group (20.9 [8.6%-33.1%]; P < 0.01). A brief educational intervention increased ED provider knowledge and self-reported recognition of HT victims.

Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Contamination Survivability, Large Item Interiors

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-03

e.g., mud, grease, etc.). m. Pretest (baseline) and posttest (30 days after the first contamination and/or other defined long-term time interval...procedures used. f. Description of SUT-interior materials of construction, paint type, and surface condition (pretest and posttest ), including...difficult to decontaminate or allow liquid to penetrate. g. Pretest and posttest ME functional performance characteristics (when measured) used as

40 CFR Appendix M to Part 51 - Recommended Test Methods for State Implementation Plans

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., and after the run with the cyclone removed. The cyclone is removed before the post-test leak-check to.... 4.1.4.3 Post-Test Leak-Check. A leak-check is required at the conclusion of each sampling run... disturbing the collected sample and use the following procedure to conduct a post-test leak-check. 4.1.4.3.1...

40 CFR Appendix M to Part 51 - Recommended Test Methods for State Implementation Plans

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., and after the run with the cyclone removed. The cyclone is removed before the post-test leak-check to.... 4.1.4.3 Post-Test Leak-Check. A leak-check is required at the conclusion of each sampling run... disturbing the collected sample and use the following procedure to conduct a post-test leak-check. 4.1.4.3.1...

40 CFR Appendix M to Part 51 - Recommended Test Methods for State Implementation Plans

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., and after the run with the cyclone removed. The cyclone is removed before the post-test leak-check to.... 4.1.4.3 Post-Test Leak-Check. A leak-check is required at the conclusion of each sampling run... disturbing the collected sample and use the following procedure to conduct a post-test leak-check. 4.1.4.3.1...

40 CFR Appendix M to Part 51 - Recommended Test Methods for State Implementation Plans

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., and after the run with the cyclone removed. The cyclone is removed before the post-test leak-check to.... 4.1.4.3 Post-Test Leak-Check. A leak-check is required at the conclusion of each sampling run... disturbing the collected sample and use the following procedure to conduct a post-test leak-check. 4.1.4.3.1...

Clay and Anxiety Reduction: A One-Group, Pretest/Posttest Design with Patients on a Psychiatric Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimport, Elizabeth R.; Hartzell, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Little research exists on using clay as an anxiety-reducing intervention with patients in psychiatric hospitals. This article reports on a study that used a one-group, pretest/posttest design with 49 adults in a psychiatric facility who created a clay pinch pot. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used as a pre- and posttest measure.…

Computerized Training in Critical Thinking (CT)2: A Skill-Based Program for Army Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

15-minute break, and then completed the Skill 8 posttest . After completing the Skill 8 pretest , the experimental group completed the Skill training...including pretests , training modules, and posttests for each of eight CT skills. The pretests and training modules are highly interactive, include...usability evaluations .....................................26 Table 6: Pretest and posttest means and standard deviations by group, investigation 1

Training Mothers in Elaborative Reminiscing Enhances Children's Autobiographical Memory and Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, Elaine; Newcombe, Rhiannon

2007-01-01

This longitudinal intervention assessed children's memory at 2-1/2 years (short-term posttest; N = 115) and their memory and narrative at 3-1/2 years (long-term posttest; N = 100) as a function of maternal training in elaborative reminiscing when children were 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 years. At both posttests, trained mothers were more elaborative in their…

Factors in Human-Computer Interface Design (A Pilot Study).

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-12-01

This study used a pretest - posttest control group experimental design to test the effect of consistency on speed, retention, and user satisfaction. Four...analysis. The overall methodology was a pretest - posttest control group experimental design using different prototypes to test the effects of...methodology used for this study was a pretest - posttest control group experimental design using different prototypes to test for features of the human

Resistance Training Increases the Variability of Strength Test Scores

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-08

standard deviations for pretest and posttest strength measurements. This information was recorded for every strength test used in a total of 377 samples...significant if the posttest standard deviation consistently was larger than the pretest standard deviation. This condition could be satisfied even if...the difference in the standard deviations was small. For example, the posttest standard deviation might be 1% larger than the pretest standard

A randomized trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or both combined for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: treatment results through 1-year follow-up.

PubMed

van Apeldoorn, Franske J; Timmerman, Marieke E; Mersch, Peter Paul A; van Hout, Wiljo J P J; Visser, Sako; van Dyck, Richard; den Boer, Johan A

2010-05-01

To establish the long-term effectiveness of 3 treatments for DSM-IV panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), pharmacotherapy using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), or the combination of both (CBT + SSRI). As a secondary objective, the relationship between treatment outcome and 7 predictor variables was investigated. Patients were enrolled between April 2001 and September 2003 and were randomly assigned to treatment. Academic and nonacademic clinical sites participated. Each treatment modality lasted 1 year. Pharmacotherapists were free to choose between 5 SSRIs currently marketed in The Netherlands. Outcome was assessed after 9 months of treatment (posttest 1), after discontinuation of treatment (posttest 2), and 6 and 12 months after treatment discontinuation (follow-up 1 and follow-up 2). In the sample (N = 150), 48% did not suffer from agoraphobia or suffered from only mild agoraphobia, while 52% suffered from moderate or severe agoraphobia. Patients in each treatment group improved significantly from pretest to posttest 1 on the primary outcome measures of level of anxiety (P < .001), degree of coping (P < .001), and remitter status (P < .001), as well as on the secondary outcome measures of depressive symptomatology (P < .001), and from pretest to posttest 2 for health-related quality of life (P < .001). Gains were preserved from posttest 2 throughout the follow-up period. Some superiority of CBT + SSRI and SSRI as compared with CBT was observed at posttest 1. However, at both follow-ups, differences between treatment modalities proved nonsignificant. Client satisfaction appeared to be high at treatment endpoint, while patients receiving CBT + SSRI appeared slightly (P < .05) more satisfied than those receiving CBT only. No fall-off in gains was observed for either treatment modality after treatment discontinuation. SSRIs were associated with adverse events. Gains produced by CBT were slower to emerge than those produced by CBT + SSRI and SSRI, but CBT ended sooner. Netherlands Trial Register (www.trialregister.nl) Identifier: ISRCTN8156869. ©Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Association between posttest dexamethasone and cortisol concentrations in the 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test.

PubMed

Asvold, Bjørn O; Grill, Valdemar; Thorstensen, Ketil; Bjørgaas, Marit R

2012-11-01

It has been suggested that comparison of posttest dexamethasone and cortisol concentrations may improve the evaluation of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for Cushing's syndrome. In particular, this would be reasonable if posttest cortisol differs by dexamethasone levels within the range that is usually attained in the DST. Using fractional polynomial regression, we therefore studied the association between posttest 0800 h dexamethasone and cortisol levels in 53 subjects without Cushing's syndrome who were tested with the 1 mg overnight DST. Plasma dexamethasone was associated with plasma cortisol (P<0.001), and the regression line suggested a strong negative association related to dexamethasone levels <5 nmol/l. However, among the 94% of subjects with plasma dexamethasone >5.0 nmol/l, there was no association between dexamethasone and cortisol levels (P=0.55). In conclusion, subjects tested with the 1 mg overnight DST usually attain an 0800 h plasma dexamethasone >5 nmol/l, and plasma cortisol does not differ by plasma dexamethasone in these subjects. This suggests that routine comparison of dexamethasone and cortisol levels may not be a useful approach to improve the performance of the 1 mg DST. However, dexamethasone measurements may identify subjects with inadequately low plasma dexamethasone and may therefore be of value when retesting subjects with possibly false-positive DST results.

Effectiveness of planned teaching program on knowledge regarding Alzheimer's disease among the family members of elderly in a selected urban community at Mangalore

PubMed Central

Rodrigues, Lavina; Mathias, Thereza

2016-01-01

Background: Alzheimer's disease is one of the debilitating chronic diseases among older persons. It is an irreversible condition that leads to progressive deterioration of cognitive, intellectual, physical, and psychosocial functions. The study was aimed to assess the knowledge of the family members of elderly regarding Alzheimer's disease in a selected urban community at Mangalore. Materials and Methods: A preexperimental research design of one group pretest and posttest with an evaluative approach was adopted for the study. A total of 50 family members of elderly who met the inclusion criteria were selected through purposive sampling technique. The researcher developed a planned teaching program on Alzheimer's disease, and structured knowledge questionnaire on Alzheimer's disease was used to collect the data. Results: Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data. Analysis revealed that the mean posttest knowledge (20.78 ± 3.31) was higher than mean pretest knowledge scores (12.90 ± 2.43). Significance of difference between pretest and posttest was statistically tested using paired “t” test and it was found very highly significant (t = 40.85, P < 0.05). Majority of the variables showed no significant association between pretest and posttest knowledge score and with demographic variables. Conclusion: The findings revealed that the planned teaching program is an effective strategy for improving the knowledge of the subjects. PMID:26985104

Assessment of student knowledge of the weak and strong nuclear forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakya, Pramila

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of active-learning activities to teach weak force and strong force to students enrolled in various courses at The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg campus and Gulf Park campus at different class times would increase their knowledge. There were eighty-six students that took part in this study. The study was conducted in the lab classes of an introductory astronomy survey course (AST 111), an introductory algebra-based physics course (PHY 112), and an introductory calculus-based physics course (PHY 202) during fall semester, 2014. Each class was randomly assigned as active-learning or direct instruction. A pretest followed by lecture was administered to all groups. The active-learning group performed four activities whereas the direct group watched a video irrelevant to the lesson. At the end of the lesson, the same post-test was given to all groups. Various statistical methods were used to analyze the differences in mean pretest and posttest scores. Overall, results show that the mean posttest scores were higher than the mean pretest scores. Findings support the use of active-learning activities work to the small number of students or the equal number of students in a group. The mean posttest scores of the direct instruction classes were higher than those of the active-learning groups.

Should we educate care staff to improve the oral health and oral hygiene of people with intellectual disability in residential care? Real world lessons from a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Mac Giolla Phadraig, Caoimhin; Guerin, Suzanne; Nunn, June

2015-01-01

This study assessed the impact of a multitiered oral health educational program on the oral health and oral hygiene of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). In a controlled pretest, posttest trial, with cluster randomization, a pyramidal training program was delivered to residential staff who cared for a randomly allocated, purposively stratified intervention group of people with ID living in community care homes. A control group lived in centers where staff received no training. Clinical measures were carried out pre- and posttest. Difference in Modified Gingival Index (MGI) and Plaque Index (PI) was measured posttest using ANCOVA. Seventy-six participants took part, representing 49.0% of the invited sample (n = 155). Fourteen did not receive clinical examination. There was one dropout 6-9 months later. A 10.5% and 8.5% reduction in mean MGI and PI was evident at posttest but did not show statistically significant difference, when controlling for baseline covariates (p > 0.05, ANCOVA). Mean MGI and PI scores were not significantly different among people with ID whose care staff had and had not received oral health training. Limitations are discussed. The results indicate that this program failed to significantly improve oral health or oral hygiene, despite the intervention being "educationally" successful. More research is needed. © 2015 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association between posttest dexamethasone and cortisol concentrations in the 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test

PubMed Central

Åsvold, Bjørn O; Grill, Valdemar; Thorstensen, Ketil; Bjørgaas, Marit R

2012-01-01

It has been suggested that comparison of posttest dexamethasone and cortisol concentrations may improve the evaluation of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for Cushing's syndrome. In particular, this would be reasonable if posttest cortisol differs by dexamethasone levels within the range that is usually attained in the DST. Using fractional polynomial regression, we therefore studied the association between posttest 0800 h dexamethasone and cortisol levels in 53 subjects without Cushing's syndrome who were tested with the 1 mg overnight DST. Plasma dexamethasone was associated with plasma cortisol (P<0.001), and the regression line suggested a strong negative association related to dexamethasone levels <5 nmol/l. However, among the 94% of subjects with plasma dexamethasone >5.0 nmol/l, there was no association between dexamethasone and cortisol levels (P=0.55). In conclusion, subjects tested with the 1 mg overnight DST usually attain an 0800 h plasma dexamethasone >5 nmol/l, and plasma cortisol does not differ by plasma dexamethasone in these subjects. This suggests that routine comparison of dexamethasone and cortisol levels may not be a useful approach to improve the performance of the 1 mg DST. However, dexamethasone measurements may identify subjects with inadequately low plasma dexamethasone and may therefore be of value when retesting subjects with possibly false-positive DST results. PMID:23781306

Service-learning’s Impact on Dental Students’ Attitude toward Community Service

PubMed Central

Coe, J. M.; Best, A. M.; Warren, J. J.; McQuistan, M. R.; Kolker, J. L.; Isringhausen, K. T.

