Literacy Gaps by Educational Attainment: A Cross-National Analysis

PubMed Central

Park, Hyunjoon; Kyei, Pearl

2011-01-01

Existing cross-national research on educational attainment does not fully address whether the same level of educational attainment generates the same level of literacy skills in different countries. We analyze literacy skills data for young adults from 19 countries in the 1994–1998 International Adult Literacy Survey and find that in all countries, individuals with a higher level of educational attainment tend to have greater literacy skills. However, there is substantial variation across countries in the size of literacy gaps by levels of educational attainment. In particular, young adults in the United States show the largest literacy gaps. Using two-level hierarchical linear models, we find that cross-national differences in the literacy gap between more- and less-educated individuals are systematically linked to the degree of between-school inequality in school resources (instructional materials, class size, teachers’ experience and certification). PMID:21818163

Closing the Education Gap: Benefits and Costs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vernez, Georges; Krop, Richard A.; Rydell, C. Peter

This study explored the implications of demographic trends on the quality of the future labor force and on public social expenditures. It also focused on the educational costs and social benefits of educational and immigration policy alternatives designed to close the gap in educational attainment between non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics and…

Development of a framework to identify research gaps from systematic reviews.

PubMed

Robinson, Karen A; Saldanha, Ian J; McKoy, Naomi A

2011-12-01

Our objective was to develop a framework to identify research gaps from systematic reviews. We reviewed the practices of (1) evidence-based practice centers (EPCs), and (2) other organizations that conduct evidence syntheses. We developed and pilot tested a framework for identifying research gaps. Four (33%) EPCs and three (8%) other organizations reported using an explicit framework to determine research gaps. Variations of the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes) framework were most common. We developed a framework incorporating both the characterization of the gap using PICOS elements (also including setting) and the identification of the reason(s) why the gap exists as (1) insufficient or imprecise information, (2) biased information, (3) inconsistency or unknown consistency, and (4) not the right information. We mapped each of these reasons to concepts from three common evidence-grading systems. Our framework determines from systematic reviews where the current evidence falls short and why or how the evidence falls short. This explicit identification of research gaps will allow systematic reviews to maximally inform the types of questions that need to be addressed and the types of studies needed to address the research gaps. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Gap between Educators and Professional Journalists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Tom; Brandon, Wanda

2000-01-01

Surveys print and broadcast journalism educators and professionals. Finds a gap, though not a particularly wide one, between the professional journalists and journalism educators concerning courses journalism programs should emphasize, important competencies for journalism students, mid-level professional training, the importance of various…

Bridging Policy Implementation Gaps in Nigerian Education System: A Case Study of Universal Basic Education Programme in Cross River State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogbiji, Joseph Etiongbie; Ogbiji, Sylvanus Achua

2016-01-01

This research focuses on identifying policy gaps in the implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Nigeria, with Cross River State being the study area. The three research questions used for the research center on the extent of the freeness of the UBE, the extent to which the programme has stimulated educational consciousness…

Why "Gender" Disappeared from the Gender Gap: (Re-)Introducing Gender Identity Theory to Educational Gender Gap Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vantieghem, Wendelien; Vermeersch, Hans; Van Houtte, Mieke

2014-01-01

Educational gender gap research tries to explain the differential achievement of boys and girls at secondary school, which manifests in many western countries. Several explanatory frameworks are used for this purpose, such as masculinities theory. In this review article, the history of educational gender gap research in Anglo-Saxon literature and…

The Opportunity Gap Achievement and Inequality in Education. Harvard Educational Review Reprint Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

da Silva, Carol DeShano, Ed.; Huguley, James Philip, Ed.; Kakli, Zenub, Ed.; Rao, Radhika, Ed.

2007-01-01

"The Opportunity Gap" aims to shift attention from the current overwhelming emphasis on schools in discussions of the achievement gap to more fundamental questions about social and educational opportunity. The achievement gap looms large in the current era of high-stakes testing and accountability. Yet questions persist: Has the…

Understanding the Charter School Special Education Gap: Evidence from Denver, Colorado

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Marcus A.

2014-01-01

Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) commissioned Dr. Marcus Winters to analyze the factors driving the special education gap between Denver's charter and traditional public elementary and middle schools. Using student-level data, Winters shows that Denver's special education enrollment gap starts at roughly 2 percentage points in…

Addressing the "Research Gap" in Special Education through Mixed Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klingner, Janette K.; Boardman, Alison G.

2011-01-01

At least some of the challenges faced in special education, such as the disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students, the gap between research and practice, and inequitable educational opportunities, can be explained in part by a research gap, or, in other words, a failure to conduct the different types of…

The students' viewpoint on the quality gap in educational services.

PubMed

Rahim Khanli, Marziyeh; Daneshmandi, Hadi; Choobineh, Alireza

2014-07-01

Students and university community are social and human resources of the country. The students' viewpoints about the quality of educational services can be considered as a basis for planning quality promotion and improving organizational performance. This study was conducted to determine the quality gap in educational services by the students of Health and Nutrition School of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, 140 students participated voluntarily (age range=19 to 40 years). The service quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire measured the quality gap in 5 dimensions of educational service including assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability, and tangibility. The students' perception about the current conditions and their expectations as to optimal conditions can be determined, using this questionnaire. The score of the gap in quality of educational services is calculated from difference between perception and expectation scores. Due to non-normality of data, non-parametric tests were used. To this end, data were analyzed by statistical tests including Wilcoxon, Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whiteny tests in SPSS 14. The results showed that there was quality gap in all 5 dimensions of educational services. The largest and the smallest gaps were observed in "responsiveness" with a mean±SD of -0.94±0.74 and in "reliability" with a mean±SD of -0.76±0.69, respectively. There was a significant difference in quality gap between the 5 dimensions (p<0.001). According to the results, the students' expectations were higher than their perceptions of current conditions; also, in all aspects of the services their expectations were not met. It is recommended that workshops on customer services, communication skills and personnel's technical skills development should be planned and held. Also, allocating more resources for improving educational facilities and physical environment is

[Teen pregnancy and educational gaps: Analysis of a national survey in Mexico].

PubMed

Villalobos-Hernández, Aremis; Campero, Lourdes; Suárez-López, Leticia; Atienzo, Erika E; Estrada, Fátima; De la Vara-Salazar, Elvia

2015-01-01

To characterize female adolescents who have been pregnant, and to analyze the association between adolescent pregnancy and educational gaps. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data come from the Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (Ensanut 2012), a Mexican representative survey. The set of data used is related to sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics from 1 790 women from 12 to 19 years who had begun their sexual life and had a pregnancy record. Three statistical models were adjusted to observe the association between variables. The dependent variable of the first model was the condition of previous pregnancy, the second to be pregnant at the time of data collection, and the third, educational gap. A 74.9% of the adolescents with history of pregnancy has educational gap. To have the condition of previous pregnancy is associated with living with sexual partner (OR=8.4), educational gap (OR=2.4), low socioeconomical level (OR=2.0) and school assistance (OR=0.5). To be pregnant at the time of data collection has related only to living with sexual partner (OR=9.4). The educational gap shows an association with having more than one pregnancy (OR=2.4), live with sexual partner (OR=1.6), low socioeconomical level (OR=1.8), and school assistance as protective factor (OR=0.3). It is necessary to implement effective and efficient educational public politics in order to decrease educational gap. At the same time, to guarantee and improve sexual education in the school system to prevent adolescent pregnancy.

The Gender Income Gap and the Role of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobbitt-Zeher, Donna

2007-01-01

Education is thought to be the pathway to success for disadvantaged groups. Given that young women now match or surpass men's educational achievements on many measures, how do they fare in terms of equal earnings? Would further educational changes matter for closing any existing gap? Analyzing data from the National Educational Longitudinal…

Closing the Educational Achievement Gap between Blacks and Whites: Nobody Wants to Be Black

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Austin L.; Kronick, Robert

2006-01-01

This research study attempts to explain the educational achievement gap between blacks and whites, the factors that cause the achievement gap, the consequences of the achievement gap for the black race, and possible solutions to the achievement gap. The data collected for this study has shown that the educational achievement gap between blacks and…

Decomposing the Education Wage Gap: Everything but the Kitchen Sink. Working Paper 2010-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hotchkiss, Julie L.; Shiferaw, Menbere

2010-01-01

This paper contributes to a large literature concerned with identifying the source of the widening wage gap between high school and college graduates by providing a comprehensive, multidimensional decomposition of wages across both time and educational status. Data from a multitude of sources are brought to bear on the question of the relative…

The Impact of Resources on Education: A Position Paper on How Theories of Social Capital Provide Insight on the Achievement Gap in the United States Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeisler, Kayla

2012-01-01

Research has shown that there is a gap in educational achievement between socioeconomic and racial groups in the public education system in the United States. This paper identifies the link between resources and academic achievement. Through examining educational resources, from in-school factors, such as facilities and teacher quality, to…

Teaming up to Close Educational Gaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Diana L.; Arriaga, Trudy Tuttle; Lindsey, Randall B.

2013-01-01

The Ventura Unified School District, in collaboration with California Lutheran University, is in the process of addressing the reality of deep achievement gap issues in ways that are redefining how district staff, site administrators, school counselors and the university work together. With a common focus on confronting educational inequities that…

Educating the African American Male College Student: The Achievement Gap Factor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moyo, Tawonga Timothy

2013-01-01

The academic achievement gap persists in spite of much concern and talk in both the educational and political arenas. Moreover, literature on the education of African American male students at the college level is scarce; the existing literature is on the achievement gap issue in general. In this phenomenological study, the academic achievement…

An Investigation to Validate the Grammar and Phonology Screening (GAPS) Test to Identify Children with Specific Language Impairment

PubMed Central

van der Lely, Heather K. J.; Payne, Elisabeth; McClelland, Alastair

2011-01-01

Background The extraordinarily high incidence of grammatical language impairments in developmental disorders suggests that this uniquely human cognitive function is “fragile”. Yet our understanding of the neurobiology of grammatical impairments is limited. Furthermore, there is no “gold-standard” to identify grammatical impairments and routine screening is not undertaken. An accurate screening test to identify grammatical abilities would serve the research, health and education communities, further our understanding of developmental disorders, and identify children who need remediation, many of whom are currently un-diagnosed. A potential realistic screening tool that could be widely administered is the Grammar and Phonology Screening (GAPS) test – a 10 minute test that can be administered by professionals and non-professionals alike. Here we provide a further step in evaluating the validity and accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of the GAPS test in identifying children who have Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Methods and Findings We tested three groups of children; two groups aged 3;6–6:6, a typically developing (n = 30) group, and a group diagnosed with SLI: (n = 11) (Young (Y)-SLI), and a further group aged 6;9–8;11 with SLI (Older (O)-SLI) (n = 10) who were above the test age norms. We employed a battery of language assessments including the GAPS test to assess the children's language abilities. For Y-SLI children, analyses revealed a sensitivity and specificity at the 5th and 10th percentile of 1.00 and 0.98, respectively, and for O-SLI children at the 10th and 15th percentile .83 and .90, respectively. Conclusions The findings reveal that the GAPS is highly accurate in identifying impaired vs. non-impaired children up to 6;8 years, and has moderate-to-high accuracy up to 9 years. The results indicate that GAPS is a realistic tool for the early identification of grammatical abilities and impairment in young children. A larger

The black gender gap in educational attainment: historical trends and racial comparisons.

PubMed

McDaniel, Anne; DiPrete, Thomas A; Buchmann, Claudia; Shwed, Uri

2011-08-01

It is often asserted that the gender gap in educational attainment is larger for blacks than whites, but historical trends comparing the black and white gender gap have received surprisingly little attention. Analysis of historical data from the U.S. census IPUMS samples shows that the gender gap in college completion has evolved differently for whites and blacks. Historically, the female advantage in educational attainment among blacks is linked to more favorable labor market opportunities and stronger incentives for employment for educated black women. Blacks, particularly black males, still lag far behind whites in their rates of college completion, but the striking educational gains of white women have caused the racial patterns of gender differences in college completion rates to grow more similar over time. While some have linked the disadvantaged position of black males to their high risk of incarceration, our estimates suggest that incarceration has a relatively small impact on the black gender gap and the racial gap in college completion rates for males in the United States.

How Higher Education Shuts the Door on the Racial Poverty Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 2003

2003-01-01

For the past 35 years, U.S. Blacks on average have been three times as likely as Whites to live below the poverty line. A large factor in the overall black poverty gap is the huge number of black children being raised in poverty. However, but the poverty gap shrinks when college-educated blacks are compared to college-educated whites. (SM)

Gaps in Workplace Education For Prevention of Occupational Skin Disease.

PubMed

Gupta, Tanya; Arrandale, Victoria H; Kudla, Irena; Holness, D Linn

2018-02-13

Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) is a common occupational disease. Evidence suggests that education and training are effective prevention strategies. In spite of these known prevention strategies, workers continue to develop OCD. Little is reported regarding the actual training experience of workers. To examine the training experience of workers with contact dermatitis to identify areas for improvement. Participants were workers being assessed for contact dermatitis in an occupational health clinic. The anonymous survey collected demographics, workplace characteristics, and education and prevention practices. Approximately 80% reported general occupational health and safety training; however, only 49% reported skin-specific training (SST). For workers reporting SST, most received information regarding exposure avoidance, hand washing, and glove use. This content was reported as helpful by at least 50%. Workers who did not receive SST indicated the most important content would be warning signs of skin problems, how to avoid exposure and skin care while using gloves. While the study was anonymous and used self-reported of training experience, the study suggests there are gaps in skin protection training. Addressing these gaps may lead to improved prevention and reduction in OCD. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Religion and Education Gender Gap: Are Muslims Different?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hajj, Mandana; Panizza, Ugo

2009-01-01

This paper uses individual-level data and a differences-in-differences estimation strategy to test whether the education gender gap of Muslims is different from that of Christians. In particular, the paper uses data for young Lebanese and shows that, other things equal, girls (both Muslim and Christian) tend to receive more education than boys and…

The increasing unemployment gap between the low and high educated in West Germany. Structural or cyclical crowding-out?

PubMed

Klein, Markus

2015-03-01

This paper addresses trends in education-specific unemployment risks at labor market entry in West Germany from the mid-1970s to the present. In line with previous research it shows that vocationally qualified school-leavers have relatively lower unemployment risks than school-leavers with general education. Over time, the gap in unemployment risks between the low-educated and medium- and highly educated labor market entrants substantially widened for both sexes. The literature identifies two different mechanisms for this trend: structural or cyclical crowding out. While in the former scenario low-educated become increasingly unemployed due to an oversupply of tertiary graduates and displacement from above, in the latter their relative unemployment risk varies with the business cycle. The results provide evidence for cyclical rather than structural crowding-out in West Germany. Since macroeconomic conditions became generally worse over time, this strongly explains the widening unemployment gap between the low-educated and all other education groups. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Special Education--Non-Special Education Achievement Gap in Math: Effects of Reporting Methods, Analytical Techniques, and Reclassification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurlow, Martha L.; Wu, Yi-Chen; Lazarus, Sheryl S.; Ysseldyke, James E.

2016-01-01

Federal regulations indicate that the achievement gap must be closed between subgroups, including the gap between special education and non-special education students. We explored the ways in which achievement trends are influenced by three methods of reporting (cross-sectional, cohort-static, and cohort-dynamic). We also investigated (a) the ways…

Enacting Entrepreneurial Intent the Gaps between Student Needs and Higher Education Capability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Lorna; Hannon, Paul D.; Smith, Alison

2004-01-01

Provides a review of the gap between students entrepreneurial needs and aspirations and the entrepreneurship education offerings within higher education institutions HEIs in Leicestershire, UK. Utilises data from three surveys of university fresher students, held in 2001. Uses the findings as the basis to assess the gap between fresher students…

The class-origin wage gap: heterogeneity in education and variations across market segments.

PubMed

Hällsten, Martin

2013-12-01

This paper uses unique population-level matched employer-employee data on monthly wages to analyse class-origin wage gaps in the Swedish labour market. Education is the primary mediator of class origin advantages in the labour market, but mobility research often only considers the vertical dimension of education. When one uses an unusually detailed measure of education in a horizontal dimension, the wage gap between individuals of advantaged and disadvantaged class origin is found to be substantial (4-5 per cent), yet considerably smaller than when measures are used which only control for level of education and field of study. This is also the case for models with class or occupation as outcome. The class-origin wage gap varies considerably across labour market segments, such as those defined by educational levels, fields of education, industries and occupations in both seemingly unsystematic and conspicuous ways. The gap is small in the public sector, suggesting that bureaucracy may act as a leveller. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2013.

Closing the Theory-Practice Gap: Physical Education Students' Use of Jigsaw Learning in a Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, Nick; Wattison, Nicole; Edwards, Toni; Bryan, Kate

2015-01-01

Recognising that the theory-practice gap remains problematic in the preparation of physical education (PE) teachers, this study sought to explore three undergraduate students use of jigsaw learning teaching gymnastics during a secondary school placement. Specifically, the research attempted to identify those issues that arose using this learning…

Supporting Climate Literacy in the K12 Classroom by Identifying Educators' Perceived Barriers to and Gaps in Resources for Teaching Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tayne, K.

2015-12-01

As K12 teachers seek ways to provide meaningful learning opportunities for students to understand climate change, they often face barriers to teaching about climate and/or lack relevant resources on the topic. In an effort to better understand how to support K12 teachers in this role, a survey about "teaching climate change" was created and distributed. The results of the 2015 survey are presented, based on more than 200 teacher responses. Respondents included National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) members, 2015 STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) Fellows and science teachers from several U.S. school districts. The survey identifies teachers' perceived barriers to teaching climate change, for example difficulty integrating climate change concepts into specific core courses (i.e., biology), as well as desired classroom resources, such as climate change project-based learning (PBL) units that connect to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Survey results also indicate possible pathways for federal agencies, non-profits, universities and other organizations to have a more significant impact on climate literacy in the classroom. In response to the survey results, a comprehensive guide is being created to teach climate change in K12 classrooms, addressing barriers and providing resources for teachers. For example, in the survey, some teachers indicated that they lacked confidence in their content knowledge and understanding of climate change, so this guide provides web-based resources to help further an educator's understanding of climate change, as well as opportunities for relevant online and in-person professional development. In this quest for desired resources to teach climate change, gaps in accessible and available online resources are being identified. Information about these "gaps" may help organizations that strive to support climate literacy in the classroom better serve teachers.

A Preliminary Study on the Curriculum Overlap and Gap between LIS Education and Intelligence Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Yejun

2013-01-01

This paper addresses the curriculum overlap and gap between LIS education and intelligence education by analyzing the content of the websites of the intelligence education programs and courses in 27 representative intelligence education universities in the United States, and the intelligence-related programs and courses in the 56 LIS programs in…

Prevalence and Predictors of Gaps in Care Among Adult Congenital Heart Disease Patients (The Health, Education and Access Research Trial: HEART-ACHD)

PubMed Central

Gurvitz, Michelle; Valente, Anne Marie; Broberg, Craig; Cook, Stephen; Stout, Karen; Kay, Joseph; Ting, Jennifer; Kuehl, Karen; Earing, Michael; Webb, Gary; Houser, Linda; Opotowsky, Alexander; Harmon, Amy; Graham, Dionne; Khairy, Paul; Gianola, Ann; Verstappen, Amy; Landzberg, Michael

2013-01-01

Objective The goal of this project was to quantify the prevalence of gaps in cardiology care, identify predictors of gaps, and assess barriers to care among adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients. Background ACHD patients risk interruptions in care that are associated with undesired outcomes. Methods Patients (≥18years) with first presentation to an ACHD clinic completed a survey regarding gaps in, and barriers to, care. Results Among 12 ACHD centers, 922 subjects (54% female) were recruited. A >3 year gap in cardiology care was identified in 42%, with 8% having gaps longer than a decade. Mean age at first gap was 19.9 years. The majority of respondents had more than high school education, and knew their heart condition. Most common reasons for gaps included feeling well, unaware follow-up required, and complete absence from medical care. Disease complexity was predictive of gap in care with 59% of mild, 42% of moderate and 26% of severe disease subjects reporting gaps (p<0.0001). Clinic location significantly predicted gaps (p<0.0001) while gender, race, and education level did not. Common reasons for returning to care were new symptoms, referral from provider, and desire to prevent problems. Conclusions ACHD patients have gaps in cardiology care; the first lapse commonly occurred around 19 years, a time when transition to adult services is contemplated. Gaps were more common among subjects with mild and moderate diagnoses and at particular locations. These results provide a framework for developing strategies to decrease gaps and address barriers to care in the ACHD population. PMID:23542112

Mind the Civic Empowerment Gap: Economically Elite Students and Critical Civic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swalwell, Katy

2015-01-01

Calls to close the civic empowerment gap have traditionally focused on improving and expanding civic education for students in high-poverty urban schools. While important, this recommendation implies that closing the gap is in and of itself a sufficient end and that the civic education of affluent youth is unproblematic. This paper calls for (1)…

Standing in the Gap: Theory and Practice Impacting Educational Opportunity and Achievement Gaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beard, Karen Stansberry

2018-01-01

This case study is the first known employing flow in educational administration in the United States. Using Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory and Dantley's purpose-driven leadership, an administrator's practices were examined with respect to two guiding questions: (a) is purposefulness integral to closing extant gaps in achievement, and (b) are the…

Education-Based Gaps in eHealth: A Weighted Logistic Regression Approach.

PubMed

Amo, Laura

2016-10-12

Persons with a college degree are more likely to engage in eHealth behaviors than persons without a college degree, compounding the health disadvantages of undereducated groups in the United States. However, the extent to which quality of recent eHealth experience reduces the education-based eHealth gap is unexplored. The goal of this study was to examine how eHealth information search experience moderates the relationship between college education and eHealth behaviors. Based on a nationally representative sample of adults who reported using the Internet to conduct the most recent health information search (n=1458), I evaluated eHealth search experience in relation to the likelihood of engaging in different eHealth behaviors. I examined whether Internet health information search experience reduces the eHealth behavior gaps among college-educated and noncollege-educated adults. Weighted logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability of different eHealth behaviors. College education was significantly positively related to the likelihood of 4 eHealth behaviors. In general, eHealth search experience was negatively associated with health care behaviors, health information-seeking behaviors, and user-generated or content sharing behaviors after accounting for other covariates. Whereas Internet health information search experience has narrowed the education gap in terms of likelihood of using email or Internet to communicate with a doctor or health care provider and likelihood of using a website to manage diet, weight, or health, it has widened the education gap in the instances of searching for health information for oneself, searching for health information for someone else, and downloading health information on a mobile device. The relationship between college education and eHealth behaviors is moderated by Internet health information search experience in different ways depending on the type of eHealth behavior. After controlling for college

The theory-practice gap and skill acquisition: an issue for nursing education.

PubMed

Scully, Natashia Josephine

2011-01-01

Matching textbook descriptions of clinical situations with the reality of practice is an ongoing problem faced by members of the nursing profession and is commonly referred to as the "theory-practice gap". This ubiquitous gap is inevitably encountered by all nurses at various times; yet it is widely agreed that it is student nurses--given their novice, rule governed status--who find themselves in the midst of the theory-practice void. This paper will discuss the nature of the theory-practice gap and skill acquisition, in relation to a personal experience of mine as an undergraduate nursing student, and its significance in relation to student anxiety levels, nurse education (specifically the roles of the classroom teacher and clinical educators), teaching methods and the responsibility of the student to become accountable for their own education. I intend to communicate how my personal situation was dealt with and evaluate that experience in relation to current nursing literature. Ultimately, this discussion will demonstrate the value of reflection underpinning the development of competency in nursing and its role in bridging the theory-practice gap.

Collaborative Professional Development in Chemistry Education Research: Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szteinberg, Gabriela; Balicki, Scott; Banks, Gregory; Clinchot, Michael; Cullipher, Steven; Huie, Robert; Lambertz, Jennifer; Lewis, Rebecca; Ngai, Courtney; Weinrich, Melissa; Talanquer, Vicente; Sevian, Hannah

2014-01-01

Professional development that bridges gaps between educational research and practice is needed. However, bridging gaps can be difficult because teachers and educational researchers often belong to different Communities of Practice, as their activities, goals, and means of achieving those goals often differ. Meaningful collaboration among teachers…

The medical education funding gap. One hospital's perspective.

PubMed

Ling, Louis J; Meier, Gerhardt

2003-02-01

Graduate medical education (GME) is a complex and expensive enterprise in which costs are borne by the teaching institution. With teaching hospitals under increasing financial stress due to an expansion of managed care and shrinking governmental support of medical education, there is a growing gap between GME costs and funding. This article describes GME costs and revenues at Hennepin County Medical Center, a teaching hospital in Minneapolis, where in the calendar year 2000, GME costs exceeded GME funds by $21 million.

Higher Education: Gaps in Access and Persistence Study. Statistical Analysis Report. NCES 2012-046

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Terris; Kena, Grace; Rathbun, Amy; KewalRamani, Angelina; Zhang, Jijun; Kristapovich, Paul; Manning, Eileen

2012-01-01

Numerous studies, including those of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), have documented persistent gaps between the educational attainment of White males and that of Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander males. Further, there is evidence of growing gaps by sex within these…

Clinical staff nurse leadership: Identifying gaps in competency development.

PubMed

Franks-Meeks, Sherron

2018-01-01

To date, there has been no development of a complete, applicable inventory of clinical staff nurse (CSN) leadership role competencies through a valid and reliable methodology. Further, the CSN has not been invited to engage in the identification, definition, or development of their own leadership competencies. Compare existing leadership competencies to identify and highlight gaps in clinical staff nurse leadership role competency development and validation. Literature review. The CSN has not participated in the development of CSN leadership role competencies, nor have the currently identified CSN leadership role competencies been scientifically validated through research. Finally, CSN leadership role competencies are incomplete and do not reflect the CSN perspective. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Decentralization of Education in Indonesia--A Study on Education Development Gaps in the Provincial Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winardi

2017-01-01

Decentralization is acknowledged as the handover of government from central government to local government, including giving broader authority to local governments to manage education. This study aims to discovering education development gap between regions in Indonesia as a result of decentralization. This research method uses descriptive…

K-8 Charter Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap. Innovations in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2007

2007-01-01

This guide is part of a series produced by the U.S. Department of Education, and it builds on two previous works: "Successful Charter Schools" (ED493615) and "Charter High Schools Closing the Achievement Gap" (ED494482). It profiles seven K-8 charter schools that are making headway in narrowing gaps in achievement. It examines…

E-to-E: Spanning Opportunity and Skills Gaps with Education-to-Employment Pathways

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gittell, Ross; Hitchcock, Jeremy

2016-01-01

This article reports on a skills gap problem experienced in New England states where the economy has improved, but economic opportunity and skills gaps contribute to slower growth in employment, income, and social mobility. The article suggests ways to overcome this gap by building stronger bridges between education and employment…

Bridging the Gap between Linguistic Theory and L1 Grammar Education--Experts' Views on Essential Linguistic Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Rijt, Jimmy; Coppen, Peter-Arno

2017-01-01

L1 grammar education is internationally criticised because of its pedagogy and its curriculum content. There is a gap between linguistic theory and school grammar in which the latter rarely makes use of possibly relevant insights from the former. At the same time, linguistics itself has never seriously undertaken attempts to identify the…

Explaining the Widening Education Gap in Mortality among U.S. White Women

PubMed Central

Montez, Jennifer Karas; Zajacova, Anna

2013-01-01

Over the last half century the gap in mortality across education levels grew in the United States, and since the mid-1980s the growth was especially pronounced among white women. The reasons for the growth among white women are unclear. We investigated three explanations—social-psychological factors, economic circumstances, and health behaviors—for the widening education gap in mortality across 1997-2006 among white women 45-84 years of age. We used data from the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File (N=46,744; deaths=4,053). We found little support for social-psychological factors; however, economic circumstances and health behaviors jointly explained the growing education gap in mortality to statistical nonsignificance. Employment and smoking were the most important individual components. Increasing high school graduation rates, reducing smoking prevalence, and designing work-family policies that help women find and maintain desirable employment may reduce mortality inequalities among women. PMID:23723344

Explaining the widening education gap in mortality among U.S. white women.

PubMed

Montez, Jennifer Karas; Zajacova, Anna

2013-06-01

Over the past half century the gap in mortality across education levels has grown in the United States, and since the mid-1980s, the growth has been especially pronounced among white women. The reasons for the growth among white women are unclear. We investigated three explanations-social-psychological factors, economic circumstances, and health behaviors-for the widening education gap in mortality from 1997 to 2006 among white women aged 45 to 84 years using data from the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File (N = 46,744; 4,053 deaths). Little support was found for social-psychological factors, but economic circumstances and health behaviors jointly explained the growing education gap in mortality to statistical nonsignificance. Employment and smoking were the most important individual components. Increasing high school graduation rates, reducing smoking prevalence, and designing work-family policies that help women find and maintain desirable employment may reduce mortality inequalities among women.

Reducing Excellence Gaps: A Research-Based Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plucker, Jonathan A.; Peters, Scott J.; Schmalensee, Stephanie

2017-01-01

As the awareness of the existence and negative effects of excellence gaps has grown among educators and policy makers, so too has a desire for research-supported interventions to reduce these gaps. A recent review of research related to promoting equitable outcomes for all gifted students identified six specific strategies for reducing excellence…

The Economic Benefits of Closing Educational Achievement Gaps: Promoting Growth and Strengthening the Nation by Improving the Educational Outcomes of Children of Color

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Robert G.; Oakford, Patrick

2014-01-01

Our nation is currently experiencing growing levels of income and wealth inequality, which are contributing to longstanding racial and ethnic gaps in education outcomes and other areas. This report quantifies the economic benefits of closing one of the most harmful racial and ethnic gaps: the educational achievement gap that exists between black…

The bridge between real and ideal: students perception on quality gap in reality and their educational expectations.

PubMed

Nabilou, Bahram; Khorasani-Zavareh, Davoud

2014-09-01

Studies in higher education indicated that students' expectation for their educational services are not provided sufficiently, particularly in developing countries that implies on gap between the students perception on current situation and their expectations from educational services. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between student perception and expectations of students in various levels of the undergraduate educational courses at Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Iran. This is a longitudinal study, which was conducted in academic year 2007-2008 at the Urmia University of Medical Sciences. In total, 173 students were selected as sample size, among various courses. SERVQUAL questionnaire was used as instrument. Descriptive statistics following by Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used to determining significance of quality gap between five dimensions and to evaluate significant gap between student perceptions and their expectations, respectively. Spearman test was also used to determine the relationship between dimensions. In overall, 80% of educational expectations were not meet; there was a negative gap at all phrases and dimensions and the gap was more negative for educational experts (-1.45 ± 0.89) compared to teachers (-0.97 ± 0.97). The highest gap for teachers was in empathy dimension (-1.11 ± 1.51), while for experts it was in assurance dimension (-1.58 ± 1). Existences of gap in dimensions indicated that expectations of students are not met and it indicates their dissatisfaction, and thus it is a necessity for improvement in all dimensions.

Bridging the gap in care for children through the clinical nurse leader.

PubMed

O'Grady, Erin L; VanGraafeiland, Brigit

2012-01-01

Care coordination has been identified as a gap in the nursing care of children and families who experience an encounter within the health care system. The educational preparation of the clinical nurse leader (CNL) enables the CNL to address many gaps found in health care. Current evidence suggests various gaps in care, as reported by patients, families, nurses, and other health care providers. Identified gaps in care include problems with communication, coordination, education, research, advocacy, psychological and social support, and the needs of siblings. The CNL may improve quality of care for children through efficient care coordination by acting as a liaison and advocate between the patient, family, and health care team to bridge gaps in the current practices of care.

Minding the Gap? Young People's Accounts of Taking a Gap Year as a Form of Identity Work in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Andrew

2011-01-01

A Gap Year is a break in an educational career, principally taken between leaving school and beginning university. Previous research on the Gap Year has suggested it is a form of social class positioning or forum for undertaking transitions in identity during young adulthood. This paper extends this research into the context of higher education…

Perceptions, social life, treatment and education gap of Tanzanian children with epilepsy: a community-based study.

PubMed

Mushi, D; Burton, K; Mtuya, C; Gona, J K; Walker, R; Newton, C R J C

2012-03-01

The effects of epilepsy on children and their families, factors influencing the treatment and education gap and socio-cultural beliefs about epilepsy in children in rural sub-Saharan Africa are not clearly defined. We conducted a qualitative study, with 38 in-depth interviews and 2 focus group discussions with carers of children with epilepsy (CWE) in Tanzania. Discrimination, isolation and lack of hope were identified as major issues. Poor school attendance was attributed to learning difficulties, behavior problems, ongoing seizures and restricted school access. The treatment gap was related to misdiagnosis, preferential use of traditional treatment and cost of biomedical treatment. The hopes expressed for the future centered on access to treatment and education. Improved access to diagnosis, cost-effective treatment, sensitization of the community on epilepsy, collaborative care provision with traditional and faith healers and improved access to specialist schooling could improve the quality of life and future of CWE in this region. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Educational Achievement Gap as a Social Justice Issue for Teacher Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collopy, Rachel; Bowman, Connie; Taylor, David A.

2012-01-01

The educational achievement gap is a critical social justice issue. Catholic and Marianist conceptions of social justice in particular call people to work with others in their spheres of life to transform institutions in order to further human rights while promoting the common good. Drawing on key elements of Catholic teaching on social justice,…

Once, Sometimes, or Always in Special Education: Mathematics Growth and Achievement Gaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schulte, Ann C.; Stevens, Joseph J.

2015-01-01

This study used a statewide longitudinal sample to examine mathematics achievement gaps and growth in students with and without disabilities and to examine the impact of different methods of determining disability group membership on achievement gaps and growth. When disability status was determined on the basis of special education placement each…

The Bridge Between Real and Ideal: Students Perception on Quality Gap in Reality and Their Educational Expectations

PubMed Central

Nabilou, Bahram; Khorasani-Zavareh, Davoud

2014-01-01

Background: Studies in higher education indicated that students’ expectation for their educational services are not provided sufficiently, particularly in developing countries that implies on gap between the students perception on current situation and their expectations from educational services. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the gap between student perception and expectations of students in various levels of the undergraduate educational courses at Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Patients and Methods: This is a longitudinal study, which was conducted in academic year 2007-2008 at the Urmia University of Medical Sciences. In total, 173 students were selected as sample size, among various courses. SERVQUAL questionnaire was used as instrument. Descriptive statistics following by Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used to determining significance of quality gap between five dimensions and to evaluate significant gap between student perceptions and their expectations, respectively. Spearman test was also used to determine the relationship between dimensions. Results: In overall, 80% of educational expectations were not meet; there was a negative gap at all phrases and dimensions and the gap was more negative for educational experts (-1.45 ± 0.89) compared to teachers (-0.97 ± 0.97). The highest gap for teachers was in empathy dimension (-1.11 ± 1.51), while for experts it was in assurance dimension (-1.58 ± 1). Conclusions: Existences of gap in dimensions indicated that expectations of students are not met and it indicates their dissatisfaction, and thus it is a necessity for improvement in all dimensions. PMID:25593712

Bridging the Gap between Second Language Researchers and Teachers: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mady, Callie

2012-01-01

With a view to bridging the gap between elementary (primary) and secondary school second language teachers and researchers, the study reported in this paper identified differences in language register, educators' lack of access to research articles and lack of shared space for researchers and educators to communicate as causes of the gap. There is…

Childhood Illness and the Gender Gap in Adolescent Education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

PubMed

Alsan, Marcella; Xing, Anlu; Wise, Paul; Darmstadt, Gary L; Bendavid, Eran

2017-07-01

Achieving gender equality in education is an important development goal. We tested the hypothesis that the gender gap in adolescent education is accentuated by illnesses among young children in the household. Using Demographic and Health Surveys on 41 821 households in 38 low- and middle-income countries, we used linear regression to estimate the difference in the probability adolescent girls and boys were in school, and how this gap responded to illness episodes among children <5 years old. To test the hypothesis that investments in child health are related to the gender gap in education, we assessed the relationship between the gender gap and national immunization coverage. In our sample of 120 708 adolescent boys and girls residing in 38 countries, girls were 5.08% less likely to attend school than boys in the absence of a recent illness among young children within the same household (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.50%-4.65%). This gap increased to 7.77% (95% CI, 8.24%-7.30%) and 8.53% (95% CI, 9.32%-7.74%) if the household reported 1 and 2 or more illness episodes, respectively. The gender gap in schooling in response to illness was larger in households with a working mother. Increases in child vaccination rates were associated with a closing of the gender gap in schooling (correlation coefficient = 0.34, P = .02). Illnesses among children strongly predict a widening of the gender gap in education. Investments in early childhood health may have important effects on schooling attainment for adolescent girls. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The reasons for the epilepsy treatment gap in Kilifi, Kenya: using formative research to identify interventions to improve adherence to antiepileptic drugs.

PubMed

Carter, Julie A; Molyneux, Catherine S; Mbuba, Caroline K; Jenkins, Jo; Newton, Charles R J C; Hartley, Sally D

2012-12-01

Many people with epilepsy (PWE) in resource-poor countries do not receive appropriate treatment, a phenomenon referred to as the epilepsy treatment gap (ETG). We conducted a qualitative study to explore the reasons for this gap and to identify possible interventions in Kilifi, Kenya. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out of PWE and their caregivers. Individual interviews were conducted of PWE, their caregivers, traditional healers, community health workers and leaders, nurses and doctors. In addition, a series of workshops was conducted, and four factors contributing to the ETG were identified: 1) lack of knowledge about the causes, treatment and prognosis of epilepsy; 2) inaccessibility to antiepileptic drugs; 3) misconceptions about epilepsy derived from superstitions about its origin; 4) and dissatisfaction with the communication skills of health providers. These data indicated possible interventions: 1) education and support for PWE and their caregivers; 2) communication skills training for health providers; 3) and improved drug provision. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risky behaviors and educational attainment among young Mexican-origin mothers: The role of acculturative stress and the educational aspiration–expectation gap

PubMed Central

Bravo, Diamond Y.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.; Toomey, Russell B.; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Jahromi, Laudan B.

2017-01-01

The current longitudinal study examined how Mexican-origin adolescent mothers’ (N = 204) reports of acculturative stress during late adolescence were associated with their educational attainment and engagement in risky behaviors in young adulthood, 4 years post-partum; we also examined whether this association was mediated by discrepancies between adolescents’ educational aspirations and expectations. Findings revealed that mothers’ greater reports of stress regarding English competency pressures and pressures to assimilate were associated with a larger gap between their aspirations and expectations. Mothers’ reports of greater stress from pressures against assimilation, however, were associated with a smaller gap between aspirations and expectations. As expected, a larger gap between aspirations and expectations was associated with lower educational attainment and increased engagement in risky behaviors. Finally, significant mediation emerged, suggesting that the influence of stress from English competency pressures and pressures to assimilate on young mothers’ educational attainment and engagement in risky behaviors was mediated through the aspiration–expectation gap. Findings are discussed with respect to understanding discrepancies between young mothers’ aspirations and expectations in the context of acculturative stress. PMID:29263563

Characteristics of Teacher-Identified Students with Special Educational Needs in Dutch Mainstream Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruggink, M.; Goei, S. L.; Koot, H. M.

2013-01-01

Background: Traditionally, special educational needs (SEN) were often defined in terms of child deficits. Recently, there has been a tendency to define SEN in terms of (additional) support needed in the classroom. However, little is known about how teachers define students with special educational needs. To close this gap, characteristics of…

Educational Attainment and the Gender Wage Gap: Evidence from the 1986 and 1991 Canadian Censuses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Pamela; Shannon, Michael

2001-01-01

Uses Canadian census data to examine effects of gender differences in educational attainment on the gender earnings gap for full-time, full-year Canadian workers. These educational attainment differences account for virtually none of the gender earnings gap in 1985 and 1990. Gender differences in field of study matter somewhat more. (Contains 17…

Minding and mending the gap: Social psychological interventions to reduce educational disparities.

PubMed

Spitzer, Brian; Aronson, Joshua

2015-03-01

Achievement gaps continue to garner a great deal of attention both in academic and in popular circles. Many students continue to struggle despite broad educational reforms aimed at narrowing these gaps in learning and performance. In this article, we review a number of social psychological interventions that show promise in reducing gaps in achievement, not by addressing structural barriers to achievement, but by helping students cope with threats to their identity that impair intellectual functioning and motivation. For example, interventions involving meditation, role models, emotional reappraisal, growth mindsets, imagining possible selves, self-affirmations, belongingness and cooperative learning have been shown to ameliorate threats to identity and raise achievement. We describe and evaluate these social psychological interventions. Many achievement gaps involve a psychological predicament: a threat to one's social identity or to one's sense of belonging. Students' implicit theories - how they mind the gap - can act as barriers to their success. By helping students cope with these threats, these theory-based interventions represent a genuine advance in the way schools may reduce gaps in achievement. These interventions show how students' educational success depends partly on fluid aspects of context - how tasks are framed, who else is in the room, or what they believe about intelligence. Because of this fluidity, these interventions may not work in all settings. Achievement gaps are ultimately caused by a variety of factors, both objective and subjective that produce inequality. The research reviewed here suggests that even without changes in objective barriers to success, brief psychological interventions can narrow what many see as intractable gaps in academic achievement. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Gender Earnings Gap among Young European Higher Education Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Aracil, Adela

2007-01-01

This paper examines the composition of the gender earnings gap among young European higher education graduates, with a particular focus on competencies controlling for individual background and job characteristics. The results show that much of the female worker's earnings advantage can be explained by job characteristics. With respect to the…

Is the California Special Education Achievement Gap Really Closing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fearn, Emilene Johnson

2012-01-01

The achievement gains of California students with disabilities (SWDs) on the California Standards Test (CST)-English Language Arts have surpassed the achievement gains of students with no reported disabilities in recent years, and so the special education achievement gap seemed to be closing. However, the reported achievement for SWDs has not…

Identifying knowledge-attitude-practice gaps to enhance HPV vaccine diffusion.

