The Principal's Role in the Post-Evaluation Process.--How Does the Principal Engage in the Work Carried out after the Schools Self-Evaluation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emstad, Anne Berit

2011-01-01

This article refers to a study on how the school principal engaged in the process after a school self-evaluation. The study examined how two primary schools followed up the evaluation. Although they both used the same evaluation tool, the schools' understanding and application of results differed greatly. This paper describes and discusses the…

Organic Process Technology Valuation: Cyclohexanone Oxime Syntheses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannon, Kevin C.; Breen, Maureen P.

2010-01-01

Three contemporary processes for cyclohexanone oxime synthesis are evaluated in a case study. The case study introduces organic chemistry students to basic cost accounting to determine the most economical technology. Technical and financial aspects of these processes are evaluated with problem-based exercises that may be completed by students…

Evaluating Indicators and Life Cycle Inventories for Processes in Early Stages of Technical Readiness

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

Tan, Eric C; Smith, Raymond; Ruiz-Mercado, Gerardo

This presentation examines different methods for analyzing manufacturing processes in the early stages of technical readiness. Before developers know much detail about their processes, it is valuable to apply various assessments to evaluate their performance. One type of assessment evaluates performance indicators to describe how closely processes approach desirable objectives. Another type of assessment determines the life cycle inventories (LCI) of inputs and outputs for processes, where for a functional unit of product, the user evaluates the resources used and the releases to the environment. These results can be compared to similar processes or combined with the LCI of othermore » processes to examine up-and down-stream chemicals. The inventory also provides a listing of the up-stream chemicals, which permits study of the whole life cycle. Performance indicators are evaluated in this presentation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GREENSCOPE (Gauging Reaction Effectiveness for ENvironmental Sustainability with a multi-Objective Process Evaluator) methodology, which evaluates processes in four areas: Environment, Energy, Economics, and Efficiency. The method develops relative scores for indicators that allow comparisons across various technologies. In this contribution, two conversion pathways for producing cellulosic ethanol from biomass, via thermochemical and biochemical routes, are studied. The information developed from the indicators and LCI can be used to inform the process design and the potential life cycle effects of up- and down-stream chemicals.« less

Process evaluation results from the HEALTHY physical education intervention

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Process evaluation is an assessment of the implementation of an intervention. A process evaluation component was embedded in the HEALTHY study, a primary prevention trial for Type 2 diabetes implemented over 3 years in 21 middle schools across the United States. The HEALTHY physical education (PE) i...

EVALUATION OF THE POLYAD FB AIR PURIFICATION AND SOLVENT RECOVERY PROCESS FOR STYRENE REMOVAL

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study evaluating the Polyad fluidized-bed (FB) process for controlling styrene emissions at a representative fiberglass shower stall and bath tub manufacturing plan*t. he process was evaluated using a transport able unit supplied by Weatherly, Inc., ...

Participatory evaluation and process use within a social aid organization for at-risk families and youth.

PubMed

Jacob, Steve; Ouvrard, Laurence; Bélanger, Jean-François

2011-05-01

Participatory evaluation has been developing over the last several years, particularly in the social sector. Concurrently, research on the effects of evaluation has evolved significantly. Recently, one type of result has been the object of particular attention: the effects and lessons directly attributable to the evaluative process, or process use. Analyses generally underline the direct link between participatory approaches and this type of result. However, few empirical studies testing this concept are available. Our analysis aims to enrich evaluative research on this theme and is founded on a case study of a participatory evaluation project on practices carried out in a social services organization (Centre Jeunesse de Québec--Institut universitaire [Québec Youth Centre--University Institute, Canada]). The results of our analysis show that the evaluative process favours participant learning and has had several direct and indirect effects on the practices of the involved clinical teams. The results also demonstrate the existence of a link between the intensity of actor participation (individuals, groups) and process use. Both constraining factors and factors favourable to participation and the development of the evaluative process are identified, and avenues for improvement are suggested to accentuate the effects of process use. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Curricular Justice to Educational Improvement: What Is the Role of Schools' Self-Evaluation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampaio, Marta; Leite, Carlinda

2017-01-01

This article presents a study that aimed to understand the contributions of self-evaluation (SE) processes towards the development of curricular and social justice and educational improvement. The study focuses on data collected from the schools' external evaluation (SEE) process and from the TEIP programme (Educational Territories of Priority…

Teacher Perceptions Regarding Portfolio-Based Components of Teacher Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagel, Charles I.

2012-01-01

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

Acceptance of genetically modified foods: the relation between technology and evaluation.

PubMed

Tenbült, Petra; De Vries, Nanne K; van Breukelen, Gerard; Dreezens, Ellen; Martijn, Carolien

2008-07-01

This study investigates why consumers accept different genetically modified food products to different extents. The study shows that whether food products are genetically modified or not and whether they are processed or not are the two important features that affect the acceptance of food products and their evaluation (in terms of perceived healthiness, naturalness, necessity and tastiness). The extent to which these evaluation attributes and acceptance of a product are affected by genetic modification or processing depends on whether the product is negatively affected by the other technology: Any technological change to a 'natural' product (when nonprocessed products are genetically modified or when non-genetically modified products are processed) affect evaluation and acceptance stronger than a change to an technologically adapted product (when processed products are also genetically modified or vice versa). Furthermore, evaluation attributes appear to mediate the effects of genetic modification and processing on acceptance.

Process Evaluation Results from the HEALTHY Physical Education Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, William J.; Zeveloff, Abigail; Steckler, Allan; Schneider, Margaret; Thompson, Deborah; Pham, Trang; Volpe, Stella L.; Hindes, Katie; Sleigh, Adriana; McMurray, Robert G.

2012-01-01

Process evaluation is an assessment of the implementation of an intervention. A process evaluation component was embedded in the HEALTHY study, a primary prevention trial for Type 2 diabetes implemented over 3 years in 21 middle schools across the United States. The HEALTHY physical education (PE) intervention aimed at maximizing student…

Theory-Driven Process Evaluation of a Complementary Feeding Trial in Four Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Jamie E.; Garces, Ana; Mazariegos, Manolo; Hambidge, K. Michael; Manasyan, Albert; Tshefu, Antoinette; Lokangaka, Adrien; Sami, Neelofar; Carlo, Waldemar A.; Bose, Carl L.; Pasha, Omrana; Goco, Norman; Chomba, Elwyn; Goldenberg, Robert L.; Wright, Linda L.; Koso-Thomas, Marion; Krebs, Nancy F.

2014-01-01

We conducted a theory-driven process evaluation of a cluster randomized controlled trial comparing two types of complementary feeding (meat versus fortified cereal) on infant growth in Guatemala, Pakistan, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We examined process evaluation indicators for the entire study cohort (N = 1236) using chi-square…

Automated Plasma Spray (APS) process feasibility study: Plasma spray process development and evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetheroff, C. W.; Derkacs, T.; Matay, I. M.

1979-01-01

An automated plasma spray (APS) process was developed to apply two layer (NiCrAlY and ZrO2-12Y2O3) thermal-barrier coatings to aircraft gas turbine engine blade airfoils. The APS process hardware consists of four subsystems: a mechanical blade positioner incorporating two interlaced six-degree-of-freedom assemblies; a noncoherent optical metrology subsystem; a microprocessor-based adaptive system controller; and commercial plasma spray equipment. Over fifty JT9D first stage turbine blades specimens were coated with the APS process in preliminary checkout and evaluation studies. The best of the preliminary specimens achieved an overall coating thickness uniformity of + or - 53 micrometers, much better than is achievable manually. Factors limiting this performance were identified and process modifications were initiated accordingly. Comparative evaluations of coating thickness uniformity for manually sprayed and APS coated specimens were initiated. One of the preliminary evaluation specimens was subjected to a torch test and metallographic evaluation.

Priority-setting and hospital strategic planning: a qualitative case study.

PubMed

Martin, Douglas; Shulman, Ken; Santiago-Sorrell, Patricia; Singer, Peter

2003-10-01

To describe and evaluate the priority-setting element of a hospital's strategic planning process. Qualitative case study and evaluation against the conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness' of a strategic planning process at a large urban university-affiliated hospital. The hospital's strategic planning process met the conditions of 'accountability for reasonableness' in large part. Specifically: the hospital based its decisions on reasons (both information and criteria) that the participants felt were relevant to the hospital; the number and type of participants were very extensive; the process, decisions and reasons were well communicated throughout the organization, using multiple communication vehicles; and the process included an ethical framework linked to an effort to evaluate and improve the process. However, there were opportunities to improve the process, particularly by giving participants more time to absorb the information relevant to priority-setting decisions, more time to take difficult decisions and some means to appeal or revise decisions. A case study linked to an evaluation using 'accountability for reasonableness' can serve to improve priority-setting in the context of hospital strategic planning.

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

PubMed

Knowlden, Adam P; Sharma, Manoj

2014-09-01

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

Construction and Validation of a Holistic Education School Evaluation Tool Using Montessori Erdkinder Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setari, Anthony Philip

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to construct a holistic education school evaluation tool using Montessori Erdkinder principles, and begin the validation process of examining the proposed tool. This study addresses a vital need in the holistic education community for a school evaluation tool. The tool construction process included using Erdkinder…

Interprofessional Health Team Communication About Hospital Discharge: An Implementation Science Evaluation Study.

PubMed

Bahr, Sarah J; Siclovan, Danielle M; Opper, Kristi; Beiler, Joseph; Bobay, Kathleen L; Weiss, Marianne E

The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided formative evaluation of the implementation of a redesigned interprofessional team rounding process. The purpose of the redesigned process was to improve health team communication about hospital discharge. Themes emerging from interviews of patients, nurses, and providers revealed the inherent value and positive characteristics of the new process, but also workflow, team hierarchy, and process challenges to successful implementation. The evaluation identified actionable recommendations for modifying the implementation process.

Use of a structured functional evaluation process for independent medical evaluations of claimants presenting with disabling mental illness: rationale and design for a multi-center reliability study.

PubMed

Bachmann, Monica; de Boer, Wout; Schandelmaier, Stefan; Leibold, Andrea; Marelli, Renato; Jeger, Joerg; Hoffmann-Richter, Ulrike; Mager, Ralph; Schaad, Heinz; Zumbrunn, Thomas; Vogel, Nicole; Bänziger, Oskar; Busse, Jason W; Fischer, Katrin; Kunz, Regina

2016-07-29

Work capacity evaluations by independent medical experts are widely used to inform insurers whether injured or ill workers are capable of engaging in competitive employment. In many countries, evaluation processes lack a clearly structured approach, standardized instruments, and an explicit focus on claimants' functional abilities. Evaluation of subjective complaints, such as mental illness, present additional challenges in the determination of work capacity. We have therefore developed a process for functional evaluation of claimants with mental disorders which complements usual psychiatric evaluation. Here we report the design of a study to measure the reliability of our approach in determining work capacity among patients with mental illness applying for disability benefits. We will conduct a multi-center reliability study, in which 20 psychiatrists trained in our functional evaluation process will assess 30 claimants presenting with mental illness for eligibility to receive disability benefits [Reliability of Functional Evaluation in Psychiatry, RELY-study]. The functional evaluation process entails a five-step structured interview and a reporting instrument (Instrument of Functional Assessment in Psychiatry [IFAP]) to document the severity of work-related functional limitations. We will videotape all evaluations which will be viewed by three psychiatrists who will independently rate claimants' functional limitations. Our primary outcome measure is the evaluation of claimant's work capacity as a percentage (0 to 100 %), and our secondary outcomes are the 12 mental functions and 13 functional capacities assessed by the IFAP-instrument. Inter-rater reliability of four psychiatric experts will be explored using multilevel models to estimate the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Additional analyses include subgroups according to mental disorder, the typicality of claimants, and claimant perceived fairness of the assessment process. We hypothesize that a structured functional approach will show moderate reliability (ICC ≥ 0.6) of psychiatric evaluation of work capacity. Enrollment of actual claimants with mental disorders referred for evaluation by disability/accident insurers will increase the external validity of our findings. Finding moderate levels of reliability, we will continue with a randomized trial to test the reliability of a structured functional approach versus evaluation-as-usual.

Effect of Explicit Evaluation on Neural Connectivity Related to Listening to Unfamiliar Music

PubMed Central

Liu, Chao; Brattico, Elvira; Abu-jamous, Basel; Pereira, Carlos S.; Jacobsen, Thomas; Nandi, Asoke K.

2017-01-01

People can experience different emotions when listening to music. A growing number of studies have investigated the brain structures and neural connectivities associated with perceived emotions. However, very little is known about the effect of an explicit act of judgment on the neural processing of emotionally-valenced music. In this study, we adopted the novel consensus clustering paradigm, called binarisation of consensus partition matrices (Bi-CoPaM), to study whether and how the conscious aesthetic evaluation of the music would modulate brain connectivity networks related to emotion and reward processing. Participants listened to music under three conditions – one involving a non-evaluative judgment, one involving an explicit evaluative aesthetic judgment, and one involving no judgment at all (passive listening only). During non-evaluative attentive listening we obtained auditory-limbic connectivity whereas when participants were asked to decide explicitly whether they liked or disliked the music excerpt, only two clusters of intercommunicating brain regions were found: one including areas related to auditory processing and action observation, and the other comprising higher-order structures involved with visual processing. Results indicate that explicit evaluative judgment has an impact on the neural auditory-limbic connectivity during affective processing of music. PMID:29311874

Motivational Forces in a Growth-Centered Model of Teacher Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruski, Nicholas Aron

2012-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study that explored the effects of using an action research process to examine and develop a system of teacher evaluation that leads to real changes in teacher behaviors. The study explored motivational forces and psychological processes related to the change process in adult behaviors. Data were collected by…

Teacher Reported Job Satisfaction and Teacher Reported Understanding of the Evaluation Process: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Case Study of One Urban Public School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Maura

2013-01-01

Although there is wide consensus that teacher evaluation processes should be used to identify and measure effective teaching, this has always been an elusive goal. How teachers perceive the evaluative process is a crucial determiner of how the results of the evaluations are utilized. In 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and…

Multimethod Strategy for Assessing Program Fidelity: The National Evaluation of the Revised G.R.E.A.T. Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esbensen, Finn-Aage; Matsuda, Kristy N.; Taylor, Terrance J.; Peterson, Dana

2011-01-01

This study reports the results of the process evaluation component of the Process and Outcome Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program. The process evaluation consisted of multiple methods to assess program fidelity: (a) observations of G.R.E.A.T. Officer Trainings (G.O.T); (b) surveys and interviews of…

Temporal prediction restores the evaluative processing of delayed action feedback: an electrophysiological study.

PubMed

Kimura, Kenta; Kimura, Motohiro

2016-09-28

The evaluative processing of the valence of action feedback is reflected by an event-related brain potential component called feedback-related negativity (FRN) or reward positivity (RewP). Recent studies have shown that FRN/RewP is markedly reduced when the action-feedback interval is long (e.g. 6000 ms), indicating that an increase in the action-feedback interval can undermine the evaluative processing of the valence of action feedback. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether or not such undermined evaluative processing of delayed action feedback could be restored by improving the accuracy of the prediction in terms of the timing of action feedback. With a typical gambling task in which the participant chose one of two cards and received an action feedback indicating monetary gain or loss, the present study showed that FRN/RewP was significantly elicited even when the action-feedback interval was 6000 ms, when an auditory stimulus sequence was additionally presented during the action-feedback interval as a temporal cue. This result suggests that the undermined evaluative processing of delayed action feedback can be restored by increasing the accuracy of the prediction on the timing of the action feedback.

Using evaluation methods to guide the development of a tobacco-use prevention curriculum for youth: a case study.

PubMed

Bridge, P D; Gallagher, R E; Berry-Bobovski, L C

2000-01-01

Fundamental to the development of educational programs and curricula is the evaluation of processes and outcomes. Unfortunately, many otherwise well-designed programs do not incorporate stringent evaluation methods and are limited in measuring program development and effectiveness. Using an advertising lesson in a school-based tobacco-use prevention curriculum as a case study, the authors examine the role of evaluation in the development, implementation, and enhancement of the curricular lesson. A four-phase formative and summative evaluation design was developed to divide the program-evaluation continuum into a structured process that would aid in the management of the evaluation, as well as assess curricular components. Formative and summative evaluation can provide important guidance in the development, implementation, and enhancement of educational curricula. Evaluation strategies identified unexpected barriers and allowed the project team to make necessary "time-relevant" curricular adjustments during each stage of the process.

Evaluation of Models of the Reading Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balajthy, Ernest

A variety of reading process models have been proposed and evaluated in reading research. Traditional approaches to model evaluation specify the workings of a system in a simplified fashion to enable organized, systematic study of the system's components. Following are several statistical methods of model evaluation: (1) empirical research on…

Process Evaluation Results from an Environmentally Focused Worksite Weight Management Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeJoy, David M.; Wilson, Mark G.; Padilla, Heather M.; Goetzel, Ron Z.; Parker, Kristin B.; Della, Lindsay J.; Roemer, Enid C.

2012-01-01

There is currently much interest in exploring environmental approaches to combat weight gain and obesity. This study presents process evaluation results from a workplace-based study that tested two levels of environmentally focused weight management interventions in a manufacturing setting. The moderate treatment featured a set of relatively…

Impact of hospital care on incidence of bloodstream infection: the evaluation of processes and indicators in infection control study.

PubMed Central

Kritchevsky, S. B.; Braun, B. I.; Wong, E. S.; Solomon, S. L.; Steele, L.; Richards, C.; Simmons, B. P.

2001-01-01

The Evaluation of Processes and Indicators in Infection Control (EPIC) study assesses the relationship between hospital care and rates of central venous catheter-associated primary bacteremia in 54 intensive-care units (ICUs) in the United States and 14 other countries. Using ICU rather than the patient as the primary unit of statistical analysis permits evaluation of factors that vary at the ICU level. The design of EPIC can serve as a template for studies investigating the relationship between process and event rates across health-care institutions. PMID:11294704

Optimization evaluation of cutting technology based on mechanical parts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yu

2018-04-01

The relationship between the mechanical manufacturing process and the carbon emission is studied on the basis of the process of the mechanical manufacturing process. The formula of carbon emission calculation suitable for mechanical manufacturing process is derived. Based on this, a green evaluation method for cold machining process of mechanical parts is proposed. The application verification and data analysis of the proposed evaluation method are carried out by an example. The results show that there is a great relationship between the mechanical manufacturing process data and carbon emissions.

Evaluation protocol for amusia: Portuguese sample.

PubMed

Peixoto, Maria Conceição; Martins, Jorge; Teixeira, Pedro; Alves, Marisa; Bastos, José; Ribeiro, Carlos

2012-12-01

Amusia is a disorder that affects the processing of music. Part of this processing happens in the primary auditory cortex. The study of this condition allows us to evaluate the central auditory pathways. To explore the diagnostic evaluation tests of amusia. The authors propose an evaluation protocol for patients with suspected amusia (after brain injury or complaints of poor musical perception), in parallel with the assessment of central auditory processing, already implemented in the department. The Montreal Evaluation of Battery of amusia was the basis for the selection of the tests. From this comprehensive battery of tests we selected some of the musical examples to evaluate different musical aspects, including memory and perception of music, ability concerning musical recognition and discrimination. In terms of memory there is a test for assessing delayed memory, adapted to the Portuguese culture. Prospective study. Although still experimental, with the possibility of adjustments in the assessment, we believe that this assessment, combined with the study of central auditory processing, will allow us to understand some central lesions, congenital or acquired hearing perception limitations.

The Viewpoints of Students and Evaluation Experts About Performance Processes of Faculty Member Evaluation at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2014

PubMed Central

Ghahrani, Nassim; Balaghafari, Azita; Aligolbandi, Kobra; Vahedi, Mohammad; Siamian, Hasan

2015-01-01

Background and purpose: One of the most common ways used in most of the countries and Iran to determine the status of teacher training is the evaluation by students. The most common method of evaluation is the survey questionnaire, the content of a number of questions about educational activities provided to the students. The researchers plan to evaluate the students’ and experts’ performances at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences on the process of evaluating the performance of teachers, they examined in 2014. Materials and methods: This study surveys the students and experts in the evaluation of faculty members’ performance process. The study subjects were 3904 students and 37 evaluation expert of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Using Cochran sampling formula of 350 students through proportional stratified random sampling were selected. The experts’ viewpoint, method was used. Data collection tools consisted of 14 questions with answers Yes, or, I don’t know. Descriptive Statistical analysis of the data and chi-square test was performed. Results: From total of 350 students, 346 and the entire 37 evaluations expert participated in this study. Most of the students, 80 (23.12%) and the largest number of experts, 8 (21.62%) were from Sari Allied Medical Sciences Faculty. Most of the demographic information about gender were, 255 female students (74.56%) and 29 female experts (78.37%). In most age groups of students, 188 (55.62 percent) were in the category of 18 to 20 years, and the experts, 19 (51.35%) were in the category of 22 and 31 years. Most students, 232 of them (70.95%) were in semester 2 and 4. Most experts, 20 (54.05 percent) were under 10 years of work experience. The comparison between the views of students and experts in the evaluation process between the schools of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari School of Nursing and Midwifery, there was difference between the opinions of experts and students (p-value=0.01. It showed 86.7% student and 33.3% of experts is satisfied with the evaluation process. Conclusion: on comparison of students and experts viewpoints on the implementation of the evaluation process, it is noteworthy that among students of different opinions on how the evaluation process. It worth to mention that there is insignificant difference between their viewpoints and majority of students and evaluation experts with the evaluation the process. In addition, the experts evaluated at different schools, most of them are satisfied the process. PMID:26236169

The Viewpoints of Students and Evaluation Experts About Performance Processes of Faculty Member Evaluation at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2014.

PubMed

Ghahrani, Nassim; Balaghafari, Azita; Aligolbandi, Kobra; Vahedi, Mohammad; Siamian, Hasan

2015-06-01

One of the most common ways used in most of the countries and Iran to determine the status of teacher training is the evaluation by students. The most common method of evaluation is the survey questionnaire, the content of a number of questions about educational activities provided to the students. The researchers plan to evaluate the students' and experts' performances at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences on the process of evaluating the performance of teachers, they examined in 2014. This study surveys the students and experts in the evaluation of faculty members' performance process. The study subjects were 3904 students and 37 evaluation expert of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Using Cochran sampling formula of 350 students through proportional stratified random sampling were selected. The experts' viewpoint, method was used. Data collection tools consisted of 14 questions with answers Yes, or, I don't know. Descriptive Statistical analysis of the data and chi-square test was performed. From total of 350 students, 346 and the entire 37 evaluations expert participated in this study. Most of the students, 80 (23.12%) and the largest number of experts, 8 (21.62%) were from Sari Allied Medical Sciences Faculty. Most of the demographic information about gender were, 255 female students (74.56%) and 29 female experts (78.37%). In most age groups of students, 188 (55.62 percent) were in the category of 18 to 20 years, and the experts, 19 (51.35%) were in the category of 22 and 31 years. Most students, 232 of them (70.95%) were in semester 2 and 4. Most experts, 20 (54.05 percent) were under 10 years of work experience. The comparison between the views of students and experts in the evaluation process between the schools of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari School of Nursing and Midwifery, there was difference between the opinions of experts and students (p-value=0.01. It showed 86.7% student and 33.3% of experts is satisfied with the evaluation process. on comparison of students and experts viewpoints on the implementation of the evaluation process, it is noteworthy that among students of different opinions on how the evaluation process. It worth to mention that there is insignificant difference between their viewpoints and majority of students and evaluation experts with the evaluation the process. In addition, the experts evaluated at different schools, most of them are satisfied the process.

["So I have no way of measuring": a portrait of health education groups in the city of São Paulo, Brazil].

PubMed

Vincha, Kellem Regina Rosendo; Vieira, Viviane Laudelino; Guerra, Lúcia Dias da Silva; Botelho, Fernanda Cangussu; Pava-Cárdenas, Alexandra; Cervato-Mancuso, Ana Maria

2017-09-28

: The study analyzed the social representations of primary health care professionals on evaluative processes of groups that work with food and nutrition, and described the educational strategies used in this care. This was a qualitative study from 2012 to 2014 in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, in which 48 interviews were analyzed. In the analysis of the interviews, for classification of the educational strategies in learning categories and contents, Bogdan & Biklen and Zabala were used, respectively. The evaluative processes used the collective subject discourse technique, based on Jodelet's social representations. Three learning contents were found in the educational strategies and four social representations of the evaluative processes which combined to reveal the presence of a conflict by a practice directed by the work process to quantitative and individual evaluative criteria and a health-promoting practice that used inclusive approaches and participant evaluation. In this practice, the study implicitly identified the presence of autonomy in health. The study revealed the need to acknowledge and systematize group planning as an educational tool that qualifies and empowers comprehensive care.

Process Evaluation of "Learn Young, Learn Fair": A Stress Management Programme for 5th and 6th Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraag, Gerda; Van Breukelen, Gerard; Lamberts, Petra; Vugts, Odette; Kok, Gerjo; Fekkes, Minne; Abu-Saad, Huda Huijer

2007-01-01

This article describes the process evaluation of a stress management program called "Learn Young, Learn Fair" for 5th and 6th graders. Studies, reviews and meta-analyses of prevention programs report that a common limitation in studies is the restricted documentation of process factors that contribute to the success of interventions. Program…

Practicing universal design to actual hand tool design process.

PubMed

Lin, Kai-Chieh; Wu, Chih-Fu

2015-09-01

UD evaluation principles are difficult to implement in product design. This study proposes a methodology for implementing UD in the design process through user participation. The original UD principles and user experience are used to develop the evaluation items. Difference of product types was considered. Factor analysis and Quantification theory type I were used to eliminate considered inappropriate evaluation items and to examine the relationship between evaluation items and product design factors. Product design specifications were established for verification. The results showed that converting user evaluation into crucial design verification factors by the generalized evaluation scale based on product attributes as well as the design factors applications in product design can improve users' UD evaluation. The design process of this study is expected to contribute to user-centered UD application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Evaluation methodology for comparing memory and communication of analytic processes in visual analytics

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

Ragan, Eric D; Goodall, John R

2014-01-01

Provenance tools can help capture and represent the history of analytic processes. In addition to supporting analytic performance, provenance tools can be used to support memory of the process and communication of the steps to others. Objective evaluation methods are needed to evaluate how well provenance tools support analyst s memory and communication of analytic processes. In this paper, we present several methods for the evaluation of process memory, and we discuss the advantages and limitations of each. We discuss methods for determining a baseline process for comparison, and we describe various methods that can be used to elicit processmore » recall, step ordering, and time estimations. Additionally, we discuss methods for conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of process memory. By organizing possible memory evaluation methods and providing a meta-analysis of the potential benefits and drawbacks of different approaches, this paper can inform study design and encourage objective evaluation of process memory and communication.« less

Evaluation of EPE Videos in Different Phases of a Learning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolas, Line; Munkvold, Robin; Nordseth, Hugo

2012-01-01

The goal of the paper is to present possible use of EPE videos in different phases of a learning and teaching process. The paper is based on an evaluation of EPE (easy production educational) videos. The evaluation framework used in this study, divides the teaching and learning process into four main phases: 1) The preparation phase, 2) The…

Using a Systematic Conceptual Model for a Process Evaluation of a Middle School Obesity Risk-Reduction Nutrition Curriculum Intervention: "Choice, Control & Change"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Heewon; Contento, Isobel R.; Koch, Pamela

2013-01-01

Objective: To use and review a conceptual model of process evaluation and to examine the implementation of a nutrition education curriculum, "Choice, Control & Change", designed to promote dietary and physical activity behaviors that reduce obesity risk. Design: A process evaluation study based on a systematic conceptual model. Setting: Five…

Systematic evaluation of implementation fidelity of complex interventions in health and social care

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Evaluation of an implementation process and its fidelity can give insight into the 'black box' of interventions. However, a lack of standardized methods for studying fidelity and implementation process have been reported, which might be one reason for the fact that few prior studies in the field of health service research have systematically evaluated interventions' implementation processes. The aim of this project is to systematically evaluate implementation fidelity and possible factors influencing fidelity of complex interventions in health and social care. Methods A modified version of The Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity will be used as a conceptual model for the evaluation. The modification implies two additional moderating factors: context and recruitment. A systematic evaluation process was developed. Multiple case study method is used to investigate implementation of three complex health service interventions. Each case will be investigated in depth and longitudinally, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Discussion This study is the first attempt to empirically test The Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity. The study can highlight mechanism and factors of importance when implementing complex interventions. Especially the role of the moderating factors on implementation fidelity can be clarified. Trial Registration Supported Employment, SE, among people with severe mental illness -- a randomized controlled trial: NCT00960024. PMID:20815872

Progress in centralised ethics review processes: Implications for multi-site health evaluations.

PubMed

Prosser, Brenton; Davey, Rachel; Gibson, Diane

2015-04-01

Increasingly, public sector programmes respond to complex social problems that intersect specific fields and individual disciplines. Such responses result in multi-site initiatives that can span nations, jurisdictions, sectors and organisations. The rigorous evaluation of public sector programmes is now a baseline expectation. For evaluations of large and complex multi-site programme initiatives, the processes of ethics review can present a significant challenge. However in recent years, there have been new developments in centralised ethics review processes in many nations. This paper provides the case study of an evaluation of a national, inter-jurisdictional, cross-sector, aged care health initiative and its encounters with Australian centralised ethics review processes. Specifically, the paper considers progress against the key themes of a previous five-year, five nation study (Fitzgerald and Phillips, 2006), which found that centralised ethics review processes would save time, money and effort, as well as contribute to more equitable workloads for researchers and evaluators. The paper concludes with insights for those charged with refining centralised ethics review processes, as well as recommendations for future evaluators of complex multi-site programme initiatives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Product Evaluation of the Selective Abandonment Process for School Budgeting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loofe, Christopher M.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the degree to which the Selective Abandonment budget process objectives were achieved by analyzing stakeholder perceptions. Use of this evaluation may enable the district to become more effective, efficient, and more fiscally responsible when developing future program budgeting plans. Program evaluation was…

Psychometric characteristics of process evaluation measures for a school-based childhood obesity prevention study: Louisiana Health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Process evaluations of large-scale school based programs are necessary to aid in the interpretation of the outcome data. The Louisiana Health (LA Health) study is a multi-component childhood obesity prevention study for middle school children. The Physical Education (PEQ), Intervention (IQ), and F...

Evaluation and recommendations for work group integration within the Materials and Processes Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrington, Phillip A.

1992-01-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate and make recommendations for improving the level of integration of several work groups within the Materials and Processes Lab at the Marshall Space Flight Center. This evaluation has uncovered a variety of projects that could improve the efficiency and operation of the work groups as well as the overall integration of the system. In addition, this study provides the foundation for specification of a computer integrated manufacturing test bed environment in the Materials and Processes Lab.

Reducing Physical Risk Factors in Construction Work Through a Participatory Intervention: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation.

PubMed

Ajslev, Jeppe; Brandt, Mikkel; Møller, Jeppe Lykke; Skals, Sebastian; Vinstrup, Jonas; Jakobsen, Markus Due; Sundstrup, Emil; Madeleine, Pascal; Andersen, Lars Louis

2016-05-26

Previous research has shown that reducing physical workload among workers in the construction industry is complicated. In order to address this issue, we developed a process evaluation in a formative mixed-methods design, drawing on existing knowledge of the potential barriers for implementation. We present the design of a mixed-methods process evaluation of the organizational, social, and subjective practices that play roles in the intervention study, integrating technical measurements to detect excessive physical exertion measured with electromyography and accelerometers, video documentation of working tasks, and a 3-phased workshop program. The evaluation is designed in an adapted process evaluation framework, addressing recruitment, reach, fidelity, satisfaction, intervention delivery, intervention received, and context of the intervention companies. Observational studies, interviews, and questionnaires among 80 construction workers organized in 20 work gangs, as well as health and safety staff, contribute to the creation of knowledge about these phenomena. At the time of publication, the process of participant recruitment is underway. Intervention studies are challenging to conduct and evaluate in the construction industry, often because of narrow time frames and ever-changing contexts. The mixed-methods design presents opportunities for obtaining detailed knowledge of the practices intra-acting with the intervention, while offering the opportunity to customize parts of the intervention.

The Context, Process, and Outcome Evaluation Model for Organisational Health Interventions

PubMed Central

Fridrich, Annemarie; Jenny, Gregor J.; Bauer, Georg F.

2015-01-01

To facilitate evaluation of complex, organisational health interventions (OHIs), this paper aims at developing a context, process, and outcome (CPO) evaluation model. It builds on previous model developments in the field and advances them by clearly defining and relating generic evaluation categories for OHIs. Context is defined as the underlying frame that influences and is influenced by an OHI. It is further differentiated into the omnibus and discrete contexts. Process is differentiated into the implementation process, as the time-limited enactment of the original intervention plan, and the change process of individual and collective dynamics triggered by the implementation process. These processes lead to proximate, intermediate, and distal outcomes, as all results of the change process that are meaningful for various stakeholders. Research questions that might guide the evaluation of an OHI according to the CPO categories and a list of concrete themes/indicators and methods/sources applied within the evaluation of an OHI project at a hospital in Switzerland illustrate the model's applicability in structuring evaluations of complex OHIs. In conclusion, the model supplies a common language and a shared mental model for improving communication between researchers and company members and will improve the comparability and aggregation of evaluation study results. PMID:26557665

The Context, Process, and Outcome Evaluation Model for Organisational Health Interventions.

PubMed

Fridrich, Annemarie; Jenny, Gregor J; Bauer, Georg F

2015-01-01

To facilitate evaluation of complex, organisational health interventions (OHIs), this paper aims at developing a context, process, and outcome (CPO) evaluation model. It builds on previous model developments in the field and advances them by clearly defining and relating generic evaluation categories for OHIs. Context is defined as the underlying frame that influences and is influenced by an OHI. It is further differentiated into the omnibus and discrete contexts. Process is differentiated into the implementation process, as the time-limited enactment of the original intervention plan, and the change process of individual and collective dynamics triggered by the implementation process. These processes lead to proximate, intermediate, and distal outcomes, as all results of the change process that are meaningful for various stakeholders. Research questions that might guide the evaluation of an OHI according to the CPO categories and a list of concrete themes/indicators and methods/sources applied within the evaluation of an OHI project at a hospital in Switzerland illustrate the model's applicability in structuring evaluations of complex OHIs. In conclusion, the model supplies a common language and a shared mental model for improving communication between researchers and company members and will improve the comparability and aggregation of evaluation study results.

Fish biodiversity sampling in stream ecosystems: a process for evaluating the appropriate types and amount of gear

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Joseph M.; Wells, Sarah P.; Mather, Martha E.; Muth, Robert M.

2014-01-01

When researchers and managers initiate sampling on a new stream or river system, they do not know how effective each gear type is and whether their sampling effort is adequate. Although the types and amount of gear may be different for other studies, systems, and research questions, the five-step process described here for making sampling decisions and evaluating sampling efficiency can be applied widely to any system to restore, manage, and conserve aquatic ecosystems. It is believed that incorporating this gear-evaluation process into a wide variety of studies and ecosystems will increase rigour within and across aquatic biodiversity studies.

Elementary Teachers' Views on the Creative Writing Process: An Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akkaya, Nevin

2014-01-01

The goal of this study is to discover and evaluate both the areas of personal interest and the views of 4th and 5th grade classroom teachers regarding the creative writing process. In this study, one of the qualitative study methods, state study, and related to this, single state design which refers to the whole has been chosen. Research was…

Evidence of the Adoption and Implementation of a Statewide Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative in the New York State WIC Program: The "NY Fit WIC" Process Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sekhobo, Jackson P.; Egglefield, Katherine; Edmunds, Lynn S.; Shackman, Gene

2012-01-01

Process evaluations are critical in determining whether outcome evaluations are warranted. This study assessed the extent to which a childhood obesity prevention initiative, "NY Fit WIC", was adopted and implemented by the New York State Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Process data came from…

Focus on Process Improvement: An Evaluation of the Use of the RFP Process in the Distribution of Federal Workforce Education Funds in Minnesota. Perkins-JTPA Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feickert, Joan Davis; And Others

A study evaluated the use of the request for proposal (RFP) process as a method of distributing federal vocational education and job training funds in Minnesota. Thirty-seven employees of Minnesota technical colleges, community-based organizations, service delivery areas, and state agencies who had actually prepared proposals requesting Job…

Relevance Judging, Evaluation, and Decision Making in Virtual Libraries: A Descriptive Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Mary Ann; Galloway, Chad

2001-01-01

Describes a study that investigated the cognitive processes undergraduates used to select information while using a virtual library, GALILEO (Georgia Library Learning Online). Discusses higher order thinking processes, relevance judging, evaluation (critical thinking), decision making, reasoning involving documents, relevance-related reasoning,…

The evolution of an evaluation: a case study using the tribal participatory research model.

PubMed

Richmond, Lucinda S; Peterson, Donna J; Betts, Sherry C

2008-10-01

This article presents a case study of how the evaluation design for a dating violence prevention and/or youth development program for American Indian youth in Arizona evolved throughout the project. Particular attention is given to how the evaluation design was guided by the tribal participatory research model. A brief rationale for the project is presented along with literature on culturally competent evaluation and research with American Indians. A description of the project and the unique communities in which it was implemented is provided. The focus of the article is the process of how the evaluation plan changed and how various factors influenced this process (e.g., feedback from community stakeholders, conversations with funder, results of process evaluation, suggestions from literature, the authors' experience working in American Indian communities). The authors conclude with lessons learned for others to consider as they develop working relationships and evaluation plans in similar communities.

Process Evaluation for Improving K12 Program Effectiveness: Case Study of a National Institutes of Health Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Research Career Development Program.