2014-01-01

Introduction This study evaluated service-learning program’s impact on senior dental students’ attitude toward community service at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Dentistry. Experience gained through service-learning in dental school may positively impact dental students’ attitude toward community service that will eventually lead into providing care to the underserved. Materials and methods Two surveys (pre and post-test) were administered to 105 senior dental students. For the first survey (post-test), seventy six students out of 105 responded and reported their attitude toward community service immediately after the service-learning program completion. Three weeks later, fifty six students out of the 76 responded to the second survey (retrospective pre-test) and reported their recalled attitude prior to the program retrospectively. Results A repeated-measure mixed-model analysis indicated that overall there was improvement between pre-test and post-test. Scales of connectedness, normative helping behavior, benefits1, career benefits, and intention showed a significant pre-test and post-test difference. An association between attitude toward community service and student characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and volunteer activity was also examined. Only ethnicity showed an overall significant difference. White dental students appear to have a differing perception of the costs of community service. Conclusions The service-learning program at VCU School of Dentistry has positively impacted senior dental students’ attitude toward community service. PMID:25142286

Does child and adolescent mental health in-service training result in equivalent knowledge gain among cadres of non-specialist health workers in Uganda? A pre-test post-test study.

PubMed

Akol, Angela; Nalugya, Joyce; Nshemereirwe, Sylvia; Babirye, Juliet N; Engebretsen, Ingunn Marie Stadskleiv

2017-01-01

Early identification and management of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) disorders helps to avert mental illness in adulthood but a CAMH treatment gap exists in Uganda. CAMH integration into primary health care (PHC) through in-service training of non-specialist health workers (NSHW) using the World Health Organisation (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Intervention Guide (IG) is a strategy to address this gap. However, results of such training are not supported by information on training development or delivery; and are undifferentiated by NSHW cadre. We aim to describe an in-service CAMH training for NSHW in Uganda and assess cadre-differentiated learning outcomes. Thirty-six clinical officers, nurses and midwives from 18 randomly selected PHC clinics in eastern Uganda were trained for 5 days on CAMH screening and referral using a curriculum based on the mhGAP-IG version 1.0 and PowerPoint slides from the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP). The residential training was evaluated through pre- and post- training tests of CAMH knowledge and attitudes using the participants' post-test scores; and the difference between pre-test and post-test scores. Two-tailed t-tests assessed differences in mean pre-test and post-test scores between the cadres; hierarchical linear regression tested the association between cadre and post test scores; and logistic regression evaluated the relationship between cadre and knowledge gain at three pre-determined cut off points. Thirty-three participants completed both pre-and post-tests. Improved mean scores from pre- to post-test were observed for both clinical officers (20% change) and nurse/midwives (18% change). Clinical officers had significantly higher mean test scores than nurses and midwives (p < 0.05) but cadre was not significantly associated with improvement in CAMH knowledge at the 10% (AOR 0.08; 95 CI [0.01, 1.19]; p = 0.066), 15% (AOR 0.16; 95% CI [0.01, 2.21]; p = 0.170), or 25% (AOR 0.13; 95% CI [0.01, 1.74]; p = 0.122) levels. We aimed to examine CAMH learning outcomes by NSHW cadre. NSHW cadre does not influence knowledge gain from in-service CAMH training. Thus, an option for integrating CAMH into PHC in Uganda using the mhGAP-IG and IACAPAP PowerPoint slides is to proceed without cadre differentiation.

The diagnostic performance of coronary artery angiography with 64-MSCT and post 64-MSCT: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Li, Min; Du, Xiang-Min; Jin, Zhi-Tao; Peng, Zhao-Hui; Ding, Juan; Li, Li

2014-01-01

To comprehensively investigate the diagnostic performance of coronary artery angiography with 64-MDCT and post 64-MDCT. PubMed was searched for all published studies that evaluated coronary arteries with 64-MDCT and post 64-MDCT. The clinical diagnostic role was evaluated by applying the likelihood ratios (LRs) to calculate the post-test probability based on Bayes' theorem. 91 studies that met our inclusion criteria were ultimately included in the analysis. The pooled positive and negative LRs at patient level were 8.91 (95% CI, 7.53, 10.54) and 0.02 (CI, 0.01, 0.03), respectively. For studies that did not claim that non-evaluable segments were included, the pooled positive and negative LRs were 11.16 (CI, 8.90, 14.00) and 0.01 (CI, 0.01, 0.03), respectively. For studies including uninterruptable results, the diagnostic performance decreased, with the pooled positive LR 7.40 (CI, 6.00, 9.13) and negative LR 0.02 (CI, 0.01, 0.03). The areas under the summary ROC curve were 0.98 (CI, 0.97 to 0.99) for 64-MDCT and 0.96 (CI, 0.94 to 0.98) for post 64-MDCT, respectively. For references explicitly stating that the non-assessable segments were included during analysis, a post-test probability of negative results >95% and a positive post-test probability <95% could be obtained for patients with a pre-test probability of <73% for coronary artery disease (CAD). On the other hand, when the pre-test probability of CAD was >73%, the diagnostic role was reversed, with a positive post-test probability of CAD >95% and a negative post-test probability of CAD <95%. The diagnostic performance of post 64-MDCT does not increase as compared with 64-MDCT. CTA, overall, is a test of exclusion for patients with a pre-test probability of CAD<73%, while for patients with a pre-test probability of CAD>73%, CTA is a test used to confirm the presence of CAD.

77 FR 58843 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-24

... Nursing Students Frontier RTC Pre-test 410 1 15/60 Post-test 410 1 15/60 Follow-up 410 1 15/60 Social Work Students Pre-test 410 1 15/60 Post-test 410 1 15/60 Follow-up 410 1 15/60 Allied Health Practitioners Pre-test 200 1 15/60 Post-test 200 1 15/60 Follow-up 200 1 15/60 Training of Trainers Participants..... Pre...

Assessment in the One-Shot Session: Using Pre- and Post-Tests to Measure Innovative Instructional Strategies among First-Year Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, Jacalyn E.; Karshmer, Elana

2013-01-01

Many studies focus on the use of different assessment tools within information literacy instruction; however, there are very few that discuss how pre- and post-tests can be used to gauge student learning, and even fewer of those published deal with pre- and post-test assessment within the one-shot paradigm. This study explores the effectiveness of…

Can Role-Play with Virtual Humans Teach Interpersonal Skills?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

the participants in the control group completed unrelated coursework. One day later, all of the participants completed the posttest . The...the data from the three types of items on the pretest and posttest . Three participants failed to follow instructions during the experimental...measure learning. For example, two items were answered correctly on the pretest and posttest by all of the participants; the items were too easy. Such

An Evaluation of a Combat Conditioning Trial Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-20

rests on the weaker assumption that the pretest is correlated with the posttest score. The second reason was that ANCOVA would yield training effects...performance. cSignificant Unit x Time interaction in ANCOVA. Note. Pretest performance was a significant (p < .001) predictor of posttest performance for... Pretest fitness level was defined by splitting the pretest distribution for CV into quartiles. Posttest performance improved 7.2% for participants in

Training Effectiveness Assessment. Volume II. Problems, Concepts, and Evaluation Alternatives.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-12-01

i nforma ti on abou t areas where course impr ov emer t might be indicated . Percentiles , pretest and posttest scores , or other measures of amount...statistical sophisti- cation. Interpretation of gain scores derived from pretests - posttests of trainees and other forms of trend analysis requires...CPM ), computer - managed testing (CMI). time-series analysi s, pretest / posttest design , and secondary anal ysis. Criterion -referenced measurement is

General Model Study of Scour at Proposed Pier Extensions - Santa Ana River at BNSF Bridge, Corona, California

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-11-01

model of the bridge piers, other related structures, and the adjacent channel. Data from the model provided a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of...minus post-test lidar survey . ......................... 42 Figure 38. Test 1 (30,000 cfs existing conditions) pre- minus post-test lidar survey ...43 Figure 39. Test 7 (15,000 cfs original proposed conditions) pre- minus post-test lidar survey

Chemical and Biological Contamination Survivability (CBCS), Large Item Exteriors. Test Operations Procedure

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-21

and may be difficult to decontaminate. n. Pretest (baseline) and posttest (30 days after the first contamination and/or other defined long-term...be reported in a form that can be compared with pretest and posttest hardness functional performance data. 4.1.6.2 Decontaminability. a...exterior materials of construction, paint type, and surface condition ( pretest and posttest ), including cleanliness (mud, grease, and other

Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Contamination Survivability: Large Item Interiors

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-22

materials of construction, paint type, and surface condition ( pretest and posttest ), including cleanliness (mud, grease, etc.). Photographs should be...35 g. Pretest and posttest ME functional performance characteristics (when measured) used as the measure of the SUT’s mission performance before and...materials and their finishes will be reported in a form that can be compared with pretest and posttest hardness functional performance data. 6.2 Chemical

Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-11

was an experimental, quantitative , qualitative, descriptive research study related to audio, data and video transmission from the ambulance to the... posttest score. Both the pretest and posttest questions were generated randomly from a bank of XXX course-related test questions. The analysis below...shows the mean for the pretest , posttest , and difference scores for the classroom group, the virtual group, and the total group. (Note: Two of the

Nurse Middle-Managers: The Relationship of Managerial Motivation to Academic Education, Leadership Training, and Success Potential

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-12

compared to an untested one. The quasi-experinmtal design with nonequivalent comparison groups included leadership training between pre and posttests...experimental, pretest-posttest, nonequivalent comparison groups (Wave A & Wave B) design . It allowed investigation of the influence of leadership training on...provided comparison groups . According to Burns and Grove (1987), pretest-posttest designs have inherent threats to validity. Pretest administration

The effect of composition (art or music) on the self-concept of hospitalized children.