PubMed

Cohen, Elisia L; Head, Katharine J

2013-01-01

To examine differences in knowledge, attitudes, and related practices among adopters and nonadopters of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, the researchers conducted 83 in-depth interviews with 18- to 26-year-old women. The study identified knowledge-attitude-practice gaps in the context of the HPV vaccine to explain why diffusion of a preventive innovation (such as the HPV vaccine) requires targeted risk communication strategies in order to increase demand. Salient findings included similarities between vaccinated and unvaccinated women's lack of knowledge and uncertainties about HPV and cervical cancer. Vaccinated women who had no knowledge of HPV or no-risk/low-risk perceptions of HPV reported receiving vaccination, indicating HPV risk protection behavior could precede knowledge acquisition for vaccinated women. These vaccinated women identified an interpersonal network supportive of vaccination and reported supportive social influences. Among unvaccinated women, unsupportive vaccination attitudes included low perceived personal risk of HPV. In contrast, unvaccinated women often cited erroneous beliefs that HPV could be avoided by abstinence, monogamy, and knowledge of their partners' sexual history as reasons that the vaccine was not personally relevant. Unvaccinated women cited interpersonal influences that activated short- and long-term vaccination safety and efficacy concerns. Different levels of fear regarding the HPV vaccine may underlie (a) attitudinal differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated women in perceived vaccination value and (b) attitude-practice gaps.

Closing the Math Gap of Native American Students Identified as Learning Disabled

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hankes, Judith; Skoning, Stacey; Fast, Gerald; Mason-Williams, Loretta

2013-01-01

This article serves as an overview of activities and selected assessment findings of a three-year research study titled, Closing the Mathematics Achievement Gap of Native American Students Identified as Learning Disabled Project (CMAG Project). Methods used were problem-based, consistent with those of Cognitively Guided Instruction, and culturally…

Age, education, and the gender gap in the sense of control.

PubMed

Slagsvold, Britt; Sørensen, Annemette

2008-01-01

High sense of control is related to benefits in many aspects of life, and education is known to be strongly related to sense of control. In this article we explore why women tend to feel a lower sense of control than men, and why the sense of control tends to be lower among the elderly than among younger people. In particular we explore the role played by education in explaining age- and gender differences in sense of control. The analysis is based on data from the first wave of the Norwegian NorLAG study, with a representative sample of adults aged 40-79 in 30 municipalities. We find that education accounts for some of the age and gender differences in sense of control, but the mediating effects of education are rather modest. We find an increasing gender gap in sense of control with age, and this increasing gap is completely explained by differences in education. Gender differences in sense of control is explained completely by four factors, which are related to resources and power; physical health, education, living with a partner, and leadership experience. Age differences in sense of control are only partially explained. Education, physical health and employment status cuts the age effect on sense of control to half. The effect of education on sense of control is partly mediated through what we suggest are tangible benefits of education, namely health, employment, and leadership experience. Education also influences individuals through socialization mechanisms. We view agentive orientation as a psychological benefit of education, and measure this characteristic with Bem's (1981) sex-role scale on masculinity. Agentive orientation completely explains the remaining effect of education on sense of control.

The gender gap in self-rated health and education in Spain. A multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Pinillos-Franco, Sara; García-Prieto, Carmen

2017-01-01

Women tend to report poorer self-rated health than men. It is also well established that education has a positive effect on health. However, the issue of how the benefits of education on health differ between men and women has not received enough attention and the few existing studies which do focus on the subject do not draw a clear conclusion. Therefore, this study aims to analyse whether the positive influence of educational attainment on health is higher for women and whether education helps to overcome the gender gap in self-rated health. We analyse cross-sectional data from the 2012 European Union statistics on income and living conditions. We use a logit regression model with odds ratios and a multilevel perspective to carry out a study which includes several individual and contextual control variables. We focused our study on the working population in Spain aged between 25 and 65. The final sample considered is composed of 14,120 subjects: 7,653 men and 6,467 women. There is a gender gap in self-rated health only for the less educated. This gap is not statistically significant among more highly educated individuals. Attaining a high level of education has the same positive effect on both women's and men's self-rated health. Although we did not find gender disparities when considering the effect of education on health, we show that women's health is poorer among the less educated, mainly due to labour precariousness and household conditions.

Critical Reflection to Identify Gaps between Espoused Theory and Theory-in-Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savaya, Riki; Gardner, Fiona

2012-01-01

Critical reflection (CR) is a process by which one may identify the assumptions governing one's actions, question them, and develop alternative behaviors. This article presents two cases that demonstrate the use of CR to raise social workers' awareness of gaps between what Schon and Argryis term social workers' "espoused theories" and the…

Quality gap of educational services in viewpoints of students in Hormozgan University of medical sciences.

PubMed

Aghamolaei, Teamur; Zare, Shahram

2008-06-18

Higher education is growing fast and every day it becomes more and more exposed to globalization processes. The aim of this study was to determine the quality gap of educational services by using a modified SERVQUAL instrument among students in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. A cross-sectional study was carried out at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences in 2007. In this study, a total of 300 students were selected randomly and asked to complete a questionnaire that was designed according to SERVQUAL methods. This questionnaire measured students' perceptions and expectations in five dimensions of service that consists of assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability and tangibles. The quality gap of educational services was determined based on differences between students' perceptions and expectations. The results demonstrated that in each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions, there was a negative quality gap. The least and the most negative quality gap means were in the reliability (-0.71) and responsiveness (-1.14) dimensions respectively. Also, there were significant differences between perceptions and expectations of students in all of the five SERVQUAL dimensions (p < 0.001). Negative quality gaps mean students' expectations exceed their perceptions. Thus, improvements are needed across all five dimensions.

Addressing Excellence Gaps in K-12 Education. Position Statement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association for Gifted Children, 2015

2015-01-01

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, a major objective of federal and state education policy has been to narrow K-12 achievement gaps. This position statement notes that the available data suggest that the singular focus on the most struggling learners has resulted in meaningful progress in closing minimum-competency…

Growing Wealth Gaps in Education. National Poverty Center Working Paper Series #16-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfeffer, Fabian

2016-01-01

Prior research on trends in educational inequality has focused chiefly on changing gaps in educational attainment by family income or parental occupation. In contrast, this contribution provides the first assessment of trends in educational attainment by family wealth and suggests that we should be at least as much concerned about growing wealth…

Filling the Gap: Integrating STEM into Career and Technical Education Middle School Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu-Rorrer, Ray

2017-01-01

The field of STEM education is an educational framework that has surged in application over the past decade. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is infused in nearly every facet of our society. Filling the gap of current research in middle school career and technical education (CTE) and STEM programs is important as traditional CTE…

Identifying the Gaps in Practice for Combating Lead in Drinking Water in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Lee, Wai Ling; Jia, Jie; Bao, Yani

2016-01-01

Excessive lead has been found in drinking water in Hong Kong in tests carried out in 2015. Investigations have identified that the problem in public rental housing estates was caused by the problematic solders used in the plumbing, and recommendations on enhancing the quality control system and strengthening the relevant water quality standards have been proposed. The cause for the same problem happening in other premises where soldering has not been adopted for water pipe connections is left unidentified. Considering the unidentified cause and the recommendations made, this study aims to identify the gaps in practice followed in Hong Kong for safeguarding the water quality of new installations. A holistic review of governing ordinances and regulations, products and materials used and the testing and commissioning requirements adopted in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the world were conducted. Based on international practices and parametric analysis, it was found that there are gaps in practices followed in Hong Kong, which are directly and indirectly leading to the lead-in-water crisis. Recommendations for improvement in the quality control system, and the water quality standards including the allowable lead content and leaching limit for products and materials and the testing and commissioning requirements on plumbing installations have been made. The review and the identified gaps would become useful reference for countries in strengthening their relevant water quality standards. PMID:27706062

Identifying the Gaps in Practice for Combating Lead in Drinking Water in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lee, Wai Ling; Jia, Jie; Bao, Yani

2016-09-30

Excessive lead has been found in drinking water in Hong Kong in tests carried out in 2015. Investigations have identified that the problem in public rental housing estates was caused by the problematic solders used in the plumbing, and recommendations on enhancing the quality control system and strengthening the relevant water quality standards have been proposed. The cause for the same problem happening in other premises where soldering has not been adopted for water pipe connections is left unidentified. Considering the unidentified cause and the recommendations made, this study aims to identify the gaps in practice followed in Hong Kong for safeguarding the water quality of new installations. A holistic review of governing ordinances and regulations, products and materials used and the testing and commissioning requirements adopted in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the world were conducted. Based on international practices and parametric analysis, it was found that there are gaps in practices followed in Hong Kong, which are directly and indirectly leading to the lead-in-water crisis. Recommendations for improvement in the quality control system, and the water quality standards including the allowable lead content and leaching limit for products and materials and the testing and commissioning requirements on plumbing installations have been made. The review and the identified gaps would become useful reference for countries in strengthening their relevant water quality standards.

Tools for Communication: Novel infrastructure to address patient-perceived gaps in oncology care
.

PubMed

McMullen, Suzanne; Szabo, Shelagh; Halbert, Ronald J; Lai, Catherine; Parikh, Aparna; Bunce, Mikele; Khoury, Raya; Small, Art; Masaquel, Anthony

2017-04-01

Healthcare providers (HCPs) and patient communication are integral to high-quality oncology care. The patient and HCP perspectives are needed to identify gaps in care and develop communication tools.
. This study aimed to understand patient- and HCP-perceived elements of and gaps in high-quality care to develop novel communication tools to improve care. 
. Qualitative interviews were conducted among 16 patients with cancer and 10 HCPs in the United States. Trained interviewers elicited patients' and HCPs' concerns, views, and perceived needs for communication tools. A thematic analysis was used to identify four quality of care domains, depicted in a conceptual model, and two draft communication tools were developed to address identified gaps.
. No patients reported previously using a communication tool, and gaps in communication regarding treatment aims and education were evident. Two tools were developed to assess patients' life and treatment goals and the importance of ongoing education.

Closing Poverty-Based Excellence Gaps: Conceptual, Measurement, and Educational Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plucker, Jonathan A.; Peters, Scott J.

2018-01-01

The number of economically vulnerable students in the United States is large and growing. In this article, we examine income-based excellence gaps and describe recent controversies in the definition and measurement of poverty, with an eye toward their application to gifted education and meeting the needs of talented, economically vulnerable…

Identifying Anomalous Behaviour in AIS Data: Loitering and Gaps in Transmission as Indicators of IUU Associated Behaviour.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, J.; Peel, D.; Wilcox, C.; Kroodsma, D.

2016-12-01

Identifying anomalous behaviour associated with Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing including supportive activities such as transshipment, is a key step to combating IUU fishing. We use spatial statistical models and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to identify anomalous activity, specifically various indicators of loitering behaviours (for example, vessels travelling slower than expected, perhaps rendezvousing for transshipment), and gaps in AIS transmissions. Gaps occur for three basic reasons: saturation of the system in locations with high vessel density; poor quality transmissions due to equipment on the vessel or receiver; and intentional disabling of AIS transmitters. Resolving which of these mechanisms is generating gaps in transmissions from a given vessel is a critical task in using AIS to monitor vessels. Moreover, separating saturation and equipment issues from intentional disabling is a useful task in risk identification of IUU associated behaviour. Using this information on loitering behaviour and gaps in transmission, we identify and rank vessels which appear to be acting anomalously, with a focus on identifying potential IUU related activities. This information, combined with other sources of data, could help support enforcement agencies to implement international strategies such as the Port State Measures Agreement. A global list of such vessels and historical evidence of anomalous behaviour, would increase local powers of protection and provide one more step toward transparency within global fisheries.

Decision Points and Considerations for Identifying Rural Districts That Have Closed Student Achievement Gaps. REL 2016-130

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culbertson, Michael J.; Billig, Shelley H.

2016-01-01

Rural districts have long faced challenges in closing achievement gaps between subgroups of students. This brief report describes key decision points and considerations for decision-makers interested in identifying rural districts that have closed academic achievement gaps. Examining practices in these districts may suggest activities associated…

Identifying Knowledge Gaps in Clinicians Who Evaluate and Treat Vocal Performing Artists in College Health Settings.

PubMed

McKinnon-Howe, Leah; Dowdall, Jayme

2018-05-01

The goal of this study was to identify knowledge gaps in clinicians who evaluate and treat performing artists for illnesses and injuries that affect vocal function in college health settings. This pilot study utilized a web-based cross-sectional survey design incorporating common clinical scenarios to test knowledge of evaluation and management strategies in the vocal performing artist. A web-based survey was administered to a purposive sample of 28 clinicians to identify the approach utilized to evaluate and treat vocal performing artists in college health settings, and factors that might affect knowledge gaps and influence referral patterns to voice specialists. Twenty-eight clinicians were surveyed, with 36% of respondents incorrectly identifying appropriate vocal hygiene measures, 56% of respondents failing to identify symptoms of vocal fold hemorrhage, 84% failing to identify other indications for referral to a voice specialist, 96% of respondents acknowledging unfamiliarity with the Voice Handicap Index and the Singers Voice Handicap Index, and 68% acknowledging unfamiliarity with the Reflux Symptom Index. The data elucidated specific knowledge gaps in college health providers who are responsible for evaluating and treating common illnesses that affect vocal function, and triaging and referring students experiencing symptoms of potential vocal emergencies. Future work is needed to improve the standard of care for this population. Copyright © 2018 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Gender Gap in Yearly Earnings: Can Vocational Education Help?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Kenneth

1993-01-01

Recent research conducted by K. Gray and N. Huang (1993) provided new insights into the gender gap in yearly earnings. These researchers tested Terrell's (1992) hypothesis that the issue now is not equal educational opportunity, but inequality in the distribution of women among all occupations. The study examined the variables that affected the…

Simulation-based assessment to identify critical gaps in safe anesthesia resident performance.

PubMed

Blum, Richard H; Boulet, John R; Cooper, Jeffrey B; Muret-Wagstaff, Sharon L

2014-01-01

Valid methods are needed to identify anesthesia resident performance gaps early in training. However, many assessment tools in medicine have not been properly validated. The authors designed and tested use of a behaviorally anchored scale, as part of a multiscenario simulation-based assessment system, to identify high- and low-performing residents with regard to domains of greatest concern to expert anesthesiology faculty. An expert faculty panel derived five key behavioral domains of interest by using a Delphi process (1) Synthesizes information to formulate a clear anesthetic plan; (2) Implements a plan based on changing conditions; (3) Demonstrates effective interpersonal and communication skills with patients and staff; (4) Identifies ways to improve performance; and (5) Recognizes own limits. Seven simulation scenarios spanning pre-to-postoperative encounters were used to assess performances of 22 first-year residents and 8 fellows from two institutions. Two of 10 trained faculty raters blinded to trainee program and training level scored each performance independently by using a behaviorally anchored rating scale. Residents, fellows, facilitators, and raters completed surveys. Evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the assessment scores was procured, including a high generalizability coefficient (ρ = 0.81) and expected performance differences between first-year resident and fellow participants. A majority of trainees, facilitators, and raters judged the assessment to be useful, realistic, and representative of critical skills required for safe practice. The study provides initial evidence to support the validity of a simulation-based performance assessment system for identifying critical gaps in safe anesthesia resident performance early in training.

Bridging the gap between self-directed learning of nurse educators and effective student support.

PubMed

Van Rensburg, Gisela H; Botma, Yvonne

2015-11-26

Self-directed learning requires the ability to identify one's own learning needs, develop and implement a plan to gain knowledge and to monitor one's own progress. A lifelong learning approach cannot be forced, since it is in essence an internally driven process. Nurse educators can, however, act as role models to empower their students to become independent learners by modelling their own self-directed learning and applying a number of techniques in supporting their students in becoming ready for self-directed learning.  The aim of the article is to describe the manifestations and implications of the gap between self-directed learning readiness of nurse educators and educational trends in supporting students.  An instrumental case study design was used to gain insight into the manifestations and implications of self-directed learning of nurse educators. Based on the authentic foci of various critical incidents and literature, data were collected and constructed into a fictitious case. The authors then deductively analysed the case by using the literature on self-directed learning readiness as departure point. Four constructs of self-directed learning were identified, namely internal motivation, planning and implementation, self-monitoring and interpersonal communication. Supportive strategies were identified from the available literature.  Nine responses by nurse educators based on the fictitious case were analysed.Analysis showed that readiness for self-directed learning in terms of the identified constructswas interrelated and not mutually exclusive of one other.  The success of lifelong learning is the ability to engage in self-directed learning which requires openness to learning opportunities, good self-concept, taking initiative and illustrating independence in learning. Conscientiousness, an informed acceptance of a responsibility for one's own learning and creativity, is vital to one's future orientation towards goal-directed learning. Knowledge and

Closing the Gap in Education and Technology. World Bank Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Ferranti, David; Perry, Guillermo E.; Gill, Indermit; Guasch, J. Luis; Maloney, William F.; Sanchez-Paramo, Carolina; Schady, Norbert

This document examines the gap between the Latin America and Caribbean region and the world's developed nations in the areas of education and technology. It also examines policies and strategies to close the gap. The following are among the specific topics discussed: (1) skills upgrading and innovation policies (the major actors; the role of…

Enrollment in Distance Education Classes Is Associated with Fewer Enrollment Gaps among Nontraditional Undergraduate Students in the US

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pontes, Manuel C. F.; Pontes, Nancy M. H.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this research is to determine whether nontraditional undergraduate students in the US who enroll in distance education classes are less likely to have an enrollment gap (enrollment gap=part year enrollment). Previous research has shown that preference for distance education classes is significantly greater among nontraditional than…

Mind the Gap. A systematic review to identify usability and safety challenges and practices during electronic health record implementation.

PubMed

Ratwani, Raj; Fairbanks, Terry; Savage, Erica; Adams, Katie; Wittie, Michael; Boone, Edna; Hayden, Andrew; Barnes, Janey; Hettinger, Zach; Gettinger, Andrew

2016-11-16

Decisions made during electronic health record (EHR) implementations profoundly affect usability and safety. This study aims to identify gaps between the current literature and key stakeholders' perceptions of usability and safety practices and the challenges encountered during the implementation of EHRs. Two approaches were used: a literature review and interviews with key stakeholders. We performed a systematic review of the literature to identify usability and safety challenges and best practices during implementation. A total of 55 articles were reviewed through searches of PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. We used a qualitative approach to identify key stakeholders' perceptions; semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse set of health IT stakeholders to understand their current practices and challenges related to usability during implementation. We used a grounded theory approach: data were coded, sorted, and emerging themes were identified. Conclusions from both sources of data were compared to identify areas of misalignment. We identified six emerging themes from the literature and stakeholder interviews: cost and resources, risk assessment, governance and consensus building, customization, clinical workflow and usability testing, and training. Across these themes, there were misalignments between the literature and stakeholder perspectives, indicating major gaps. Major gaps identified from each of six emerging themes are discussed as critical areas for future research, opportunities for new stakeholder initiatives, and opportunities to better disseminate resources to improve the implementation of EHRs. Our analysis identified practices and challenges across six different emerging themes, illustrated important gaps, and results suggest critical areas for future research and dissemination to improve EHR implementation.

Urban School Achievement Gap as a Metaphor to Conceal U.S. Apartheid Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Beverly E.

2007-01-01

This article uses the metaphor of the achievement gap to make transparent, discuss, and critique the analytical frame/lens used in the articles to analyze urban education. Doing such an analysis is essential to producing an additional lens that has utility in theory and practice. It facilitates a historical analysis of urban education and leads to…

Identifying 21st Century STEM Competencies Using Workplace Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jang, Hyewon

2016-01-01

Gaps between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and required workplace skills have been identified in industry, academia, and government. Educators acknowledge the need to reform STEM education to better prepare students for their future careers. We pursue this growing interest in the skills needed for STEM…

Closing the Gap between the Theory and Practice of Teaching: Implications for Teacher Education Programmes in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, May M. H.; Cheng, Annie Y. N.; Tang, Sylvia Y. F.

2010-01-01

The gap between the theory and practice of teaching is an issue of concern in teacher education. Although researching this gap is not new, few studies have been conducted in Hong Kong. It is worth investigating the contemporary Asian models of teacher education that can provide reference to the international literature. This paper examines this…

Closing Achievement Gaps and Beyond: Teachers' Reactions to the Remedial Education Policy in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsiao-Lan Sharon; Yu, Patricia

2016-01-01

Educators have increasingly implemented remedial education in elementary and secondary schools throughout Taiwan as a systemic approach toward closing achievement gaps. However, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those in remote areas have shown little improvement in academic achievement. This issue raises the question of how…

Children's health and environment education and training for health care professionals in Canada: assessing gaps, barriers, and needs.

PubMed

Wiseman, Clare L S; Stefanovic, Ingrid L

2009-01-01

Scientific evidence suggests that children may be especially vulnerable to environmental hazards. However, medical professionals are often unable to effectively diagnose and treat environment-related illness in patients. To rectify this, many have called for improved post-secondary education and training opportunities in this field in Canada. This study aims to assess the state of education and training for healthcare professionals in children's environment and health, identify related gaps and barriers, and develop recommendations for improvement. Survey participants indicated three primary barriers to the integration of children's health and environment topics in current curricula: a lack of available expertise in the discipline in Canada, a lack of perceived importance of the topic, and a lack of financial and institutional support. A concerted effort must be undertaken to overcome the identified barriers to produce a cadre of healthcare professionals skilled in children's health and environment.

A science confidence gap: Education, trust in scientific methods, and trust in scientific institutions in the United States, 2014.

PubMed

Achterberg, Peter; de Koster, Willem; van der Waal, Jeroen

2017-08-01

Following up on suggestions that attitudes toward science are multi-dimensional, we analyze nationally representative survey data collected in the United States in 2014 ( N = 2006), and demonstrate the existence of a science confidence gap: some people place great trust in scientific methods and principles, but simultaneously distrust scientific institutions. This science confidence gap is strongly associated with level of education: it is larger among the less educated than among the more educated. We investigate explanations for these educational differences. Whereas hypotheses deduced from reflexive-modernization theory do not pass the test, those derived from theorizing on the role of anomie are corroborated. The less educated are more anomic (they have more modernity-induced cultural discontents), which not only underlies their distrust in scientific institutions, but also fuels their trust in scientific methods and principles. This explains why this science confidence gap is most pronounced among the less educated.

State Civic Education Policy: Framework and Gap Analysis Tool. Special Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumann, Paul; Brennan, Jan

2017-01-01

The civic education policy framework and gap analysis tool are intended to guide state leaders as they address the complexities of preparing students for college, career and civic life. They allow for adaptation to state- and site-specific circumstances and may be adopted in whole or in piecemeal fashion, according to states' individual…

Lifestyle constraints, not inadequate nutrition education, cause gap between breakfast ideals and realities among Japanese in Tokyo.

PubMed

Melby, Melissa K; Takeda, Wakako

2014-01-01

Japanese public health nutrition often promotes 'traditional' cuisine. In-depth interviews with 107 Japanese adults were conducted in Tokyo from 2009 to 2011, using free-listing methods to examine dietary ideals and realities to assess the extent to which realities reflect inadequate nutrition education or lifestyle constraints. Ideal-reality gaps were widest for breakfast. Most people reported Japanese ideals: rice and miso soup were prototypical foods. However, breakfast realities were predominantly western (bread-based). While those aged 40-59 were more likely to hold Japanese ideals (P=0.063), they were less likely to achieve them (P=0.007). All those reporting western ideals achieved them on weekdays, while only 64% of those with Japanese ideals achieved them (P<0.001). Partial correlations controlling for age and gender showed achievement of Japanese ideals were positively correlated with proportion of cooking-related housework, and negatively correlated with living standard and income. Ideal menu content was in line with current Japanese nutrition advice, suggesting that more nutrition education may not change dietary ideals or behavior. Participant-reported reasons for ideal-reality discordance demonstrate that work-life balance issues, especially lack of time and family structure/life rhythm, are the largest obstacles to the attainment of dietary ideals. People reporting 'no time' as a primary reason for ideal-reality gaps were less likely to achieve their Japanese ideals (odds ratio=0.212). Time realities of people's lives may undermine educational efforts promoting Japanese breakfasts. When dietary reality/behavior departs from guidelines, it is often assumed that people lack knowledge. If ideals are in line with dietary guidelines, then lack of knowledge is not the likely cause and nutrition education is not the optimal solution. By asking people about the reasons for gaps between their ideals and realities, we can identify barriers and design more

"Gap Talk" and the Global Rescaling of Educational Accountability in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martino, Wayne; Rezai-Rashti, Goli

2013-01-01

In this paper, we undertake a particular policy critique and analysis of the gender achievement gap discourse in Ontario and Canada, and situate it within the context of what has been termed "the governance turn" in educational policy with its focus on policy as numbers and its multi-scalar manifestations. We show how this "gap…

Higher Education Leadership: Analyzing the Gender Gap. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chliwniak, Luba

Although more than 52 percent of the current college and university student body is comprised of women, institutional leadership is still dominated by males. This digest summarizes the issue from an institutional context and identifies factors that contribute to the gap. It suggests that the organizational and societal concepts of leadership be…

Closing the Knowledge Gap on Effective Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guskey, Thomas R.

2009-01-01

Achievement gaps concern educators at all levels today. Educators recognize the threats these gaps pose to education quality and equity, and they are working hard to close them--but an equally threatening gap in education with consequences just as serious is largely ignored. It influences every educational-improvement effort and seriously…

Improving Labour Market Outcomes through Education and Training. Issues Paper No. 9. Produced for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karmel, Tom; Misko, Josie; Blomberg, Davinia; Bednarz, Alice; Atkinson, Georgina

2014-01-01

In recent years, the level of participation and attainment by Indigenous Australians in education and training has improved, yet substantial gaps still exist between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. Education has to be a key focus if the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment rates is to be closed. This report…

Improving the Pharmacologic Management of Pain in Older Adults: Identifying the Research Gaps and Methods to Address Them

PubMed Central

Reid, M. C.; Bennett, David A.; Chen, Wen G.; Eldadah, Basil A.; Farrar, John T.; Ferrell, Bruce; Gallagher, Rollin M.; Hanlon, Joseph T.; Herr, Keela; Horn, Susan D.; Inturrisi, Charles E.; Lemtouni, Salma; Lin, Yu Woody; Michaud, Kaleb; Morrison, R. Sean; Neogi, Tuhina; Porter, Linda L.; Solomon, Daniel H.; Von Korff, Michael; Weiss, Karen; Witter, James; Zacharoff, Kevin L.

2011-01-01

Objective There has been a growing recognition of the need for better pharmacologic management of chronic pain among older adults. To address this need, the National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium sponsored an “Expert Panel Discussion on the Pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain in Older Adults” conference in September, 2010, to identify research gaps and strategies to address them. Specific emphasis was placed on ascertaining gaps regarding use of opioid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications because of continued uncertainties regarding their risks and benefits. Design Eighteen panel members provided oral presentations; each was followed by a multidisciplinary panel discussion. Meeting transcripts and panelists’ slide presentations were reviewed to identify the gaps, and the types of studies and research methods panelists suggested could best address them. Results Fifteen gaps were identified in the areas of treatment(e.g., uncertainty regarding the long-term safety and efficacy of commonly prescribed analgesics), epidemiology (e.g., lack of knowledge regarding the course of common pain syndromes), and implementation(e.g., limited understanding of optimal strategies to translate evidence-based pain treatments into practice). Analyses of data from electronic health care databases, observational cohort studies, and ongoing cohort studies (augmented with pain and other relevant outcomes measures) were felt to be practical methods for building an age-appropriate evidence base to improve the pharmacologic management of pain in later life. Conclusions Addressing the gaps presented in the current report was judged by the panel to have substantial potential to improve the health and well being of older adults with chronic pain. PMID:21834914

Identifying gaps between current and expected ICT competencies of nurses in Serbia.

PubMed

Paunic, Sanja; Stojkovic, Ivana

2014-01-01

Introducing of ICT in the health care system in Serbia started 19 years ago and systematic training of nurses and technicians has not been realized yet. The primary objective of this paper is to determine the gap between the sets of ICT competencies of nurses and technicians acquiring education and experience and the necessary skill set required for their daily work. The qualitative research included questioning of the focus group of experts and 400 nurses and technicians employed in secondary and tertiary health institutions in Serbia. Based on the analysis of existing literature we choose the Informatics competencies for nurses at four levels of practice (Staggers, Gassert, Curran, 2001), and for the purposes of this study, we used a list of competencies of the first, and partially of the second and third level. At the start, the group of 12 experts had the task to eliminate some of listed competencies to express the subjective expectations of the ICT competencies of nurses. After that nurses and medical technicians were expected to grade, by Likert scale, their level of knowledge and skills for each of the 39 competencies, respectively. The answers were analyzed using measure of central tendency and distribution of results was done by median. Comparison of perceived competence of the nurses and the desired/expected level by managers shows that there is difference in 25 of the 39 offered statements. Managers expect that nurses are great users of administrative applications for staff scheduling and for maintaining employee records, while nurses declared that these programs they use relatively poorly or not at all. The larger gap is also observed when it comes to computer skill for documenting patient care--experts expect that nurses do it well, and nurses, again, estimate that their documentation skills are relatively poor. The same situation is with use of ICT for patient education. It can be concluded that further training is required in the field of ICT, either

Gap between the Expectations and Perceptions of Students regarding the Educational Services Offered in a School of Nursing and Midwifery.

PubMed

Asefi, Fariba; Delaram, Masoumeh; Deris, Fatemeh

2017-04-01

Awareness of students' opinions about the various aspects of training provided is an essential factor to evaluate the quality of education. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between the students' expectations and perceptions from the educational services provided to them in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, 320 students were selected by stratified random sampling method and data were collected by SERVQUAL questionnaire to examine the areas of assurance, responsiveness, empathy, tangibles and confidence. Data analysis was conducted by descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean±SD) and analytical (paired t-test, independent t-test and One-Way ANOVA) statistics in SPSS 20. The mean scores of the students' expectations and perceptions of the educational services delivered to them were 4.34±0.63 and 3.56±0.68, respectively, with a significant, negative gap (-0.77±0.77, p<0.001). The lowest gap of quality was derived for assurance (-0.65) followed by reliability (-0.69), accountability (-0.74), and empathy (-0.81), and the greatest gap observed in tangibles (-0.96). A negative gap was observed between the students' expectations and perceptions of the quality of educational services delivered to them. This means that the quality of services delivered to students was less than what they expected. The highest gap was related to the tangibles. In order to improve the educational services, paying attention to different areas of quality of educational services, especially, the tangibles, is necessary.

Overcoming Potential Negative Consequences of Customer Orientation in Higher Education: Closing the Ideological Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Adam; Rosetti, Joseph

2013-01-01

Substantial discussion has been going on surrounding the potential negative consequences of a customer orientation in college education. A major concern stems from the ideological gap--the perceived differentiation between what the students want and the educators' view of what is in the best interests of the students. A key aspect of the…

Ethnic Gaps in Educational Attainment and Labor-Market Outcomes: Evidence from France

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langevin, Gabin; Masclet, David; Moizeau, Fabien; Peterle, Emmanuel

2017-01-01

We use data from the "Trajectoires et Origines" survey to analyze ethnic gaps in education and labor-market outcomes between second-generation immigrants and their French-native counterparts. Our three main findings underscore the importance of family background in explaining lifelong ethnic inequalities. First, second-generation…

Technography and Design-Actuality Gap-Analysis of Internet Computer Technologies-Assisted Education: Western Expectations and Global Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenhalgh-Spencer, Heather; Jerbi, Moja

2017-01-01

In this paper, we provide a design-actuality gap-analysis of the internet infrastructure that exists in developing nations and nations in the global South with the deployed internet computer technologies (ICT)-assisted programs that are designed to use internet infrastructure to provide educational opportunities. Programs that specifically…

Setting Priorities for Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research and Identifying Evidence Gaps.

PubMed

Le, Jimmy T; Hutfless, Susan; Li, Tianjing; Bressler, Neil M; Heyward, James; Bittner, Ava K; Glassman, Adam; Dickersin, Kay

2017-01-01

Prioritizing comparative effectiveness research may contribute to obtaining answers that clinicians perceive they need and may minimize research that could be considered wasteful. Our objective was to identify evidence gaps and set priorities for new systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials for managing diabetic retinopathy (DR), including diabetic macular edema (DME). Cross-sectional study. Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) investigators. We provided recommendations from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2012 Preferred Practice Patterns for Diabetic Retinopathy as 91 answerable clinical research questions about intervention effectiveness to 410 DRCR.net investigators to rate each question's importance from 0 (not important) to 10 (very important) using a 2-round Delphi survey and to suggest additional questions. We considered questions as high priority if at least 75% of respondents to both rounds assigned an importance rating of 5 or more in round 2. We also extracted outcome measures relevant to DR and asked respondents to identify those that must be measured in all studies. We mapped Cochrane reviews published up to March 2016 to high-priority clinical research questions. Ranking of importance of each clinical question. Thirty-two individuals completed rounds 1 and 2 and suggested 15 questions. Among the final list of 106 clinical research questions, 22 questions met our definition of high priority: 9 of 22 concerned the effectiveness of anti-VEGF therapy, and 13 of 22 focused on how often patients should be followed up (re-examination) and treatment effectiveness in patients with specific characteristics (e.g., DME). Outcomes that 75% or more of respondents marked as "must be measured in all studies" included visual acuity and visual loss, death of participants, and intraocular pressure. Only 1 prioritized question was associated with conclusive evidence from a Cochrane systematic review. A limited response rate among

Bridging the Gap: The Role of Research in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, M. L.; Michael, P. J.

2001-12-01

Teaching in K-12 science classrooms across the country does not accurately model the real processes of science. To fill this gap, programs that integrate science education and research are imperative. Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic (TEA) is a program sponsored and supported by many groups including NSF, the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE), and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). It places teachers in partnerships with research scientists conducting work in polar regions. TEA immerses K-12 teachers in the processes of scientific investigation and enables conveyance of the experience to the educational community and public at large. The TEA program paired me with Dr. Peter Michael from the University of Tulsa to participate in AMORE (Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge Expedition) 2001. This international mission, combining the efforts of the USCGC Healy and RV Polarstern, involved cutting-edge research along the geologically and geophysically unsampled submarine Gakkel Ridge. While in the field, I was involved with dredge operations, CTD casts, rock cataloging/ processing, and bathymetric mapping. While immersed in these aspects of research, daily journals documented the scientific research and human aspects of life and work on board the Healy. E-mail capabilities allowed the exchange of hundreds of questions, answers and comments over the course of our expedition. The audience included students, numerous K-12 teachers, research scientists, NSF personnel, strangers, and the press. The expedition interested and impacted hundreds of individuals as it was proceeding. The knowledge gained by science educators through research expeditions promotes an understanding of what research science is all about. It gives teachers a framework on which to build strong, well-prepared students with a greater awareness of the role and relevance of scientific research. Opportunities such as this provide valauble partnerships that bridge

The role of new information technology meeting the global need and gap of education in pediatric surgery.

PubMed

Ure, Benno; Zoeller, Christoph; Lacher, Martin

2015-06-01

Traditionally, pediatric surgical education consisted of exposure to patients, textbooks, lectures, team-based education, congresses, and workshops. Over the last decades, however, new information technology (IT) and the internet revolutionized the sharing of information and communication. IT has become relevant in particular for the younger generation of pediatric surgeons. Today, gaps in children's health and the quality of pediatric surgical education persist between countries and regions. Advances in health care are not shared equitably. The use of IT for resource libraries, teleconferences, virtual symposiums, and telementoring has great potential in closing this gap and meeting the global needs for pediatric surgical education. This article focuses on the potential role of IT in this respect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Empirical Analysis of the Service Quality Gap in Business Education: Evidence from Higher Education in Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sardar, Amber; Amjad, Shehla; Ali, Ubaid

2016-01-01

This survey investigated the relationship and gap between students' expectations and perceptions of perceived service quality of education, emphasizing the least effective service quality dimension. The study was based on primary data, which turned out to be most significant. Data were collected from 349 of 405 students through a questionnaire…

Accounting Practitioners Reflect on Faculty Impact: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Ryan

2014-01-01

A gap exists between the perception of accounting education in the classroom and accounting as it is practiced. This study explores qualitatively the perceptions and experiences of mid-career accounting professionals with respect to the impact of academic faculty on their careers in accounting. The study identifies a perception gap in the…

The Knowledge Gap: Examining the Rhetoric and Implementation of Peer Education for HIV Prevention in Myanmar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Gillian

2015-01-01

In this paper, I report on an examination of the rhetoric and implementation of peer education in Myanmar. I demonstrate that while there was widespread consistency on interviewees' views of what peer education should involve, there was a significant gap between this rhetoric and the ways in which peer education was implemented, particularly in…

Identifying professional education gaps and barriers in multiple myeloma patient care: findings of the Managing Myeloma Continuing Educational Initiative Advisory Committee.

PubMed

Raje, Noopur; Faiman, Beth; Harvey, R Donald; Kurtin, Sandra E; Lonial, Sagar; Kumar, Shaji K; Cohen, Adam D; Conde, Miguel A; Giralt, Sergio A; Recine, Marie Sabo; Tombler, Eugene R; Stadtmauer, Edward; Jagannath, Sundar; Anderson, Kenneth C

2014-10-01

Advances in the past decade and a half have led to unprecedented improved outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma (MM), and this disease appears to be transitioning to one more characteristic of a chronic disease in large part due to rapid translation of clinical insights into practice at the community level. Although evidence-based guidelines and consensus recommendations remain an important resource for managing cancer patients, they do not fill the gap between the principles of disease management today and the translation of tailoring treatment for individual patient needs. Thus, there is a continuing need for concise, focused educational activities and resources that facilitate improved knowledge and understanding of appropriate, individualized therapeutic strategies for assessing and caring for patients with MM. The next several years will truly be a time of shifting paradigms in the treatment of MM in which new agents will be approved, response criteria will be updated, and new approaches to risk assessment and monitoring minimal residual disease will evolve and enter practice. New groundbreaking therapeutic approaches, such as immunotherapy, might result in significant changes in how MM is treated and managed over the entire life cycle of the disease. Even the definition of the disease might be further amended as insights grow regarding who should be treated and who might benefit more from observation. As such, oncology clinicians will have to carefully review and update their management approaches accordingly even as they begin to focus even more on the survivorship needs of their MM patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying Ethical Hypernorms for Accounting Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Philip H.; Mintz, Steven; Naser-Tavakolian, Mohsen; O'Shaughnessy, John

2012-01-01

Accounting educators have a unique role in academe because students learn about codes of ethics that will guide their actions as professionals. We identify hypernorms related to internal auditing educators that reflect unethical behaviors believed to be universally unacceptable by that community. We then compare the results to a prior survey of…

The Impact of Early Childhood Education upon the Black-White Achievement Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zane, Linda M.

2009-01-01

It can be argued that the current Black-White achievement gap provides evidence for a long-standing history of racial inequity within American society, as well as an informative barometer of progress toward educational parity. By all accounts, the measurements registered by this barometer continue to be cause for alarm. The disturbing Black-White…

Evidence-Based Practice in Autism Educational Research: Can We Bridge the Research and Practice Gap?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guldberg, Karen

2017-01-01

In order to develop deeper and better understandings of what constitutes effective educational practices, and to bridge the gap between research and practice, there is a need for a paradigm shift in autism educational research. The contribution of this paper is to examine the key methodological challenges that stand in the way of autism…

Association between gap in spousal education and domestic violence in India and Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rapp, Daniel; Zoch, Beate; Khan, M Mobarak H; Pollmann, Thorsten; Krämer, Alexander

2012-06-21

Domestic violence (DV) against women is a serious human rights abuse and well recognised global public health concern. The occurrence of DV is negatively associated with the educational level of spouses but studies dealing with educational discrepancies of spouses show contradicting results: Wives with higher education than their husbands were more likely to ever experience DV as compared to equally educated couples. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between spousal education gap (SEG) and the prevalence and severity of DV in India and Bangladesh. Nationally representative data collected through the 2005/2006 Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) and 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) were used. In total, we analysed data of 69,805 women aged 15-49 years (Bangladesh: 4,195 women, India: 65,610 women). In addition to univariate and bivariable analyses, a multinomial logistic regression model was used to quantify the association between education gap and less severe as well as severe domestic violence. Adjustment was made for age, religion, and family structure. Wives with higher education than their husbands were less likely to experience less severe (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77-0.89) and severe (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72-0.87) DV as compared to equally low-educated spouses (reference group). Equally high-educated couples revealed the lowest likelihood of experiencing DV (severe violence: OR 0.43, CI 0.39-0.48; less severe violence: OR 0.59, CI 0.55-0.63). The model's goodness of fit was low (Nagelkerke's R2 = 0.152). Our analysis revealed no increased DV among wives with a higher educational level than their husbands. Moreover, the results point towards a decrease of severe violence with an increase in education levels among spouses. However, the model did not explain a satisfying amount of DV. Therefore, further research should be done to reveal unknown determinants so that suitable interventions to reduce DV can be

GAP Analysis Bulletin Number 15

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maxwell, Jill; Gergely, Kevin; Aycrigg, Jocelyn; Canonico, Gabrielle; Davidson, Anne; Coffey, Nicole

2008-01-01

The Mission of the Gap Analysis Program (GAP) is to promote conservation by providing broad geographic information on biological diversity to resource managers, planners, and policy makers who can use the information to make informed decisions. As part of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) ?a collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation?s biological resources--GAP data and analytical tools have been used in hundreds of applications: from basic research to comprehensive state wildlife plans; from educational projects in schools to ecoregional assessments of biodiversity. The challenge: keeping common species common means protecting them BEFORE they become threatened. To do this on a state or regional basis requires key information such as land cover descriptions, predicted distribution maps for native animals, and an assessment of the level of protection currently given to those plants and animals. GAP works cooperatively with Federal, state, and local natural resource professionals and academics to provide this kind of information. GAP activities focus on the creation of state and regional databases and maps that depict patterns of land management, land cover, and biodiversity. These data can be used to identify ?gaps? in conservation--instances where an animal or plant community is not adequately represented on the existing network of conservation lands. GAP is administered through the U.S. Geological Survey. Through building partnerships among disparate groups, GAP hopes to foster the kind of collaboration that is needed to address conservation issues on a broad scale. For more information, contact: John Mosesso National GAP Director 703-648-4079 Kevin Gergely National GAP Operations Manager 208-885-3565

A Theory-Mindedness Approach: Eliminating the Need for a Gap in Baccalaureate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Shari E.; Skinner, Jeffrey F.