PubMed

Raymond, Nancy C; Wyman, Jean F; Dighe, Satlaj; Harwood, Eileen M; Hang, Mikow

2018-06-01

Process evaluation is an important tool in quality improvement efforts. This article illustrates how a systematic and continuous evaluation process can be used to improve the quality of faculty career development programs by using the University of Minnesota's Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) K12 program as an exemplar. Data from a rigorous process evaluation incorporating quantitative and qualitative measurements were analyzed and reviewed by the BIRCWH program leadership on a regular basis. Examples are provided of how this evaluation model and processes were used to improve many aspects of the program, thereby improving scholar, mentor, and advisory committee members' satisfaction and scholar outcomes. A rigorous evaluation plan can increase the effectiveness and impact of a research career development plan.

Evaluation research in occupational health services: general principles and a systematic review of empirical studies.

PubMed

Hulshof, C T; Verbeek, J H; van Dijk, F J; van der Weide, W E; Braam, I T

1999-06-01

To study the nature and extent of evaluation research in occupational health services (OHSs). Literature review of evaluation research in OHSs. On the basis of a conceptual model of OHS evaluation, empirical studies are categorised into aspects of input, process, output, outcome, and OHS core activities. Many methods to evaluate OHSs or OHS activities exist, depending on the objective and object of evaluation. The amount of empirical studies on evaluation of OHSs or OHS activities that met the non-restrictive inclusion criteria, was remarkably limited. Most of the 52 studies were more descriptive than evaluative. The methodological quality of most studies was not high. A differentiated picture of the evidence of effectiveness of OHSs arises. Occupational health consultations and occupational rehabilitation are hardly studied despite much time spent on the consultation by occupational physicians in most countries. The lack of effectiveness and efficiency of the pre-employment examination should lead to its abandonment as a means of selection of personnel by OHSs. Periodic health monitoring or surveillance, and education on occupational health hazards can be carried out with reasonable process quality. Identification and evaluation of occupational health hazards by a workplace survey can be done with a high output quality, which, however, does not guarantee a favourable outcome. Although rigorous study designs are not always applicable or feasible in daily practice, much more effort should be directed at the scientific evaluation of OHSs and OHS instruments. To develop evidence-based occupational health care the quality of evaluation studies should be improved. In particular, process and outcome of consultation and rehabilitation activities of occupational physicians need to be studied more.

Evaluative-feedback stimuli selectively activate the self-related brain area: an fMRI study.

PubMed

Pan, Xiaohong; Hu, Yang; Li, Lei; Li, Jianqi

2009-11-06

Evaluative-feedback, occurring in our daily life, generally contains subjective appraisal of one's specific abilities and personality characteristics besides objective right-or-wrong information. Traditional psychological researches have proved it to be important in building up one's self-concept; however, the neural basis underlying its cognitive processing remains unclear. The present neuroimaging study revealed the mechanism of evaluative-feedback processing at the neural level. 19 healthy Chinese subjects participated in this experiment, and completed the time-estimation task to better their performance according to four types of feedback, namely positive evaluative- and performance-feedback as well as negative evaluative- and performance-feedback. Neuroimaging findings showed that evaluative- rather than performance-feedback can induce increased activities mainly distributed in the cortical midline structures (CMS), including medial prefrontal cortex (BA 8/9)/anterior cigulate cortex (ACC, BA 20), precuneus (BA 7/31) adjacent to posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC, BA 23) of both hemispheres, as well as right inferior lobule (BA 40). This phenomenon can provide evidence that evaluative-feedback may significantly elicit the self-related processing in our brain. In addition, our results also revealed that more brain areas, particularly some self-related neural substrates were activated by the positive evaluative-feedback, in comparative with the negative one. In sum, this study suggested that evaluative-feedback was closely correlated with the self-concept processing, which distinguished it from the performance-feedback.

A Case Study of Group Processes and Student Evaluation of Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mortenson, Kristian G.; Sathe, Richard S.

2017-01-01

This paper documents a case study undertaken to understand the effect of group processes on student evaluation of teaching (SET). The study used interviews to investigate the experiences of students in a cohort model Master of Science in Accountancy degree program and how those experiences influenced SET. The cohort served as an extreme example in…

Using Analytic Hierarchy Process in Textbook Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kato, Shigeo

2014-01-01

This study demonstrates the application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in English language teaching materials evaluation, focusing in particular on its potential for systematically integrating different components of evaluation criteria in a variety of teaching contexts. AHP is a measurement procedure wherein pairwise comparisons are made…

Performance Evaluation Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1998

This document contains four papers from a symposium on the performance evaluation process and human resource development (HRD). "Assessing the Effectiveness of OJT (On the Job Training): A Case Study Approach" (Julie Furst-Bowe, Debra Gates) is a case study of the effectiveness of OJT in one of a high-tech manufacturing company's product…

A Meta-Synthesis of Turkish Studies in Science Process Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildirim, Murat; Çalik, Muammer; Özmen, Haluk

2016-01-01

This study thematically evaluates Turkish studies in science process skills (SPS) from 2000 to 2015. In looking for SPS studies, the authors entered the keywords "process skills, science process skills, science education and Turkey/Turkish" in well-known databases (i.e., Academic Search Complete, Education Research Complete, ERIC, and…

Nuclear structure for SNe r- and neutrino processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Toshio

2014-09-01

SNe r- and neutrino-processes are investigated based on recent advances in the studies of spin responses in nuclei. New shell-model Hamiltonians, which can well describe spin responses in nuclei with proper tensor components, are used to make accurate evaluations of reaction cross sections and rates in astrophysical processes. Nucleosyntheses in SNe r- and ν -processes as well as rp-processes are discussed with these new reaction rates with improved accuracies. (1) Beta-decay rates for N = 126 isotones are evaluated by shell-model calculations, and new rates are applied to study r-process nucleosynthesis in SNe's around its third peak as well as beyond the peak region up to uranium. (2) ν -processes for light-element synthesis in core-collapse SNe are studied with a new shell-model Hamiltonian in p-shell, SFO. Effects of MSW ν -oscillations on the production yields of 7Li and 11B and sensitivity of the yield ratio on ν -oscillation parameters are discussed. ν -induced reactions on 16O are also studied. (3) A new shell-model Hamiltonian in pf-shell, GXPF1J, is used to evaluate e-capture rates in pf-shell nuclei at stellar environments. New e-capture rates are applied to study nucleosynthesis in type-Ia supernova explosions, rp-process and X-ray bursts.

Changing Mathematics Teaching Practices and Improving Student Outcomes through Collaborative Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Kelli

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study examines the effects of a collaborative evaluation process on mathematics instruction and student outcomes in an elementary school serving a low-resource community. Thirty-two elementary teachers participated in a 3-year collaborative evaluation professional development process that contributed to improved mathematics…

An evaluation of the process and initial impact of disseminating a nursing e-thesis.

PubMed

Macduff, Colin

2009-05-01

This paper is a report of a study conducted to evaluate product, process and outcome aspects of the dissemination of a nursing PhD thesis via an open-access electronic institutional repository. Despite the growth of university institutional repositories which make theses easily accessible via the world wide web, nursing has been very slow to evaluate related processes and outcomes. Drawing on Stake's evaluation research methods, a case study design was adopted. The case is described using a four-phase structure within which key aspects of process and impact are reflexively analysed. In the conceptualization/re-conceptualization phase, fundamental questions about the purpose, format and imagined readership for a published nursing PhD were considered. In the preparation phase, seven key practical processes were identified that are likely to be relevant to most e-theses. In the dissemination phase email invitations were primarily used to invite engagement. The evaluation phase involved quantitative indicators of initial impact, such as page viewing and download statistics and qualitative feedback on processes and product. Analysis of process and impact elements of e-thesis dissemination is likely to have more than intrinsic value. The advent of e-theses housed in web-based institutional repositories has the potential to transform thesis access and use. It also offers potential to transform the nature and scope of thesis production and dissemination. Nursing scholars can exploit and evaluate such opportunities.

Case Studies in Continuous Process Improvement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehta, A.

1997-01-01

This study focuses on improving the SMT assembly process in a low-volume, high-reliability environment with emphasis on fine pitch and BGA packages. Before a process improvement is carried out, it is important to evaluate where the process stands in terms of process capability.

Method of evaluation of process of red blood cell sedimentation based on photometry of droplet samples.

PubMed

Aristov, Alexander; Nosova, Ekaterina

2017-04-01

The paper focuses on research aimed at creating and testing a new approach to evaluate the processes of aggregation and sedimentation of red blood cells for purpose of its use in clinical laboratory diagnostics. The proposed method is based on photometric analysis of blood sample formed as a sessile drop. The results of clinical approbation of this method are given in the paper. Analysis of the processes occurring in the sample in the form of sessile drop during the process of blood cells sedimentation is described. The results of experimental studies to evaluate the effect of the droplet sample focusing properties on light radiation transmittance are presented. It is shown that this method significantly reduces the sample volume and provides sufficiently high sensitivity to the studied processes.

Evaluating process in child and family interventions: aggression prevention as an example.

PubMed

Tolan, Patrick H; Hanish, Laura D; McKay, Mary M; Dickey, Mitchell H

2002-06-01

This article reports on 2 studies designed to develop and validate a set of measures for use in evaluating processes of child and family interventions. In Study 1 responses from 187 families attending an outpatient clinic for child behavior problems were factor analyzed to identify scales, consistent across sources: Alliance (Satisfactory Relationship with Interventionist and Program Satisfaction), Parenting Skill Attainment, Child Cooperation During Session, Child Prosocial Behavior, and Child Aggressive Behavior. Study 2 focused on patterns of scale scores among 78 families taking part in a 22-week preventive intervention designed to affect family relationships, parenting, and child antisocial and prosocial behaviors. The factor structure identified in Study 1 was replicated. Scale construct validity was demonstrated through across-source convergence, sensitivity to intervention change, and ability to discriminate individual differences. Path analysis validated the scales' utility in explaining key aspects of the intervention process. Implications for evaluating processes in family interventions are discussed.

Evaluation of Classroom Teachers' Opinions about In-Service Training (The Case of Mugla)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aykaç, Necdet; Yildirim, Kasim

2017-01-01

The current study aimed to evaluate the classroom teachers' opinions about in-service training process. Thus, the current study was designed as a descriptive case study. A total of 28 classroom teachers constituted the sample group of the research. The research process was carried out on the classroom teachers working in state elementary schools…

Configuration evaluation and criteria plan. Volume 2: Evaluation critera plan (preliminary). Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) configuration study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bair, E. K.

1986-01-01

The unbiased selection of the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) configuration requires that the candidate engines be evaluated against a predetermined set of criteria which must be properly weighted to emphasize critical requirements defined prior to the actual evaluation. The evaluation and selection process involves the following functions: (1) determining if a configuration can satisfy basic STME requirements (yes/no); (2) defining the evaluation criteria; (3) selecting the criteria relative importance or weighting; (4) determining the weighting sensitivities; and (5) establishing a baseline for engine evaluation. The criteria weighting and sensitivities are cost related and are based on mission models and vehicle requirements. The evaluation process is used as a coarse screen to determine the candidate engines for the parametric studies and as a fine screen to determine concept(s) for conceptual design. The criteria used for the coarse and fine screen evaluation process is shown. The coarse screen process involves verifying that the candidate engines can meet the yes/no screening requirements and a semi-subjective quantitative evaluation. The fine screen engines have to meet all of the yes/no screening gates and are then subjected to a detailed evaluation or assessment using the quantitative cost evaluation processes. The option exists for re-cycling a concept through the quantitative portion of the screening and allows for some degree of optimization. The basic vehicle is a two stage LOX/HC, LOX/LH2 parallel burn vehicle capable of placing 150,000 lbs in low Earth orbit (LEO).

Scientific Process Flowchart Assessment (SPFA): A Method for Evaluating Changes in Understanding and Visualization of the Scientific Process in a Multidisciplinary Student Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Kristy J.; Rigakos, Bessie

2016-01-01

The scientific process is nonlinear, unpredictable, and ongoing. Assessing the nature of science is difficult with methods that rely on Likert-scale or multiple-choice questions. This study evaluated conceptions about the scientific process using student-created visual representations that we term "flowcharts." The methodology,…

Psychometric Characteristics of Process Evaluation Measures for a Rural School-based Childhood Obesity Prevention Study: Louisiana Health

PubMed Central

Newton, R. L.; Thomson, J. L.; Rau, K.; Duhe’, S.; Sample, A.; Singleton, N.; Anton, S. D.; Webber, L. S.; Williamson, D. A.

2011-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the implementation of intervention components of the Louisiana Health study, which was a multi-component childhood obesity prevention program conducted in rural schools. Design Content analysis. Setting Process evaluation assessed implementation in the classrooms, gym classes, and cafeterias. Subjects Classroom teachers (n = 232), physical education teachers (n = 53), food service managers (n = 33), and trained observers (n = 9). Measures Five process evaluation measures were created: Physical Education Questionnaire (PEQ), Intervention Questionnaire (IQ), Food Service Manager Questionnaire (FSMQ), Classroom Observation (CO) and School Nutrition Environment Observation (SNEO). Analysis Inter-rater reliability and internal consistency were conducted on all measures. ANOVA and Chi-square were used to compare differences across study groups on questionnaires and observations. Results The PEQ and one sub-scale from the FSMQ were eliminated because their reliability coefficients fell below acceptable standards. The sub-scale internal consistencies for the IQ, FSMQ, CO, and SNEO (all Cronbach’s α > .60) were acceptable. Conclusions After the initial 4 months of intervention, there was evidence that the Louisiana Health intervention was being implemented as it was designed. In summary, four process evaluation measures were found to be sufficiently reliable and valid for assessing the delivery of various aspects of a school-based obesity prevention program. These process measures could be modified to evaluate the delivery of other similar school-based interventions. PMID:21721969

Psychometric characteristics of process evaluation measures for a rural school-based childhood obesity prevention study: Louisiana Health.

PubMed

Newton, Robert L; Thomson, Jessica L; Rau, Kristi K; Ragusa, Shelly A; Sample, Alicia D; Singleton, Nakisha N; Anton, Stephen D; Webber, Larry S; Williamson, Donald A

2011-01-01

To evaluate the implementation of intervention components of the Louisiana Health study, which was a multicomponent childhood obesity prevention program conducted in rural schools. Content analysis. Process evaluation assessed implementation in classrooms, gym classes, and cafeterias. Classroom teachers (n  =  232), physical education teachers (n  =  53), food service managers (n  =  33), and trained observers (n  =  9). Five process evaluation measures were created: Physical Education Questionnaire (PEQ), Intervention Questionnaire (IQ), Food Service Manager Questionnaire (FSMQ), Classroom Observation (CO), and School Nutrition Environment Observation (SNEO). Interrater reliability and internal consistency were assessed on all measures. Analysis of variance and χ(2) were used to compare differences across study groups on questionnaires and observations. The PEQ and one subscale from the FSMQ were eliminated because their reliability coefficients fell below acceptable standards. The subscale internal consistencies for the IQ, FSMQ, CO, and SNEO (all Cronbach α > .60) were acceptable. After the initial 4 months of intervention, there was evidence that the Louisiana Health intervention was being implemented as it was designed. In summary, four process evaluation measures were found to be sufficiently reliable and valid for assessing the delivery of various aspects of a school-based obesity prevention program. These process measures could be modified to evaluate the delivery of other similar school-based interventions.

STP Position Paper: Recommended Best Practices for Sampling, Processing and Analysis of the Peripheral Nervous System (Nerves and Somatic and Autonomic Ganglia) during Nonclinical Toxicity Studies

EPA Science Inventory

These Society of Toxicologic Pathology “best” practice recommendations should ensure consistent sampling, processing, and evaluation of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). For toxicity studies where neurotoxicity is not anticipated (Situation 1), PNS evaluation may be limited...

Evaluation of the clinical process in a critical care information system using the Lean method: a case study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There are numerous applications for Health Information Systems (HIS) that support specific tasks in the clinical workflow. The Lean method has been used increasingly to optimize clinical workflows, by removing waste and shortening the delivery cycle time. There are a limited number of studies on Lean applications related to HIS. Therefore, we applied the Lean method to evaluate the clinical processes related to HIS, in order to evaluate its efficiency in removing waste and optimizing the process flow. This paper presents the evaluation findings of these clinical processes, with regards to a critical care information system (CCIS), known as IntelliVue Clinical Information Portfolio (ICIP), and recommends solutions to the problems that were identified during the study. Methods We conducted a case study under actual clinical settings, to investigate how the Lean method can be used to improve the clinical process. We used observations, interviews, and document analysis, to achieve our stated goal. We also applied two tools from the Lean methodology, namely the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 problem-solving tools. We used eVSM software to plot the Value Stream Map and A3 reports. Results We identified a number of problems related to inefficiency and waste in the clinical process, and proposed an improved process model. Conclusions The case study findings show that the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 reports can be used as tools to identify waste and integrate the process steps more efficiently. We also proposed a standardized and improved clinical process model and suggested an integrated information system that combines database and software applications to reduce waste and data redundancy. PMID:23259846

Evaluation of the clinical process in a critical care information system using the Lean method: a case study.

PubMed

Yusof, Maryati Mohd; Khodambashi, Soudabeh; Mokhtar, Ariffin Marzuki

2012-12-21

There are numerous applications for Health Information Systems (HIS) that support specific tasks in the clinical workflow. The Lean method has been used increasingly to optimize clinical workflows, by removing waste and shortening the delivery cycle time. There are a limited number of studies on Lean applications related to HIS. Therefore, we applied the Lean method to evaluate the clinical processes related to HIS, in order to evaluate its efficiency in removing waste and optimizing the process flow. This paper presents the evaluation findings of these clinical processes, with regards to a critical care information system (CCIS), known as IntelliVue Clinical Information Portfolio (ICIP), and recommends solutions to the problems that were identified during the study. We conducted a case study under actual clinical settings, to investigate how the Lean method can be used to improve the clinical process. We used observations, interviews, and document analysis, to achieve our stated goal. We also applied two tools from the Lean methodology, namely the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 problem-solving tools. We used eVSM software to plot the Value Stream Map and A3 reports. We identified a number of problems related to inefficiency and waste in the clinical process, and proposed an improved process model. The case study findings show that the Value Stream Mapping and the A3 reports can be used as tools to identify waste and integrate the process steps more efficiently. We also proposed a standardized and improved clinical process model and suggested an integrated information system that combines database and software applications to reduce waste and data redundancy.

Neural mechanisms underlying urgent and evaluative behaviors: An fMRI study on the interaction of automatic and controlled processes.

PubMed

Megías, Alberto; Navas, Juan Francisco; Petrova, Dafina; Cándido, Antonio; Maldonado, Antonio; Garcia-Retamero, Rocio; Catena, Andrés

2015-08-01

Dual-process theories have dominated the study of risk perception and risk-taking over the last two decades. However, there is a lack of objective brain-level evidence supporting the two systems of processing in every-day risky behavior. To address this issue, we propose the dissociation between evaluative and urgent behaviors as evidence of dual processing in risky driving situations. Our findings show a dissociation of evaluative and urgent behavior both at the behavioral and neural level. fMRI data showed an increase of activation in areas implicated in motor programming, emotional processing, and visuomotor integration in urgent behavior compared to evaluative behavior. These results support a more automatic processing of risk in urgent tasks, relying mainly on heuristics and experiential appraisal. The urgent task, which is characterized by strong time pressure and the possibility for negative consequences among others factors, creates a suitable context for the experiential-affective system to guide the decision-making process. Moreover, we observed greater frontal activation in the urgent task, suggesting the participation of cognitive control in safe behaviors. The findings of this research are relevant for the study of the neural mechanisms underlying dual process models in risky perception and decision-making, especially because of their proximity to everyday activities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Counting to ten milliseconds: low-anger, but not high-anger, individuals pause following negative evaluations.

PubMed

Robinson, Michael D; Wilkowski, Benjamin M; Meier, Brian P; Moeller, Sara K; Fetterman, Adam K

2012-01-01

Low-anger individuals are less reactive, both emotionally and behaviourally, to a large variety of situational primes to anger and aggression. Why this is so, from an affective processing perspective, has been largely conjectural. Four studies (total N=270) sought to link individual differences in anger to tendencies exhibited in basic affective processing tasks. On the basis of motivational factors and considerations, it was hypothesised that negative evaluations would differentially activate a psychological alarm system at low levels of anger, resulting in a pause that should be evident in the speed of making subsequent evaluations. Just such a pattern was evident in all studies. By contrast, high-anger individuals did not pause following their negative evaluations. In relation to this affective processing tendency, at least, dramatically different effects were observed among low- versus high-anger individuals. Implications for the personality-processing literature, theories of trait anger, and fast-acting regulatory processes are discussed.

Study protocol of a mixed-methods evaluation of a cluster randomized trial to improve the safety of NSAID and antiplatelet prescribing: data-driven quality improvement in primary care.

PubMed

Grant, Aileen; Dreischulte, Tobias; Treweek, Shaun; Guthrie, Bruce

2012-08-28

Trials of complex interventions are criticized for being 'black box', so the UK Medical Research Council recommends carrying out a process evaluation to explain the trial findings. We believe it is good practice to pre-specify and publish process evaluation protocols to set standards and minimize bias. Unlike protocols for trials, little guidance or standards exist for the reporting of process evaluations. This paper presents the mixed-method process evaluation protocol of a cluster randomized trial, drawing on a framework designed by the authors. This mixed-method evaluation is based on four research questions and maps data collection to a logic model of how the data-driven quality improvement in primary care (DQIP) intervention is expected to work. Data collection will be predominately by qualitative case studies in eight to ten of the trial practices, focus groups with patients affected by the intervention and quantitative analysis of routine practice data, trial outcome and questionnaire data and data from the DQIP intervention. We believe that pre-specifying the intentions of a process evaluation can help to minimize bias arising from potentially misleading post-hoc analysis. We recognize it is also important to retain flexibility to examine the unexpected and the unintended. From that perspective, a mixed-methods evaluation allows the combination of exploratory and flexible qualitative work, and more pre-specified quantitative analysis, with each method contributing to the design, implementation and interpretation of the other.As well as strengthening the study the authors hope to stimulate discussion among their academic colleagues about publishing protocols for evaluations of randomized trials of complex interventions. DATA-DRIVEN QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN PRIMARY CARE TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01425502.

Model performance evaluation (validation and calibration) in model-based studies of therapeutic interventions for cardiovascular diseases : a review and suggested reporting framework.

PubMed

Haji Ali Afzali, Hossein; Gray, Jodi; Karnon, Jonathan

2013-04-01

Decision analytic models play an increasingly important role in the economic evaluation of health technologies. Given uncertainties around the assumptions used to develop such models, several guidelines have been published to identify and assess 'best practice' in the model development process, including general modelling approach (e.g., time horizon), model structure, input data and model performance evaluation. This paper focuses on model performance evaluation. In the absence of a sufficient level of detail around model performance evaluation, concerns regarding the accuracy of model outputs, and hence the credibility of such models, are frequently raised. Following presentation of its components, a review of the application and reporting of model performance evaluation is presented. Taking cardiovascular disease as an illustrative example, the review investigates the use of face validity, internal validity, external validity, and cross model validity. As a part of the performance evaluation process, model calibration is also discussed and its use in applied studies investigated. The review found that the application and reporting of model performance evaluation across 81 studies of treatment for cardiovascular disease was variable. Cross-model validation was reported in 55 % of the reviewed studies, though the level of detail provided varied considerably. We found that very few studies documented other types of validity, and only 6 % of the reviewed articles reported a calibration process. Considering the above findings, we propose a comprehensive model performance evaluation framework (checklist), informed by a review of best-practice guidelines. This framework provides a basis for more accurate and consistent documentation of model performance evaluation. This will improve the peer review process and the comparability of modelling studies. Recognising the fundamental role of decision analytic models in informing public funding decisions, the proposed framework should usefully inform guidelines for preparing submissions to reimbursement bodies.

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

PubMed

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

2018-04-24

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

Evaluation of a Community-Based Aging Intervention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2010-01-01

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

Undergraduate medical education programme renewal: a longitudinal context, input, process and product evaluation study.

PubMed

Mirzazadeh, Azim; Gandomkar, Roghayeh; Hejri, Sara Mortaz; Hassanzadeh, Gholamreza; Koochak, Hamid Emadi; Golestani, Abolfazl; Jafarian, Ali; Jalili, Mohammad; Nayeri, Fatemeh; Saleh, Narges; Shahi, Farhad; Razavi, Seyed Hasan Emami

2016-02-01

The purpose of this study was to utilize the Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) evaluation model as a comprehensive framework to guide initiating, planning, implementing and evaluating a revised undergraduate medical education programme. The eight-year longitudinal evaluation study consisted of four phases compatible with the four components of the CIPP model. In the first phase, we explored the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional programme as well as contextual needs, assets, and resources. For the second phase, we proposed a model for the programme considering contextual features. During the process phase, we provided formative information for revisions and adjustments. Finally, in the fourth phase, we evaluated the outcomes of the new undergraduate medical education programme in the basic sciences phase. Information was collected from different sources such as medical students, faculty members, administrators, and graduates, using various qualitative and quantitative methods including focus groups, questionnaires, and performance measures. The CIPP model has the potential to guide policy makers to systematically collect evaluation data and to manage stakeholders' reactions at each stage of the reform in order to make informed decisions. However, the model may result in evaluation burden and fail to address some unplanned evaluation questions.

The OPERA trial: a protocol for the process evaluation of a randomised trial of an exercise intervention for older people in residential and nursing accommodation

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The OPERA trial is large cluster randomised trial testing a physical activity intervention to address depression amongst people living in nursing and residential homes for older people. A process evaluation was commissioned alongside the trial and we report the protocol for this process evaluation. Challenges included the cognitive and physical ability of the participants, the need to respect the privacy of all home residents, including study non-participants, and the physical structure of the homes. Evaluation activity had to be organised around the structured timetable of homes, leaving limited opportunities for data collection. The aims of this process evaluation are to provide findings that will assist in the interpretation of the clinical trial results, and to inform potential implementation of the physical activity intervention on a wider scale. Methods/design Quantitative data on recruitment of homes and individuals is being collected. For homes in the intervention arm, data on dose and fidelity of the intervention delivered; including individual rates of participation in exercise classes are collected. In the control homes, uptake and delivery of depression awareness training is monitored. These data will be combined with qualitative data from an in-depth study of a purposive sample of eight homes (six intervention and two control). Discussion Although process evaluations are increasingly funded alongside trials, it is still rare to see the findings published, and even rarer to see the protocol for such an evaluation published. Process evaluations have the potential to assist in interpreting and understanding trial results as well as informing future roll-outs of interventions. If such evaluations are funded they should also be reported and reviewed in a similar way to the trial outcome evaluation. Trial Registration ISRCTN No: ISRCTN43769277 PMID:21288341

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT STUDIES ON THE BATTELLE HYDROTHERMAL COAL PROCESS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study to improve the economic viability of the Battelle Hydrothermal (HT) Coal Process by reducing the costs associated with liquid/solid separation and leachant regeneration. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate process improvements for...

Paradigms of Evaluation in Natural Language Processing: Field Linguistics for Glass Box Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Kevin Bretonnel

2010-01-01

Although software testing has been well-studied in computer science, it has received little attention in natural language processing. Nonetheless, a fully developed methodology for glass box evaluation and testing of language processing applications already exists in the field methods of descriptive linguistics. This work lays out a number of…

Development of the e-Baby serious game with regard to the evaluation of oxygenation in preterm babies: contributions of the emotional design.

PubMed

Fonseca, Luciana Mara Monti; Dias, Danielle Monteiro Vilela; Góes, Fernanda Dos Santos Nogueira; Seixas, Carlos Alberto; Scochi, Carmen Gracinda Silvan; Martins, José Carlos Amado; Rodrigues, Manuel Alves

2014-09-01

The present study aimed to describe the development process of a serious game that enables users to evaluate the respiratory process in a preterm infant based on an emotional design model. The e-Baby serious game was built to feature the simulated environment of an incubator, in which the user performs a clinical evaluation of the respiratory process in a virtual preterm infant. The user learns about the preterm baby's history, chooses the tools for the clinical evaluation, evaluates the baby, and determines whether his/her evaluation is appropriate. The e-Baby game presents phases that contain respiratory process impairments of higher or lower complexity in the virtual preterm baby. Included links give the user the option of recording the entire evaluation procedure and sharing his/her performance on a social network. e-Baby integrates a Clinical Evaluation of the Preterm Baby course in the Moodle virtual environment. This game, which evaluates the respiratory process in preterm infants, could support a more flexible, attractive, and interactive teaching and learning process that includes simulations with features very similar to neonatal unit realities, thus allowing more appropriate training for clinical oxygenation evaluations in at-risk preterm infants. e-Baby allows advanced user-technology-educational interactions because it requires active participation in the process and is emotionally integrated.

Evaluation utilization research--developing a theory and putting it to use.

PubMed

Neuman, Ari; Shahor, Neria; Shina, Ilan; Sarid, Anat; Saar, Zehava

2013-02-01

This article presents the findings of a two-stage study that had two key objectives: to develop a theory about evaluation utilization in an educational organization and to apply this theory to promote evaluation utilization within the organization. The first stage involved a theoretical conceptualization using a participatory method of concept mapping. This process identified the modes of evaluation utilization within the organization, produced a representation of the relationship between them and led to a theory. The second stage examined the practical implications of this conceptualization in terms of how different stakeholders in the organization perceive the actual and preferable state of evaluation utilization within the organization (i.e. to what extent is evaluation utilized and to what extent should it be utilized). The participatory process of the study promoted the evaluation utilization by involving stakeholders, thus giving them a sense of ownership and improving communication between the evaluation unit and the stakeholders. In addition, understanding the evaluation needs of the stakeholders in the organization helped generate relevant and realizable evaluation processes. On a practical level, the results are currently shaping the evaluation plan and the place of evaluations within the organization. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unintended outcomes evaluation approach: A plausible way to evaluate unintended outcomes of social development programmes.

PubMed

Jabeen, Sumera

2018-06-01

Social development programmes are deliberate attempts to bring about change and unintended outcomes can be considered as inherent to any such intervention. There is now a solid consensus among the international evaluation community regarding the need to consider unintended outcomes as a key aspect in any evaluative study. However, this concern often equates to nothing more than false piety. Exiting evaluation theory suffers from overlap of terminology, inadequate categorisation of unintended outcomes and lack of guidance on how to study them. To advance the knowledge of evaluation theory, methods and practice, the author has developed an evaluation approach to study unintended effects using a theory building, testing and refinement process. A comprehensive classification of unintended outcomes on the basis of knowability, value, distribution and temporality helped specify various type of unintended outcomes for programme evaluation. Corresponding to this classification, a three-step evaluation process was proposed including a) outlining programme intentions b) forecasting likely unintended effects c) mapping the anticipated and understanding unanticipated unintended outcomes. This unintended outcomes evaluation approach (UOEA) was then trialled by undertaking a multi-site and multi-method case study of a poverty alleviation programme in Pakistan and refinements were made to the approach.The case study revealed that this programme was producing a number of unintended effects, mostly negative, affecting those already disadvantaged such as the poorest, women and children. The trialling process demonstrated the effectiveness of the UOEA and suggests that this can serve as a useful guide for future evaluation practice. It also provides the discipline of evaluation with an empirically-based reference point for further theoretical developments in the study of unintended outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting adoption, implementation fidelity, and sustainability of the Redesigned Community Health Fund in Tanzania: a mixed methods protocol for process evaluation in the Dodoma region

PubMed Central

Kalolo, Albino; Radermacher, Ralf; Stoermer, Manfred; Meshack, Menoris; De Allegri, Manuela

2015-01-01

Background Despite the implementation of various initiatives to address low enrollment in voluntary micro health insurance (MHI) schemes in sub-Saharan Africa, the problem of low enrollment remains unresolved. The lack of process evaluations of such interventions makes it difficult to ascertain whether their poor results are because of design failures or implementation weaknesses. Objective In this paper, we describe a process evaluation protocol aimed at opening the ‘black box’ to evaluate the implementation processes of the Redesigned Community Health Fund (CHF) program in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. Design The study employs a cross-sectional mixed methods design and is being carried out 3 years after the launch of the Redesigned CHF program. The study is grounded in a conceptual framework which rests on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and the Implementation Fidelity Framework. The study utilizes a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools (questionnaires, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and document review), and aligns the evaluation to the Theory of Intervention developed by our team. Quantitative data will be used to measure program adoption, implementation fidelity, and their moderating factors. Qualitative data will be used to explore the responses of stakeholders to the intervention, contextual factors, and moderators of adoption, implementation fidelity, and sustainability. Discussion This protocol describes a systematic process evaluation in relation to the implementation of a reformed MHI. We trust that the theoretical approaches and methodologies described in our protocol may be useful to inform the design of future process evaluations focused on the assessment of complex interventions, such as MHI schemes. PMID:26679408

Criteria used by nurses to evaluate practice-related information on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Cader, Raffik; Campbell, Steve; Watson, Don

2003-01-01

Existing criteria used to evaluate information on the World Wide Web often are not related to nursing, especially in relation to clinical and evidence-based practice. Published criteria have been found orientated to the health-consumer, medicine, or general information. In this study, the process by which nurses evaluate practice-related information and the associated evaluative nursing criteria were investigated using a grounded theory approach. In the first stage of this ongoing investigation, semistructured interviews were used to collect data from UK postregistration nursing students. The findings from this initial study provided indications of the process and the criteria for evaluating information on the World Wide Web. Participating students identified intuition as part of the evaluative process. They identified some criteria similar to existing standards, but critically, with additional criteria that are nursing practice related. Because these new criteria are significant for evaluating nursing information, further refinement of these findings is being undertaken through the next stage of the research program.

Evaluation of English as a Foreign Language Program--Using CIPP (Context, Input, Process and Product) Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulum, Ömer Gökhan

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate a state high school EFL Program through CIPP (context, input, process and product) model. The participants of the study include 504 students. The source of data has been obtained through a 46-itemed questionnaire and an interview for the students. In the study, the data has been analysed using statistical…

The Effects of Word Processing Software on User Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of Micro, Mini, and Mainframe Computers Using an Interactive Artificial Intelligence Expert-System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushinek, Avi; Rushinek, Sara

1984-01-01

Describes results of a system rating study in which users responded to WPS (word processing software) questions. Study objectives were data collection and evaluation of variables; statistical quantification of WPS's contribution (along with other variables) to user satisfaction; design of an expert system to evaluate WPS; and database update and…

Social identity modifies face perception: an ERP study of social categorization

PubMed Central

Stedehouder, Jeffrey; Ito, Tiffany A.

2015-01-01

Two studies examined whether social identity processes, i.e. group identification and social identity threat, amplify the degree to which people attend to social category information in early perception [assessed with event-related brain potentials (ERPs)]. Participants were presented with faces of Muslims and non-Muslims in an evaluative priming task while ERPs were measured and implicit evaluative bias was assessed. Study 1 revealed that non-Muslims showed stronger differentiation between ingroup and outgroup faces in both early (N200) and later processing stages (implicit evaluations) when they identified more strongly with their ethnic group. Moreover, identification effects on implicit bias were mediated by intergroup differentiation in the N200. In Study 2, social identity threat (vs control) was manipulated among Muslims. Results revealed that high social identity threat resulted in stronger differentiation of Muslims from non-Muslims in early (N200) and late (implicit evaluations) processing stages, with N200 effects again predicting implicit bias. Combined, these studies reveal how seemingly bottom-up early social categorization processes are affected by individual and contextual variables that affect the meaning of social identity. Implications of these results for the social identity perspective as well as social cognitive theories of person perception are discussed. PMID:25140049

Proposed Framework for the Evaluation of Standalone Corpora Processing Systems: An Application to Arabic Corpora

PubMed Central

Al-Thubaity, Abdulmohsen; Alqifari, Reem

2014-01-01

Despite the accessibility of numerous online corpora, students and researchers engaged in the fields of Natural Language Processing (NLP), corpus linguistics, and language learning and teaching may encounter situations in which they need to develop their own corpora. Several commercial and free standalone corpora processing systems are available to process such corpora. In this study, we first propose a framework for the evaluation of standalone corpora processing systems and then use it to evaluate seven freely available systems. The proposed framework considers the usability, functionality, and performance of the evaluated systems while taking into consideration their suitability for Arabic corpora. While the results show that most of the evaluated systems exhibited comparable usability scores, the scores for functionality and performance were substantially different with respect to support for the Arabic language and N-grams profile generation. The results of our evaluation will help potential users of the evaluated systems to choose the system that best meets their needs. More importantly, the results will help the developers of the evaluated systems to enhance their systems and developers of new corpora processing systems by providing them with a reference framework. PMID:25610910

Proposed framework for the evaluation of standalone corpora processing systems: an application to Arabic corpora.

PubMed

Al-Thubaity, Abdulmohsen; Al-Khalifa, Hend; Alqifari, Reem; Almazrua, Manal

2014-01-01

Despite the accessibility of numerous online corpora, students and researchers engaged in the fields of Natural Language Processing (NLP), corpus linguistics, and language learning and teaching may encounter situations in which they need to develop their own corpora. Several commercial and free standalone corpora processing systems are available to process such corpora. In this study, we first propose a framework for the evaluation of standalone corpora processing systems and then use it to evaluate seven freely available systems. The proposed framework considers the usability, functionality, and performance of the evaluated systems while taking into consideration their suitability for Arabic corpora. While the results show that most of the evaluated systems exhibited comparable usability scores, the scores for functionality and performance were substantially different with respect to support for the Arabic language and N-grams profile generation. The results of our evaluation will help potential users of the evaluated systems to choose the system that best meets their needs. More importantly, the results will help the developers of the evaluated systems to enhance their systems and developers of new corpora processing systems by providing them with a reference framework.