PubMed

Colwell, Cynthia M; Davis, Kathy; Schroeder, Linda K

2005-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of composition (art or music) on the self-concept of hospitalized children. The music composition was created using the program Making More Music. The art composition was a drawing using standard medium. The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was used to measure self-concept. When examining subjects as one group, a significant difference from pre- to posttest for the Total score indicated an improved self-concept. Further analyses on each of the 6 categories indicated no significant differences. The art composition group had a significant difference from pre- to posttest for the Total score and for Popularity (POP). Although not significant, scores increased from pre- to posttest for Behavioral Adjustment (BEH), Physical Appearance (PHY), Freedom from Anxiety (FRE), and Happiness and Satisfaction (HAP). The music composition group had no significant difference from pre- to posttest for the Total score but a significant difference from pre- to posttest on Intellectual and School Status (INT) and Physical Appearance (PRY). Although not significant, scores increased from pre- to posttest for TOT, BEH, and HAP. There was a significant difference between the groups on 2 categories that indicated an improved self-concept for the music group under Intellectual and School Status and for the art group under Popularity.

Assessment of a Tele-education System to Enhance Retinopathy of Prematurity Training by International Ophthalmologists-in-Training in Mexico.

PubMed

Patel, Samir N; Martinez-Castellanos, Maria Ana; Berrones-Medina, David; Swan, Ryan; Ryan, Michael C; Jonas, Karyn E; Ostmo, Susan; Campbell, J Peter; Chiang, Michael F; Chan, R V Paul

2017-07-01

To evaluate a tele-education system developed to improve diagnostic competency in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by ophthalmologists-in-training in Mexico. Prospective, randomized cohort study. Fifty-eight ophthalmology residents and fellows from a training program in Mexico consented to participate. Twenty-nine of 58 trainees (50%) were randomized to the educational intervention (pretest, ROP tutorial, ROP educational chapters, and posttest), and 29 of 58 trainees (50%) were randomized to a control group (pretest and posttest only). A secure web-based educational system was created using clinical cases (20 pretest, 20 posttest, and 25 training chapter-based) developed from a repository of over 2500 unique image sets of ROP. For each image set used, a reference standard ROP diagnosis was established by combining the clinical diagnosis by indirect ophthalmoscope examination and image-based diagnosis by multiple experts. Trainees were presented with image-based clinical cases of ROP during a pretest, posttest, and training chapters. The accuracy of ROP diagnosis (e.g., plus disease, zone, stage, category) was determined using sensitivity and specificity calculations from the pretest and posttest results of the educational intervention group versus control group. The unweighted kappa statistic was used to analyze the intragrader agreement for ROP diagnosis by the ophthalmologists-in-training during the pretest and posttest for both groups. Trainees completing the tele-education system had statistically significant improvements (P < 0.01) in the accuracy of ROP diagnosis for plus disease, zone, stage, category, and aggressive posterior ROP (AP-ROP). Compared with the control group, trainees who completed the ROP tele-education system performed better on the posttest for accurately diagnosing plus disease (67% vs. 48%; P = 0.04) and the presence of ROP (96% vs. 91%; P < 0.01). The specificity for diagnosing AP-ROP (94% vs. 78%; P < 0.01), type 2 ROP or worse (92% vs. 84%; P = 0.04), and ROP requiring treatment (89% vs. 79%; P < 0.01) was better for the trainees completing the tele-education system compared with the control group. Intragrader agreement improved for identification of plus disease, zone, stage, and category of ROP after completion of the educational intervention. A tele-education system for ROP education was effective in improving the diagnostic accuracy of ROP by ophthalmologists-in-training in Mexico. This system has the potential to increase competency in ROP diagnosis and management for ophthalmologists-in-training from middle-income nations. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a reproductive health awareness program for adolescence in urban Tanzania-A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test research

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Sub-Saharan Africa is among the countries where 10% of girls become mothers by the age of 16 years old. The United Republic of Tanzania located in Sub-Saharan Africa is one country where teenage pregnancy is a problem facing adolescent girls. Adolescent pregnancy has been identified as one of the reasons for girls dropping out from school. This study's purpose was to evaluate a reproductive health awareness program for the improvement of reproductive health for adolescents in urban Tanzania. Methods A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test research design was conducted to evaluate adolescents' knowledge, attitude, and behavior about reproductive health before and after the program. Data were collected from students aged 11 to 16, at Ilala Municipal, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. An anonymous 23-item questionnaire provided the data. The program was conducted using a picture drama, reproductive health materials and group discussion. Results In total, 313 questionnaires were distributed and 305 (97.4%) were useable for the final analysis. The mean age for girls was 12.5 years and 13.2 years for boys. A large minority of both girls (26.8%) and boys (41.4%) had experienced sex and among the girls who had experienced sex, 51.2% reported that it was by force. The girls' mean score in the knowledge pre-test was 5.9, and 6.8 in post-test, which increased significantly (t = 7.9, p = 0.000). The mean behavior pre-test score was 25.8 and post-test was 26.6, which showed a significant increase (t = 3.0, p = 0.003). The boys' mean score in the knowledge pre-test was 6.4 and 7.0 for the post-test, which increased significantly (t = 4.5, p = 0.000). The mean behavior pre-test score was 25.6 and 26.4 in post-test, which showed a significant increase (t = 2.4, p = 0.019). However, the pre-test and post-test attitude scores showed no statistically significant difference for either girls or boys. Conclusions Teenagers have sexual experiences including sexual violence. Both of these phenomena are prevalent among school-going adolescents. The reproductive health program improved the students' knowledge and behavior about sexuality and decision-making after the program for both girls and boys. However, their attitudes about reproductive health were not likely to change based on the educational intervention as designed for this study. PMID:21707996

The Effect of Scaffolding Strategies for Inscriptions and Argumentation in a Science Cyberlearning Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kern, Cindy L.; Crippen, Kent J.

2017-02-01

Scientific inscriptions—graphs, diagrams, and data—and argumentation are integral to learning and communicating science and are common elements in cyberlearning environments—those involving the use of networked learning technologies. However, previous research has indicated that learners struggle to use inscriptions and when they engage in argumentation, the learning of science content becomes secondary to the learning of argumentation skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two scaffolding strategies for these elements in a secondary school context: (1) self- explanation prompts paired with a scientific inscription and (2) faded worked examples for the evaluation and development of scientific arguments. Participants consisted of ninth and tenth grade students (age 13-16 years; N = 245) enrolled in state-mandated biology courses taught by four different teachers. A three-factor mixed model analysis of variance with two between factors (self-explanation prompts and faded worked examples) and one within factor (pre-, post-, delayed posttest) was used to evaluate the effects on the acquisition and retention of domain-specific content knowledge. Results indicated that neither strategy influenced the acquisition and retention of science content in a positive (i.e., learning) or negative (i.e., expertise reversal effect) way. Thus, general prompts were as effective as either of the scaffolding conditions. These unanticipated results suggest that additional research is warranted for learning scaffolds with pre-college populations where the gains were established with college-aged participants.

Relative Ease in Creating Detailed Orthographic Representations Contrasted with Severe Difficulties to Maintain Them in Long-term Memory Among Dyslexic Children.

PubMed

Binamé, Florence; Danzio, Sophie; Poncelet, Martine

2015-11-01

Most research into orthographic learning abilities has been conducted in English with typically developing children using reading-based tasks. In the present study, we examined the abilities of French-speaking children with dyslexia to create novel orthographic representations for subsequent use in spelling and to maintain them in long-term memory. Their performance was compared with that of chronological age (CA)-matched and reading age (RA)-matched control children. We used an experimental task designed to provide optimal learning conditions (i.e. 10 spelling practice trials) ensuring the short-term acquisition of the spelling of the target orthographic word forms. After a 1-week delay, the long-term retention of the targets was assessed by a spelling post-test. Analysis of the results revealed that, in the short term, children with dyslexia learned the novel orthographic word forms well, only differing from both CA and RA controls on the initial decoding of the targets and from CA controls on the first two practice trials. In contrast, a dramatic drop was observed in their long-term retention relative to CA and RA controls. These results support the suggestion of the self-teaching hypothesis (Share, 1995) that initial errors in the decoding and spelling of unfamiliar words may hinder the establishment of fully specified novel orthographic representations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Registered nurses' medication management of the elderly in aged care facilities.

PubMed

Lim, L M; Chiu, L H; Dohrmann, J; Tan, K-L

2010-03-01

Data on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) showed a rising trend in the elderly over 65 years using multiple medications. To identify registered nurses' (RNs) knowledge of medication management and ADRs in the elderly in aged care facilities; evaluate an education programme to increase pharmacology knowledge and prevent ADRs in the elderly; and develop a learning programme with a view to extending provision, if successful. This exploratory study used a non-randomized pre- and post-test one group quasi-experimental design without comparators. It comprised a 23-item knowledge-based test questionnaire, one-hour teaching session and a self-directed learning package. The volunteer sample was RNs from residential aged care facilities, involved in medication management. Participants sat a pre-test immediately before the education, and post-test 4 weeks later (same questionnaire). Participants' perceptions obtained. Pre-test sample n = 58, post-test n = 40, attrition rate of 31%. Using Microsoft Excel 2000, descriptive statistical data analysis of overall pre- and post-test incorrect responses showed: pre-test proportion of incorrect responses = 0.40; post-test proportion of incorrect responses = 0.27; Z-test comparing pre- and post-tests scores of incorrect responses = 6.55 and one-sided P-value = 2.8E-11 (P < 0.001). Pre-test showed knowledge deficits in medication management and ADRs in the elderly; post-test showed statistically significant improvement in RNs' knowledge. It highlighted a need for continuing professional education. Further studies are required on a larger sample of RNs in other aged care facilities, and on the clinical impact of education by investigating nursing practice and elderly residents' outcomes.

Comparison of textbook passages, nonfiction trade book passages and fiction trade book passages as instructional tools for learning science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Cynthia

This study examined the impact of different types of text on student achievement in elementary school science. Gender was also examined to see if the type of text passage read had any differential effect on boys' and girls' achievement. This study was a pretest/posttest/retention test design. Eighty-four fourth grade students from a public charter elementary school in South Florida were randomly assigned a passage from a physical science textbook, a physical science nonfiction trade book, a physical science fiction trade book, a biological science textbook or a biological science nonfiction trade book. Results in the physical science content area revealed that students in the textbook passage group had higher posttest and retention test results than students in the nonfiction and fiction trade book passage groups. There was no difference on the posttest results of students in the biological science textbook and nonfiction trade book passage groups. Students in the biological science textbook passage group had higher retention results than students in the biological science nonfiction passage group. Gender results in the physical science content area revealed that boys had a higher retention score than girls in the fiction trade book passage group. There were no gender achievement differences as a result of the text passage read in the biological science content area. It was concluded that no definitive answer as to the efficacy of textbooks versus trade books was possible based upon results of the study. Recommendations for future research include examining the effects of different types of texts in conjunction with other authentic teaching methods.

Gamified working memory training in overweight individuals reduces food intake but not body weight.