2013-01-01

Social work educators have been grappling for years with the continually challenging notion of the "integration of theory and practice" and the converse concept, the "gap between theory and practice." This article posits the utility of a theory-mindedness approach to learning and practice as an alternative conceptualization…

Practice gaps in the care of mitral valve regurgitation: Insights from the American College of Cardiology mitral regurgitation gap analysis and advisory panel.

PubMed

Wang, Andrew; Grayburn, Paul; Foster, Jill A; McCulloch, Marti L; Badhwar, Vinay; Gammie, James S; Costa, Salvatore P; Benitez, Robert Michael; Rinaldi, Michael J; Thourani, Vinod H; Martin, Randolph P

2016-02-01

The revised 2014 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association valvular heart disease guidelines provide evidenced-based recommendations for the management of mitral regurgitation (MR). However, knowledge gaps related to our evolving understanding of critical MR concepts may impede their implementation. The ACC conducted a multifaceted needs assessment to characterize gaps, practice patterns, and perceptions related to the diagnosis and treatment of MR. A key project element was a set of surveys distributed to primary care and cardiovascular physicians (cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons). Survey and other gap analysis findings were presented to a panel of 10 expert advisors from specialties of general cardiology, cardiac imaging, interventional cardiology, and cardiac surgeons with expertise in valvular heart disease, especially MR, and cardiovascular education. The panel was charged with assessing the relative importance and potential means of remedying identified gaps to improve care for patients with MR. The survey results identified several knowledge and practice gaps that may limit implementation of evidence-based recommendations for MR care. Specifically, half of primary care physicians reported uncertainty regarding timing of intervention for patients with severe primary or functional MR. Physicians in all groups reported that quantitative indices of MR severity were frequently not reported in clinical echocardiographic interpretations, and that these measurements were not consistently reviewed when provided in reports. In the treatment of MR, nearly 30% of primary care physician and general cardiologists did not know the volume of mitral valve repair surgeries by their reference cardiac surgeons and did not have a standard source to obtain this information. After review of the survey results, the expert panel summarized practice gaps into 4 thematic areas and offered proposals to address deficiencies and promote better alignment

Education-based disparities in knowledge of novel health risks: The case of knowledge gaps in HIV risk perceptions.

PubMed

Kiviniemi, Marc T; Orom, Heather; Waters, Erika A; McKillip, Megan; Hay, Jennifer L

2018-05-01

Risk perception is a key determinant of preventive health behaviour, but when asked, some individuals indicate they do not know their health risk. Low education is associated with both lack of knowledge about health risk and with the persistence and exacerbation of gaps in knowledge about health issues. This study uses the context of an emerging infectious disease threat to explore the hypothesis that the education-don't know risk relation results from differences in knowledge about the health issue of interest. Specifically, we examine whether patterns of change over time follow theoretical predictions that disparities in risk knowledge would increase over time in less educated sectors of the population (knowledge gap hypothesis). Secondary analysis of population-representative behavioural surveillance survey. We analysed data from the 1993 to 2000 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys, which measured education and perceived HIV/AIDS risk in a population sample collected separately in each survey year; don't know responses were coded. In each year, individuals with higher education were less likely to respond don't know. The absolute prevalence of don't know responding dropped over time; nonetheless, there was an increase over time in the magnitude of the pattern of lower education being associated with greater don't know responding. We found support for the knowledge gap hypothesis. Over time, populations with greater education gained more knowledge about their HIV risk than populations with lower education. Results highlight the need to carefully consider health communication strategies to reach and address those individuals with low education and health knowledge. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? A meaningful potion of the population answers 'don't know' when asked to report their risk for health problems, indicating a lack of risk perception in the domain. Previous studies have shown that level of education is

Understanding information and education gaps among people with type 1 diabetes: a qualitative investigation.

PubMed

Rankin, David; Heller, Simon; Lawton, Julia

2011-04-01

Many patients with type 1 diabetes struggle to self-manage this chronic disease, often because they have a poor knowledge and understanding of the condition. However, little attention has been paid to examining the reasons for this poor knowledge/understanding. To inform future educational interventions, we explored patients' accounts of the education and information they had received since diagnosis, and the reasons behind gaps in their diabetes knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 type 1 diabetes patients enrolled on a structured education programme in the UK. Data were analysed using an inductive, thematic approach. Patients' accounts illustrated a number of knowledge deficits which were influenced by various lifecourse events. Reasons for deficits included: diagnosis at a young age and assumption of decision-making responsibility by parents; lack of engagement with information when feeling well; transitions in care; inconsistency in information provision; and, lack of awareness that knowledge was poor or incomplete. Patients' knowledge deficits can arise for different reasons, at different points in the lifecourse, and may change over time. The delivery of individualised education should take account of the origins of patients' knowledge gaps and be provided on a regular and on-going basis. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Educational Equity and Adequacy for Disadvantaged Minority Students: School and Teacher Resource Gaps toward National Mathematics Proficiency Standard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jaekyung

2012-01-01

This study addresses the issue of educational inadequacy and inequity for disadvantaged minority students. It estimates desired national standards and examines interrelated gaps in key school-teacher resources and mathematics achievement by linking national education data sets (National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP], Common Core of…

Identifying the Generation Gap in Higher Education: Where Do the Differences Really Lie?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Paula; Qin, Jingjing

2007-01-01

The new generation of incoming college students come complete with new technological skills and, seemingly, new expectations for learning. Yet how different are these students from the ones educators have encountered in the past? Under the auspices of Northern Arizona University's e-Learning Center, Paula Garcia and Jingjing Qin investigated the…

Which Achievement Gap?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Sharon; Medrich, Elliott; Fowler, Donna

2007-01-01

From the halls of Congress to the local elementary school, conversations on education reform have tossed around the term "achievement gap" as though people all know precisely what that means. As it's commonly used, "achievement gap" refers to the differences in scores on state or national achievement tests between various…

Bridging the Gap between Work and Education in Vocational Education and Training. A Study of Norwegian Apprenticeship Training Offices and E-Portfolio Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nore, Haege; Lahn, Leif Christian

2014-01-01

This article explores the effect that the use of e-portfolios initiated and organized by apprenticeship training offices has had on the learning processes and assessment practices of apprentices in Norwegian vocational education and training. Although these intermediate structures have the potential to bridge the gap between work and education,…

Using a research framework to identify knowledge gaps in research on food marketing to children in Australia.

PubMed

Chapman, Kathy; Kelly, Bridget; King, Lesley

2009-06-01

Research in the field of food marketing to children requires a better understanding of the research gaps in order to inform policy development. The purpose of this paper was to propose a framework for classifying food marketing research, using Australian research on food marketing to children to demonstrate how this framework can be used to determine knowledge gaps. A literature review of research databases and 'grey' material was conducted to identify research from the previous 10 years. Studies were classified according to their research focus, and media type, as either: exposure, including content analyses; effects of exposure, including opinions, attitudes and actions resulting from food marketing exposure; regulations, including the type and level of regulation that applies to food marketing; or breaches of regulations, including instances where marketing regulations have been violated. The majority of Australian research on food marketing to children has focused on television advertising and exposure research. Research has consistently shown that the content of food marketing directed at children is predominately for unhealthy foods. There is a lack of research on the effects of food marketing, which would be valuable to inform policy. The development of a logical framework for food marketing research allows for the identification of research gaps and enables research priorities to be identified.

Association between gap in spousal education and domestic violence in India and Bangladesh

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Domestic violence (DV) against women is a serious human rights abuse and well recognised global public health concern. The occurrence of DV is negatively associated with the educational level of spouses but studies dealing with educational discrepancies of spouses show contradicting results: Wives with higher education than their husbands were more likely to ever experience DV as compared to equally educated couples. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between spousal education gap (SEG) and the prevalence and severity of DV in India and Bangladesh. Methods Nationally representative data collected through the 2005/2006 Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) and 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) were used. In total, we analysed data of 69,805 women aged 15–49 years (Bangladesh: 4,195 women, India: 65,610 women). In addition to univariate and bivariable analyses, a multinomial logistic regression model was used to quantify the association between education gap and less severe as well as severe domestic violence. Adjustment was made for age, religion, and family structure. Results Wives with higher education than their husbands were less likely to experience less severe (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77–0.89) and severe (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72–0.87) DV as compared to equally low-educated spouses (reference group). Equally high-educated couples revealed the lowest likelihood of experiencing DV (severe violence: OR 0.43, CI 0.39–0.48; less severe violence: OR 0.59, CI 0.55–0.63). The model’s goodness of fit was low (Nagelkerke’s R2 = 0.152). Conclusions Our analysis revealed no increased DV among wives with a higher educational level than their husbands. Moreover, the results point towards a decrease of severe violence with an increase in education levels among spouses. However, the model did not explain a satisfying amount of DV. Therefore, further research should be done to reveal

Identifying 21st Century STEM Competencies Using Workplace Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Hyewon

2016-04-01

Gaps between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and required workplace skills have been identified in industry, academia, and government. Educators acknowledge the need to reform STEM education to better prepare students for their future careers. We pursue this growing interest in the skills needed for STEM disciplines and ask whether frameworks for 21st century skills and engineering education cover all of important STEM competencies. In this study, we identify important STEM competencies and evaluate the relevance of current frameworks applied in education using the standardized job-specific database operated and maintained by the US Department of Labor. Our analysis of the importance of 109 skills, types of knowledge and work activities, revealed 18 skills, seven categories of knowledge, and 27 work activities important for STEM workers. We investigate the perspectives of STEM and non-STEM job incumbents, comparing the importance of each skill, knowledge, and work activity for the two groups. We aimed to condense dimensions of the 52 key areas by categorizing them according to the Katz and Kahn (1978) framework and testing for inter-rater reliability. Our findings show frameworks for 21st century skills and engineering education do not encompass all important STEM competencies. Implications for STEM education programs are discussed, including how they can bridge gaps between education and important workplace competencies.

Behind the Pay Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dey, Judy Goldberg; Hill, Catherine

2007-01-01

Women have made remarkable gains in education during the past three decades, yet these achievements have resulted in only modest improvements in pay equity. The gender pay gap has become a fixture of the U.S. workplace and is so ubiquitous that many simply view it as normal. "Behind the Pay Gap" examines the gender pay gap for college graduates.…

Gaps and gains from engaging districts stakeholders for community-based health professions education in Uganda: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Okello, Elialilia S; Nankumbi, Joyce; Ruzaaza, Gad Ndaruhutse; Bakengesa, Evelyn; Gumikiriza, Joy; Arubaku, Wilfred; Acio, Christine; Samantha, Mary; Matte, Michael

2015-12-01

Community-based education research and service (COBERS) is a brand of community-based education that has been adopted by the Medical Education and Service for All Ugandans consortium. The COBERS programme is aimed at equipping students in health professional education with the knowledge, attitudes and skills required to provide appropriate health care services. For sustainability purposes, the health professional training institutions have made efforts to involve various stakeholders in the implementation of the programme. However, the actual engagement process and outcome of such efforts have not been documented. This paper documents gaps and gains made in engaging district stakeholders for community-based education. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions and document review were used to collect data. Atlas.ti, computer software for qualitative data was used to aid analysis. The analysis revealed that the adopted engagement model has registered some gains including increased awareness among district leaders about potential opportunities offered by COBERS such as boosting of human resources at health facilities, opportunities for professional development for health care workers at health facilities, and establishment of linkages between prospective employees and employers. However, the engagement model left some gaps in terms of knowledge, awareness and ownership of the programme among some sections of stakeholders. The apparent information gap about the programme among district stakeholders, especially the political leadership, may hinder concerted partnership. The findings highlight the need for health professional education institutions to broaden the scope of actively engaged stakeholders with the district level.

Gaps and strategies in developing health research capacity: experience from the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance.

PubMed

Ezeanolue, Echezona E; Menson, William Nii Ayitey; Patel, Dina; Aarons, Gregory; Olutola, Ayodotun; Obiefune, Michael; Dakum, Patrick; Okonkwo, Prosper; Gobir, Bola; Akinmurele, Timothy; Nwandu, Anthea; Khamofu, Hadiza; Oyeledun, Bolanle; Aina, Muyiwa; Eyo, Andy; Oleribe, Obinna; Ibanga, Ikoedem; Oko, John; Anyaike, Chukwuma; Idoko, John; Aliyu, Muktar H; Sturke, Rachel

2018-02-12

Despite being disproportionately burdened by preventable diseases than more advanced countries, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to trail behind other parts of the world in the number, quality and impact of scholarly activities by their health researchers. Our strategy at the Nigerian Implementation Science Alliance (NISA) is to utilise innovative platforms that catalyse collaboration, enhance communication between different stakeholders, and promote the uptake of evidence-based interventions in improving healthcare delivery. This article reports on findings from a structured group exercise conducted at the 2016 NISA Conference to identify (1) gaps in developing research capacity and (2) potential strategies to address these gaps. A 1-hour structured group exercise was conducted with 15 groups of 2-9 individuals (n = 94) to brainstorm gaps for implementation, strategies to address gaps and to rank their top 3 in each category. Qualitative thematic analysis was used. First, duplicate responses were merged and analyses identified emerging themes. Each of the gaps and strategies identified were categorised as falling into the purview of policy-makers, researchers, implementing partners or multiple groups. Participating stakeholders identified 98 gaps and 91 strategies related to increasing research capacity in Nigeria. A total of 45 gaps and an equal number of strategies were ranked; 39 gaps and 43 strategies were then analysed, from which 8 recurring themes emerged for gaps (lack of sufficient funding, poor research focus in education, inadequate mentorship and training, inadequate research infrastructure, lack of collaboration between researchers, research-policy dissonance, lack of motivation for research, lack of leadership buy-in for research) and 7 themes emerged for strategies (increased funding for research, improved research education, improved mentorship and training, improved infrastructure for research, increased collaboration between

Emergency Medicine Gender-specific Education.

PubMed

Ashurst, John V; McGregor, Alyson J; Safdar, Basmah; Weaver, Kevin R; Quinn, Shawn M; Rosenau, Alex M; Goyke, Terrence E; Roth, Kevin R; Greenberg, Marna R

2014-12-01

The 2014 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference has taken the first step in identifying gender-specific care as an area of importance to both emergency medicine (EM) and research. To improve patient care, we need to address educational gaps in this area concurrent with research gaps. In this article, the authors highlight the need for sex- and gender-specific education in EM and propose guidelines for medical student, resident, and faculty education. Specific examples of incorporating this content into grand rounds, simulation, bedside teaching, and journal club sessions are reviewed. Future challenges and strategies to fill the gaps in the current education model are also described. © 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Research gaps identified during systematic reviews of clinical trials: glass-ionomer cements.

PubMed

Mickenautsch, Steffen

2012-06-29

To report the results of an audit concerning research gaps in clinical trials that were accepted for appraisal in authored and published systematic reviews regarding the application of glass-ionomer cements (GIC) in dental practice Information concerning research gaps in trial precision was extracted, following a framework that included classification of the research gap reasons: 'imprecision of information (results)', 'biased information', 'inconsistency or unknown consistency' and 'not the right information', as well as research gap characterization using PICOS elements: population (P), intervention (I), comparison (C), outcomes (O) and setting (S). Internal trial validity assessment was based on the understanding that successful control for systematic error cannot be assured on the basis of inclusion of adequate methods alone, but also requires empirical evidence about whether such attempt was successful. A comprehensive and interconnected coverage of GIC-related clinical topics was established. The most common reasons found for gaps in trial precision were lack of sufficient trials and lack of sufficient large sample size. Only a few research gaps were ascribed to 'Lack of information' caused by focus on mainly surrogate trial outcomes. According to the chosen assessment criteria, a lack of adequate randomisation, allocation concealment and blinding/masking in trials covering all reviewed GIC topics was noted (selection- and detection/performance bias risk). Trial results appear to be less affected by loss-to-follow-up (attrition bias risk). This audit represents an adjunct of the systematic review articles it has covered. Its results do not change the systematic review's conclusions but highlight existing research gaps concerning the precision and internal validity of reviewed trials in detail. These gaps should be addressed in future GIC-related clinical research.

An Economic Evaluation of Food Safety Education Interventions: Estimates and Critical Data Gaps.

PubMed

Zan, Hua; Lambea, Maria; McDowell, Joyce; Scharff, Robert L

2017-08-01

The economic evaluation of food safety interventions is an important tool that practitioners and policy makers use to assess the efficacy of their efforts. These evaluations are built on models that are dependent on accurate estimation of numerous input variables. In many cases, however, there is no data available to determine input values and expert opinion is used to generate estimates. This study uses a benefit-cost analysis of the food safety component of the adult Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in Ohio as a vehicle for demonstrating how results based on variable values that are not objectively determined may be sensitive to alternative assumptions. In particular, the focus here is on how reported behavioral change is translated into economic benefits. Current gaps in the literature make it impossible to know with certainty how many people are protected by the education (what are the spillover effects?), the length of time education remains effective, and the level of risk reduction from change in behavior. Based on EFNEP survey data, food safety education led 37.4% of participants to improve their food safety behaviors. Under reasonable default assumptions, benefits from this improvement significantly outweigh costs, yielding a benefit-cost ratio of between 6.2 and 10.0. Incorporation of a sensitivity analysis using alternative estimates yields a greater range of estimates (0.2 to 56.3), which highlights the importance of future research aimed at filling these research gaps. Nevertheless, most reasonable assumptions lead to estimates of benefits that justify their costs.

Minding the gap between communication skills simulation and authentic experience.

PubMed

Yardley, Sarah; Irvine, Alison W; Lefroy, Janet

2013-05-01

Concurrent exposure to simulated and authentic experiences during undergraduate medical education is increasing. The impact of gaps or differences between contemporaneous experiences has not been adequately considered. We address two questions. How do new undergraduate medical students understand contemporaneous interactions with simulated and authentic patients? How and why do student perceptions of differences between simulated and authentic patient interactions shape their learning? We conducted an interpretative thematic secondary analysis of research data comprising individual interviews (n = 23), focus groups (three groups, n = 16), and discussion groups (four groups, n = 26) with participants drawn from two different year cohorts of Year 1 medical students. These methods generated data from 48 different participants, of whom 17 provided longitudinal data. In addition, data from routinely collected written evaluations of three whole Year 1 cohorts (response rates ≥ 88%, n = 378) were incorporated into our secondary analysis dataset. The primary studies and our secondary analysis were conducted in a single UK medical school with an integrated curriculum. Our analysis identified that students generate knowledge and meaning from their simulated and authentic experiences relative to each other and that the resultant learning differs in quality according to meaning created by comparing and contrasting contemporaneous experiences. Three themes were identified that clarify how and why the contrasting of differences is an important process for learning outcomes. These are preparedness, responsibility for safety, and perceptions of a gap between theory and practice. We propose a conceptual framework generated by reframing common metaphors that refer to the concept of the gap to develop educational strategies that might maximise useful learning from perceived differences. Educators need to 'mind' gaps in collaboration with students if synergistic learning is to be

Using Factors of Socioeconomic Status, Family Support, and Academic Preparation to Explain the Black-White Gap in Mathematics Achievement and Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Charity Noel

2012-01-01

The Black-White achievement and participation gap in mathematics is a major concern for educators in America. In order to understand why these gaps exist and have continued to exist over the years, it is important to identify some of the factors that may contribute to them. However, one of the limitations in identifying factors that influence the…

Closing the Gaps: 2014 Progress Report. College for All Texans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2014

2014-01-01

"Closing the Gaps: The Texas Higher Education Plan" was adopted in October 2000 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The goal of the "Closing the Gaps" ("CTG") plan is to close educational gaps in participation, success, excellence, and research within Texas and between Texas and other states by…

The New State Achievement Gap: How Federal Waivers Could Make It Worse--or Better. Education Sector Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chubb, John; Clark, Constance

2013-01-01

With the adoption of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2002, the federal government signaled its intention to close achievement gaps in K-12 education, particularly for minority students. While there has been surprising progress in educating disadvantaged students since the law was passed, according to a new report released today by Education…

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

PubMed

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

2015-04-01

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

South African Students' Perceptions of the Role of a Gap Year in Preparing Them for Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieman, M. M.

2013-01-01

Students often drop out of university because they were not yet ready for higher education studies. This article reports on research done on the perceptions of a group of students of the role that their gap year had played in preparing them for higher education studies. The research approach was qualitative. Data was gathered by means of 34…

Senseless Extravagance, Shocking Gaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weissbourd, Richard; Dodge, Trevor

2012-01-01

Although most people in the United States believe, at least theoretically, in educational equality, fewer and fewer appear to care about the resource gaps between affluent and poor schools, says Weissbourd. He illustrates these gaps with vivid descriptions of what he calls an "opulence arms race" among affluent independent schools, but…

Effects of Single-Sex and Coeducational Schooling on the Gender Gap in Educational Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibb, Sheree J.; Fergusson, David M.; Horwood, L. John

2008-01-01

This study examined the effects of single-sex and coeducational schooling on the gender gap in educational achievement to age 25. Data were drawn from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 individuals born in 1977 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After adjustment for a series of covariates…

Medical Simulation as a Vital Adjunct to Identifying Clinical Life-Threatening Gaps in Austere Environments.

PubMed

Chima, Adaora M; Koka, Rahul; Lee, Benjamin; Tran, Tina; Ogbuagu, Onyebuchi U; Nelson-Williams, Howard; Rosen, Michael; Koroma, Michael; Sampson, John B

2018-04-01

Maternal mortality and morbidity are major causes of death in low-resource countries, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Healthcare workforce scarcities present in these locations result in poor perioperative care access and quality. These scarcities also limit the capacity for progressive development and enhancement of workforce training, and skills through continuing medical education. Newly available low-cost, in-situ simulation systems make it possible for a small cadre of trainers to use simulation to identify areas needing improvement and to rehearse best practice approaches, relevant to the context of target environments. Nurse anesthetists were recruited throughout Sierra Leone to participate in simulation-based obstetric anesthesia scenarios at the country's national referral maternity hospital. All subjects participated in a detailed computer assisted training program to familiarize themselves with the Universal Anesthesia Machine (UAM). An expert panel rated the morbidity/mortality risk of pre-identified critical incidents within the scenario via the Delphi process. Participant responses to critical incidents were observed during these scenarios. Participants had an obstetric anesthesia pretest and post-test as well as debrief sessions focused on reviewing the significance of critical incident responses observed during the scenario. 21 nurse anesthetists, (20% of anesthesia providers nationally) participated. Median age was 41 years and median experience practicing anesthesia was 3.5 years. Most participants (57.1%) were female, two-thirds (66.7%) performed obstetrics anesthesia daily but 57.1% had no experience using the UAM. During the simulation, participants were observed and assessed on critical incident responses for case preparation with a median score of 7 out of 13 points, anesthesia management with a median score of 10 out of 20 points and rapid sequence intubation with a median score of 3 out of 10 points. This study identified

Accelerated Plan for Closing the Gaps by 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2010

2010-01-01

Texas launched its ambitious strategic plan for higher education, "Closing the Gaps by 2015," in the year 2000 to create a statewide vision for closing the higher education gaps within Texas and between Texas and other leading states. The plan focuses on bringing Texas to national parity in four critical areas of higher education:…

Identifying Emotional Intelligence and Metacognition in Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weigand, Robert

2017-01-01

An extensive literature review identified emotional intelligence and metacognition had not been examined in medical education as integrated concepts in the reflective practice of medical residents. Continued research into the independent application of these concepts in medical education maintains a perspective that has permeated medical…

Gap Resolution

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

Labutti, Kurt; Foster, Brian; Lapidus, Alla

Gap Resolution is a software package that was developed to improve Newbler genome assemblies by automating the closure of sequence gaps caused by repetitive regions in the DNA. This is done by performing the follow steps:1) Identify and distribute the data for each gap in sub-projects. 2) Assemble the data associated with each sub-project using a secondary assembler, such as Newbler or PGA. 3) Determine if any gaps are closed after reassembly, and either design fakes (consensus of closed gap) for those that closed or lab experiments for those that require additional data. The software requires as input a genomemore » assembly produce by the Newbler assembler provided by Roche and 454 data containing paired-end reads.« less

The Cost and Financing of the Right to Education in India: Can We Fill the Financing Gap?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehrotra, Santosh

2012-01-01

India's Parliament passed the Right to Education Act in 2009, which entitles all children 6-14 years old to at least eight years of schooling. This paper examines the cost of achieving this right to education, and asks whether India can fill the financing gap that must be filled if the right is to be realized. The paper notes the very considerable…

Understanding the Gender Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldin, Claudia

1985-01-01

Despite the great influx of women into the labor market, the gap between men's and women's wages has remained stable at 40 percent since 1950. Analysis of labor data suggests that this has occurred because women's educational attainment compared to men has declined. Recently, however, the wage gap has begun to narrow, and this will probably become…

Determining Perceptual Gaps of Service Quality and Value in Higher Education: A Midwestern Bible College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Benjamin T.

2017-01-01

This doctoral research project examined perceptual gaps of service quality and value in the context of higher education. The researcher performed quantitative analysis of survey data gathered from students at a small, Midwestern Bible college. Students self-selected to participate in this research project and, using class status as an independent…

Closing the Gap: An Overview. The Achievement Gap: An Overview. Info Brief. Number 44

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poliakoff, Anne Rogers

2006-01-01

Persistent gaps between the academic achievements of different groups of children are thoroughly documented by the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress and other statistical analyses of state assessments, grades, course selection, and dropout rates. Despite improvements in some years, the gap endures as a consistent and disturbing…

Graduates' Vocational Skills for the Management Accountancy Profession: Exploring the Accounting Education Expectation-Performance Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howcroft, Douglas

2017-01-01

This paper focuses on understanding the vocational skills required by graduates and assessing the competence of graduates for the management accountancy profession. It explores "expectation gaps" by examining whether the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, practitioner employers and university educators have different…

Mind the Gap: Privileging Epistemic Access to Knowledge in the Transition from Leaving Certificate Music to Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Gwen

2014-01-01

In recent years, music at Leaving Certificate level has come under increasing focus in media and higher education discourse as an easy option. In particular, scant attention has been paid to the musical knowledge and skills needed in the transition to higher music education within the Irish context. This paper addresses the perceived gap in…

Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Registries: Improving Care across the SCI Care Continuum by Identifying Knowledge Gaps.

PubMed

Dvorak, Marcel F; Cheng, Christiana L; Fallah, Nader; Santos, Argelio; Atkins, Derek; Humphreys, Suzanne; Rivers, Carly S; White, Barry A B; Ho, Chester; Ahn, Henry; Kwon, Brian K; Christie, Sean; Noonan, Vanessa K

2017-10-15

Timely access and ongoing delivery of care and therapeutic interventions is needed to maximize recovery and function after traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). To ensure these decisions are evidence-based, access to consistent, reliable, and valid sources of clinical data is required. The Access to Care and Timing Model used data from the Rick Hansen SCI Registry (RHSCIR) to generate a simulation of healthcare delivery for persons after tSCI and to test scenarios aimed at improving outcomes and reducing the economic burden of SCI. Through model development, we identified knowledge gaps and challenges in the literature and current health outcomes data collection throughout the continuum of SCI care. The objectives of this article were to describe these gaps and to provide recommendations for bridging them. Accurate information on injury severity after tSCI was hindered by difficulties in conducting neurological assessments and classifications of SCI (e.g., timing), variations in reporting, and the lack of a validated SCI-specific measure of associated injuries. There was also limited availability of reliable data on patient factors such as multi-morbidity and patient-reported measures. Knowledge gaps related to structures (e.g., protocols) and processes (e.g., costs) at each phase of care have prevented comprehensive evaluation of system performance. Addressing these knowledge gaps will enhance comparative and cost-effectiveness evaluations to inform decision-making and standards of care. Recommendations to do so were: standardize data element collection and facilitate database linkages, validate and adopt more outcome measures for SCI, and increase opportunities for collaborations with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.

Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Registries: Improving Care across the SCI Care Continuum by Identifying Knowledge Gaps

PubMed Central

Cheng, Christiana L.; Fallah, Nader; Santos, Argelio; Atkins, Derek; Humphreys, Suzanne; Rivers, Carly S.; White, Barry A.B.; Ho, Chester; Ahn, Henry; Kwon, Brian K.; Christie, Sean; Noonan, Vanessa K.

2017-01-01

Abstract Timely access and ongoing delivery of care and therapeutic interventions is needed to maximize recovery and function after traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). To ensure these decisions are evidence-based, access to consistent, reliable, and valid sources of clinical data is required. The Access to Care and Timing Model used data from the Rick Hansen SCI Registry (RHSCIR) to generate a simulation of healthcare delivery for persons after tSCI and to test scenarios aimed at improving outcomes and reducing the economic burden of SCI. Through model development, we identified knowledge gaps and challenges in the literature and current health outcomes data collection throughout the continuum of SCI care. The objectives of this article were to describe these gaps and to provide recommendations for bridging them. Accurate information on injury severity after tSCI was hindered by difficulties in conducting neurological assessments and classifications of SCI (e.g., timing), variations in reporting, and the lack of a validated SCI-specific measure of associated injuries. There was also limited availability of reliable data on patient factors such as multi-morbidity and patient-reported measures. Knowledge gaps related to structures (e.g., protocols) and processes (e.g., costs) at each phase of care have prevented comprehensive evaluation of system performance. Addressing these knowledge gaps will enhance comparative and cost-effectiveness evaluations to inform decision-making and standards of care. Recommendations to do so were: standardize data element collection and facilitate database linkages, validate and adopt more outcome measures for SCI, and increase opportunities for collaborations with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. PMID:28745934

Gaps in content-based image retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deserno, Thomas M.; Antani, Sameer; Long, Rodney

2007-03-01

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is a promising technology to enrich the core functionality of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). CBIR has a potentially strong impact in diagnostics, research, and education. Research successes that are increasingly reported in the scientific literature, however, have not made significant inroads as medical CBIR applications incorporated into routine clinical medicine or medical research. The cause is often attributed without sufficient analytical reasoning to the inability of these applications in overcoming the "semantic gap". The semantic gap divides the high-level scene analysis of humans from the low-level pixel analysis of computers. In this paper, we suggest a more systematic and comprehensive view on the concept of gaps in medical CBIR research. In particular, we define a total of 13 gaps that address the image content and features, as well as the system performance and usability. In addition to these gaps, we identify 6 system characteristics that impact CBIR applicability and performance. The framework we have created can be used a posteriori to compare medical CBIR systems and approaches for specific biomedical image domains and goals and a priori during the design phase of a medical CBIR application. To illustrate the a posteriori use of our conceptual system, we apply it, initially, to the classification of three medical CBIR implementations: the content-based PACS approach (cbPACS), the medical GNU image finding tool (medGIFT), and the image retrieval in medical applications (IRMA) project. We show that systematic analysis of gaps provides detailed insight in system comparison and helps to direct future research.

Mind the Gap

PubMed Central

Fairbanks, Terry; Savage, Erica; Adams, Katie; Wittie, Michael; Boone, Edna; Hayden, Andrew; Barnes, Janey; Hettinger, Zach; Gettinger, Andrew

2016-01-01

Summary Objective Decisions made during electronic health record (EHR) implementations profoundly affect usability and safety. This study aims to identify gaps between the current literature and key stakeholders’ perceptions of usability and safety practices and the challenges encountered during the implementation of EHRs. Materials and Methods Two approaches were used: a literature review and interviews with key stakeholders. We performed a systematic review of the literature to identify usability and safety challenges and best practices during implementation. A total of 55 articles were reviewed through searches of PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. We used a qualitative approach to identify key stakeholders’ perceptions; semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse set of health IT stakeholders to understand their current practices and challenges related to usability during implementation. We used a grounded theory approach: data were coded, sorted, and emerging themes were identified. Conclusions from both sources of data were compared to identify areas of misalignment. Results We identified six emerging themes from the literature and stakeholder interviews: cost and resources, risk assessment, governance and consensus building, customization, clinical work-flow and usability testing, and training. Across these themes, there were misalignments between the literature and stakeholder perspectives, indicating major gaps. Discussion Major gaps identified from each of six emerging themes are discussed as critical areas for future research, opportunities for new stakeholder initiatives, and opportunities to better disseminate resources to improve the implementation of EHRs. Conclusion Our analysis identified practices and challenges across six different emerging themes, illustrated important gaps, and results suggest critical areas for future research and dissemination to improve EHR implementation. PMID:27847961

Identifying Internet Sites to Coordinate with National Science Education Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fehrenbach, Carolyn R.; Morris, Maxine G.

2004-01-01

Identifying Internet sites to coordinate with National Science Education Standards can be challenging for teachers and students. By identifying quality free Internet sites in science, teachers and students can use the extensive resources of the Internet to enhance learning and instruction while meeting National Science Education Content Standards…

Bridging the Research-to-Practice Gap: A Review of the Literature Focusing on Inclusive Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grima-Farrell, Christine R.; Bain, Alan; McDonagh, Sarah H.

2011-01-01

Despite advances in our knowledge of evidence-based inclusive educational practice, much of this knowledge does not reach routine classroom practice. There remains a significant gap between our accumulated knowledge about what can work in classrooms and the extent to which evidence-based practice is used in sustainable ways. This inability to…

Identifying Advanced Technologies for Education's Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Gwendolyn B.; Yin, Robert K.

A study to determine how three advanced technologies might be applied to the needs of special education students helped inspire the development of a new method for identifying such applications. This new method, named the "Hybrid Approach," combines features of the two traditional methods: technology-push and demand-pull. Technology-push involves…

Establishment of medical education upon internalization of virtue ethics: bridging the gap between theory and practice.

PubMed

Madani, Mansoureh; Larijani, Bagher; Madani, Ensieh; Ghasemzadeh, Nazafarin

2017-01-01

During medical training, students obtain enough skills and knowledge. However, medical ethics accomplishes its goals when, together with training medical courses, it guides students behavior towards morality so that ethics-oriented medical practice is internalized. Medical ethics is a branch of applied ethics which tries to introduce ethics into physicians' practice and ethical decisions; thus, it necessitates the behavior to be ethical. Therefore, when students are being trained, they need to be supplied with those guidelines which turn ethical instructions into practice to the extent possible. The current text discusses the narrowing of the gap between ethical theory and practice, especially in the field of medical education. The current study was composed using analytical review procedures. Thus, classical ethics philosophy, psychology books, and related articles were used to select the relevant pieces of information about internalizing behavior and medical education. The aim of the present study was to propose a theory by analyzing the related articles and books. The attempt to fill the gap between medical theory and practice using external factors such as law has been faced with a great deal of limitations. Accordingly, the present article tries to investigate how and why medical training must take internalizing ethical instructions into consideration, and indicate the importance of influential internal factors. Virtue-centered education, education of moral emotions, changing and strengthening of attitudes through education, and the wise use of administrative regulations can be an effective way of teaching ethical practice in medicine.

Establishment of medical education upon internalization of virtue ethics: bridging the gap between theory and practice

PubMed Central

Madani, Mansoureh; Larijani, Bagher; Madani, Ensieh; Ghasemzadeh, Nazafarin

2017-01-01

During medical training, students obtain enough skills and knowledge. However, medical ethics accomplishes its goals when, together with training medical courses, it guides students behavior towards morality so that ethics-oriented medical practice is internalized. Medical ethics is a branch of applied ethics which tries to introduce ethics into physicians’ practice and ethical decisions; thus, it necessitates the behavior to be ethical. Therefore, when students are being trained, they need to be supplied with those guidelines which turn ethical instructions into practice to the extent possible. The current text discusses the narrowing of the gap between ethical theory and practice, especially in the field of medical education. The current study was composed using analytical review procedures. Thus, classical ethics philosophy, psychology books, and related articles were used to select the relevant pieces of information about internalizing behavior and medical education. The aim of the present study was to propose a theory by analyzing the related articles and books. The attempt to fill the gap between medical theory and practice using external factors such as law has been faced with a great deal of limitations. Accordingly, the present article tries to investigate how and why medical training must take internalizing ethical instructions into consideration, and indicate the importance of influential internal factors. Virtue-centered education, education of moral emotions, changing and strengthening of attitudes through education, and the wise use of administrative regulations can be an effective way of teaching ethical practice in medicine. PMID:29282423

Prospects for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria: Bridging the Gap between Policy Document and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akanbi, Grace Oluremi

2017-01-01

This paper discusses the prospects technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Nigeria through bridging the gap between the policy document and practice. At the 1969 National Curriculum Conference and the eventual emergence of the National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1977, TVET was given prominence but, unfortunately, in theory…

Interrogating the Language Gap of Young Bilingual and Bidialectal Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

García, Ofelia; Otheguy, Ricardo

2017-01-01

This article describes how the belief in the existence of a language gap has negative educational consequences for bilingual and bidialectal children from minoritized communities. This article first positions the idea of the language gap within the "achievement gap" discourse that has long been prevalent in educational circles. We then…

Minding the Gaps in Cancer Pain Management Education: A Multicenter Study of Clinical Residents and Fellows in a Low- Versus High-Resource Setting.

PubMed

Odonkor, Charles Amoatey; Osei-Bonsu, Ernest; Tetteh, Oswald; Haig, Andy; Mayer, Robert Samuel; Smith, Thomas J

2016-12-01

Inadequate pain management training has been reported as a major cause of undertreatment of cancer pain. Yet, past research has not comprehensively compared the quality of cancer pain management education among physicians in training in high-resource countries (HRCs) with those in low-resource countries (LRCs). The purpose of this study was to examine and compare gaps in cancer pain management education among physician trainees in an HRC (United States) versus an LRC (Ghana). A cross section of physicians at four major academic medical centers completed surveys about the adequacy of cancer pain training. Participation in the study was completely voluntary, and paper or online surveys were completed anonymously. The response rate was 60% (N = 120). Major gaps were identified in cancer pain management education across the spectrum of medical school training. Training was rated as inadequate (by approximately 80% of trainees), although approximately 10% more trainees in HRCs versus LRCs felt this way; 35% said residency training was inadequate in both settings; and 50% in LRCs versus 44% in HRCs said fellowship training was less than good. On the basis of the lowest group means, the three key areas of perceived deficits included interventional pain procedures (2.34 ± 1.12), palliative care interventions (2.39 ± 1.12), and managing procedural and postoperative pain (2.94 ± 0.97), with significant differences in the distribution of deficits in 15 cancer-pain competencies between LRCs and HRCs ( P < .05). This study identifies priority areas that could be targeted synergistically by LRCs and HRCs to advance cancer care globally. The findings underscore differential opportunities to broaden and improve competencies in cancer pain management via exchange training, in which physicians from HRCs spend time in LRCs and vice versa.

Minding the Gaps in Cancer Pain Management Education: A Multicenter Study of Clinical Residents and Fellows in a Low- Versus High-Resource Setting

PubMed Central

Osei-Bonsu, Ernest; Tetteh, Oswald; Haig, Andy; Mayer, Robert Samuel; Smith, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

Purpose Inadequate pain management training has been reported as a major cause of undertreatment of cancer pain. Yet, past research has not comprehensively compared the quality of cancer pain management education among physicians in training in high-resource countries (HRCs) with those in low-resource countries (LRCs). The purpose of this study was to examine and compare gaps in cancer pain management education among physician trainees in an HRC (United States) versus an LRC (Ghana). Methods A cross section of physicians at four major academic medical centers completed surveys about the adequacy of cancer pain training. Participation in the study was completely voluntary, and paper or online surveys were completed anonymously. Results The response rate was 60% (N = 120). Major gaps were identified in cancer pain management education across the spectrum of medical school training. Training was rated as inadequate (by approximately 80% of trainees), although approximately 10% more trainees in HRCs versus LRCs felt this way; 35% said residency training was inadequate in both settings; and 50% in LRCs versus 44% in HRCs said fellowship training was less than good. On the basis of the lowest group means, the three key areas of perceived deficits included interventional pain procedures (2.34 ± 1.12), palliative care interventions (2.39 ± 1.12), and managing procedural and postoperative pain (2.94 ± 0.97), with significant differences in the distribution of deficits in 15 cancer-pain competencies between LRCs and HRCs (P < .05). Conclusion This study identifies priority areas that could be targeted synergistically by LRCs and HRCs to advance cancer care globally. The findings underscore differential opportunities to broaden and improve competencies in cancer pain management via exchange training, in which physicians from HRCs spend time in LRCs and vice versa. PMID:28717725

Ontology of gaps in content-based image retrieval.