Materials technology for Stirling space power converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baggenstoss, William; Mittendorf, Donald

1992-01-01

This program was conducted in support of the NASA LeRC development of the Stirling power converter (SPC) for space power applications. The objectives of this contract were: (1) to perform a technology review and analyses to support the evaluation of materials issues for the SPC; (2) to evaluate liquid metal compatibility issues of the SPC; (3) to evaluate and define a transient liquid phase diffusion bonding (TLPDB) process for the SPC joints to the Udimet 720 heater head; and (4) to evaluate alternative (to the TLPDB) joining techniques. In the technology review, several aspects of the current Stirling design were examined including the power converter assembly process, materials joining, gas bearings, and heat exchangers. The supporting analyses included GLIMPS power converter simulation in support of the materials studies, and system level analysis in support of the technology review. The liquid metal compatibility study evaluated process parameters for use in the Stirling power converter. The alternative joining techniques study looked at the applicability of various joining techniques to the Stirling power converter requirements.

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity, Interim Report VI: Recommendations for Continuing the Impact Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur; And Others

This interim report re-examines data on instrument suitability, comparability of groups, and adequacy of sample size in Year III of the process evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC) and offers preliminary recommendations concerning the feasibility of continuing the impact study. PDC is a Head Start demonstration program aimed at…

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report IV, Volume 2: Development of the Implementation and Cost Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Allen G.; And Others

This interim report describes the development of program implementation and cost studies for Year II of the process evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC), a Head Start demonstration program aimed at providing educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and primary school experiences. Specific areas focused…

CALIBRATION OF SUBSURFACE BATCH AND REACTIVE-TRANSPORT MODELS INVOLVING COMPLEX BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, the calibration of subsurface batch and reactive-transport models involving complex biogeochemical processes was systematically evaluated. Two hypothetical nitrate biodegradation scenarios were developed and simulated in numerical experiments to evaluate the perfor...

Luminescent microporous metal–organic framework with functional Lewis basic sites on the pore surface: Quantifiable evaluation of luminescent sensing mechanisms towards Fe{sup 3+}

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

Jin, Jun-Cheng; Technology Promotion Center of Nano Composite Material of Biomimetic Sensor and Detecting Technology, Preparation and Application, Anhui Provincial Laboratory West Anhui University, Anhui 237012; Guo, Rui-Li

2016-11-15

A systematic study has been conducted on a novel luminescent metal-organic framework, ([Zn(bpyp)(L-OH)]·DMF·2H{sub 2}O){sub n} (1), to explore its sensing mechanisms to Fe{sup 3+}. Structure analyses show that compound 1 exist pyridine N atoms and -OH groups on the pore surface for specific sensing of metal ions via Lewis acid-base interactions. On this consideration, the quenching mechanisms are studied and the processes are controlled by multiple mechanisms in which dynamic and static mechanisms are calculated, achieving the quantification evaluation of the quenching process. This work not only achieves the quantitative evaluation of the luminescence quenching but also provides certain insightsmore » into the quenching process, and the possible mechanisms explored in this work may inspire future research and design of target luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) with specific functions. - Graphical abstract: A systematic study has been conducted on a novel luminescent metal-organic framework to explore its sensing mechanisms to Fe{sup 3+}. The quenching mechanisms are studied and the processes are controlled by multiple mechanisms in which dynamic and static mechanisms are calculated, achieving the quantification evaluation of the quenching process. - Highlights: • A novel porous luminescent MOF containing uncoordinated groups in interlayer channels was successfully synthesized. • The compound 1 can exhibit significant luminescent sensitivity to Fe{sup 3+}, which make its good candidate as luminescent sensor. • The corresponding dynamic and static quenching constants are calculated, achieving the quantification evaluation of the quenching process.« less

Does a time constraint modify results from rating-based conjoint analysis? Case study with orange/pomegranate juice bottles.

PubMed

Reis, Felipe; Machín, Leandro; Rosenthal, Amauri; Deliza, Rosires; Ares, Gastón

2016-12-01

People do not usually process all the available information on packages for making their food choices and rely on heuristics for making their decisions, particularly when having limited time. However, in most consumer studies encourage participants to invest a lot of time for making their choices. Therefore, imposing a time-constraint in consumer studies may increase their ecological validity. In this context, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of a time-constraint on consumer evaluation of pomegranate/orange juice bottles using rating-based conjoint task. A consumer study with 100 participants was carried out, in which they had to evaluate 16 pomegranate/orange fruit juice bottles, differing in bottle design, front-of-pack nutritional information, nutrition claim and processing claim, and to rate their intention to purchase. Half of the participants evaluated the bottle images without time constraint and the other half had a time-constraint of 3s for evaluating each image. Eye-movements were recorded during the evaluation. Results showed that time-constraint when evaluating intention to purchase did not largely modify the way in which consumers visually processed bottle images. Regardless of the experimental condition (with or without time constraint), they tended to evaluate the same product characteristics and to give them the same relative importance. However, a trend towards a more superficial evaluation of the bottles that skipped complex information was observed. Regarding the influence of product characteristics on consumer intention to purchase, bottle design was the variable with the largest relative importance in both conditions, overriding the influence of nutritional or processing characteristics, which stresses the importance of graphic design in shaping consumer perception. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Physiology Lectures Conducted by Students: Comparison between Evaluation by Staff and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kommalage, Mahinda; Gunawardena, Sampath

2011-01-01

As a peer-assisted learning process, minilectures on physiology were conducted by students. During this process, students lecture to their colleagues in the presence of faculty staff members. These lectures were evaluated by faculty staff and students simultaneously. The aim of this study was to compare feedback from faculty members and students…

The Academic Search: Unconscious Bias and Its Impact on the Recruitment and Evaluation of Faculty Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitts, Deirdre Gernell

2017-01-01

In this study, I examined the academic search process and the role that unconscious bias plays in the evaluation and recruitment of faculty candidates. The academic search process and participants' beliefs, values, and attitudes regarding how they evaluated faculty candidates and made decisions regarding shortlist placement were examined. I used a…

An Evaluative Case Study on Professional Competency of Preservice Information Technology Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabakci Yurdakul, Isil

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate preservice Information Technology (IT) teachers' professional competency in the teaching process. The study was designed on the basis of evaluative case study. The participants of the study consisted of seven preservice IT teachers attending the department of Computer Education and Instructional…

Adapting Nielsen’s Design Heuristics to Dual Processing for Clinical Decision Support

PubMed Central

Taft, Teresa; Staes, Catherine; Slager, Stacey; Weir, Charlene

2016-01-01

The study objective was to improve the applicability of Nielson’s standard design heuristics for evaluating electronic health record (EHR) alerts and linked ordering support by integrating them with Dual Process theory. Through initial heuristic evaluation and a user study of 7 physicians, usability problems were identified. Through independent mapping of specific usability criteria to support for each of the Dual Cognitive processes (S1 and S2) and deliberation, agreement was reached on mapping criteria. Finally, usability errors from the heuristic and user study were mapped to S1 and S2. Adding a dual process perspective to specific heuristic analysis increases the applicability and relevance of computerized health information design evaluations. This mapping enables designers to measure that their systems are tailored to support attention allocation. System 1 will be supported by improving pattern recognition and saliency, and system 2 through efficiency and control of information access. PMID:28269915

Adapting Nielsen's Design Heuristics to Dual Processing for Clinical Decision Support.

PubMed

Taft, Teresa; Staes, Catherine; Slager, Stacey; Weir, Charlene

2016-01-01

The study objective was to improve the applicability of Nielson's standard design heuristics for evaluating electronic health record (EHR) alerts and linked ordering support by integrating them with Dual Process theory. Through initial heuristic evaluation and a user study of 7 physicians, usability problems were identified. Through independent mapping of specific usability criteria to support for each of the Dual Cognitive processes (S1 and S2) and deliberation, agreement was reached on mapping criteria. Finally, usability errors from the heuristic and user study were mapped to S1 and S2. Adding a dual process perspective to specific heuristic analysis increases the applicability and relevance of computerized health information design evaluations. This mapping enables designers to measure that their systems are tailored to support attention allocation. System 1 will be supported by improving pattern recognition and saliency, and system 2 through efficiency and control of information access.

Evaluating the Healthy Start program. Design development to evaluative assessment.

PubMed

Raykovich, K S; McCormick, M C; Howell, E M; Devaney, B L

1996-09-01

The national evaluation of the federally funded Healthy Start program involved translating a design for a process and outcomes evaluation and standard maternal and infant data set, both developed prior to the national evaluation contract award, into an evaluation design and client data collection protocol that could be used to evaluate 15 diverse grantees. This article discusses the experience of creating a process and outcomes evaluation design that was both substantively and methodologically appropriate given such issues as the diversity of grantees and their community-based intervention strategies; the process of accessing secondary data sources, including vital records; the quality of client level data submissions; and the need to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative approaches into the evaluation design. The relevance of this experience for the conduct of other field studies of public health interventions is discussed.

Pilot evaluation of a method to assess prescribers' information processing of medication alerts.

PubMed

Russ, Alissa L; Melton, Brittany L; Daggy, Joanne K; Saleem, Jason J

2017-02-01

Prescribers commonly receive alerts during medication ordering. Prescribers work in a complex, time-pressured environment; to enhance the effectiveness of safety alerts, the effort needed to cognitively process these alerts should be minimized. Methods to evaluate the extent to which computerized alerts support prescribers' information processing are lacking. To develop a methodological protocol to assess the extent to which alerts support prescribers' information processing at-a-glance; specifically, the incorporation of information into their working memory. We hypothesized that the method would be feasible and that we would be able to detect a significant difference in prescribers' information processing with a revised alert display that incorporates warning design guidelines compared to the original alert display. A counterbalanced, within-subject study was conducted with 20 prescribers in a human-computer interaction laboratory. We tested a single alert that was displayed in two different ways. Prescribers were informed that an alert would appear for 10s. After the alert was shown, a white screen was displayed, and prescribers were asked to verbally describe what they saw; indicate how many total warnings; and describe anything else they remembered about the alert. We measured information processing via the accuracy of prescribers' free recall and their ability to identify that three warning messages were present. Two analysts independently evaluated participants' responses against a comprehensive catalog of alert elements and then discussed discrepancies until reaching consensus. This feasibility study demonstrated that the method seemed to be effective for evaluating prescribers' information processing of medication alert displays. With this method, we were able to detect significant differences in prescribers' recall of alert information. The proportion of total data elements that prescribers were able to accurately recall was significantly greater for the revised versus original alert display (p=0.006). With the revised display, more prescribers accurately reported that three warnings were shown (p=0.002). The methodological protocol was feasible for evaluating the alert display and yielded important findings on prescribers' information processing. Study methods supplement traditional usability evaluation methods and may be useful for evaluating information processing of other healthcare technologies. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Real association of factors with inappropriate hospital days.

PubMed

Huet, Bernard; Cauterman, Maxime

2005-01-01

Several studies of inappropriate (in the sense of the AEP) hospital days highlighted associations between two factors (rate of inappropriateness and reasons for inappropriateness, rate of inappropriateness and appropriate setting of care,..). The aim of this communication is to present a study on real associations, at constant factor, between five factors associated with hospital inappropriate days: medical management process, reason for inappropriateness, scheduled admission, rate of inappropriateness, length of stay. We used the European version of Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol for evaluation of inappropriate days and the French protocol ;for analysis of inappropriate days. The study set in three Parisian hospitals, four clinical departments, three specialities. 523 patients were included in the study, 5663 days were evaluated on a wide variety of pathologies: 27 Medical Management Processes. Results show that there are real associations (elimination of transitive associations) between five factors : medical management process and discharge processes, reason for inappropriateness, scheduled admission, rate of inappropriate days, length of stay. Multiple Correspondence Analysis on all "groups of contiguous days related with the same reason for inappropriateness" shows five profiles of queues integrating various medical management processes.

Effects of image processing on the detective quantum efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hye-Suk; Kim, Hee-Joung; Cho, Hyo-Min; Lee, Chang-Lae; Lee, Seung-Wan; Choi, Yu-Na

2010-04-01

Digital radiography has gained popularity in many areas of clinical practice. This transition brings interest in advancing the methodologies for image quality characterization. However, as the methodologies for such characterizations have not been standardized, the results of these studies cannot be directly compared. The primary objective of this study was to standardize methodologies for image quality characterization. The secondary objective was to evaluate affected factors to Modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) according to image processing algorithm. Image performance parameters such as MTF, NPS, and DQE were evaluated using the international electro-technical commission (IEC 62220-1)-defined RQA5 radiographic techniques. Computed radiography (CR) images of hand posterior-anterior (PA) for measuring signal to noise ratio (SNR), slit image for measuring MTF, white image for measuring NPS were obtained and various Multi-Scale Image Contrast Amplification (MUSICA) parameters were applied to each of acquired images. In results, all of modified images were considerably influence on evaluating SNR, MTF, NPS, and DQE. Modified images by the post-processing had higher DQE than the MUSICA=0 image. This suggests that MUSICA values, as a post-processing, have an affect on the image when it is evaluating for image quality. In conclusion, the control parameters of image processing could be accounted for evaluating characterization of image quality in same way. The results of this study could be guided as a baseline to evaluate imaging systems and their imaging characteristics by measuring MTF, NPS, and DQE.

An Evaluation System for the Online Training Programs in Meteorology and Hydrology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yong; Zhi, Xiefei

2009-01-01

This paper studies the current evaluation system for the online training program in meteorology and hydrology. CIPP model that includes context evaluation, input evaluation, process evaluation and product evaluation differs from Kirkpatrick model including reactions evaluation, learning evaluation, transfer evaluation and results evaluation in…

Rationale, design and methods for process evaluation in the HEALTHY study.

PubMed

Schneider, M; Hall, W J; Hernandez, A E; Hindes, K; Montez, G; Pham, T; Rosen, L; Sleigh, A; Thompson, D; Volpe, S L; Zeveloff, A; Steckler, A

2009-08-01

The HEALTHY study was a multi-site randomized trial designed to determine whether a 3-year school-based intervention targeting nutrition and physical activity behaviors could effectively reduce risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes in middle school children. Pilot and formative studies were conducted to inform the development of the intervention components and the process evaluation methods for the main trial. During the main trial, both qualitative and quantitative assessments monitored the fidelity of the intervention and motivated modifications to improve intervention delivery. Structured observations of physical education classes, total school food environments, classroom-based educational modules, and communications and promotional campaigns provided verification that the intervention was delivered as intended. Interviews and focus groups yielded a multidimensional assessment of how the intervention was delivered and received, as well as identifying the barriers to and facilitators of the intervention across and within participating schools. Interim summaries of process evaluation data were presented to the study group as a means of ensuring standardization and quality of the intervention across the seven participating centers. Process evaluation methods and procedures documented the fidelity with which the HEALTHY study was implemented across 21 intervention schools and identified ways in which the intervention delivery might be enhanced throughout the study.

Equity Theory Ratios as Causal Schemas.

PubMed

Arvanitis, Alexios; Hantzi, Alexandra

2016-01-01

Equity theory approaches justice evaluations based on ratios of exchange inputs to exchange outcomes. Situations are evaluated as just if ratios are equal and unjust if unequal. We suggest that equity ratios serve a more fundamental cognitive function than the evaluation of justice. More particularly, we propose that they serve as causal schemas for exchange outcomes, that is, they assist in determining whether certain outcomes are caused by inputs of other people in the context of an exchange process. Equality or inequality of ratios in this sense points to an exchange process. Indeed, Study 1 shows that different exchange situations, such as disproportional or balanced proportional situations, create perceptions of give-and-take on the basis of equity ratios. Study 2 shows that perceptions of justice are based more on communicatively accepted rules of interaction than equity-based evaluations, thereby offering a distinction between an attribution and an evaluation cognitive process for exchange outcomes.

A Methodology for Evaluating Artifacts Produced by a Formal Verification Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siminiceanu, Radu I.; Miner, Paul S.; Person, Suzette

2011-01-01

The goal of this study is to produce a methodology for evaluating the claims and arguments employed in, and the evidence produced by formal verification activities. To illustrate the process, we conduct a full assessment of a representative case study for the Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration (ETDD) program. We assess the model checking and satisfiabilty solving techniques as applied to a suite of abstract models of fault tolerant algorithms which were selected to be deployed in Orion, namely the TTEthernet startup services specified and verified in the Symbolic Analysis Laboratory (SAL) by TTTech. To this end, we introduce the Modeling and Verification Evaluation Score (MVES), a metric that is intended to estimate the amount of trust that can be placed on the evidence that is obtained. The results of the evaluation process and the MVES can then be used by non-experts and evaluators in assessing the credibility of the verification results.

Equity Theory Ratios as Causal Schemas

PubMed Central

Arvanitis, Alexios; Hantzi, Alexandra

2016-01-01

Equity theory approaches justice evaluations based on ratios of exchange inputs to exchange outcomes. Situations are evaluated as just if ratios are equal and unjust if unequal. We suggest that equity ratios serve a more fundamental cognitive function than the evaluation of justice. More particularly, we propose that they serve as causal schemas for exchange outcomes, that is, they assist in determining whether certain outcomes are caused by inputs of other people in the context of an exchange process. Equality or inequality of ratios in this sense points to an exchange process. Indeed, Study 1 shows that different exchange situations, such as disproportional or balanced proportional situations, create perceptions of give-and-take on the basis of equity ratios. Study 2 shows that perceptions of justice are based more on communicatively accepted rules of interaction than equity-based evaluations, thereby offering a distinction between an attribution and an evaluation cognitive process for exchange outcomes. PMID:27594846

Automatized image processing of bovine blastocysts produced in vitro for quantitative variable determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, José Celso; Passalia, Felipe José; Matos, Felipe Delestro; Takahashi, Maria Beatriz; Maserati, Marc Peter, Jr.; Alves, Mayra Fernanda; de Almeida, Tamie Guibu; Cardoso, Bruna Lopes; Basso, Andrea Cristina; Nogueira, Marcelo Fábio Gouveia

2017-12-01

There is currently no objective, real-time and non-invasive method for evaluating the quality of mammalian embryos. In this study, we processed images of in vitro produced bovine blastocysts to obtain a deeper comprehension of the embryonic morphological aspects that are related to the standard evaluation of blastocysts. Information was extracted from 482 digital images of blastocysts. The resulting imaging data were individually evaluated by three experienced embryologists who graded their quality. To avoid evaluation bias, each image was related to the modal value of the evaluations. Automated image processing produced 36 quantitative variables for each image. The images, the modal and individual quality grades, and the variables extracted could potentially be used in the development of artificial intelligence techniques (e.g., evolutionary algorithms and artificial neural networks), multivariate modelling and the study of defined structures of the whole blastocyst.

Using the Donabedian framework to examine the quality and safety of nursing service innovation.

PubMed

Gardner, Glenn; Gardner, Anne; O'Connell, Jane

2014-01-01

To evaluate the safety and quality of nurse practitioner service using the audit framework of Structure, Process and Outcome. Health service and workforce reform are on the agenda of governments and other service providers seeking to contain healthcare costs whilst providing safe and effective health care to communities. The nurse practitioner service is one health workforce innovation that has been adopted globally to improve timely access to clinical care, but there is scant literature reporting evaluation of the quality of this service innovation. A mixed-methods design within the Donabedian evaluation framework was used. The Donabedian framework was used to evaluate the Structure, Process and Outcome of nurse practitioner service. A range of data collection approaches was used, including stakeholder survey (n = 36), in-depth interviews (11 patients and 13 nurse practitioners) and health records data on service processes. The study identified that adequate and detailed preparation of Structure and Process is essential for the successful implementation of a service innovation. The multidisciplinary team was accepting of the addition of nurse practitioner service, and nurse practitioner clinical care was shown to be effective, satisfactory and safe from the perspective of the clinician stakeholders and patients. This study demonstrated that the Donabedian framework of Structure, Process and Outcome evaluation is a valuable and validated approach to examine the safety and quality of a service innovation. Furthermore, in this study, specific Structure elements were shown to influence the quality of service processes further validating the framework and the interdependence of the Structure, Process and Outcome components. Understanding the Structure and Process requirements for establishing nursing service innovation lays the foundation for safe, effective and patient-centred clinical care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of a Major National Evaluation Study: Israel's Van Leer Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkin, Marvin C.; Lewy, Arieh

This investigation documents the impact of the Van Leer Study, a large-scale evaluation study of achievement in the primary schools of Israel. It is intended to increase understanding of the process of evaluation utilization, showing how evaluation findings and other kinds of information can work together, over time and in a variety of ways, to…

Practical Considerations in Evaluating Patient/Consumer Health Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Nancy H.

This report contains brief descriptions of seven evaluative efforts and outcomes of health education programs, some considerations of problems encountered in evaluating the programs, and detailed descriptions of two case studies: (1) a process evaluation of preoperative teaching and (2) a retrospective study of visiting nurse association use by…

Competence evaluation processes for nursing students abroad: Findings from an international case study.

PubMed

Tommasini, Cristina; Dobrowolska, Beata; Zarzycka, Danuta; Bacatum, Claudia; Bruun, Anne Marie Gran; Korsath, Dag; Roel, Siv; Jansen, Mette Bro; Milling, Tine; Deschamps, Anne; Mantzoukas, Stefanos; Mantzouka, Christine; Palese, Alvisa

2017-04-01

Assessing clinical competence in nursing students abroad is a challenge, and requires both methods and instruments capable of capturing the multidimensional nature of the clinical competences acquired. The aim of the study was to compare the clinical competence assessment processes and instruments adopted for nursing students during their clinical placement abroad. A case study design was adopted in 2015. A purposeful sample of eight nursing programmes located in seven countries (Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Italy) were approached. Tools as instruments for evaluating competences developed in clinical training by international nursing students, and written procedures aimed at guiding the evaluation process, were scrutinised through a content analysis method. All clinical competence evaluation procedures and instruments used in the nursing programmes involved were provided in English. A final evaluation of the competences was expected by all nursing programmes at the end of the clinical placement, while only four provided an intermediate evaluation. Great variability emerged in the tools, with between five and 88 items included. Through content analysis, 196 items emerged, classified into 12 different core competence categories, the majority were categorised as 'Technical skills' (=60), 'Self-learning and critical thinking' (=27) and 'Nursing care process' (=25) competences. Little emphasis was given in the tools to competences involving 'Self-adaptation', 'Inter-professional skills', 'Clinical documentation', 'Managing nursing care', 'Patient communication', and 'Theory and practice integration'. Institutions signing Bilateral Agreements should agree upon the competences expected from students during their clinical education abroad. The tools used in the process, as well as the role expected by the student, should also be agreed upon. Intercultural competences should be further addressed in the process of evaluation, in addition to adaptation to different settings. There is also a need to establish those competences achievable or not in the host country, aiming at increasing transparency in learning expectations and evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the process parameters of the dry coating process using a 2(5-1) factorial design.

PubMed

Kablitz, Caroline Désirée; Urbanetz, Nora Anne

2013-02-01

A recent development of coating technology is dry coating, where polymer powder and liquid plasticizer are layered on the cores without using organic solvents or water. Several studies evaluating the process were introduced in literature, however, little information about the critical process parameters (CPPs) is given. Aim of the study was the investigation and optimization of CPPs with respect to one of the critical quality attributes (CQAs), the coating efficiency of the dry coating process in a rotary fluid bed. Theophylline pellets were coated with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate as enteric film former and triethyl citrate and acetylated monoglyceride as plasticizer. A 2(5-1) design of experiments (DOEs) was created investigating five independent process parameters namely coating temperature, curing temperature, feeding/spraying rate, air flow and rotor speed. The results were evaluated by multilinear regression using the software Modde(®) 7. It is shown, that generally, low feeding/spraying rates and low rotor speeds increase coating efficiency. High coating temperatures enhance coating efficiency, whereas medium curing temperatures have been found to be optimum in terms of coating efficiency. This study provides a scientific base for the design of efficient dry coating processes with respect to coating efficiency.

Process Evaluation of a Lifestyle Intervention in Primary Care: Implementation Issues and the Participants' Satisfaction of the GOAL Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barte, Jeroen C. M.; ter Bogt, Nancy C. W.; Beltman, Frank W.; van der Meer, Klaas; Bemelmans, Wanda J. E.

2012-01-01

The Groningen Overweight and Lifestyle (GOAL) intervention effectively prevents weight gain. The present study describes a process evaluation in which 214 participants in the intervention group received a structured questionnaire within 7 months (a median of 5 months) after the end of the intervention. The authors investigated the content of the…

The role of mood and personality in the perception of emotions represented by music.

PubMed

Vuoskoski, Jonna K; Eerola, Tuomas

2011-10-01

Neuroimaging studies investigating the processing of emotions have traditionally considered variance between subjects as statistical noise. However, according to behavioural studies, individual differences in emotional processing appear to be an inherent part of the process itself. Temporary mood states as well as stable personality traits have been shown to influence the processing of emotions, causing trait- and mood-congruent biases. The primary aim of this study was to explore how listeners' personality and mood are reflected in their evaluations of discrete emotions represented by music. A related aim was to investigate the role of personality in music preferences. An experiment was carried out where 67 participants evaluated 50 music excerpts in terms of perceived emotions (anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and tenderness) and preference. Current mood was associated with mood-congruent biases in the evaluation of emotions represented by music, but extraversion moderated the degree of mood-congruence. Personality traits were strongly connected with preference ratings, and the correlations reflected the trait-congruent patterns obtained in prior studies investigating self-referential emotional processing. Implications for future behavioural and neuroimaging studies on music and emotions are raised. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Four challenges in selecting and implementing methods to monitor and evaluate participatory processes: Example from the Rwenzori region, Uganda.

PubMed

Hassenforder, Emeline; Ducrot, Raphaëlle; Ferrand, Nils; Barreteau, Olivier; Anne Daniell, Katherine; Pittock, Jamie

2016-09-15

Participatory approaches are now increasingly recognized and used as an essential element of policies and programs, especially in regards to natural resource management (NRM). Most practitioners, decision-makers and researchers having adopted participatory approaches also acknowledge the need to monitor and evaluate such approaches in order to audit their effectiveness, support decision-making or improve learning. Many manuals and frameworks exist on how to carry out monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for participatory processes. However, few provide guidelines on the selection and implementation of M&E methods, an aspect which is also often obscure in published studies, at the expense of the transparency, reliability and validity of the study. In this paper, we argue that the selection and implementation of M&E methods are particularly strategic when monitoring and evaluating a participatory process. We demonstrate that evaluators of participatory processes have to tackle a quadruple challenge when selecting and implementing methods: using mixed-methods, both qualitative and quantitative; assessing the participatory process, its outcomes, and its context; taking into account both the theory and participants' views; and being both rigorous and adaptive. The M&E of a participatory planning process in the Rwenzori Region, Uganda, is used as an example to show how these challenges unfold on the ground and how they can be tackled. Based on this example, we conclude by providing tools and strategies that can be used by evaluators to ensure that they make utile, feasible, coherent, transparent and adaptive methodological choices when monitoring and evaluating participatory processes for NRM. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Construction of mammographic examination process ontology using bottom-up hierarchical task analysis.

PubMed

Yagahara, Ayako; Yokooka, Yuki; Jiang, Guoqian; Tsuji, Shintarou; Fukuda, Akihisa; Nishimoto, Naoki; Kurowarabi, Kunio; Ogasawara, Katsuhiko

2018-03-01

Describing complex mammography examination processes is important for improving the quality of mammograms. It is often difficult for experienced radiologic technologists to explain the process because their techniques depend on their experience and intuition. In our previous study, we analyzed the process using a new bottom-up hierarchical task analysis and identified key components of the process. Leveraging the results of the previous study, the purpose of this study was to construct a mammographic examination process ontology to formally describe the relationships between the process and image evaluation criteria to improve the quality of mammograms. First, we identified and created root classes: task, plan, and clinical image evaluation (CIE). Second, we described an "is-a" relation referring to the result of the previous study and the structure of the CIE. Third, the procedural steps in the ontology were described using the new properties: "isPerformedBefore," "isPerformedAfter," and "isPerformedAfterIfNecessary." Finally, the relationships between tasks and CIEs were described using the "isAffectedBy" property to represent the influence of the process on image quality. In total, there were 219 classes in the ontology. By introducing new properties related to the process flow, a sophisticated mammography examination process could be visualized. In relationships between tasks and CIEs, it became clear that the tasks affecting the evaluation criteria related to positioning were greater in number than those for image quality. We developed a mammographic examination process ontology that makes knowledge explicit for a comprehensive mammography process. Our research will support education and help promote knowledge sharing about mammography examination expertise.

A quality-refinement process for medical imaging applications.

PubMed

Neuhaus, J; Maleike, D; Nolden, M; Kenngott, H-G; Meinzer, H-P; Wolf, I

2009-01-01

To introduce and evaluate a process for refinement of software quality that is suitable to research groups. In order to avoid constraining researchers too much, the quality improvement process has to be designed carefully. The scope of this paper is to present and evaluate a process to advance quality aspects of existing research prototypes in order to make them ready for initial clinical studies. The proposed process is tailored for research environments and therefore more lightweight than traditional quality management processes. Focus on quality criteria that are important at the given stage of the software life cycle. Usage of tools that automate aspects of the process is emphasized. To evaluate the additional effort that comes along with the process, it was exemplarily applied for eight prototypical software modules for medical image processing. The introduced process has been applied to improve the quality of all prototypes so that they could be successfully used in clinical studies. The quality refinement yielded an average of 13 person days of additional effort per project. Overall, 107 bugs were found and resolved by applying the process. Careful selection of quality criteria and the usage of automated process tools lead to a lightweight quality refinement process suitable for scientific research groups that can be applied to ensure a successful transfer of technical software prototypes into clinical research workflows.

Evaluation of professional supervision in Aotearoa/New Zealand: An interprofessional study.

PubMed

Davys, Allyson Mary; O'Connell, Michael; May, Janet; Burns, Beverley

2017-06-01

The evaluation of professional supervision has been a focus for discussion in the supervision literature over past decades. A review of the literature in this area, however, suggests that evaluation has been differently defined, variously addressed, and a range of outcomes reported. The present study reports the findings of the first stage of a three-stage study of evaluation in professional supervision in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Experienced practitioners from the four professions of counselling, mental health nursing, psychology, and social work were interviewed to explore how evaluation in professional supervision is understood and actioned in practice. Twenty four semistructured interviews were conducted with supervisees, supervisors, and managers from each of the identified professions. The findings from these interviews indicate that a majority of participants applied some form of evaluation to their supervision arrangement. These evaluations, however, did not reflect an overarching organizational or professional culture of formal evaluation, but rather, an individualized ad-hoc process initiated by one or both of the participants (supervisor and supervisee). These evaluations focussed predominantly on the process, rather than the outcomes, of supervision. While many respondents expressed interest in a formal process for evaluating supervision, a number of concerns were also raised. These concerns included a lack of evaluation skills and resource, the potential for formal evaluation to have a negative impact on the supervision relationship, the importance of maintaining the boundaries of confidentiality, and a wariness regarding the possible use of any information gathered. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Handbook of Evaluated Materials for Secondary Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mount Diablo Unified School District, Concord, CA.

The handbook contains teacher evaluations of secondary social studies materials used in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD), Orinda, California. The Materials Testing Program of MDUSD is an effort to involve secondary teachers in the process of evaluating social studies materials in certain concept areas: conflict, social change, man's…

Teacher Evaluations in Leisure Studies Programs: An Old Issue with a New Slant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butts, Frank B.; Swearingen, Tommy

1994-01-01

This paper examines teacher evaluation practices in leisure studies programs, noting the perceived effectiveness of rating instruments. Surveys of leisure studies professors nationwide indicated many institutions used evaluation instruments and processes that were not statistically validated; key decisions were often made on the basis of these…

Peer review of health research funding proposals: A systematic map and systematic review of innovations for effectiveness and efficiency.

PubMed

Shepherd, Jonathan; Frampton, Geoff K; Pickett, Karen; Wyatt, Jeremy C

2018-01-01

To investigate methods and processes for timely, efficient and good quality peer review of research funding proposals in health. A two-stage evidence synthesis: (1) a systematic map to describe the key characteristics of the evidence base, followed by (2) a systematic review of the studies stakeholders prioritised as relevant from the map on the effectiveness and efficiency of peer review 'innovations'. Standard processes included literature searching, duplicate inclusion criteria screening, study keyword coding, data extraction, critical appraisal and study synthesis. A total of 83 studies from 15 countries were included in the systematic map. The evidence base is diverse, investigating many aspects of the systems for, and processes of, peer review. The systematic review included eight studies from Australia, Canada, and the USA, evaluating a broad range of peer review innovations. These studies showed that simplifying the process by shortening proposal forms, using smaller reviewer panels, or expediting processes can speed up the review process and reduce costs, but this might come at the expense of peer review quality, a key aspect that has not been assessed. Virtual peer review using videoconferencing or teleconferencing appears promising for reducing costs by avoiding the need for reviewers to travel, but again any consequences for quality have not been adequately assessed. There is increasing international research activity into the peer review of health research funding. The studies reviewed had methodological limitations and variable generalisability to research funders. Given these limitations it is not currently possible to recommend immediate implementation of these innovations. However, many appear promising based on existing evidence, and could be adapted as necessary by funders and evaluated. Where feasible, experimental evaluation, including randomised controlled trials, should be conducted, evaluating impact on effectiveness, efficiency and quality.

Psychometric Evaluation of Children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD): Comparison with Normal-Hearing and Clinical Non-APD Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iliadou, Vasiliki; Bamiou, Doris Eva

2012-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the clinical utility of the Children's Auditory Processing Performance Scale (CHAPPS; Smoski, Brunt, & Tannahill, 1992) to evaluate listening ability in 12-year-old children referred for auditory processing assessment. Method: This was a prospective case control study of 97 children (age range = 11;4 [years;months] to…

Improving the two-step remediation process for CCA-treated wood. Part I, Evaluating oxalic acid extraction

Treesearch

Carol Clausen

2004-01-01

In this study, three possible improvements to a remediation process for chromated-copper-arsenate (CCA) treated wood were evaluated. The process involves two steps: oxalic acid extraction of wood fiber followed by bacterial culture with Bacillus licheniformis CC01. The three potential improvements to the oxalic acid extraction step were (1) reusing oxalic acid for...

Psychometric evaluation of the Swedish adaptation of the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals--Revised (IAPCC-R).

PubMed

Olt, Helen; Jirwe, Maria; Gustavsson, Petter; Emami, Azita

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the translation, adaption, and psychometric evaluation process in relation to validity and reliability of the Swedish version of the instrument, Inventory for Assessing The Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals-Revised (IAPCC-R) following the translation, adaptation, and psychometric evaluation process. Validity tests were conducted on the response processes (N = 15), the content (N = 7), and the internal structure of the instrument (N = 334). Reliability (alpha = .65 for the total scale varying between -.01 and .65 for the different subscales) was evaluated in terms of internal consistency. Results indicated weak validity and reliability though it is difficult to conclude whether this is related to adaptation issues or the original construction.The testing of the response process identified problems in relation to respondents' conceptualization of cultural competence. The test of the content identified a weak correspondence between the items and the underlying model. In addition, a confirmatory factor analysis did not confirm the proposed structure of the instrument. This study concludes that this instrument is not valid and reliable for use with a Swedish population of practicing nurses or nursing students.

Nondestructive Evaluation Technology Working Group Report (IDA/OSD R&M (Institute for Defense Analyses/Office of the Secretary of Defense Reliability and Maintainability Study).

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

evaluating surface residual stresses in ferromagnetic materials, but until recently has - been considered too time consuming for production application. Fast...generic residual stress , X-ray, image processing, neutron processing, neutron radiography, vibrothermography, nuclear magnetic resonance 20. ABSTRACT...studied, this technology study effort would not have been possible within the time and resources available. P-3 i La

Social identity modifies face perception: an ERP study of social categorization.

PubMed

Derks, Belle; Stedehouder, Jeffrey; Ito, Tiffany A

2015-05-01

Two studies examined whether social identity processes, i.e. group identification and social identity threat, amplify the degree to which people attend to social category information in early perception [assessed with event-related brain potentials (ERPs)]. Participants were presented with faces of Muslims and non-Muslims in an evaluative priming task while ERPs were measured and implicit evaluative bias was assessed. Study 1 revealed that non-Muslims showed stronger differentiation between ingroup and outgroup faces in both early (N200) and later processing stages (implicit evaluations) when they identified more strongly with their ethnic group. Moreover, identification effects on implicit bias were mediated by intergroup differentiation in the N200. In Study 2, social identity threat (vs control) was manipulated among Muslims. Results revealed that high social identity threat resulted in stronger differentiation of Muslims from non-Muslims in early (N200) and late (implicit evaluations) processing stages, with N200 effects again predicting implicit bias. Combined, these studies reveal how seemingly bottom-up early social categorization processes are affected by individual and contextual variables that affect the meaning of social identity. Implications of these results for the social identity perspective as well as social cognitive theories of person perception are discussed. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Understanding of evaluation capacity building in practice: a case study of a national medical education organization.

PubMed

Sarti, Aimee J; Sutherland, Stephanie; Landriault, Angele; DesRosier, Kirk; Brien, Susan; Cardinal, Pierre

2017-01-01

Evaluation capacity building (ECB) is a topic of great interest to many organizations as they face increasing demands for accountability and evidence-based practices. ECB is about building the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of organizational members, the sustainability of rigorous evaluative practices, and providing the resources and motivations to engage in ongoing evaluative work. There exists a solid foundation of theoretical research on ECB, however, understanding what ECB looks like in practice is relatively thin. Our purpose was to investigate what ECB looks like firsthand within a national medical educational organization. The context for this study was the Acute Critical Events Simulation (ACES) organization in Canada, which has successfully evolved into a national educational program, driven by physicians. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study to better understand and describe ECB in practice. In doing so, interviews were conducted with program leaders and instructors so as to gain a richer understanding of evaluative processes and practices. A total of 21 individuals participated in the semistructured interviews. Themes from our qualitative data analysis included the following: evaluation knowledge, skills, and attitudes, use of evaluation findings, shared evaluation beliefs and commitment, evaluation frameworks and processes, and resources dedicated to evaluation. The national ACES organization was a useful case study to explore ECB in practice. The ECB literature provided a solid foundation to understand the purpose and nuances of ECB. This study added to the paucity of studies focused on examining ECB in practice. The most important lesson learned was that the organization must have leadership who are intrinsically motivated to employ and use evaluation data to drive ongoing improvements within the organization. Leaders who are intrinsically motivated will employ risk taking when evaluation practices and processes may be somewhat unfamiliar. Creating and maintaining a culture of data use and ongoing inquiry have enabled national ACES to achieve a sustainable evaluation practice.