PubMed

Dassen, Fania C M; Houben, Katrijn; Van Breukelen, Gerard J P; Jansen, Anita

2018-05-01

Working Memory (WM) plays a crucial role in successful self-regulation of behavior, including weight regulation. Improving WM might therefore be a promising strategy to support weight loss. In the present study, overweight individuals with a desire to lose weight (N = 91) received an online lifestyle intervention, in conjunction with either 25 sessions of gamified WM training (experimental condition) or a sham training (control). Primary outcomes were Body Mass Index (BMI) and food intake at posttest. Secondary outcomes were executive functioning, self-control, eating style, eating psychopathology and healthy eating. Data were analyzed with mixed regression analyses with condition as between-subjects factor (experimental versus control) and time as within-subjects factor (baseline, posttest, FU1 after one month and FU2 after six months). Results revealed that the experimental condition increased their WM span more than control from pretest to posttest, and these gains were retained at FU1, though lost at FU2. No transfer effects of WM training to other executive functioning measures were found. During the bogus taste test at posttest, participants in the experimental condition consumed significantly less than participants in the control condition. However, both conditions showed a small reduction in BMI, improved eating style, reduced eating disorder pathology, and reported more self-control and a healthier eating pattern. In conclusion, the current results provide some evidence that WM training can improve eating behavior at the short term. However, the WM gains were short-lived, and the added value of WM training as an intervention to promote weight loss could not be established. Future studies should test the added value of WM training booster sessions to promote weight loss over a prolonged period of time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of Acceptance-Commitment Therapy on Anxiety and Depression among Patients on Methadone Treatment: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Saedy, Mozhgan; Kooshki, Shirin; Jamali Firouzabadi, Mahmoud; Emamipour, Susan; Rezaei Ardani, Amir

2015-01-01

Background: Substance dependence disorder is a psychiatric disorders with different factors that influence its nature, severity, outcome, and treatment options. Objectives: This study evaluates the effectiveness of Acceptance-Commitment Therapy (ACT) to decrease anxiety and depression in patients with opioid dependencies who are undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Materials and Methods: The present study was done in Mashhad from 2011-2012. Twenty-eight patients (18-50 yr) with opioid dependency who were on MMT were selected using purposive sampling and were divided equally between case and control groups. The case group received 8 sessions of individual psychotherapy with ACT. The level of depression and anxiety of these patients were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Beck Anxiety Inventory before the initiation of ACT as a pretest, 2 weeks after the termination of ACT as the posttest, and 3-months after the termination as a follow-up. The collected data was analyzed with SPSS (ver. 20) using χ2, paired t-test, ANOVA, and MANOVA. Results: The pretest-posttest-follow up of anxiety showed no significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.05); however, the case group had lower depression scores in the posttest and follow-up than the control group (P = 0.04). Evaluating the results of the case group revealed that depression significantly decreased in the posttest group when compared to the pretest (P = 0.01) and there were no significant decreases in the follow up compared to the pretest (P = 0.34). Conclusion: Short-term ACT for opioid dependent patients on MMT are not associated with a significant decrease in the level of anxiety; however, it is associated with a significant decrease in the level of depression. Nonetheless, this reduction was not maintained long term. PMID:26251660

Evaluating meaningful learning using concept mapping in dental hygiene education: a pilot study.

PubMed

Canasi, Dina M; Amyot, Cynthia; Tira, Daniel

2014-02-01

Concept mapping, as a teaching strategy, has been shown to promote critical thinking and problem solving in educational settings. Dental clinicians must distinguish between critical and irrelevant characteristics in the delivery of care, thus necessitating reasoning skills to do so. One of the aims of the American Dental Education Association Commission on Change and Innovation (ADEA-CCI) is to identify deficiencies in curriculum which were meant to improve critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compare 2 teaching strategies, traditional lecture and lecture supported by concept mapping exercises within collaborative working groups, to determine if there is a beneficial effect on meaningful learning. For this pilot study, the study population consisted of students from 2 geographically separated associate level dental hygiene programs in the southeastern U.S. A quasi-experimental control group pre- and post-test design was used. The degree of meaningful learning achieved by both programs was assessed by comparing pre- and post-test results. Both programs experienced a significant degree of meaningful learning from pre- to post-test. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the programs on the post-test. These results were in direct contrast to research in other disciplines on concept mapping and its effect on promoting meaningful learning. Further investigation into the study's outcome was obtained through a follow-up focus group. In spite of careful attention to methodology in the development of this research project, the focus group illuminated methodological failings that potentially impacted the outcome of the study. Recommendations are underscored for future conduct of educational research of this kind.

The anatomy of E-Learning tools: Does software usability influence learning outcomes?

PubMed

Van Nuland, Sonya E; Rogers, Kem A

2016-07-08

Reductions in laboratory hours have increased the popularity of commercial anatomy e-learning tools. It is critical to understand how the functionality of such tools can influence the mental effort required during the learning process, also known as cognitive load. Using dual-task methodology, two anatomical e-learning tools were examined to determine the effect of their design on cognitive load during two joint learning exercises. A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy is a simplistic, two-dimensional tool that presents like a textbook, whereas Netter's 3D Interactive Anatomy has a more complex three-dimensional usability that allows structures to be rotated. It was hypothesized that longer reaction times on an observation task would be associated with the more complex anatomical software (Netter's 3D Interactive Anatomy), indicating a higher cognitive load imposed by the anatomy software, which would result in lower post-test scores. Undergraduate anatomy students from Western University, Canada (n = 70) were assessed using a baseline knowledge test, Stroop observation task response times (a measure of cognitive load), mental rotation test scores, and an anatomy post-test. Results showed that reaction times and post-test outcomes were similar for both tools, whereas mental rotation test scores were positively correlated with post-test values when students used Netter's 3D Interactive Anatomy (P = 0.007), but not when they used A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy. This suggests that a simple e-learning tool, such as A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy, is as effective as more complicated tools, such as Netter's 3D Interactive Anatomy, and does not academically disadvantage those with poor spatial ability. Anat Sci Educ 9: 378-390. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Effect of Faculty Development Activities on Dental Hygiene Faculty Perceptions of and Teaching About Motivational Interviewing: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Arnett, Michelle; Korte, Dina; Richards, Philip S; Saglik, Berna; Taichman, L Susan; Kinney, Janet S; Gwozdek, Anne E

2017-08-01

The aims of this pilot study were to assess dental hygiene faculty members' perceptions of the importance of motivational interviewing (MI) and their confidence in teaching students about MI and to determine the effect of MI training sessions on those perceptions. Participants were a convenience sample of all 16 dental hygiene faculty members who teach in the clinic at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Participants' perceptions were assessed prior to a workshop in MI (pretest), immediately after the workshop (posttest 1), and eight months after the workshop, at the end of the academic year (posttest 2). During the same period, some of the workshop participants took part in team grading sessions of audio recordings of student-patient MI interactions. The results showed that the majority of the faculty members perceived it was important to personally embrace the overall spirit of MI during patient care, and they were confident supporting students as well. Their ratings for embracing the spirit of MI increased from pretest to posttest 1, but slightly decreased at posttest 2. This trend was also seen in their assessment of the importance of and their confidence in teaching the eight MI strategies over time. Among the workshop participants, 56% were part of team grading; they reported the most helpful professional development activities overall were team grading (58%) and the workshop (25%). These results suggest the importance of making use of a variety of faculty development activities and of introducing appropriate follow-up to training sessions over time to ensure long-lasting effects. Future research using carefully designed, multi-institution, longitudinal studies is needed to determine the most effective ways to prepare dental hygiene faculty members to educate their students about MI.

Posttest RELAP4 analysis of LOFT experiment L1-4

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

Grush, W.H.; Holmstrom, H.L.O.

Results of posttest analysis of LOFT loss-of-coolant experiment L1-4 with the RELAP4 code are presented. The results are compared with the pretest prediction and the test data. Differences between the RELAP4 model used for this analysis and that used for the pretest prediction are in the areas of initial conditions, nodalization, emergency core cooling system, broken loop hot leg, and steam generator secondary. In general, these changes made only minor improvement in the comparison of the analytical results to the data. Also presented are the results of a limited study of LOFT downcomer modeling which compared the performance of themore » conventional single downcomer model with that of the new split downcomer model. A RELAP4 sensitivity calculation with artificially elevated emergency core coolant temperature was performed to highlight the need for an ECC mixing model in RELAP4.« less

Effect of interactive cognitive motor training on gait and balance among older adults: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kao, Ching-Chiu; Chiu, Huei-Ling; Liu, Doresses; Chan, Pi-Tuan; Tseng, Ing-Jy; Chen, Ruey; Niu, Shu-Fen; Chou, Kuei-Ru

2018-06-01

Aging is a normal degenerative process that results in a decline in the gait and balance performance of older adults. Interactive cognitive motor training is an intervention that integrates cognitive and motor tasks to promote individuals' physical and cognitive fall risk factors. However, the additive effects of the interactive cognitive motor training on objective quantitative data and comprehensive descriptions of gait and balance warrants further investigation. To investigate the effect of interactive cognitive motor training on older adults' gait and balance from immediate to long-term time points. A double-blind randomized control trial. Four senior service centers and community service centers in Taiwan. 62 older adults who met the inclusion criteria. The study participants were older adults without cognitive impairment, and they were randomly allocated to the experimental group or active control group. In both groups, older adults participated in three sessions of 30-min training per week for a total of 8 weeks, with the total number of training sessions being 24. The primary outcome was gait performance, which was measured using objective and subjective indicators. iWALK was used as an objective indicator to measure pace and dynamic stability; the Functional Gait Assessment was employed as a subjective indicator. The secondary outcome was balance performance, which was measured using iSWAY. A generalized estimating equation was used to identify whether the results of the two groups differ after receiving different intervention measures; the results were obtained from immediate to long-term posttests. Stride length in the pace category of the experimental group improved significantly in immediate posttest (p = 0.01), 3-month follow-up (p = 0.01), and 6-month follow-up (p = 0.04). The range of motion of the leg exhibited significant improvement in immediate posttest (p = 0.04) and 3-month follow-up (p = 0.04). The Functional Gait Assessment result indicated that statistically significant improvement was observed in immediate posttest (p = 0.02) and 12-month follow-up (p = 0.01). The results of balance performance showed that the experimental group attained statistically significant improvement in centroid frequency in the immediate posttest (p = 0.02). The research results validated that the 24 sessions of the interactive cognitive motor training intervention significantly improved gait and balance performance. Future studies should extend the sample to communities to promote the gait and balance performance of community-dwelling older adults without cognitive impairment and reduce their risk of falling and developing gait-related diseases. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TOP 08-2-111B Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Contamination Survivability, Small Items of Equipment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-16

e.g., mud, grease, and other). j. Pretest (baseline) and posttest (30 days after the first contamination and/or other defined long-term time...item surface condition (pretest and posttest ), materials of construction, paint type, and surface cleanliness (e.g., mud, grease, decontamination...penetrate. h. Pretest and posttest ME functional performance characteristics used as the measure of the test item’s mission performance before

Framework for Instructional Technology: Methods of Implementing Adaptive Training and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

with when they were correct and certain, performed better on a posttest than students who got the same (positive) feedback for every correct...analogous step in previous examples. Students in this condition performed better on a posttest than students who had received fading of worked examples...well on a module posttest would get the next module at a higher level. Students learning with this system outperformed those learning with the

Clinical Trial of a Comprehensive Treatment for High Functioning Children with ASD

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

and completion of the regulatory review; (2) implementation of the treatment for sampling wave 2; (3) completion of pretest , posttest , and follow-up...implementation of the treatment for sampling wave 3; (7) completion of pretest , posttest , and follow-up measures for sampling wave 3; (8) enrollment of...of the regulatory review; (2) implementation of the treatment for sampling wave 2; (3) completion of pretest , posttest , and follow-up measures for

Improving the Cybersecurity of Cyber-Physical Systems Through Behavioral Game Theory and Model Checking in Practice and in Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-15

pretest - posttest educational experiment with a control group and an original measurement instrument. Details of the treatment, which consisted of...promise of such an approach, a pretest - posttest educational experiment with a control group and an original measurement instrument was conducted...research question, a pretest - posttest experiment with a control group was designed. The research subjects were a representative sample of the

A Comparison of Interactive Multimedia Instruction Designs Addressing Soldiers Learning Needs

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

tailored training group would have higher point gains from pretest to posttest for the less familiar content domain (Adjust Indirect Fire) compared to...and posttest scores and user experiences, a correlation analysis was conducted. Soldiers who tended to have higher scores on the pretest also had...Soldiers enrolled in the Warrior Leaders Course at Fort Benning, GA. All the IMI variations were associated with increased test scores on posttests , but

Evaluating Experiential Leader Development: A Programmatic Evaluation and Comparison of the Effectiveness of US Air Force Squadron Officer School Curricula

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

programs regularly use mean differences between pretest and posttest measurements to represent program impact. However, research shows that participants...al. (2005) conducted a one-way comparison of models, using a single group’s pretest and posttest scores. The 2x2 structure of this research requires...for self-reports.........................................43 6. Within group across occasion ( pretest , posttest ) means, mean differences

The Single-Group, Pre- and Posttest Design in Nursing Education Research: It's Time to Move on.