PubMed

Deserno, Thomas M; Antani, Sameer; Long, Rodney

2009-04-01

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is a promising technology to enrich the core functionality of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). CBIR has a potential for making a strong impact in diagnostics, research, and education. Research as reported in the scientific literature, however, has not made significant inroads as medical CBIR applications incorporated into routine clinical medicine or medical research. The cause is often attributed (without supporting analysis) to the inability of these applications in overcoming the "semantic gap." The semantic gap divides the high-level scene understanding and interpretation available with human cognitive capabilities from the low-level pixel analysis of computers, based on mathematical processing and artificial intelligence methods. In this paper, we suggest a more systematic and comprehensive view of the concept of "gaps" in medical CBIR research. In particular, we define an ontology of 14 gaps that addresses the image content and features, as well as system performance and usability. In addition to these gaps, we identify seven system characteristics that impact CBIR applicability and performance. The framework we have created can be used a posteriori to compare medical CBIR systems and approaches for specific biomedical image domains and goals and a priori during the design phase of a medical CBIR application, as the systematic analysis of gaps provides detailed insight in system comparison and helps to direct future research.

Causes of and Solutions to the Achievement Gap: Teachers' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratcliff, Nancy J.; Costner, Richard H.; Carroll, Kimberly L.; Jones, Cathy R.; Sheehan, Heather Chase; Hunt, Gilbert H.

2016-01-01

Survey results from 874 educators regarding the achievement gap are shared. The importance of the achievement gap, causes of and solutions to the achievement gap, and performance expectations for students in their schools are explored. Implications for teacher educators are discussed as related to both pre-service and in-service training programs.

GapBlaster-A Graphical Gap Filler for Prokaryote Genomes.

PubMed

de Sá, Pablo H C G; Miranda, Fábio; Veras, Adonney; de Melo, Diego Magalhães; Soares, Siomar; Pinheiro, Kenny; Guimarães, Luis; Azevedo, Vasco; Silva, Artur; Ramos, Rommel T J

2016-01-01

The advent of NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) technologies has resulted in an exponential increase in the number of complete genomes available in biological databases. This advance has allowed the development of several computational tools enabling analyses of large amounts of data in each of the various steps, from processing and quality filtering to gap filling and manual curation. The tools developed for gap closure are very useful as they result in more complete genomes, which will influence downstream analyses of genomic plasticity and comparative genomics. However, the gap filling step remains a challenge for genome assembly, often requiring manual intervention. Here, we present GapBlaster, a graphical application to evaluate and close gaps. GapBlaster was developed via Java programming language. The software uses contigs obtained in the assembly of the genome to perform an alignment against a draft of the genome/scaffold, using BLAST or Mummer to close gaps. Then, all identified alignments of contigs that extend through the gaps in the draft sequence are presented to the user for further evaluation via the GapBlaster graphical interface. GapBlaster presents significant results compared to other similar software and has the advantage of offering a graphical interface for manual curation of the gaps. GapBlaster program, the user guide and the test datasets are freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/gapblaster2015/. It requires Sun JDK 8 and Blast or Mummer.

The Diffusion of Computer Skills in Communication Curricula: Is There a Gap between the Educational Experience and Employers' Needs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Joyce; Bankston, Ronnie

Computers are now perceived as a required resource by business, education, and government, as well as in personal life. The rates of adoption of information technologies among these groups (business, education, government, family/individual) have varied, which may have created knowledge gaps. Based on the data collected from a telephone survey in…

The Reversal of the Gender Gap in Education and Trends in Marital Dissolution

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Christine R.; Han, Hongyun

2014-01-01

The reversal of the gender gap in education has potentially far-reaching consequences for marriage markets, family formation, and relationship outcomes. One possible consequence of this is the growing number of marriages in which wives have more education than their husbands. Previous studies have found this type of union to be at higher risk of dissolution. Using data on marriages formed between 1950 and 2004 in the United States, we evaluate whether this association has persisted as the prevalence of this relationship type has increased. Our results show a large shift in the association between spouses’ relative education and marital dissolution. In particular, we confirm that marriages in which wives have the educational advantage were once more likely to dissolve, but we show that this association has disappeared in more recent marriage cohorts. Another key finding is that the relative stability of marriages between educational equals has increased. These results are consistent with a shift away from rigid gender specialization toward more flexible, egalitarian partnerships and provide an important counterpoint to claims that progress toward gender equality in heterosexual relationships has stalled. PMID:25364012

Social Justice Leadership in Scottish Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torrance, Deirdre; Forde, Christine

2017-01-01

Leadership has been identified in contemporary policy as a critical factor in taking forward school improvement and enhancing outcomes for pupils (Pontz, Nusche and Moorman, 2008) in many educational systems including Scottish education. A second policy driver in Scottish education currently is focused on "closing the gap" (Scottish…

SOUTHWEST REGIONAL GAP LAND COVER

EPA Science Inventory

The Gap Analysis Program is a national inter-agency program that maps the distribution

of plant communities and selected animal species and compares these distributions with land

stewardship to identify gaps in biodiversity protection. GAP uses remote satellite imag...

Gap Year: Time off, with a Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torpey, Elka Maria

2009-01-01

A gap year allows people to step off the usual educational or career path and reassess their future. According to people who have taken a gap year, the time away can be well worth it. This article can help a person decide whether to take a gap year and how to make the most of his time off. It describes what a gap year is, including its pros and…

Comments on "Measuring the Education Gap in Primary and Secondary Schooling in Pakistan".

PubMed

Ghafoor, A

1992-01-01

Naushin Mahmood and G. M. Zahid's article on the status of primary and secondary education in Pakistan was summarized and commented upon. It was noted that an error in one of the tables was misleading, and the article had indicated both an expansion of primary school facilities in rural areas was needed, and school facilities were underutilized in rural areas. The authors have suggested that funds for higher education be reallocated to primary and secondary education, but higher education still needs increased funding to provide for libraries and specialized facilities which are lacking. The tables of data were appropriate and informative, but more updated would have strengthened their argument about the disparities in education by gender and region. The title of the article was a misnomer. The article provided a comprehensive view of enrollment in primary and secondary education, continuation or retention, and utilization of schools by gender and region and urban/rural status during the 1970s and mid-1980s. There is evidence provided that Pakistan has disparities and imbalances by gender and urban and rural residence and region in education. There has been a slow expansion of education and inability to meet targets, partly due to funding gaps. Efficiency and equity would be improved with a better distribution of public funds. The authors provided an "excellent attempt" to establish basic facts about the educational system in Pakistan; the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics is commended for supporting the Eighth General Meeting of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists and encouraging young economists to examine social issues, such as education.

The Coags Uncomplicated App: Fulfilling Educational Gaps Around Diagnosis and Laboratory Testing of Coagulation Disorders.

PubMed

Kessler, Craig; Peerschke, Ellinor I; Chitlur, Meera B; Kulkarni, Roshni; Holot, Natalia; Cooper, David L

2017-04-18

Patients with coagulation disorders may present to a variety of physician specialties; however, accurate and efficient diagnosis can be challenging for physicians not specialized in hematology, due to identified gaps in knowledge around appropriate laboratory assays and interpretation of test results. Coags Uncomplicated was developed to fill this unmet educational need by increasing practical knowledge of coagulation disorders among nonexpert physicians and other health care professionals (HCPs) in a point-of-care (POC) setting. The aim of this study was to assess patterns of use of the mobile app Coags Uncomplicated, a tool designed to support education regarding accurate and efficient diagnosis of bleeding disorders. App metrics were obtained by tracking registered user data. Additionally, a survey was distributed to registered users, to assess circumstances and frequency of use. The most common specialties of 7596 registered US users were hematology-oncology (n=1534, 20.19%), hematology (n=1014, 13.35%), and emergency medicine (n=1222, 16.09%); most identified as physicians (n=4082, 53.74%). Specialties accounting for the greatest numbers of screen views were hematology-oncology (99,390 views), hematology (47,808 views), emergency medicine (23,121 views), and internal medicine (22,586 views). The most common diagnostic endpoints reached were disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC; 2713 times), liver disease effect (2108 times), and vitamin K deficiency (1584 times). Of 3424 users asked to take the survey, 262 responded (7.65%); most were physicians in direct clinical care (71%) and specialized in hematology-oncology (39%) or emergency medicine (21%). Most frequent use was reported by hematologists (69%, ≥6 times) and hematologists-oncologists (38%, ≥6 times). Most physicians (89.2%) reported using the app for patient-case-related education around appropriate use of laboratory tests in diagnostic evaluation. Physicians rated Lab Value Analyzer (mean 4

Gaps in international nutrition and child feeding guidelines: a look at the nutrition and young child feeding education of Ghanaian nurses.

PubMed

Davis, Jennie N; Brown, Helen; Ramsay, Samantha A

2017-08-01

To examine the nutrition and young child feeding (YCF) education and training of nurses in public health clinics of Ghana's Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem region (KEEA) in relation to global health guidelines, and how nurses served as educators for caregivers with children aged 0-5 years. A qualitative study of semi-structured one-on-one and group interviews (n 21) following a questionnaire of closed- and open-ended questions addressing child feeding, nutrition and global health recommendations. Interviews were conducted in English, audio-recorded, transcribed and coded. Descriptive data were tabulated. Content analysis identified themes from open-ended questions. KEEA public health clinics (n 12). Nurses (n 41) purposefully recruited from KEEA clinics. A model capturing nurses' nutrition and YCF education emerged with five major themes: (i) adequacy of nurses' basic knowledge in breast-feeding, complementary feeding, iron-deficiency anaemia, YCF and hygiene; (ii) nurses' delivery of nutrition and YCF information; (iii) nurses' evaluation of children's health status to measure education effectiveness; (iv) nurses' perceived barriers of caregivers' ability to implement nutrition and YCF education; and (v) a gap in global health recommendations on YCF practices for children aged 2-5 years. Nurses demonstrated adequate nutrition and YCF knowledge, but reported a lack of in-depth nutrition knowledge and YCF education for children 2-5 years of age, specifically education and knowledge of YCF beyond complementary feeding. To optimize child health outcomes, a greater depth of nutrition and YCF education is needed in international health guidelines.

GAP Final Technical Report 12-14-04

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

Andrew J. Bordner, PhD, Senior Research Scientist

2004-12-14

The Genomics Annotation Platform (GAP) was designed to develop new tools for high throughput functional annotation and characterization of protein sequences and structures resulting from genomics and structural proteomics, benchmarking and application of those tools. Furthermore, this platform integrated the genomic scale sequence and structural analysis and prediction tools with the advanced structure prediction and bioinformatics environment of ICM. The development of GAP was primarily oriented towards the annotation of new biomolecular structures using both structural and sequence data. Even though the amount of protein X-ray crystal data is growing exponentially, the volume of sequence data is growing even moremore » rapidly. This trend was exploited by leveraging the wealth of sequence data to provide functional annotation for protein structures. The additional information provided by GAP is expected to assist the majority of the commercial users of ICM, who are involved in drug discovery, in identifying promising drug targets as well in devising strategies for the rational design of therapeutics directed at the protein of interest. The GAP also provided valuable tools for biochemistry education, and structural genomics centers. In addition, GAP incorporates many novel prediction and analysis methods not available in other molecular modeling packages. This development led to signing the first Molsoft agreement in the structural genomics annotation area with the University of oxford Structural Genomics Center. This commercial agreement validated the Molsoft efforts under the GAP project and provided the basis for further development of the large scale functional annotation platform.« less

Educational Equity: Challenges for Educator Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Best, Jane; Winslow, Emily

2015-01-01

With increasingly diverse student populations, educational equity is a bigger challenge than ever for public schools across the United States. While federal government, states, and school districts work to identify and address the root causes of equity gaps, efforts are often hampered by a limited body of research-based strategies and approaches…

Using Satellite Data to Identify the Causes of and Potential Solutions for Yield Gaps in India's Wheat Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, M.; Singh, B.; Srivastava, A.; Malik, R. K.; McDonald, A.; Lobell, D. B.

2017-12-01

Food security will be increasingly challenged by climate change, natural resource degradation, and population growth. Wheat yields, in particular, have already stagnated in many regions and will be further affected by warming temperatures. Despite these challenges, wheat yields can be increased by improving management practices in regions with existing yield gaps. We present two studies that are using satellite data to better understand the factors contributing to yield gaps and potential interventions to close yield gaps in India's main wheat belt, the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). To identify the magnitude and causes of current yield gaps, we produced 30 meter resolution yield maps from 2001 to 2015 using Landsat sallite data and a new method that translates satellite vegetation indices to yield estimates using crop model simulations, bypassing the need for ground calibration data. This is one of the first attempts to apply this method to a smallholder agriculture system, where ground calibration data are rarely available. We find that yields can be increased by 11% on average and up to 32% in the eastern IGP by improving management to current best practices within a given district. Additionally, if current best practices from the highest-yielding state of Punjab are implemented in the eastern IGP, yields could increase by almost 110%. Considering the factors that most influence yields, later sow dates and warmer temperatures are most associated with low yields across the IGP. This suggests that strategies to reduce the negative effects of heat stress, like earlier sowing and planting heat-tolerant wheat varieties, are critical to increasing wheat yields in this globally-important agricultural region. We also apply this method to high-resolution micro-satellite data (< 5 m) to map field and sub-field level yields across villages in Bihar in the eastern IGP. Using these data, we assess the impacts of a new fertilizer spreader technology and identify whether

Mind the Gap: Assessing the Disconnect Between Postpartum Health Information Desired and Health Information Received.

PubMed

Guerra-Reyes, Lucia; Christie, Vanessa M; Prabhakar, Annu; Siek, Katie A

Seeking and receiving health information are critical aspects of prenatal and postpartum care; however, many informational sources lack postpartum content. This study explores the gaps between information desired and information received postpartum and identifies the sources women use for health information seeking, with an emphasis on emergent online and mobile phone-based resources. Participants were recruited from our community partners' client base for a cross-sectional study. Mothers (n = 77) of a child 48 months or younger completed a survey on health information seeking, health information needs, and technology use. Postpartum health information gaps were defined as topics about which a participant indicated that she wanted information, but did not receive information. Bivariate analyses assessed the association between demographic characteristics, sources of health information used during pregnancy, and postpartum information gaps. Health care providers, Internet-based resources, and mobile applications were common sources of health information during pregnancy. Mental and sexual health were the most common types of postpartum health information gaps. In bivariate analyses, higher income and education were associated with postpartum information gaps in mental health and sexual health, respectively (p < .05). Postpartum health information gaps were common in this sample, particularly for topics in mental and sexual health. Unexpected associations between higher levels of education and income and postpartum health information gaps were observed in bivariate analyses. Health educators have the opportunity to capitalize on high rates of Internet information seeking by providing health information online. Health care providers must incorporate mental and sexual health into routine postpartum care. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adult Education Association of the U.S.A.; Adult Basic Education Study 1965-66.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firoza, Ahmed, Ed.

The adult basic education (ABE) programs currently conducted by non-governmental organizations in the United States, are reviewed in this document. Attention is focused on the significance of voluntary efforts in adult basic education programs; and strengths and weaknesses, gaps between needs and resources, and limiting factors are identified.…

Global Health Education: a cross-sectional study among German medical students to identify needs, deficits and potential benefits (Part 2 of 2: Knowledge gaps and potential benefits).

PubMed

Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; Menzel-Severing, Johannes; Schubert, Kirsten; Tinnemann, Peter

2010-10-08

global health courses. The knowledge assessment revealed deficits and outlined needs to further analyse education gaps in global health. Developing concerted educational interventions aimed at fostering students' engagement with SDH could make full use of synergy effects inherent in student mobility, tropical medicine and global health education.

Global Health Education: a cross-sectional study among German medical students to identify needs, deficits and potential benefits (Part 2 of 2: Knowledge gaps and potential benefits)

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

' mobility, and participation in tropical medicine and global health courses. The knowledge assessment revealed deficits and outlined needs to further analyse education gaps in global health. Developing concerted educational interventions aimed at fostering students' engagement with SDH could make full use of synergy effects inherent in student mobility, tropical medicine and global health education. PMID:20932278

The Black-White "Achievement Gap" as a Perennial Challenge of Urban Science Education: A Sociocultural and Historical Overview with Implications for Research and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norman, Obed; Ault, Charles R., Jr.; Bentz, Bonnie; Meskimen, Lloyd

2001-01-01

Explores how sociocultural factors involved in the manifestation and eventual disappearance of the gap for these groups may shed light on how to address the achievement gap for African American students in urban science education. (Contains 47 references.) (DDR)

Identifying International Agricultural Concepts for Secondary Agricultural Education Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conner, Nathan W.; Gates, Hailey; Stripling, Christopher T.

2017-01-01

The globalization of the agriculture industry has created an emerging need for agricultural education in the United States to take a more globalized approach to prepare students for future careers in agriculture. The purpose of this study was to identify international agricultural concepts for secondary agricultural education curriculum. A Delphi…

Minding the Gap: Places of Possibility in Intercultural Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Anne

2011-01-01

There are no closed systems...every system has a gap...in that space is a place of possibility (hooks 2003, 23). "Cross-Marked: Sudanese-Australian Young Women Talk Education," a seven-part ethno-cinematic film series exploring Sudanese-Australian young women's educational experiences, is interested in this gap, this place of…

Identifying the policy implications of competency-based education.

PubMed

Taber, Sarah; Frank, Jason R; Harris, Kenneth A; Glasgow, Nicholas J; Iobst, William; Talbot, Martin

2010-01-01

At their 2009 consensus conference, the International CBME Collaborators proposed a number of central tenets of CBME in order to advance the field of medical education. Although the proposed conceptualization of CBME offers several advantages and opportunities, including a greater emphasis on outcomes, a mechanism for the promotion of learner-centred curricula, and the potential to move away from time-based training and credentialing in medicine, it is also associated with several significant barriers to adoption. This paper examines the concepts of CBME through a broad educational policy lens, identifying considerations for medical education leaders, health care institutions, and policy-makers at both the meso (program, institutional) and macro (health care system, inter-jurisdictional, and international) levels. Through this analysis, it is clear that CBME is associated with a number of complex challenges and questions, and cannot be considered in isolation from the complex systems in which it functions. Much more work is needed to engage stakeholders in dialogue, to debate the issues, and to identify possible solutions.

Novice-Service Language Teacher Development: Bridging the Gap between Preservice and In-Service Education and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Thomas S. C.

2012-01-01

One reason for teacher attrition is that a gap exists between pre-service teacher preparation and in-service teacher development, in that most novice teachers suddenly have no further contact with their teacher educators, and from the very first day on the job, must face the same challenges as their more experienced colleagues, often without much…

Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap in America's Classrooms. Multicultural Education Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Tyrone C.

2010-01-01

While race and culture remain important variables in how young people experience schools, they are often misunderstood by educators and school personnel. Building on the work of three studies that investigated schools successful in closing the achievement gap, Tyrone Howard shows how adopting greater awareness and comprehensive understanding of…

Identifying gaps in conservation networks: of indicators and uncertainty in geographic-based analyses

Treesearch

Curtis H. Flather; Kenneth R. Wilson; Denis J. Dean; William C. McComb

1997-01-01

Mapping of biodiversity elements to expose gaps in. conservation networks has become a common strategy in nature-reserve design. We review a set of critical assumptions and issues that influence the interpretation and implementation of gap analysis, including: (1) the assumption that a subset of taxa can be used to indicate overall diversity patterns, and (2) the...

Closing Achievement Gaps: Lessons from the Last 15 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Joseph

2009-01-01

At first glance, closing the achievement gap seems fairly straightforward. It is a difficult task to accomplish, but it does not seem an especially complex one to conceptualize. How educators look at achievement gaps will determine their success in reducing them. When designing interventions, the author suggests that educators need to remember the…

Caring Closes the Language-Learning Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borba, Mary

2009-01-01

The gap in academic achievement between English speakers and English learners continues to concern educators, parents, and legislators. Rising expectations for literacy and the increasing number of students from diverse backgrounds contribute to this achievement gap. In this article, the author discusses a variety of strategies for reaching out to…

Principals and School Counselors: Separate Entities in Identifying Achievement Gaps in College Readiness for African American Students With Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Laura A.; Bouknight, Tamisha M.

2015-01-01

This case illustrates an example of how one school relied solely on aggregate data and failed to address the college readiness needs of African American students with disabilities. However, the way in which the school counselor identified this opportunity gap may not have been the most ethical approach, and now she is faced with a dilemma. This…

Identifying the gaps: Armenian health care legislation and human rights in patient care protections.

PubMed

Zopunyan, Violeta; Krmoyan, Suren; Quinn, Ryan

2013-12-12

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Armenia has undergone an extensive legislative overhaul. Although a number of developments have aimed to improve the quality and accessibility of Armenia's health care system, a host of factors has prevented the country from fully introducing measures to ensure respect for human rights in patient care. In particular, inadequate health care financing continues to oblige patients to make both formal and informal payments to obtain basic medical care and services. More generally, a lack of oversight and monitoring mechanisms has obstructed the implementation of Armenia's commitments to human rights in several international agreements. Within the framework of a broader project on promoting human rights in patient care, research was carried out to examine Armenia’s health care legislation with the aim of identifying gaps in comparison with international and regional standards. This research was designed using the 14 rights enshrined in the European Charter on Patient Rights as guiding principles, along with domestic legal acts relevant to the rights of health care providers. The gaps analysis revealed numerous problems with Armenian legislation governing the relationships between stakeholders in health care service delivery. It also identified several practical inconsistencies with the international legal instruments ratified by the Armenian government. These legislative shortcomings are illustrated by highlighting key health-related rights violations experienced by patients and their health care providers, and by indicating opportunities for improved rights protections. A full list of human rights relevant to patient care and recommendations for promoting them in the Armenian context is provided in Tables 1 and 2. A number of initiatives must be undertaken in order to promote the full spectrum of human rights in patient care in Armenia. This section highlights certain recommendations flowing from the findings of

Building a bridge for nursing education and clinical care in Taiwan--using action research and Confucian tradition to close the gap.

PubMed

Yang, Wan-Ping; Chao, Co-Shi Chantal; Lai, Wei-Shu; Chen, Ching-Huey; Shih, Ya Lan; Chiu, Ge-Lin

2013-03-01

Nursing workplaces in Taiwan are unable to retain talent. An examination of this problem has revealed that the causes of this phenomenon are that nursing education fails to cultivate the skills that meet workplace requirements and that there are gap between nursing education and clinical practice. This paper is an action research that aims is to design educational programs that can close the gap between nursing education and clinical practice in Taiwan. In this action research project, 4 action cycles were used to design educational programs including concept mapping and focused discussion strategies. Participants were invited to join the research in three teaching hospitals and one university. Two groups of participants, student nurses (SN) and nursing staff personnel (NS), were sampled and invited to participate in the research. Participant observation, focus groups, and qualitative interviews were used to collect data. Qualitative data were not only profiled by content analysis, but they were also compared continuously between the two groups as well as between the 4 cycles. The qualitative data collected for the 135 participants were analysed. The themes of an effective nursing program were summarized. Many fundamental values of traditional Chinese education have gradually faded due to the Westernization of education. In this study, we discovered that Western educational models may play a critical role in improving traditionally taught nursing education programs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The gender gap in science: How long until women are equally represented?

PubMed

Holman, Luke; Stuart-Fox, Devi; Hauser, Cindy E

2018-04-01

Women comprise a minority of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) workforce. Quantifying the gender gap may identify fields that will not reach parity without intervention, reveal underappreciated biases, and inform benchmarks for gender balance among conference speakers, editors, and hiring committees. Using the PubMed and arXiv databases, we estimated the gender of 36 million authors from >100 countries publishing in >6000 journals, covering most STEMM disciplines over the last 15 years, and made a web app allowing easy access to the data (https://lukeholman.github.io/genderGap/). Despite recent progress, the gender gap appears likely to persist for generations, particularly in surgery, computer science, physics, and maths. The gap is especially large in authorship positions associated with seniority, and prestigious journals have fewer women authors. Additionally, we estimate that men are invited by journals to submit papers at approximately double the rate of women. Wealthy countries, notably Japan, Germany, and Switzerland, had fewer women authors than poorer ones. We conclude that the STEMM gender gap will not close without further reforms in education, mentoring, and academic publishing.

The Black-White Achievement Gap: Do State Policies Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun, Henry I.; Wang, Aubrey; Jenkins, Frank; Weinbaum, Elliot

2006-01-01

A longstanding issue in American education is the gap in academic achievement between majority and minority students. The goal of this study is to accumulate and evaluate evidence on the relationship between state education policies and changes in the Black-White achievement gap, while addressing some of the methodological issues that have led to…

Summary Statistics, Educational Achievement Gaps and the Ecological Fallacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Paul

2006-01-01

Summary statistics continue to play an important role in identifying and monitoring patterns and trends in educational inequalities between differing groups of pupils over time. However, this article argues that their uncritical use can also encourage the labelling of whole groups of pupils as "underachievers" or…

The Economic Impact of Achievement Gaps in Pennsylvania's Public Schools. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karoly, Lynn A.

2015-01-01

This study documents the magnitude of the gaps in student performance for public school students in Pennsylvania and estimates the economic consequences of those education performance gaps. Although Pennsylvania is one of the top-scoring states on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on average, the achievement gaps between…

A Modular Approach to Integrating Biofuels Education into ChE Curriculum Part I--Learning Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Q. Peter; Wang, Jin; Zhang, Rong; Johnson, Donald; Knight, Andrew; Polala, Ravali

2016-01-01

In view of potential demand for skilled engineers and competent researchers in the biofuels field, we have identified a significant gap between advanced biofuels research and undergraduate biofuels education in chemical engineering. To help bridge this gap, we created educational materials that systematically integrate biofuels technologies into…

34 CFR 222.39 - How does a State educational agency identify generally comparable local educational agencies for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IMPACT AID PROGRAMS Payments for Federally Connected Children Under Section 8003(b... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How does a State educational agency identify generally comparable local educational agencies for local contribution rate purposes? 222.39 Section 222.39 Education...

Electron Elevator: Excitations across the Band Gap via a Dynamical Gap State.

PubMed

Lim, A; Foulkes, W M C; Horsfield, A P; Mason, D R; Schleife, A; Draeger, E W; Correa, A A

2016-01-29

We use time-dependent density functional theory to study self-irradiated Si. We calculate the electronic stopping power of Si in Si by evaluating the energy transferred to the electrons per unit path length by an ion of kinetic energy from 1 eV to 100 keV moving through the host. Electronic stopping is found to be significant below the threshold velocity normally identified with transitions across the band gap. A structured crossover at low velocity exists in place of a hard threshold. An analysis of the time dependence of the transition rates using coupled linear rate equations enables one of the excitation mechanisms to be clearly identified: a defect state induced in the gap by the moving ion acts like an elevator and carries electrons across the band gap.

Antimicrobial stewardship in Victorian hospitals: a statewide survey to identify current gaps.

PubMed

James, Rodney S; McIntosh, Kylie A; Luu, Susan B; Cotta, Menino O; Marshall, Caroline; Thursky, Karin A; Buising, Kirsty L

2013-11-18

To determine antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities currently being undertaken at Victorian hospitals, identifying gaps when assessed against the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care criteria for effective AMS. A survey open to all Victorian health services, conducted between January and March 2012. Availability of the endorsed prescribing guidelines, antimicrobial prescribing policies, formularies, approval systems for restricted antimicrobials, procedures for postprescription review, auditing and selective reporting of sensitivities. Response rates were 96.4% for public health services and 67.7% for private hospitals. Guidelines were available at all public and 88.1% of private hospitals, and 90.6% of public metropolitan, 45.7% of public regional and 21.4% of private hospitals had antimicrobial prescribing policies. Antimicrobial approval systems were used in 93.8% of public metropolitan, 17.3% of public regional and 4.8% of private hospitals. Prescribing audits were conducted by 62.5% of public metropolitan, 35.8% public regional and 52.4% of private hospitals. Nearly all hospitals had selective laboratory reporting of antimicrobial sensitivities. Few hospitals had dedicated funding for AMS personnel. We identified wide differences between hospital AMS activities. Additional support for AMS is particularly required in the public regional and private hospital sectors, principally in the key areas of policy development, antimicrobial approval systems, prescription review and auditing. Further research is required to develop recommendations for implementation of AMS within the regional and private hospital settings.

Addressing Achievement Gaps: The Language Acquisition and Educational Achievement of English-Language Learners. ETS Policy Notes. Volume 16, Number 2, Summer 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride, Amanda

2008-01-01

The eighth "ETS Addressing Achievement Gaps Symposium" provided a public forum for educators, policymakers, and researchers to forge productive relationships that will advance their efforts to enhance the educational achievement of America's five million English-language learners (ELLs). The conference was held at ETS world headquarters in…

Addressing the Skills Gap in Saudi Arabia: Does Vocational Education Address the Needs of Private Sector Employers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baqadir, Abdullah; Patrick, Fiona; Burns, George

2011-01-01

This article reports the findings of data drawn from doctoral research on the extent to which recent changes in vocational training have addressed a perceived skills gap between the needs of private sector employers and potential workers in Saudi Arabia. While the Saudi government has made efforts to enhance the quality of vocational education,…

How Front-End Loading Contributes to Creating and Sustaining the Theory-Practice Gap in Higher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Jeanne Maree

2011-01-01

In this paper, I show how Mead's theory of emergence can prove explanatory in how the theory-practice gap is co-created and sustained in "front-end loading" university programs. Taking teacher education as an exemplar, I argue that trainee teachers encounter different and oft-times conflicting environmental, social and cultural conditions in the…

Donor Financing of Basic Education: Opportunities and Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steer, Liesbet; Wathne, Cecilie

2010-01-01

Much progress has been made in improving access to basic education in recent years, but international support has been less than promised and the "funding gap" to achieve universal primary education remains stubbornly present. This article identifies six interrelated factors that constrain such donor financing. Prioritization of basic education,…

The Importance of Physical Activity in Closing the Achievement Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Laura J.; VanHeest, Jaci L.

2007-01-01

The most significant concern within the US educational community is the academic achievement gap. Investigation of the achievement gap reveals that minority students across all levels of education are not meeting the same academic measures as their non-Hispanic White peers. In addition, a disproportionate number of minority children are identified…

Identifying barriers to the implementation of nutrition education in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Jounghee; Hong, Youngsun

2015-01-01

To improve the nutritional status of children and adolescents, it is critical to identify the barriers to the implementation of nutrition education in schools. We carried out a cross-sectional study by analyzing data from 121 subjects (45 nutrition teachers and 76 school dietitians). Among the personal, environmental and systematic barriers, the top four barriers to the implementation of nutrition education were heavy workload (4.28 points), lack of a systematic curriculum (4.12 points), lack of perception of nutrition education by school administrators and teachers (4.07 points), and lack of continuing education for nutrition teachers and school dietitians (4.05 points). Additionally, poor working conditions, such as low pay, were identified as significant barriers to nutrition education for school dietitians compared with nutrition teachers (4.33 vs 3.47 points, p<0.001). This research provides useful information for nutrition policy makers to promote nutrition education in schools in South Korea.

Educational Achievement Gaps between Immigrant and Native Students in Two “New Immigration Countries”: Italy and Spain in comparison

PubMed Central

Azzolini, Davide; Schnell, Philipp; Palmer, John

2013-01-01

We use PISA 2009 data to determine how immigrant children in Italy and Spain compare with native students in reading and mathematics skills. Drawing on the vast empirical literature in traditional immigration countries, we test the extent to which the most well-established patterns and hypotheses of immigrant/native educational achievement gaps also apply to these new immigration countries. Findings show that both first- and second-generation immigrant students underperform natives in both countries. Although socioeconomic background and language skills contribute to the explanation of achievement gaps, significant differences remain within countries. While modeling socioeconomic background reduces the observed gaps to a very similar extent in the two countries, language spoken at home is more strongly associated with achievement in Italy. School-type differentiation, such as tracking in Italy and school ownership in Spain, do not reduce immigrant/native gaps, although in Italy tracking is strongly associated with students’ test scores. PMID:23493944

Internet Research Ethics and the Policy Gap for Ethical Practice in Online Research Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warrell, Jacqueline G.; Jacobsen, Michele

2014-01-01

A growing number of education and social science researchers design and conduct online research. In this review, the Internet Research Ethics (IRE) policy gap in Canada is identified along with the range of stakeholders and groups that either have a role or have attempted to play a role in forming better ethics policy. Ethical issues that current…

Infectious Disease Practice Gaps in Dermatology.

PubMed

Hopp, Shelby; Quest, Tyler L; Wanat, Karolyn A

2016-07-01

The article highlights different educational and practice gaps in infectious diseases as they pertain to dermatology. These gaps include the use of antibiotics in relation to atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris, treatment of skin and soft tissue infection, and diagnosis and treatment of onychomycosis. In addition, practice gaps related to use of imiquimod for molluscum contagiosum, risk of infections related to immunosuppressive medications and rates of vaccination, and the use of bedside diagnostics for diagnosing common infections were discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electron elevator: Excitations across the band gap via a dynamical gap state

DOE PAGES

Lim, Anthony; Foulkes, W. M. C.; Horsfield, A. P.; ...

2016-01-27

We use time-dependent density functional theory to study self-irradiated Si. We calculate the electronic stopping power of Si in Si by evaluating the energy transferred to the electrons per unit path length by an ion of kinetic energy from 1 eV to 100 keV moving through the host. Electronic stopping is found to be significant below the threshold velocity normally identified with transitions across the band gap. A structured crossover at low velocity exists in place of a hard threshold. Lastly, an analysis of the time dependence of the transition rates using coupled linear rate equations enables one of themore » excitation mechanisms to be clearly identified: a defect state induced in the gap by the moving ion acts like an elevator and carries electrons across the band gap.« less

Disproportionality Fills in the Gaps: Connections between Achievement, Discipline and Special Education in the School-to-Prison Pipeline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annamma, Subini; Morrison, Deb; Jackson, Darrell

2014-01-01

The focus on the achievement gap has overshadowed ways in which school systems constrain student achievement through trends of racial disproportionality in areas such as school discipline, special education assignment, and juvenile justice. Using Critical Race Theory, we reframe these racial disparities as issues of institutionalized racism.…

Mind the Gap! Implications of a Person-Environment Fit Model of Intellectual Disability for Students, Educators, and Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, James R.; Wehmeyer, Michael L.; Hughes, Carolyn

2010-01-01

A person-environment fit conceptualization of intellectual disability (ID) requires educators to focus on the gap between a student's competencies and the demands of activities and settings in schools. In this article the implications of the person-environment fit conceptual model are considered in regard to instructional benefits, special…

Bridging the Civil Military Gap Capitalizing on Crisis

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

solutions. Researchers identifying the sources of the gap discussed above, have also suggested some methods for reducing the gap . While some are policy...Strategy Research Project DATE: 09 April 2002 PAGES: 42 CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified Researchers have identified a "civil-military gap ," an observable...would indicate a desire by the civilian populous to draw closer to the military, creating an opportunity to close or at least narrow this gap . The media

Education and Race.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lauter, Sylvia, Comp.

This report summarizes information, current in 1966, on the educational status of the nonwhite population. The study includes the following topics: (1) education and race: the racial gap in education closes, (2) education and employment: the racial unemployment income gap remains, (3) education and income: the racial income gap remains, (4)…

Identifying knowledge gaps between practice and research for implementation components of sustainable interventions to improve the working environment - A rapid review.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Charlotte Diana Nørregaard; Højberg, Helene; Bengtsen, Elizabeth; Jørgensen, Marie Birk

2018-02-01

In a recent study, we involved all relevant stakeholders to identify practice-based implementation components for successful implementation and sustainability in work environment interventions. To understand possible knowledge gaps between evidence and practice, the aim of this paper is to investigate if effectiveness studies of the 11 practice-based implementation components can be identified in existing scientific literature. PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched for relevant studies. After screening, 38 articles met the inclusion criteria. Since some of the studies describe more than one practice-based implementation concept a total of 125 quality criteria assessments were made. The overall result is that 10 of the 11 practice-based implementation components can be found in the scientific literature, but the evaluation of them is poor. From this review it is clear that there are knowledge gaps between evidence and practice with respect to the effectiveness of implementation concepts. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Identifying Teacher Needs for Promoting Education through Science as a Paradigm Shift in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holbrook, J.; Rannikmae, M.; Valdmann, A.

2014-01-01

This paper identifies an "education through science" philosophy for school science teaching at the secondary level and determines its interrelationship with approaches to student acquisition of key educational competences and the identification of teacher needs to promote meaningful learning during science lessons. Based on the…

Latin American Investigative Journalism Education: Learning Practices, Learning Gaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitz Weiss, Amy; de Macedo Higgins Joyce, Vanessa; Saldaña, Magdalena; Alves, Rosental Calmon

2017-01-01

This study seeks to examine the state of investigative journalism practices used in higher education in Latin America. Using a meta-theoretical framework called the Community of Practice (CoP), this study seeks to identify whether a particular learning practice exists in this region. Based on an online survey conducted on Latin American educators…

Identifying Priorities for Post-Secondary Education in Qatar. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stasz, Cathleen; Eide, Eric R.; Martorell, Francisco; Salem, Hanine; Constant, Louay; Goldman, Charles A.; Moini, Joy S.; Nadareishvili, Vazha

2007-01-01

Although Qatar has improved its post-secondary educational opportunities, the country's efforts have not undergone a broad strategic review. This study analyzed the extent to which the current offerings can meet the country's future needs and identified priorities for developing further educational options. Researchers found that Qataris' current…

Southwest Region: A Report Identifying and Addressing the Educational Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

The Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002, authorized the Southwest Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), whose members represent the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, to identify and prioritize the region's educational needs and recommend how those needs can be met. The Southwest RAC conducted three public…

Towards Excellence in Asthma Management: final report of an eight-year program aimed at reducing care gaps in asthma management in Quebec.

PubMed

Boulet, Louis-Philippe; Dorval, E; Labrecque, M; Turgeon, M; Montague, T; Thivierge, R L

2008-09-01

Asthma care in Canada and around the world persistently falls short of optimal treatment. To optimize care, a systematic approach to identifying such shortfalls or 'care gaps', in which all stakeholders of the health care system (including patients) are involved, was proposed. Several projects of a multipartner, multidisciplinary disease management program, developed to optimize asthma care in Quebec, was conducted in a period of eight years. First, two population maps were produced to identify regional variations in asthma-related morbidity and to prioritize interventions for improving treatment. Second, current care was evaluated in a physician-patient cohort, confirming the many care gaps in asthma management. Third, two series of peer-reviewed outcome studies, targeting high-risk populations and specific asthma care gaps, were conducted. Finally, a process to integrate the best interventions into the health care system and an agenda for further research on optimal asthma management were proposed. Key observations from these studies included the identification of specific patterns of noncompliance in using inhaled corticosteroids, the failure of increased access to spirometry in asthma education centres to increase the number of education referrals, the transient improvement in educational abilities of nurses involved with an asthma hotline telephone service, and the beneficial effects of practice tools aimed at facilitating the assessment of asthma control and treatment needs by general practitioners. Disease management programs such as Towards Excellence in Asthma Management can provide valuable information on optimal strategies for improving treatment of asthma and other chronic diseases by identifying care gaps, improving guidelines implementation and optimizing care.

Public Perceptions of the Pay Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Catherine; Silva, Elena

2005-01-01

Women have made gains toward closing the gender pay gap during the past two decades. Much of the progress occurred during the 1980s, with smaller gains in the 1990s (Institute for Women's Policy Research 2004). Women's achievements in higher education are partly responsible for narrowing the pay gap in the 1980s and 1990s. As more women earned…

Gender, race & the veteran wage gap.

PubMed

Vick, Brandon; Fontanella, Gabrielle

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes earnings outcomes of Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. We utilize the 2009-2013 American Community Survey and a worker-matching methodology to decompose wage differences between veteran and non-veteran workers. Among fully-employed, 25-40 year-olds, veteran workers make 3% less than non-veteran workers. While male veterans make 9% less than non-veterans, female and black veterans experience a wage premium (2% and 7% respectively). Decomposition of the earnings gap identifies some of its sources. Relatively higher rates of disability and lower rates of educational attainment serve to increase the overall wage penalty against veterans. However, veterans work less in low-paying occupations than non-veterans, serving to reduce the wage penalty. Finally, among male and white subgroups, non-veterans earn more in the top quintile due largely to having higher educational attainment and greater representation in higher-paying occupations, such as management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Closing the Achievement Gap: Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robards, Shirley N.

2008-01-01

Closing the achievement gap between low- and high-achieving public school students is an important goal of public education. This article explores background information and research and discusses examples of best practices to close the achievement gap. Several plans have been proposed as ways to enhance the achievement of under-represented…

A students' survey of cultural competence as a basis for identifying gaps in the medical curriculum.

PubMed

Seeleman, Conny; Hermans, Jessie; Lamkaddem, Majda; Suurmond, Jeanine; Stronks, Karien; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise

2014-10-11

competence of medical students and physicians identified gaps in knowledge and culturally competent behaviour. Such data can be used to guide improvement efforts to the diversity content of educational curricula. Based on this study, improvements should focus on increasing knowledge and improving diversity-sensitive consultation behaviour and less on reflection skills. The weak association between overall self-perceived cultural competence and assessed knowledge, reflection ability and consultation behaviour supports the hypothesis that measures of sell-perceived competence are insufficient to assess actual cultural competence.

STEMMING the Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahler, Jim; Valentine, Nancy

2011-01-01

America has a gap when it comes to youth pursuing science and technology careers. In an effort to improve the knowledge and application of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), after-school programs can work in conjunction with formal in-school curriculum to improve science education. One organization that actively addresses this…

Structural analyses of Legionella LepB reveal a new GAP fold that catalytically mimics eukaryotic RasGAP.