A Comparison of Participant and Practitioner Beliefs About Evaluation

PubMed Central

Whitehall, Anna K.; Hill, Laura G.; Koehler, Christian R.

2014-01-01

The move to build capacity for internal evaluation is a common organizational theme in social service delivery, and in many settings, the evaluator is also the practitioner who delivers the service. The goal of the present study was to extend our limited knowledge of practitioner evaluation. Specifically, the authors examined practitioner concerns about administering pretest and posttest evaluations within the context of a multisite 7-week family strengthening program and compared those concerns with self-reported attitudes of the parents who completed evaluations. The authors found that program participants (n = 105) were significantly less likely to find the evaluation process intrusive, and more likely to hold positive beliefs about the evaluation process, than practitioners (n = 140) expected. Results of the study may address a potential barrier to effective practitioner evaluation—the belief that having to administer evaluations interferes with establishing a good relationship with program participants. PMID:25328379

Process Evaluation of an Effective Church-Based Diet Intervention: Body & Soul

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Marci Kramish; Resnicow, Ken; Carr, Carol; Wang, Terry; Williams, Alexis

2007-01-01

Body & Soul has demonstrated effectiveness as a dietary intervention among African American church members. The process evaluation assessed relationships between program exposure and implementation factors and study outcomes and characterized factors important for adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Data sources included participant surveys…

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

Singh, S. P.N.; Peterson, G. R.

Coal beneficiation is a generic term used for processes that prepare run-of-mine coal for specific end uses. It is also referred to as coal preparation or coal cleaning and is a means of reducing the sulfur and the ash contents of coal. Information is presented regarding current and potential coal beneficiation processes. Several of the processes reviewed, though not yet commercial, are at various stages of experimental development. Process descriptions are provided for these processes commensurate with the extent of information and time available to perform the evaluation of these processes. Conceptual process designs, preliminary cost estimates, and economic evaluationsmore » are provided for the more advanced (from a process development hierarchy viewpoint) processes based on production levels of 1500 and 15,000 tons/day (maf) of cleaned product coal. Economic evaluations of the coal preparation plants are conducted for several project financing schemes and at 12 and 15% annual after-tax rates of return on equity capital. A 9% annual interest rate is used on the debt fraction of the plant capital. Cleaned product coal prices are determined using the discounted cash flow procedure. The study is intended to provide information on publicly known coal beneficiation processes and to indicate the relative costs of various coal beneficiation processes. Because of severe timeconstraints, several potential coal beneficiation processes are not evaluated in great detail. It is recommended that an additional study be conducted to complement this study and to more fully appreciate the potentially significant role of coal beneficiation in the clean burning of coal.« less

Evaluation of soil erosion risk using Analytic Network Process and GIS: a case study from Spanish mountain olive plantations.

PubMed

Nekhay, Olexandr; Arriaza, Manuel; Boerboom, Luc

2009-07-01

The study presents an approach that combined objective information such as sampling or experimental data with subjective information such as expert opinions. This combined approach was based on the Analytic Network Process method. It was applied to evaluate soil erosion risk and overcomes one of the drawbacks of USLE/RUSLE soil erosion models, namely that they do not consider interactions among soil erosion factors. Another advantage of this method is that it can be used if there are insufficient experimental data. The lack of experimental data can be compensated for through the use of expert evaluations. As an example of the proposed approach, the risk of soil erosion was evaluated in olive groves in Southern Spain, showing the potential of the ANP method for modelling a complex physical process like soil erosion.

Can Principals Promote Teacher Development as Evaluators? A Case Study of Principals' Views and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraft, Matthew A.; Gilmour, Allison F.

2016-01-01

Purpose: New teacher evaluation systems have expanded the role of principals as instructional leaders, but little is known about principals' ability to promote teacher development through the evaluation process. We conducted a case study of principals' perspectives on evaluation and their experiences implementing observation and feedback cycles to…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duman, Serap Nur; Akbas, Oktay

2017-01-01

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

Measuring Spontaneous and Instructed Evaluation Processes during Web Search: Integrating Concurrent Thinking-Aloud Protocols and Eye-Tracking Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerjets, Peter; Kammerer, Yvonne; Werner, Benita

2011-01-01

Web searching for complex information requires to appropriately evaluating diverse sources of information. Information science studies identified different criteria applied by searchers to evaluate Web information. However, the explicit evaluation instructions used in these studies might have resulted in a distortion of spontaneous evaluation…

A STUDY OF CURRICULUM CHANGES IN SELECTED TWO-YEAR COLLEGES INITIATED BY THE EVALUATION PROCESS USED BY THE MIDDLE STATES ASSOCIATION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BRASE, PETER CHARLES, JR.

DURING THE 1-YEAR PERIOD FOLLOWING ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE VISITS TO FOUR JUNIOR COLLEGES, THE AUTHOR VISITED THESE INSTITUTIONS AND STUDIED THEIR SELF-EVALUATION REPORTS AND THE VISITING COMMITTEE REPORTS, IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS ON THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION. WHILE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN AS RESULTS OF BOTH…

Surgery resident selection and evaluation. A critical incident study.

PubMed

Edwards, J C; Currie, M L; Wade, T P; Kaminski, D L

1993-03-01

This article reports a study of the process of selecting and evaluating general surgery residents. In personnel psychology terms, a job analysis of general surgery was conducted using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). The researchers collected 235 critical incidents through structured interviews with 10 general surgery faculty members and four senior residents. The researchers then directed the surgeons in a two-step process of sorting the incidents into categories and naming the categories. The final essential categories of behavior to define surgical competence were derived through discussion among the surgeons until a consensus was formed. Those categories are knowledge/self-education, clinical performance, diagnostic skills, surgical skills, communication skills, reliability, integrity, compassion, organization skills, motivation, emotional control, and personal appearance. These categories were then used to develop an interview evaluation form for selection purposes and a performance evaluation form to be used throughout residency training. Thus a continuum of evaluation was established. The categories and critical incidents were also used to structure the interview process, which has demonstrated increased interview validity and reliability in many other studies. A handbook for structuring the interviews faculty members conduct with applicants was written, and an interview training session was held with the faculty. The process of implementation of the structured selection interviews is being documented currently through qualitative research.

Toxicity evaluation of process water from hydrothermal carbonization of sugarcane industry by-products.

PubMed

Fregolente, Laís Gomes; Miguel, Thaiz Batista Azevedo Rangel; de Castro Miguel, Emilio; de Almeida Melo, Camila; Moreira, Altair Benedito; Ferreira, Odair Pastor; Bisinoti, Márcia Cristina

2018-03-29

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermochemical process carried out in an aqueous medium. It is capable of converting biomass into a solid, carbon-rich material (hydrochar), and producing a liquid phase (process water) which contains the unreactive feedstock and/or chemical intermediates from the carbonization reaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of process water generated by HTC from vinasse and sugarcane bagasse produced by sugarcane industry and to evaluate its toxicity to both marine (using Artemia salina as a model organism) and the terrestrial environment (through seed germination studies of maize, lettuce, and tomato). The experiments showed that concentrated process water completely inhibited germination of maize, lettuce, and tomato seeds. On the other hand, diluted process water was able to stimulate seedlings of maize and tomato and enhance root and shoot growth. For Artemia, the LC 50 indicated that the process water is practically non-toxic; however, morphological changes, especially damages to the digestive tube and antennas of Artemia, were observed for the concentration of 1000 mg C L -1 .

Study design considerations in evaluating environmental impacts

Treesearch

Stan T. Lebow; Paul A. Cooper; Patricia Lebow

2006-01-01

The purpose of this chapter is to make the reader aware of how choices in study parameters may influence the outcome of treated-wood environmental impact evaluations. Evaluation of the leaching and environmental accumulation of preservatives from treated wood is a complex process. and many factors can influence the results of such studies. In laboratory studies, the...

Evaluation of components of residential treatment by Medicaid ICF-MR surveys: a validity assessment.

PubMed Central

Reid, D H; Parsons, M B; Green, C W; Schepis, M M

1991-01-01

We evaluated the proficiency of the federal Medicaid program's survey process for evaluating intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded. In Study 1, an observational analysis of active treatment during leisure times in living units suggested that these surveys did not discriminate between certified and noncertified units. In Study 2, a reactivity analysis of a survey indicated that direct-care staff performed differently during the survey by increasing interactions with clients and decreasing nonwork behavior. Similarly, results of Study 3 showed increases in client access to leisure materials during a survey. In Study 4, questionnaire results indicated considerable variability among service providers' opinions on the consistency, accuracy, and objectivity with which survey teams determine agency standard compliance. Results are discussed regarding effects of the questionable proficiency of survey processes and the potential utility of behavioral assessment methodologies to improve such processes. PMID:1909696

Evaluating healthcare priority setting at the meso level: A thematic review of empirical literature

PubMed Central

Waithaka, Dennis; Tsofa, Benjamin; Barasa, Edwine

2018-01-01

Background: Decentralization of health systems has made sub-national/regional healthcare systems the backbone of healthcare delivery. These regions are tasked with the difficult responsibility of determining healthcare priorities and resource allocation amidst scarce resources. We aimed to review empirical literature that evaluated priority setting practice at the meso (sub-national) level of health systems. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google scholar databases and supplemented these with manual searching for relevant studies, based on the reference list of selected papers. We only included empirical studies that described and evaluated, or those that only evaluated priority setting practice at the meso-level. A total of 16 papers were identified from LMICs and HICs. We analyzed data from the selected papers by thematic review. Results: Few studies used systematic priority setting processes, and all but one were from HICs. Both formal and informal criteria are used in priority-setting, however, informal criteria appear to be more perverse in LMICs compared to HICs. The priority setting process at the meso-level is a top-down approach with minimal involvement of the community. Accountability for reasonableness was the most common evaluative framework as it was used in 12 of the 16 studies. Efficiency, reallocation of resources and options for service delivery redesign were the most common outcome measures used to evaluate priority setting. Limitations: Our study was limited by the fact that there are very few empirical studies that have evaluated priority setting at the meso-level and there is likelihood that we did not capture all the studies. Conclusions: Improving priority setting practices at the meso level is crucial to strengthening health systems. This can be achieved through incorporating and adapting systematic priority setting processes and frameworks to the context where used, and making considerations of both process and outcome measures during priority setting and resource allocation. PMID:29511741

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lalla, Michele; Ferrari, Davide

2011-01-01

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

[Situational diagnostic of an evaluation process of professional perfomance].

PubMed

Gonçalves, Vera Lúcia Mira; Leite, Maria Madalena Januário

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to realize a diagnostic situational about the evaluation process of the nursing team performance of USP Hospital. Based in two guiding questions, it was carried out 9 interviews with nurses of this hospital. These interviews were analyzed according Analyze of Contend. The most frequent themes were: The meaning of evaluation; the feelings; the difficulties and facilities concerning the instrument and the capacitacion. This experience brought about many feelings, as well as aspects that either favor or make the execution of the evaluation difficult, showing the principal points of vulnerability of the process and, therefore, deserving better attention and short-term intervention.

Evaluation of the Effects of AFFF Inputs on the VIP Biological Nutrient Removal Process and Pass-Through Toxicity. Phase 1A. Volume I.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-01

This report discusses the results of a bench scale study conducted to evaluate the potential inhibitory effects of untreated AFFF wastewater to the...untreated AFFF wastewater to the nitrification process of the Virginia Initiative Plant biological nutrient removal system. Under this testing, bench...scale reactors simulating the nitrification process were loaded at various AFFF concentrations and the influence on the process performance was

The economics of health information technology in medication management: a systematic review of economic evaluations.

PubMed

O'Reilly, Daria; Tarride, Jean-Eric; Goeree, Ron; Lokker, Cynthia; McKibbon, K Ann

2012-01-01

To conduct a systematic review and synthesis of the evidence surrounding the cost-effectiveness of health information technology (HIT) in the medication process. Peer-reviewed electronic databases and gray literature were searched to identify studies on HIT used to assist in the medication management process. Articles including an economic component were reviewed for further screening. For this review, full cost-effectiveness analyses, cost-utility analyses and cost-benefit analyses, as well as cost analyses, were eligible for inclusion and synthesis. The 31 studies included were heterogeneous with respect to the HIT evaluated, setting, and economic methods used. Thus the data could not be synthesized, and a narrative review was conducted. Most studies evaluated computer decision support systems in hospital settings in the USA, and only five of the studied performed full economic evaluations. Most studies merely provided cost data; however, useful economic data involves far more input. A full economic evaluation includes a full enumeration of the costs, synthesized with the outcomes of the intervention. The quality of the economic literature in this area is poor. A few studies found that HIT may offer cost advantages despite their increased acquisition costs. However, given the uncertainty that surrounds the costs and outcomes data, and limited study designs, it is difficult to reach any definitive conclusion as to whether the additional costs and benefits represent value for money. Sophisticated concurrent prospective economic evaluations need to be conducted to address whether HIT interventions in the medication management process are cost-effective.

Benefit evaluation of space processing of biological materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A rational analytical basis for the evaluation of potential benefits of space processing of biological materials is described. A preliminary evaluation of three candidate space processed biological materials was accomplished. Materials investigated were human lymphocytes, urokinase, and Beta cells. Separation of lymphocyte groups was considered in order to improve the matching of donors and recipients for kidney transplantation, while urokinase was examined in regard to treatment of thromboembolic diseases. Separation of Beta cells was studied since it could provide a highly effective means for the treatment of juvenile-onset diabetes.

Status report: Data management program algorithm evaluation activity at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jayroe, R. R., Jr.

1977-01-01

An algorithm evaluation activity was initiated to study the problems associated with image processing by assessing the independent and interdependent effects of registration, compression, and classification techniques on LANDSAT data for several discipline applications. The objective of the activity was to make recommendations on selected applicable image processing algorithms in terms of accuracy, cost, and timeliness or to propose alternative ways of processing the data. As a means of accomplishing this objective, an Image Coding Panel was established. The conduct of the algorithm evaluation is described.

Learning Evaluation: blending quality improvement and implementation research methods to study healthcare innovations.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Bijal A; Cohen, Deborah J; Davis, Melinda M; Gunn, Rose; Dickinson, L Miriam; Miller, William L; Crabtree, Benjamin F; Stange, Kurt C

2015-03-10

In healthcare change interventions, on-the-ground learning about the implementation process is often lost because of a primary focus on outcome improvements. This paper describes the Learning Evaluation, a methodological approach that blends quality improvement and implementation research methods to study healthcare innovations. Learning Evaluation is an approach to multi-organization assessment. Qualitative and quantitative data are collected to conduct real-time assessment of implementation processes while also assessing changes in context, facilitating quality improvement using run charts and audit and feedback, and generating transportable lessons. Five principles are the foundation of this approach: (1) gather data to describe changes made by healthcare organizations and how changes are implemented; (2) collect process and outcome data relevant to healthcare organizations and to the research team; (3) assess multi-level contextual factors that affect implementation, process, outcome, and transportability; (4) assist healthcare organizations in using data for continuous quality improvement; and (5) operationalize common measurement strategies to generate transportable results. Learning Evaluation principles are applied across organizations by the following: (1) establishing a detailed understanding of the baseline implementation plan; (2) identifying target populations and tracking relevant process measures; (3) collecting and analyzing real-time quantitative and qualitative data on important contextual factors; (4) synthesizing data and emerging findings and sharing with stakeholders on an ongoing basis; and (5) harmonizing and fostering learning from process and outcome data. Application to a multi-site program focused on primary care and behavioral health integration shows the feasibility and utility of Learning Evaluation for generating real-time insights into evolving implementation processes. Learning Evaluation generates systematic and rigorous cross-organizational findings about implementing healthcare innovations while also enhancing organizational capacity and accelerating translation of findings by facilitating continuous learning within individual sites. Researchers evaluating change initiatives and healthcare organizations implementing improvement initiatives may benefit from a Learning Evaluation approach.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Motor Development in Preterm Infants.

PubMed

Celik, Halil Ibrahim; Elbasan, Bulent; Gucuyener, Kivilcim; Kayihan, Hulya; Huri, Meral

The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between sensory processing and motor development in preterm infants. We included 30 preterm and 30 term infants with corrected and chronological ages between 10 and 12 mo. We used the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants to evaluate sensory processing and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale to evaluate motor development. The Spearman correlation test indicated a strong positive relationship between sensory processing and motor development in preterm infants (r = .63, p < .001). Given the relationship between sensory processing and motor development in the preterm group, the evaluation of sensory processing and motor development in preterm infants was considered necessary for the effective implementation of physiotherapy assessment and interventions. Copyright © 2018 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Expert consensus on best evaluative practices in community-based rehabilitation.

PubMed

Grandisson, Marie; Thibeault, Rachel; Hébert, Michèle; Cameron, Debra

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to generate expert consensus on best evaluative practices for community-based rehabilitation (CBR). This consensus includes key features of the evaluation process and methods, and discussion of whether a shared framework should be used to report findings and, if so, which framework should play this role. A Delphi study with two predefined rounds was conducted. Experts in CBR from a wide range of geographical areas and disciplinary backgrounds were recruited to complete the questionnaires. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed to generate the recommendations for best practices in CBR evaluation. A panel of 42 experts reached consensus on 13 recommendations for best evaluative practices in CBR. In regard to the critical qualities of sound CBR evaluation processes, panellists emphasized that these processes should be inclusive, participatory, empowering and respectful of local cultures and languages. The group agreed that evaluators should consider the use of mixed methods and participatory tools, and should combine indicators from a universal list of CBR indicators with locally generated ones. The group also agreed that a common framework should guide CBR evaluations, and that this framework should be a flexible combination between the CBR Matrix and the CBR Principles. An expert panel reached consensus on key features of best evaluative practices in CBR. Knowledge transfer initiatives are now required to develop guidelines, tools and training opportunities to facilitate CBR program evaluations. CBR evaluation processes should strive to be inclusive, participatory, empowering and respectful of local cultures and languages. CBR evaluators should strongly consider using mixed methods, participatory tools, a combination of indicators generated with the local community and with others from a bank of CBR indicators. CBR evaluations should be situated within a shared, but flexible, framework. This shared framework could combine the CBR Matrix and the CBR Principles.

Error Analysis Of Students Working About Word Problem Of Linear Program With NEA Procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoso, D. A.; Farid, A.; Ulum, B.

2017-06-01

Evaluation and assessment is an important part of learning. In evaluation process of learning, written test is still commonly used. However, the tests usually do not following-up by further evaluation. The process only up to grading stage not to evaluate the process and errors which done by students. Whereas if the student has a pattern error and process error, actions taken can be more focused on the fault and why is that happen. NEA procedure provides a way for educators to evaluate student progress more comprehensively. In this study, students’ mistakes in working on some word problem about linear programming have been analyzed. As a result, mistakes are often made students exist in the modeling phase (transformation) and process skills (process skill) with the overall percentage distribution respectively 20% and 15%. According to the observations, these errors occur most commonly due to lack of precision of students in modeling and in hastiness calculation. Error analysis with students on this matter, it is expected educators can determine or use the right way to solve it in the next lesson.

Integrating Human Factors into Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Mihriban; Holden, Kritina; Baggerman, Susan; Campbell, Paul

2007-01-01

The purpose of this design process is to apply Human Engineering (HE) requirements and guidelines to hardware/software and to provide HE design, analysis and evaluation of crew interfaces. The topics include: 1) Background/Purpose; 2) HE Activities; 3) CASE STUDY: Net Habitable Volume (NHV) Study; 4) CASE STUDY: Human Modeling Approach; 5) CASE STUDY: Human Modeling Results; 6) CASE STUDY: Human Modeling Conclusions; 7) CASE STUDY: Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation Approach; 8) CASE STUDY: Unsuited Evaluation Results; 9) CASE STUDY: Suited Evaluation Results; 10) CASE STUDY: Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation Conclusions; 11) Near-Term Plan; and 12) In Conclusion

Feasibility study on the use of groupware support for NASA source evaluation boards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Peter C.; Yoes, Cissy

1991-01-01

Groupware is a class of computer based systems that support groups engaged in a common task (or goal) and that provide an interface to a shared environment. A potential application for groupware is the source evaluation board (SEB) process used in the procurement of government contracts. This study was undertaken to (1) identify parts of the SEB process which are candidates for groupware supports; and (2) identify tools which could be used to support the candidate process. Two processes of the SEB were identified as good candidates for groupware support: (1) document generation - a coordination and communication process required to present and document the findings of an SEB; and (2) group decision making - a highly analytical and integrative decision process requiring a clear and supportable outcome.

The portfolio as an evaluation tool: an analysis of its use in an undergraduate nursing program.

PubMed

Friedrich, Denise Barbosa de Castro; Gonçalves, Angela Maria Corrêa; de Sá, Tatiana Santos; Sanglard, Leticia Ribeiro; Duque, Débora Ribeiro; de Oliveira, Gabriela Mota Antunes

2010-01-01

This qualitative study was carried out between April and August 2007. It analyzed the use of portfolios in the academic community. A total of nine full-time professors and 119 students enrolled in their third semester were interviewed through a semi-structured interview. Content analysis was used to analyze data. Learning evaluations are seen as a verification of knowledge and efficacy of pedagogical method, and also as an incentive to study. Evaluations are procedural, that is, evaluation is continuous, or one-time, e.g. semester end tests. The portfolio is defined as a gradual and continuous evaluation tool. The faculty members and students need to accept the use of portfolios and evaluate the possibilities of this resource. This study is a first attempt to appraise the evaluation process of an undergraduate program, and the use of portfolios and other strategies needs to be consolidated in order to improve the educational process in undergraduate nursing programs.

Self-reflection modulates the outcome evaluation process: Evidence from an ERP study.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiangru; Gu, Ruolei; Wu, Haiyan; Luo, Yuejia

2015-12-01

Recent research demonstrated structural overlap between reward and self processing, but the functional relationship that explains how self processing influences reward processing remains unclear. The present study used an experimentally constrained reflection task to investigate whether individuals' outcome evaluations in a gambling task are modulated by task-unrelated self- and other-reflection processes. The self- and other-reflection task contained descriptions of the self or others, and brain event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while 16 normal adults performed a gambling task. The ERP analysis focused on the feedback-related negativity (FRN) component. We found that the difference wave of FRN increased in the self-reflection condition compared with the other-reflection condition. The present findings provide direct evidence that self processing can influence reward processing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EVALUATION OF POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE STYRENE EMISIONS FROM OPEN CONTACT MOLDING PROCESSES - VOLUME 1. FINAL REPORT

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study to evaluate several pollution prevention techniques that could be used to reduce styrene emissions from open molding processes in the fiberglass-reinforced
plastics/composites (FRP/C) and fiberglass boat building industries. Styrene emission...

EVALUATION OF POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE STYRENE EMISSIONS FROM OPEN CONTACT MOLDING PROCESSES - VOLUME 2. APPENDICES

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study to evaluate several pollution prevention techniques that could be used to reduce styrene emissions from open molding processes in the fiberglass-reinforced plastics/composites (FRP/C) and fiberglass boat building industries. Styrene emissions u...

Liquid Rocket Booster Integration Study. Volume 2: Study synopsis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The impacts of introducing liquid rocket booster engines (LRB) into the Space Transportation System (STS)/Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch environment are identified and evaluated. Proposed ground systems configurations are presented along with a launch site requirements summary. Prelaunch processing scenarios are described and the required facility modifications and new facility requirements are analyzed. Flight vehicle design recommendations to enhance launch processing are discussed. Processing approaches to integrate LRB with existing STS launch operations are evaluated. The key features and significance of launch site transition to a new STS configuration in parallel with ongoing launch activities are enumerated. This volume is the study summary of the five volume series.

Psychiatric service staff perceptions of implementing a shared decision-making tool: a process evaluation study

PubMed Central

Schön, Ulla-Karin; Grim, Katarina; Wallin, Lars; Rosenberg, David; Svedberg, Petra

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: Shared decision making, SDM, in psychiatric services, supports users to experience a greater sense of involvement in treatment, self-efficacy, autonomy and reduced coercion. Decision tools adapted to the needs of users have the potential to support SDM and restructure how users and staff work together to arrive at shared decisions. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the implementation process of an SDM intervention for users of psychiatric services in Sweden. Method: The implementation was studied through a process evaluation utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods. In designing the process evaluation for the intervention, three evaluation components were emphasized: contextual factors, implementation issues and mechanisms of impact. Results: The study addresses critical implementation issues related to decision-making authority, the perceived decision-making ability of users and the readiness of the service to increase influence and participation. It also emphasizes the importance of facilitation, as well as suggesting contextual adaptations that may be relevant for the local organizations. Conclusion: The results indicate that staff perceived the decision support tool as user-friendly and useful in supporting participation in decision-making, and suggest that such concrete supports to participation can be a factor in implementation if adequate attention is paid to organizational contexts and structures. PMID:29405889

An improved filter elution and cell culture assay procedure for evaluating public groundwater systems for culturable enteroviruses.

PubMed

Dahling, Daniel R

2002-01-01

Large-scale virus studies of groundwater systems require practical and sensitive procedures for both sample processing and viral assay. Filter adsorption-elution procedures have traditionally been used to process large-volume water samples for viruses. In this study, five filter elution procedures using cartridge filters were evaluated for their effectiveness in processing samples. Of the five procedures tested, the third method, which incorporated two separate beef extract elutions (one being an overnight filter immersion in beef extract), recovered 95% of seeded poliovirus compared with recoveries of 36 to 70% for the other methods. For viral enumeration, an expanded roller bottle quantal assay was evaluated using seeded poliovirus. This cytopathic-based method was considerably more sensitive than the standard plaque assay method. The roller bottle system was more economical than the plaque assay for the evaluation of comparable samples. Using roller bottles required less time and manipulation than the plaque procedure and greatly facilitated the examination of large numbers of samples. The combination of the improved filter elution procedure and the roller bottle assay for viral analysis makes large-scale virus studies of groundwater systems practical. This procedure was subsequently field tested during a groundwater study in which large-volume samples (exceeding 800 L) were processed through the filters.

Psychiatric service staff perceptions of implementing a shared decision-making tool: a process evaluation study.

PubMed

Schön, Ulla-Karin; Grim, Katarina; Wallin, Lars; Rosenberg, David; Svedberg, Petra

2018-12-01

Shared decision making, SDM, in psychiatric services, supports users to experience a greater sense of involvement in treatment, self-efficacy, autonomy and reduced coercion. Decision tools adapted to the needs of users have the potential to support SDM and restructure how users and staff work together to arrive at shared decisions. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the implementation process of an SDM intervention for users of psychiatric services in Sweden. The implementation was studied through a process evaluation utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods. In designing the process evaluation for the intervention, three evaluation components were emphasized: contextual factors, implementation issues and mechanisms of impact. The study addresses critical implementation issues related to decision-making authority, the perceived decision-making ability of users and the readiness of the service to increase influence and participation. It also emphasizes the importance of facilitation, as well as suggesting contextual adaptations that may be relevant for the local organizations. The results indicate that staff perceived the decision support tool as user-friendly and useful in supporting participation in decision-making, and suggest that such concrete supports to participation can be a factor in implementation if adequate attention is paid to organizational contexts and structures.

Seeking consent for research with indigenous communities: a systematic review.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Emily F M; Martiniuk, Alexandra L C; D'Antoine, Heather; Oscar, June; Carter, Maureen; Elliott, Elizabeth J

2016-10-22

When conducting research with Indigenous populations consent should be sought from both individual participants and the local community. We aimed to search and summarise the literature about methods for seeking consent for research with Indigenous populations. A systematic literature search was conducted for articles that describe or evaluate the process of seeking informed consent for research with Indigenous participants. Guidelines for ethical research and for seeking consent with Indigenous people are also included in our review. Of 1447 articles found 1391 were excluded (duplicates, irrelevant, not in English); 56 were relevant and included. Articles were categorised into original research that evaluated the consent process (n = 5) or publications detailing the process of seeking consent (n = 13) and guidelines for ethical research (n = 38). Guidelines were categorised into international (n = 8); national (n = 20) and state/regional/local guidelines (n = 10). In five studies based in Australia, Canada and The United States of America the consent process with Indigenous people was objectively evaluated. In 13 other studies interpreters, voice recording, videos, pictures, flipcharts and "plain language" forms were used to assist in seeking consent but these processes were not evaluated. Some Indigenous organisations provide examples of community-designed resources for seeking consent and describe methods of community engagement, but none are evaluated. International, national and local ethical guidelines stress the importance of upholding Indigenous values but fail to specify methods for engaging communities or obtaining individual consent. In the 'Grey literature' concerns about the consent process are identified but no solutions are offered. Consultation with Indigenous communities is needed to determine how consent should be sought from the community and the individual, and how to evaluate this process.

Business process architectures: overview, comparison and framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dijkman, Remco; Vanderfeesten, Irene; Reijers, Hajo A.

2016-02-01

With the uptake of business process modelling in practice, the demand grows for guidelines that lead to consistent and integrated collections of process models. The notion of a business process architecture has been explicitly proposed to address this. This paper provides an overview of the prevailing approaches to design a business process architecture. Furthermore, it includes evaluations of the usability and use of the identified approaches. Finally, it presents a framework for business process architecture design that can be used to develop a concrete architecture. The use and usability were evaluated in two ways. First, a survey was conducted among 39 practitioners, in which the opinion of the practitioners on the use and usefulness of the approaches was evaluated. Second, four case studies were conducted, in which process architectures from practice were analysed to determine the approaches or elements of approaches that were used in their design. Both evaluations showed that practitioners have a preference for using approaches that are based on reference models and approaches that are based on the identification of business functions or business objects. At the same time, the evaluations showed that practitioners use these approaches in combination, rather than selecting a single approach.

Evaluation and selection of open-source EMR software packages based on integrated AHP and TOPSIS.

PubMed

Zaidan, A A; Zaidan, B B; Al-Haiqi, Ahmed; Kiah, M L M; Hussain, Muzammil; Abdulnabi, Mohamed

2015-02-01

Evaluating and selecting software packages that meet the requirements of an organization are difficult aspects of software engineering process. Selecting the wrong open-source EMR software package can be costly and may adversely affect business processes and functioning of the organization. This study aims to evaluate and select open-source EMR software packages based on multi-criteria decision-making. A hands-on study was performed and a set of open-source EMR software packages were implemented locally on separate virtual machines to examine the systems more closely. Several measures as evaluation basis were specified, and the systems were selected based a set of metric outcomes using Integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPSIS. The experimental results showed that GNUmed and OpenEMR software can provide better basis on ranking score records than other open-source EMR software packages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistical Process Control: A Quality Tool for a Venous Thromboembolic Disease Registry.

PubMed

Posadas-Martinez, Maria Lourdes; Rojas, Liliana Paloma; Vazquez, Fernando Javier; De Quiros, Fernan Bernaldo; Waisman, Gabriel Dario; Giunta, Diego Hernan

2016-01-01

We aim to describe Statistical Control Process as a quality tool for the Institutional Registry of Venous Thromboembolic Disease (IRTD), a registry developed in a community-care tertiary hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The IRTD is a prospective cohort. The process of data acquisition began with the creation of a computerized alert generated whenever physicians requested imaging or laboratory study to diagnose venous thromboembolism, which defined eligible patients. The process then followed a structured methodology for patient's inclusion, evaluation, and posterior data entry. To control this process, process performance indicators were designed to be measured monthly. These included the number of eligible patients, the number of included patients, median time to patient's evaluation, and percentage of patients lost to evaluation. Control charts were graphed for each indicator. The registry was evaluated in 93 months, where 25,757 patients were reported and 6,798 patients met inclusion criteria. The median time to evaluation was 20 hours (SD, 12) and 7.7% of the total was lost to evaluation. Each indicator presented trends over time, caused by structural changes and improvement cycles, and therefore the central limit suffered inflexions. Statistical process control through process performance indicators allowed us to control the performance of the registry over time to detect systematic problems. We postulate that this approach could be reproduced for other clinical registries.

Improvement of the Performance of an Electrocoagulation Process System Using Fuzzy Control of pH.

PubMed

Demirci, Yavuz; Pekel, Lutfiye Canan; Altinten, Ayla; Alpbaz, Mustafa

2015-12-01

The removal efficiencies of electrocoagulation (EC) systems are highly dependent on the initial value of pH. If an EC system has an acidic influent, the pH of the effluent increases during the treatment process; conversely, if such a system has an alkaline influent, the pH of the effluent decreases during the treatment process. Thus, changes in the pH of the wastewater affect the efficiency of the EC process. In this study, we investigated the dynamic effects of pH. To evaluate approaches for preventing increases in the pH of the system, the MATLAB/Simulink program was used to develop and evaluate an on-line computer-based system for pH control. The aim of this work was to study Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control and fuzzy control of the pH of a real textile wastewater purification process using EC. The performances and dynamic behaviors of these two control systems were evaluated based on determinations of COD, colour, and turbidity removal efficiencies.

Student Analysis of Handout Development based on Guided Discovery Method in Process Evaluation and Learning Outcomes of Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nerita, S.; Maizeli, A.; Afza, A.

2017-09-01

Process Evaluation and Learning Outcomes of Biology subjects discusses the evaluation process in learning and application of designed and processed learning outcomes. Some problems found during this subject was the student difficult to understand the subject and the subject unavailability of learning resources that can guide and make students independent study. So, it necessary to develop a learning resource that can make active students to think and to make decisions with the guidance of the lecturer. The purpose of this study is to produce handout based on guided discovery method that match the needs of students. The research was done by using 4-D models and limited to define phase that is student requirement analysis. Data obtained from the questionnaire and analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the average requirement of students was 91,43%. Can be concluded that students need a handout based on guided discovery method in the learning process.

Documenting Evaluation Use: Guided Evaluation Decisionmaking. Evaluation Productivity Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burry, James

This paper documents the evaluation use process among districts using the Guide for Evaluation Decision Makers, published by the Center for the Study of Evaluation (CSE) during the 1984-85 school year. Included are the following: (1) a discussion of research that led to conclusions concerning the administrator's role in evaluation use; (2) a…

Student evaluation team focus groups increase students' satisfaction with the overall course evaluation process.

PubMed

Brandl, Katharina; Mandel, Jess; Winegarden, Babbi

2017-02-01

Most medical schools use online systems to gather student feedback on the quality of their educational programmes and services. Online data may be limiting, however, as the course directors cannot question the students about written comments, nor can students engage in mutual problem-solving dialogue with course directors. We describe the implementation of a student evaluation team (SET) process to permit course directors and students to gather shortly after courses end to engage in feedback and problem solving regarding the course and course elements. Approximately 16 students were randomly selected to participate in each SET meeting, along with the course director, academic deans and other faculty members involved in the design and delivery of the course. An objective expert facilitates the SET meetings. SETs are scheduled for each of the core courses and threads that occur within the first 2 years of medical school, resulting in approximately 29 SETs annually. SET-specific satisfaction surveys submitted by students (n = 76) and course directors (n = 16) in 2015 were used to evaluate the SET process itself. Survey data were collected from 885 students (2010-2015), which measured student satisfaction with the overall evaluation process before and after the implementation of SETs. Students and course directors valued the SET process itself as a positive experience. Students felt that SETs allowed their voices to be heard, and that the SET increased the probability of suggested changes being implemented. Students' satisfaction with the overall evaluation process significantly improved after implementation of the SET process. Our data suggest that the SET process is a valuable way to supplement online evaluation systems and to increase students' and faculty members' satisfaction with the evaluation process. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Embodied simulation as part of affective evaluation processes: task dependence of valence concordant EMG activity.

PubMed

Weinreich, André; Funcke, Jakob Maria

2014-01-01

Drawing on recent findings, this study examines whether valence concordant electromyography (EMG) responses can be explained as an unconditional effect of mere stimulus processing or as somatosensory simulation driven by task-dependent processing strategies. While facial EMG over the Corrugator supercilii and the Zygomaticus major was measured, each participant performed two tasks with pictures of album covers. One task was an affective evaluation task and the other was to attribute the album covers to one of five decades. The Embodied Emotion Account predicts that valence concordant EMG is more likely to occur if the task necessitates a somatosensory simulation of the evaluative meaning of stimuli. Results support this prediction with regard to Corrugator supercilii in that valence concordant EMG activity was only present in the affective evaluation task but not in the non-evaluative task. Results for the Zygomaticus major were ambiguous. Our findings are in line with the view that EMG activity is an embodied part of the evaluation process and not a mere physical outcome.

Analysis of the times involved in processing and communication in a lower limb simulation system controlled by SEMG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Profumieri, A.; Bonell, C.; Catalfamo, P.; Cherniz, A.

2016-04-01

Virtual reality has been proposed for different applications, including the evaluation of new control strategies and training protocols for upper limb prostheses and for the study of new rehabilitation programs. In this study, a lower limb simulation environment commanded by surface electromyography signals is evaluated. The time delays generated by the acquisition and processing stages for the signals that would command the knee joint, were measured and different acquisition windows were analysed. The subjective perception of the quality of simulation was also evaluated when extra delays were added to the process. The results showed that the acquisition window is responsible for the longest delay. Also, the basic implemented processes allowed for the acquisition of three signal channels for commanding the simulation. Finally, the communication between different applications is arguably efficient, although it depends on the amount of data to be sent.