PubMed

Spurlock, Darrell R

2018-02-01

Studying the effectiveness of educational interventions is centrally important to building the science of nursing education. Yet, the design most commonly used in the study of nursing education interventions-the single-group, preand posttest design-provides limited evidence to support claims of intervention effectiveness. In this Methodology Corner installment, the limitations of the single-group, preand posttest design are outlined and a review of the requirements for establishing stronger arguments for causality is presented. To overcome the limitations of single-group, preand posttest designs, nursing education researchers are encouraged to employ study designs and procedures that can significantly strengthen researchers' claims of intervention effectiveness. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(2):69-71.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

'Learn Young, Learn Fair', a stress management program for fifth and sixth graders: longitudinal results from an experimental study.

PubMed

Kraag, Gerda; Van Breukelen, Gerard J P; Kok, Gerjo; Hosman, Clemens

2009-09-01

This study examined the effects of a universal stress management program (Learn Young, Learn Fair) on stress, coping, anxiety and depression in fifth and sixth grade children. Fifty-two schools (1467 children) participated in a clustered randomized controlled trial. Data was collected in the fall of 2002, the spring of 2003, and the winter of 2004. Given the nested structure of the design mixed (multilevel) regression analyses were applied. Positive effects were found for emotion-focused coping at posttest (p < .01) and increased stress awareness at both time points. At posttest a decrease in problem solving was found (p < .01). After correcting for mediation by stress awareness the results showed that the program significantly reduced stress symptoms (p = .05) and anxiety (p = .01) at posttest. Effect sizes varied from small to large. Universal prevention programs that address stress and coping in children are warranted given the high prevalence of stress in children and the relationship between stress, on the one hand, and health complaints and pathology, on the other. Such programs are expected to be particularly salient for children with an increased sensitivity to stress and inadequate coping styles (e.g., diathesis-stress model). The results indicate that the school-based program 'Learn Young, Learn Fair' may be a valuable program for reducing stress in children.

Do Early Literacy Skills in Children's First Language Promote Development of Skills in Their Second Language? An Experimental Evaluation of Transfer

PubMed Central

Goodrich, J. Marc; Lonigan, Christopher J.; Farver, JoAnn M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-language transfer of the emergent literacy skills of preschoolers who were Spanish-speaking language minority children in the context of an experimental intervention study. Ninety-four children were randomly assigned to either a control condition (High/Scope preschool curriculum) or to receive small-group pull-out instruction (Literacy Express Preschool Curriculum) in English or initially in Spanish and transitioning to English. We examined whether children's initial skills in one language moderated the impact of the intervention on those same skills in the other language at posttest. Results demonstrated that, for children in the English-only intervention condition, initial Spanish receptive vocabulary and elision skills moderated the impact of the intervention on English receptive vocabulary and elision skills at posttest, respectively. For children in the transitional intervention condition, initial English definitional vocabulary and elision skills moderated the impact of the intervention on Spanish definitional vocabulary and elision skills at posttest, respectively. Results for the vocabulary interactions, as well as the elision interaction for the English-only intervention group comparisons, supported the notion of transfer of specific linguistic information across languages. Results for elision interaction for the transitional intervention group comparisons supported language-independent transfer. Implications for the theory of cross-language transfer of emergent literacy skills are discussed. PMID:24019555

Fostering clinical reasoning in physiotherapy: comparing the effects of concept map study and concept map completion after example study in novice and advanced learners.

PubMed

Montpetit-Tourangeau, Katherine; Dyer, Joseph-Omer; Hudon, Anne; Windsor, Monica; Charlin, Bernard; Mamede, Sílvia; van Gog, Tamara

2017-12-01

Health profession learners can foster clinical reasoning by studying worked examples presenting fully worked out solutions to a clinical problem. It is possible to improve the learning effect of these worked examples by combining them with other learning activities based on concept maps. This study investigated which combinaison of activities, worked examples study with concept map completion or worked examples study with concept map study, fosters more meaningful learning of intervention knowledge in physiotherapy students. Moreover, this study compared the learning effects of these learning activity combinations between novice and advanced learners. Sixty-one second-year physiotherapy students participated in the study which included a pre-test phase, a 130-min guided-learning phase and a four-week self-study phase. During the guided and self-study learning sessions, participants had to study three written worked examples presenting the clinical reasoning for selecting electrotherapeutic currents to treat patients with motor deficits. After each example, participants engaged in either concept map completion or concept map study depending on which learning condition they were randomly allocated to. Students participated in an immediate post-test at the end of the guided-learning phase and a delayed post-test at the end of the self-study phase. Post-tests assessed the understanding of principles governing the domain of knowledge to be learned (conceptual knowledge) and the ability to solve new problems that have similar (i.e., near transfer) or different (i.e., far transfer) solution rationales as problems previously studied in the examples. Learners engaged in concept map completion outperformed those engaged in concept map study on near transfer (p = .010) and far transfer (p < .001) performance. There was a significant interaction effect of learners' prior ability and learning condition on conceptual knowledge but not on near and far transfer performance. Worked examples study combined with concept map completion led to greater transfer performance than worked examples study combined with concept map study for both novice and advanced learners. Concept map completion might give learners better insight into what they have and have not yet learned, allowing them to focus on those aspects during subsequent example study.

An analysis of science instruction in the fifth-grade science classroom: Investigating activity-based instruction with student-generated discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vowell, Julie E.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which debriefing impacts the level of cognitive understanding among students in the fifth-grade science classroom. This mixed methods study involved two fifth-grade science classrooms (N = 39) in a one month exploration of rocks and minerals. Two fifth-grade science classrooms participated in a unit using identical content, but had different pedagogical orientations. The experimental class was taught using the "Do-Talk-Do-Debrief" instructional method and the control class was taught using the "Do-Talk-Do" instructional method without the "Debrief" (metacognitive component). Research for the quantitative portion of this study was conducted using a pretest-posttest control-group design. The design was used to test the hypothesized relationship between an activity-based instructional method with debriefing and students' achievement. Two intact, equivalent fifth-grade classes were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Prior to the beginning of the study, a researcher-developed pretest was administered to all participants to assess the students' prior knowledge of rocks and minerals. A posttest measure was given to the participants upon conclusion of the unit to measure knowledge and understanding. Following the posttest, the participants did not receive additional instruction over rocks and minerals. A similar posttest was administered to both groups two weeks later as an added measure for retention. A t-test for independent samples was used to examine differences on the pretest between the experimental and control groups. Likewise, a t-test was used to compare the mean scores on the first posttest (achievement). A separate t-test was conducted on the second posttest (retention) and was followed by a Pearson Product Moment Correlation, conducted by group. Research for the qualitative portion of this study involved classroom observations throughout the rock and mineral unit followed by a teacher interview. Observations were made in two fifth-grade classrooms and Flanders' Categories for Interaction Analysis was used as a framework for observing the level of social interaction. The observations were transcribed and developed into a "thick" record as suggested by Dr. Phil Carspecken's stages of qualitative research. Member checking and peer debriefing techniques were employed to increase the trustworthiness of the study. The quantitative data suggested science achievement of fifth-grade science students who learned through activity-based instruction with debriefing was statistically significantly higher than the science achievement of fifth-grade science students who learned through activity-based instruction without debriefing (p<.01), as measured by the first posttest. Also, student retention as measured by fifth-grade science students who learned through activity-based instruction was statistically significantly higher than fifth-grade science students who learned through activity-based instruction without debriefing (p<.01), as measured by the second posttest. Additionally, the effect sizes for achievement and retention were very large and educationally meaningful. Activity-based instruction enhanced with debriefing resulted in a deeper construction of knowledge and retention of understanding.

A 2-year follow-up of a lifestyle physical activity versus a structured exercise intervention in older adults.

PubMed

Opdenacker, Joke; Delecluse, Christophe; Boen, Filip

2011-09-01

To evaluate the long-term effects of a lifestyle intervention and a structured exercise intervention on physical fitness and cardiovascular risk factors in older adults. Controlled trial with randomization between the intervention groups. Belgium, Vlaams-Brabant. One hundred eighty-six sedentary but healthy men and women aged 60 to 83. Participants in the lifestyle intervention were stimulated to integrate physical activity into their daily routines and received an individualized home-based program supported by telephone calls. The structured intervention consisted of three weekly supervised sessions in a fitness center. Both interventions lasted 11 months and focused on endurance, strength, flexibility, and postural and balance exercises. Cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, functional performance, blood pressure, and body composition were measured before (pretest), at the end (11 months, posttest), and 1 year after the end (23 months, follow-up) of the interventions. The results from pretest to posttest have already been published. The current study analyzed the results from posttest to follow-up. There was a decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and functional performance from posttest to follow-up in the structured intervention group but not in the control group or the lifestyle intervention group. At 23 months, participants in both groups still showed improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness. In addition, the structured group showed long-term improvements in muscular fitness, whereas the lifestyle group showed long-term improvements in functional performance. No long-term effects were found for blood pressure or body composition. These results highlight the potential of a structured fitness center-based intervention and a home-based lifestyle intervention in the battle against inactivity in older adults. Lifestyle programs are especially valuable because they require fewer resources and less time from health institutions and health practitioners. © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2011, The American Geriatrics Society.

A radio-education intervention to improve maternal knowledge of obstetric danger signs.

PubMed

Radoff, Kari A; Levi, Amy J; Thompson, Lisa M

2013-10-01

To examine whether a radio-education intervention (REI) is associated with improved maternal knowledge of pregnancy danger signs (PDS) in Nicaragua. This cross-sectional pilot study used pretests and posttests to evaluate whether an REI was associated with improved knowledge of PDS among 77 pregnant and postpartum women in Nicaragua. The total number of PDS identified by study participants increased from 130 before the intervention to 200 after the intervention, an increase of 53.8% (Wilcoxon signed-rank test (z) = -4.18; P < 0.00001). The three PDS for which participant knowledge increased significantly after the intervention were 1) swelling of the face and hands, 2) convulsions, and 3) vaginal bleeding. Participants who 1) reported having a sister who had experienced a pregnancy complication, 2) lived in an urban setting, and 3) had more than a sixth-grade education were significantly more likely to score higher on posttests related to knowledge of PDS than those without those attributes (90.9% versus 56.9% [Χ² (degrees of freedom) = 4.60 (1); P = 0.043; n = 76]; 75% versus 45.9% [Χ² = 6.8 (1); P = 0.009; n = 77]; and 62.5% (12+ years education) versus 79.3% (6-12 years) versus 50.0% (0-6 years education) versus 25.0% (no education) [Χ² = 8.11 (1); P = 0.044; n = 77] respectively). Exposure to the REI was associated with a significant increase in the ability to identify PDS. Further studies should establish whether this increase in knowledge of PDS is associated with increases in use of maternity care services and decreases in delays in seeking care.