PubMed

Yu, Qin; Hu, Liyan; Yao, Qing; Zhu, Yongqun; Dong, Na; Wang, Da-Cheng; Shao, Feng

2013-06-01

Rab GTPases are emerging targets of diverse bacterial pathogens. Here, we perform biochemical and structural analyses of LepB, a Rab GTPase-activating protein (GAP) effector from Legionella pneumophila. We map LepB GAP domain to residues 313-618 and show that the GAP domain is Rab1 specific with a catalytic activity higher than the canonical eukaryotic TBC GAP and the newly identified VirA/EspG family of bacterial RabGAP effectors. Exhaustive mutation analyses identify Arg444 as the arginine finger, but no catalytically essential glutamine residues. Crystal structures of LepB313-618 alone and the GAP domain of Legionella drancourtii LepB in complex with Rab1-GDP-AlF3 support the catalytic role of Arg444, and also further reveal a 3D architecture and a GTPase-binding mode distinct from all known GAPs. Glu449, structurally equivalent to TBC RabGAP glutamine finger in apo-LepB, undergoes a drastic movement upon Rab1 binding, which induces Rab1 Gln70 side-chain flipping towards GDP-AlF3 through a strong ionic interaction. This conformationally rearranged Gln70 acts as the catalytic cis-glutamine, therefore uncovering an unexpected RasGAP-like catalytic mechanism for LepB. Our studies highlight an extraordinary structural and catalytic diversity of RabGAPs, particularly those from bacterial pathogens.

Education Finance Reform, Education Spending, and Student Performance: Evidence from Maryland's Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Il Hwan

2015-01-01

The disparities in achievement among income and racial-ethnic groups of students have long been a major concern of educational policies. Among several identified factors that help explain the student performance gap, this paper focuses on inequity in funding for education among school districts, which resulted from heavy reliance of school…

The gender gap in science: How long until women are equally represented?

PubMed Central

Stuart-Fox, Devi; Hauser, Cindy E.

2018-01-01

Women comprise a minority of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) workforce. Quantifying the gender gap may identify fields that will not reach parity without intervention, reveal underappreciated biases, and inform benchmarks for gender balance among conference speakers, editors, and hiring committees. Using the PubMed and arXiv databases, we estimated the gender of 36 million authors from >100 countries publishing in >6000 journals, covering most STEMM disciplines over the last 15 years, and made a web app allowing easy access to the data (https://lukeholman.github.io/genderGap/). Despite recent progress, the gender gap appears likely to persist for generations, particularly in surgery, computer science, physics, and maths. The gap is especially large in authorship positions associated with seniority, and prestigious journals have fewer women authors. Additionally, we estimate that men are invited by journals to submit papers at approximately double the rate of women. Wealthy countries, notably Japan, Germany, and Switzerland, had fewer women authors than poorer ones. We conclude that the STEMM gender gap will not close without further reforms in education, mentoring, and academic publishing. PMID:29672508

The Knowing-Doing Gap in Advance Directives in Asian Americans: The Role of Education and Acculturation.

PubMed

Jang, Yuri; Park, Nan Sook; Chiriboga, David A; Radhakrishnan, Kavita; Kim, Miyong T

2017-11-01

The purposes of the present study were (1) to explore the completion rate of advance directives (ADs) in a sample of Asian Americans and (2) to examine the direct and moderating effects of knowledge of AD, education, and acculturation in predicting AD completion. Education and acculturation were conceptualized as moderators in the link between knowledge and completion of ADs. Using data from 2609 participants in the 2015 Asian American Quality of Life survey (aged 18-98), logistic regression analyses on AD completion were conducted, testing both direct and moderating effects. The overall AD completion rate in sample was about 12%. The AD knowledge and acculturation independently predicted AD completion. No direct effect of education was found; however, it interacted with AD knowledge. The AD knowledge was more likely to be translated into completion in the group with higher education. The AD completion rate observed in the present sample of Asian Americans was much lower than that of the US general population (26%-36%). The interactive role of education helps to explain the gap between AD knowledge and completion and suggests intervention strategies.

Addressing the STEM Gender Gap by Designing and Implementing an Educational Outreach Chemistry Camp for Middle School Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Mindy; Serio, Nicole; Radaram, Bhasker; Chaudhuri, Sauradip; Talbert, William

2015-01-01

There continues to be a persistent, widespread gender gap in multiple STEM disciplines at all educational and professional levels: from the self-reported interest of preschool aged students in scientific exploration to the percentages of tenured faculty in these disciplines, more men than women express an interest in science, a confidence in their…

Pharmacy students' ability to identify plagiarism after an educational intervention.

PubMed

Degeeter, Michelle; Harris, Kira; Kehr, Heather; Ford, Carolyn; Lane, Daniel C; Nuzum, Donald S; Compton, Cynthia; Gibson, Whitney

2014-03-12

Objective. To determine if an educational intervention in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree program increases pharmacy students' ability to identify plagiarism. Methods. First-year (P1), second-year (P2), and third-year (P3) pharmacy students attended an education session during which types of plagiarism and methods for avoiding plagiarism were reviewed. Students completed a preintervention assessment immediately prior to the session and a postintervention assessment the following semester to measure their ability. Results. Two hundred fifty-two students completed both preintervention and postintervention assessments. There was a 4% increase from preintervention to postintervention in assessment scores for the overall student sample (p<0.05). The mean change was greatest for P1 and P2 students (5% and 4.8%, respectively). Conclusion. An educational intervention about plagiarism can significantly improve students' ability to identify plagiarism.

Pharmacy Students’ Ability to Identify Plagiarism After an Educational Intervention

PubMed Central

Harris, Kira; Kehr, Heather; Ford, Carolyn; Lane, Daniel C.; Nuzum, Donald S.; Compton, Cynthia; Gibson, Whitney

2014-01-01

Objective. To determine if an educational intervention in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree program increases pharmacy students’ ability to identify plagiarism. Methods. First-year (P1), second-year (P2), and third-year (P3) pharmacy students attended an education session during which types of plagiarism and methods for avoiding plagiarism were reviewed. Students completed a preintervention assessment immediately prior to the session and a postintervention assessment the following semester to measure their ability. Results. Two hundred fifty-two students completed both preintervention and postintervention assessments. There was a 4% increase from preintervention to postintervention in assessment scores for the overall student sample (p<0.05). The mean change was greatest for P1 and P2 students (5% and 4.8%, respectively). Conclusion. An educational intervention about plagiarism can significantly improve students’ ability to identify plagiarism. PMID:24672066

Understanding Statistics and Statistics Education: A Chinese Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shi, Ning-Zhong; He, Xuming; Tao, Jian

2009-01-01

In recent years, statistics education in China has made great strides. However, there still exists a fairly large gap with the advanced levels of statistics education in more developed countries. In this paper, we identify some existing problems in statistics education in Chinese schools and make some proposals as to how they may be overcome. We…

Identifying the Educational Needs of Menopausal Women: A Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Trudeau, Kimberlee J.; Ainscough, Jessica L.; Trant, Meredith; Starker, Joan; Cousineau, Tara

2013-01-01

Background The goal of this project was to identify the educational needs of menopausal women and test the feasibility of an online self management program based on social learning theory. Methods The four stages included: (1) a needs assessment using a) focus groups with 24 women ages 40 – 55 and b) phone interviews with eight health experts, (2) the use of concept mapping methodology for quantifying qualitative data from Stage 1 to identify the core programmatic concepts, (3) development of a demonstration program, and (4) a pilot study with 35 women and nine health experts to assess knowledge gained and program satisfaction. Results Results show that women desire more information about normalcy of menopause and symptom management, found the program to meet a need for menopausal education otherwise perceived as unavailable, and they significantly increased their menopausal knowledge after brief exposure (t34= 3.64, p = .001). Conclusions This project provides support for an online health education program for menopausal women and content ideas for inclusion in women’s health education curriculum. PMID:21185735

Gap Analysis: Rethinking the Conceptual Foundations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-23

there could exist a basis for gap in capability and, therefore, a desire to close the capability gap . What one desires versus what one has is, in...Analysis is not intended to close the space between the most distant extremes or the rarest occurrences. Rather, Gap Analysis is centered on the larger...åÖÉ=======- 13 - = = Research Objectives The process of identifying needs and unsatisfied desires, or gaps in capability—in essence, the goal—is

Workforce training and education gaps in gerontology and geriatrics: what we found in New York State.

PubMed

Maiden, Robert J; Horowitz, Beverly P; Howe, Judith L

2010-01-01

This article summarizes data from the 2008 Symposium Charting the Future for New York State Workforce Training and Education in Aging: The Stakeholder Perspective and the 2009 report Workforce Training and Education: The Challenge for Academic Institutions. This research is the outcome of a collaborative State Society on Aging of New York and New York State Office for the Aging study on New York State's workforce training and education needs. Eight Listening Sessions were held across New York State to obtain input on topics including training, gerontology education, and credentialing and certification. Individual sessions highlighted the needs of urban, rural, and suburban communities. Key themes identified through content analysis included the need for education about aging in agencies serving older adults, education on human development, positive aspects of aging, disabilities, developmental disabilities, and greater opportunities for training and education for service providers. Lack of incentives was identified as a barrier to credentialing or certification. Education about growing older beginning in grade school was recommended. Lack of funding was identified as a barrier that limited support for employee education/training. Disconnects were identified between employers and academic institutions and state government and providers regarding gerontology/geriatric training and education. Consideration to how these themes may be addressed by the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education is offered.

Bridging the Research-Practice Gap: Research Translation and/or Research Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirschkorn, Mark; Geelan, David

2008-01-01

The issue of the "research-practice gap"--the problematic relationship between research in education and educational practice--has been widely reported in the literature. This critical literature review explores some of the causes and features of the gap and suggests some possible approaches for addressing it. These solutions involve changes in…

Identifying Quality in Preschool Education: Progress and Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Jan N.

2010-01-01

In this article, the author comments on Dominguez, Vitiello, Maier, and Greenfield's (2010) article on identifying quality in preschool education. Dominguez et al. have conducted a methodologically sophisticated study describing the growth of learning behavior among Head Start children. By doing so, they contribute to a growing body of evidence…

The gender health gap in China: A decomposition analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Bago d'Uva, Teresa; van Doorslaer, Eddy

2015-07-01

Around the world, and in spite of their higher life expectancy, women tend to report worse health than men until old age. Explanations for this gender gap in self-perceived health may be different in China than in other countries due to the traditional phenomenon of son preference. We examine several possible reasons for the gap using the Chinese SAGE data. We first rule out differential reporting by gender as a possible explanation, exploiting information on anchoring vignettes in eight domains of health functioning. Decomposing the gap in general self-assessed health, we find that about 31% can be explained by socio-demographic factors, most of all by discrimination against women in education in the 20th century. A more complete specification including chronic conditions and health functioning fully explains the remainder of the gap (about 69%). Adding chronic conditions and health functioning also explains at least two thirds of the education contribution, suggesting how education may affect health. In particular, women's higher rates of arthritis, angina and eye diseases make the largest contributions to the gender health gap, by limiting mobility, increasing pain and discomfort, and causing sleep problems and a feeling of low energy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying Critical Issues and Problems in Technology Education Using a Modified-Delphi Technique.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wicklein, Robert C.

1993-01-01

Critical issues for technology education (TE) identified by a 25-member Delphi panel were identification of the knowledge base, curriculum development approaches, interdisciplinary approaches, and teacher education reform. Problems identified included inadequate marketing/public relations, teacher shortage, lack of content consensus, and…

Identifying the Real Technology Skills Gap: A Qualitative Look across Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schirf, Evan; Serapiglia, Anthony

2017-01-01

Every year several survey inventories are performed throughout the IT industry by trade magazines and research groups that attempt to gauge the current state of the industry as it relates to trends. Many of these highlight a technology skills gap between job expectations and potential employees. While many job openings exist and educational…

Identification and characterization of ten new water gaps in seeds and fruits with physical dormancy and classification of water-gap complexes

PubMed Central

Gama-Arachchige, N. S.; Baskin, J. M.; Geneve, R. L.; Baskin, C. C.

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Physical dormancy (PY) occurs in seeds or fruits of 18 angiosperm families and is caused by a water-impermeable palisade cell layer(s) in seed or fruit coats. Prior to germination, the seed or fruit coat of species with PY must become permeable in order to imbibe water. Breaking of PY involves formation of a small opening(s) (water gap) in a morpho-anatomically specialized area in seeds or fruits known as the water-gap complex. Twelve different water-gap regions in seven families have previously been characterized. However, the water-gap regions had not been characterized in Cucurbitaceae; clade Cladrastis of Fabaceae; subfamilies Bombacoideae, Brownlowioideae and Bythnerioideae of Malvaceae; Nelumbonaceae; subfamily Sapindoideae of Sapindaceae; Rhamnaceae; or Surianaceae. The primary aims of this study were to identify and describe the water gaps of these taxa and to classify all the known water-gap regions based on their morpho-anatomical features. Methods Physical dormancy in 15 species was broken by exposing seeds or fruits to wet or dry heat under laboratory conditions. Water-gap regions of fruits and seeds were identified and characterized by use of microtome sectioning, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dye tracking and blocking experiments. Key Results Ten new water-gap regions were identified in seven different families, and two previously hypothesized regions were confirmed. Water-gap complexes consist of (1) an opening that forms after PY is broken; (2) a specialized structure that occludes the gap; and (3) associated specialized tissues. In some species, more than one opening is involved in the initial imbibition of water. Conclusions Based on morpho-anatomical features, three basic water-gap complexes (Types-I, -II and -III) were identified in species with PY in 16 families. Depending on the number of openings involved in initial imbibition, the water-gap complexes were sub-divided into simple and compound. The

Identification and characterization of ten new water gaps in seeds and fruits with physical dormancy and classification of water-gap complexes.

PubMed

Gama-Arachchige, N S; Baskin, J M; Geneve, R L; Baskin, C C

2013-07-01

Physical dormancy (PY) occurs in seeds or fruits of 18 angiosperm families and is caused by a water-impermeable palisade cell layer(s) in seed or fruit coats. Prior to germination, the seed or fruit coat of species with PY must become permeable in order to imbibe water. Breaking of PY involves formation of a small opening(s) (water gap) in a morpho-anatomically specialized area in seeds or fruits known as the water-gap complex. Twelve different water-gap regions in seven families have previously been characterized. However, the water-gap regions had not been characterized in Cucurbitaceae; clade Cladrastis of Fabaceae; subfamilies Bombacoideae, Brownlowioideae and Bythnerioideae of Malvaceae; Nelumbonaceae; subfamily Sapindoideae of Sapindaceae; Rhamnaceae; or Surianaceae. The primary aims of this study were to identify and describe the water gaps of these taxa and to classify all the known water-gap regions based on their morpho-anatomical features. Physical dormancy in 15 species was broken by exposing seeds or fruits to wet or dry heat under laboratory conditions. Water-gap regions of fruits and seeds were identified and characterized by use of microtome sectioning, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dye tracking and blocking experiments. Ten new water-gap regions were identified in seven different families, and two previously hypothesized regions were confirmed. Water-gap complexes consist of (1) an opening that forms after PY is broken; (2) a specialized structure that occludes the gap; and (3) associated specialized tissues. In some species, more than one opening is involved in the initial imbibition of water. Based on morpho-anatomical features, three basic water-gap complexes (Types-I, -II and -III) were identified in species with PY in 16 families. Depending on the number of openings involved in initial imbibition, the water-gap complexes were sub-divided into simple and compound. The proposed classification system enables understanding of the

Comparing U.S. Army Systems with Foreign Counterparts: Identifying Possible Capability Gaps and Insights from Other Armies

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

C O R P O R A T I O N Research Report Comparing U.S. Army Systems with Foreign Counterparts Identifying Possible Capability Gaps and Insights from...Couffer; photo by E. Heidtmann, CC BY 3.0; photo by Black Mammmba, CC BY 3.0; and photo by Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY 3.0. M1A2 Abrams Leopard 2A6 Merkava...photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel N . Woods; photo by Daniel Steger, CC BY-SA 2.5; “MIL_Finlândia-Army_Demo Day 2005 Rovajärvellä

Closing the Achievement Gap with Culturally Relevant Technology-Based Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Roberto

2009-01-01

The most significant educational problem of our time has been the achievement gap. The author discusses the need for the field of educational technology to join in the social movement to close this gap. He provides background on the significance of incorporating culture throughout the design and development of technology-based learning…

Brokering the Research-Practice Gap: A typology.

PubMed

Neal, Jennifer Watling; Neal, Zachary P; Kornbluh, Mariah; Mills, Kristen J; Lawlor, Jennifer A

2015-12-01

Despite widespread recognition of a research-practice gap in multiple service sectors, less is known about how pre-existing communication channels facilitate the flow of information between researchers and practitioners. In the current study, we applied an existing typology of brokerage developed by Gould and Fernandez (Sociol Methodol 19:89-126, 1989) to examine what types of brokerage facilitate information spread between researchers and educational practitioners. Specifically, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 school administrators and staff in two public school districts regarding their experiences searching for information about instructional, health, and social skills programs. Using deductive content analysis, we found evidence of all five types of brokerage identified by Gould and Fernandez (1989). However, only three types of brokerage-gatekeepers, representatives, and liaisons-were involved in the flow of information between school administrators and researchers. Moreover, information transfer often occurred in longer chains that involved multiple, distinct types of brokerage. We conclude with the broad implications of our findings for narrowing the research-practice gap by improving researchers' dissemination efforts and practitioners' search for information.

Educating Moral Emotions or Moral Selves: A False Dichotomy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristjansson, Kristjan

2010-01-01

In the post-Kohlbergian era of moral education, a "moral gap" has been identified between moral cognition and moral action. Contemporary moral psychologists lock horns over how this gap might be bridged. The two main contenders for such bridge-building are moral emotions and moral selves. I explore these two options from an Aristotelian…

Review and bibliometric analysis of published literature citing data produced by the Gap Analysis Program (GAP)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ratz, Joan M.; Conk, Shannon J.

2014-01-01

The Gap Analysis Program (GAP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produces geospatial datasets providing information on land cover, predicted species distributions, stewardship (ownership and conservation status), and an analysis dataset which synthesizes the other three datasets. The intent in providing these datasets is to support the conservation of biodiversity. The datasets are made available at no cost. The initial datasets were created at the state level. More recent datasets have been assembled at regional and national levels. GAP entered an agreement with the Policy Analysis and Science Assistance branch of the USGS to conduct an evaluation to describe the effect that using GAP data has on those who utilize the datasets (GAP users). The evaluation project included multiple components: a discussion regarding use of GAP data conducted with participants at a GAP conference, a literature review of publications that cited use of GAP data, and a survey of GAP users. The findings of the published literature search were used to identify topics to include on the survey. This report summarizes the literature search, the characteristics of the resulting set of publications, the emergent themes from statements made regarding GAP data, and a bibliometric analysis of the publications. We cannot claim that this list includes all publications that have used GAP data. Given the time lapse that is common in the publishing process, more recent datasets may be cited less frequently in this list of publications. Reports or products that used GAP data may be produced but never published in print or released online. In that case, our search strategies would not have located those reports. Authors may have used GAP data but failed to cite it in such a way that the search strategies we used would have located those publications. These are common issues when using a literature search as part of an evaluation project. Although the final list of publications we identified is not

Bridging the GAPS from Space: A Research/Educational Partnership in the Upper Delaware River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown de Colstoun, E.; Robin, J.; Minelli, S.; Katsaros, M.; Peterec, I.; Sandt, K.

2006-05-01

The National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program is currently developing scientific protocols to inventory and monitor the natural resources of 270 park units at the national level. These are aimed at providing critical tools needed by park managers for effective decision-making regarding the management and stewardship of the resources they are charged with protecting. We are currently developing a satellite-based regional land cover and land use monitoring protocol that addresses the immediate needs of the NPS I&M. This is a pilot project that examines land cover/use changes in and around the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area national parks from Landsat data for the period 1984 to 2005, in one the fastest growing regions in the country. The products resulting from the application of the protocols are then used to guide the simulation of land cover/use changes within a simple Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere-Transfer (SVAT) model called GAPS in order to better understand the consequences of the measured land cover/use change on the water and energy cycles of the parks and surrounding areas. The data needed for product validation and model parameterization are being acquired with the assistance of students and educators from area schools using protocols established through the GLOBE program. Through focused workshops organized in collaboration with NPS educational specialists and PA regional educational service agencies called Intermediate Units, and participation in hands-on field measurement campaigns, students and educators are learning about satellite remote sensing interpretation, land cover classification, and how to measure/monitor changes in land cover/use in their communities. Students will also assist in the model simulations using the data they acquire in the field. This partnership between the Principal Investigator, the NPS, Intermediate Units and area students and educators is

Decision Making behind the Use of Metacognitive Pedagogy within Education Methodology Coursework: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes, Andria Hilvitz

2011-01-01

Recent Department of Education Reports identify a need for changes in pre-service teacher education to help close the continuance of the achievement gap. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify the professor decision making about metacognitive pedagogical theory within preparation of preservice education programs. The study included…

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.

Identifying groups of nonparticipants in type 2 diabetes mellitus education.

PubMed

Schäfer, Ingmar; Küver, Claudia; Wiese, Birgitt; Pawels, Marc; van den Bussche, Hendrik; Kaduszkiewicz, Hannah

2013-06-01

Patient education is a compulsory element of the nationwide disease management program (DMP) for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Germany. However, a considerable proportion of patients do not attend diabetes self-management education courses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe patient-reported reasons for nonparticipation and to identify typical subgroups of nonparticipants in order to improve recruitment strategies. The authors performed a cross-sectional observational study on 165 participants and 132 nonparticipants in diabetes education using a postal survey and chart review. Participants and nonparticipants were compared using 2-sided t tests and χ2 tests. Nonparticipants were grouped by cluster analysis based on the reasons for nonparticipation. A total of 95% of participants and 36% of nonparticipants reported to have received a recommendation for diabetes education from their physician. The authors identified 4 typical subgroups of nonparticipants: the "informed and responsible," the "unconcerned without desire for more information," the "uninformed but responsible," and the "anxious and burdened with psychosocial problems and functional limitations." The physician's recommendation seems to influence participation in diabetes education and should be used intentionally to increase participation rates. Also, differentiating barriers of nonparticipants can be determined by the degree of feeling informed and responsible for diabetes management. Physicians should more clearly explore patients' perception of their knowledge of diabetes and their attribution of responsibility for diabetes management. Starting from this patient perspective might help physicians motivate patients to participate in diabetes education.

Closing the social-class achievement gap: a difference-education intervention improves first-generation students' academic performance and all students' college transition.

PubMed

Stephens, Nicole M; Hamedani, MarYam G; Destin, Mesmin

2014-04-01

College students who do not have parents with 4-year degrees (first-generation students) earn lower grades and encounter more obstacles to success than do students who have at least one parent with a 4-year degree (continuing-generation students). In the study reported here, we tested a novel intervention designed to reduce this social-class achievement gap with a randomized controlled trial (N = 168). Using senior college students' real-life stories, we conducted a difference-education intervention with incoming students about how their diverse backgrounds can shape what they experience in college. Compared with a standard intervention that provided similar stories of college adjustment without highlighting students' different backgrounds, the difference-education intervention eliminated the social-class achievement gap by increasing first-generation students' tendency to seek out college resources (e.g., meeting with professors) and, in turn, improving their end-of-year grade point averages. The difference-education intervention also improved the college transition for all students on numerous psychosocial outcomes (e.g., mental health and engagement).

DISCONTOOLS: a database to identify research gaps on vaccines, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics for the control of infectious diseases of animals.

PubMed

O'Brien, Declan; Scudamore, Jim; Charlier, Johannes; Delavergne, Morgane

2017-01-03

The public and private sector in the EU spend around €800 million per year on animal health and welfare related research. An objective process to identify critical gaps in knowledge and available control tools should aid the prioritisation of research in order to speed up the development of new or improved diagnostics, vaccines and pharmaceuticals and reduce the burden of animal diseases. Here, we describe the construction of a database based on expert consultation for 52 infectious diseases of animals. For each disease, an expert group produced a disease and product analysis document that formed the basis for gap analysis and prioritisation. The prioritisation model was based on a closed scoring system, employing identical weights for six evaluation criteria (disease knowledge; impact on animal health and welfare; impact on public health; impact on wider society; impact on trade; control tools). The diseases were classified into three groups: epizootic diseases, food-producing animal complexes or zoonotic diseases. The highly ranked diseases in the prioritisation model comprised mostly zoonotic and epizootic diseases with important gaps identified in vaccine development and pharmaceuticals, respectively. The most important outcome is the identification of key research needs by disease. The rankings and research needs by disease are provided on a public website ( www.discontools.eu ) which is currently being updated based on new expert consultations. As such, it can become a reference point for funders of research including the European Commission, member states, foundations, trusts along with private industry to prioritise research. This will deliver benefits in terms of animal health and welfare but also public health, societal benefits and a safe and secure food supply.

Identifying the educational needs of menopausal women: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Trudeau, Kimberlee J; Ainscough, Jessica L; Trant, Meredith; Starker, Joan; Cousineau, Tara M

2011-01-01

The goal of this project was to identify the educational needs of menopausal women and test the feasibility of an online self management program based on social learning theory. The four stages included 1) a needs assessment using a) focus groups with 24 women ages 40 to 55 and b) phone interviews with eight health experts; 2) the use of concept mapping methodology for quantifying qualitative data from stage 1 to identify the core programmatic concepts; 3) development of a demonstration program; and 4) a pilot study with 35 women and 9 health experts to assess knowledge gained and program satisfaction. Results show that women desire more information about normalcy of menopause and symptom management and found the program to meet a need for menopausal education otherwise perceived as unavailable. The women significantly increased their menopausal knowledge after brief exposure (t(34) = 3.64; p = .001). This project provides support for an online health education program for menopausal women and content ideas for inclusion in women's health education curriculum. Copyright © 2011 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sex Education Knowledge Differences between Freshmen and Senior College Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Ruth M.; Dotger, Sharon

2011-01-01

Abstinence sexuality education (sex ed) is the only federally funded sex ed in the United States. The strict curriculum of this education does not educate American adolescents about safer sex practices and leaves a knowledge gap in these adolescents that follows them into college. The Problem: This project aimed to identify sex knowledge…

Partnership in Teacher Education--A Research Mapping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lillejord, Sølvi; Børte, Kristin

2016-01-01

This mapping of research on partnership in teacher education provides an overview of themes and analyses problems identified in the studies that were included. The mapping gives a status of research in the field; identifies knowledge gaps and suggests improvements in partnership models. Studies included describe partnerships as complex and…

Literacy skills gaps: A cross-level analysis on international and intergenerational variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Suehye

2018-02-01

The global agenda for sustainable development has centred lifelong learning on UNESCO's Education 2030 Framework for Action. The study described in this article aimed to examine international and intergenerational variations in literacy skills gaps within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this purpose, the author examined the trend of literacy gaps in different countries using multilevel and multisource data from the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning survey data from the third edition of the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE III). In this article, particular attention is paid to exploring the specific effects of education systems on literacy skills gaps among different age groups. Key findings of this study indicate substantial intergenerational literacy gaps within countries as well as different patterns of literacy gaps across countries. Young generations generally outscore older adults in literacy skills, but feature bigger gaps when examined by gender and social origin. In addition, this study finds an interesting tendency for young generations to benefit from a system of Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) in closing literacy gaps by formal schooling at country level. This implies the potential of an RVA system for tackling educational inequality in initial schooling. The article concludes with suggestions for integrating literacy skills as a foundation of lifelong learning into national RVA frameworks and mechanisms at system level.

The Hispanic-Asian Achievement Gap in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Lina Maria

2012-01-01

There is little research of Hispanic and Asian children's educational outcomes; in particular, the achievement gap between these two racial/ethnic groups has not been fully explored. The objective of this investigation is to analyze the Hispanic-Asian achievement gap in elementary school using the ECLS-K, a longitudinal nationally representative…

Community Engagement for Identifying Cancer Education Needs in Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Jiménez, Julio; Ramos, Axel; Ramos-Rivera, Francisco E; Gwede, Clement; Quinn, Gwendolyn P; Vadaparampil, Susan; Brandon, Thomas; Simmons, Vani; Castro, Eida

2018-02-01

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Puerto Rico, suggesting a need for improved strategies, programs, and resources devoted to cancer prevention. Enhanced prevention needs in Puerto Rico were initially identified in pilot studies conducted by the Ponce School of Medicine (PSM) in collaboration with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC). In the current study, we used community engagement to identify specific needs in cancer prevention and education and strategies to create culturally attuned, effective cancer prevention education programs. A total of 37 participants attended a community forum and were assigned to one of three discussion groups: patients/survivors (n = 14); family/caregivers (n = 11); or healthcare providers (n = 12). Most participants were women (73 %), over 35 years of age, and a majority were married (58 %) and had a university education (81 %). The sessions were recorded and transcribed and analyzed for key themes. Participants wanted improved awareness of cancer prevention in Puerto Rico and believed cancer prevention education should start early, ideally in elementary school. Participants also stressed the importance of creating partnerships with private and government agencies to coordinate educational efforts. Suggested strategies included outreach to communities with limited resources, incorporating the testimony of cancer survivors, and utilizing social media to disseminate cancer prevention information.

Measuring outcomes in adult spinal deformity surgery: a systematic review to identify current strengths, weaknesses and gaps in patient-reported outcome measures.

PubMed

Faraj, Sayf S A; van Hooff, Miranda L; Holewijn, Roderick M; Polly, David W; Haanstra, Tsjitske M; de Kleuver, Marinus

2017-08-01

Adult spinal deformity (ASD) causes severe disability, reduces overall quality of life, and results in a substantial societal burden of disease. As healthcare is becoming more value based, and to facilitate global benchmarking, it is critical to identify and standardize patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This study aims to identify the current strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in PROMs used for ASD. Studies were included following a systematic search in multiple bibliographic databases between 2000 and 2015. PROMs were extracted and linked to the outcome domains of WHO's International Classification of Functioning and Health (ICF) framework. Subsequently, the clinimetric quality of identified PROMs was evaluated. The literature search identified 144 papers that met the inclusion criteria, and nine frequently used PROMs were identified. These covered 29 ICF outcome domains, which could be grouped into three of the four main ICF chapters: body function (n = 7), activity and participation (n = 19), environmental factors (n = 3), and body structure (n = 0). A low quantity (n = 3) of papers was identified that studied the clinimetric quality of PROMs. The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 has the highest level of clinimetric quality for ASD. Outcome domains related to mobility and pain were well represented. We identified a gap in current outcome measures regarding neurological and pulmonary function. In addition, no outcome domains were measured in the ICF chapter body structure. These results will serve as a foundation for the process of seeking international consensus on a standard set of outcome domains, accompanied PROMs and contributing factors to be used in future clinical trials and spine registries.

Identifying Institutional Clientele; Applied Metamarketing in Higher Education Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leister, Douglas V.

1975-01-01

Presents methodology, philosophy, findings, and conclusions of a study designed to increase physical plant and institutional efficiency and to identify ways of broadening student appeal through innovative programs. Advocates use by educational administrators of metamarketing procedures used: multidimensional scaling and other attitude research…

Curriculum leadership in the postgraduate: Gap between current and optimal status.

PubMed

Avizhgan, Maryam; Jafari, Ebrahim Mirshah; Nasr, Ahmad Reza; Changiz, Tahereh

2015-04-01

Identifying the strengths and weakness points is one of the effective methods to analyze current status, and prioritizing actions based on the gap between current and optimal status is necessary for short-term and long-term planning in departments and colleges. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between current and optimal status of curriculum leadership in the postgraduate courses in two Iranian universities. In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 212 faculty members from the two Iranian universities (one medical and one nonmedical) was randomly selected through stratified random sampling method. Data were collected by using a researcher-made questionnaire, with 55 items categorized in four areas of main dimensions in curriculum leadership. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by curriculum studies scholars, and the reliability was confirmed as the Cronbach's alpha calculated 0.969. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics according to the variables. There was a gap in all dimensions and roles. The maximum gap (-1.70) with the highest frequency (98%) were related to "improving the educational atmosphere" dimension. As for items, the maximum gap (-2.41) was related to "society needs and expectations and the labor market" in "curriculum development and revision" dimension. The negative gap between all dimensions of curriculum leadership implies faculty members' dissatisfaction. Curriculum leadership at universities, colleges and departments of the study in all aspects need to be improved. Hence, it is necessary for managers to make use of the viewpoints of the faculty members to decrease the gap.

Identifying educator behaviours for high quality verbal feedback in health professions education: literature review and expert refinement.

PubMed

Johnson, Christina E; Keating, Jennifer L; Boud, David J; Dalton, Megan; Kiegaldie, Debra; Hay, Margaret; McGrath, Barry; McKenzie, Wendy A; Nair, Kichu Balakrishnan R; Nestel, Debra; Palermo, Claire; Molloy, Elizabeth K

2016-03-22

Health professions education is characterised by work-based learning and relies on effective verbal feedback. However the literature reports problems in feedback practice, including lack of both learner engagement and explicit strategies for improving performance. It is not clear what constitutes high quality, learner-centred feedback or how educators can promote it. We hoped to enhance feedback in clinical practice by distinguishing the elements of an educator's role in feedback considered to influence learner outcomes, then develop descriptions of observable educator behaviours that exemplify them. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify i) information substantiating specific components of an educator's role in feedback asserted to have an important influence on learner outcomes and ii) verbal feedback instruments in health professions education, that may describe important educator activities in effective feedback. This information was used to construct a list of elements thought to be important in effective feedback. Based on these elements, descriptions of observable educator behaviours that represent effective feedback were developed and refined during three rounds of a Delphi process and a face-to-face meeting with experts across the health professions and education. The review identified more than 170 relevant articles (involving health professions, education, psychology and business literature) and ten verbal feedback instruments in health professions education (plus modified versions). Eighteen distinct elements of an educator's role in effective feedback were delineated. Twenty five descriptions of educator behaviours that align with the elements were ratified by the expert panel. This research clarifies the distinct elements of an educator's role in feedback considered to enhance learner outcomes. The corresponding set of observable educator behaviours aim to describe how an educator could engage, motivate and enable a learner to

Nurse leaders and the innovation competence gap.

PubMed

White, Kenneth R; Pillay, Rubin; Huang, Xuan

2016-01-01

Nurses are well-positioned for innovation in health care delivery, although innovation is not generally learned in formal educational programs. The purpose of this study was to assess critical competencies for innovation success among nurse leaders in academia and practice, the perceived gaps on those competencies, and teaching methods that would be helpful in developing competencies related to innovation. A Web-enabled descriptive survey design was used to capture nurse leaders' perceptions of important innovation competencies and how they assess their level of competence in the particular innovation domain. Preferred approaches for innovation pedagogy were also queried. Respondents indicated significant gaps in 18 of 19 innovation competencies. Implications are for inclusion of innovation competencies in formal and continuing nursing education. The most preferred innovation pedagogical approaches are case studies of failures and successes and project- and field-based approaches. Traditional lectures are the least preferred way to address innovation competency gaps. There is a significant gap in innovation competencies among nurse leaders in practice and academia. The way we teach innovation needs to involve closer collaboration between academia and practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applying Advanced Analytical Approaches to Characterize the Impact of Specific Clinical Gaps and Profiles on the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

PubMed

Ruiz-Cordell, Karyn D; Joubin, Kathy; Haimowitz, Steven

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to add a predictive modeling approach to the meta-analysis of continuing medical education curricula to determine whether this technique can be used to better understand clinical decision making. Using the education of rheumatologists on rheumatoid arthritis management as a model, this study demonstrates how the combined methodology has the ability to not only characterize learning gaps but also identify those proficiency areas that have the greatest impact on clinical behavior. The meta-analysis included seven curricula with 25 activities. Learners who identified as rheumatologists were evaluated across multiple learning domains, using a uniform methodology to characterize learning gains and gaps. A performance composite variable (called the treatment individualization and optimization score) was then established as a target upon which predictive analytics were conducted. Significant predictors of the target included items related to the knowledge of rheumatologists and confidence concerning 1) treatment guidelines and 2) tests that measure disease activity. In addition, a striking demographic predictor related to geographic practice setting was also identified. The results demonstrate the power of advanced analytics to identify key predictors that influence clinical behaviors. Furthermore, the ability to provide an expected magnitude of change if these predictors are addressed has the potential to substantially refine educational priorities to those drivers that, if targeted, will most effectively overcome clinical barriers and lead to the greatest success in achieving treatment goals.

Human Trafficking in Ethiopia: A Scoping Review to Identify Gaps in Service Delivery, Research, and Policy.

PubMed

Beck, Dana C; Choi, Kristen R; Munro-Kramer, Michelle L; Lori, Jody R

2017-12-01

The purpose of this review is to integrate evidence on human trafficking in Ethiopia and identify gaps and recommendations for service delivery, research and training, and policy. A scoping literature review approach was used to systematically search nursing, medical, psychological, law, and international databases and synthesize information on a complex, understudied topic. The search yielded 826 articles, and 39 met the predetermined criteria for inclusion in the review. Trafficking in Ethiopia has occurred internally and externally in the form of adult and child labor and sex trafficking. There were also some reports of organ trafficking and other closely related human rights violations, such as child marriage, child soldiering, and exploitative intercountry adoption. Risk factors for trafficking included push factors (poverty, political instability, economic problems, and gender discrimination) and pull factors (demand for cheap labor). Trafficking was associated with poor health and economic outcomes for victims. Key recommendations for service delivery, research and training, and policy are identified, including establishing comprehensive services for survivor rehabilitation and reintegration, conducting quantitative health outcomes research, and reforming policy around migration and trafficking. Implementing the recommendations identified by this review will allow policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to take meaningful steps toward confronting human trafficking in Ethiopia.

The Achievement Gap and the Discipline Gap: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Anne; Skiba, Russell J.; Noguera, Pedro A.

2010-01-01

The gap in achievement across racial and ethnic groups has been a focus of education research for decades, but the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of Black, Latino, and American Indian students has received less attention. This article synthesizes research on racial and ethnic patterns in school sanctions and considers how…

Gaps in Educational Outcomes: Analysing National Examination Performance of Singaporean Malay and Non-Malay Students in the Past 20 Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Farhan

2016-01-01

Singaporean students generally perform very well in international tests of mathematics and science. Nonetheless, in multi-cultural Singapore, there exist gaps with the Malays, a minority group in Singapore, systematically lagging behind the other ethnic groups of the Chinese and Indians in many educational performance indicators. While there have…

Information Literacy: Instrument Development to Measure Competencies and Knowledge Among Nursing Educators, Nursing Administrators, and Nursing Clinicians: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Pierce, Susan; Pravikoff, Diane; Tanner, Annelle

2003-01-01

This poster describes a pilot study conducted to establish validity and reliability of an instrument that will be used in a nationwide needs assessment, implemented to identify gaps in Information Literacy skills, competencies, and knowledge among key nursing groups nationally. Data and information gathered using the tool will guide the profession in developing appropriate education and continuing education programs to close identified gaps and enhance nurses’ readiness for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). PMID:14728475

Addressing the academic gap between 4- and 6-year pharmacy programs in South Korea.

PubMed

Yoo, Sujin; Song, Seungyeon; Lee, Sangmi; Kwon, Kwangil; Kim, Eunyoung

2014-10-15

To address the academic gap (or lack of adequate training and programs) between 4- and 6-year pharmacy programs and suggest methods for reducing this gap and to evaluate pharmacists' perceptions of preceptorship. We surveyed a convenience sample of 200 community pharmacists who graduated from a 4-year program who were participating in a continuing education program for clinical pharmacy as organized by the Daejeon branch of the Korea Pharmaceutical Association in 2011. Twenty-one questions were asked about the academic gap, needs for an education program, preceptorship, and medication therapy management services. International precedents were examined through a literature review to glean ideas of how to bridge the academic gap between the 4- and 6-year programs. In total, 132 pharmacists answered the survey (return rate=66.0%). The survey findings included problems caused by the academic gap, high need for an adequate education program, low acceptability of preceptorship, and the possibility of medication therapy management services. US-based, non-traditional PharmD programs and new curriculum-support training in Japan provided examples of how the academic gap has been successfully bridged. Nationwide efforts and government support are urgently required to close the academic gap, and experiential education should be included in transitional programs for 4-year pharmacy program pharmacists.

A Model for Assessing Reflective Practices in Pharmacy Education

PubMed Central

Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Lonie, John M.; Smith, Lorraine

2015-01-01

Objective. To research the literature and examine assessment strategies used in health education that measure reflection levels and to identify assessment strategies for use in pharmacy education. Methods. A simple systematic review using a 5-step approach was employed to locate peer-reviewed articles addressing assessment strategies in health education from the last 20 years. Results. The literature search identified assessment strategies and rubrics used in health education for assessing levels of reflection. There is a significant gap in the literature regarding reflective rubric use in pharmacy education. Conclusion. Two assessment strategies to assess levels of reflection, including a reflective rubric tailored for pharmacy education, are proposed. PMID:26690718

Closing the gap between research and management

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch; Marcia Patton-Mallory

1993-01-01

In this paper, we evaluate the reasons for gaps in communication between researchers and natural resource managers and identify methods to close these gaps. Gaps originate from differing patterns of language use, disparities in organizational culture and values, generation of knowledge that is too narrowly-focused to solve complex problems, failure by managers to relay...