Evaluating Acoustic Emission Signals as an in situ process monitoring technique for Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

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

Fisher, Karl A.; Candy, Jim V.; Guss, Gabe

2016-10-14

In situ real-time monitoring of the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process has significant implications for the AM community. The ability to adjust the SLM process parameters during a build (in real-time) can save time, money and eliminate expensive material waste. Having a feedback loop in the process would allow the system to potentially ‘fix’ problem regions before a next powder layer is added. In this study we have investigated acoustic emission (AE) phenomena generated during the SLM process, and evaluated the results in terms of a single process parameter, of an in situ process monitoring technique.

User embracement with risk classification in an emergency care unit: an evaluative study.

PubMed

Hermida, Patrícia Madalena Vieira; Nascimento, Eliane Regina Pereira do; Echevarría-Guanilo, Maria Elena; Brüggemann, Odaléa Maria; Malfussi, Luciana Bihain Hagemann de

2018-01-01

Objective Describing the evaluation of the Structure, Process and Outcome of User Embracement with Risk Classification of an Emergency Care Unit from the perspective of physicians and nurses. Method An evaluative, descriptive, quantitative study developed in Santa Catarina. Data were collected using a validated and adapted instrument consisting of 21 items distributed in the dimensions of Structure (facilities), Process (activities and relationships in providing care) and Outcome (care effects). In the analysis, descriptive statistics and the Mean Ranking and Mean Score calculations were applied. Results The sample consisted of 37 participants. From the 21 evaluated items, 11 (52.4%) had a Mean Ranking between 3 and 4, and none of them reached the maximum ranking (5 points). "Prioritization of severe cases" and "Primary care according to the severity of the case" reached a higher Mean Ranking (4.5), while "Flowchart discussion" had the lowest Ranking (2.1). The dimensions of Structure, Process and Outcome reached mean scores of 23.9, 21.9 and 25.5, respectively, indicating a Precarious evaluation (17.5 to 26.1 points). Conclusion User Embracement with Risk Classification is precarious, especially regarding the Process which obtained a lower satisfaction level from the participants.

Special Advanced Studies for Pollution Prevention. Delivery Order 0058: The Monitor - Spring 2000

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

Process complexity ➨ Strippability ➨ Maturity ➨ Process type and chemistry ➨ Licensing requirements ➨ Vendor information ➨ Niplate 700 (Surface...Courses of Action 4 Identify & Evaluate Potential Alternatives 5 Select Best Alternative & Develop Project 6 Prioritize Projects by Commodity 7 Rank...Burden CS Priority Process Specific P2 OASolution Selection Solution Planning Solution Implementation Solution Evaluation Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 1

Automated Plasma Spray (APS) process feasibility study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetheroff, C. W.; Derkacs, T.; Matay, I. M.

1981-01-01

An automated plasma spray (APS) process was developed to apply two layer (NiCrAlY and ZrO2-12Y2O3) thermal barrier coatings to aircraft and stationary gas turbine engine blade airfoils. The APS process hardware consists of four subsystems: a mechanical positioning subsystem incorporating two interlaced six degree of freedom assemblies (one for coating deposition and one for coating thickness monitoring); a noncoherent optical metrology subsystem (for in process gaging of the coating thickness buildup at specified points on the specimen); a microprocessor based adaptive system controller (to achieve the desired overall thickness profile on the specimen); and commerical plasma spray equipment. Over fifty JT9D first stage aircraft turbine blade specimens, ten W501B utility turbine blade specimens and dozens of cylindrical specimens were coated with the APS process in preliminary checkout and evaluation studies. The best of the preliminary turbine blade specimens achieved an overall coating thickness uniformity of 53 micrometers (2.1 mils), much better than is achievable manually. Comparative evaluations of coating thickness uniformity for manually sprayed and APS coated specimens were performed. One of the preliminary turbine blade evaluation specimens was subjected to a torch test and metallographic evaluation. Some cylindrical specimens coated with the APS process survived up to 2000 cycles in subsequent burner rig testing.

Assessment of the degradation efficiency of full-scale biogas plants: A comparative study of degradation indicators.

PubMed

Li, Chao; Nges, Ivo Achu; Lu, Wenjing; Wang, Haoyu

2017-11-01

Increasing popularity and applications of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process has necessitated the development and identification of tools for obtaining reliable indicators of organic matter degradation rate and hence evaluate the process efficiency especially in full-scale, commercial biogas plants. In this study, four biogas plants (A1, A2, B and C) based on different feedstock, process configuration, scale and operational performance were selected and investigated. Results showed that the biochemical methane potential (BMP) based degradation rate could be use in incisively gauging process efficiency in lieu of the traditional degradation rate indicators. The BMP degradation rates ranged from 70 to 90% wherein plants A2 and C showed the highest throughput. This study, therefore, corroborates the feasibility of using the BMP degradation rate as a practical tool for evaluating process performance in full-scale biogas processes and spots light on the microbial diversity in full-scale biogas processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolution of Multidisciplinary Translational Teams (MTTs): Insights for Accelerating Translational Innovations

PubMed Central

Calhoun, William J.; Bhavnani, Suresh; Rose, Robert M.; Ameredes, Bill; Brasier, Allan R.

2015-01-01

Abstract There is growing consensus about the factors critical for development and productivity of multidisciplinary teams, but few studies have evaluated their longitudinal changes. We present a longitudinal study of 10 multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs), based on team process and outcome measures, evaluated before and after 3 years of CTSA collaboration. Using a mixed methods approach, an expert panel of five judges (familiar with the progress of the teams) independently rated team performance based on four process and four outcome measures, and achieved a rating consensus. Although all teams made progress in translational domains, other process and outcome measures were highly variable. The trajectory profiles identified four categories of team performance. Objective bibliometric analysis of CTSA‐supported MTTs with positive growth in process scores showed that these teams tended to have enhanced scientific outcomes and published in new scientific domains, indicating the conduct of innovative science. Case exemplars revealed that MTTs that experienced growth in both process and outcome evaluative criteria also experienced greater innovation, defined as publications in different areas of science. Of the eight evaluative criteria, leadership‐related behaviors were the most resistant to the interventions introduced. Well‐managed MTTs demonstrate objective productivity and facilitate innovation. PMID:25801998

Evolution of Multidisciplinary Translational Teams (MTTs): Insights for Accelerating Translational Innovations.

PubMed

Wooten, Kevin C; Calhoun, William J; Bhavnani, Suresh; Rose, Robert M; Ameredes, Bill; Brasier, Allan R

2015-10-01

There is growing consensus about the factors critical for development and productivity of multidisciplinary teams, but few studies have evaluated their longitudinal changes. We present a longitudinal study of 10 multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs), based on team process and outcome measures, evaluated before and after 3 years of CTSA collaboration. Using a mixed methods approach, an expert panel of five judges (familiar with the progress of the teams) independently rated team performance based on four process and four outcome measures, and achieved a rating consensus. Although all teams made progress in translational domains, other process and outcome measures were highly variable. The trajectory profiles identified four categories of team performance. Objective bibliometric analysis of CTSA-supported MTTs with positive growth in process scores showed that these teams tended to have enhanced scientific outcomes and published in new scientific domains, indicating the conduct of innovative science. Case exemplars revealed that MTTs that experienced growth in both process and outcome evaluative criteria also experienced greater innovation, defined as publications in different areas of science. Of the eight evaluative criteria, leadership-related behaviors were the most resistant to the interventions introduced. Well-managed MTTs demonstrate objective productivity and facilitate innovation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Students' views on the block evaluation process: A descriptive analysis.

PubMed

Pakkies, Ntefeleng E; Mtshali, Ntombifikile G

2016-03-30

Higher education institutions have executed policies and practices intended to determine and promote good teaching. Students' evaluation of the teaching and learning process is seen as one measure of evaluating quality and effectiveness of instruction and courses. Policies and procedures guiding this process are discernible in universities, but it isoften not the case for nursing colleges. To analyse and describe the views of nursing students on block evaluation, and how feedback obtained from this process was managed. A quantitative descriptive study was conducted amongst nursing students (n = 177) in their second to fourth year of training from one nursing college in KwaZulu-Natal. A questionnaire was administered by the researcher and data were analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences Version 19.0. The response rate was 145 (81.9%). The participants perceived the aim of block evaluation as improving the quality of teaching and enhancing their experiences as students.They questioned the significance of their input as stakeholders given that they had never been consulted about the development or review of the evaluation tool, or the administration process; and they often did not receive feedback from the evaluation they participated in. The college management should develop a clear organisational structure with supporting policies and operational guidelines for administering the evaluation process. The administration, implementation procedures, reporting of results and follow-up mechanisms should be made transparent and communicated to all concerned. Reports and actions related to these evaluations should provide feedback into relevant courses or programmes.

Evaluating the Pros and Cons of Different Peer Review Policies via Simulation.

PubMed

Zhu, Jia; Fung, Gabriel; Wong, Wai Hung; Li, Zhixu; Xu, Chuanhua

2016-08-01

In the academic world, peer review is one of the major processes in evaluating a scholars contribution. In this study, we are interested in quantifying the merits of different policies in a peer review process, such as single-blind review, double-blind review, and obtaining authors feedback. Currently, insufficient work has been undertaken to evaluate the benefits of different peer review policies. One of the major reasons for this situation is the inability to conduct any empirical study because data are presently unavailable. In this case, a computer simulation is one of the best ways to conduct a study. We perform a series of simulations to study the effects of different policies on a peer review process. In this study, we focus on the peer review process of a typical computer science conference. Our results point to the crucial role of program chairs in determining the quality and diversity of the articles to be accepted for publication. We demonstrate the importance of discussion among reviewers, suggest circumstances in which the double-blind review policy should be adopted, and question the credibility of the authors feedback mechanism. Finally, we stress that randomness plays an important role in the peer review process, and this role cannot be eliminated. Although our model may not capture every component of a peer review process, it covers some of the most essential elements. Thus, even the simulation results clearly cannot be taken as literal descriptions of an actual peer review process. However, we can at least still use them to identify alternative directions for future study.

Business Marketing Information Systems Skills. Voc-Ed Project. Marketing Management Career Area. Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milwaukee Area Technical Coll., WI.

A study was conducted to develop a curriculum to meet the information processing/management training needs of persons entering or continuing careers in the information marketing area. The process used for the study was based on Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model of evaluation. The information gathering process included a…

Evaluating mixed samples as a source of error in non-invasive genetic studies using microsatellites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roon, David A.; Thomas, M.E.; Kendall, K.C.; Waits, L.P.

2005-01-01

The use of noninvasive genetic sampling (NGS) for surveying wild populations is increasing rapidly. Currently, only a limited number of studies have evaluated potential biases associated with NGS. This paper evaluates the potential errors associated with analysing mixed samples drawn from multiple animals. Most NGS studies assume that mixed samples will be identified and removed during the genotyping process. We evaluated this assumption by creating 128 mixed samples of extracted DNA from brown bear (Ursus arctos) hair samples. These mixed samples were genotyped and screened for errors at six microsatellite loci according to protocols consistent with those used in other NGS studies. Five mixed samples produced acceptable genotypes after the first screening. However, all mixed samples produced multiple alleles at one or more loci, amplified as only one of the source samples, or yielded inconsistent electropherograms by the final stage of the error-checking process. These processes could potentially reduce the number of individuals observed in NGS studies, but errors should be conservative within demographic estimates. Researchers should be aware of the potential for mixed samples and carefully design gel analysis criteria and error checking protocols to detect mixed samples.

Adapting, piloting and evaluating complex public health interventions: lessons learned from the Nurse-Family Partnership in Canadian public health settings.

PubMed

Jack, S M; Catherine, N; Gonzalez, A; MacMillan, H L; Sheehan, D; Waddell, D

2015-01-01

The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a home-visit program for young and first-time, socially and economically disadvantaged mothers. Evidence from three United States randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of this intervention at improving pregnancy outcomes, improving child health and development, and increasing maternal economic self-sufficiency is robust. However, the effectiveness of the NFP in Canada, with its different health and social care context, needs to be determined. The purpose of this article is to describe the complex process for moving the NFP from the research arena to full implementation in Canada. This process of evaluation in Canada includes (1) adapting the intervention; (2) piloting the intervention in small-scale feasibility and acceptability studies; and (3) conducting an RCT and process evaluation through a study called the British Columbia Healthy Connections Project (BCHCP). This large-scale evaluation also creates an opportunity to expand the NFP evidence base by conducting an additional study to examine potential biological mechanisms linking intervention and behavioural outcomes in children. Adaptation of the NFP home-visit materials is a continuous process. A pilot project determined that it was feasible to enrol eligible women into the NFP. This pilot also determined that, in Canada, it was most appropriate for public health agencies to implement the NFP and for public health nurses to deliver the intervention. Finally, the pilot showed that this intensive home-visit program was acceptable to clients, their family members and health care providers. Through the BCHCP, the next steps - the RCT and process evaluation - are currently underway. The BCHCP will also set the foundation for long-term evaluation of key public health outcomes in a highly vulnerable population of families.

West Valley demonstration project: Alternative processes for solidifying the high-level wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holton, L. K.; Larson, D. E.; Partain, W. L.; Treat, R. L.

1981-10-01

Two pretreatment approaches and several waste form processes for radioactive wastes were selected for evaluation. The two waste treatment approaches were the salt/sludge separation process and the combined waste process. Both terminal and interim waste form processes were studied.

How to Measure the Intervention Process? An Assessment of Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Data Collection in the Process Evaluation of Organizational Interventions

PubMed Central

Abildgaard, Johan S.; Saksvik, Per Ø.; Nielsen, Karina

2016-01-01

Organizational interventions aiming at improving employee health and wellbeing have proven to be challenging to evaluate. To analyze intervention processes two methodological approaches have widely been used: quantitative (often questionnaire data), or qualitative (often interviews). Both methods are established tools, but their distinct epistemological properties enable them to illuminate different aspects of organizational interventions. In this paper, we use the quantitative and qualitative process data from an organizational intervention conducted in a national postal service, where the Intervention Process Measure questionnaire (N = 285) as well as an extensive interview study (N = 50) were used. We analyze what type of knowledge about intervention processes these two methodologies provide and discuss strengths and weaknesses as well as potentials for mixed methods evaluation methodologies. PMID:27713707

How to Measure the Intervention Process? An Assessment of Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Data Collection in the Process Evaluation of Organizational Interventions.

PubMed

Abildgaard, Johan S; Saksvik, Per Ø; Nielsen, Karina

2016-01-01

Organizational interventions aiming at improving employee health and wellbeing have proven to be challenging to evaluate. To analyze intervention processes two methodological approaches have widely been used: quantitative (often questionnaire data), or qualitative (often interviews). Both methods are established tools, but their distinct epistemological properties enable them to illuminate different aspects of organizational interventions. In this paper, we use the quantitative and qualitative process data from an organizational intervention conducted in a national postal service, where the Intervention Process Measure questionnaire ( N = 285) as well as an extensive interview study ( N = 50) were used. We analyze what type of knowledge about intervention processes these two methodologies provide and discuss strengths and weaknesses as well as potentials for mixed methods evaluation methodologies.

Improving reliability of a residency interview process.

PubMed

Peeters, Michael J; Serres, Michelle L; Gundrum, Todd E

2013-10-14

To improve the reliability and discrimination of a pharmacy resident interview evaluation form, and thereby improve the reliability of the interview process. In phase 1 of the study, authors used a Many-Facet Rasch Measurement model to optimize an existing evaluation form for reliability and discrimination. In phase 2, interviewer pairs used the modified evaluation form within 4 separate interview stations. In phase 3, 8 interviewers individually-evaluated each candidate in one-on-one interviews. In phase 1, the evaluation form had a reliability of 0.98 with person separation of 6.56; reproducibly, the form separated applicants into 6 distinct groups. Using that form in phase 2 and 3, our largest variation source was candidates, while content specificity was the next largest variation source. The phase 2 g-coefficient was 0.787, while confirmatory phase 3 was 0.922. Process reliability improved with more stations despite fewer interviewers per station-impact of content specificity was greatly reduced with more interview stations. A more reliable, discriminating evaluation form was developed to evaluate candidates during resident interviews, and a process was designed that reduced the impact from content specificity.

Teaching Evaluation: Antecedents of Teachers' Perceived Usefulness of Follow-Up Sessions and Perceived Stress Related to the Evaluation Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lejonberg, Eli; Elstad, Eyvind; Christophersen, Knut Andreas

2018-01-01

This study examines teaching evaluation based on student feedback which is intended to contribute to teachers' professional development. Although studies have highlighted that teaching evaluation is a potential source of professional development and that follow-up sessions are crucial to this benefit, little attention has been paid to the…

The Evaluation of Teaching the Nursing Process Using Traditional Lecture, Campus Laboratory, Clinical, and the Addition of High Fidelity Human Simulation (HFHS) Unfolding Scenarios

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, Ruth E.

2013-01-01

It is not sufficient to just make changes in a nursing curriculum without a plan to evaluate the impact on program outcomes. This study sought to determine the outcomes of teaching the nursing process to Foundation of Nursing students in an Associate Degree Nursing program using a factorial design study. Four groups of students were taught the…

An Exploration of Teachers' and Administrators' Perspectives: The Collaborative Process Using the Danielson Framework for Teaching Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landolfi, Adrienne M.

2016-01-01

As accountability measures continue to increase within education, public school systems have integrated standards-based evaluation systems to formally assess professional practices among educators. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent in which the communication process between evaluators and teachers impacts teacher performance…

Personal Striving Level and Self-Evaluation Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orias, John; Leung, Lisa; Dosanj, Shikha; McAnlis, JoAnna; Levy, Gal; Sheposh, John P.

Three studies were conducted to determine if goal striving level was related to accurate self-knowledge. The purpose of the research was to determine if the tendency of high strivers to confront stressful stimuli extends to self-evaluation processes. Three experiments were designed to investigate whether high strivers differ from low strivers in…

Peer-Led, School-Based Nutrition Education for Young Adolescents: Feasibility and Process Evaluation of the TEENS Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Story, Mary; Lytle, Leslie A.; Birnbaum, Amanda S.; Perry, Cheryl L.

2002-01-01

Describes the feasibility of the peer leader component of a school-based nutrition intervention for young adolescents designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and lower fat consumption. Results from a multicomponent process evaluation involving participant feedback, observation, and teacher ratings and interviews indicated that…

Preparing Youth for College and Career: A Process Evaluation of Urban Alliance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theodos, Brett; Pergamit, Michael R.; Edelstein, Sara; George, Taz; Freiman, Lesley

2014-01-01

This report presents baseline and process study findings of an evaluation of the Urban Alliance high school internship program, which provides training, mentoring, and work experience to high school seniors from distressed communities in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, and Chicago. The report, which focuses on the program's…

Variability in Students' Evaluating Processes in Peer Assessment with Calibrated Peer Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, J.; Van Horne, S.; Ward, A. S.; Bettis, E. A., III; Gikonyo, J.

2017-01-01

This study investigated students' evaluating process and their perceptions of peer assessment when they engaged in peer assessment using Calibrated Peer Review. Calibrated Peer Review is a web-based application that facilitates peer assessment of writing. One hundred and thirty-two students in an introductory environmental science course…

Self-Evaluation Processes in Life Satisfaction: Uncovering Measurement Non-Equivalence and Age-Related Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heidemeier, Heike; Staudinger, Ursula M.

2012-01-01

This study demonstrates how self-evaluation processes explain subgroup differences in ratings of life satisfaction (population heterogeneity). Life domains differ with regard to the constraints they impose on beliefs in internal control. We hypothesized that these differences are linked with cognitive biases in ratings of life satisfaction. In…

Evaluating and Improving the Mathematics Teaching-Learning Process through Metacognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desoete, Annemie

2007-01-01

Introduction: Despite all the emphasis on metacognition, researchers currently use different techniques to assess metacognition. The purpose of this contribution is to help to clarify some of the paradigms on the evaluation of metacognition. In addition the paper reviews studies aiming to improve the learning process through metacognition. Method:…

On the Automaticity of the Evaluative Priming Effect in the Valent/Non-Valent Categorization Task

PubMed Central

Spruyt, Adriaan; Tibboel, Helen

2015-01-01

It has previously been argued (a) that automatic evaluative stimulus processing is critically dependent upon feature-specific attention allocation and (b) that evaluative priming effects can arise in the absence of dimensional overlap between the prime set and the response set. In line with both claims, research conducted at our lab revealed that the evaluative priming effect replicates in the valent/non-valent categorization task. This research was criticized, however, because non-automatic, strategic processes may have contributed to the emergence of this effect. We now report the results of a replication study in which the operation of non-automatic, strategic processes was controlled for. A clear-cut evaluative priming effect emerged, thus supporting initial claims concerning feature-specific attention allocation and dimensional overlap. PMID:25803444

On the automaticity of the evaluative priming effect in the valent/non-valent categorization task.

PubMed

Spruyt, Adriaan; Tibboel, Helen

2015-01-01

It has previously been argued (a) that automatic evaluative stimulus processing is critically dependent upon feature-specific attention allocation and (b) that evaluative priming effects can arise in the absence of dimensional overlap between the prime set and the response set. In line with both claims, research conducted at our lab revealed that the evaluative priming effect replicates in the valent/non-valent categorization task. This research was criticized, however, because non-automatic, strategic processes may have contributed to the emergence of this effect. We now report the results of a replication study in which the operation of non-automatic, strategic processes was controlled for. A clear-cut evaluative priming effect emerged, thus supporting initial claims concerning feature-specific attention allocation and dimensional overlap.

The economics of health information technology in medication management: a systematic review of economic evaluations

PubMed Central

Tarride, Jean-Eric; Goeree, Ron; Lokker, Cynthia; McKibbon, K Ann

2011-01-01

Objective To conduct a systematic review and synthesis of the evidence surrounding the cost-effectiveness of health information technology (HIT) in the medication process. Materials and methods Peer-reviewed electronic databases and gray literature were searched to identify studies on HIT used to assist in the medication management process. Articles including an economic component were reviewed for further screening. For this review, full cost-effectiveness analyses, cost-utility analyses and cost-benefit analyses, as well as cost analyses, were eligible for inclusion and synthesis. Results The 31 studies included were heterogeneous with respect to the HIT evaluated, setting, and economic methods used. Thus the data could not be synthesized, and a narrative review was conducted. Most studies evaluated computer decision support systems in hospital settings in the USA, and only five of the studied performed full economic evaluations. Discussion Most studies merely provided cost data; however, useful economic data involves far more input. A full economic evaluation includes a full enumeration of the costs, synthesized with the outcomes of the intervention. Conclusion The quality of the economic literature in this area is poor. A few studies found that HIT may offer cost advantages despite their increased acquisition costs. However, given the uncertainty that surrounds the costs and outcomes data, and limited study designs, it is difficult to reach any definitive conclusion as to whether the additional costs and benefits represent value for money. Sophisticated concurrent prospective economic evaluations need to be conducted to address whether HIT interventions in the medication management process are cost-effective. PMID:21984590

On-board multispectral classification study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ewalt, D.

1979-01-01

The factors relating to onboard multispectral classification were investigated. The functions implemented in ground-based processing systems for current Earth observation sensors were reviewed. The Multispectral Scanner, Thematic Mapper, Return Beam Vidicon, and Heat Capacity Mapper were studied. The concept of classification was reviewed and extended from the ground-based image processing functions to an onboard system capable of multispectral classification. Eight different onboard configurations, each with varying amounts of ground-spacecraft interaction, were evaluated. Each configuration was evaluated in terms of turnaround time, onboard processing and storage requirements, geometric and classification accuracy, onboard complexity, and ancillary data required from the ground.

Ohio's Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Program: a Study of Data Collection and Evaluation Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sperry, S. L.

1982-01-01

The planning process for a statewide reclamation plan of Ohio abandoned minelands in response to the Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 included: (1) the development of a screening and ranking methodology; (2) the establishment of a statewide review of major watersheds affected by mining; (3) the development of an immediate action process; and (4) a prototypical study of a priority watershed demonstrating the data collection, analysis, display and evaluation to be used for the remaining state watersheds. Historical methods for satisfying map information analysis and evaluation, as well as current methodologies being used were discussed. Various computer mapping and analysis programs were examined for their usability in evaluating the priority reclamation sites. Hand methods were chosen over automated procedures; intuitive evaluation was the primary reason.

Teacher Evaluation in Secondary Schools: The First Year of Implementation of a Policy of Teacher Supervision and Evaluation in the Five Secondary Schools of Lethbridge School District No. 51. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, David

This research project was undertaken to investigate, analyze, and document the process of implementing a new policy of teacher supervision and evaluation in the five secondary schools of Lethbridge (Alberta) School District No. 51. The study focused on (1) critical stages in the implementation process; (2) supervisory behavior and supervisory…

Implementation of cold risk management in occupational safety, occupational health and quality practices. Evaluation of a development process and its effects at the finnish maritime administration.

PubMed

Risikko, Tanja; Remes, Jouko; Hassi, Juhani

2008-01-01

Cold is a typical environmental risk factor in outdoor work in northern regions. It should be taken into account in a company's occupational safety, health and quality systems. A development process for improving cold risk management at the Finnish Maritime Administration (FMA) was carried out by FMA and external experts. FMA was to implement it. Three years after the development phase, the outcomes and implementation were evaluated. The study shows increased awareness about cold work and few concrete improvements. Concrete improvements in occupational safety and health practices could be seen in the pilot group. However, organization-wide implementation was insufficient, the main reasons being no organization-wide practices, unclear process ownership, no resources and a major reorganization process. The study shows a clear need for expertise supporting implementation. The study also presents a matrix for analyzing the process.

Evaluation of the Capillary Blood Glucose Self-monitoring Program

PubMed Central

Augusto, Mariana Cristina; Nitsche, Maria José Trevizani; Parada, Cristina Maria Garcia de Lima; Zanetti, Maria Lúcia; Carvalhaes, Maria Antonieta de Barros Leite

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the structure, process and results of the Capillary Blood Glucose Self-monitoring Program in a Brazilian city. METHOD: epidemiological, cross-sectional study. The methodological framework of Donabedian was used to construct indicators of structure, process and outcome. A random sample (n = 288) of users enrolled and 96 health professionals who worked in the program was studied. Two questionnaires were used that were constructed for this study, one for professionals and one for users, both containing data for the evaluation of structure, process and outcome. Anthropometric measures and laboratory results were collected by consulting the patients' health records. The analysis involved descriptive statistics. RESULTS: most of the professionals were not qualified to work in the program and were not knowledgeable about the set of criteria for patient registration. None of the patients received complete and correct orientations about the program and the percentage with skills to perform conducts autonomously was 10%. As regards the result indicators, 86.4% of the patients and 81.3% of the professionals evaluated the program positively. CONCLUSION: the evaluation indicators designed revealed that one of the main objectives of the program, self-care skills, has not been achieved. PMID:25493676

A study for high accuracy measurement of residual stress by deep hole drilling technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitano, Houichi; Okano, Shigetaka; Mochizuki, Masahito

2012-08-01

The deep hole drilling technique (DHD) received much attention in recent years as a method for measuring through-thickness residual stresses. However, some accuracy problems occur when residual stress evaluation is performed by the DHD technique. One of the reasons is that the traditional DHD evaluation formula applies to the plane stress condition. The second is that the effects of the plastic deformation produced in the drilling process and the deformation produced in the trepanning process are ignored. In this study, a modified evaluation formula, which is applied to the plane strain condition, is proposed. In addition, a new procedure is proposed which can consider the effects of the deformation produced in the DHD process by investigating the effects in detail by finite element (FE) analysis. Then, the evaluation results obtained by the new procedure are compared with that obtained by traditional DHD procedure by FE analysis. As a result, the new procedure evaluates the residual stress fields better than the traditional DHD procedure when the measuring object is thick enough that the stress condition can be assumed as the plane strain condition as in the model used in this study.

The Evaluation of Hospital Performance in Iran: A Systematic Review Article

PubMed Central

BAHADORI, Mohammadkarim; IZADI, Ahmad Reza; GHARDASHI, Fatemeh; RAVANGARD, Ramin; HOSSEINI, Seyed Mojtaba

2016-01-01

Background: This research aimed to systematically study and outline the methods of hospital performance evaluation used in Iran. Methods: In this systematic review, all Persian and English-language articles published in the Iranian and non-Iranian scientific journals indexed from Sep 2004 to Sep 2014 were studied. For finding the related articles, the researchers searched the Iranian electronic databases, including SID, IranMedex, IranDoc, Magiran, as well as the non-Iranian electronic databases, including Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. For reviewing the selected articles, a data extraction form, developed by the researchers was used. Results: The entire review process led to the selection of 51 articles. The publication of articles on the hospital performance evaluation in Iran has increased considerably in the recent years. Besides, among these 51 articles, 38 articles (74.51%) had been published in Persian language and 13 articles (25.49%) in English language. Eight models were recognized as evaluation model for Iranian hospitals. Totally, in 15 studies, the data envelopment analysis model had been used to evaluate the hospital performance. Conclusion: Using a combination of model to integrate indicators in the hospital evaluation process is inevitable. Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education should use a set of indicators such as the balanced scorecard in the process of hospital evaluation and accreditation and encourage the hospital managers to use them. PMID:27516991

The Evaluation of Hospital Performance in Iran: A Systematic Review Article.

PubMed

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Izadi, Ahmad Reza; Ghardashi, Fatemeh; Ravangard, Ramin; Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba

2016-07-01

This research aimed to systematically study and outline the methods of hospital performance evaluation used in Iran. In this systematic review, all Persian and English-language articles published in the Iranian and non-Iranian scientific journals indexed from Sep 2004 to Sep 2014 were studied. For finding the related articles, the researchers searched the Iranian electronic databases, including SID, IranMedex, IranDoc, Magiran, as well as the non-Iranian electronic databases, including Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. For reviewing the selected articles, a data extraction form, developed by the researchers was used. The entire review process led to the selection of 51 articles. The publication of articles on the hospital performance evaluation in Iran has increased considerably in the recent years. Besides, among these 51 articles, 38 articles (74.51%) had been published in Persian language and 13 articles (25.49%) in English language. Eight models were recognized as evaluation model for Iranian hospitals. Totally, in 15 studies, the data envelopment analysis model had been used to evaluate the hospital performance. Using a combination of model to integrate indicators in the hospital evaluation process is inevitable. Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education should use a set of indicators such as the balanced scorecard in the process of hospital evaluation and accreditation and encourage the hospital managers to use them.

Peer review of health research funding proposals: A systematic map and systematic review of innovations for effectiveness and efficiency

PubMed Central

Frampton, Geoff K.; Pickett, Karen; Wyatt, Jeremy C.

2018-01-01

Objective To investigate methods and processes for timely, efficient and good quality peer review of research funding proposals in health. Methods A two-stage evidence synthesis: (1) a systematic map to describe the key characteristics of the evidence base, followed by (2) a systematic review of the studies stakeholders prioritised as relevant from the map on the effectiveness and efficiency of peer review ‘innovations’. Standard processes included literature searching, duplicate inclusion criteria screening, study keyword coding, data extraction, critical appraisal and study synthesis. Results A total of 83 studies from 15 countries were included in the systematic map. The evidence base is diverse, investigating many aspects of the systems for, and processes of, peer review. The systematic review included eight studies from Australia, Canada, and the USA, evaluating a broad range of peer review innovations. These studies showed that simplifying the process by shortening proposal forms, using smaller reviewer panels, or expediting processes can speed up the review process and reduce costs, but this might come at the expense of peer review quality, a key aspect that has not been assessed. Virtual peer review using videoconferencing or teleconferencing appears promising for reducing costs by avoiding the need for reviewers to travel, but again any consequences for quality have not been adequately assessed. Conclusions There is increasing international research activity into the peer review of health research funding. The studies reviewed had methodological limitations and variable generalisability to research funders. Given these limitations it is not currently possible to recommend immediate implementation of these innovations. However, many appear promising based on existing evidence, and could be adapted as necessary by funders and evaluated. Where feasible, experimental evaluation, including randomised controlled trials, should be conducted, evaluating impact on effectiveness, efficiency and quality. PMID:29750807

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

PubMed

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

2008-01-01

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

[Process evaluation in relation to effectiveness assessment: experiences with school-based programs].

PubMed

Ariza, Carles; Villalbí, Joan R; Sánchez-Martínez, Francesca; Nebot, Manel

2011-06-01

Evaluation of public health interventions usually focus on the quality of design and research methods, and less on the quality of the intervention or process evaluation. In process evaluation of school-based interventions, key issues are how completely the intervention is carried out and adherence to the protocol. In addition, exploration of intermediate variables, such as those that influence (and often predict) preventable behavior, is highly useful. This article describes the basic concepts in this topic, using examples of the effectiveness of some preventive interventions carried out in schools. The interventions discussed were mainly quasi-experimental studies, based on data from programs promoted by public health teams in the city of Barcelona. Data from process evaluation of preventive programs in secondary schools that underwent formal assessment of their effectiveness is provided. The examples are drawn from preventive programs of HIV infection or unprotected sexual intercourse (PRESSEC program) and drug consumption prevention (the PASE, PASE.bcn and x kpts programs). These examples show why the intervention process influences the impact of the programs and their results. Thorough planning of process evaluation is essential to obtain valid indicators that will identify, in the effectiveness evaluation of the intervention, the most efficacious strategies to obtain positive outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Salud Pública y Administración Sanitaria. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Implementation and evaluation of LMS mobile application: scele mobile based on user-centered design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banimahendra, R. D.; Santoso, H. B.

2018-03-01

The development of mobile technology is now increasing rapidly, demanding all activities including learning should be done on mobile devices. It shows that the implementation of mobile application as a learning medium needs to be done. This study describes the process of developing and evaluating the Moodle-based mobile Learning Management System (LMS) application called Student Centered e-Learning Environment (SCeLE). This study discusses the process of defining features, implementing features into the application, and evaluating the application. We define the features using user research and literature study, then we implement the application with user-centered design basis, at the last phase we evaluated the application using usability testing and system usability score (SUS). The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which this application can help the users doing their tasks and provide recommendation for the next research and development.

Study on processing immiscible materials in zero gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reger, J. L.; Mendelson, R. A.

1975-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate mixing immiscible metal combinations under several process conditions. Under one-gravity, these included thermal processing, thermal plus electromagnetic mixing, and thermal plus acoustic mixing. The same process methods were applied during free fall on the MSFC drop tower facility. The design is included of drop tower apparatus to provide the electromagnetic and acoustic mixing equipment, and a thermal model was prepared to design the specimen and cooling procedure. Materials systems studied were Ca-La, Cd-Ga and Al-Bi; evaluation of the processed samples included the morphology and electronic property measurements. The morphology was developed using optical and scanning electron microscopy and microprobe analyses. Electronic property characterization of the superconducting transition temperatures were made using an impedance change-tuned coil method.

Effect of Temperature, Time, and Material Thickness on the Dehydration Process of Tomato

PubMed Central

Correia, A. F. K.; Loro, A. C.; Zanatta, S.; Spoto, M. H. F.; Vieira, T. M. F. S.

2015-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of temperature, time, and thickness of tomatoes fruits during adiabatic drying process. Dehydration, a simple and inexpensive process compared to other conservation methods, is widely used in the food industry in order to ensure a long shelf life for the product due to the low water activity. This study aimed to obtain the best processing conditions to avoid losses and keep product quality. Factorial design and surface response methodology were applied to fit predictive mathematical models. In the dehydration of tomatoes through the adiabatic process, temperature, time, and sample thickness, which greatly contribute to the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the final product, were evaluated. The optimum drying conditions were 60°C with the lowest thickness level and shorter time. PMID:26904666

Liquid rocket booster integration study. Volume 3: Study products. Part 2: Sections 8-19

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The impacts of introducing liquid rocket booster engines (LRB) into the Space Transportation System (STS)/Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch environment are identified and evaluated. Proposed ground systems configurations are presented along with a launch site requirements summary. Prelaunch processing scenarios are described and the required facility modifications and new facility requirements are analyzed. Flight vehicle design recommendations to enhance launch processing are discussed. Processing approaches to integrate LRB with existing STS launch operations are evaluated. The key features and significance of launch site transition to a new STS configuration in parallel with ongoing launch activities are enumerated. This volume is part two of the study products section of the five volume series.

Liquid rocket booster integration study. Volume 3, part 1: Study products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The impacts of introducing liquid rocket booster engines (LRB) into the Space Transportation System (STS)/Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch environment are identified and evaluated. Proposed ground systems configurations are presented along with a launch site requirements summary. Prelaunch processing scenarios are described and the required facility modifications and new facility requirements are analyzed. Flight vehicle design recommendations to enhance launch processing are discussed. Processing approaches to integrate LRB with existing STS launch operations are evaluated. The key features and significance of launch site transition to a new STS configuration in parallel with ongoing launch activities are enumerated. This volume is part one of the study products section of the five volume series.

Geologic analyses of LANDSAT-1 multispectral imagery of a possible power plant site employing digital and analog image processing. [in Pennsylvania

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovegreen, J. R.; Prosser, W. J.; Millet, R. A.

1975-01-01

A site in the Great Valley subsection of the Valley and Ridge physiographic province in eastern Pennsylvania was studied to evaluate the use of digital and analog image processing for geologic investigations. Ground truth at the site was obtained by a field mapping program, a subsurface exploration investigation and a review of available published and unpublished literature. Remote sensing data were analyzed using standard manual techniques. LANDSAT-1 imagery was analyzed using digital image processing employing the multispectral Image 100 system and using analog color processing employing the VP-8 image analyzer. This study deals primarily with linears identified employing image processing and correlation of these linears with known structural features and with linears identified manual interpretation; and the identification of rock outcrops in areas of extensive vegetative cover employing image processing. The results of this study indicate that image processing can be a cost-effective tool for evaluating geologic and linear features for regional studies encompassing large areas such as for power plant siting. Digital image processing can be an effective tool for identifying rock outcrops in areas of heavy vegetative cover.

Insights on Using Developmental Evaluation for Innovating: A Case Study on the Cocreation of an Innovative Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Chi Yan; Shulha, Lyn M.