Long-term learning of stroke knowledge among children in a high-risk community.

PubMed

Williams, Olajide; DeSorbo, Alexandra; Noble, James; Shaffer, Michele; Gerin, William

2012-08-21

To evaluate the effect of Hip Hop Stroke, a school-based multimedia musical stroke literacy intervention that targets children aged 8-12 in high-risk minority communities, on the long-term learning of stroke knowledge. We enrolled a cohort of 104 fifth and sixth grade children from 2 schools in Central Harlem into a single course of Hip Hop Stroke (3 1-hour classroom sessions, delivered over 3 consecutive days). Tests evaluating knowledge of stroke symptoms and behavioral intent to call 911 using hypothetical stroke scenarios were conducted at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 15 months after the initial and only intervention. A composite score was created from 5 traditional stroke symptoms plus a distracter (chest pain). Data were analyzed using SAS version 9.2. A total of 104 students completed both pretests (PTs) and immediate posttests (IPs), and 85 students completed all 3 tests, including a 15-month delayed posttest (DP) (81.7% retention rate). At pretest, 55.8% correctly identified calling 911. The baseline composite score was 3.24 (SD 1.45). At IP, stroke knowledge increased significantly across all items: calling 911 (85.6%, p < 0.001) and composite score (5.30, p < 0.0001). At 15 months, stroke knowledge increased significantly from PT for all measures except sudden headache with a composite score of 4.73 (p < 0.0001, PT vs DP). Three hours of Hip Hop Stroke significantly improved knowledge of stroke symptoms and behavioral intent to call 911 of fifth and sixth grade children living in a high stroke risk neighborhood. This learning persisted for up to 15 months postintervention.

Do We Need Remedial College Math Courses?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Anne O.; Khatri, D.

2006-12-01

Entering college freshmen, in increasing numbers, in practically every public institution of higher learning are in need of one or two remedial math courses. This is particularly a big problem at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities where a large number of remedial math course sections are offered to meet the growing demand for such courses. For most of these students, graduation is delayed by at least a year. In addition, these students continue to be taught by teaching methodologies that did not work for them even in high schools resulting in disgust and hatred for math. This situation makes entry for these students into STEM areas difficult and is the perfect recipe for failure in STEM disciplines if they enroll in college level courses. The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is no exception. A first attempt was made in summer 2006 to remedy this situation. The problem for this exploratory research study was to ascertain if a short, intensive six-week project in basic math and introductory algebra would produce a recognizable improvement in the math performance of entering UDC freshmen students as measured by the UDC math placement test. The results are eye opening. On the pre-test for basic math (005), the mean score for the group (N=10) was 35.6, with the passing score being 70. On the post-test, the mean increased to 63.4 showing an improvement of 78 percent. The authors will present the results of this research study at the conference

Educational intervention for liver transplantation candidates.

PubMed

Dal Sasso Mendes, Karina; de Castro e Silva Junior, Orlando; da Costa Ziviani, Luciana; Rossin, Fabiana Murad; Fontão Zago, Márcia Maria; Galvão, Cristina Maria

2013-02-01

The objective in this study was to analyze candidates' knowledge on the liver transplantation process before and after putting in practice an educational intervention. A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest research design was adopted. The final sample included 15 subjects. Research data were collected between January and March 2010 in three phases, which were: pretest, implementation of the educational intervention (two meetings) and posttest. The results evidenced significant cognitive gains after the intervention, with improvements in the participants' performance . The research presents evidence that putting in practice a patient education strategy can enhance candidates' knowledge on the liver transplantation process and consequently contribute to a successful treatment.

The meaning of diagnostic test results: a spreadsheet for swift data analysis.

PubMed

Maceneaney, P M; Malone, D E

2000-03-01

To design a spreadsheet program to: (a) analyse rapidly diagnostic test result data produced in local research or reported in the literature; (b) correct reported predictive values for disease prevalence in any population; (c) estimate the post-test probability of disease in individual patients. Microsoft Excel(TM)was used. Section A: a contingency (2 x 2) table was incorporated into the spreadsheet. Formulae for standard calculations [sample size, disease prevalence, sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals, predictive values and likelihood ratios (LRs)] were linked to this table. The results change automatically when the data in the true or false negative and positive cells are changed. Section B: this estimates predictive values in any population, compensating for altered disease prevalence. Sections C-F: Bayes' theorem was incorporated to generate individual post-test probabilities. The spreadsheet generates 95% confidence intervals, LRs and a table and graph of conditional probabilities once the sensitivity and specificity of the test are entered. The latter shows the expected post-test probability of disease for any pre-test probability when a test of known sensitivity and specificity is positive or negative. This spreadsheet can be used on desktop and palmtop computers. The MS Excel(TM)version can be downloaded via the Internet from the URL ftp://radiography.com/pub/Rad-data99.xls A spreadsheet is useful for contingency table data analysis and assessment of the clinical meaning of diagnostic test results. Copyright 2000 The Royal College of Radiologists.

Does Exercise Improve Cognitive Performance? A Conservative Message from Lord's Paradox.

PubMed

Liu, Sicong; Lebeau, Jean-Charles; Tenenbaum, Gershon

2016-01-01

Although extant meta-analyses support the notion that exercise results in cognitive performance enhancement, methodology shortcomings are noted among primary evidence. The present study examined relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the past 20 years (1996-2015) for methodological concerns arise from Lord's paradox. Our analysis revealed that RCTs supporting the positive effect of exercise on cognition are likely to include Type I Error(s). This result can be attributed to the use of gain score analysis on pretest-posttest data as well as the presence of control group superiority over the exercise group on baseline cognitive measures. To improve accuracy of causal inferences in this area, analysis of covariance on pretest-posttest data is recommended under the assumption of group equivalence. Important experimental procedures are discussed to maintain group equivalence.

An Integrated Interactive-Spaced Education Radiology Curriculum for Preclinical Students.

PubMed

Tshibwabwa, Eli; Mallin, Robert; Fraser, Madeleine; Tshibwabwa, Martin; Sanii, Reza; Rice, James; Cannon, Jenifer

2017-01-01

The objective of this study is to determine whether a radiology module, together with online spaced education, helps students of an integrated problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum increase their radiology knowledge and long-term retention. Second-year students at the American University of Antigua College of Medicine participated in small groups of ten students each into two 2 h of radiology laboratories. The study comprised two cohorts: winter and fall 2013 students (control group) and 2014 students (experimental group). Both groups used face-to-face PBL. The students of the experimental group received additional online-spaced education. The skills were assessed for both groups before the beginning of laboratories and 4 weeks and 7 months after laboratories. There was no significant difference on pretest between the control and experimental groups. On completion of the radiology laboratories, comparison of test results before and after training showed net improvement for both groups. The corresponding difference for the experimental group was higher compared to the one for the control group (7.83 vs. 6.21, P < 0.001). The difference between the scores on delayed test and pretest showed that the students of both groups demonstrated average knowledge improvement even though their level of performance was slightly below the posttest. The corresponding difference for the experimental group did not differ much from the posttest ( P > 0.05), and no significant difference of scores was observed 7 months later for either group. Further, a higher percentage of the students in the experimental group strongly agreed that their learning objectives were met (92% vs. 71%, P > 0.001), and this trend persisted throughout the study. Online spaced education combined to a face-to-face PBL enhances not only the student's knowledge of basic radiology along with his/her self-assessment skills but also the long-term retention of radiology material and satisfaction with the integrated interactive system-based module. Future research is needed to see if medical students in need of additional education support may benefit from spaced education in the field of remediation.

Parenting in 2 Worlds: Pilot Results from a Culturally Adapted Parenting Program for Urban American Indians

PubMed Central

Kulis, Stephen; Ayers, Stephanie L.; Baker, Tahnee

2014-01-01

This study reports the implementation and feasibility of a culturally adapted parenting curriculum, Parenting in 2 Worlds (P2W), which we designed specifically for urban American Indian families by means of community-based participatory research and then pilot tested in three Arizona cities. Data come from matched pre- and post-test surveys completed in 2012 by 75 American Indian parents of adolescents aged 10–17 who participated in the pilot version of P2W. P2W is a 10-workshop program administered twice a week for five weeks by trained American Indian community facilitators. Parents completed pretest surveys during Workshop 1 and post-test surveys five weeks later during Workshop 10. Paired t tests assessed changes in parenting outcomes, cultural identity, and child anti-social behavior. Changes from pre- to post-test demonstrated statistically significant improvements in several parenting outcomes (discipline, involvement, self-agency, and supervision), a strengthened sense of ethnic and cultural identity and Native spirituality, and a decrease in the child’s anti-social behavior. These results, which show significant if preliminary improvements in parenting skills and family functioning, suggest the feasibility of implementing a culturally grounded parenting intervention for urban American Indian parents. PMID:25367804

Effects of dog-assisted intervention on quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia.

PubMed

Kårefjärd, Ann; Nordgren, Lena

2018-04-25

People with dementia often have a poor quality of life. Therefore, methods that can improve their life situation must be identified. One promising method is dog-assisted intervention. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dog-assisted intervention on quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia. A one-group, pretest post-test study design was used. Quality of life was measured using the QUALID in 59 nursing home residents prior to and after a dog-assisted intervention. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data, and effect sizes were calculated. The participants' total scores improved significantly between baseline and post-test 1 (p = < 0.001) and worsened significantly at post-test 2 (p = 0.025). The largest effect size was found for the item 'Verbalization suggests discomfort' (p = 0.001). The results indicate that dog-assisted interventions can have positive effects on quality of life in nursing home residents with moderate to severe dementia. The results contribute to a growing knowledge base about non-pharmacological methods that can be used in dementia care. Occupational therapists should consider dog-assisted interventions when planning activities that can reduce the illness burden and improve the quality of life for people with dementia.

Do occupational therapy and physical therapy curricula teach critical thinking skills?

PubMed

Vogel, Kimberly A; Geelhoed, Michael; Grice, Kimatha O; Murphy, Douglas

2009-01-01

This study evaluated whether critical thinking ability can be improved through participation in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) curricula. The researchers compared levels of the critical thinking skills of OT and PT students at the beginning and end of their programs to determine whether changes occurred and to examine facets of the curricula that may have caused the differences. The curricula include teaching strategies of problem-based learning modules, small group discussion and problem-solving, case studies, clinical observation, and evidence-based practice assignments, as well as teaching about critical thinking as a process in itself. Fifty OT and PT students completed the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal at the beginning and end of 20 mos of the academic phase of their master's degree programs. Researchers analyzed the data using a one-way repeated-measures ANOVA. Results showed no differences between OT and PT students on the pretest or post-test and no differences for PT students between the pretest and post-test. OT students' scores increased significantly from pretest to post-test. The influence of the timing of teaching critical thinking skills in the resulting differences between the two curricula, as well as the validity of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is a valid measure of critical thinking changes in allied health students are discussed.

Cooperative learning strategies to teach nutrition to geriatric nursing staff.