Achievement Gaps: How Hispanic and White Students in Public Schools Perform in Mathematics and Reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Highlights. NCES 2011-485

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education Statistics, 2011

2011-01-01

This report provides a detailed portrait of Hispanic and White academic achievement gaps and how students' performance has changed over time at both the national and state levels. The report presents achievement gaps using reading and mathematics assessment data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for the 4th- and 8th-grade…

Identifying and processing the gap between perceived and actual agreement in breast pathology interpretation.

PubMed

Carney, Patricia A; Allison, Kimberly H; Oster, Natalia V; Frederick, Paul D; Morgan, Thomas R; Geller, Berta M; Weaver, Donald L; Elmore, Joann G

2016-07-01

We examined how pathologists' process their perceptions of how their interpretations on diagnoses for breast pathology cases agree with a reference standard. To accomplish this, we created an individualized self-directed continuing medical education program that showed pathologists interpreting breast specimens how their interpretations on a test set compared with a reference diagnosis developed by a consensus panel of experienced breast pathologists. After interpreting a test set of 60 cases, 92 participating pathologists were asked to estimate how their interpretations compared with the standard for benign without atypia, atypia, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive cancer. We then asked pathologists their thoughts about learning about differences in their perceptions compared with actual agreement. Overall, participants tended to overestimate their agreement with the reference standard, with a mean difference of 5.5% (75.9% actual agreement; 81.4% estimated agreement), especially for atypia and were least likely to overestimate it for invasive breast cancer. Non-academic affiliated pathologists were more likely to more closely estimate their performance relative to academic affiliated pathologists (77.6 vs 48%; P=0.001), whereas participants affiliated with an academic medical center were more likely to underestimate agreement with their diagnoses compared with non-academic affiliated pathologists (40 vs 6%). Before the continuing medical education program, nearly 55% (54.9%) of participants could not estimate whether they would overinterpret the cases or underinterpret them relative to the reference diagnosis. Nearly 80% (79.8%) reported learning new information from this individualized web-based continuing medical education program, and 23.9% of pathologists identified strategies they would change their practice to improve. In conclusion, when evaluating breast pathology specimens, pathologists do a good job of estimating their diagnostic agreement with a

A Gap Analysis Needs Assessment Tool to Drive a Care Delivery and Research Agenda for Integration of Care and Sharing of Best Practices Across a Health System.

PubMed

Golden, Sherita Hill; Hager, Daniel; Gould, Lois J; Mathioudakis, Nestoras; Pronovost, Peter J

2017-01-01

In a complex health system, it is important to establish a systematic and data-driven approach to identifying needs. The Diabetes Clinical Community (DCC) of Johns Hopkins Medicine's Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality developed a gap analysis tool and process to establish the system's current state of inpatient diabetes care. The collectively developed tool assessed the following areas: program infrastructure; protocols, policies, and order sets; patient and health care professional education; and automated data access. For the purposes of this analysis, gaps were defined as those instances in which local resources, infrastructure, or processes demonstrated a variance against the current national evidence base or institutionally defined best practices. Following the gap analysis, members of the DCC, in collaboration with health system leadership, met to identify priority areas in order to integrate and synergize diabetes care resources and efforts to enhance quality and reduce disparities in care across the system. Key gaps in care identified included lack of standardized glucose management policies, lack of standardized training of health care professionals in inpatient diabetes management, and lack of access to automated data collection and analysis. These results were used to gain resources to support collaborative diabetes health system initiatives and to successfully obtain federal research funding to develop and pilot a pragmatic diabetes educational intervention. At a health system level, the summary format of this gap analysis tool is an effective method to clearly identify disparities in care to focus efforts and resources to improve care delivery. Copyright © 2016 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Workplace skills and the skills gaps related to employee critical thinking ability and science education curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, William A.

In recent years, business and industry have been vocal critics of education. Critics complain the American workforce, particularly young people, are deficient in workplace skills. A survey of 500 randomly selected Ohio businesses was used to determine opinions of respondents related to workplace skills gaps, rising skill levels, and level and type of critical thinking used on the job by all employees and entry-level employees. Four of 18 science outcomes promoted by the Ohio Department of Education had an application in business and these required critical-thinking skills to complete. These four formed the foundation in the survey because they provided a connection between thinking skills required on the Ohio 12 th Grade Proficiency Test and those required on the job. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to identify correlation between responses. The alpha level was p ≤ .05. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify significant (p ≤ .05) relationships between variables as represented by responses. In addition, one version of the Science Section of the Ohio 12th Grade Proficiency Test was analyzed for use of critical thinking using the SCAN's critical-thinking attributes as a standard. There were several findings related to workplace skills and critical thinking. Only 17.1% of respondents indicated dissatisfaction with the basic academic skill level of their employees. A majority (71.1%) of responding businesses perceived a lack of work ethic as more important than deficient academic skills. Only 17.1% of respondents reported the skill level of their entry-level employees was rising. Approximately 1/3 of responding businesses required no critical thinking at all from their entry-level employees. Small businesses were significantly more likely to require higher levels of critical thinking from their entry level employees than larger businesses. Employers who reported rising skill levels in entry-level employees required all of

Gender gap matters in maternal mortality in low and lower-middle-income countries: A study of the global Gender Gap Index.

PubMed

Choe, Seung-Ah; Cho, Sung-Il; Kim, Hongsoo

2017-09-01

Reducing maternal mortality has been a crucial part of the global development agenda. According to modernisation theory, the effect of gender equality on maternal health may differ depending on a country's economic development status. We explored the correlation between the Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) provided by the World Economic Forum and the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) obtained from the World Development Indicators database of the World Bank. The relationships between each score in the GGI, including its four sub-indices (measuring gender gaps in economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment), and the MMR were analysed. When the countries were stratified by gross national income per capita, the low and lower-middle-income countries had lower scores in the GGI, and lower scores in the economic participation, educational attainment, and political empowerment sub-indices than the high-income group. Among the four sub-indices, the educational attainment sub-index showed a significant inverse correlation with the MMR in low and lower-middle-income countries when controlling for the proportion of skilled birth attendance and public share of health expenditure. This finding suggests that strategic efforts to reduce the gender gap in educational attainment could lead to improvements in maternal health in low and lower-middle-income countries.

Unrealized Educational Expectations a Growing or Diminishing Gender Gap? It Depends on Your Definition. Professional File. Article 134, Fall 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seifert, Tricia A.; Wells, Ryan S.; Saunders, Daniel B.; Gopaul, Bryan

2013-01-01

Past research has examined the widening gender gaps in college expectations and enrollment in the United States in which more women than men expect to continue their education and enroll in postsecondary institutions. A discrepancy exists between students' expectations and their enrollment behavior: more students expect to attend college than…

Developing a Gap Taxonomy to Address Crew Health Risks in NASA's Human Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundrot, Craig E.; Edwards, J. Michelle

2009-01-01

The mission of NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is to understand and reduce the risk to crew health and performance in exploration missions. The HRP addresses 27 specific risks by identifying and then filling gaps in understanding the risks and in the ability to disposition the risks. The primary bases for identifying gaps have been past experience and requirements definition. This approach has been very effective in identifying some important, relevant gaps, but may be inadequate for identifying gaps outside the past experience base. We are exploring the use of a gap taxonomy as a comprehensive, underlying conceptual framework that allows a more systematic identification of gaps. The taxonomy is based on these stages in medical care: prediction, prevention, detection/diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, rehabilitation, and lifetime surveillance. This gap taxonomy approach identifies new gaps in HRP health risks. Many of the new gaps suggest risk reduction approaches that are more cost effective than present approaches. A major benefit of the gap taxonomy approach is to identify new, economical approaches that reduce the likelihood and/or consequence of a risk.

34 CFR 222.39 - How does a State educational agency identify generally comparable local educational agencies for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., low-income families, children with disabilities, neglected or delinquent children, low-achieving..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IMPACT AID PROGRAMS Payments for Federally Connected Children Under Section 8003(b) and (e) of the Act § 222.39 How does a State educational agency identify generally comparable local...

34 CFR 222.39 - How does a State educational agency identify generally comparable local educational agencies for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., low-income families, children with disabilities, neglected or delinquent children, low-achieving..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IMPACT AID PROGRAMS Payments for Federally Connected Children Under Section 8003(b) and (e) of the Act § 222.39 How does a State educational agency identify generally comparable local...

The Wind Energy Workforce Gap in the United States

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

Tegen, Suzanne I; Keyser, David J

There are more than 100,000 jobs in the U.S. wind industry today, and the second-fastest growing job in the United States in 2017 was wind technician. A vibrant wind industry needs workers, and students who graduate from wind energy education and training programs need jobs. The goal of this research is to better understand the needs of wind-related businesses, education and training requirements, and the make-up of current and future domestic workforces. Educators are developing and training future workers. Educational institutions need to know which courses to provide to connect students with potential employers and to justify their wind energymore » programs by being able to place graduates into well-paying jobs. In interviews with 250 wind energy firms and 50 educational institutions, many respondents reported difficulty hiring qualified candidates, while many educational institutions reported graduates not finding jobs in the wind industry. We refer to this mismatch as the 'workforce gap.' This conference poster explores this gap.« less

The Drug Education Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, John C., Jr.

1976-01-01

Examines the problems of alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction and their influence on students. Suggests that intermediate and secondary schools can assist in alcohol and tobacco (the two legal drugs) programs through improved educational methods. (Author/RK)

Integrating Academic and Vocational Education: Guidelines for Assessing a Fuzzy Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stasz, Cathy; Grubb, W. Norton

The 1990 amendments to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 require the National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) to evaluate integration of academic and vocational education. NAVE's study has three integration goals: (1) to examine the themes and research issues; (2) to identify data and data gaps; and (3) to address…

Tire Crumb Research Study Literature Review / Gap ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In order to more fully understand data gaps in human exposure and toxicity to tire crumb materials, ATSDR, CPSC and EPA undertook a collaborative effort in the form of a scientific literature review and subsequent gaps analysis. The first objective of the Literature Review and Gap Analysis (LRGA) collaboration was to identify the existing body of literature related specifically to human exposure to tire crumb materials through the use of synthetic turf athletic fields and playgrounds. The second objective was to characterize and summarize the relevant data from the scientific literature. The final objective was to review the summary information and identify data gaps to build on the current understanding of the state-of-the-science and inform the development of specific research efforts that would be most impactful in the near-term. Because of the need for additional information, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) launched a multi-agency action plan to study key environmental human health questions. The Federal Research Action Plan includes numerous activities, including research studies (U.S. EPA, 2016). A key objective of the Action Plan is to identify key knowledge gaps.

Identifying Threshold Concepts in the Careers of Educational Developers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timmermans, Julie A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify threshold concepts in the careers of educational developers. Twenty-one common threshold concepts emerged, with one threshold concept common among all participants: Facilitating a change process. The remaining 20 threshold concepts were captured in the following three categories: (1) Ways of…

Children's safety initiative: a national assessment of pediatric educational needs among emergency medical services providers.

PubMed

Hansen, Matthew; Meckler, Garth; Dickinson, Caitlyn; Dickenson, Kathryn; Jui, Jonathan; Lambert, William; Guise, Jeanne-Marie

2015-01-01

Emergency medical services (EMS) providers may have critical knowledge gaps in pediatric care due to lack of exposure and training. There is currently little evidence to guide educators to the knowledge gaps that most need to be addressed to improve patient safety. The objective of this study was to identify educational needs of EMS providers related to pediatric care in various domains in order to inform development of curricula. The Children's Safety Initiative-EMS performed a three-phase Delphi survey on patient safety in pediatric emergencies among providers and content experts in pediatric emergency care, including physicians, nurses, and prehospital providers of all levels. Each round included questions related to educational needs of providers or the effect of training on patient safety events. We identified knowledge gaps in the following domains: case exposure, competency and knowledge, assessment and decision making, and critical thinking and proficiency. Individual knowledge gaps were ranked by portion of respondents who ranked them "highly likely" (Likert-type score 7-10 out of 10) to contribute to safety events. There were 737 respondents who were included in analysis of the first phase of the survey. Paramedics were 50.8% of respondents, EMT-basics/first responders were 22%, and physicians 11.4%. The top educational priorities identified in the final round of the survey include pediatric airway management, responder anxiety when working with children, and general pediatric skills among providers. The top three needs in decision-making include knowing when to alter plans mid-course, knowing when to perform an advanced airway, and assessing pain in children. The top 3 technical or procedural skills needs were pediatric advanced airway, neonatal resuscitation, and intravenous/intraosseous access. For neonates, specific educational needs identified included knowing appropriate vital signs and preventing hypothermia. This is the first large-scale Delphi

Finding Platinum-Coating Gaps On Titanium Anodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodemeijer, Ronnald; Flowers, Cecil E.

1990-01-01

Simple procedure makes gaps visible to eye. New gap-detection method consists of plating thin layer of non-silver-colored metal like copper or gold on anode. Contrast in color between plated metal and bare anode material makes gaps stand out. If anode passes inspection, copper or gold plate removable by reversal of test-plating current. Remains to be determined whether test plating and removal damages anode. New method simpler and more economical than previous attempts to identify gaps in platinum.

Curriculum leadership in the postgraduate: Gap between current and optimal status

PubMed Central

Avizhgan, Maryam; Jafari, Ebrahim Mirshah; Nasr, Ahmad Reza; Changiz, Tahereh

2015-01-01

Background: Identifying the strengths and weakness points is one of the effective methods to analyze current status, and prioritizing actions based on the gap between current and optimal status is necessary for short-term and long-term planning in departments and colleges. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between current and optimal status of curriculum leadership in the postgraduate courses in two Iranian universities. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 212 faculty members from the two Iranian universities (one medical and one nonmedical) was randomly selected through stratified random sampling method. Data were collected by using a researcher-made questionnaire, with 55 items categorized in four areas of main dimensions in curriculum leadership. The validity of the questionnaire was determined by curriculum studies scholars, and the reliability was confirmed as the Cronbach's alpha calculated 0.969. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics according to the variables. Results: There was a gap in all dimensions and roles. The maximum gap (−1.70) with the highest frequency (98%) were related to “improving the educational atmosphere” dimension. As for items, the maximum gap (−2.41) was related to “society needs and expectations and the labor market” in “curriculum development and revision” dimension. Conclusion: The negative gap between all dimensions of curriculum leadership implies faculty members’ dissatisfaction. Curriculum leadership at universities, colleges and departments of the study in all aspects need to be improved. Hence, it is necessary for managers to make use of the viewpoints of the faculty members to decrease the gap. PMID:26109996

Technology and Interactive Multimedia. Identifying Emerging Issues and Trends in Technology for Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashton, Ray

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the role of interactive multimedia, especially the digital, optical compact disc technologies, in providing instructional services to special education students. An overview identifies technological and economic trends,…

The Elon Gap Experience: A Transformative First-Year Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Stephen T.; Burr, Katherine H.; Waters, Rexford A.; Hall, Eric E.

2016-01-01

The Elon Gap Experience (EGE) was conceived out of Elon University's most recent strategic plan, the Elon Commitment (Elon University, 2009). One theme calls for "strategic and innovative pathways in undergraduate and graduate education," specifically "to launch a service program as part of a gap-year program" (Elon University,…

Understanding the Gender and Ethnicity Attainment Gap in UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotton, D. R. E.; Joyner, M.; George, R.; Cotton, P. A.

2016-01-01

In recent years, the success rates of different groups of students in higher education have come under considerable scrutiny, with gender and ethnicity identified as key attributes predicting differential achievement of "good degrees". A review of previous studies highlights the need for research which looks beyond "the deficit…

Identifying facilitators and barriers for implementation of interprofessional education: Perspectives from medical educators in the Netherlands.

PubMed

de Vries-Erich, Joy; Reuchlin, Kirsten; de Maaijer, Paul; van de Ridder, J M Monica

2017-03-01

Patient care and patient safety can be compromised by the lack of interprofessional collaboration and communication between healthcare providers. Interprofessional education (IPE) should therefore start during medical training and not be postponed until after graduation. This case study explored the current situation in the Dutch context and interviewed experts within medical education and with pioneers of successful best practices to learn more about their experiences with IPE. Data analysis started while new data were still collected, resulting in an iterative, constant comparative process. Using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis framework, we identified barriers and facilitators such as lack of a collective professional language, insufficient time or budget, stakeholders' resistance, and hierarchy. Opportunities and strengths identified were developing a collective vision, more attention for patient safety, and commitment of teachers. The facilitators and barriers relate to the organisational level of IPE and the educational content and practice. In particular, communication, cohesiveness, and support are influenced by these facilitators. An adequate identification of the SWOT elements in the current situation could prove beneficial for a successful implementation of IPE within the healthcare educational system.

Faculty's Perceptions of Teaching Ethics and Leadership in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlSagheer, Abdullah; Al-Sagheer, Areej

2011-01-01

This paper addressed the faculty's perception of engineering ethics and leadership training. The study looks into the present state of and methodologies for teaching engineering ethics and leadership and aims to determine the faculty's perception of an identified gap in this aspect of engineering education. Engineering education has strong ethics…

Racial/Ethnic Test Score Gaps and the Urban Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagnon, Douglas J.; Mattingly, Marybeth J.

2018-01-01

Research is just beginning to describe with precision determinants of racial and ethnic achievement gaps. Work by Reardon, Kalogrides, and Shores found that factors such as parental income, parental education, and segregation are the strongest predictors of achievement gaps. In this study we expand this line of inquiry to examine the role of…

Genome-wide association study identifies 74 loci associated with educational attainment.

PubMed

Okbay, Aysu; Beauchamp, Jonathan P; Fontana, Mark Alan; Lee, James J; Pers, Tune H; Rietveld, Cornelius A; Turley, Patrick; Chen, Guo-Bo; Emilsson, Valur; Meddens, S Fleur W; Oskarsson, Sven; Pickrell, Joseph K; Thom, Kevin; Timshel, Pascal; de Vlaming, Ronald; Abdellaoui, Abdel; Ahluwalia, Tarunveer S; Bacelis, Jonas; Baumbach, Clemens; Bjornsdottir, Gyda; Brandsma, Johannes H; Pina Concas, Maria; Derringer, Jaime; Furlotte, Nicholas A; Galesloot, Tessel E; Girotto, Giorgia; Gupta, Richa; Hall, Leanne M; Harris, Sarah E; Hofer, Edith; Horikoshi, Momoko; Huffman, Jennifer E; Kaasik, Kadri; Kalafati, Ioanna P; Karlsson, Robert; Kong, Augustine; Lahti, Jari; van der Lee, Sven J; deLeeuw, Christiaan; Lind, Penelope A; Lindgren, Karl-Oskar; Liu, Tian; Mangino, Massimo; Marten, Jonathan; Mihailov, Evelin; Miller, Michael B; van der Most, Peter J; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Payton, Antony; Pervjakova, Natalia; Peyrot, Wouter J; Qian, Yong; Raitakari, Olli; Rueedi, Rico; Salvi, Erika; Schmidt, Börge; Schraut, Katharina E; Shi, Jianxin; Smith, Albert V; Poot, Raymond A; St Pourcain, Beate; Teumer, Alexander; Thorleifsson, Gudmar; Verweij, Niek; Vuckovic, Dragana; Wellmann, Juergen; Westra, Harm-Jan; Yang, Jingyun; Zhao, Wei; Zhu, Zhihong; Alizadeh, Behrooz Z; Amin, Najaf; Bakshi, Andrew; Baumeister, Sebastian E; Biino, Ginevra; Bønnelykke, Klaus; Boyle, Patricia A; Campbell, Harry; Cappuccio, Francesco P; Davies, Gail; De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel; Deloukas, Panos; Demuth, Ilja; Ding, Jun; Eibich, Peter; Eisele, Lewin; Eklund, Niina; Evans, David M; Faul, Jessica D; Feitosa, Mary F; Forstner, Andreas J; Gandin, Ilaria; Gunnarsson, Bjarni; Halldórsson, Bjarni V; Harris, Tamara B; Heath, Andrew C; Hocking, Lynne J; Holliday, Elizabeth G; Homuth, Georg; Horan, Michael A; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; de Jager, Philip L; Joshi, Peter K; Jugessur, Astanand; Kaakinen, Marika A; Kähönen, Mika; Kanoni, Stavroula; Keltigangas-Järvinen, Liisa; Kiemeney, Lambertus A L M; Kolcic, Ivana; Koskinen, Seppo; Kraja, Aldi T; Kroh, Martin; Kutalik, Zoltan; Latvala, Antti; Launer, Lenore J; Lebreton, Maël P; Levinson, Douglas F; Lichtenstein, Paul; Lichtner, Peter; Liewald, David C M; Loukola, Anu; Madden, Pamela A; Mägi, Reedik; Mäki-Opas, Tomi; Marioni, Riccardo E; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Meddens, Gerardus A; McMahon, George; Meisinger, Christa; Meitinger, Thomas; Milaneschi, Yusplitri; Milani, Lili; Montgomery, Grant W; Myhre, Ronny; Nelson, Christopher P; Nyholt, Dale R; Ollier, William E R; Palotie, Aarno; Paternoster, Lavinia; Pedersen, Nancy L; Petrovic, Katja E; Porteous, David J; Räikkönen, Katri; Ring, Susan M; Robino, Antonietta; Rostapshova, Olga; Rudan, Igor; Rustichini, Aldo; Salomaa, Veikko; Sanders, Alan R; Sarin, Antti-Pekka; Schmidt, Helena; Scott, Rodney J; Smith, Blair H; Smith, Jennifer A; Staessen, Jan A; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Strauch, Konstantin; Terracciano, Antonio; Tobin, Martin D; Ulivi, Sheila; Vaccargiu, Simona; Quaye, Lydia; van Rooij, Frank J A; Venturini, Cristina; Vinkhuyzen, Anna A E; Völker, Uwe; Völzke, Henry; Vonk, Judith M; Vozzi, Diego; Waage, Johannes; Ware, Erin B; Willemsen, Gonneke; Attia, John R; Bennett, David A; Berger, Klaus; Bertram, Lars; Bisgaard, Hans; Boomsma, Dorret I; Borecki, Ingrid B; Bültmann, Ute; Chabris, Christopher F; Cucca, Francesco; Cusi, Daniele; Deary, Ian J; Dedoussis, George V; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Eriksson, Johan G; Franke, Barbara; Franke, Lude; Gasparini, Paolo; Gejman, Pablo V; Gieger, Christian; Grabe, Hans-Jörgen; Gratten, Jacob; Groenen, Patrick J F; Gudnason, Vilmundur; van der Harst, Pim; Hayward, Caroline; Hinds, David A; Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Hyppönen, Elina; Iacono, William G; Jacobsson, Bo; Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Kaprio, Jaakko; Kardia, Sharon L R; Lehtimäki, Terho; Lehrer, Steven F; Magnusson, Patrik K E; Martin, Nicholas G; McGue, Matt; Metspalu, Andres; Pendleton, Neil; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Perola, Markus; Pirastu, Nicola; Pirastu, Mario; Polasek, Ozren; Posthuma, Danielle; Power, Christine; Province, Michael A; Samani, Nilesh J; Schlessinger, David; Schmidt, Reinhold; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Spector, Tim D; Stefansson, Kari; Thorsteinsdottir, Unnur; Thurik, A Roy; Timpson, Nicholas J; Tiemeier, Henning; Tung, Joyce Y; Uitterlinden, André G; Vitart, Veronique; Vollenweider, Peter; Weir, David R; Wilson, James F; Wright, Alan F; Conley, Dalton C; Krueger, Robert F; Davey Smith, George; Hofman, Albert; Laibson, David I; Medland, Sarah E; Meyer, Michelle N; Yang, Jian; Johannesson, Magnus; Visscher, Peter M; Esko, Tõnu; Koellinger, Philipp D; Cesarini, David; Benjamin, Daniel J

2016-05-26

Educational attainment is strongly influenced by social and other environmental factors, but genetic factors are estimated to account for at least 20% of the variation across individuals. Here we report the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for educational attainment that extends our earlier discovery sample of 101,069 individuals to 293,723 individuals, and a replication study in an independent sample of 111,349 individuals from the UK Biobank. We identify 74 genome-wide significant loci associated with the number of years of schooling completed. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with educational attainment are disproportionately found in genomic regions regulating gene expression in the fetal brain. Candidate genes are preferentially expressed in neural tissue, especially during the prenatal period, and enriched for biological pathways involved in neural development. Our findings demonstrate that, even for a behavioural phenotype that is mostly environmentally determined, a well-powered GWAS identifies replicable associated genetic variants that suggest biologically relevant pathways. Because educational attainment is measured in large numbers of individuals, it will continue to be useful as a proxy phenotype in efforts to characterize the genetic influences of related phenotypes, including cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases.

Perspective: Closing the Dietary Fiber Gap: An Ancient Solution for a 21st Century Problem.

PubMed

Thompson, Henry J; Brick, Mark A

2016-07-01

An important gap exists between the daily amounts of fiber recommended in the human diet (28-42 g/d) and that which is actually consumed (median intake, 12-14 g/d). In fact, <5% of Americans meet the recommended intake for dietary fiber, and the magnitude of the gap is large, approximately a 50-70% shortfall. Because considerable evidence indicates that dietary fiber affects normal physiologic function and the onset of chronic diseases and their progression, the fiber gap represents an opportune target at which dietary interventions can be directed. This perspective considers whether a scientific basis exists for the current lack of emphasis on pulse crops, that is, grain legumes (common bean, chickpea, lentils, and garden pea) as a concentrated, inexpensive, and widely available source of dietary fiber. Attention is directed to this topic because the fiber gap has existed for decades with little improvement despite nutrition labeling, consumer education about the value of whole-grain cereal crop-based products, and the introduction of many fiber-enriched foods. The time is long overdue to identify additional approaches that have the potential to close the dietary fiber gap. To this end, the potential role of pulse crops in remediating this gap is examined. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Identifying and Prioritizing Implementation Barriers, Gaps, and Strategies Through the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance: Getting to Zero in the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.

PubMed

Ezeanolue, Echezona E; Powell, Byron J; Patel, Dina; Olutola, Ayodotun; Obiefune, Michael; Dakum, Patrick; Okonkwo, Prosper; Gobir, Bola; Akinmurele, Timothy; Nwandu, Anthea; Torpey, Kwasi; Oyeledum, Bolanle; Aina, Muyiwa; Eyo, Andy; Oleribe, Obinna; Ibanga, Ikoedem; Oko, John; Anyaike, Chukwuma; Idoko, John; Aliyu, Muktar H; Sturke, Rachel; Watts, Heather; Siberry, George

2016-08-01

In 2013, Nigeria accounted for 15% of the 1.3 million pregnant women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa and 26% of new infections among children worldwide. Despite this, less than 20% of pregnant women in Nigeria received an HIV test during pregnancy, and only 23% of HIV-infected pregnant women received appropriate intervention following HIV diagnosis. This article reports findings from 2 structured group exercises conducted at the first Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance Conference to identify (1) barriers and research gaps related to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and (2) potential strategies and interventions that could address PMTCT challenges. Two 1-hour structured group exercises were conducted with 10 groups of 14-15 individuals (n = 145), who were asked to brainstorm barriers and strategies and to rank their top 3 in each category. Data analysis eliminated duplicate responses and categorized each of the priorities along the HIV care continuum: HIV diagnosis, linkage to care, or retention in care. Participating stakeholders identified 20 unique barriers and research gaps related to PMTCT across the HIV continuum. Twenty-five unique interventions and implementation strategies were identified. Similar to the barriers and research gaps, these interventions and strategies were distributed across the HIV care continuum. The barriers and strategies identified in this study represent important pathways to progress addressing MTCT. The deliberate involvement of state and federal policy makers, program implementers, and researchers helps ensure that they are relevant and actionable.

Children’s Safety Initiative: A National Assessment of Pediatric Educational Needs amongEmergency Medical Services Providers

PubMed Central

Hansen, Matthew; Meckler, Garth; Dickinson, Caitlyn; Dickenson, Kathryn; Jui, Jonathan; Lambert, William; Guise, Jeanne-Marie

2014-01-01

Objective Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers may have critical knowledge gaps in pediatric care due to lack of exposure and training. There is currently little evidence to guide educators to the knowledge gaps most likely to improve patient safety. The objective of this study was to identify educational needs of EMS providers related to pediatric care in various domains in order to inform development of curricula. Methods The Children’s Safety Initiative-EMS performed a three-phase Delphi survey on patient safety in pediatric emergencies among providers and content experts in pediatric emergency care including physicians, nurses and pre-hospital providers of all levels. Each round included questions related to educational needs of providers or the effect of training on patient safety events. We identified knowledge gaps in the following domains: case exposure, competency and knowledge, assessment and decision making, and critical thinking and proficiency. Individual knowledge gaps were ranked by portion of respondents who ranked them “highly likely” (likert-type score 7–10 out of 10) to contribute to safety events. Results There were 737 respondents who were included in analysis of the first phase of the survey. Paramedics were 50.8% of respondents; EMT-Basics/first responders were 22% and physicians 11.4%. The top educational priorities identified in the final round of the survey include: pediatric airway management, responder anxiety when working with children, and general pediatric skills among providers. The top three needs in decision-making include knowing when to alter plans mid-course, knowing when to perform and advanced airway, and assessing pain in children. The top 3 technical or procedural skills needs were pediatric advanced airway, neonatal resuscitation, and intravenous/intraosseos access. For neonates, specific educational needs identified included knowing appropriate vital signs and preventing hypothermia. Conclusions This is the

Trends in cardiovascular risk factors across levels of education in a general population: is the educational gap increasing? The Tromsø study 1994-2008.

PubMed

Eggen, Anne Elise; Mathiesen, Ellisiv B; Wilsgaard, Tom; Jacobsen, Bjarne K; Njølstad, Inger

2014-08-01

To describe trends in cardiovascular risk factors and change over time across education levels, and study the influence from medicine use and gender. Data from participants (30-74 years) of the Tromsø Study in 1994-1995 (n=22 108) and in 2007-2008 (n=11 565). Blood samples, measurements and self-reported educational level and medicine use were collected. Differences in risk factor levels across education groups were persistent for all risk factors over time, with a more unfavourable pattern in the lowest education group. The exception was cholesterol, with the reduction being largest in the lowest educated, resulting in weakened educational trends over time. While a significant educational trend in cholesterol persisted among the non-users of lipid-lowering drugs (LLD), no educational trend in cholesterol was found among the LLD users in 2007-2008. The strongest educational trends were found for daily smoking and Body Mass Index (BMI). In 2007-2008 the odds for being a smoker were five times higher among the lowest educated compared to the highest educated. In men, the odds for being in the highest quintile of the BMI distribution were, in 2007-2008, almost doubled in the lowest compared to the highest educated. The lowest educated women had 6.2 mm Hg higher mean systolic blood pressure than the highly educated, mean BMI of 26.4 kg/m 2 and smoking prevalence of 37.7%. The difference across education groups for cholesterol levels decreased, while the educational gap persisted over time for the other risk factors. Use of LLD seemed to contribute to the reduction of social differences in cholesterol levels. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Factors affecting science reform: Bridging the gap between reform initiatives and teaching practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pensak, Karl John

In response to the perceived deficiencies in science education today, and to the expressed need for research into the culture of schools (due primarily to the failure of many science reforms in the past), this study used a broad based approach to study the gap between science education research and science education practice. This study identified 47 factors that may encourage or inhibit science curriculum reform. A survey was conducted to determine which factors were perceived to be important by local and national K-12 classroom teachers, science supervisors/coordinators, and college/university professors. Continual staff development (scheduled as part of teachers' work day/week/month), funding (for long-term staff development, teacher training and support, science laboratory facilities and materials), teacher motivation and "ownership" of the reform, the need for collaborative opportunities for classroom teachers, teachers' college preparation, textbook reform, community support, and reform initiatives that are "in tune" with assessment, are major factors identified as having a substantial affect on the successful adoption, implementation, and institutionalization of science reforms.

Black-White Summer Learning Gaps: Interpreting the Variability of Estimates across Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinn, David M.

2015-01-01

The estimation of racial test score gap trends plays an important role in monitoring educational equality. Documenting gap trends is complex, however, and estimates can differ depending on the metric, modeling strategy, and psychometric assumptions. The sensitivity of summer learning gap estimates to these factors has been under-examined. Using…

Identification of Lightning Gaps in Mangrove Forests Using Airborne LIDAR Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, K.

2006-12-01

Mangrove forests are highly dynamic ecosystems and change frequently due to tropical storms, frost, and lightning. These factors can cause gaps in mangrove forests by damaging trees. Compared to gaps generated by storms and frost, gaps caused by lightning strikes are small, ranging from 50 to 300 m2. However, these small gaps may play a critical role in mangrove forest dynamics because of the frequent occurrence of lightning in tropical areas. It has been hypothesized that the turnover of mangrove forests is mainly due to the death and regeneration of trees in lightning gaps. However, there is a lack of data for gap occurrence in mangrove forests to verify this hypothesis. It is impractical to measure gaps through a field survey on a large scale because of the logistic difficulties of muddy mangrove forests. Airborne light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology is an effective alternative because it provides direct measurements of ground and canopy elevations remotely. This study developed a method to identify lightning gaps in mangrove forests in terms of LIDAR measurements. First, LIDAR points are classified into vegetation and ground measurements using the progressive morphological filter. Second, a digital canopy model (DCM) is generated by subtracting a digital terrain model (DTM) from a digital surface model (DSM). The DSM is generated by interpolating raw LIDAR measurements, and DTM is produced by interpolating ground measurements. Third, a black top-hat mathematical morphological transformation is used to identify canopy gaps. Comparison of identified gap polygons with raw LIDAR measurements and field surveys shows that the proposed method identifies lightning gaps in mangrove forests successfully. The area of lightning gaps in mangrove forests in Everglades National Park is about 3% of total forest area, which verifies that lightning gaps play a critical role in mangrove forest turnover.

Difficulties Using Standardized Tests to Identify the Receptive Expressive Gap in Bilingual Children's Vocabularies.

PubMed

Gibson, Todd A; Oller, D Kimbrough; Jarmulowicz, Linda

2018-03-01

Receptive standardized vocabulary scores have been found to be much higher than expressive standardized vocabulary scores in children with Spanish as L1, learning L2 (English) in school (Gibson et al., 2012). Here we present evidence suggesting the receptive-expressive gap may be harder to evaluate than previously thought because widely-used standardized tests may not offer comparable normed scores. Furthermore monolingual Spanish-speaking children tested in Mexico and monolingual English-speaking children in the US showed other, yet different statistically significant discrepancies between receptive and expressive scores. Results suggest comparisons across widely used standardized tests in attempts to assess a receptive-expressive gap are precarious.

The Racial School-Climate Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voight, Adam

2013-01-01

Education inequity is a persistent reality of American culture. As early as kindergarten, there are marked differences in academic performance between racial minority students and their peers. These differences are sustained as students progress through school. One aspect of students' social experience that may help to explain the gap is school…

It's Up to Us: Bridging the Civic Opportunity Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herczog, Michelle M.

2012-01-01

In today's education reform discussions, educators hear much about the need to close gaps and prepare students for college and career. While it is vital to the nation's future that every student be prepared to succeed in higher education and in the workforce, it is vital to the health and future of America's democracy that schools also prepare…

Explaining the Class Gap in Training: The Role of Employment Relations and Job Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schindler, Steffen; Weiss, Felix; Hubert, Tobias

2011-01-01

Existing studies consistently find a gap in further education between high- and low-skilled workers, implying a gap in formal training between high- and low-skilled classes. In this paper, we hypothesize that the most important reasons for differences between social classes in further education participation are grounded in job characteristics…

Growing Gaps: Educational Inequality around the World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attewell, Paul, Ed.; Newman, Katherine S., Ed.

2010-01-01

The last half century has seen a dramatic expansion in access to primary, secondary, and higher education in many nations around the world. Educational expansion is desirable for a country's economy, beneficial for educated individuals themselves, and is also a strategy for greater social harmony. But has greater access to education reduced or…

Bridging Another Gap: Between Business and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKnight, William, Jr.

1978-01-01

Stating that poor work attitudes and job behavior problems can be traced in part to a society that does not consider employability an educational goal, the author proposes that education be redirected toward employment and understanding of business economics. He contends that career education is basic education and lists ways in which business can…

Towards Excellence in Asthma Management: Final report of an eight-year program aimed at reducing care gaps in asthma management in Quebec

PubMed Central

Boulet, Louis-Philippe; Dorval, Eileen; Labrecque, Manon; Turgeon, Michel; Montague, Terrence; Thivierge, Robert L

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Asthma care in Canada and around the world persistently falls short of optimal treatment. To optimize care, a systematic approach to identifying such shortfalls or ‘care gaps’, in which all stakeholders of the health care system (including patients) are involved, was proposed. METHODS: Several projects of a multipartner, multidisciplinary disease management program, developed to optimize asthma care in Quebec, was conducted in a period of eight years. First, two population maps were produced to identify regional variations in asthma-related morbidity and to prioritize interventions for improving treatment. Second, current care was evaluated in a physician-patient cohort, confirming the many care gaps in asthma management. Third, two series of peer-reviewed outcome studies, targeting high-risk populations and specific asthma care gaps, were conducted. Finally, a process to integrate the best interventions into the health care system and an agenda for further research on optimal asthma management were proposed. RESULTS: Key observations from these studies included the identification of specific patterns of noncompliance in using inhaled corticosteroids, the failure of increased access to spirometry in asthma education centres to increase the number of education referrals, the transient improvement in educational abilities of nurses involved with an asthma hotline telephone service, and the beneficial effects of practice tools aimed at facilitating the assessment of asthma control and treatment needs by general practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: Disease management programs such as Towards Excellence in Asthma Management can provide valuable information on optimal strategies for improving treatment of asthma and other chronic diseases by identifying care gaps, improving guidelines implementation and optimizing care. PMID:18818784

Perspective: Closing the Dietary Fiber Gap: An Ancient Solution for a 21st Century Problem12

PubMed Central

Thompson, Henry J; Brick, Mark A

2016-01-01

An important gap exists between the daily amounts of fiber recommended in the human diet (28–42 g/d) and that which is actually consumed (median intake, 12–14 g/d). In fact, <5% of Americans meet the recommended intake for dietary fiber, and the magnitude of the gap is large, approximately a 50–70% shortfall. Because considerable evidence indicates that dietary fiber affects normal physiologic function and the onset of chronic diseases and their progression, the fiber gap represents an opportune target at which dietary interventions can be directed. This perspective considers whether a scientific basis exists for the current lack of emphasis on pulse crops, that is, grain legumes (common bean, chickpea, lentils, and garden pea) as a concentrated, inexpensive, and widely available source of dietary fiber. Attention is directed to this topic because the fiber gap has existed for decades with little improvement despite nutrition labeling, consumer education about the value of whole-grain cereal crop-based products, and the introduction of many fiber-enriched foods. The time is long overdue to identify additional approaches that have the potential to close the dietary fiber gap. To this end, the potential role of pulse crops in remediating this gap is examined. PMID:27422499

Narrowing the Achievement Gap: A Case Study of an Urban School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lugo, Rosalinda

2010-01-01

The goal of this case study was to identify the cultural norms, practices, and programs of an urban school that narrowed the achievement gap. The reason for identifying these factors in a successful school was to add to the body of literature regarding the achievement gap and what a struggling school was able to do to narrow the gap. This case…

Identifying the Educationally Influential Physician: A Systematic Review of Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kronberger, Matthew P.; Bakken, Lori L.

2011-01-01

Introduction: Previous studies have indicated that educationally influential physicians' (EIPs) interactions with peers can lead to practice changes and improved patient outcomes. However, multiple approaches have been used to identify and investigate EIPs' informal or formal influence on practice, which creates study outcomes that are difficult…

Quality Tools for Professional Higher Education Review and Improvement. PHExcel Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jørgensen, Malene Dahl; Sparre Kristensen, Regitze; Wimpf, Alexandre; Delplace, Stefan

2014-01-01

The report is the project's first outcome, and provides an overview of quality tools, quality models and quality labels, currently in use in (professional) higher education. It is followed by a gap analysis as regards the Standards and Guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), and the identified characteristics…

Gap-junctional channel and hemichannel activity of two recently identified connexin 26 mutants associated with deafness.

PubMed

Dalamon, Viviana; Fiori, Mariana C; Figueroa, Vania A; Oliva, Carolina A; Del Rio, Rodrigo; Gonzalez, Wendy; Canan, Jonathan; Elgoyhen, Ana B; Altenberg, Guillermo A; Retamal, Mauricio A

2016-05-01

Gap-junction channels (GJCs) are formed by head-to-head association of two hemichannels (HCs, connexin hexamers). HCs and GJCs are permeable to ions and hydrophilic molecules of up to Mr ~1 kDa. Hearing impairment of genetic origin is common, and mutations of connexin 26 (Cx26) are its major cause. We recently identified two novel Cx26 mutations in hearing-impaired subjects, L10P and G109V. L10P forms functional GJCs with slightly altered voltage dependence and HCs with decrease ATP/cationic dye selectivity. G109V does not form functional GJCs, but forms functional HCs with enhanced extracellular Ca(2+) sensitivity and subtle alterations in voltage dependence and ATP/cationic dye selectivity. Deafness associated with G109V could result from decreased GJCs activity, whereas deafness associated to L10P may have a more complex mechanism that involves changes in HC permeability.

Detecting sign-changing superconducting gap in LiFeAs using quasiparticle interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altenfeld, D.; Hirschfeld, P. J.; Mazin, I. I.; Eremin, I.