2015-01-01

This article contributes to research on evaluation by examining the capacity and contribution of developmental evaluation for innovating. This case study describes the "preformative development" of an educational program (from conceptualization to pilot implementation) and analyzes the processes of innovation within a developmental…

A treatment program for individuals with deficient evaluative processing and consequent impaired social and risk judgement.

PubMed

Park, Norman W; Conrod, Brian; Hussain, Zahra; Murphy, Kelly J; Rewilak, Dmytro; Black, Sandra E

2003-01-01

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program developed to assist individuals such as AM who have impaired social and risk judgement. AM's difficulties developed after a severe traumatic brain injury that resulted in bilateral frontal and temporal lobe damage including damage to the amygdala. Previous work (Park et al., 2001) established that AM had impaired automatic processing of negative, but not positive evaluative information, and relatively spared processing of both types of evaluative information when using controlled or strategic processing. In the Strategic Evaluation of Alternatives (SEA) treatment program, AM was trained to compensate for his impairments by explicitly retrieving positive and negative attributes associated with potential actions prior to performing them. The SEA treatment focused specifically on improving AM's ability to obtain financial compensation for his work-related activities. Results showed improved performance on work-related activities and evidence of generalization. Analyses suggested that the process underlying improved performance was compensatory rather than restorative in nature. We discuss the implications of these results for the development of rehabilitation treatment for patients with impaired social and risk judgement.

Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group guidance series-paper 6: reporting guidelines for qualitative, implementation, and process evaluation evidence syntheses.

PubMed

Flemming, Kate; Booth, Andrew; Hannes, Karin; Cargo, Margaret; Noyes, Jane

2018-05-01

To outline contemporary and novel developments for the presentation and reporting of syntheses of qualitative, implementation, and process evaluation evidence and provide recommendations for the use of reporting guidelines. An overview of reporting guidelines for qualitative, implementation, and process evaluation evidence syntheses drawing on current international literature and the collective expert knowledge of the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group. Several reporting guidelines exist that can be used or adapted to report syntheses of qualitative, implementation, and process evaluation evidence. Methods to develop individual guidance varied. The use of a relevant reporting guideline can enhance the transparency, consistency, and quality of reporting. Guidelines that exist are generic, method specific, and for particular aspects of the reviewing process, searching. Caution is expressed over the potential for reporting guidelines to produce a mechanistic approach moving the focus away from the content and toward the procedural aspects of the review. The use of a reporting guideline is recommended and a five-step decision flowchart to guide the choice of reporting guideline is provided. Gaps remain in method-specific reporting guidelines such as mixed-study, implementation, and process evaluation evidence syntheses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practice guidelines for program evaluation in community-based rehabilitation.

PubMed

Grandisson, Marie; Hébert, Michèle; Thibeault, Rachel

2017-06-01

This paper proposes practice guidelines to evaluate community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programs. These were developed through a rigorous three-phase research process including a literature review on good practices in CBR program evaluation, a field study during which a South Africa CBR program was evaluated, and a Delphi study to generate consensus among a highly credible panel of CBR experts from a wide range of backgrounds and geographical areas. The 10 guidelines developed are summarized into a practice model highlighting key features of sound CBR program evaluation. They strongly indicate that sound CBR evaluations are those that give a voice and as much control as possible to the most affected groups, embrace the challenge of diversity, and foster use of evaluation processes and findings through a rigorous, collaborative and empowering approach. The practice guidelines should facilitate CBR evaluation decisions in respect to facilitating an evaluation process, using frameworks and designing methods. Implications for rehabilitation Ten practice guidelines provide guidance to facilitate sound community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program evaluation decisions. Key indications of good practice include: • being as participatory and empowering as possible; • ensuring that all, including the most affected, have a real opportunity to share their thoughts; • highly considering mixed methods and participatory tools; • adapting to fit evaluation context, local culture and language(s); • defining evaluation questions and reporting findings using shared CBR language when possible, which the framework offered may facilitate.

Evaluating cloud processes in large-scale models: Of idealized case studies, parameterization testbeds and single-column modelling on climate time-scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neggers, Roel

2016-04-01

Boundary-layer schemes have always formed an integral part of General Circulation Models (GCMs) used for numerical weather and climate prediction. The spatial and temporal scales associated with boundary-layer processes and clouds are typically much smaller than those at which GCMs are discretized, which makes their representation through parameterization a necessity. The need for generally applicable boundary-layer parameterizations has motivated many scientific studies, which in effect has created its own active research field in the atmospheric sciences. Of particular interest has been the evaluation of boundary-layer schemes at "process-level". This means that parameterized physics are studied in isolated mode from the larger-scale circulation, using prescribed forcings and excluding any upscale interaction. Although feedbacks are thus prevented, the benefit is an enhanced model transparency, which might aid an investigator in identifying model errors and understanding model behavior. The popularity and success of the process-level approach is demonstrated by the many past and ongoing model inter-comparison studies that have been organized by initiatives such as GCSS/GASS. A red line in the results of these studies is that although most schemes somehow manage to capture first-order aspects of boundary layer cloud fields, there certainly remains room for improvement in many areas. Only too often are boundary layer parameterizations still found to be at the heart of problems in large-scale models, negatively affecting forecast skills of NWP models or causing uncertainty in numerical predictions of future climate. How to break this parameterization "deadlock" remains an open problem. This presentation attempts to give an overview of the various existing methods for the process-level evaluation of boundary-layer physics in large-scale models. This includes i) idealized case studies, ii) longer-term evaluation at permanent meteorological sites (the testbed approach), and iii) process-level evaluation at climate time-scales. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach will be identified and discussed, and some thoughts about possible future developments will be given.

Event-related potentials reveal task-dependence and inter-individual differences in negation processing during silent listening and explicit truth-value evaluation.

PubMed

Herbert, C; Kissler, J

2014-09-26

In sentences such as dogs cannot fly/bark, evaluation of the truth-value of the sentence is assumed to appear after the negation has been integrated into the sentence structure. Moreover negation processing and truth-value processing are considered effortful processes, whereas processing of the semantic relatedness of the words within sentences is thought to occur automatically. In the present study, modulation of event-related brain potentials (N400 and late positive potential, LPP) was investigated during an implicit task (silent listening) and active truth-value evaluation to test these theoretical assumptions and determine if truth-value evaluation will be modulated by the way participants processed the negated information implicitly prior to truth-value verification. Participants first listened to negated sentences and then evaluated these sentences for their truth-value in an active evaluation task. During passive listening, the LPP was generally more pronounced for targets in false negative (FN) than true negative (TN) sentences, indicating enhanced attention allocation to semantically-related but false targets. N400 modulation by truth-value (FN>TN) was observed in 11 out of 24 participants. However, during active evaluation, processing of semantically-unrelated but true targets (TN) elicited larger N400 and LPP amplitudes as well as a pronounced frontal negativity. This pattern was particularly prominent in those 11 individuals, whose N400 modulation during silent listening indicated that they were more sensitive to violations of the truth-value than to semantic priming effects. The results provide evidence for implicit truth-value processing during silent listening of negated sentences and for task dependence related to inter-individual differences in implicit negation processing. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process service quality evaluation based on Dempster-Shafer theory and support vector machine.

PubMed

Pei, Feng-Que; Li, Dong-Bo; Tong, Yi-Fei; He, Fei

2017-01-01

Human involvement influences traditional service quality evaluations, which triggers an evaluation's low accuracy, poor reliability and less impressive predictability. This paper proposes a method by employing a support vector machine (SVM) and Dempster-Shafer evidence theory to evaluate the service quality of a production process by handling a high number of input features with a low sampling data set, which is called SVMs-DS. Features that can affect production quality are extracted by a large number of sensors. Preprocessing steps such as feature simplification and normalization are reduced. Based on three individual SVM models, the basic probability assignments (BPAs) are constructed, which can help the evaluation in a qualitative and quantitative way. The process service quality evaluation results are validated by the Dempster rules; the decision threshold to resolve conflicting results is generated from three SVM models. A case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the SVMs-DS method.

Motivational Interviewing and Medication Review in Coronary Heart Disease (MIMeRiC): Intervention Development and Protocol for the Process Evaluation.

PubMed

Östbring, Malin Johansson; Eriksson, Tommy; Petersson, Göran; Hellström, Lina

2018-01-30

Trials of complex interventions are often criticized for being difficult to interpret because the effects of apparently similar interventions vary across studies dependent on context, targeted groups, and the delivery of the intervention. The Motivational Interviewing and Medication Review in Coronary heart disease (MIMeRiC) trial is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention aimed at improving pharmacological secondary prevention. Guidelines for the development and evaluation of complex interventions have recently highlighted the need for better reporting of the development of interventions, including descriptions of how the intervention is assumed to work, how this theory informed the process evaluation, and how the process evaluation relates to the outcome evaluation. This paper aims to describe how the intervention was designed and developed. The aim of the process evaluation is to better understand how and why the intervention in the MIMeRiC trial was effective or not effective. The research questions for evaluating the process are based on the conceptual model of change processes assumed in the intervention and will be analyzed by qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative data are used to evaluate the medication review in terms of drug-related problems, to describe how patients' beliefs about medicines are affected by the intervention, and to evaluate the quality of motivational interviewing. Qualitative data will be used to analyze whether patients experienced the intervention as intended, how cardiologists experienced the collaboration and intervention, and how the intervention affected patients' overall experience of care after coronary heart disease. The development and piloting of the intervention are described in relation to the theoretical framework. Data for the process evaluation will be collected until March 2018. Some process evaluation questions will be analyzed before, and others will be analyzed after the outcomes of the MIMeRiC RCT are known. This paper describes the framework for the design of the intervention tested in the MIMeRiC trial, development of the intervention from the pilot stage to the complete trial intervention, and the framework and methods for the process evaluation. Providing the protocol of the process evaluation allows prespecification of the processes that will be evaluated, because we hypothesize that they will determine the outcomes of the MIMeRiC trial. This protocol also constitutes a contribution to the new field of process evaluations as made explicit in health services research and clinical trials of complex interventions. ©Malin Johansson Östbring, Tommy Eriksson, Göran Petersson, Lina Hellström. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 30.01.2018.

The Strengths and Limitations of Satellite Data for Evaluating Tropospheric Processes in Chemistry-Climate Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, Bryan

2012-01-01

There is now a wealth of satellite data products available with which to evaluate a model fs simulation of tropospheric composition and other model processes. All of these data products have their strengths and limitations that need to be considered for this purpose. For example, uncertainties are introduced into a data product when 1) converting a slant column to a vertical column and 2) estimating the amount of a total column of a trace gas (e.g., ozone, nitrogen dioxide) that resides in the troposphere. Oftentimes, these uncertainties are not well quantified and the satellite data products are not well evaluated against in situ observations. However, these limitations do not preclude us from using these data products to evaluate our model processes if we understand these strengths and limitations when developing diagnostics. I will show several examples of how satellite data products are being used to evaluate particular model processes with a focus on the strengths and limitations of these data products. In addition, I will introduce the goals of a newly formed team to address issues on the topic of "satellite data for improved model evaluation and process studies" that is established in support of the IGAC/SPARC Global Chemistry ]Climate Modeling and Evaluation Workshop.

Performance study of a data flow architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, George

1985-01-01

Teams of scientists studied data flow concepts, static data flow machine architecture, and the VAL language. Each team mapped its application onto the machine and coded it in VAL. The principal findings of the study were: (1) Five of the seven applications used the full power of the target machine. The galactic simulation and multigrid fluid flow teams found that a significantly smaller version of the machine (16 processing elements) would suffice. (2) A number of machine design parameters including processing element (PE) function unit numbers, array memory size and bandwidth, and routing network capability were found to be crucial for optimal machine performance. (3) The study participants readily acquired VAL programming skills. (4) Participants learned that application-based performance evaluation is a sound method of evaluating new computer architectures, even those that are not fully specified. During the course of the study, participants developed models for using computers to solve numerical problems and for evaluating new architectures. These models form the bases for future evaluation studies.

Development of a Nationally Coordinated Evaluation Plan for the Ghana National Strategy for Key Populations

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Heidi W; Atuahene, Kyeremeh; Sutherland, Elizabeth; Amenyah, Richard; Kwao, Isaiah Doe; Larbi, Emmanuel Tettey

2015-01-01

Objective Just as HIV prevention programs need to be tailored to the local epidemic, so should evaluations be country-owned and country-led to ensure use of those results in decision making and policy. The objective of this paper is to describe the process undertaken in Ghana to develop a national evaluation plan for the Ghana national strategy for key populations. Methods This was a participatory process that involved meetings between the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), other partners in Ghana working to prevent HIV among key populations, and MEASURE Evaluation. The process included three two-day, highly structured yet participatory meetings over the course of 12 months during which participants shared information about on-going and planned data and identified research questions and methods. Results An evaluation plan was prepared to inform stakeholders about which data collection activities need to be prioritized for funding, who would implement the study, the timing of data collection, the research question the data will help answer, and the analysis methods. The plan discusses various methods that can be used including the recommendation for the study design using multiple data sources. It has an evaluation conceptual model, proposed analyses, proposed definition of independent variables, estimated costs for filling data gaps, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders to carry out the plan, and considerations for ethics, data sharing and authorship. Conclusion The experience demonstrates that it is possible to design an evaluation responsive to national strategies and priorities with country leadership, regardless of stakeholders' experiences with evaluations. This process may be replicable elsewhere, where stakeholders want to plan and implement an evaluation of a large-scale program at the national or subnational level that is responsive to national priorities and part of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system. PMID:26120495

Management of the General Process of Parenteral Nutrition Using mHealth Technologies: Evaluation and Validation Study

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Any system applied to the control of parenteral nutrition (PN) ought to prove that the process meets the established requirements and include a repository of records to allow evaluation of the information about PN processes at any time. Objective The goal of the research was to evaluate the mobile health (mHealth) app and validate its effectiveness in monitoring the management of the PN process. Methods We studied the evaluation and validation of the general process of PN using an mHealth app. The units of analysis were the PN bags prepared and administered at the Son Espases University Hospital, Palma, Spain, from June 1 to September 6, 2016. For the evaluation of the app, we used the Poststudy System Usability Questionnaire and subsequent analysis with the Cronbach alpha coefficient. Validation was performed by checking the compliance of control for all operations on each of the stages (validation and transcription of the prescription, preparation, conservation, and administration) and by monitoring the operative control points and critical control points. Results The results obtained from 387 bags were analyzed, with 30 interruptions of administration. The fulfillment of stages was 100%, including noncritical nonconformities in the storage control. The average deviation in the weight of the bags was less than 5%, and the infusion time did not present deviations greater than 1 hour. Conclusions The developed app successfully passed the evaluation and validation tests and was implemented to perform the monitoring procedures for the overall PN process. A new mobile solution to manage the quality and traceability of sensitive medicines such as blood-derivative drugs and hazardous drugs derived from this project is currently being deployed. PMID:29615389

Analysis and Evaluation of the LANDSAT-4 MSS and TM Sensors and Ground Data Processing Systems: Early Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernstein, R.; Lotspiech, J. B.

1985-01-01

The MSS and TM sensor performances were evaluated by studying both the sensors and the characteristics of the data. Information content analysis, image statistics, band-to-band registration, the presence of failed or failing detectors, and sensor resolution are discussed. The TM data were explored from the point of view of adequacy of the ground processing and improvements that could be made to compensate for sensor problems and deficiencies. Radiometric correction processing, compensation for a failed detector, and geometric correction processing are also considered.

Analysis of the Education Program Approval Process: A Program Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fountaine, Charles A.; And Others

A study of the education program approval process involving the Veterans Administration (VA) and the State Approving Agencies (SAAs) had the following objectives: to describe the present education program approval process; to determine time and costs associated with the education program approval process; to describe the approval process at…

Are we measuring what matters in health technology assessment of disease management? Systematic literature review.

PubMed

Steuten, Lotte; Vrijhoef, Bert; Severens, Hans; van Merode, Frits; Spreeuwenberg, Cor

2006-01-01

An overview was produced of indicators currently used to assess disease management programs and, based on these findings, provide a framework regarding sets of indicators that should be used when taking the aims and types of disease management programs into account. A systematic literature review was performed. Thirty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. It appeared that a link between aims of disease management and evaluated structure, process, as well as outcome indicators does not exist in a substantial part of published studies on disease management of diabetes and asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, especially when efficiency of care is concerned. Furthermore, structure indicators are largely missing from the evaluations, although these are of major importance for the interpretation of outcomes for purposes of decision-making. Efficiency of disease management is mainly evaluated by means of process indicators; the use of outcome indicators is less common. Within a framework, structure, process, and outcome indicators for effectiveness and efficiency are recommended for each type of disease management program. The link between aims of disease management and evaluated structure, process, and outcome indicators does not exist in a substantial part of published studies on disease management. The added value of this study mainly lies in the development of a framework to guide the choice of indicators for health technology assessment of disease management.

Study of Former Students of the Word Processing Program. Volume XXIII, No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucas, John A.; Zilkowski, Robert R.

As part of the program evaluation and review process at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) in Illinois, a follow-up study was conducted of students who had enrolled in the college's Word Processing Program between summer 1989 and spring 1994. A survey was mailed to 500 former students, receiving a response rate of 37.6%. Study findings included…

IARC monographs: 40 years of evaluating carcinogenic hazards to humans.

PubMed

Pearce, Neil; Blair, Aaron; Vineis, Paolo; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Andersen, Aage; Anto, Josep M; Armstrong, Bruce K; Baccarelli, Andrea A; Beland, Frederick A; Berrington, Amy; Bertazzi, Pier Alberto; Birnbaum, Linda S; Brownson, Ross C; Bucher, John R; Cantor, Kenneth P; Cardis, Elisabeth; Cherrie, John W; Christiani, David C; Cocco, Pierluigi; Coggon, David; Comba, Pietro; Demers, Paul A; Dement, John M; Douwes, Jeroen; Eisen, Ellen A; Engel, Lawrence S; Fenske, Richard A; Fleming, Lora E; Fletcher, Tony; Fontham, Elizabeth; Forastiere, Francesco; Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer; Fritschi, Lin; Gerin, Michel; Goldberg, Marcel; Grandjean, Philippe; Grimsrud, Tom K; Gustavsson, Per; Haines, Andy; Hartge, Patricia; Hansen, Johnni; Hauptmann, Michael; Heederik, Dick; Hemminki, Kari; Hemon, Denis; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Hoppin, Jane A; Huff, James; Jarvholm, Bengt; Kang, Daehee; Karagas, Margaret R; Kjaerheim, Kristina; Kjuus, Helge; Kogevinas, Manolis; Kriebel, David; Kristensen, Petter; Kromhout, Hans; Laden, Francine; Lebailly, Pierre; LeMasters, Grace; Lubin, Jay H; Lynch, Charles F; Lynge, Elsebeth; 't Mannetje, Andrea; McMichael, Anthony J; McLaughlin, John R; Marrett, Loraine; Martuzzi, Marco; Merchant, James A; Merler, Enzo; Merletti, Franco; Miller, Anthony; Mirer, Franklin E; Monson, Richard; Nordby, Karl-Cristian; Olshan, Andrew F; Parent, Marie-Elise; Perera, Frederica P; Perry, Melissa J; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia; Pirastu, Roberta; Porta, Miquel; Pukkala, Eero; Rice, Carol; Richardson, David B; Ritter, Leonard; Ritz, Beate; Ronckers, Cecile M; Rushton, Lesley; Rusiecki, Jennifer A; Rusyn, Ivan; Samet, Jonathan M; Sandler, Dale P; de Sanjose, Silvia; Schernhammer, Eva; Costantini, Adele Seniori; Seixas, Noah; Shy, Carl; Siemiatycki, Jack; Silverman, Debra T; Simonato, Lorenzo; Smith, Allan H; Smith, Martyn T; Spinelli, John J; Spitz, Margaret R; Stallones, Lorann; Stayner, Leslie T; Steenland, Kyle; Stenzel, Mark; Stewart, Bernard W; Stewart, Patricia A; Symanski, Elaine; Terracini, Benedetto; Tolbert, Paige E; Vainio, Harri; Vena, John; Vermeulen, Roel; Victora, Cesar G; Ward, Elizabeth M; Weinberg, Clarice R; Weisenburger, Dennis; Wesseling, Catharina; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Zahm, Shelia Hoar

2015-06-01

Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also for the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that failures of IARC Working Groups to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans. The authors of this Commentary are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We examined criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. Here, we present the results of that examination, review the history of IARC evaluations, and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed. We concluded that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various disciplines and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed. The IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public's health.

42 CFR 456.142 - UR plan requirements for medical care evaluation studies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... evaluation studies. (a) The UR plan must describe the methods that the committee uses to select and conduct... needed to— (i) Correct or investigate further any deficiencies or problems in the review process for...

Social Work Discharge Planning in Acute Care Hospitals in Israel: Clients' Evaluation of the Discharge Planning Process and Adequacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soskolne, Varda; Kaplan, Giora; Ben-Shahar, Ilana; Stanger, Varda; Auslander, Gail. K.

2010-01-01

Objective: To examine the associations of patients' characteristics, hospitalization factors, and the patients' or family assessment of the discharge planning process, with their evaluation of adequacy of the discharge plan. Method: A prospective study. Social workers from 11 acute care hospitals in Israel provided data on 1426 discharged…

Implementing Organizational Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Strategies on Paid Time: Process Evaluation of the UCLA WORKING Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkins, Jammie M.; Glenn, Beth A.; Cole, Brian L.; McCarthy, William; Yancey, Antronette

2012-01-01

Integrating organizationally targeted wellness strategies into the routine conduct of business has shown promise in engaging captive audiences at highest risk of obesity and obesity-related health consequences. This paper presents a process evaluation of the implementation of the University of California, Los Angeles, Working Out Regularly Keeps…

Evaluation of the Technical Adequacy of Three Methods for Identifying Specific Learning Disabilities Based on Cognitive Discrepancies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuebing, Karla K.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Branum-Martin, Lee; Francis, David J.

2012-01-01

This study used simulation techniques to evaluate the technical adequacy of three methods for the identification of specific learning disabilities via patterns of strengths and weaknesses in cognitive processing. Latent and observed data were generated and the decision-making process of each method was applied to assess concordance in…

High pressure processing with hot sauce flavoring enhances sensory quality for raw oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study evaluated the feasibility of flavoring raw oysters by placing them under pressure in the presence of selected flavorings. Hand-shucked raw oysters were processed at high pressure (600 MPa), in the presence or absence of (Sriracha®) flavoring, and evaluated by a trained sensory panel 3 an...

Implementation as a Focus of Consultation to Evaluate Academic Tutoring Services in an Urban School District: A Case Study Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Julie Q.; English, Sarah Baker

2012-01-01

This article describes a multiagency initiative to evaluate academic tutoring services by focusing on the processes that contribute to effective program implementation. Community-based tutoring service providers serving students in the Cincinnati Public Schools (OH) partnered to initiate a "Seal of Approval" process for promoting…

Could Students' Evaluation Be a Pleasant and Effective Process?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapachtsi, Venetia; Pantelidi, Ioanna; Stamidou, Markia

2016-01-01

The evaluation of students' performance is one of the most important issues of educational reality. ?t strongly attracts the interest of all involved in the process of education: teachers, students, parents and the state as well. This study, is trying to find out, if using the project method, the teacher can assess effectively students, in a…

Preliminary evaluation of feeder and lint slide moisture addition on ginning, fiber quality, and textile processing of western cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of moisture addition at the gin stand feeder conditioning hopper and/or the battery condenser slide on gin performance and Western cotton fiber quality and textile processing. The test treatments included no moisture addition, feeder hopper hum...

Compilation and Clinical Applicability of an Early Auditory Processing Assessment Battery for Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fair, Lisl; Louw, Brenda; Hugo, Rene

2001-01-01

This study compiled a comprehensive early auditory processing skills assessment battery and evaluated the battery to toddlers with (n=8) and without (n=9) early recurrent otitis media. The assessment battery successfully distinguished between normal and deficient early auditory processing development in the subjects. The study also found parents…

How product trial changes quality perception of four new processed beef products.

PubMed

Saeed, Faiza; Grunert, Klaus G; Therkildsen, Margrethe

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is the quantitative analysis of the change in quality perception of four new processed beef products from pre to post trial phases. Based on the Total Food Quality Model, differences in pre and post-trial phases were measured using repeated measures technique for cue evaluation, quality evaluation and purchase motive fulfillment. For two of the tested products, trial resulted in a decline of the evaluation of cues, quality and purchase motive fulfillment compared to pre-trial expectations. For these products, positive expectations were created by giving information about ingredients and ways of processing, which were not confirmed during trial. For the other two products, evaluations on key sensory dimensions based on trial exceeded expectations, whereas the other evaluations remained unchanged. Several demographic factors influenced the pattern of results, notably age and gender, which may be due to underlying differences in previous experience. The study gives useful insights for testing of new processed meat products before market introduction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A prototype software methodology for the rapid evaluation of biomanufacturing process options.

PubMed

Chhatre, Sunil; Francis, Richard; O'Donovan, Kieran; Titchener-Hooker, Nigel J; Newcombe, Anthony R; Keshavarz-Moore, Eli

2007-10-01

A three-layered simulation methodology is described that rapidly evaluates biomanufacturing process options. In each layer, inferior options are screened out, while more promising candidates are evaluated further in the subsequent, more refined layer, which uses more rigorous models that require more data from time-consuming experimentation. Screening ensures laboratory studies are focused only on options showing the greatest potential. To simplify the screening, outputs of production level, cost and time are combined into a single value using multi-attribute-decision-making techniques. The methodology was illustrated by evaluating alternatives to an FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)-approved process manufacturing rattlesnake antivenom. Currently, antivenom antibodies are recovered from ovine serum by precipitation/centrifugation and proteolyzed before chromatographic purification. Alternatives included increasing the feed volume, replacing centrifugation with microfiltration and replacing precipitation/centrifugation with a Protein G column. The best alternative used a higher feed volume and a Protein G step. By rapidly evaluating the attractiveness of options, the methodology facilitates efficient and cost-effective process development.

Process evaluation of a cluster-randomised trial testing a pressure ulcer prevention care bundle: a mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Roberts, Shelley; McInnes, Elizabeth; Bucknall, Tracey; Wallis, Marianne; Banks, Merrilyn; Chaboyer, Wendy

2017-02-13

As pressure ulcers contribute to significant patient burden and increased health care costs, their prevention is a clinical priority. Our team developed and tested a complex intervention, a pressure ulcer prevention care bundle promoting patient participation in care, in a cluster-randomised trial. The UK Medical Research Council recommends process evaluation of complex interventions to provide insight into why they work or fail and how they might be improved. This study aimed to evaluate processes underpinning implementation of the intervention and explore end-users' perceptions of it, in order to give a deeper understanding of its effects. A pre-specified, mixed-methods process evaluation was conducted as an adjunct to the main trial, guided by a framework for process evaluation of cluster-randomised trials. Data was collected across eight Australian hospitals but mainly focused on the four intervention hospitals. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected across the evaluation domains: recruitment, reach, intervention delivery and response to intervention, at both cluster and individual patient level. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. In the context of the main trial, which found a 42% reduction in risk of pressure ulcer with the intervention that was not significant after adjusting for clustering and covariates, this process evaluation provides important insights. Recruitment and reach among clusters and individuals was high, indicating that patients, nurses and hospitals are willing to engage with a pressure ulcer prevention care bundle. Of 799 intervention patients in the trial, 96.7% received the intervention, which took under 10 min to deliver. Patients and nurses accepted the care bundle, recognising benefits to it and describing how it enabled participation in pressure ulcer prevention (PUP) care. This process evaluation found no major failures relating to implementation of the intervention. The care bundle was found to be easy to understand and deliver, and it reached a large proportion of the target population and was found to be acceptable to patients and nurses; therefore, it may be an effective way of engaging patients in their pressure ulcer prevention care and promoting evidence-based practise.

Automatic processing of facial affects in patients with borderline personality disorder: associations with symptomatology and comorbid disorders.

PubMed

Donges, Uta-Susan; Dukalski, Bibiana; Kersting, Anette; Suslow, Thomas

2015-01-01

Instability of affects and interpersonal relations are important features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Interpersonal problems of individuals suffering from BPD might develop based on abnormalities in the processing of facial affects and high sensitivity to negative affective expressions. The aims of the present study were to examine automatic evaluative shifts and latencies as a function of masked facial affects in patients with BPD compared to healthy individuals. As BPD comorbidity rates for mental and personality disorders are high, we investigated also the relationships of affective processing characteristics with specific borderline symptoms and comorbidity. Twenty-nine women with BPD and 38 healthy women participated in the study. The majority of patients suffered from additional Axis I disorders and/or additional personality disorders. In the priming experiment, angry, happy, neutral, or no facial expression was briefly presented (for 33 ms) and masked by neutral faces that had to be evaluated. Evaluative decisions and response latencies were registered. Borderline-typical symptomatology was assessed with the Borderline Symptom List. In the total sample, valence-congruent evaluative shifts and delays of evaluative decision due to facial affect were observed. No between-group differences were obtained for evaluative decisions and latencies. The presence of comorbid anxiety disorders was found to be positively correlated with evaluative shifting owing to masked happy primes, regardless of baseline-neutral or no facial expression condition. The presence of comorbid depressive disorder, paranoid personality disorder, and symptoms of social isolation and self-aggression were significantly correlated with response delay due to masked angry faces, regardless of baseline. In the present affective priming study, no abnormalities in the automatic recognition and processing of facial affects were observed in BPD patients compared to healthy individuals. The presence of comorbid anxiety disorders could make patients more susceptible to the influence of a happy expression on judgment processes at an automatic processing level. Comorbid depressive disorder, paranoid personality disorder, and symptoms of social isolation and self-aggression may enhance automatic attention allocation to threatening facial expressions in BPD. Increased automatic vigilance for social threat stimuli might contribute to affective instability and interpersonal problems in specific patients with BPD.

Linking automatic evaluation to mood and information processing style: consequences for experienced affect, impression formation, and stereotyping.

PubMed

Chartrand, Tanya L; van Baaren, Rick B; Bargh, John A

2006-02-01

According to the feelings-as-information account, a person's mood state signals to him or her the valence of the current environment (N. Schwarz & G. Clore, 1983). However, the ways in which the environment automatically influences mood in the first place remain to be explored. The authors propose that one mechanism by which the environment influences affect is automatic evaluation, the nonconscious evaluation of environmental stimuli as good or bad. A first experiment demonstrated that repeated brief exposure to positive or negative stimuli (which leads to automatic evaluation) induces a corresponding mood in participants. In 3 additional studies, the authors showed that automatic evaluation affects information processing style. Experiment 4 showed that participants' mood mediates the effect of valenced brief primes on information processing. ((c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).

Linking Automatic Evaluation to Mood and Information Processing Style: Consequences for Experienced Affect, Impression Formation, and Stereotyping

PubMed Central

Chartrand, Tanya L.; van Baaren, Rick B.; Bargh, John A.

2009-01-01

According to the feelings-as-information account, a person’s mood state signals to him or her the valence of the current environment (N. Schwarz & G. Clore, 1983). However, the ways in which the environment automatically influences mood in the first place remain to be explored. The authors propose that one mechanism by which the environment influences affect is automatic evaluation, the nonconscious evaluation of environmental stimuli as good or bad. A first experiment demonstrated that repeated brief exposure to positive or negative stimuli (which leads to automatic evaluation) induces a corresponding mood in participants. In 3 additional studies, the authors showed that automatic evaluation affects information processing style. Experiment 4 showed that participants’ mood mediates the effect of valenced brief primes on information processing. PMID:16478316

Can the impact of public involvement on research be evaluated? A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Barber, Rosemary; Boote, Jonathan D; Parry, Glenys D; Cooper, Cindy L; Yeeles, Philippa; Cook, Sarah

2012-09-01

  Public involvement is central to health and social research policies, yet few systematic evaluations of its impact have been carried out, raising questions about the feasibility of evaluating the impact of public involvement.   To investigate whether it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on health and social research.   Mixed methods including a two-round Delphi study with pre-specified 80% consensus criterion, with follow-up interviews. UK and international panellists came from different settings, including universities, health and social care institutions and charitable organizations. They comprised researchers, members of the public, research managers, commissioners and policy makers, self-selected as having knowledge and/or experience of public involvement in health and/or social research; 124 completed both rounds of the Delphi process. A purposive sample of 14 panellists was interviewed.   Consensus was reached that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on 5 of 16 impact issues: identifying and prioritizing research topics, disseminating research findings and on key stakeholders. Qualitative analysis revealed the complexities of evaluating a process that is subjective and socially constructed. While many panellists believed that it is morally right to involve the public in research, they also considered that it is appropriate to evaluate the impact of public involvement.   This study found consensus among panellists that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on some research processes, outcomes and on key stakeholders. The value of public involvement and the importance of evaluating its impact were endorsed. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Can the impact of public involvement on research be evaluated? A mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Barber, Rosemary; Boote, Jonathan D; Parry, Glenys D; Cooper, Cindy L; Yeeles, Philippa; Cook, Sarah

2011-01-01

Abstract Background  Public involvement is central to health and social research policies, yet few systematic evaluations of its impact have been carried out, raising questions about the feasibility of evaluating the impact of public involvement. Objective  To investigate whether it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on health and social research. Methods  Mixed methods including a two‐round Delphi study with pre‐specified 80% consensus criterion, with follow‐up interviews. UK and international panellists came from different settings, including universities, health and social care institutions and charitable organizations. They comprised researchers, members of the public, research managers, commissioners and policy makers, self‐selected as having knowledge and/or experience of public involvement in health and/or social research; 124 completed both rounds of the Delphi process. A purposive sample of 14 panellists was interviewed. Results  Consensus was reached that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on 5 of 16 impact issues: identifying and prioritizing research topics, disseminating research findings and on key stakeholders. Qualitative analysis revealed the complexities of evaluating a process that is subjective and socially constructed. While many panellists believed that it is morally right to involve the public in research, they also considered that it is appropriate to evaluate the impact of public involvement. Conclusions  This study found consensus among panellists that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on some research processes, outcomes and on key stakeholders. The value of public involvement and the importance of evaluating its impact were endorsed. PMID:21324054

Lost in processing? Perceived healthfulness, taste and caloric content of whole and processed organic food.

PubMed

Prada, Marília; Garrido, Margarida V; Rodrigues, David

2017-07-01

The "organic" claim explicitly informs consumers about the food production method. Yet, based on this claim, people often infer unrelated food attributes. The current research examined whether the perceived advantage of organic over conventional food generalizes across different organic food types. Compared to whole organic foods, processed organic foods are less available, familiar and prototypical of the organic food category. In two studies (combined N = 258) we investigated how both organic foods types were perceived in healthfulness, taste and caloric content when compared to their conventional alternatives. Participants evaluated images of both whole (e.g., lettuce) and processed organic food exemplars (e.g., pizza), and reported general evaluations of these food types. The association of these evaluations with individual difference variables - self-reported knowledge and consumption of organic food, and environmental concerns - was also examined. Results showed that organically produced whole foods were perceived as more healthful, tastier and less caloric than those produced conventionally, thus replicating the well-established halo effect of the organic claim in food evaluation. The organic advantage was more pronounced among individuals who reported being more knowledgeable about organic food, consumed it more frequently, and were more environmentally concerned. The advantage of the organic claim for processed foods was less clear. Overall, processed organic (vs. conventional) foods were perceived as tastier, more healthful (Study 1) or equally healthful (Study 2), but also as more caloric. We argue that the features of processed food may modulate the impact of the organic claim, and outline possible research directions to test this assumption. Uncovering the specific conditions in which food claims bias consumer's perceptions and behavior may have important implications for marketing, health and public-policy related fields. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process Monitoring Evaluation and Implementation for the Wood Abrasive Machining Process

PubMed Central

Saloni, Daniel E.; Lemaster, Richard L.; Jackson, Steven D.

2010-01-01

Wood processing industries have continuously developed and improved technologies and processes to transform wood to obtain better final product quality and thus increase profits. Abrasive machining is one of the most important of these processes and therefore merits special attention and study. The objective of this work was to evaluate and demonstrate a process monitoring system for use in the abrasive machining of wood and wood based products. The system developed increases the life of the belt by detecting (using process monitoring sensors) and removing (by cleaning) the abrasive loading during the machining process. This study focused on abrasive belt machining processes and included substantial background work, which provided a solid base for understanding the behavior of the abrasive, and the different ways that the abrasive machining process can be monitored. In addition, the background research showed that abrasive belts can effectively be cleaned by the appropriate cleaning technique. The process monitoring system developed included acoustic emission sensors which tended to be sensitive to belt wear, as well as platen vibration, but not loading, and optical sensors which were sensitive to abrasive loading. PMID:22163477

Identfying the Needs of Pre-Service Classroom Teachers about Science Teaching Methodology Course in Terms of Parlett's Illuminative Program Evaluation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çaliskan, Ilke

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the needs of third grade classroom teaching students about science teaching course in terms of Parlett's Illuminative program evaluation model. Phenomographic research design was used in this study. Illuminative program evaluation model was chosen for this study in terms of its eclectic and process-based…

Identfying the Needs of Pre-Service Classroom Teachers about Science Teaching Methodology Courses in Terms of Parlett's Illuminative Program Evaluation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çaliskan, Ilke

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the needs of third grade classroom teaching students about science teaching course in terms of Parlett's Illuminative program evaluation model. Phenomographic research design was used in this study. Illuminative program evaluation model was chosen for this study in terms of its eclectic and process-based…

Application of activated carbon derived from scrap tires for adsorption of Rhodamine B.

PubMed

Li, Li; Liu, Shuangxi; Zhu, Tan

2010-01-01

Activated carbon derived from solid hazardous waste scrap tires was evaluated as a potential adsorbent for cationic dye removal. The adsorption process with respect to operating parameters was investigated to evaluate the adsorption characteristics of the activated pyrolytic tire char (APTC) for Rhodamine B (RhB). Systematic research including equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamic studies was performed. The results showed that APTC was a potential adsorbent for RhB with a higher adsorption capacity than most adsorbents. Solution pH and temperature exert significant influence while ionic strength showed little effect on the adsorption process. The adsorption equilibrium data obey Langmuir isotherm and the kinetic data were well described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The adsorption process followed intra-particle diffusion model with more than one process affecting the adsorption process. Thermodynamic study confirmed that the adsorption was a physisorption process with spontaneous, endothermic and random characteristics.

Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Curriculum Challenges based on Context, Input, Process, and Product Evaluation Model: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Ashghali-Farahani, Mansoureh; Ghaffari, Fatemeh; Hoseini-Esfidarjani, Sara-Sadat; Hadian, Zahra; Qomi, Robabeh; Dargahi, Helen

2018-01-01

Weakness of curriculum development in nursing education results in lack of professional skills in graduates. This study was done on master's students in nursing to evaluate challenges of neonatal intensive care nursing curriculum based on context, input, process, and product (CIPP) evaluation model. This study was conducted with qualitative approach, which was completed according to the CIPP evaluation model. The study was conducted from May 2014 to April 2015. The research community included neonatal intensive care nursing master's students, the graduates, faculty members, neonatologists, nurses working in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and mothers of infants who were hospitalized in such wards. Purposeful sampling was applied. The data analysis showed that there were two main categories: "inappropriate infrastructure" and "unknown duties," which influenced the context formation of NICU master's curriculum. The input was formed by five categories, including "biomedical approach," "incomprehensive curriculum," "lack of professional NICU nursing mentors," "inappropriate admission process of NICU students," and "lack of NICU skill labs." Three categories were extracted in the process, including "more emphasize on theoretical education," "the overlap of credits with each other and the inconsistency among the mentors," and "ineffective assessment." Finally, five categories were extracted in the product, including "preferring routine work instead of professional job," "tendency to leave the job," "clinical incompetency of graduates," "the conflict between graduates and nursing staff expectations," and "dissatisfaction of graduates." Some changes are needed in NICU master's curriculum by considering the nursing experts' comments and evaluating the consequences of such program by them.

Spacelab user implementation assessment study. Volume 1: Concept development and evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The total matrix of alternate Spacelab processing concepts and the rejection rationale utilized to reduce the matrix of 243 alternates to the final candidate processing concepts are developed. The work breakdown structure used for the systematic estimation and compilation of integration and checkout resources is presented along with descriptors of each element. Program models are provided of the space transportation system, the Spacelab, the orbiter, and the ATL that were used as the basis for the study trades, analyses, and optimizations. Resource requirements for all processing concepts are summarized along with the optimizations of the processing concepts. Concept evaluations including flight-rate sensitivities of the GSE, facilities, Spacelab hardware elements, and personnel are delineated. An analysis is presented of the applicability of the candidate concepts to potential spacelab users. The impact of the use of the western test range as an orbiter/spacelab launch site on the candidate processing concepts is evaluated. An assessment of the geographical co-location of experiment, Spacelab, and orbiter-cargo integration is included. Ownership options of the support module/system igloo are discussed.

Development of an estimation model for the evaluation of the energy requirement of dilute acid pretreatments of biomass.

PubMed

Mafe, Oluwakemi A T; Davies, Scott M; Hancock, John; Du, Chenyu

2015-01-01

This study aims to develop a mathematical model to evaluate the energy required by pretreatment processes used in the production of second generation ethanol. A dilute acid pretreatment process reported by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was selected as an example for the model's development. The energy demand of the pretreatment process was evaluated by considering the change of internal energy of the substances, the reaction energy, the heat lost and the work done to/by the system based on a number of simplifying assumptions. Sensitivity analyses were performed on the solid loading rate, temperature, acid concentration and water evaporation rate. The results from the sensitivity analyses established that the solids loading rate had the most significant impact on the energy demand. The model was then verified with data from the NREL benchmark process. Application of this model on other dilute acid pretreatment processes reported in the literature illustrated that although similar sugar yields were reported by several studies, the energy required by the different pretreatments varied significantly.

Process evaluation results of a cluster randomised controlled childhood obesity prevention trial: the WAVES study.

PubMed

Griffin, T L; Clarke, J L; Lancashire, E R; Pallan, M J; Adab, P

2017-08-29

Increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and its related consequences emphasises the importance of developing and evaluating interventions aimed at prevention. The importance of process evaluation in health intervention research is increasingly recognised, assessing implementation and participant response, and how these may relate to intervention success or failure. A comprehensive process evaluation was designed and undertaken for the West Midlands ActiVe lifestyle and healthy Eating in School children (WAVES) study that tested the effectiveness of an obesity prevention programme for children aged 6-7 years, delivered in 24 UK schools. The four intervention components were: additional daily school-time physical activity (PA); cooking workshops for children and parents; Villa Vitality (VV), a 6-week healthy lifestyle promotion programme run by a local football club; and signposting to local PA opportunities. Data relating to six dimensions (Fidelity, Reach, Recruitment, Quality, Participant Responsiveness, Context) were collected via questionnaires, logbooks, direct observations, focus groups and interviews. Multiple data collection methods allowed for data triangulation and validation of methods, comparing research observations with teacher records. The 6-stage WAVES study model ((i) Data collection, (ii) Collation, (iii) Tabulation, (iv) Score allocation and discussion, (v) Consultation, (vi) Final score allocation) was developed to guide the collection, assimilation and analysis of process evaluation data. Two researchers independently allocated school scores on a 5-point Likert scale for each process evaluation dimension. Researchers then discussed school score allocations and reached a consensus. Schools were ranked by total score, and grouped to reflect low, medium or high intervention implementation. The intervention was predominantly well-implemented and well-received by teachers, parents and children. The PA component was identified as the most challenging, VV the least. Median implementation score across schools was 56/75 (IQR, 51.0 - 60.8). Agreement between teacher logbooks and researcher observations was generally high, the main discrepancies occurred in session duration reporting where in some cases teachers' estimations tended to be higher than researchers'. The WAVES study model provides a rigorous and replicable approach to undertaking and analysing a multi-component process evaluation. Challenges to implementing school-based obesity prevention interventions have been identified which can be used to inform future trials. ISRCTN97000586 . 19 May 2010.

Performance in physiology evaluation: possible improvement by active learning strategies.

PubMed

Montrezor, Luís H

2016-12-01

The evaluation process is complex and extremely important in the teaching/learning process. Evaluations are constantly employed in the classroom to assist students in the learning process and to help teachers improve the teaching process. The use of active methodologies encourages students to participate in the learning process, encourages interaction with their peers, and stimulates thinking about physiological mechanisms. This study examined the performance of medical students on physiology over four semesters with and without active engagement methodologies. Four activities were used: a puzzle, a board game, a debate, and a video. The results show that engaging in activities with active methodologies before a physiology cognitive monitoring test significantly improved student performance compared with not performing the activities. We integrate the use of these methodologies with classic lectures, and this integration appears to improve the teaching/learning process in the discipline of physiology and improves the integration of physiology with cardiology and neurology. In addition, students enjoy the activities and perform better on their evaluations when they use them. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Fear of negative evaluation modulates electrocortical and behavioral responses when anticipating social evaluative feedback.

PubMed

Van der Molen, Melle J W; Poppelaars, Eefje S; Van Hartingsveldt, Caroline T A; Harrewijn, Anita; Gunther Moor, Bregtje; Westenberg, P Michiel

2013-01-01

Cognitive models posit that the fear of negative evaluation (FNE) is a hallmark feature of social anxiety. As such, individuals with high FNE may show biased information processing when faced with social evaluation. The aim of the current study was to examine the neural underpinnings of anticipating and processing social-evaluative feedback, and its correlates with FNE. We used a social judgment paradigm in which female participants (N = 31) were asked to indicate whether they believed to be socially accepted or rejected by their peers. Anticipatory attention was indexed by the stimulus preceding negativity (SPN), while the feedback-related negativity and P3 were used to index the processing of social-evaluative feedback. Results provided evidence of an optimism bias in social peer evaluation, as participants more often predicted to be socially accepted than rejected. Participants with high levels of FNE needed more time to provide their judgments about the social-evaluative outcome. While anticipating social-evaluative feedback, SPN amplitudes were larger for anticipated social acceptance than for social rejection feedback. Interestingly, the SPN during anticipated social acceptance was larger in participants with high levels of FNE. None of the feedback-related brain potentials correlated with the FNE. Together, the results provided evidence of biased information processing in individuals with high levels of FNE when anticipating (rather than processing) social-evaluative feedback. The delayed response times in high FNE individuals were interpreted to reflect augmented vigilance imposed by the upcoming social-evaluative threat. Possibly, the SPN constitutes a neural marker of this vigilance in females with higher FNE levels, particularly when anticipating social acceptance feedback.

Setting priorities for safe motherhood programme evaluation: a participatory process in three developing countries.

PubMed

Madi, Banyana Cecilia; Hussein, Julia; Hounton, Sennen; D'Ambruoso, Lucia; Achadi, Endang; Arhinful, Daniel Kojo

2007-09-01

A participatory approach to priority setting in programme evaluation may help improve the allocation and more efficient use of scarce resources especially in low-income countries. Research agendas that are the result of collaboration between researchers, programme managers, policy makers and other stakeholders have the potential to ensure rigorous studies are conducted on matters of local priority, based on local, expert knowledge. This paper describes a process involving key stakeholders to elicit and prioritise evaluation needs for safe motherhood in three developing countries. A series of reiterative consultations with safe motherhood stakeholders from each country was conducted over a period of 36 months. In each country, the consultation process consisted of a series of participatory workshops; firstly, stakeholder's views on evaluation were elicited with parallel descriptive work on the contexts. Secondly, priorities for evaluation were identified from stakeholders; thirdly, the evaluation-priorities were refined; and finally, the evaluation research questions, reflecting the identified priorities, were agreed and finalised. Three evaluation-questions were identified in each country, and one selected, on which a full scale evaluation was undertaken. While there is a great deal written about the importance of transparent and participatory priority setting in evaluation; few examples of how such processes could be implemented exist, particularly for maternal health programmes. Our experience demonstrates that the investment in a participatory priority-setting effort is high but the process undertaken resulted in both globally and contextually-relevant priorities for evaluation. This experience provides useful lessons for public health practitioners committed to bridging the research-policy interface.

Activating schoolyards: study design of a quasi-experimental schoolyard intervention study.

PubMed

Andersen, Henriette Bondo; Pawlowski, Charlotte Skau; Scheller, Hanne Bebendorf; Troelsen, Jens; Toftager, Mette; Schipperijn, Jasper

2015-05-31

The aim of the Activating Schoolyards Study is to develop, implement, document and assess a comprehensive schoolyard intervention to promote physical activity (PA) during school recess for primary school children (grade 4-8). The intervention is designed to implement organizational and structural changes in the physical environment. The study builds on a quasi-experimental study design using a mixed method approach including: 1) an exploratory study aimed at providing input for the developing process; 2) an evaluation of the effect of the interventions using a combination of accelerometer, GPS and GIS; 3) a process evaluation facilitating the intervention development process and identifying barriers and facilitators in the implementation process; 4) a post-intervention end-user evaluation aimed at exploring who uses the schoolyards and how the schoolyards are used. The seven project schools (cases) were selected by means of an open competition and the interventions were developed using a participatory bottom-up approach. The participatory approach and case selection strategy make the study design novel. The use of a mixed methods design including qualitative as well as quantitative methods can be seen as a strength, as the different types of data complement each other and results of one part of the study informed the following parts. A unique aspect of our study is the use of accelerometers in combination with GPS and GIS in the effect evaluation to objectively determine where and how active the students are in the schoolyard, before and after the intervention. This provides a type of data that, to our knowledge, has not been used before in schoolyard interventions. Exploring the change in behavior in relation to specific intervention elements in the schoolyard will lead to recommendations for schools undergoing schoolyard renovations at some point in the future.

Quality by design case study: an integrated multivariate approach to drug product and process development.

PubMed

Huang, Jun; Kaul, Goldi; Cai, Chunsheng; Chatlapalli, Ramarao; Hernandez-Abad, Pedro; Ghosh, Krishnendu; Nagi, Arwinder

2009-12-01

To facilitate an in-depth process understanding, and offer opportunities for developing control strategies to ensure product quality, a combination of experimental design, optimization and multivariate techniques was integrated into the process development of a drug product. A process DOE was used to evaluate effects of the design factors on manufacturability and final product CQAs, and establish design space to ensure desired CQAs. Two types of analyses were performed to extract maximal information, DOE effect & response surface analysis and multivariate analysis (PCA and PLS). The DOE effect analysis was used to evaluate the interactions and effects of three design factors (water amount, wet massing time and lubrication time), on response variables (blend flow, compressibility and tablet dissolution). The design space was established by the combined use of DOE, optimization and multivariate analysis to ensure desired CQAs. Multivariate analysis of all variables from the DOE batches was conducted to study relationships between the variables and to evaluate the impact of material attributes/process parameters on manufacturability and final product CQAs. The integrated multivariate approach exemplifies application of QbD principles and tools to drug product and process development.

Process Evaluation of AISI 4340 Steel Manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelis, Elias; Hespos, Michael R.; Ravindra, Nuggehalli M.

2018-01-01

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) involves the consolidation of metal powder, layer by layer, through laser melting and solidification. In this study, process parameters are optimized for AISI 4340 steel to produce dense and homogeneous structures. The optimized process parameters produce mechanical properties at the center of the build plate that are comparable to wrought in the vertical and horizontal orientations after heat treatment and machining. Four subsequent builds are filled with specimens to evaluate the mechanical behavior as a function of location and orientation. Variations in the mechanical properties are likely due to recoater blade interactions with the powder and uneven gas flow. The results obtained in this study are analyzed to assess the reliability and reproducibility of the process. A different build evaluates the performance of near-net-shaped tensile specimens angled 35°-90° from the build plate surface (horizontal). Ductility measurements and surface roughness vary significantly as a function of the build angle. In the stress-relieved and as-built conditions, the mechanical behavior of vertically oriented specimens exhibits somewhat lower and more variable ductility than horizontally oriented specimens. Therefore, several process variables affect the mechanical properties of parts produced by the L-PBF process.

Perceptions of the Principal Evaluation Process and Performance Criteria: A Qualitative Study of the Challenge of Principal Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faginski-Stark, Erica; Casavant, Christopher; Collins, William; McCandless, Jason; Tencza, Marilyn

2012-01-01

Recent federal and state mandates have tasked school systems to move beyond principal evaluation as a bureaucratic function and to re-imagine it as a critical component to improve principal performance and compel school renewal. This qualitative study investigated the district leaders' and principals' perceptions of the performance evaluation…

A Qualitative Approach to the Evaluation of Expert Systems Shells.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slawson, Dean A.; And Others

This study explores an approach to the evaluation of expert system shells using case studies. The methodology and some of the results of an evaluation of the prototype development of an expert system using the shell "M1" are detailed, including a description of the participants and the project, the data collection process and materials,…

Technology Evaluation Tools and Teacher Performance in Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stonehouse, Pauline; Keengwe, Jared

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was, (a) to describe the introduction of mVAL software and Charlotte Danielson Rubrics (CDR) as teacher evaluation tools; (b) to compare the process and outcomes of the new initiative with traditional systems; and (c) to evaluate the software from the perspective of participants in the system. This study highlights the…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Shammari, Zaid; Yawkey, Thomas D.

2008-01-01

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

A combined disease management and process modeling approach for assessing and improving care processes: a fall management case-study.

PubMed

Askari, Marjan; Westerhof, Richard; Eslami, Saied; Medlock, Stephanie; de Rooij, Sophia E; Abu-Hanna, Ameen

2013-10-01

To propose a combined disease management and process modeling approach for evaluating and improving care processes, and demonstrate its usability and usefulness in a real-world fall management case study. We identified essential disease management related concepts and mapped them into explicit questions meant to expose areas for improvement in the respective care processes. We applied the disease management oriented questions to a process model of a comprehensive real world fall prevention and treatment program covering primary and secondary care. We relied on interviews and observations to complete the process models, which were captured in UML activity diagrams. A preliminary evaluation of the usability of our approach by gauging the experience of the modeler and an external validator was conducted, and the usefulness of the method was evaluated by gathering feedback from stakeholders at an invitational conference of 75 attendees. The process model of the fall management program was organized around the clinical tasks of case finding, risk profiling, decision making, coordination and interventions. Applying the disease management questions to the process models exposed weaknesses in the process including: absence of program ownership, under-detection of falls in primary care, and lack of efficient communication among stakeholders due to missing awareness about other stakeholders' workflow. The modelers experienced the approach as usable and the attendees of the invitational conference found the analysis results to be valid. The proposed disease management view of process modeling was usable and useful for systematically identifying areas of improvement in a fall management program. Although specifically applied to fall management, we believe our case study is characteristic of various disease management settings, suggesting the wider applicability of the approach. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Media milling process optimization for manufacture of drug nanoparticles using design of experiments (DOE).

PubMed

Nekkanti, Vijaykumar; Marwah, Ashwani; Pillai, Raviraj

2015-01-01

Design of experiments (DOE), a component of Quality by Design (QbD), is systematic and simultaneous evaluation of process variables to develop a product with predetermined quality attributes. This article presents a case study to understand the effects of process variables in a bead milling process used for manufacture of drug nanoparticles. Experiments were designed and results were computed according to a 3-factor, 3-level face-centered central composite design (CCD). The factors investigated were motor speed, pump speed and bead volume. Responses analyzed for evaluating these effects and interactions were milling time, particle size and process yield. Process validation batches were executed using the optimum process conditions obtained from software Design-Expert® to evaluate both the repeatability and reproducibility of bead milling technique. Milling time was optimized to <5 h to obtain the desired particle size (d90 < 400 nm). The desirability function used to optimize the response variables and observed responses were in agreement with experimental values. These results demonstrated the reliability of selected model for manufacture of drug nanoparticles with predictable quality attributes. The optimization of bead milling process variables by applying DOE resulted in considerable decrease in milling time to achieve the desired particle size. The study indicates the applicability of DOE approach to optimize critical process parameters in the manufacture of drug nanoparticles.

Donabedian's structure-process-outcome quality of care model: Validation in an integrated trauma system.

PubMed

Moore, Lynne; Lavoie, André; Bourgeois, Gilles; Lapointe, Jean

2015-06-01

According to Donabedian's health care quality model, improvements in the structure of care should lead to improvements in clinical processes that should in turn improve patient outcome. This model has been widely adopted by the trauma community but has not yet been validated in a trauma system. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of an integrated trauma system in terms of structure, process, and outcome and evaluate the correlation between quality domains. Quality of care was evaluated for patients treated in a Canadian provincial trauma system (2005-2010; 57 centers, n = 63,971) using quality indicators (QIs) developed and validated previously. Structural performance was measured by transposing on-site accreditation visit reports onto an evaluation grid according to American College of Surgeons criteria. The composite process QI was calculated as the average sum of proportions of conformity to 15 process QIs derived from literature review and expert opinion. Outcome performance was measured using risk-adjusted rates of mortality, complications, and readmission as well as hospital length of stay (LOS). Correlation was assessed with Pearson's correlation coefficients. Statistically significant correlations were observed between structure and process QIs (r = 0.33), and process and outcome QIs (r = -0.33 for readmission, r = -0.27 for LOS). Significant positive correlations were also observed between outcome QIs (r = 0.37 for mortality-readmission; r = 0.39 for mortality-LOS and readmission-LOS; r = 0.45 for mortality-complications; r = 0.34 for readmission-complications; 0.63 for complications-LOS). Significant correlations between quality domains observed in this study suggest that Donabedian's structure-process-outcome model is a valid model for evaluating trauma care. Trauma centers that perform well in terms of structure also tend to perform well in terms of clinical processes, which in turn has a favorable influence on patient outcomes. Prognostic study, level III.

The Touchstone Process: an ongoing critical evaluation of reiki in the scientific literature.

PubMed

Baldwin, Ann L; Vitale, Anne; Brownell, Elise; Scicinski, Jan; Kearns, Mary; Rand, William

2010-01-01

Reiki is used by a growing number of people but little is known about the scientific basis for its use. The Touchstone Process was developed as an ongoing process to systematically analyze published, peer-reviewed studies of Reiki, the results being made accessible to the public online. Thirteen scientifically qualified experts in the field of Reiki were assembled into 3 teams to retrieve, evaluate, and summarize articles using standardized, piloted evaluation forms. Summaries of 26 Reiki articles, including strengths and weaknesses, were posted on a newly developed Web site (www.centerforreikiresearch.org), together with an overall summary of the status of Reiki research and guidelines for future research: The Touchstone Process determined that only 12 articles were based on a robust experimental design and utilized well-established outcome parameters. Of these articles, 2 provided no support, 5 provided some support, and 5 demonstrated strong evidence for the use of Reiki as a healing modality. There is a need for further high-quality studies in this area.

Improving Reliability of a Residency Interview Process

PubMed Central

Serres, Michelle L.; Gundrum, Todd E.

2013-01-01

Objective. To improve the reliability and discrimination of a pharmacy resident interview evaluation form, and thereby improve the reliability of the interview process. Methods. In phase 1 of the study, authors used a Many-Facet Rasch Measurement model to optimize an existing evaluation form for reliability and discrimination. In phase 2, interviewer pairs used the modified evaluation form within 4 separate interview stations. In phase 3, 8 interviewers individually-evaluated each candidate in one-on-one interviews. Results. In phase 1, the evaluation form had a reliability of 0.98 with person separation of 6.56; reproducibly, the form separated applicants into 6 distinct groups. Using that form in phase 2 and 3, our largest variation source was candidates, while content specificity was the next largest variation source. The phase 2 g-coefficient was 0.787, while confirmatory phase 3 was 0.922. Process reliability improved with more stations despite fewer interviewers per station—impact of content specificity was greatly reduced with more interview stations. Conclusion. A more reliable, discriminating evaluation form was developed to evaluate candidates during resident interviews, and a process was designed that reduced the impact from content specificity. PMID:24159209

Protocol for the process evaluation of a complex intervention designed to increase the use of research in health policy and program organisations (the SPIRIT study).

PubMed

Haynes, Abby; Brennan, Sue; Carter, Stacy; O'Connor, Denise; Schneider, Carmen Huckel; Turner, Tari; Gallego, Gisselle

2014-09-27

Process evaluation is vital for understanding how interventions function in different settings, including if and why they have different effects or do not work at all. This is particularly important in trials of complex interventions in 'real world' organisational settings where causality is difficult to determine. Complexity presents challenges for process evaluation, and process evaluations that tackle complexity are rarely reported. This paper presents the detailed protocol for a process evaluation embedded in a randomised trial of a complex intervention known as SPIRIT (Supporting Policy In health with Research: an Intervention Trial). SPIRIT aims to build capacity for using research in health policy and program agencies. We describe the flexible and pragmatic methods used for capturing, managing and analysing data across three domains: (a) the intervention as it was implemented; (b) how people participated in and responded to the intervention; and (c) the contextual characteristics that mediated this relationship and may influence outcomes. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods include purposively sampled semi-structured interviews at two time points, direct observation and coding of intervention activities, and participant feedback forms. We provide examples of the data collection and data management tools developed. This protocol provides a worked example of how to embed process evaluation in the design and evaluation of a complex intervention trial. It tackles complexity in the intervention and its implementation settings. To our knowledge, it is the only detailed example of the methods for a process evaluation of an intervention conducted as part of a randomised trial in policy organisations. We identify strengths and weaknesses, and discuss how the methods are functioning during early implementation. Using 'insider' consultation to develop methods is enabling us to optimise data collection while minimising discomfort and burden for participants. Embedding the process evaluation within the trial design is facilitating access to data, but may impair participants' willingness to talk openly in interviews. While it is challenging to evaluate the process of conducting a randomised trial of a complex intervention, our experience so far suggests that it is feasible and can add considerably to the knowledge generated.

Meta-evaluation of a participatory process in the strengthening of municipal management

PubMed Central

de Almeida, Cristiane Andrea Locatelli; Tanaka, Oswaldo Yoshimi

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate, with a focus on participation, an evaluation process developed by municipal managers and administrators of a health region in the state of São Paulo, considering the need for theoretical reflection on participatory health practices in the Brazilian context. METHODS Qualitative research that used the framework developed by Daigneault and Jacob (2009) to analyze the empirical material, encompassing three dimensions of participation: control of the evaluation process, diversity of participants, and extent of their involvement. We highlighted decisions or contextual aspects that deepened or limited the participatory option in the process under study. RESULTS We identified the presence and important performance of stakeholders who are “not specialists in evaluation”, through participation both in the direction of the evaluation process and in its distinct stages. The formed group started from their own annoyances added to the need for information and reflection to define the subject and scope of the evaluation; the use of the process planned by them guided the definition of the data to be collected and the format of result dissemination; the empirical material analysis was undertaken jointly by the participants. Regarding the third dimension, a limitation was identified regarding the diversity of actors involved due to the prioritization of the possibility of in-depth work with a fixed group of managers. CONCLUSIONS It is stated that there is no “ideal participation model” for evaluations. In certain contexts and structures, real opportunities for participation – even if they seem fragile at first sight – should be leveraged, and that requires flexibility and critical reflection on the part of those responsible for the evaluation processes to undertake the necessary adjustments. PMID:29166448

Effect of the Machining Processes on Low Cycle Fatigue Behavior of a Powder Metallurgy Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Telesman, J.; Kantzos, P.; Gabb, T. P.; Ghosn, L. J.

2010-01-01

A study has been performed to investigate the effect of various machining processes on fatigue life of configured low cycle fatigue specimens machined out of a NASA developed LSHR P/M nickel based disk alloy. Two types of configured specimen geometries were employed in the study. To evaluate a broach machining processes a double notch geometry was used with both notches machined using broach tooling. EDM machined notched specimens of the same configuration were tested for comparison purposes. Honing finishing process was evaluated by using a center hole specimen geometry. Comparison testing was again done using EDM machined specimens of the same geometry. The effect of these machining processes on the resulting surface roughness, residual stress distribution and microstructural damage were characterized and used in attempt to explain the low cycle fatigue results.

Improving Evaluation in the Nonprofit Sector: The Promise of Evaluation Capacity Building for Nonprofit Social Service Organizations in an Age of Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pejsa, Laura J.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the real-world practice of evaluation capacity building (ECB) in the small-medium sized nonprofit context. The study aimed to map the activities, processes, and outcomes of ECB in these nonprofits in light of the competing external and internal evaluation contexts facing nonprofits in an age of…

College Governance: A Comparison of Faculty Evaluation in Public and Private Colleges with Implications for the Improvement of the Evaluation Process at Johnson and Wales College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bukowski, Joseph E.

This study focuses on selected factors in the evaluation of faculty members in: (1) colleges accredited by the Association of Independent Colleges and Schools; (2) public junior and senior colleges; and (3) Rhode Island colleges. Results of the study indicate that faculty evaluation schemes must follow the basic goals and philosophy of the…

Potential pros and cons of external healthcare performance evaluation systems: real-life perspectives on Iranian hospital evaluation and accreditation program

PubMed Central

Jaafaripooyan, Ebrahim

2014-01-01

Background: Performance evaluation is essential to quality improvement in healthcare. The current study has identified the potential pros and cons of external healthcare evaluation programs, utilizing them subsequently to look into the merits of a similar case in a developing country. Methods: A mixed method study employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques was adopted to achieve the study end. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and professionals were approached for two-stage process of data collection. Results: Potential advantages included greater attractiveness of high accreditation rank healthcare organizations to their customers/purchasers and boosted morale of their personnel. Downsides, as such, comprised the programs’ over-reliance on value judgment of surveyors, routinization and incurring undue cost on the organizations. In addition, the improved, standardized care processes as well as the judgmental nature of program survey were associated, as pros and cons, to the program investigated by the professionals. Conclusion: Besides rendering a tentative assessment of Iranian hospital evaluation program, the study provides those running external performance evaluations with a lens to scrutinize the virtues of their own evaluation systems through identifying the potential advantages and drawbacks of such programs. Moreover, the approach followed could be utilized for performance assessment of similar evaluation programs. PMID:25279381

Potential pros and cons of external healthcare performance evaluation systems: real-life perspectives on Iranian hospital evaluation and accreditation program.

PubMed

Jaafaripooyan, Ebrahim

2014-09-01

Performance evaluation is essential to quality improvement in healthcare. The current study has identified the potential pros and cons of external healthcare evaluation programs, utilizing them subsequently to look into the merits of a similar case in a developing country. A mixed method study employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques was adopted to achieve the study end. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and professionals were approached for two-stage process of data collection. Potential advantages included greater attractiveness of high accreditation rank healthcare organizations to their customers/purchasers and boosted morale of their personnel. Downsides, as such, comprised the programs' over-reliance on value judgment of surveyors, routinization and incurring undue cost on the organizations. In addition, the improved, standardized care processes as well as the judgmental nature of program survey were associated, as pros and cons, to the program investigated by the professionals. Besides rendering a tentative assessment of Iranian hospital evaluation program, the study provides those running external performance evaluations with a lens to scrutinize the virtues of their own evaluation systems through identifying the potential advantages and drawbacks of such programs. Moreover, the approach followed could be utilized for performance assessment of similar evaluation programs.

Evaluation of Telephone Health Coaching of German Health Insurants with Chronic Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Härter, Martin; Dwinger, Sarah; Seebauer, Laura; Simon, Daniela; Herbarth, Lutz; Siegmund-Schultze, Elisabeth; Temmert, Daniel; Bermejo, Isaac; Dirmaier, Jörg

2013-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to investigate how patients with chronic conditions evaluate telephone health coaching provided by their health insurance company. Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted among coaching participants ("n" = 834). Outcomes included the general evaluation of the coaching, the evaluation of process and…

Online Course Evaluations Response Rates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guder, Faruk; Malliaris, Mary

2013-01-01

This paper studies the reasons for low response rates in online evaluations. Survey data are collected from the students to understand factors that might affect student participation in the course evaluation process. When course evaluations were opened to the student body, an email announcement was sent to all students, and a reminder email was…

Cross-Evaluation of Degree Programmes in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kettunen, Juha

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study seeks to develop and describe the benchmarking approach of enhancement-led evaluation in higher education and to present a cross-evaluation process for degree programmes. Design/methodology/approach: The benchmarking approach produces useful information for the development of degree programmes based on self-evaluation,…

Evaluating Community College Personnel: A Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deegan, William L.; And Others

A statewide survey was conducted of local evaluation policies, procedures, and problems of implementing evaluation programs on the campuses of California community colleges. The following areas were studied: (1) the process of development of the evaluation program; (2) procedures utilized in the first year of implementing Senate Bill 696…

Mouse-tracking evidence for parallel anticipatory option evaluation.

PubMed

Cranford, Edward A; Moss, Jarrod

2017-12-23

In fast-paced, dynamic tasks, the ability to anticipate the future outcome of a sequence of events is crucial to quickly selecting an appropriate course of action among multiple alternative options. There are two classes of theories that describe how anticipation occurs. Serial theories assume options are generated and evaluated one at a time, in order of quality, whereas parallel theories assume simultaneous generation and evaluation. The present research examined the option evaluation process during a task designed to be analogous to prior anticipation tasks, but within the domain of narrative text comprehension. Prior research has relied on indirect, off-line measurement of the option evaluation process during anticipation tasks. Because the movement of the hand can provide a window into underlying cognitive processes, online metrics such as continuous mouse tracking provide more fine-grained measurements of cognitive processing as it occurs in real time. In this study, participants listened to three-sentence stories and predicted the protagonists' final action by moving a mouse toward one of three possible options. Each story was presented with either one (control condition) or two (distractor condition) plausible ending options. Results seem most consistent with a parallel option evaluation process because initial mouse trajectories deviated further from the best option in the distractor condition compared to the control condition. It is difficult to completely rule out all possible serial processing accounts, although the results do place constraints on the time frame in which a serial processing explanation must operate.

Do Italian Companies Manage Work-Related Stress Effectively? A Process Evaluation in Implementing the INAIL Methodology

PubMed Central

Di Tecco, Cristina; Ronchetti, Matteo; Ghelli, Monica; Russo, Simone; Persechino, Benedetta

2015-01-01

Studies on Intervention Process Evaluation are attracting growing attention in the literature on interventions linked to stress and the wellbeing of workers. There is evidence that some elements relating to the process and content of an intervention may have a decisive role in implementing it by facilitating or hindering the effectiveness of the results. This study aimed to provide a process evaluation on interventions to assess and manage risks related to work-related stress using a methodological path offered by INAIL. The final sample is composed of 124 companies participating to an interview on aspects relating to each phase of the INAIL methodological path put in place to implement the intervention. INAIL methodology has been defined as useful in the process of assessing and managing the risks related to work-related stress. Some factors related to the process (e.g., implementation of a preliminary phase, workers' involvement, and use of external consultants) showed a role in significant differences that emerged in the levels of risk, particularly in relation to findings from the preliminary assessment. Main findings provide information on the key aspects of process and content that are useful in implementing an intervention for assessing and managing risks related to work-related stress. PMID:26504788

Do Italian Companies Manage Work-Related Stress Effectively? A Process Evaluation in Implementing the INAIL Methodology.

PubMed

Di Tecco, Cristina; Ronchetti, Matteo; Ghelli, Monica; Russo, Simone; Persechino, Benedetta; Iavicoli, Sergio

2015-01-01

Studies on Intervention Process Evaluation are attracting growing attention in the literature on interventions linked to stress and the wellbeing of workers. There is evidence that some elements relating to the process and content of an intervention may have a decisive role in implementing it by facilitating or hindering the effectiveness of the results. This study aimed to provide a process evaluation on interventions to assess and manage risks related to work-related stress using a methodological path offered by INAIL. The final sample is composed of 124 companies participating to an interview on aspects relating to each phase of the INAIL methodological path put in place to implement the intervention. INAIL methodology has been defined as useful in the process of assessing and managing the risks related to work-related stress. Some factors related to the process (e.g., implementation of a preliminary phase, workers' involvement, and use of external consultants) showed a role in significant differences that emerged in the levels of risk, particularly in relation to findings from the preliminary assessment. Main findings provide information on the key aspects of process and content that are useful in implementing an intervention for assessing and managing risks related to work-related stress.

Interrupted Time Series Versus Statistical Process Control in Quality Improvement Projects.

PubMed

Andersson Hagiwara, Magnus; Andersson Gäre, Boel; Elg, Mattias

2016-01-01

To measure the effect of quality improvement interventions, it is appropriate to use analysis methods that measure data over time. Examples of such methods include statistical process control analysis and interrupted time series with segmented regression analysis. This article compares the use of statistical process control analysis and interrupted time series with segmented regression analysis for evaluating the longitudinal effects of quality improvement interventions, using an example study on an evaluation of a computerized decision support system.

"Rate My Therapist": Automated Detection of Empathy in Drug and Alcohol Counseling via Speech and Language Processing.

PubMed

Xiao, Bo; Imel, Zac E; Georgiou, Panayiotis G; Atkins, David C; Narayanan, Shrikanth S

2015-01-01

The technology for evaluating patient-provider interactions in psychotherapy-observational coding-has not changed in 70 years. It is labor-intensive, error prone, and expensive, limiting its use in evaluating psychotherapy in the real world. Engineering solutions from speech and language processing provide new methods for the automatic evaluation of provider ratings from session recordings. The primary data are 200 Motivational Interviewing (MI) sessions from a study on MI training methods with observer ratings of counselor empathy. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) was used to transcribe sessions, and the resulting words were used in a text-based predictive model of empathy. Two supporting datasets trained the speech processing tasks including ASR (1200 transcripts from heterogeneous psychotherapy sessions and 153 transcripts and session recordings from 5 MI clinical trials). The accuracy of computationally-derived empathy ratings were evaluated against human ratings for each provider. Computationally-derived empathy scores and classifications (high vs. low) were highly accurate against human-based codes and classifications, with a correlation of 0.65 and F-score (a weighted average of sensitivity and specificity) of 0.86, respectively. Empathy prediction using human transcription as input (as opposed to ASR) resulted in a slight increase in prediction accuracies, suggesting that the fully automatic system with ASR is relatively robust. Using speech and language processing methods, it is possible to generate accurate predictions of provider performance in psychotherapy from audio recordings alone. This technology can support large-scale evaluation of psychotherapy for dissemination and process studies.

Evaluation of extreme temperature events in northern Spain based on process control charts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villeta, M.; Valencia, J. L.; Saá, A.; Tarquis, A. M.

2018-02-01

Extreme climate events have recently attracted the attention of a growing number of researchers because these events impose a large cost on agriculture and associated insurance planning. This study focuses on extreme temperature events and proposes a new method for their evaluation based on statistical process control tools, which are unusual in climate studies. A series of minimum and maximum daily temperatures for 12 geographical areas of a Spanish region between 1931 and 2009 were evaluated by applying statistical process control charts to statistically test whether evidence existed for an increase or a decrease of extreme temperature events. Specification limits were determined for each geographical area and used to define four types of extreme anomalies: lower and upper extremes for the minimum and maximum anomalies. A new binomial Markov extended process that considers the autocorrelation between extreme temperature events was generated for each geographical area and extreme anomaly type to establish the attribute control charts for the annual fraction of extreme days and to monitor the occurrence of annual extreme days. This method was used to assess the significance of changes and trends of extreme temperature events in the analysed region. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of an attribute control chart for evaluating extreme temperature events. For example, the evaluation of extreme maximum temperature events using the proposed statistical process control charts was consistent with the evidence of an increase in maximum temperatures during the last decades of the last century.

Ethnographic process evaluation in primary care: explaining the complexity of implementation.