PubMed

Arroyo, Marta; Rocandio, Ana Ma; Ansotegui, Laura; Pascual, Estíbaliz; Martínez de la Pera, Concepción

2008-03-01

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that cooperative learning strategies will help to increase nutrition knowledge of nurses and nursing assistants caring for the elderly in different institutional communities of the Basque Country, Spain. The target population was a sample of volunteers, 16 nurses and 28 nursing assistants. Training consisted of 12 nutrition education sessions using cooperative strategies conducted over a period of 3 consecutive weeks. The assessment instruments included two pretest and two posttest questionnaires with questions selected in multiple-choice format. The first questionnaire was about general knowledge of applied nutrition (0-88 point scale) and the second one on geriatric nutrition knowledge (0-18 point scale). Data were analyzed using SPSS vs. 11.0. The outcomes indicated a significant increase in general nutrition knowledge (difference between the pre- and post-test mean score: 14.5+/-10.1; P<0.001) and in geriatric nutrition knowledge for all participants (difference between the pre- and post-test mean score: 4.6+/-4.6; P<0.001). So the results indicated that cooperative learning strategies could improve the nutrition knowledge of nursing staff. Additionally, the results of this study provide direction to continuing nutrition education program planners regarding appropriate content and methodology for programs.

Defense Acquisition Research Journal. Volume 22, Number 2, Issue 73

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

and influence post-test outcomes. According to Kim and Wilson (2010), "there can be substantial effects of pretest on posttest , especially when the...demographic groups —_nside versus outside the Beltway, time in billet, etc. The "Increase Return on [nvestmer.t" article examines the use of...demographics to determine whether one group might be better prepared for the advanced concepts course. The DAU faculty compares pre-test data to post-test

Social Awareness and Action Training (SAAT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

scheduled for September, 2013, and the one -year follow-in June, 2014. o Preliminary analyses of the pretest - posttest data from Fort Sill and JBLM...training session ( pretest , Time 1) and immediately after the last training session ( posttest , Time 2). The sample size was estimated based on an expected...reverse worded items. As noted in Figure 1, data from 20 soldiers on the pretest or posttest (11 from the SRT, 9 from the CAT) were judged to be of

Innovative Leader Development: Evaluation of the U.S. Army Asymmetric Warfare Adaptive Leader Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

weaknesses of any one method or measure with other approaches. Second, for most outcome measures, we used a pretest – posttest design and included measures of...behaviors on their jobs ( pretest ) or should do so ( posttest ). The surveys asked the same kinds of attitude questions for behaviors per- taining to...General cognitive ability was strongly and positively associated with scores on the pretest and posttest , but there was no interaction between the

Influence of the Officer Retention Resource Website on Attitudes and Retention Intentions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

Method Design A pretest - posttest control group design was used to assess the impact of the website on officers’ perceptions, attitudes, and retention...covariance (ANCOVA) approach to analyze the data from a pretest - posttest control group design because it generally offers more power than other designs ...between the pretest and posttest is large (r > .70), the gain score approach will have more power than an ANCOVA. Although about one-third of the

2009 Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

FY08 to assess the program’s effectiveness. MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS Pretest and posttests have been developed with the expertise of the physicians...among the trainees. Pretest scores ranged from 55.0% to 80.0%, while posttest scores ranged from 72.5% to 82.5%, making it clear that it was a...valuable training for all participants. The average pretest score ranged from approximately 67.5% to a posttest average of 79.0%, showing clear

Vibrotactile Postural Control in Patients that have Sit-to-Stand Balance Deficit and Fall

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

Design A prospective, pretest / posttest repeated measure design evaluated subjects’ response to force platform vibrotactile intervention. The...FIM-Motor) Pretest Activity Performance Posttest 1 Maximal Assist (performs less than 25% of task) 1 2 Maximal Assist (performs 25%-49% of task...collection vary from a pretest interval of 6 months to posttest intervals of 2 weeks, 60 days, and 90 days. For example, the pretest asks subjects to report

The Impact of Behavioral Health Issues on Soldiers Returning from Deployment -- Assessing the Programs for Reintegration of South Carolina National Guard Soldiers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-23

determine if the group means are significantly different. Analysis should include comparison of pretest - posttest means within- group and between... groups . A repeated measures analysis should also be conducted on subject‘s pretest - posttest means within groups . Information gained from the statistical...Black Single Unemployed 30 - 39 Senior NCO Hispanic ≥ 40 Officers Other - A research design embedding a pretest / posttest with a stratified then

TRAC-PF1/MOD1 pretest predictions of MIST experiments

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

Boyack, B.E.; Steiner, J.L.; Siebe, D.A.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is a participant in the Integral System Test (IST) program initiated in June 1983 to provide integral system test data on specific issues and phenomena relevant to post small-break loss-of-coolant accidents (SBLOCAs) in Babcock and Wilcox plant designs. The Multi-Loop Integral System Test (MIST) facility is the largest single component in the IST program. During Fiscal Year 1986, Los Alamos performed five MIST pretest analyses. The five experiments were chosen on the basis of their potential either to approach the facility limits or to challenge the predictive capability of the TRAC-PF1/MOD1 code. Three SBLOCA tests weremore » examined which included nominal test conditions, throttled auxiliary feedwater and asymmetric steam-generator cooldown, and reduced high-pressure-injection (HPI) capacity, respectively. Also analyzed were two ''feed-and-bleed'' cooling tests with reduced HPI and delayed HPI initiation. Results of the tests showed that the MIST facility limits would not be approached in the five tests considered. Early comparisons with preliminary test data indicate that the TRAC-PF1/MOD1 code is correctly calculating the dominant phenomena occurring in the MIST facility during the tests. Posttest analyses are planned to provide a quantitative assessment of the code's ability to predict MIST transients.« less

Does self-efficacy mediate transfer effects in the learning of easy and difficult motor skills?

PubMed

Stevens, David; Anderson, David I; O'Dwyer, Nicholas J; Mark Williams, A

2012-09-01

The effect of task difficulty on inter-task transfer is a classic issue in motor learning. We examined the relation between self-efficacy and transfer of learning after practicing different versions of a stick balancing task. Practicing the same task or an easier version led to significant pre- to post-test transfer of learning, whereas practicing a more difficult version did not. Self-efficacy increased modestly from pre- to post-test with easy practice, but decreased significantly with difficult practice. In addition, self-efficacy immediately prior to the post-test was significantly lower after difficult practice than easy or intermediate practice. Self-efficacy immediately prior to the post-test, performance at the end of practice, and pre-test performance explained 75% of the variance in post-test performance. The mediating role of self-efficacy on transfer of learning offers an alternative explanation for recent findings on the superiority of easy-to-difficult transfer and may help clarify inconsistencies in earlier research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Some unexamined aspects of analysis of covariance in pretest-posttest studies.

PubMed

Ganju, Jitendra

2004-09-01

The use of an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model in a pretest-posttest setting deserves to be studied separately from its use in other (non-pretest-posttest) settings. For pretest-posttest studies, the following points are made in this article: (a) If the familiar change from baseline model accurately describes the data-generating mechanism for a randomized study then it is impossible for unequal slopes to exist. Conversely, if unequal slopes exist, then it implies that the change from baseline model as a data-generating mechanism is inappropriate. An alternative data-generating model should be identified and the validity of the ANCOVA model should be demonstrated. (b) Under the usual assumptions of equal pretest and posttest within-subject error variances, the ratio of the standard error of a treatment contrast from a change from baseline analysis to that from ANCOVA is less than 2(1)/(2). (c) For an observational study it is possible for unequal slopes to exist even if the change from baseline model describes the data-generating mechanism. (d) Adjusting for the pretest variable in observational studies may actually introduce bias where none previously existed.

A meta-analysis of the RTI literature for children at risk for reading disabilities.

PubMed

Tran, Loan; Sanchez, Tori; Arellano, Brenda; Lee Swanson, H

2011-01-01

This article synthesizes the literature comparing at-risk children designated as responders and low responders to interventions in reading. The central question addressed in this review is whether individual differences in reading-related skills at pretest predict responders at posttest across a variety of interventions and sets of criteria for determining responding and low responding. A total of 13 studies met criteria for the meta-analysis, yielding 107 weighted effect sizes (ESs) at posttest (M = .76, SE = .03, 95% confidence interval [CI] =.71, .81) and 108 weighted ESs at pretest (M = 1.02, SE = .03, CI = 1.02, 1.13). The results showed that the magnitude of ES between responders and low responders increased from pretest to posttest on measures of reading (e.g., real word identification = 1.06 vs. 1.53, word attack = 1.10 vs. 1.28, and passage comprehension, 0.45 vs. 1.43). Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that overall posttest ESs were significantly moderated by pretest scores as well as the type of measure administered, whereas no significant moderating effects were found for number of weeks of intervention, length of sessions, number of sessions, type of intervention (one-to-one vs. small group instruction), and criteria for defining responders (cutoff, scores, discrepancy, benchmark). Overall, the synthesis suggested that regardless of type of treatment and identification criteria, response-to-intervention (RTI) conditions were not effective in mitigating learner characteristics related to pretest conditions.

Physician Bayesian updating from personal beliefs about the base rate and likelihood ratio.

PubMed

Rottman, Benjamin Margolin

2017-02-01

Whether humans can accurately make decisions in line with Bayes' rule has been one of the most important yet contentious topics in cognitive psychology. Though a number of paradigms have been used for studying Bayesian updating, rarely have subjects been allowed to use their own preexisting beliefs about the prior and the likelihood. A study is reported in which physicians judged the posttest probability of a diagnosis for a patient vignette after receiving a test result, and the physicians' posttest judgments were compared to the normative posttest calculated from their own beliefs in the sensitivity and false positive rate of the test (likelihood ratio) and prior probability of the diagnosis. On the one hand, the posttest judgments were strongly related to the physicians' beliefs about both the prior probability as well as the likelihood ratio, and the priors were used considerably more strongly than in previous research. On the other hand, both the prior and the likelihoods were still not used quite as much as they should have been, and there was evidence of other nonnormative aspects to the updating, such as updating independent of the likelihood beliefs. By focusing on how physicians use their own prior beliefs for Bayesian updating, this study provides insight into how well experts perform probabilistic inference in settings in which they rely upon their own prior beliefs rather than experimenter-provided cues. It suggests that there is reason to be optimistic about experts' abilities, but that there is still considerable need for improvement.

IMMEDIATE AND FOLLOW-UP EFFECTS OF A POSTURE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Natália Brites; Sedrez, Juliana Adami; Candotti, Cláudia Tarragô; Vieira, Adriane

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the short- and medium-term effects of the posture education program (PEP) for students of elementary school regarding theoretical knowledge and posture during activities of daily living (ADLs). Methods: The sample consisted of 38 students (aged 8-12 years) in the third grade of elementary school in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Southern Brazil). The children were evaluated in three moments: prior to attending the PEP (pretest); after attending the PEP (post-test); and five months after the conclusion of the PEP, immediately after a learning review of four lessons (five months follow-up). The posture during ADLs and the theoretical knowledge about spine and body posture were assessed, based on specific instruments (layout for assessing the dynamic posture - LADy; and questionnaire). The Friedman test, post hoc Wilcoxon test, and Bonferroni correction were applied to identify the differences among the evaluative moments, as they are statistically significant at α<0.05. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the post-test and follow-up concerning the theoretical knowledge. In addition, no statistically significant difference was found between post-test and follow-up in relation to ADLs; however, the performance of students was higher in the post-test and follow-up, when compared with the pretest. Conclusions: Immediately after the PEP’s conclusion, the students improved their posture in ADLs. These positive effects and the theoretical knowledge were retained in the follow-up (after the review lessons). PMID:28977326

Application of case discussions to improve anatomy learning in Syria.