2018-02-01

Using a realistic ten-orbital tight-binding model Hamiltonian fitted to the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy data on LiFeAs, we analyze the temperature, frequency, and momentum dependencies of quasiparticle interference to identify gap sign changes in a qualitative way, following our original proposal [Phys. Rev. B 92, 184513 (2015), 10.1103/PhysRevB.92.184513]. We show that all features present for the simple two-band model for the sign-changing s+--wave superconducting gap employed previously are still present in the realistic tight-binding approximation and gap values observed experimentally. We discuss various superconducting gap structures proposed for LiFeAs and identify various features of these superconducting gap functions in the quasiparticle interference patterns. On the other hand, we show that it will be difficult to identify the more complicated possible sign structures of the hole pocket gaps in LiFeAs due to the smallness of the pockets and the near proximity of two of the gap energies.

Closing the Achievement Gap as Addressed in Student Support Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Vincent Hoover Adams, Jr.

2012-01-01

This research will focus on three components: (1) factors contributing to the achievement gap, (2) common errors made by policy makers with regard to school reform, and (3) recommendations to educators, policy makers, and parents on closing the achievement gap through results-based student support programs. Examples of each of the three components…

[Identifying gaps between guidelines and clinical practice in Clostridium difficile infection].

PubMed

Rodríguez-Martín, C; Serrano-Morte, A; Sánchez-Muñoz, L A; de Santos-Castro, P A; Bratos-Pérez, M A; Ortiz de Lejarazu-Leonardo, R

2016-01-01

The first aim was to determine whether patients are being treated in accordance with the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA/SHEA) Clostridium difficile guidelines and whether adherence impacts patient outcomes. The second aim was to identify specific action items in the guidelines that are not being translated into clinical practice, for their subsequent implementation. A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted over a 36 month period, on patients with compatible clinical symptoms and positive test for C. difficile toxins A and/or B in stool samples, in an internal medicine department of a tertiary medical centre. Patient demographic and clinical data (outcomes, comorbidity, risk factors) and compliance with guidelines, were examined A total of 77 patients with C. difficile infection were identified (87 episodes). Stratified by disease severity criteria, 49.3% of patients were mild-moderate, 35.1% severe, and 15.6% severe-complicated. Full adherence with the guidelines was observed in only 40.2% of patients, and was significantly better for mild-moderate (71.0%), than in severe (7.4%) or severe-complicated patients (16.6%) (P<.003). Adherence was significantly associated with clinical cure (57% vs 42%), fewer recurrences (22.2% vs 77.7%), and mortality (25% vs 75%) (P<.01). The stratification of severity of the episode, and the adequacy of antibiotic to clinical severity, need improvement. Overall adherence with the guidelines for management of Clostridium difficile infection was poor, especially in severe and severe-complicated patients, being associated with worse clinical outcomes. Educational interventions aimed at improving guideline adherence are warranted. Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Mobile Technology Bridges the 30 Million Word Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shing, Sophia; Yuan, Benjamin

2017-01-01

Education has been traditionally viewed as an equalizer for the poor to gain access to a better life. With the advent of the skills premium paired with rapid technological advances, the stratification and changing nature of education has ironically become one of the main causes of the income achievement gap. Research confirms that by the age of 3,…

Mind the Gap: Representation of Medical Education in Cardiology-Related Articles and Journals.

PubMed

Allred, Clint; Berlacher, Kathryn; Aggarwal, Saurabh; Auseon, Alex J

2016-07-01

Cardiology fellowship programs are at the interface of medical education and the care of patients suffering from the leading cause of mortality in the United States, yet there is an apparent lack of research guiding the effective education of fellows. We sought to quantify the number of publications in cardiology journals that pertained to the education of cardiology trainees and the number of cardiologists participating in education research. For the period between January and December 2012, we cataloged cardiology-specific and general medical/medical education journals and sorted them by impact factor. Tables of content were reviewed for articles with an educational focus, a cardiology focus, or both. We recorded the authors' areas of medical training, and keywords from each cardiology journal's mission statement were reviewed for emphasis on education. Twenty-six cardiology journals, containing 6645 articles, were reviewed. Only 4 articles had education themes. Ten general medical and 15 medical education journals contained 6810 articles. Of these, only 7 focused on medical education in cardiology, and none focused on cardiology fellowship training. Among the 4887 authors of publications in medical education journals, 25 were cardiologists (less than 1%), and among the 1036 total words in the mission statements of all cardiology journals, the term "education" appeared once. Published educational research is lacking in cardiology training, and few cardiologists appear to be active members of the education scholarship community. Cardiology organizations and academic journals should support efforts to identify target areas of study and publish scholarship in educational innovation.

Community College Enrollment, College Major, and the Gender Wage Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Andrew M.; Leigh, Duane E.

2000-01-01

Independent cross-sections developed using National Longitudinal Survey data reveal a decrease in the gender wage gap from 1989-1994 due to fewer differences in tenure and full-time employment. Disaggregating education by two- and four-year providers and college major accounts for 8.5-11% of the narrower wage gap for the period. (SK)

The Possible Value of a Gap Year: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coetzee, M.; Bester, S.

2009-01-01

The taking of a "gap year", immediately after completing their secondary school education, to explore life before embarking on formal studies or starting their career, is a growing phenomenon among young people in South Africa. This research study explores the experiences of three young people who engaged in a gap year and focuses on the…

Provider documentation of patient education: a lean investigation*

PubMed Central

Shipman, Jean P.; Lake, Erica W.; Van Der Volgen, Jessica; Doman, Darrin

2016-01-01

Purpose The study evaluates how providers give patient education materials and identifies improvements to comply with Meaningful Use (MU) requirements. Methods Thirty-eight patient-provider interactions in two health care outpatient clinics were observed. Results Providers do not uniformly know MU patient education requirements. Providers have individual preferences and find gaps in what is available. Accessing and documenting patient education varies among providers. Embedded electronic health record (EHR) materials, while available, have technical access barriers. Conclusions Providers' EHR skills and knowledge levels contribute to non-standardized patient education delivery. PMID:27076805

Research Gaps in Wilderness Medicine.

PubMed

Tritz, Daniel; Dormire, Kody; Brachtenbach, Travis; Gordon, Joshua; Sanders, Donald; Gearheart, David; Crawford, Julia; Vassar, Matt

2018-05-18

Wilderness medicine involves the treatment of individuals in remote, austere environments. Given the high potential for injuries as well as the unique treatment modalities required in wilderness medicine, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are necessary to provide optimal care. In this study, we identify evidence gaps from low-quality recommendations in wilderness medicine clinical practice guidelines and identify new/ongoing research addressing them. We included relevant clinical practice guidelines from the Wilderness Medical Society and obtained all 1C or 2C level recommendations. Patient/Problem/Population, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) questions were created to address each recommendation. Using 24 search strings, we extracted titles, clinical trial registry number, and recruitment status for 8899 articles. We categorized the articles by trial design to infer the effect they may have on future recommendations. Twelve clinical practice guidelines met inclusion criteria. From these we located 275 low-quality recommendations and used them to create 275 PICO questions. Thirty-three articles were relevant to the PICO questions. Heat-related illness had the highest number of relevant articles (n=9), but acute pain and altitude sickness had the most randomized clinical trials (n=6). Overall, few studies were being conducted to address research gaps in wilderness medicine. Heat-related illness had the most new or ongoing research, whereas no studies were being conducted to address gaps in eye injuries, basic wound management, or spine immobilization. Animals, cadavers, and mannequin research are useful in cases in which human evidence is difficult to obtain. Establishing research priorities is recommended for addressing research gaps identified by guideline panels. Copyright © 2018 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying Educationally Influential Specialists: Issues Arising from the Use of "Classic" Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Frances C.; Ryan, David P.; Dodge, Jason E.; Last, Linda D.; Law, Calvin H. L.; Smith, Andrew J.

2004-01-01

Introduction: Educationally influential physicians (EIPs) are identified by their colleagues as people who (1) encourage learning and enjoy sharing their knowledge, (2) are clinical experts and always seem up to date, and (3) treat others as equals. We aimed to identify surgical and pathologist EIPs for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Ontario as part…

Mind the Gap: Representation of Medical Education in Cardiology-Related Articles and Journals

PubMed Central

Allred, Clint; Berlacher, Kathryn; Aggarwal, Saurabh; Auseon, Alex J.

2016-01-01

Background Cardiology fellowship programs are at the interface of medical education and the care of patients suffering from the leading cause of mortality in the United States, yet there is an apparent lack of research guiding the effective education of fellows. Objective We sought to quantify the number of publications in cardiology journals that pertained to the education of cardiology trainees and the number of cardiologists participating in education research. Methods For the period between January and December 2012, we cataloged cardiology-specific and general medical/medical education journals and sorted them by impact factor. Tables of content were reviewed for articles with an educational focus, a cardiology focus, or both. We recorded the authors' areas of medical training, and keywords from each cardiology journal's mission statement were reviewed for emphasis on education. Results Twenty-six cardiology journals, containing 6645 articles, were reviewed. Only 4 articles had education themes. Ten general medical and 15 medical education journals contained 6810 articles. Of these, only 7 focused on medical education in cardiology, and none focused on cardiology fellowship training. Among the 4887 authors of publications in medical education journals, 25 were cardiologists (less than 1%), and among the 1036 total words in the mission statements of all cardiology journals, the term “education” appeared once. Conclusions Published educational research is lacking in cardiology training, and few cardiologists appear to be active members of the education scholarship community. Cardiology organizations and academic journals should support efforts to identify target areas of study and publish scholarship in educational innovation. PMID:27413435

The SAT Gender Gap: Identifying the Causes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosser, Phyllis

Questions on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with the largest score differences between women and men of all racial and ethnic groups were identified. Patterns of difficulty that would explain the SAT's continuing underprediction of female first-year college performance were studied. An item analysis of one form of the June 1986 SAT for 1,112…

Knowledge gaps in the diagnosis and management of patients with tropical diseases presenting to Canadian emergency departments: are the gaps being met?

PubMed

Meshkat, Nazanin; Misra, Shikha; Hunchak, Cheryl; Cleiman, Paula; Khan, Yasmin; Puchalski Ritchie, Lisa M

2014-11-01

We conducted a needs assessment to identify knowledge gaps in the management of tropical diseases by Canadian emergency physicians and identify available, related continuing medical education (CME) resources. A literature review was conducted to summarize challenges in the management of commonly encountered tropical diseases. An anonymous online survey was administered to Canadian emergency physicians using the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians survey deployment service in July and August 2012. The survey identified self-reported gaps in knowledge and assessed knowledge using case-based vignettes. A list of CME resources was generated from a review of major academic emergency medicine journals, online cases, and conference topics from emergency medicine associations during 2010-2011. Two independent reviewers assessed the relevance of the resources; differences were resolved by consensus. From 635 citations, 47 articles were selected for full review; the majority (66%) were retrospective chart reviews, few (10.6%) had an emergency medicine focus, and fewer still were Canadian (8.5%). In total, 1,128 surveys were distributed, and 296 (27%) participants were included in the study. Most respondents reported "no" (52.4%) or "some" (45.9%) training in tropical medicine. Most (69.9%) rated their comfort in managing patients with tropical diseases as "low." Few (11.1%) respondents reported a tropical disease being misdiagnosed or mismanaged; 44.1% indicated malaria. The perceived need for further training was high (76.7%). Conference workshops were the most highly requested CME modality, followed by case studies and podcasts. Correct answers to case vignettes ranged from 30.7 to 58.4%. Although 2,038 CME titles were extracted from extensive searches, only 6 were deemed relevant. Most Canadian emergency physicians have had minimal training in tropical diseases, reported a low comfort level in their management, and identified a high need for CME opportunities

E-Learning Needs Assessment among Students in the Colleges of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azimi, Hamid Mohammad

2014-01-01

The purpose of this survey study was to clearly identify major gaps and needs of e-learning components among students in the Colleges of Education (one year Bachelor of Education or B.Ed. degree programme) affiliated by University of Mysore, India. A questionnaire was designed and validated by experts. A pilot test was carried out on a sample of…

Telemedicine in education: bridging the gap.

PubMed

O'Shea, Jesse; Berger, Ryan; Samra, Cynthia; Van Durme, Daniel

2015-01-01

The increasing cost and inequitable access to quality healthcare, coupled with the merger of the information technology and health service sectors, has given rise to the modern field of telemedicine. Telemedicine, meaning medicine at a distance, allows us to transcend geographic and socioeconomic boundaries to deliver high quality care to remote and/or in-need patients. As technology becomes more affordable and a physician shortage looms, telemedicine is gaining attention as a possible solution to healthcare delivery. Simultaneously, telemedicine holds great promise with regard to medical education. Several studies integrating telemedicine in medical education have shown positive outcomes, demonstrating similar or greater efficacy compared with traditional educational methods with high student-reported enthusiasm. Other domestic and international telemedicine projects, largely spearheaded by universities, have also achieved great success. In a novel approach, by pairing medical schools with in-need partner communities, utilizing similar faculty resources as traditional learning methods with standardized patients, students can gain valuable experience and skills while serving actual patients. This progressive approach to medical education fosters collaboration, communication, longitudinal care and teaches students needed skills for their future practices as 21 st Century healthcare providers.

Education and Conflict: Research and Research Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomlinson, Kathryn; Benefield, Pauline

2005-01-01

This project aimed to undertake a scoping study of existent and potential research into the relationship between education and conflict, peace building and post-conflict situations, both nationally and internationally. Within this aim, the project investigates the main research dimensions of this area, identifies gaps in the research literature,…

The Disappearing Gender Gap: The Impact of Divorce, Wages, and Preferences on Education Choices and Women's Work. NBER Working Paper No. 17508

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Raquel; Wong, Joyce Cheng

2011-01-01

Women born in 1935 went to college significantly less than their male counterparts and married women's labor force participation (LFP) averaged 40% between the ages of thirty and forty. The cohort born twenty years later behaved very differently. The education gender gap was eliminated and married women's LFP averaged 70% over the same ages. In…

Using health technology assessment to identify gaps in evidence and inform study design for comparative effectiveness research.

PubMed

Tunis, Sean R; Turkelson, Charles

2012-12-01

Health technology assessment (HTA) is primarily used as a tool to ensure that clinical and policy decisions are made with the benefit of a systematic analysis of all completed research. This article describes the progress and potential for HTA reports to improve the quality and relevance of future research and to better serve the information needs of patients, clinicians, payers, and other decision makers. We conducted a review of the current published literature and working papers describing past, ongoing, and future initiatives that rely on HTA reports to identify gaps in evidence and improve the design of future research. Although still in a developmental stage, significant progress is under way to improve methods for using HTA reports for the systematic identification of research gaps, prioritization of future research, and improvement of study designs. Several well-defined frameworks have been developed to assist those who produce HTA to become more effective in these additional domains of work. A recurring element of this work is the importance of meaningfully involving stakeholders in the process of defining future research needs and designing studies to address them. Patients, clinicians, and payers are important audiences for completed research and are now recognized as serving an important role in determining what future research is needed. There are substantial opportunities to improve the quality, relevance, and efficiency of clinical research. Recent efforts are beginning to demonstrate the potential to build on the work invested in developing HTA reports to provide a roadmap toward these objectives.

Overview. Good Policy and Practice in HIV & AIDS and Education. Booklet 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attawell, Kathy; Elder, Katharine

2006-01-01

This booklet is the first in a series of publications that address key themes of UNESCO's work on HIV & AIDS and the education sector. It provides an overview of why HIV and AIDS are important issues for the education sector, identifies weaknesses in current policy and programming responses, and highlights evidence gaps. Intended mainly for…

Gap analysis of cultural and religious needs of hospitalized patients.

PubMed

Davidson, Judy E; Boyer, Merri Lynn; Casey, Debra; Matzel, Stephen Chavez; Walden, Chaplain David

2008-01-01

Identify patient and family needs specifically related to an in-hospital birth or death. This study aimed to perform a gap analysis between identified needs and current hospital practice, services, and resources. With the IRB approval, and purposive sampling using the demographics of a community hospital plus subgroups from problematic cases. Twenty-two semistructured interviews were audiotaped, and 6 lectures and 2 panel discussions were videotaped. Transcriptions were distributed to the research team and manually coded for gaps between current practices versus stated needs. Group process was used to form consensus regarding findings. The following subgroups were targeted: Muslim, Baha'i, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Latino, Filipino, Chinese, African American. Gaps in available resources, such as prayer books, rugs, and compasses, were identified. Knowledge gaps included many issues such as the Muslim preference for decreasing sedatives at end of life to be able to recite the sacred prayer while dying. Practice issues such as respecting plain-clothed clergy, the impact of "rule-orientation" on family needs, and the universal need to call clergy early were identified.

Investigating the Important Correlates of Maternal Education and Childhood Malaria Infections

PubMed Central

Njau, Joseph D.; Stephenson, Rob; Menon, Manoj P.; Kachur, S. Patrick; McFarland, Deborah A.

2014-01-01

The relationship between maternal education and child health has intrigued researchers for decades. This study explored the interaction between maternal education and childhood malaria infection. Cross-sectional survey data from three African countries were used. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were completed in line with identified correlates. Marginal effects and Oaxaca decomposition analysis on maternal education and childhood malaria infection were also estimated. Children with mothers whose education level was beyond primary school were 4.7% less likely to be malaria-positive (P < 0.001). The Oaxaca decomposition analysis exhibited an 8% gap in childhood malaria infection for educated and uneducated mothers. Over 60% of the gap was explained by differences in household wealth (26%), household place of domicile (21%), malaria transmission intensities (14%), and media exposure (12%). All other correlates accounted for only 27%. The full adjusted model showed a robust and significant relationship between maternal education and childhood malaria infection. PMID:25002302

Students' perception of quality of medical education in a medical college in west Bengal, India.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti

2016-01-01

Students' perceived quality of educational service is an important field of educational research. To identify the gaps in the quality of educational services as perceived by students in a medical college in West Bengal, India. In a cross-sectional study, educational quality was measured using validated SERVQUAL instrument between two randomly selected groups of undergraduate medical students (n = 179). This five-point Likert scale questionnaire measured the expectation and perception of students on 26 items under five dimensions of quality of educational services, viz., tangible (physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel), reliability (accuracy and consistency of a department in providing educational services), responsiveness (eagerness to help and commitment), assurance (ability of teaching departments to earn students' confidence), and empathy (ability to communicate care and understanding). Dimension-wise difference in the mean scores for expectation and perception was calculated and was considered as quality gaps in educational services. Significant negative quality gaps were noted in all five dimensions. The highest gap was found in tangible (-1.67) followed by empathy (-1.64) although the mean score of perceived quality in the dimension of empathy was the lowest (2.53). This indicates the need for improvement in physical facilities as well as behavior of teachers and staff toward students. The smallest gap was noted in the dimension of assurance (-1.29), which indicates the students' overall confidence in teaching departments regarding their management or content expertise. These findings underscore students' aspiration for the overall improvement of educational services that can be taken into consideration during development planning.

Expected surgical competencies of an Indian medical graduate: a gap analysis using a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Jamkar, Arun; Bansal, Payal; Patrikar, Seema; Baxi, Gaurang

2015-01-01

In 2010, the Medical Council of India published the Vision 2015 document, which sought to create an 'Indian Medical Graduate' as a 'physician of first contact of the community while being globally relevant'. This vision for undergraduate medical education is proposed to be realised through a competency-based curriculum. We conducted a gap analysis using a cross-sectional survey to document surgeons' perceptions regarding competencies identified in surgery. Eight competencies specific to surgery are proposed, which formed the basis for the study. We defined sub-competencies for each of these and developed a questionnaire containing ratings of importance and ability for the sub-competencies from low to very high on a 4-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was administered to 450 surgeons attending a state-level annual conference in surgery asking them to provide the importance ratings and their own ability on those (sub) competencies when they graduated. The importance and ability ratings were ranked and a gap analysis was done. The study response rate was 69.8%. While most competencies were perceived by the surgeons as being highly important, their self-ratings revealed a statistically significant gap between importance and ability when they graduated. They also rated themselves as being more competent on some than on others. Some competencies were high on importance as well as on ability, while others were high on importance but low on ability, revealing a gap. A low importance-high ability relationship was seen for a few competencies. Competencies related to emergency and trauma care and communication had the largest gaps. The gaps identified in surgical competencies for graduating physicians are specific and have implications for the competency-based curriculum and implementation in terms of teaching, assessment and faculty development. It also has implications for seamless transition between undergraduate and postgraduate competencies, as all of these are

Gap analysis: synergies and opportunities for effective nursing leadership.

PubMed

Davis-Ajami, Mary Lynn; Costa, Linda; Kulik, Susan

2014-01-01

Gap analysis encompasses a comprehensive process to identify, understand, address, and bridge gaps in service delivery and nursing practice. onducting gap analysis provides structure to information gathering and the process of finding sustainable solutions to important deficiencies. Nursing leaders need to recognize, measure, monitor, and execute on feasible actionable solutions to help organizations make adjustments to address gaps between what is desired and the actual real-world conditions contributing to the quality chasm in health care. Gap analysis represents a functional and comprehensive tool to address organizational deficiencies. Using gap analysis proactively helps organizations map out and sustain corrective efforts to close the quality chasm. Gaining facility in gap analysis should help the nursing profession's contribution to narrowing the quality chasm.

Incorporating shrub and snag specific LiDAR data into GAP wildlife models

Treesearch

Teresa J Lorenz; Kerri T Vierling; Jody Vogeler; Jeffrey Lonneker; Jocelyn Aycrigg

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Gap Analysis Program (hereafter, GAP) is a nationally based program that uses land cover, vertebrate distributions, and land ownership to identify locations where gaps in conservation coverage exist, and GAP products are commonly used by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private citizens. The GAP land-cover...

Ambiguity in knowledge transfer: The role of theory-practice gap.

PubMed

Cheraghi, Mohammad Ali; Salsali, Mahvash; Safari, Mahmoud

2010-01-01

In spite of much literature written about the theory-practice gap in the international nursing journals, there is evidence that indicates this subject has not been probed comprehensively since nursing education was transferred to universities in Iran. In the recent years, the public and the government have criticized Iranian nurses because of poor quality of patient care. Although this subject has been lamented by some researchers, there is no comprehensive work on how this gap resulted. In the process of a larger study on "nursing knowledge translation to practice", of one PhD thesis, this process was explored. Using grounded theory analysis, indepth interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of 29 nurses, with different levels of experience, from the school of nursing in Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2006 from January to August. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Three main themes emerging from this study included clinical behavior structure, paradoxical knowledge and practice, and divergent nursing organization. It seems that nursing education with some praxis and paradoxes in the realm of nursing knowledge and practice, along with divergent organizational structure have decreased nurses' ability in applying their professional knowledge and skills in order to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Moreover, in spite of increased academic input into nursing education, clinical behaviors of both education and practice settings was perceived as "traditional routine-based".

Identifying Gaps in the Performance of Pediatric Trainees Who Receive Marginal/Unsatisfactory Ratings.

PubMed

Li, Su-Ting T; Tancredi, Daniel J; Schwartz, Alan; Guillot, Ann; Burke, Ann; Trimm, R Franklin; Guralnick, Susan; Mahan, John D; Gifford, Kimberly A

2018-01-01

To perform a derivation study to determine in which subcompetencies marginal/unsatisfactory pediatric residents had the greatest deficits compared with their satisfactorily performing peers and which subcompetencies best discriminated between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactorily performing residents. Multi-institutional cohort study of all 21 milestones (rated on four or five levels) reported to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and global marginal/unsatisfactory versus satisfactory performance reported to the American Board of Pediatrics. Data were gathered in 2013-2014. For each level of training (postgraduate year [PGY] 1, 2, and 3), mean differences between milestone levels of residents with marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory performance adjusted for clustering by program and C-statistics (area under receiver operating characteristic curve) were calculated. A Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold of .0007963 was used to account for multiple comparisons. Milestone and overall performance evaluations for 1,704 pediatric residents in 41 programs were obtained. For PGY1s, two subcompetencies had almost a one-point difference in milestone levels between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory trainees and outstanding discrimination (≥ 0.90): organize/prioritize (0.93; C-statistic: 0.91) and transfer of care (0.97; C-statistic: 0.90). The largest difference between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory PGY2s was trustworthiness (0.78). The largest differences between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory PGY3s were ethical behavior (1.17), incorporating feedback (1.03), and professionalization (0.96). For PGY2s and PGY3s, no subcompetencies had outstanding discrimination. Marginal/unsatisfactory pediatric residents had different subcompetency gaps at different training levels. While PGY1s may have global deficits, senior residents may have different performance deficiencies requiring individualized counseling and

Tensile-strain effect of inducing the indirect-to-direct band-gap transition and reducing the band-gap energy of Ge

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

Inaoka, Takeshi, E-mail: inaoka@phys.u-ryukyu.ac.jp; Furukawa, Takuro; Toma, Ryo

By means of a hybrid density-functional method, we investigate the tensile-strain effect of inducing the indirect-to-direct band-gap transition and reducing the band-gap energy of Ge. We consider [001], [111], and [110] uniaxial tensility and (001), (111), and (110) biaxial tensility. Under the condition of no normal stress, we determine both normal compression and internal strain, namely, relative displacement of two atoms in the primitive unit cell, by minimizing the total energy. We identify those strain types which can induce the band-gap transition, and evaluate the critical strain coefficient where the gap transition occurs. Either normal compression or internal strain operatesmore » unfavorably to induce the gap transition, which raises the critical strain coefficient or even blocks the transition. We also examine how each type of tensile strain decreases the band-gap energy, depending on its orientation. Our analysis clearly shows that synergistic operation of strain orientation and band anisotropy has a great influence on the gap transition and the gap energy.« less

Aligning Education With Health Care Transformation: Identifying a Shared Mental Model of "New" Faculty Competencies for Academic Faculty.

PubMed

Gonzalo, Jed D; Ahluwalia, Amarpreet; Hamilton, Maria; Wolf, Heidi; Wolpaw, Daniel R; Thompson, Britta M

2018-02-01

To develop a potential competency framework for faculty development programs aligned with the needs of faculty in academic health centers (AHCs). In 2014 and 2015, the authors interviewed 23 health system leaders and analyzed transcripts using constant comparative analysis and thematic analysis. They coded competencies and curricular concepts into subcategories. Lead investigators reviewed drafts of the categorization themes and subthemes related to gaps in faculty knowledge and skills, collapsed and combined competency domains, and resolved disagreements via discussion. Through analysis, the authors identified four themes. The first was core functional competencies and curricular domains for conceptual learning, including patient-centered care, health care processes, clinical informatics, population and public health, policy and payment, value-based care, and health system improvement. The second was the need for foundational competency domains, including systems thinking, change agency/management, teaming, and leadership. The third theme was paradigm shifts in how academic faculty should approach health care, categorized into four areas: delivery, transformation, provider characteristics and skills, and education. The fourth theme was the need for faculty to be aware of challenges in the culture of AHCs as an influential context for change. This broad competency framework for faculty development programs expands existing curricula by including a comprehensive scope of health systems science content and skills. AHC leaders can use these results to better align faculty education with the real-time needs of their health systems. Future work should focus on optimal prioritization and methods for teaching.

The Achievement Gap in Reading: Complex Causes, Persistent Issues, Possible Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horowitz, Rosalind, Ed.; Samuels, S. Jay, Ed.

2017-01-01

In this volume prominent scholars, experts in their respective fields and highly skilled in the research they conduct, address educational and reading research from varied perspectives and address what it will take to close the achievement gap--with specific attention to reading. The achievement gap is redefined as a level at which all groups can…

Applying the ICF to identify requirements for students with Asperger syndrome in higher education.

PubMed

Adolfsson, Margareta; Simmeborn Fleischer, Ann

2015-06-01

Higher education requires more than academic skills and everyday student-life can be stressful. Students with Asperger syndrome (AS) may need support to manage their education due to difficulties in social functioning. As preparation for the development of a structured tool to guide student and coordinator dialogues at Swedish universities, this study aimed to identify ICF categories that reflect requirements in everyday student-life for students with AS. Using descriptive qualitative approach, information in documents reflecting the perspectives of university students, international classifications, user/health organisations and education authorities were linked to ICF codes. In total, 114 ICF categories were identified, most of which related to learning, tasks and demands, communication and interactions. Students with AS need varying accommodations to be successful in higher education. In the future, ICF-based code sets, including demands on student roles, can be used as checklists to describe functioning and needs for support.

Virtual Reality and Its Potential Use in Special Education. Identifying Emerging Issues and Trends in Technology for Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, John

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the possible contributions of virtual reality technology to educational services for students with disabilities. An example of the use of virtual reality in medical imaging introduces the paper and leads to a brief review of…

Bridging the gap: academic and practitioner perspectives to identify early career competencies needed in healthcare management.

PubMed

Shewchuk, Richard M; O'Connor, Stephen J; Fine, David J

2006-01-01

Healthcare organizations, health management professional associations, and educational institutions have begun to examine carefully what it means to be a fully competent healthcare executive. As a result, an upsurge in interest in healthcare management competencies has been observed recently. The present study uses two critically important groups of informants as participants: health management practitioners and faculty. Using the nominal group process, health administrators identified critical environmental issues perceived to have an impact on healthcare executives today. These issues were employed in a card-sort assessment and a survey was administered to a nationwide sample of health administrators. These data were used to create a map and five clusters of the environmental landscape of healthcare management. These clusters of environmental issues provided a framework for having groups of administrators and faculty members generate and rank perceived behavioral competencies relative to each cluster. Implications for healthcare management practice, education, and research are discussed.

International Education/International Business: A Model for Cooperation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rookstool, Judy

In order to strengthen cooperation among institutions of higher education and businesses with global connections in Silicon Valley, a project was undertaken by San Jose City College to compile a list of the internationally oriented business-related courses available at local institutions and identify existing gaps in the curricula. Information…

Closing the Achievement Gap on ACT & SAT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, David

2010-01-01

Research has focused on four groups of factors and the achievement gap: (1) student characteristics (high school GPA, attendance patterns, courses taken in high school, participation in extra-curricular activities, etc.); (2) family characteristics (family structure, in home, parents' level of education, mobility, etc.); (3) school-based…

Bridging the Gap - Networking Educators using Real-Time Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, A. M.; Renwald, M. D.; Baldwin, T. K.; Hall, M. K.

2004-12-01

After nearly a decade, the seismology community has made critical advances in identifying what is effective and what is needed for success in incorporating real-time seismic data in the classroom. Today's K-16 classroom teachers have many options and opportunities for incorporating short- and long-term inquiry activities for monitoring earthquakes and analyzing seismic data in their daily instruction. Through the SpiNet program, we are providing web-based tools that support educators working with real-time seismic data (http://www.scieds.com/spinet/). Our site includes a Recent Seismicity section, which allows users to share seismic data in real-time, and provides near real-time information about global seismicity. Our Activities section provides data and lessons to assist educators who wish to integrate seismology into their classroom. The Research section, currently under development, will allow educators to share general information about how they teach seismology in their classroom through a discussion board and by posting lesson plans. In addition, we are developing a user-friendly tool for students to post results of their research projects. Designing a website which targets a range of users requires a working knowledge of both user needs and website programming and design. User needs include providing a logical navigational structure and accounting for differences in browser functionality, internet access, and users' abilities. Using website development tools, such as PHP, MySQL, RDF feeds, and specialized geoscience applications, we are automating site maintenance; incorporating databases for information storage and retrieval; and providing accessibility for users with a range of skills and physical limitations. By incorporating these features, we have built a dynamic interface for a broad range of users interested in educational seismology.

Workforce 2000 and the Mildly Handicapped. Identifying Emerging Issues and Trends in Technology for Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, John

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper explores the changing nature of the workforce in relation to concurrent changes in education services for students with mild disabilities. Current trends are identified and projections for the next decade are offered, which include the…

Identifying mediating factors of moral reasoning in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeidler, Dana L.; Schafer, Larry E.

The purpose of this research was to examine how science content knowledge, moral reasoning ability, attitudes, and past experiences mediate the formation of moral judgments on environmental dilemmas. The study was conducted in two phases using environmental science majors and nonscience majors of college age. Phase One determined if environmental science majors exhibited higher levels of moral reasoning on nontechnical environmental social issues than on general social issues and examined the extent to which possible mediating factors accounted for differences in moral reasoning. Phase Two was qualitative in nature, the purpose of which was to observe and identify trends in conversations between subjects as to how certain mediating factors are revealed as people form moral judgments. The framework on which this study was constructed incorporates a progressive educational position; a position that views science education as being interdisciplinary, and a social means to a social end.

WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Intervention Guide: a systematic review of evidence from low and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Keynejad, Roxanne C; Dua, Tarun; Barbui, Corrado; Thornicroft, Graham

2018-02-01

Despite mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders being highly prevalent, there is a worldwide gap between service need and provision. WHO launched its Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) in 2008, and the Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) in 2010. mhGAP-IG provides evidence-based guidance and tools for assessment and integrated management of priority MNS disorders in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), using clinical decision-making protocols. It targets a non-specialised primary healthcare audience, but has also been used by ministries, non-governmental organisations and academics, for mental health service scale-up in 90 countries. This review aimed to identify evidence to date for mhGAP-IG implementation in LMICs. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge/Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS, SciELO/Web of Science, Cochrane, Pubmed databases and Google Scholar for studies reporting evidence, experience or evaluation of mhGAP-IG in LMICs, in any language. Data were extracted from included papers, but heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis. We conducted a systematic review of evidence to date, of mhGAP-IG implementation and evaluation in LMICs. Thirty-three included studies reported 15 training courses, 9 clinical implementations, 3 country contextualisations, 3 economic models, 2 uses as control interventions and 1 use to develop a rating scale. Our review identified the importance of detailed reports of contextual challenges in the field, alongside detailed protocols, qualitative studies and randomised controlled trials. The mhGAP-IG literature is substantial, relative to other published evaluations of clinical practice guidelines: an important contribution to a neglected field. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Educational Guidance for Adults. Identifying Competences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakeshott, Martin

A brief study conducted for the Further Education Unit, Great Britain, defined the competencies associated with educational guidance for adults. The objective was to develop a qualification for educational guidance workers with adults. The project provided an example of applying a competence model to a "higher level" interpersonal field…

Overcoming gaps and bottlenecks to advance precision agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Maintaining a clear understanding of the technology gaps, knowledge needs, and training bottlenecks is required for improving adoption of precision agriculture. As an industry, precision agriculture embraces tools, methods, and practices that are constantly changing, requiring industry, education, a...

ROSS Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities Training Evaluation. Gaps and Recommendations

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

Ala, Maureen; Gruidl, Jeremiah; Buddemeier, Brooke

2015-09-30

This document describes the development of the ROSS SKAs, the cross-mapping of the SKAs to the available training, identifies gaps in the SKA and training, and provides recommendations to address those gaps.

Cochrane systematic reviews are useful to map research gaps for decreasing maternal mortality.

PubMed

Chapman, Evelina; Reveiz, Ludovic; Chambliss, Amy; Sangalang, Stephanie; Bonfill, Xavier

2013-01-01

To use an "evidence-mapping" approach to assess the usefulness of Cochrane reviews in identifying research gaps in the maternal health. The article describes the general mapping, prioritizing, reconciling, and updating approach: (1) identifying gaps in the maternal health research using published systematic reviews and formulating research questions, (2) prioritizing questions using Delphi method, (3) reconciling identified research priorities with the existing literature (i.e., searching of ongoing trials in trials registries), (4) updating the process. A comprehensive search of Cochrane systematic reviews published or updated from January 2006 to March 2011 was performed. We evaluated the "Implications for Research" section to identify gaps in the research. Our search strategy identified 695 references; 178 systematic reviews identifying at least one research gap were used. We formulated 319 research questions, which were classified into 11 different categories based on the direct and indirect causes of maternal mortality: postpartum hemorrhage, abortion, hypertensive disorders, infection/sepsis, caesarean section, diabetes, pregnancy prevention, preterm labor, other direct causes, indirect causes, and health policies and systems. Most research questions concerned the effectiveness of clinical interventions, including drugs (42.6%), nonpharmacologic interventions (16.3%), and health system (14.7%). It is possible to identify gaps in the maternal health research by using this approach. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gaps in food safety professionals' knowledge about noroviruses.

PubMed

Kosa, Katherine M; Cates, Sheryl C; Hall, Aron J; Brophy, Jenna E; Fraser, Angela

2014-08-01

Noroviruses (NoVs) are the most common etiologic agents of endemic and epidemic foodborne disease in the United States. Food safety professionals play an important role in protecting the public from foodborne illness. A survey of food safety professionals (n = 314) was conducted to characterize their knowledge of NoVs and to identify gaps in this knowledge. To recruit individuals, 25 professional organizations promoted the survey via their Web sites, newsletters, and/or e-mail distribution lists. The survey used true or false and open-ended questions to assess knowledge about NoVs, including attribution, transmission, and prevention and control strategies, including food handling practices. The online survey was available from mid-October 2012 to mid-January 2013. Of the 314 respondents, 66.2% correctly identified NoVs as one of the three most common causes of foodborne disease in the United States. Only 5.4% of respondents correctly identified the three most common settings for NoV infections, and 65.0% of respondents had the misperception that cruise ships are one of the three most common settings. Seventeen respondents (5.4%) answered all 20 true-or-false questions correctly, 33 respondents (10.5%) answered at least 19 of the 20 questions correctly, and 186 respondents (65.0%) answered at least 15 of the 20 questions correctly (i.e., a score of 75% or higher). The content domain in which respondents had the most incorrect answers was food handling practices. Thirty-eight percent of respondents incorrectly responded that it is safe for restaurant workers infected with NoVs to handle packaged food, food equipment, and utensils. About half of respondents did not know the recommended sanitizing solution for eliminating NoVs from a contaminated surface. The survey findings identified several important gaps in food safety professionals' knowledge of NoVs. The study results will inform the development of a Web-based educational module on NoVs to improve efforts to

Gaps in Food Safety Professionals' Knowledge about Noroviruses

PubMed Central

Kosa, Katherine M.; Cates, Sheryl C.; Hall, Aron J.; Brophy, Jenna E.; Fraser, Angela

2017-01-01

Noroviruses (NoVs) are the most common etiologic agents of endemic and epidemic foodborne disease in the United States. Food safety professionals play an important role in protecting the public from foodborne illness. A survey of food safety professionals (n = 314) was conducted to characterize their knowledge of NoVs and to identify gaps in this knowledge. To recruit individuals, 25 professional organizations promoted the survey via their Web sites, newsletters, and/or e-mail distribution lists. The survey used true or false and open-ended questions to assess knowledge about NoVs, including attribution, transmission, and prevention and control strategies, including food handling practices. The online survey was available from mid-October 2012 to mid-January 2013. Of the 314 respondents, 66.2% correctly identified NoVs as one of the three most common causes of foodborne disease in the United States. Only 5.4% of respondents correctly identified the three most common settings for NoV infections, and 65.0% of respondents had the misperception that cruise ships are one of the three most common settings. Seventeen respondents (5.4%) answered all 20 true-or-false questions correctly, 33 respondents (10.5%) answered at least 19 of the 20 questions correctly, and 186 respondents (65.0%) answered at least 15 of the 20 questions correctly (i.e., a score of 75% or higher). The content domain in which respondents had the most incorrect answers was food handling practices. Thirty-eight percent of respondents incorrectly responded that it is safe for restaurant workers infected with NoVs to handle packaged food, food equipment, and utensils. About half of respondents did not know the recommended sanitizing solution for eliminating NoVs from a contaminated surface. The survey findings identified several important gaps in food safety professionals' knowledge of NoVs. The study results will inform the development of a Web-based educational module on NoVs to improve efforts to

Gendered education in a gendered world: looking beyond cosmetic solutions to the gender gap in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinnes, Astrid T.; Løken, Marianne

2014-06-01

Young people in countries considered to be at the forefront of gender equity still tend to choose very traditional science subjects and careers. This is particularly the case in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects (STEM), which are largely male dominated. This article uses feminist critiques of science and science education to explore the underlying gendered assumptions of a research project aiming to contribute to improving recruitment, retention and gender equity patterns in STEM educations and careers. Much research has been carried out to understand this gender gap phenomenon as well as to suggest measures to reduce its occurrence. A significant portion of this research has focused on detecting the typical "female" and "male" interest in science and has consequently suggested that adjustments be made to science education to cater for these interests. This article argues that adjusting science subjects to match perceived typical girls' and boys' interests risks being ineffective, as it contributes to the imposition of stereotyped gender identity formation thereby also imposing the gender differences that these adjustments were intended to overcome. This article also argues that different ways of addressing gender issues in science education themselves reflects different notions of gender and science. Thus in order to reduce gender inequities in science these implicit notions of gender and science have to be made explicit. The article begins with an overview of the current situation regarding gender equity in some so- called gender equal countries. We then present three perspectives from feminist critiques of science on how gender can be seen to impact on science and science education. Thereafter we analyze recommendations from a contemporary research project to explore which of these perspectives is most prevalent.

Why decision support systems are important for medical education.

PubMed

Konstantinidis, Stathis Th; Bamidis, Panagiotis D

2016-03-01

During the last decades, the inclusion of digital tools in health education has rapidly lead to a continuously enlarging digital era. All the online interactions between learners and tutors, the description, creation, reuse and sharing of educational digital resources and the interlinkage between them in conjunction with cheap storage technology has led to an enormous amount of educational data. Medical education is a unique type of education due to accuracy of information needed, continuous changing competences required and alternative methods of education used. Nowadays medical education standards provide the ground for organising the educational data and the paradata. Analysis of such education data through education data mining techniques is in its infancy, but decision support systems (DSSs) for medical education need further research. To the best of our knowledge, there is a gap and a clear need for identifying the challenges for DSSs in medical education in the era of medical education standards. Thus, in this Letter the role and the attributes of such a DSS for medical education are delineated and the challenges and vision for future actions are identified.

Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Karl L.; Entwisle, Doris R.; Olson, Linda Steffel

2007-01-01

Prior research has demonstrated that summer learning rooted in family and community influences widens the achievement gap across social lines, while schooling offsets those family and community influences. In this article, we examine the long-term educational consequences of summer learning differences by family socioeconomic level. Using data…

Close Early Learning Gaps with Rigorous DAP

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Christopher P.; Mowry, Brian

2015-01-01

Rigorous DAP (developmentally appropriate practices) is a set of 11 principles of instruction intended to help close early childhood learning gaps. Academically rigorous learning environments create the conditions for children to learn at high levels. While academic rigor focuses on one dimension of education--academic--DAP considers the whole…

The Widening Gender Gap and Its Influence on Contemporary Postsecondary Campuses: Perceptions of Senior Student Affairs Officers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schellpfeffer, Shane E.

2012-01-01

Throughout the past 30 years, a gender gap in postsecondary education in the United States has steadily widened. The widening postsecondary gender gap, described as the difference between the number of males and females in both enrollment and degree attainment in postsecondary education, has recently garnered significant attention. The purpose of…

Managing clinical education through understanding key principles.

PubMed

Cunningham, Joanne; Wright, Caroline; Baird, Marilyn

2015-01-01

Traditionally, a practicum facilitated the integration of on-campus learning and practical workplace training. Over the past 3 decades, an educative practicum has evolved that promotes clinical reasoning, including analytical and evaluative abilities, through reflective practice. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the delivery of clinical education within medical radiation science entry-level programs continues to vacillate between traditional practicums and the new reflective practicums. To review the literature about clinical education within the medical radiation sciences and identify key principles for practitioners seeking to reflect upon and improve their approach to teaching and supporting students in the clinical environment. A search of 3 major journal databases, Internet searches, and hand searches of reference lists were conducted to identify literature about clinical education in the medical radiation sciences from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2012. Twenty-two studies were included in this review. The 5 key elements associated with clinical education include the clinical support model and quality, overcoming the theory-practice gap, learning outcomes and reliable and valid assessment, preparing and supporting students, and accommodating differing teaching and learning needs. Many factors influence the quality of clinical education, including the culture of the clinical environment and clinical leadership roles. Several approaches can help students bridge the theory-practice gap, including simulators, role-playing activities, and reflective journals. In addition, clinical educators should use assessment strategies that objectively measure student progress, and they should be positive role models for their students. The successful clinical education of students in the medical radiation sciences depends upon the systems, structures, and people in the clinical environment. Clinical education is accomplished through the collaborative efforts of the

Integrating environmental gap analysis with spatial conservation prioritization: a case study from Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Sharafi, Seyedeh Mahdieh; Moilanen, Atte; White, Matt; Burgman, Mark

2012-12-15

Gap analysis is used to analyse reserve networks and their coverage of biodiversity, thus identifying gaps in biodiversity representation that may be filled by additional conservation measures. Gap analysis has been used to identify priorities for species and habitat types. When it is applied to identify gaps in the coverage of environmental variables, it embodies the assumption that combinations of environmental variables are effective surrogates for biodiversity attributes. The question remains of how to fill gaps in conservation systems efficiently. Conservation prioritization software can identify those areas outside existing conservation areas that contribute to the efficient covering of gaps in biodiversity features. We show how environmental gap analysis can be implemented using high-resolution information about environmental variables and ecosystem condition with the publicly available conservation prioritization software, Zonation. Our method is based on the conversion of combinations of environmental variables into biodiversity features. We also replicated the analysis by using Species Distribution Models (SDMs) as biodiversity features to evaluate the robustness and utility of our environment-based analysis. We apply the technique to a planning case study of the state of Victoria, Australia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business training and education needs of chiropractors.

PubMed

Henson, Steve W; Pressley, Milton; Korfmann, Scott

2008-01-01

This report is an examination of the perceived need for business skills among chiropractors. An online survey was completed by 64 chiropractors. They assessed the need for business skills and current levels of business skills. Using this information, gaps in business skills are identified. The need for business skills is broad, encompassing all major business functions. Existing business skills are well below needed levels. The chiropractic profession needs significantly greater business and practice management skills. The existing gap between needed business skills and existing skills suggests that current training and education programs are not providing adequate business skills training.

Review of oil and HNS accidental spills in Europe: identifying major environmental monitoring gaps and drawing priorities.

PubMed

Neuparth, T; Moreira, S M; Santos, M M; Reis-Henriques, M A

2012-06-01

The European Atlantic area has been the scene of a number of extensive shipping incidents with immediate and potential long-term impacts to marine ecosystems. The occurrence of accidental spills at sea requires an effective response that must include a well executed monitoring programme to assess the environmental contamination and damage of the affected marine habitats. Despite a number of conventions and protocols developed by international and national authorities that focused on the preparedness and response to oil and HNS spills, much remains to be done, particularly in relation to the effectiveness of the environmental monitoring programmes implemented after oil and HNS spills. Hence, the present study reviews the status of the environmental monitoring programmes established following the major spill incidents over the last years in European waters, aiming at identifying the key monitoring gaps and drawing priorities for an effective environmental monitoring of accidental spills. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying Effective Education Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Meta-Analysis of Rigorous Impact Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conn, Katharine

2014-01-01

The aim of this dissertation is to identify effective educational interventions in Sub-Saharan African with an impact on student learning. This is the first meta-analysis in the field of education conducted for Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper takes an in-depth look at twelve different types of education interventions or programs and attempts to not…

Social Entrepreneurship Education in Higher Education: Insights from a Developing Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salamzadeh, Aidin; Azimi, Mohammad Ali; Kirby, David A

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research is to investigate awareness, intentions/support, and the contextual elements among higher education students in the University of Tehran (UT) in order to find the gap(s) in social entrepreneurship education in Iran. The authors used Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour as the theoretical framework. The research…

Identifying Effective Education Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Meta-Analysis of Impact Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conn, Katharine M.

2017-01-01

In this article, I identify educational interventions with an impact on student learning in Sub-Saharan Africa. After a systematic literature search, I conducted a meta-analysis synthesizing 56 articles containing 66 separate experiments and quasi-experiments and 83 treatment arms. I evaluated 12 types of education interventions such as the…

School nurses can address existing gaps in school-age sleep research.

PubMed

Willgerodt, Mayumi A; Kieckhefer, Gail M

2013-06-01

Sleep has been linked to a host of physical, behavioral, and emotional outcomes, and research has documented that youth across the globe are experiencing inadequate sleep. Despite this knowledge, however, very little research has been conducted on school-age children; much of the extant research has focused on infants, toddlers, preschoolers, adolescents, and adults. School-age children exhibit increasing independence around health-related behaviors, which provide health professionals the opportunity to educate and promote healthy sleep behaviors. This commentary extends previous research reviews by identifying the current gaps in sleep research, highlighting future directions needed in sleep research, and explaining why school nurses are best suited to address this growing public health issue.

Bridging the Great Divide: Broadening Perspectives on Closing the Achievement Gaps.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viewpoints, 2002

2002-01-01

This booklet presents information on the achievement gaps in education between white, Asian, and economically advantaged students and their African American, Hispanic, Native American, and economically disadvantaged peers. It provides examples from higher education, district, and school levels and summarizes available resources and tools to help…

Bridging the Gap between Community and Cardiologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jamatia, Biplab

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases are an emerging cause of morbidity and mortality in India. India produces less than 150 cardiologists annually, leading to a gap between the need and availability of trained professionals. A three-year cardiology-training programme is available for post-graduate doctors in the conventional medical education system. The…

Reflections on the Research to Practice Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gersten, Russell; Smith-Jones, Joyce

2001-01-01

This article highlights major points of each of the articles in this special issue on the research to practice gap in special education. It then considers some broader implications, especially the need to foster and establish collegial networks to counter the isolation in which many teachers currently work. (Contains references.) (DB)

Estimating Gender Wage Gaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Judith A.; Thornton, Robert J.

2011-01-01

Course research projects that use easy-to-access real-world data and that generate findings with which undergraduate students can readily identify are hard to find. The authors describe a project that requires students to estimate the current female-male earnings gap for new college graduates. The project also enables students to see to what…

Bridging the Gap between Audiology and Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razack, Zaim Riza

1995-01-01

This article examines issues related to the provision of educational audiological services that are sensitive to the needs of a diverse population. The focus is on paradigm shifts from traditional clinical audiology to classroom-based educational audiology and use of a cyclical reflective process. Critical components of courses offered at York…

School Counselors: Closing Achievement Gaps and Writing Results Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartline, Julie; Cobia, Debra

2012-01-01

Charged with closing the achievement gap for marginalized students, school counselors need to be able to identify gaps, develop interventions, evaluate effectiveness, and share results. This study examined 100 summary results reports submitted by school counselors after having received four days of training on the ASCA National Model. Findings…

Telecommunications Technology and Education. A Study Identifying Appropriate Telecommunications Systems for Program Improvement in Postsecondary Vocational Education in Georgia. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Div. of Vocational Education.

A study examined teleconferencing applications that can assist educators in meeting Georgia's postsecondary vocational education needs. Three forms of teleconferencing were studied--audio conferencing, computer conferencing, and video conferencing. The study included a literature review, two pilot studies, and a survey to identify the ways in…

Identifying and Understanding the Gaps in Care Experienced by Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

PubMed

Mobley, Erin M; Foster, Kristin J; Terry, William W

2018-06-20

In an effort to counteract the differences in improvement in survival rates of adolescents and young adults (AYA), compared to other age groups with cancer, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics established an AYA cancer program. This study was conducted to gather feedback from AYAs in an effort to generate actionable data for program development. The target population included patients aged 13-31 treated for malignancy in one of the following disease sites: central nervous system, leukemia, lymphoma, neuroendocrine, sarcoma, and thyroid. A series of four focus groups was held to identify and describe gaps in care and provide suggestions for program development. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. Qualitative data were derived from focus group discussion and free-response survey questions, while quantitative data were derived from objective survey questions and electronic medical record data. Across the four focus groups, 24 different AYAs participated, ranging from 8 to 19 individuals per session. Topics discussed included the following: communication, treatment experience, and overall AYA program; finances, work and school, and late effects; relationships, emotions, and spirituality; and body image, infertility, sexuality, risky behavior, and suicide. The results of the analyses corroborated what makes AYAs different from other age groups. The primary theme identified was the unique relationships of AYAs, which can be thought of along a continuum. Information obtained from these analyses has been used to inform specific projects within the development of the AYA program to address patient-identified gaps. For AYAs, the importance of relationships along a continuum should be considered when developing an AYA program, in addition to potential policy or health service research utilization in the future.

Education in the Workplace: Bridging the Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Karen L.

A study surveyed owners of 20 small businesses in North County, San Diego, to determine evidence of teaching and learning. A 13-question survey instrument gathered information regarding whether training and/or education for employees was available, what education was offered, how it fit into the evaluation process, and how business owners saw…

The Myth about the Special Education Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Marcus A.

2015-01-01

As public schools, charter schools are legally required to educate all students regardless of the difficulties they bring with them into the classroom. Nonetheless, many are concerned that the charter sector fails to educate all comers. Charter schools are often criticized for not enrolling similar proportions of students with disabilities as are…

Identifying Gaps in Asthma Education, Health Promotion, and Social Support for Mi’kmaq Families in Unama’ki (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia, Canada

PubMed Central

Watson, Rob; Masuda, Jeffrey; King, Malcolm; Stewart, Miriam

2012-01-01

Introduction Asthma is the most common chronic condition affecting Aboriginal youth aged 8 to 12 years in Canada. Research investigating psychosocial challenges associated with asthma is limited. This study examines support resources, support-seeking strategies, support and education needs, and intervention preferences of Aboriginal youth with asthma and their caregivers in an effort to encourage community-wide, health-promoting behaviors. Methods We employed a community-based participatory research design to conduct interviews with 21 youths aged 8 to 12 years and 17 caregivers from 5 Mi’kmaq communities in Unama’ki (Cape Breton) Nova Scotia, Canada. After conducting interviews that explored existing and desired social, educational, and health support in participating communities, we held a 2-day asthma camp to engage participants in asthma education, social support networking, and cultural activities. At the camp, we collected data through participant observation, sharing circles, focus groups, and youth drawings of their experiences living with asthma. Results Our study yielded 4 key findings: 1) asthma triggers included household mold, indoor smoking, pets, season change, strenuous exercise, extreme cold, and humidity; 2) social and educational support is lacking in Mi’kmaq communities despite a strong desire for these services; 3) cultural, linguistic, and geographic barriers to accessing support exist; and 4) family members are primary support resources. Conclusion Improved support and educational resources are needed to foster effective Mi’kmaq asthma support networks. Future asthma interventions for marginalized populations must be culturally meaningful and linguistically accessible to those using and providing asthma support. PMID:22898237

Filling the gap between identified neuroblasts and neurons in crustaceans adds new support for Tetraconata

PubMed Central

Ungerer, Petra; Scholtz, Gerhard

2007-01-01

The complex spatio-temporal patterns of development and anatomy of nervous systems play a key role in our understanding of arthropod evolution. However, the degree of resolution of neural processes is not always detailed enough to claim homology between arthropod groups. One example is neural precursors and their progeny in crustaceans and insects. Pioneer neurons of crustaceans and insects show some similarities that indicate homology. In contrast, the differentiation of insect and crustacean neuroblasts (NBs) shows profound differences and their homology is controversial. For Drosophila and grasshoppers, the complete lineage of several NBs up to formation of pioneer neurons is known. Apart from data on median NBs no comparable results exist for Crustacea. Accordingly, it is not clear where the crustacean pioneer neurons come from and whether there are NBs lateral to the midline homologous to those of insects. To fill this gap, individual NBs in the ventral neuroectoderm of the crustacean Orchestia cavimana were labelled in vivo with a fluorescent dye. A partial neuroblast map was established and for the first time lineages from individual NBs to identified pioneer neurons were established in a crustacean. Our data strongly suggest homology of NBs and their lineages, providing further evidence for a close insect–crustacean relationship. PMID:18048285

34 CFR 692.111 - For what purposes may a State use its payment under the GAP Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... GAP Program? 692.111 Section 692.111 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of... Assistance and How May It Be Used? § 692.111 For what purposes may a State use its payment under the GAP.... (b) Amount of LEAP Grants under GAP. (1) The amount of a LEAP Grant under GAP by a State to an...

Education Outcomes and Poverty: A Reassessment. Education, Poverty and International Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colclough, Christopher, Ed.

2012-01-01

What do we know about the outcomes of education in developing countries? Where are the gaps in our knowledge, and why are they important to fill? What are the policy challenges that underlie these knowledge gaps, and how can education best contribute to eliminating the problem of widespread poverty in the developing world? This book arises out of…

Nebraska Industrial Technology Education Teachers Identify the Equipment Their Students Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, George E.

A study asked 287 industrial technology education (ITE) teachers in Nebraska to identify what equipment was being used by ITE students. It also compared ITE equipment usage with regard to school type and school size. The response rate was 59.2 percent (n=170). Findings indicated the drill press and band saw were the most widely used pieces of…

Illinois Higher Education in the 21st Century. Identifying and Responding to the Educational Needs in Lake County: A Committee Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Higher Education, Springfield.

This report presents the findings of a pilot study conducted in Lake County (Illinois) that was designed to identify higher educational needs and to develop recommendations to respond to those needs. Several methodologies were employed: public hearings; market research; analyses of census, labor, economic, and educational data; consultations with…

Factors that drive the gap in diabetes rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in non-remote NSW.

PubMed

Reeve, Rebecca; Church, Jody; Haas, Marion; Bradford, Wylie; Viney, Rosalie

2014-10-01

To identify factors underpinning the gap in diabetes rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in non-remote NSW. This will indicate appropriate target areas for policy and for monitoring progress towards reducing the gap. Data from the 2004-05 National Health Survey and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey were used to estimate differences in self-reported diabetes rates and risk/prevention factors between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in non-remote NSW. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the contribution of each factor to predicting the probability of diabetes. Risk factors for diabetes are more prevalent and diabetes rates 2.5 to 4 times higher in Aboriginal compared to non-Aboriginal adults in non-remote NSW. The odds of (known) diabetes for both groups are significantly higher for older people, those with low levels of education and those who are overweight or obese. In the Aboriginal sample, the odds of diabetes are significantly higher for people reporting forced removal of their relatives. Differences in BMI and education appear to be driving the diabetes gap, together with onset at younger ages in the Aboriginal population. Psychological distress, indicated by removal of relatives, may contribute to increased risk of diabetes in the Aboriginal population. The results imply that improved nutrition and exercise, capacity to access and act upon health care information and early intervention are required to reduce the diabetes gap. Current strategies appear to be appropriately aligned with the evidence; however, further research is required to determine whether implementation methods are effective. © 2014 Public Health Association of Australia.

Gaps between Beliefs, Perceptions, and Practices: The Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ-Inclusive Education in Canadian Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Catherine G.; Meyer, Elizabeth J.; Peter, Tracey; Ristock, Janice; Short, Donn; Campbell, Christopher

2016-01-01

The Every Teacher Project involved large-scale survey research conducted to identify the beliefs, perspectives, and practices of Kindergarten to Grade 12 educators in Canadian public schools regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)-inclusive education. Comparisons are made between LGBTQ and cisgender heterosexual…

Learning in context: identifying gaps in research on the transfer of medical communication skills to the clinical workplace.

PubMed

van den Eertwegh, Valerie; van Dulmen, Sandra; van Dalen, Jan; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2013-02-01

In order to reduce the inconsistencies of findings and the apparent low transfer of communication skills from training to medical practice, this narrative review identifies some main gaps in research on medical communication skills training and presents insights from theories on learning and transfer to broaden the view for future research. Relevant literature was identified using Pubmed, GoogleScholar, Cochrane database, and Web of Science; and analyzed using an iterative procedure. Research findings on the effectiveness of medical communication training still show inconsistencies and variability. Contemporary theories on learning based on a constructivist paradigm offer the following insights: acquisition of knowledge and skills should be viewed as an ongoing process of exchange between the learner and his environment, so called lifelong learning. This process can neither be atomized nor separated from the context in which it occurs. Four contemporary approaches are presented as examples. The following shift in focus for future research is proposed: beyond isolated single factor effectiveness studies toward constructivist, non-reductionistic studies integrating the context. Future research should investigate how constructivist approaches can be used in the medical context to increase effective learning and transition of communication skills. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying Multilevel Barriers to Tobacco Intervention in Postdoctoral Dental Education.

PubMed

Albert, David A; Bruzelius, Emilie; Ward, Angela; Gordon, Judith S

2016-04-01

The aims of this mixed-methods study were to assess tobacco treatment behaviors among residents and faculty in dental specialty postdoctoral programs and to explore factors in training and practice related to tobacco treatment education. Surveys and focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of participants at three postdoctoral residency programs in New York City. Surveys assessed tobacco cessation training and behaviors. Focus groups explored barriers to implementing tobacco cessation treatment in educational settings. Data were collected between May and December 2013. Among the 160 faculty and residents identified as potentially eligible for the study, 60 were invited by program directors to participate, and 50 subsequently completed the survey and participated in a focus group (response rate of 31.3%). Survey results indicated high levels of asking patients about tobacco use and advising patients to quit. In contrast, specific tobacco cessation assistance and follow-up care occurred less frequently. There were statistically significant differences in tobacco cessation intervention across the specialties surveyed, but not between residents and faculty. Focus group comments were grouped into three broad areas: clinician factors, organizational support, and structural and contextual factors. Focus group results indicated that participants experienced significant organizational and structural barriers to learning about and providing tobacco treatment. Participants from each specialty indicated that multi-level barriers impeded their provision of evidence-based tobacco cessation interventions in postdoctoral educational settings. They suggested that didactic education should be reinforced by organizational- and systems-level changes to facilitate comprehensive tobacco education and effective cessation treatment in future dental practice.

Identifying the translational gap in the evaluation of drug-induced QTc interval prolongation

PubMed Central

Chain, Anne SY; Dubois, Vincent FS; Danhof, Meindert; Sturkenboom, Miriam CJM; Della Pasqua, Oscar

2013-01-01

Aims Given the similarities in QTc response between dogs and humans, dogs are used in pre-clinical cardiovascular safety studies. The objective of our investigation was to characterize the PKPD relationships and identify translational gaps across species following the administration of three compounds known to cause QTc interval prolongation, namely cisapride, d, l-sotalol and moxifloxacin. Methods Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data from experiments in conscious dogs and clinical trials were included in this analysis. First, pharmacokinetic modelling and deconvolution methods were applied to derive drug concentrations at the time of each QT measurement. A Bayesian PKPD model was then used to describe QT prolongation, allowing discrimination of drug-specific effects from other physiological factors known to alter QT interval duration. A threshold of ≥10 ms was used to explore the probability of prolongation after drug administration. Results A linear relationship was found to best describe the pro-arrhythmic effects of cisapride, d,l-sotalol and moxifloxacin both in dogs and in humans. The drug-specific parameter (slope) in dogs was statistically significantly different from humans. Despite such differences, our results show that the probability of QTc prolongation ≥10 ms in dogs nears 100% for all three compounds at the therapeutic exposure range in humans. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the slope of PKPD relationship in conscious dogs may be used as the basis for the prediction of drug-induced QTc prolongation in humans. Furthermore, the risk of QTc prolongation can be expressed in terms of the probability associated with an increase ≥10 ms, allowing direct inferences about the clinical relevance of the pro-arrhythmic potential of a molecule. PMID:23351036

Book Probes Scoring Gaps Tied to Race

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viadero, Debra

2009-01-01

A recent book assembles a collection of studies on one of the great mysteries of contemporary American education: Why did national progress in narrowing the achievement gap separating African-American and white students stall from the late 1980s until 2004? "Steady Gains and Stalled Progress," published by the Russell Sage Foundation of New York…

Parental Characteristics and the Achievement Gap in Mathematics: Hierarchical Linear Modeling Analysis of Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoraka, Mohammad; Arnold, Robert; Kim, Eun Sook; Salinitri, Geri; Kromrey, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

One of the most salient problems in education is the achievement gap. The researchers investigated the effects of parental education and parental occupations in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or medical professions (STEMM) on the achievement gap in mathematics. Because students were nested within schools, two-level Hierarchical…

Trends in Education Excellence Gaps: A 12-Year International Perspective via the Multilevel Model for Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutkowski, David; Rutkowski, Leslie; Plucker, Jonathan A.

2012-01-01

A recent study in the USA documented the existence and growth of "excellence gaps" among students. These gaps are similar to the minimum competency achievement gaps that proliferate in policy discussions in many Western countries, but excellence gaps focus on the highest level of achievement rather than minimum competency. We extend this…

Measuring Awareness and Identifying Misconceptions About Genetic Counseling Services and Utilizing Television to Educate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, Dena

Understanding awareness and perceptions of genetic counseling (GC) is important in identifying and overcoming potential barriers to GC services. However, there are relatively few empirical data regarding these factors among US-based populations. To address this, we attended various community events for the general public, disability community, and new parents and recruited participants for a survey-based study comprising demographic questions, closed-ended knowledge-based and awareness questions, and open text sections. We applied descriptive statistics to responses about demographics, awareness of GC, purposes of GC, and perceptions of GC practice. In total, 320 individuals participated, including 69 from the general public, 209 from the disability community, and 42 from the new parent community. Slightly more than half of respondents (n =173, 54%) had heard of GC. Risk assessment and counseling were among the most frequently cited activities attributed to genetic counselors; a few felt that GC was related to eugenics. Respondents thought that GC aims to prevent genetic disorders (n=82, 74%), helps people find their ethnic origins and understand their ancestry (n=176, 55%), advises people whether to have children (n=140, 44%), and helps couples have children with desirable characteristics (n=126, 39%). Our data showed the majority of participants preferred to watch a medical thriller involving genetic counseling, followed by documentary series; comedy was rated the lowest. These data revealed gaps in awareness of GC and misperceptions about its purpose and can be useful in devising targeted interventions by developing entertainment-based education to improve public knowledge of genetic health and the roles of GCs.

Gap analysis of Mycoplasma bovis disease, diagnosis and control: An aid to identify future development requirements.

PubMed

Calcutt, M J; Lysnyansky, I; Sachse, K; Fox, L K; Nicholas, R A J; Ayling, R D

2018-05-01

There is a worldwide problem of disease caused by Mycoplasma (M.) bovis in cattle; it has a significant detrimental economic and animal welfare impact on cattle rearing. Infection can manifest as a plethora of clinical signs including mastitis, pneumonia, arthritis, keratoconjunctivitis, otitis media and genital disorders that may result in infertility and abortion. Current diagnosis and control information are reviewed and analysed to identify gaps in knowledge of the causative organism in respect of the disease pathology, diagnosis and control methods. The main considerations are as follows: no vaccines are commercially available; antimicrobial resistance is increasing; diagnostic and antimicrobial sensitivity testing needs to be improved; and a pen-side test would facilitate more rapid diagnosis and implementation of treatment with antimicrobials. More data on host susceptibility, stress factors, immune response and infectious dose levels are required. The impact of asymptomatic carriers, M. bovis survival in the environment and the role of wildlife in transmitting the disease also needs investigation. To facilitate development of vaccines, further analysis of more M. bovis genomes, its pathogenic mechanisms, including variable surface proteins, is required, along with reproducible disease models. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Identifying needs and barriers to diabetes education in patients with diabetes.

PubMed

Rafique, Ghazala; Shaikh, Furqan

2006-08-01

To assess the needs, awareness and barriers to diabetes education for self management and to facilitate the initiation of an education programme promoting self care among diabetics and their families. A qualitative study was conducted among adult diabetics attending outpatient clinics in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 27 subjects (11 men; 16 women) to identify dominant themes and priority issues. Participants displayed great deal of variation with respect to level of knowledge and motivation for education. Most believed that diabetes was caused by stress. Family was perceived to be a source of positive support. Relative ease of adherence to pharmacological regimens as compared to diet and exercise was reported. Participants expressed frustration at chronicity of disease and fear of developing certain specific complications and inheritance by their children. Barriers to enhancing knowledge included 'No need for further information', distance from training institutions and other priorities. Knowledge, beliefs and fears about diabetes, family influence and accessibility of healthcare, affects management behaviours and learning. Understanding needs and expectations of people with diabetes is essential in initiating and improving the outcomes of education programme for diabetes self care.

A Research on Identifying the Need for Distance Education for National Athletes Who Study in School of Physical Education and Sport

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozkus, Taner

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the problems which national athletes, who study in School of Physical Education and Sport in universities, encounter in formal education and to determine their need for distance learning. Qualitative research, which is one the techniques of researching the method of the study, forms a structured…

Understanding the Financial Knowledge Gap: A New Dimension of Inequality in Later Life.

PubMed

Khan, Mohammad Nuruzzaman; Rothwell, David W; Cherney, Katrina; Sussman, Tamara

2017-01-01

To understand individuals' financial behaviors, it is important to understand the financial knowledge gap - the distance between one's objective and subjective financial knowledge. Overestimating one's financial knowledge can lead to risky financial behaviors. To date, limited empirical work has examined how financial knowledge gap varies across age groups. We analyze the size and nature of the financial knowledge gap and its variation across age groups. Using nationally representative data, we find robust evidence that older adults overestimate their financial knowledge. Social workers can assess the financial knowledge gap and educate their clients to protect from financial fraud, exploitation, and abuse.

Depression and stressful environments: identifying gaps in conceptualization and measurement.

PubMed

Hammen, Constance

2016-07-01

Stress is well known as a trigger of depressive reactions, fear, anxiety, and behavioral disorders. However, there are many gaps in the conceptualization and measurement of environmental stress. Exciting developments in the neuroscience of stress have increasingly expanded our knowledge of mechanisms by which stress may affect emotional and behavioral adjustment. Ironically, environmental stress has often been a silent player in human studies of stress processes. There is a significant need for increased efforts to include environmental stress variables in models of internalizing and other disorders. Measurement and conceptualization issues are prominent, and this article makes the case for improved methods of measuring acute, chronic, and early life stress, and for additional conceptualization of the dynamically changing and bidirectional effects of stress on disorder over time. There is a critical need for greater focus on and better measurement of the environment and its impact on emotional and other disorders, with emphasis on developmentally informed hypotheses. Empirical findings and new perspectives may contribute enormously to our understanding of normal and abnormal outcomes, and also to the challenge of effective interventions to promote mental health and optimal functioning.

Connecting Social Disorganization Theory to African-American Outcomes to Explain the Achievement Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madyun, Na'im H.

2011-01-01

African-American student achievement outcomes have been and continue to be a critical concern for education researchers. Much of the framing of African-American student outcomes centers on what is known as achievement gaps that exist between African-American and White students. Unfortunately, these gaps have remained roughly the same since the…

Detection thresholds for gaps, overlaps, and no-gap-no-overlaps.

PubMed

Heldner, Mattias

2011-07-01

Detection thresholds for gaps and overlaps, that is acoustic and perceived silences and stretches of overlapping speech in speaker changes, were determined. Subliminal gaps and overlaps were categorized as no-gap-no-overlaps. The established gap and overlap detection thresholds both corresponded to the duration of a long vowel, or about 120 ms. These detection thresholds are valuable for mapping the perceptual speaker change categories gaps, overlaps, and no-gap-no-overlaps into the acoustic domain. Furthermore, the detection thresholds allow generation and understanding of gaps, overlaps, and no-gap-no-overlaps in human-like spoken dialogue systems. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Subgroup Achievement and Gap Trends: New Hampshire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2009

2009-01-01

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between…

Inverted File Compression through Document Identifier Reassignment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shieh, Wann-Yun; Chen, Tien-Fu; Shann, Jean Jyh-Jiun; Chung, Chung-Ping

2003-01-01

Discusses the use of inverted files in information retrieval systems and proposes a document identifier reassignment method to reduce the average gap values in an inverted file. Highlights include the d-gap technique; document similarity; heuristic algorithms; file compression; and performance evaluation from a simulation environment. (LRW)

Business Training and Education Needs of Chiropractors

PubMed Central

Henson, Steve W; Pressley, Milton; Korfmann, Scott

2008-01-01

Objective: This report is an examination of the perceived need for business skills among chiropractors. Methods: An online survey was completed by 64 chiropractors. They assessed the need for business skills and current levels of business skills. Using this information, gaps in business skills are identified. Results: The need for business skills is broad, encompassing all major business functions. Existing business skills are well below needed levels. Conclusion: The chiropractic profession needs significantly greater business and practice management skills. The existing gap between needed business skills and existing skills suggests that current training and education programs are not providing adequate business skills training PMID:19043535

Structural Dynamics of Tropical Moist Forest Gaps

PubMed Central

Hunter, Maria O.; Keller, Michael; Morton, Douglas; Cook, Bruce; Lefsky, Michael; Ducey, Mark; Saleska, Scott; de Oliveira, Raimundo Cosme; Schietti, Juliana

2015-01-01

Gap phase dynamics are the dominant mode of forest turnover in tropical forests. However, gap processes are infrequently studied at the landscape scale. Airborne lidar data offer detailed information on three-dimensional forest structure, providing a means to characterize fine-scale (1 m) processes in tropical forests over large areas. Lidar-based estimates of forest structure (top down) differ from traditional field measurements (bottom up), and necessitate clear-cut definitions unencumbered by the wisdom of a field observer. We offer a new definition of a forest gap that is driven by forest dynamics and consistent with precise ranging measurements from airborne lidar data and tall, multi-layered tropical forest structure. We used 1000 ha of multi-temporal lidar data (2008, 2012) at two sites, the Tapajos National Forest and Ducke Reserve, to study gap dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon. Here, we identified dynamic gaps as contiguous areas of significant growth, that correspond to areas > 10 m2, with height <10 m. Applying the dynamic definition at both sites, we found over twice as much area in gap at Tapajos National Forest (4.8 %) as compared to Ducke Reserve (2.0 %). On average, gaps were smaller at Ducke Reserve and closed slightly more rapidly, with estimated height gains of 1.2 m y-1 versus 1.1 m y-1 at Tapajos. At the Tapajos site, height growth in gap centers was greater than the average height gain in gaps (1.3 m y-1 versus 1.1 m y-1). Rates of height growth between lidar acquisitions reflect the interplay between gap edge mortality, horizontal ingrowth and gap size at the two sites. We estimated that approximately 10 % of gap area closed via horizontal ingrowth at Ducke Reserve as opposed to 6 % at Tapajos National Forest. Height loss (interpreted as repeat damage and/or mortality) and horizontal ingrowth accounted for similar proportions of gap area at Ducke Reserve (13 % and 10 %, respectively). At Tapajos, height loss had a much stronger signal (23

Structural Dynamics of Tropical Moist Forest Gaps.

PubMed

Hunter, Maria O; Keller, Michael; Morton, Douglas; Cook, Bruce; Lefsky, Michael; Ducey, Mark; Saleska, Scott; de Oliveira, Raimundo Cosme; Schietti, Juliana

2015-01-01

Gap phase dynamics are the dominant mode of forest turnover in tropical forests. However, gap processes are infrequently studied at the landscape scale. Airborne lidar data offer detailed information on three-dimensional forest structure, providing a means to characterize fine-scale (1 m) processes in tropical forests over large areas. Lidar-based estimates of forest structure (top down) differ from traditional field measurements (bottom up), and necessitate clear-cut definitions unencumbered by the wisdom of a field observer. We offer a new definition of a forest gap that is driven by forest dynamics and consistent with precise ranging measurements from airborne lidar data and tall, multi-layered tropical forest structure. We used 1000 ha of multi-temporal lidar data (2008, 2012) at two sites, the Tapajos National Forest and Ducke Reserve, to study gap dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon. Here, we identified dynamic gaps as contiguous areas of significant growth, that correspond to areas > 10 m2, with height <10 m. Applying the dynamic definition at both sites, we found over twice as much area in gap at Tapajos National Forest (4.8%) as compared to Ducke Reserve (2.0%). On average, gaps were smaller at Ducke Reserve and closed slightly more rapidly, with estimated height gains of 1.2 m y-1 versus 1.1 m y-1 at Tapajos. At the Tapajos site, height growth in gap centers was greater than the average height gain in gaps (1.3 m y-1 versus 1.1 m y-1). Rates of height growth between lidar acquisitions reflect the interplay between gap edge mortality, horizontal ingrowth and gap size at the two sites. We estimated that approximately 10% of gap area closed via horizontal ingrowth at Ducke Reserve as opposed to 6% at Tapajos National Forest. Height loss (interpreted as repeat damage and/or mortality) and horizontal ingrowth accounted for similar proportions of gap area at Ducke Reserve (13% and 10%, respectively). At Tapajos, height loss had a much stronger signal (23% versus 6

Hydrogen Safety Sensor Performance and Use Gap Analysis: Preprint

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

Buttner, William J; Burgess, Robert M; Schmidt, Kara

Hydrogen sensors are recognized as an important technology for facilitating the safe implementation of hydrogen as an alternative fuel, and there are numerous reports of a sensor alarm successfully preventing a potentially serious event. However, gaps in sensor metrological specifications, as well as in their performance for some applications, exist.The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cell Technology Office published a short list of critical gaps in the 2007 and 2012 multiyear project plans; more detailed gap analyses were independently performed by the JRC and NREL. There have been, however, some significant advances in sensor technologies since these assessments, includingmore » the commercial availability of hydrogen sensors with fast response times (t90 less than 1 s, which had been an elusive DOE target since 2007), improved robustness to chemical poisons, improved selectivity, and improved lifetime and stability. These improvements, however, have not been universal and typically pertain to select platforms or models. Moreover, as hydrogen markets grow and new applications are being explored, more demands will be imposed on sensor performance. The hydrogen sensor laboratories at NREL and JRC are currently updating the hydrogen safety sensor gap analysis through direct interaction with international stakeholders in the hydrogen community, especially end-users. NREL and the JRC are currently organizing a series of workshops (in Europe and the U.S.) with sensor developers, end-users, and other stakeholders in 2017 to identify technology gaps and to develop a path forward to address them. One workshop is scheduled for May 10 in Brussels, Belgium at the Headquarters of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking. A second workshop is planned at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO, USA. This presentation will review improvements in sensor technologies in the past 5 to 10 years, identify gaps in sensor performance and use requirements, and

Investigation of Stroke Needs (INVISION) Study: Stroke Awareness and Education

PubMed Central

Ing, Marissa M; Linton, Kristen F; Vento, Megan A

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the overall understanding and effectiveness of current inpatient stroke education practice by using the data from the Investigation of Stroke Needs (INVISION) Study, a qualitative study assessing various challenges and barriers of the hemorrhagic stroke survivors and their caregivers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on patients who were recently hospitalized with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and their caregivers during the follow-up visits. The electronic medical record for each patient was reviewed to assess whether they received standard stroke education material during their hospitalization. A phenomenological approach was utilized to identify gaps of education and knowledge in the targeted sample. A total of 21 participants were interviewed. Despite receiving formal stroke education material during their hospitalization, there were three major gaps in stroke knowledge that participants noted, including (1) lack of stroke knowledge/awareness, (2) need for stroke education, and (3) fear of recurrent stroke and comorbid diseases. The majority of ICH survivors had no memory of their hospitalization. This study suggests a need for increased continuity and communication with health-care providers to address the evolving educational and practical needs of stroke patients and their caregivers after hospital discharge. PMID:25954601

Bridging the Gap between Accounting Students and the Profession: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lightweis, Susan

2014-01-01

This study addresses the gap between accounting educators and the profession. Research indicates accounting graduates are underprepared for this challenging career. The issue stems from accounting educators who only lecture and accounting students who memorize the information provided in these lectures. Accounting students need opportunities to…

Reducing the Observed Curriculum Perception Gaps between Stakeholders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Amy; Churyk, Natalie Tatiana; Yu, Shaokun

2015-01-01

Developing a vibrant and relevant accounting curriculum requires involvement of many stakeholders such as interns, alumni, and firms. Each has a distinct perspective regarding the strengths and weaknesses of accounting education. Discussion of perception gaps between the three groups and the importance of aligning these perceptions are presented.…

Narrowing the Literacy Achievement Gap in Elementary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dailey, Mary Callan

2014-01-01

This study addressed the gap in practice of instructional literacy, as evidenced by below-proficient literacy status by subgroups of regular education students in Grades 3-5 in an affluent suburban New Jersey public school district. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory investigation, approached from an interpretive constructivist…

Assessing Chronic Illness Care Education (ACIC-E): a tool for tracking educational re-design for improving chronic care education.

PubMed

Bowen, Judith L; Provost, Lloyd; Stevens, David P; Johnson, Julie K; Woods, Donna M; Sixta, Connie S; Wagner, Edward H

2010-09-01

Recent Breakthrough Series Collaboratives have focused on improving chronic illness care, but few have included academic practices, and none have specifically targeted residency education in parallel with improving clinical care. Tools are available for assessing progress with clinical improvements, but no similar instruments have been developed for monitoring educational improvements for chronic care education. To design a survey to assist teaching practices with identifying curricular gaps in chronic care education and monitor efforts to address those gaps. During a national academic chronic care collaborative, we used an iterative method to develop and pilot test a survey instrument modeled after the Assessing Chronic Illness Care (ACIC). We implemented this instrument, the ACIC-Education, in a second collaborative and assessed the relationship of survey results with reported educational measures. A combined 57 self-selected teams from 37 teaching hospitals enrolled in one of two collaboratives. We used descriptive statistics to report mean ACIC-E scores and educational measurement results, and Pearson's test for correlation between the final ACIC-E score and reported educational measures. A total of 29 teams from the national collaborative and 15 teams from the second collaborative in California completed the final ACIC-E. The instrument measured progress on all sub-scales of the Chronic Care Model. Fourteen California teams (70%) reported using two to six education measures (mean 4.3). The relationship between the final survey results and the number of educational measures reported was weak (R(2) = 0.06, p = 0.376), but improved when a single outlier was removed (R(2) = 0.37, p = 0.022). The ACIC-E instrument proved feasible to complete. Participating teams, on average, recorded modest improvement in all areas measured by the instrument over the duration of the collaboratives. The relationship between the final ACIC-E score and the number of educational

`G.A.T.E': Gap analysis for TTX evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cacciotti, Ilaria; Di Giovanni, Daniele; Pergolini, Alessandro; Malizia, Andrea; Carestia, Mariachiara; Palombi, Leonardo; Bellecci, Carlo; Gaudio, Pasquale

2016-06-01

A Table Top Exercise (TTX) gap analysis tool was developed with the aim to provide a complete, systematic and objective evaluation of TTXs organized in safety and security fields. A TTX consists in a discussion-based emergency management exercise, organized in a simulated emergency scenario, involving groups of players who are subjected to a set of solicitations (`injects'), in order to evaluate their emergency response abilities. This kind of exercise is devoted to identify strengths and shortfalls and to propose potential and promising changes in the approach to a particular situation. In order to manage the TTX derived data collection and analysis, a gap analysis tool would be very useful and functional at identifying the 'gap' between them and specific areas and actions for improvement, consisting the gap analysis in a comparison between actual performances and optimal/expected ones. In this context, a TTX gap analysis tool was designed, with the objective to provide an evaluation of Team players' competences and performances and TTX organization and structure. The influence of both the players' expertise and the reaction time (difference between expected time and time necessary to actually complete the injects) on the final evaluation of the inject responses was also taken into account.

Identifying Predictors of Emotional Exhaustion among Special Education Paraeducators: A Preliminary Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shyman, Eric

2010-01-01

The purpose of this preliminary study was to identify predictors of emotional exhaustion among special education paraeducators. A sample of 100 paraeducators in public and specialized alternative setting schools was used to determine whether self-reported levels of emotional exhaustion and other job-related factors were reported. Using…