PubMed

Sabbagh, Mohammad Ayman

2013-10-01

Designing a new approach for learning gross anatomy to improve students' motivation to study anatomy and to enable them to learn independently through case discussion. The study included newly registered students in the first academic year. The total number of students was 165, who were divided by alphabetical order into 15 groups of 11 students. Each group was led by one faculty member and each faculty member lead 3 groups. Each group met twice a week for 2 weeks to discuss one case related to the upper limb anatomy. Students took pre- and posttests and completed an opinion questionnaire about the case discussions. The pretest score shows that 20% of the students received grades of 60% or above and that 80% received grades less than 60%. The posttest showed that 45% of the students received grades of 60% or above and that 55% received grades less than 60%. There was a significant difference between the pre- and posttest for grades <60% (P = 0.0000) and less significant for grades >60% (P = 0.0023). In addition, 17% of students achieved the same results (less than 60%) in both the pre- and posttests. The questionnaire revealed that all students stated that the discussion method was useful in their learning process, helped them to increase their motivation to study anatomy (85%), know the usefulness of studying anatomy (84%), and understand the problems (91%). The implementation of the case discussion in teaching anatomy can increase the students' understanding and motivate them to learn.

Preliminary report of a Web-based instrument to assess and teach knowledge and clinical thinking to medical student

PubMed Central

Tokunaga, Hironobu; Ando, Hirotaka; Obika, Mikako; Miyoshi, Tomoko; Tokuda, Yasuharu; Bautista, Miho; Kataoka, Hitomi; Terasawa, Hidekazu

2014-01-01

Objectives We report the preliminary development of a unique Web-based instrument for assessing and teaching knowledge and developing clinical thinking called the “Sequential Questions and Answers” (SQA) test. Included in this feasibility report are physicians’ answers to the Sequential Questions and Answers pre- and posttests and their brief questionnaire replies. Methods The authors refined the SQA test case scenario for content, ease of modifications of case scenarios, test uploading and answer retrieval. Eleven geographically distant physicians evaluated the SQA test, taking the pretest and posttest within two weeks. These physicians completed a brief questionnaire about the SQA test. Results Eleven physicians completed the SQA pre- and posttest; all answers were downloaded for analysis. They reported the ease of website login and navigating within the test module together with many helpful suggestions. Their average posttest score gain was 53% (p=0.012). Conclusions We report the successful launch of a unique Web-based instrument referred to as the Sequential Questions and Answers test. This distinctive test combines teaching organization of the clinical narrative into an assessment tool that promotes acquiring medical knowledge and clinical thinking. We successfully demonstrated the feasibility of geographically distant physicians to access the SQA instrument. The physicians’ helpful suggestions will be added to future SQA test versions. Medical schools might explore the integration of this multi-language-capable SQA assessment and teaching instrument into their undergraduate medical curriculum. PMID:25341203

Increasing Orgasm and Decreasing Dyspareunia by a Manual Physical Therapy Technique

PubMed Central

Wurn, Lawrence J; Wurn, Belinda F; Roscow, Amanda S; King, C Richard; Scharf, Eugenia S; Shuster, Jonathan J

2004-01-01

Context Female sexual pain and dysfunction Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a new site-specific, manual soft-tissue therapy in increasing orgasm and reducing dyspareunia (painful intercourse) in women with histories indicating abdominopelvic adhesion formation. Design and Intervention A total of 29 new patients presenting with infertility or abdominopelvic pain-related problems, and also indicating sexual pain or dysfunction, received a series of treatments (mean, 19.5 hours) designed to address biomechanical dysfunction and restricted mobility due to adhesions affecting the reproductive organs and adjacent structures. Outcome Measures Primary outcome measures were post-test vs pretest scores on: (1) the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) full scale, orgasm domain, and pain domain; and (2) 3 supplemental 10-point rating scales of sexual pain levels. Secondary outcome measures were post-test vs pretest scores in the other 4 FSFI domains (desire, arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for all statistical analyses. Results For the 23 patients available for follow-up, the paired FSFI post-test vs pretest scores were significant (P ≤ .003) on all measures. Of the 17 patients who completed the 3 sexual pain scales, the paired post-test vs pretest scores were significant (P ≤ .002) Conclusions Many cases of inhibited orgasm, dyspareunia, and other aspects of sexual dysfunction seem to be treatable by a distinctive, noninvasive manual therapy with no risks and few, if any, adverse effects. The therapy should be considered a new adjunct to existing gynecologic and medical treatments. PMID:15775874

Impact of school health education program on personal hygiene among school children of Lucknow district.

PubMed

Khatoon, Ruby; Sachan, Beena; Khan, Mohsin Ali; Srivastava, J P

2017-01-01

Personal hygiene plays a major role to promote healthy life. This study was performed to assess the current level of knowledge and practicing behavior in regard to hand washing, bathing, tooth brushing, and taking care of nail and hair. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 800 students of Lucknow district. All the students were interviewed with a structured questionnaire (pretest). A visual display of good and bad personal hygiene was shown on projector and explained the benefits of good personal hygiene behavior. Again, structured questionnaire was given (posttest). Most of the students belonged to the 10-12 years age group. The knowledge of the students regarding general body cleanliness was 87.5% in posttest as compared to 53.8% in pretest. Keeping the hair well-trimmed was considered as a part of personal hygiene by 38.0% of students. Knowledge about eating less food in diarrhea was positive in 80% of students. Only 12.5% of students accepted that diarrhea can kill children (pretest) while 100% (posttest) children were aware of this fact. Practice regarding change of clothes was on alternate day in 79.5% of students. Most of the students were found washing their hair once a week (72.5%) and 70% students were washing hands before meal. Overall trend of knowledge and practice about personal hygiene was in poor condition among students at the time of pretest. Posttest results were highly satisfactory.

Comparing two books and establishing probably efficacious treatment for low sexual desire.

PubMed

Balzer, Alexandra M; Mintz, Laurie B

2015-04-01

Using a sample of 45 women, this study compared the effectiveness of a previously studied (Mintz, Balzer, Zhao, & Bush, 2012) bibliotherapy intervention (Mintz, 2009), a similar self-help book (Hall, 2004), and a wait-list control (WLC) group. To examine intervention effectiveness, between and within group standardized effect sizes (interpreted with Cohen's, 1988 benchmarks .20 = small, .50 = medium, .80+ = large) and their confidence limits are used. In comparison to the WLC group, both interventions yielded large between-group posttest effect sizes on a measure of sexual desire. Additionally, large between-group posttest effect sizes were found for sexual satisfaction and lubrication among those reading the Mintz book. When examining within-group pretest to posttest effect sizes, medium to large effects were found for desire, lubrication, and orgasm for both books and for satisfaction and arousal for those reading the Mintz book. When directly comparing the books, all between-group posttest effect sizes were likely obtained by chance. It is concluded that both books are equally effective in terms of the outcome of desire, but whether or not there is differential efficacy in terms of other domains of sexual functioning is equivocal. Tentative evidence is provided for the longer term effectiveness of both books in enhancing desire. Arguing for applying criteria for empirically supported treatments to self-help, results are purported to establish the Mintz book as probably efficacious and to comprise a first step in this designation for the Hall book. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Menopausal medicine clinic: an innovative approach to enhancing the effectiveness of medical education.

PubMed

Jiang, Xuezhi; Sab, Shiv; Diamen, Sharon; Schnatz, Peter F

2012-10-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a menopause clinic to enhance trainees' medical knowledge. Between July 2004 and May 2007, 73 resident physicians completed a rotation that included a weekly menopause clinic and completion of a pretest and posttest examination. Each test contained questions on topics covering menopause, perimenopause, and general women's health. At the end of each testing session, a total score and a menopause score were given. The mean (SD) pretest menopause score and total score were 63.2% (13.3%) and 63.7% (11.3%), respectively. The mean posttest increase in the menopause score was 14%, with a median score increase of 10.2% (P < 0.0001). The posttest results ranged from a maximum decrease of 7.8% to a maximum increase of 47.1%. The mean increase in the total score was 13%, with a median increase of 10.7% (P < 0.0001). For the posttest total score, the range went from -7.2% to 39.3%. There was no correlation between the score changes and the number of clinic sessions attended, the resident specialties (obstetrics/gynecology vs non-obstetrics/gynecology), the level of training (postgraduate year 1 or 2), or the examination order (test A vs test B taken first). Menopause clinics can add to resident physician knowledge about menopause-related matters. Menopause clinics may help educate future physicians in their ability to care for postmenopausal women.

The Effect of Interpersonal Psychotherapy on Marriage Adaptive and Postpartum Depression in Isfahan

PubMed Central

Hajiheidari, Mahnaz; Sharifi, Marzieh; Khorvash, Fariborz

2013-01-01

Background: Regarding high prevalence and injurious consequences of postpartum depression, the aim of the present work is the study of the effect rate of interpersonal psychotherapy on marriage adaptive and postpartum in women. Method: The present study is semi-empiric, and included control group and pre- and post-test groups. Thirty-two women suffering from postpartum depression were selected from among female referents to counseling centers and clinics in Esfahan city by purposive sampling and were placed in two groups (control and test) randomly case group participated in a 10-weeks marriage interpersonal psychotherapy meetings. Beck II depression questionnaire and marriage adaptive scale were completed by two groups at pre-test and post-test steps. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and multivariable covariance analysis. Results: The scores of average of depression and marriage adaptive post-test in test group was significantly less than that in the control group (P < 0.0005). Conclusions: The findings of this research confirm marriage interpersonal psychotherapy on the depression recovery and the increasing marriage satisfaction of women suffering from postpartum depression. PMID:23776734

Peer Assisted Learning Strategy for Improving Students’ Physiologic Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diana, S.

2017-09-01

Research about the implementation of the Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) strategy in Plant Physiology lecture has carried out, in which it aims to improve students’ physiologic literacy. The PAL strategy began with a briefing by the lecturers to the students tutor about pretest questions, followed by the interaction between student tutors with their peers to discuss response problems, terminated by answering responsiveness questions individually. This study used a quasi-experimental method, one - group pre-test post-test design. This design includes a group of students observed in the pre-test phase (tests carried out before PAL treatment) which is then followed by treatment with PAL and ends with post-test. The other students group (control) was given the pre-test and post-test only. The results showed that the PAL strategy can increase student’s physiologic literacy significantly. One of the weaknesses of students’ physiologic literacy is that they have not been able to read the graph. The faculties are encouraged to begin introducing and teaching material using a variety of strategies with scientific literacy aspects, for example teaching research-based material. All students respond positively to the PAL strategy.

[Evaluation of a virtual class on lifelong health care for women].

PubMed

Park, Jeong Sook; Yang, Jin Hyang

2006-12-01

This study was to evaluate a virtual class, 'lifelong health care for women', for female university students. The research design was one group pre-post design. A pretest and posttest were conducted to measure CMI, perceived health status, health promoting lifestyle, and knowledge related to women's health. The subjects of this study were 74 female students in 3 universities, and they were provided with the virtual class by K university consortium for 16 weeks. Data was analyzed by descriptive and paired t-test. There were statistically significant differences in CMI (t=3.367, p=.001), perceived health status (t=-2.788, p=.007), and knowledge related to women's health (t=-10,432, p=.000) between the pretest and posttest. However, there was not a statistically significant difference in a health promoting lifestyle (t=-1.431, p=.157) between the pretest and posttest. These results suggest that a virtual class on lifelong health care for women is an effective method in decreasing health problems, and improving perceived health status and knowledge related to women's health by female university students.