PubMed

Bunce, Arwen E; Gold, Rachel; Davis, James V; McMullen, Carmit K; Jaworski, Victoria; Mercer, MaryBeth; Nelson, Christine

2014-12-05

The recent growth of implementation research in care delivery systems has led to a renewed interest in methodological approaches that deliver not only intervention outcome data but also deep understanding of the complex dynamics underlying the implementation process. We suggest that an ethnographic approach to process evaluation, when informed by and integrated with quantitative data, can provide this nuanced insight into intervention outcomes. The specific methods used in such ethnographic process evaluations are rarely presented in detail; our objective is to stimulate a conversation around the successes and challenges of specific data collection methods in health care settings. We use the example of a translational clinical trial among 11 community clinics in Portland, OR that are implementing an evidence-based, health-information technology (HIT)-based intervention focused on patients with diabetes. Our ethnographic process evaluation employed weekly diaries by clinic-based study employees, observation, informal and formal interviews, document review, surveys, and group discussions to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation success, provide insight into the quantitative study outcomes, and uncover lessons potentially transferable to other implementation projects. These methods captured the depth and breadth of factors contributing to intervention uptake, while minimizing disruption to clinic work and supporting mid-stream shifts in implementation strategies. A major challenge is the amount of dedicated researcher time required. The deep understanding of the 'how' and 'why' behind intervention outcomes that can be gained through an ethnographic approach improves the credibility and transferability of study findings. We encourage others to share their own experiences with ethnography in implementation evaluation and health services research, and to consider adapting the methods and tools described here for their own research.

Adapting, piloting and evaluating complex public health interventions: lessons learned from the Nurse–Family Partnership in Canadian public health settings

PubMed Central

Jack, S. M.; Catherine, N.; Gonzalez, A.; MacMillan, H. L.; Sheehan, D.; Waddell, C.

2015-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The Nurse–Family Partnership (NFP) is a home-visit program for young and first-time, socially and economically disadvantaged mothers. Evidence from three United States randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of this intervention at improving pregnancy outcomes, improving child health and development, and increasing maternal economic self-sufficiency is robust. However, the effectiveness of the NFP in Canada, with its different health and social care context, needs to be determined. The purpose of this article is to describe the complex process for moving the NFP from the research arena to full implementation in Canada. Methods: This process of evaluation in Canada includes (1) adapting the intervention; (2) piloting the intervention in small-scale feasibility and acceptability studies; and (3) conducting an RCT and process evaluation through a study called the British Columbia Healthy Connections Project (BCHCP). This large-scale evaluation also creates an opportunity to expand the NFP evidence base by conducting an additional study to examine potential biological mechanisms linking intervention and behavioural outcomes in children. Results: Adaptation of the NFP home-visit materials is a continuous process. A pilot project determined that it was feasible to enrol eligible women into the NFP. This pilot also determined that, in Canada, it was most appropriate for public health agencies to implement the NFP and for public health nurses to deliver the intervention. Finally, the pilot showed that this intensive home-visit program was acceptable to clients, their family members and health care providers. Through the BCHCP, the next steps—the RCT and process evaluation—are currently underway. The BCHCP will also set the foundation for long-term evaluation of key public health outcomes in a highly vulnerable population of families. PMID:26605564

Physical Education Resources, Class Management, and Student Physical Activity Levels: A Structure-Process-Outcome Approach to Evaluating Physical Education Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bevans, Katherine B.; Fitzpatrick, Leslie-Anne; Sanchez, Betty M.; Riley, Anne W.; Forrest, Christopher

2010-01-01

Background: This study was conducted to empirically evaluate specific human, curricular, and material resources that maximize student opportunities for physical activity during physical education (PE) class time. A structure-process-outcome model was proposed to identify the resources that influence the frequency of PE and intensity of physical…

Improving the Way Higher Education Institutions Study Themselves: Use and Impact of Academic Improvement Systems. Professional File. Number 118, Fall 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bender, Kim K.; Jonson, Jessica L.; Siller, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

Can higher education institutions continue using planning and self-evaluation processes that are decades old without any reform? Several recent monographs urge institutions to embrace continuous improvement processes that engage systematic planning and department self-evaluation across whole campuses, but they do not show institutions how to do…

Application of Context Input Process and Product Model in Curriculum Evaluation: Case Study of a Call Centre

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavgaoglu, Derya; Alci, Bülent

2016-01-01

The goal of this research which was carried out in reputable dedicated call centres within the Turkish telecommunication sector aims is to evaluate competence-based curriculums designed by means of internal funding through Stufflebeam's context, input, process, product (CIPP) model. In the research, a general scanning pattern in the scope of…

The Beady Eye of the Professional Development Appraisal System: A Foucauldian Cross-Case Analysis of the Teacher Evaluation Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torres, Dalia

2012-01-01

The purpose of this deconstructive case study was to conduct a Foucauldian power/knowledge analysis constructed from the perceptions of three teachers at an intermediate school in South Texas regarding the role of the teacher evaluation process and its influence on instructional practices. Using Foucault's (1977a) work on power/knowledge, of…

An Evaluation of the Employee Training and Development Process for Nicolet Area Technical College's Basic Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karl, Luis C.

The adult basic education (ABE) program at Nicolet Area Technical College (NATC) evaluated its training and development (T&D) process for new basic education instructors. The study gathered monitoring and screening criteria that addressed valuable components for use in an instrument for validating effectiveness of the ABE program (T&D)…

The Role of Theory of Mind on Social Information Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Mediation Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazza, Monica; Mariano, Melania; Peretti, Sara; Masedu, Francesco; Pino, Maria Chiara; Valenti, Marco

2017-01-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show significant impairments in social skills and theory of mind (ToM). The aim of this study was to evaluate ToM and social information processing abilities in 52 children with ASD compared to 55 typically developing (TD) children. A mediation analysis evaluated whether social information…

TREATABILITY STUDY REPORT OF GREEN MOUNTAIN LABORATORIES, INC.'S BIOREMEDIATION PROCESS, TREATMENT OF PCB CONTAMINATED SOILS, AT BEEDE WASTE OIL/CASH ENERGY SUPERFUND SITE, PLAISTOW, NEW HAMPSHIRE

EPA Science Inventory

In 1998, Green Mountain Laboratories, Inc. (GML) and the USEPA agreed to carry out a Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) project to evaluate the effectiveness of GML's Bioremediation Process for the treatment of PCB contaminated soils at the Beede Waste Oil/Cash Ene...

Psychological Counseling Processes of Prospective Psychological Counsellors: An Investigation of Client-Counsellor Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanberk, Ismail; Akbas, Turan

2015-01-01

The general purpose of this study is to investigate the client-counsellor interaction in the psychological counseling process at the verbal behavior level. The study also aims to analyze the relationship between the behaviors observed in the process with both clients and counsellors' evaluations of sessions and whether changes were observed in…

National Job Corps Study: Report on the Process Analysis. Research and Evaluation Report Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Terry; Gritz, Mark; Jackson, Russell; Burghardt, John; Boussy, Carol; Leonard, Jan; Orians, Carlyn

This report presents results of a process analysis that describes and documents Job Corps services and operations. Chapter one provides overviews of Job Corps, the national Job Corps study, and the process analysis. Chapter two describes the administrative structure of Job Corps and presents data on the geographic distribution and characteristics…

Twitter Micro-Blogging Based Mobile Learning Approach to Enhance the Agriculture Education Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dissanayeke, Uvasara; Hewagamage, K. P.; Ramberg, Robert; Wikramanayake, G. N.

2013-01-01

The study intends to see how to introduce mobile learning within the domain of agriculture so as to enhance the agriculture education process. We propose to use the Activity theory together with other methodologies such as participatory methods to design, implement, and evaluate mLearning activities. The study explores the process of introducing…

Performance perceptions and self-focused attention predict post-event processing after a real-life social performance situation.

PubMed

Helbig-Lang, Sylvia; Poels, Vanja; Lincoln, Tania M

2016-11-01

Cognitive approaches to social anxiety suggest that an excessive brooding about one's performance in a social situation (post-event processing; PEP) is involved in the maintenance of anxiety. To date, most studies investigating PEP were conducted in laboratory settings. The present study sought to replicate previous findings on predictors of PEP after a naturalistic social performance situation. Sixty-five students, who had to give an evaluated presentation for credits, completed measures of trait social anxiety. Immediately after their presentation, participants rated state anxiety and attentional focus during the presentation, and provided an overall evaluation of their performance. One week after the presentation, they rated PEP during the preceding week, and reappraised their performance. Regression analyses demonstrated that the performance ratings after and self-focused attention during the presentation were unique predictors of PEP over and above the effects of trait and state anxiety. There was no evidence that PEP was associated with a biased recall of individual performance evaluations. The results support cognitive theories that emphasize the importance of negative self-perceptions in the development of social anxiety and related processes, and underline self-focused attention and self-evaluative processes as important targets during treatment.

Non-formal educator use of evaluation results.

PubMed

Baughman, Sarah; Boyd, Heather H; Franz, Nancy K

2012-08-01

Increasing demands for accountability in educational programming have resulted in increasing calls for program evaluation in educational organizations. Many organizations include conducting program evaluations as part of the job responsibilities of program staff. Cooperative Extension is a complex organization offering non-formal educational programs through land grant universities. Many Extension services require non-formal educational program evaluations be conducted by field-based Extension educators. Evaluation research has focused primarily on the efforts of professional, external evaluators. The work of program staff with many responsibilities including program evaluation has received little attention. This study examined how field based Extension educators (i.e. program staff) in four Extension services use the results of evaluations of programs that they have conducted themselves. Four types of evaluation use are measured and explored; instrumental use, conceptual use, persuasive use and process use. Results indicate that there are few programmatic changes as a result of evaluation findings among the non-formal educators surveyed in this study. Extension educators tend to use evaluation results to persuade others about the value of their programs and learn from the evaluation process. Evaluation use is driven by accountability measures with very little program improvement use as measured in this study. Practical implications include delineating accountability and program improvement tasks within complex organizations in order to align evaluation efforts and to improve the results of both. There is some evidence that evaluation capacity building efforts may be increasing instrumental use by educators evaluating their own programs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Evaluation of Educational Effect of Problem-Posing System in Nursing Processing Study].

PubMed

Tsuji, Keiko; Takano, Yasuomi; Yamakawa, Hiroto; Kaneko, Daisuke; Takai, Kiyako; Kodama, Hiromi; Hagiwara, Tomoko; Komatsugawa, Hiroshi

2015-09-01

The nursing processing study is generally difficult, because it is important for nursing college students to understand knowledge and utilize it. We have developed an integrated system to understand, utilize, and share knowledge. We added a problem-posing function to this system, and expected that students would deeply understand the nursing processing study through the new system. This system consisted of four steps: create a problem, create an answer input section, create a hint, and verification. Nursing students created problems related to nursing processing by this system. When we gave a lecture on the nursing processing for second year students of A university, we tried to use the creating problem function of this system. We evaluated the effect by the number of problems and the contents of the created problem, that is, whether the contents consisted of a lecture stage or not. We also evaluated the correlation between those and regular examination and report scores. We derived the following: 1. weak correlation between the number of created problems and report score (r=0.27), 2. significant differences between regular examination and report scores of students who created problems corresponding to the learning stage, and those of students who created problems not corresponding to it (P<0.05). From these results, problem-posing is suggested to be effective to fix and utilize knowledge in the lecture of nursing processing theory.

Individual self > relational self > collective self-But why? Processes driving the self-hierarchy in self- and person perception.

PubMed

Nehrlich, Andreas D; Gebauer, Jochen E; Sedikides, Constantine; Abele, Andrea E

2018-03-25

The self has three parts: individual, relational, and collective. Typically, people personally value their individual self most, their relational self less, and their collective self least. This self-hierarchy is consequential, but underlying processes have remained unknown. Here, we propose two process accounts. The content account draws upon selves' agentic-communal content, explaining why the individual self is preferred most. The teleology account draws upon selves' instrumentality for becoming one's personal ideal, explaining why the collective self is preferred least. In Study 1 (N = 200, 45% female, M age  = 32.9 years, 79% Caucasian), participants listed characteristics of their three selves (individual, relational, collective) and evaluated those characteristics in seven preference tasks. Additionally, we analyzed the characteristics' agentic-communal content, and participants rated their characteristics' teleological instrumentality. Study 2 (N = 396, 55% female, M age  = 34.5 years, 76% Caucasian) used identical methodology and featured an additional condition, where participants evaluated the selves of a friend. Study 1 reconfirmed the self-hierarchy and supported both process accounts. Study 2 replicated and extended findings. As hypothesized, when people evaluate others' selves, a different self-hierarchy emerges (relational > individual > collective). This research pioneers process-driven explanations for the self-hierarchy, establishing why people prefer different self-parts in themselves than in others. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mechanisms of masked evaluative priming: task sets modulate behavioral and electrophysiological priming for picture and words differentially

PubMed Central

Liegel, Nathalie; Zovko, Monika; Wentura, Dirk

2017-01-01

Abstract Research with the evaluative priming paradigm has shown that affective evaluation processes reliably influence cognition and behavior, even when triggered outside awareness. However, the precise mechanisms underlying such subliminal evaluative priming effects, response activation vs semantic processing, are matter of a debate. In this study, we determined the relative contribution of semantic processing and response activation to masked evaluative priming with pictures and words. To this end, we investigated the modulation of masked pictorial vs verbal priming by previously activated perceptual vs semantic task sets and assessed the electrophysiological correlates of priming using event-related potential (ERP) recordings. Behavioral and electrophysiological effects showed a differential modulation of pictorial and verbal subliminal priming by previously activated task sets: Pictorial priming was only observed during the perceptual but not during the semantic task set. Verbal priming, in contrast, was found when either task set was activated. Furthermore, only verbal priming was associated with a modulation of the N400 ERP component, an index of semantic processing, whereas a priming-related modulation of earlier ERPs, indexing visuo-motor S-R activation, was found for both picture and words. The results thus demonstrate that different neuro-cognitive processes contribute to unconscious evaluative priming depending on the stimulus format. PMID:27998994

Experimental study of digital image processing techniques for LANDSAT data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rifman, S. S. (Principal Investigator); Allendoerfer, W. B.; Caron, R. H.; Pemberton, L. J.; Mckinnon, D. M.; Polanski, G.; Simon, K. W.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Results are reported for: (1) subscene registration, (2) full scene rectification and registration, (3) resampling techniques, (4) and ground control point (GCP) extraction. Subscenes (354 pixels x 234 lines) were registered to approximately 1/4 pixel accuracy and evaluated by change detection imagery for three cases: (1) bulk data registration, (2) precision correction of a reference subscene using GCP data, and (3) independently precision processed subscenes. Full scene rectification and registration results were evaluated by using a correlation technique to measure registration errors of 0.3 pixel rms thoughout the full scene. Resampling evaluations of nearest neighbor and TRW cubic convolution processed data included change detection imagery and feature classification. Resampled data were also evaluated for an MSS scene containing specular solar reflections.

43 CFR 404.48 - What process will Reclamation follow to determine if a feasibility study is ready for review?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... determine if a feasibility study is ready for review? 404.48 Section 404.48 Public Lands: Interior... SUPPLY PROGRAM Feasibility Studies § 404.48 What process will Reclamation follow to determine if a feasibility study is ready for review? (a) Reclamation will evaluate whether the feasibility study adequately...

Development and Validation of the Social Information Processing Application: A Web-Based Measure of Social Information Processing Patterns in Elementary School-Age Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kupersmidt, Janis B.; Stelter, Rebecca; Dodge, Kenneth A.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an audio computer-assisted self-interviewing Web-based software application called the Social Information Processing Application (SIP-AP) that was designed to assess social information processing skills in boys in RD through 5th grades. This study included a racially and…

Social anhedonia, but not positive schizotypy, is associated with poor affective control.

PubMed

Martin, Elizabeth A; Cicero, David C; Kerns, John G

2012-07-01

Emotion researchers have distinguished between automatic versus controlled processing of affective information. One previous study with a small sample size found that extreme levels of social anhedonia (SocAnh) in college students, which predicts future schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, is associated with problems in controlled affective processing on a primed evaluation task. The current study examined whether in a larger college student sample SocAnh but not elevated perceptual aberration/magical ideation (PerMag) was associated with poor controlled affective processing. On the primed evaluation task, primes and targets could be either affectively congruent or incongruent and participants judged the valence of targets. Previous research on this task has found that participants appear to use controlled processing in an attempt to counteract the influence of the prime in evaluating the target. In this study, compared to the PerMag (n = 48) and control groups (n = 338), people with extreme levels of social anhedonia (n = 62) exhibited increased affective interference as they were slower for incongruent than for congruent trials. In contrast, there were no differences between the PerMag and control groups. Overall, these results suggest that SocAnh, but not PerMag, is associated with poor controlled affective processing. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

The Trier Social Stress Test as a paradigm to study how people respond to threat in social interactions

PubMed Central

Frisch, Johanna U.; Häusser, Jan A.; Mojzisch, Andreas

2015-01-01

In our lives, we face countless situations in which we are observed and evaluated by our social interaction partners. Social-evaluative threat is frequently associated with strong neurophysiological stress reactions, in particular, an increase in cortisol levels. Yet, social variables do not only cause stress, but they can also buffer the neurophysiological stress response. Furthermore, social variables can themselves be affected by the threat or the threat-induced neurophysiological stress response. In order to study this complex interplay of social-evaluative threat, social processes and neurophysiological stress responses, a paradigm is needed that (a) reliably induces high levels of social-evaluative threat and (b) is extremely adaptable to the needs of the researcher. The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a well-established paradigm in biopsychology that induces social-evaluative threat in the laboratory by subjecting participants to a mock job-interview. In this review, we aim at demonstrating the potential of the TSST for studying the complex interplay of social-evaluative threat, social processes and neurophysiological stress responses. PMID:25698987

Process evaluation results from the HEALTHY physical education intervention

PubMed Central

Hall, William J.; Zeveloff, Abigail; Steckler, Allan; Schneider, Margaret; Thompson, Deborah; Pham, Trang; Volpe, Stella L.; Hindes, Katie; Sleigh, Adriana; McMurray, Robert G.

2012-01-01

Process evaluation is an assessment of the implementation of an intervention. A process evaluation component was embedded in the HEALTHY study, a primary prevention trial for Type 2 diabetes implemented over 3 years in 21 middle schools across the United States. The HEALTHY physical education (PE) intervention aimed at maximizing student engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity through delivery of structured lesson plans by PE teachers. Process evaluation data collected via class observations and interventionist interviews assessed fidelity, dose delivered, implementor participation, dose received and barriers. Process evaluation results indicate a high level of fidelity in implementing HEALTHY PE activities and offering 225 min of PE every 10 school days. Concerning dose delivered, students were active for approximately 33 min of class, representing an average of 61% of the class time. Results also indicate that PE teachers were generally engaged in implementing the HEALTHY PE curriculum. Data on dose received showed that students were highly engaged with the PE intervention; however, student misbehavior was the most common barrier observed during classes. Other barriers included teacher disengagement, large classes, limited gym space and poor classroom management. Findings suggest that the PE intervention was generally implemented and received as intended despite several barriers. PMID:22156231

Process evaluation results from the HEALTHY physical education intervention.

PubMed

Hall, William J; Zeveloff, Abigail; Steckler, Allan; Schneider, Margaret; Thompson, Deborah; Pham, Trang; Volpe, Stella L; Hindes, Katie; Sleigh, Adriana; McMurray, Robert G

2012-04-01

Process evaluation is an assessment of the implementation of an intervention. A process evaluation component was embedded in the HEALTHY study, a primary prevention trial for Type 2 diabetes implemented over 3 years in 21 middle schools across the United States. The HEALTHY physical education (PE) intervention aimed at maximizing student engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity through delivery of structured lesson plans by PE teachers. Process evaluation data collected via class observations and interventionist interviews assessed fidelity, dose delivered, implementor participation, dose received and barriers. Process evaluation results indicate a high level of fidelity in implementing HEALTHY PE activities and offering 225 min of PE every 10 school days. Concerning dose delivered, students were active for approximately 33 min of class, representing an average of 61% of the class time. Results also indicate that PE teachers were generally engaged in implementing the HEALTHY PE curriculum. Data on dose received showed that students were highly engaged with the PE intervention; however, student misbehavior was the most common barrier observed during classes. Other barriers included teacher disengagement, large classes, limited gym space and poor classroom management. Findings suggest that the PE intervention was generally implemented and received as intended despite several barriers.

A proposed model to conduct process and outcome evaluations and implementation research of child health programs in Africa using integrated community case management as an example.

PubMed

Diaz, Theresa; Guenther, Tanya; Oliphant, Nicholas P; Muñiz, Maria

2014-12-01

To use a newly devised set of criteria to review the study design and scope of collection of process, outcomes and contextual data for evaluations and implementation research of integrated community case management (iCCM) in Sub-Saharan African. We examined 24 program evaluations and implementation research studies of iCCM in sub-Saharan Africa conducted in the last 5 years (2008-2013), assessed the design used and categorized them according to whether or not they collected sufficient information to conduct process and outcome evaluations. Five of the 24 studies used a stepped wedge design and two were randomized control trials. The remaining 17 were quasi-experimental of which 10 had comparison areas; however, not all comparison areas had a pre and post household survey. With regard to process data, 22 of the studies collected sufficient information to report on implementation strength, and all, except one, could report on program implementation. Most common missing data elements were health facility treatments, service costs, and qualitative data to assess demand. For the measurement of program outcomes, 7 of the 24 studies had a year or less of implementation at scale before the endline survey, 6 of the household surveys did not collect point of service, 10 did not collect timeliness (care seeking within 24 hours of symptoms) and 12 did not have socioeconomic (SES) information. Among the 16 studies with comparison areas, only 5 randomly selected comparison areas, while 10 had appropriate comparison areas. Several evaluations were done too soon after implementation, lacked information on health facility treatments, costs, demand, timeliness or SES and/or did not have a counterfactual. We propose several study designs and minimal data elements to be collected to provide sufficient information to assess whether iCCM increased timely coverage of treatment for the neediest children in a cost-efficient manner.

Grey Relational Analysis Coupled with Principal Component Analysis for Optimization of Stereolithography Process to Enhance Part Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, B. S.; Sekhar, U. Chandra; Drakshayani, D. N.

2017-08-01

The paper investigates optimization of stereolithography process for SL5530 epoxy resin material to enhance part quality. The major characteristics indexed for performance selected to evaluate the processes are tensile strength, Flexural strength, Impact strength and Density analysis and corresponding process parameters are Layer thickness, Orientation and Hatch spacing. In this study, the process is intrinsically with multiple parameters tuning so that grey relational analysis which uses grey relational grade as performance index is specially adopted to determine the optimal combination of process parameters. Moreover, the principal component analysis is applied to evaluate the weighting values corresponding to various performance characteristics so that their relative importance can be properly and objectively desired. The results of confirmation experiments reveal that grey relational analysis coupled with principal component analysis can effectively acquire the optimal combination of process parameters. Hence, this confirm that the proposed approach in this study can be an useful tool to improve the process parameters in stereolithography process, which is very useful information for machine designers as well as RP machine users.

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report IV, Volume I: Pilot Year Impact Study--Instrument Characteristics and Attrition Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur C.; And Others

This interim report of a pilot year impact study on evaluation methodology is part of a series of documents on the evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity, a Head Start demonstration program aimed at promoting educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and primary school experiences. This report deals with…

A Comprehensive Model for Developing and Evaluating Study Abroad Programs in Counselor Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Syntia Dinora

2014-01-01

This paper introduces a model to guide the process of designing and evaluating study abroad programs, addressing particular stages and influential factors. The main purpose of the model is to serve as a basic structure for those who want to develop their own program or evaluate previous cultural immersion experiences. The model is based on the…

Progress Report on Reactivity Analyses (October-December Test Data). Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study. Technical Note Series. Technical Note III-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filby, Nikola N.

The development and refinement of the measures of student achievement in reading and mathematics for the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study are described. The concept of reactivity to instruction is introduced: the tests used to evaluate instructional processes must be sensitive indicators of classroom learning overtime. Data collection activities…

Evaluation of English Achievement Test: A Comparison between High and Low Achievers amongst Selected Elementary School Students of Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haider, Zubair; Latif, Farah; Akhtar, Samina; Mushtaq, Maria

2012-01-01

Validity, reliability and item analysis are critical to the process of evaluating the quality of an educational measurement. The present study evaluates the quality of an assessment constructed to measure elementary school student's achievement in English. In this study, the survey model of descriptive research was used as a research method.…

Meta-analysis for genome-wide association studies using case-control design: application and practice

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This review aimed to arrange the process of a systematic review of genome-wide association studies in order to practice and apply a genome-wide meta-analysis (GWMA). The process has a series of five steps: searching and selection, extraction of related information, evaluation of validity, meta-analysis by type of genetic model, and evaluation of heterogeneity. In contrast to intervention meta-analyses, GWMA has to evaluate the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in the third step and conduct meta-analyses by five potential genetic models, including dominant, recessive, homozygote contrast, heterozygote contrast, and allelic contrast in the fourth step. The ‘genhwcci’ and ‘metan’ commands of STATA software evaluate the HWE and calculate a summary effect size, respectively. A meta-regression using the ‘metareg’ command of STATA should be conducted to evaluate related factors of heterogeneities. PMID:28092928

Evaluation of a PhD Program: Paving the Way.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Germain, Carol P.; And Others

1994-01-01

During the evolution of an evaluation process for the University of Pennsylvania's doctoral program in nursing, a task force developed criteria and sources for program evaluation and surveyed students, alumni, and faculty to write a self-study report for external reviewers. (JOW)

Measuring Down: Evaluating Digital Storytelling as a Process for Narrative Health Promotion.

PubMed

Gubrium, Aline C; Fiddian-Green, Alice; Lowe, Sarah; DiFulvio, Gloria; Del Toro-Mejías, Lizbeth

2016-05-15

Digital storytelling (DST) engages participants in a group-based process to create and share narrative accounts of life events. We present key evaluation findings of a 2-year, mixed-methods study that focused on effects of participating in the DST process on young Puerto Rican Latina's self-esteem, social support, empowerment, and sexual attitudes and behaviors. Quantitative results did not show significant changes in the expected outcomes. However, in our qualitative findings we identified several ways in which the DST made positive, health-bearing effects. We argue for the importance of "measuring down" to reflect the locally grounded, felt experiences of participants who engage in the process, as current quantitative scales do not "measure up" to accurately capture these effects. We end by suggesting the need to develop mixed-methods, culturally relevant, and sensitive evaluation tools that prioritize process effects as they inform intervention and health promotion. © The Author(s) 2016.

Pyrotechnic hazards classification and evaluation program. Phase 2, segment 3: Test plan for determining hazards associated with pyrotechnic manufacturing processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A comprehensive test plan for determining the hazards associated with pyrotechnic manufacturing processes is presented. The rationale for each test is based on a systematic analysis of historical accounts of accidents and a detailed study of the characteristics of each manufacturing process. The most hazardous manufacturing operations have been determined to be pressing, mixing, reaming, and filling. The hazard potential of a given situation is evaluated in terms of the probabilities of initiation, communication, and transition to detonation (ICT). The characteristics which affect the ICT probabilities include the ignition mechanisms which are present either in normal or abnormal operation, the condition and properties of the pyrotechnic material, and the configuration of the processing equipment. Analytic expressions are derived which describe the physical conditions of the system, thus permitting a variety of processes to be evaluated in terms of a small number of experiments.

Study on loading path optimization of internal high pressure forming process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shufeng; Zhu, Hengda; Gao, Fusheng

2017-09-01

In the process of internal high pressure forming, there is no formula to describe the process parameters and forming results. The article use numerical simulation to obtain several input parameters and corresponding output result, use the BP neural network to found their mapping relationship, and with weighted summing method make each evaluating parameters to set up a formula which can evaluate quality. Then put the training BP neural network into the particle swarm optimization, and take the evaluating formula of the quality as adapting formula of particle swarm optimization, finally do the optimization and research at the range of each parameters. The results show that the parameters obtained by the BP neural network algorithm and the particle swarm optimization algorithm can meet the practical requirements. The method can solve the optimization of the process parameters in the internal high pressure forming process.

Evaluation of extractables in processed and unprocessed polymer materials used for pharmaceutical applications.

PubMed

Stults, Cheryl L M; Ansell, Jennifer M; Shaw, Arthur J; Nagao, Lee M

2015-02-01

Polymeric materials are often used in pharmaceutical packaging, delivery systems, and manufacturing components. There is continued concern that chemical entities from polymeric components may leach into various dosage forms, particularly those that are comprised of liquids such as parenterals, injectables, ophthalmics, and inhalation products. In some cases, polymeric components are subjected to routine extractables testing as a control measure. To reduce the risk of discovering leachables during stability studies late in the development process, or components that may fail extractables release criteria, it is proposed that extractables testing on polymer resins may be useful as a screening tool. Two studies have been performed to evaluate whether the extractables profile generated from a polymer resin is representative of the extractables profile of components made from that same resin. The ELSIE Consortium pilot program examined polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene, and another study evaluated polypropylene and a copolymer of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The test materials were comprised of polymer resin and processed resin or molded components. Volatile, semi-volatile, and nonvolatile chemical profiles were evaluated after headspace sampling and extraction with solvents of varying polarity and pH. The findings from these studies indicate that there may or may not be differences between extractables profiles obtained from resins and processed forms of the resin depending on the type of material, the compounds of interest, and extraction conditions used. Extractables testing of polymer resins is useful for material screening and in certain situations may replace routine component testing.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of diesel-contaminated soil before and after a bioremediation process.

PubMed

Molina-Barahona, L; Vega-Loyo, L; Guerrero, M; Ramírez, S; Romero, I; Vega-Jarquín, C; Albores, A

2005-02-01

Evaluation of contaminated sites is usually performed by chemical analysis of pollutants in soil. This is not enough either to evaluate the environmental risk of contaminated soil nor to evaluate the efficiency of soil cleanup techniques. Information on the bioavailability of complex mixtures of xenobiotics and degradation products cannot be totally provided by chemical analytical data, but results from bioassays can integrate the effects of pollutants in complex mixtures. In the preservation of human health and environment quality, it is important to assess the ecotoxicological effects of contaminated soils to obtain a better evaluation of the healthiness of this system. The monitoring of a diesel-contaminated soil and the evaluation of a bioremediation technique conducted on a microcosm scale were performed by a battery of ecotoxicological tests including phytotoxicity, Daphnia magna, and nematode assays. In this study we biostimulated the native microflora of soil contaminated with diesel by adding nutrients and crop residue (corn straw) as a bulking agent and as a source of microorganisms and nutrients; in addition, moisture was adjusted to enhance diesel removal. The bioremediation process efficiency was evaluated directly by an innovative, simple phytotoxicity test system and the diesel extracts by Daphnia magna and nematode assays. Contaminated soil samples were revealed to have toxic effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and Daphnia survival. After biostimulation, the diesel concentration was reduced by 50.6%, and the soil samples showed a significant reduction in phytotoxicity (9%-15%) and Daphnia assays (3-fold), confirming the effectiveness of the bioremediation process. Results from our microcosm study suggest that in addition to the evaluation of the bioremediation processes efficiency, toxicity testing is different with organisms representative of diverse phylogenic levels. The integration of analytical, toxicological and bioremediation data is necessary to properly assess the ecological risk of bioremediation processes. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cybernetics: a possible solution for the "knowledge gap" between "external" and "internal" in evaluation processes.

PubMed

Levin-Rozalis, Miri

2010-11-01

This paper addresses the issue of the knowledge gap between evaluators and the entity being evaluated: the dilemma of the knowledge of professional evaluators vs. the in-depth knowledge of the evaluated subjects. In order to optimize evaluative outcomes, the author suggests an approach based on ideas borrowed from the science of cybernetics as a method of evaluation--one that enables in-depth perception of the evaluated field without jeopardizing a rigorous study or the evaluator's professionalism. The paper focuses on the main concepts that deal with this dilemma--showing how cybernetics combines the different bodies of knowledge of the different stakeholders, including the professional evaluator, resulting in a coherent body of knowledge created mainly by those internal to the process, owned by them, and relevant to all--those who are internal and those who are external and their different purposes. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection and outcome of the potential live liver donor.

PubMed

Pamecha, Viniyendra; Mahansaria, Shyam Sunder; Bharathy, Kishore G S; Kumar, Senthil; Sasturkar, Shridhar Vasantrao; Sinha, Piyush Kumar; Sarin, Shiv Kumar

2016-07-01

A thorough donor evaluation in the living donation process is mandatory to ensure a safe outcome in an otherwise healthy individual. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the reasons for not proceeding to donation and the outcome of live liver donors. A prospective study of potential donors who underwent evaluation and proceeded to surgery from 1 April 2012 to 31 January 2015 was conducted. The process of donor selection, its outcome and peri-operative complications were recorded. A total of 460 donors were evaluated in a stepwise manner for 367 potential recipients. Of the 321 (69.7 %) donors not proceeding to donation, the reasons were donor-related in 63.6 % and recipient-related in the rest. Common donor-related reasons were: donor reluctance (23.5 %), negative liver attenuation index (16.2 %), anatomic variations (10.3 %), inadequate remnant liver volume (9.8 %), unacceptable liver biopsy (8.8 %), and inadequate graft volume (5.4 %). A majority of donors (82.8 %) were turned down early in the (steps 1 and 2) evaluation process. Recipient death was the most common recipient-related reason [n = 51 (43.6 %)] for not proceeding to donation. There was no donor mortality. The overall complication rate was 19.8 % and major complication rate (grade 3 or higher) was 4.4 %. A stringent stepwise donor evaluation process leads to early recognition of unsuitable donors and a low complication rate.

Does daily nurse staffing match ward workload variability? Three hospitals' experiences.

PubMed

Gabbay, Uri; Bukchin, Michael

2009-01-01

Nurse shortage and rising healthcare resource burdens mean that appropriate workforce use is imperative. This paper aims to evaluate whether daily nursing staffing meets ward workload needs. Nurse attendance and daily nurses' workload capacity in three hospitals were evaluated. Statistical process control was used to evaluate intra-ward nurse workload capacity and day-to-day variations. Statistical process control is a statistics-based method for process monitoring that uses charts with predefined target measure and control limits. Standardization was performed for inter-ward analysis by converting ward-specific crude measures to ward-specific relative measures by dividing observed/expected. Two charts: acceptable and tolerable daily nurse workload intensity, were defined. Appropriate staffing indicators were defined as those exceeding predefined rates within acceptable and tolerable limits (50 percent and 80 percent respectively). A total of 42 percent of the overall days fell within acceptable control limits and 71 percent within tolerable control limits. Appropriate staffing indicators were met in only 33 percent of wards regarding acceptable nurse workload intensity and in only 45 percent of wards regarding tolerable workloads. The study work did not differentiate crude nurse attendance and it did not take into account patient severity since crude bed occupancy was used. Double statistical process control charts and certain staffing indicators were used, which is open to debate. Wards that met appropriate staffing indicators prove the method's feasibility. Wards that did not meet appropriate staffing indicators prove the importance and the need for process evaluations and monitoring. Methods presented for monitoring daily staffing appropriateness are simple to implement either for intra-ward day-to-day variation by using nurse workload capacity statistical process control charts or for inter-ward evaluation using standardized measure of nurse workload intensity. The real challenge will be to develop planning systems and implement corrective interventions such as dynamic and flexible daily staffing, which will face difficulties and barriers. The paper fulfils the need for workforce utilization evaluation. A simple method using available data for daily staffing appropriateness evaluation, which is easy to implement and operate, is presented. The statistical process control method enables intra-ward evaluation, while standardization by converting crude into relative measures enables inter-ward analysis. The staffing indicator definitions enable performance evaluation. This original study uses statistical process control to develop simple standardization methods and applies straightforward statistical tools. This method is not limited to crude measures, rather it uses weighted workload measures such as nursing acuity or weighted nurse level (i.e. grade/band).

Fear of negative evaluation modulates electrocortical and behavioral responses when anticipating social evaluative feedback

PubMed Central

Van der Molen, Melle J. W.; Poppelaars, Eefje S.; Van Hartingsveldt, Caroline T. A.; Harrewijn, Anita; Gunther Moor, Bregtje; Westenberg, P. Michiel

2014-01-01

Cognitive models posit that the fear of negative evaluation (FNE) is a hallmark feature of social anxiety. As such, individuals with high FNE may show biased information processing when faced with social evaluation. The aim of the current study was to examine the neural underpinnings of anticipating and processing social-evaluative feedback, and its correlates with FNE. We used a social judgment paradigm in which female participants (N = 31) were asked to indicate whether they believed to be socially accepted or rejected by their peers. Anticipatory attention was indexed by the stimulus preceding negativity (SPN), while the feedback-related negativity and P3 were used to index the processing of social-evaluative feedback. Results provided evidence of an optimism bias in social peer evaluation, as participants more often predicted to be socially accepted than rejected. Participants with high levels of FNE needed more time to provide their judgments about the social-evaluative outcome. While anticipating social-evaluative feedback, SPN amplitudes were larger for anticipated social acceptance than for social rejection feedback. Interestingly, the SPN during anticipated social acceptance was larger in participants with high levels of FNE. None of the feedback-related brain potentials correlated with the FNE. Together, the results provided evidence of biased information processing in individuals with high levels of FNE when anticipating (rather than processing) social-evaluative feedback. The delayed response times in high FNE individuals were interpreted to reflect augmented vigilance imposed by the upcoming social-evaluative threat. Possibly, the SPN constitutes a neural marker of this vigilance in females with higher FNE levels, particularly when anticipating social acceptance feedback. PMID:24478667

Heuristic and analytic processes in reasoning: an event-related potential study of belief bias.

PubMed

Banks, Adrian P; Hope, Christopher

2014-03-01

Human reasoning involves both heuristic and analytic processes. This study of belief bias in relational reasoning investigated whether the two processes occur serially or in parallel. Participants evaluated the validity of problems in which the conclusions were either logically valid or invalid and either believable or unbelievable. Problems in which the conclusions presented a conflict between the logically valid response and the believable response elicited a more positive P3 than problems in which there was no conflict. This shows that P3 is influenced by the interaction of belief and logic rather than either of these factors on its own. These findings indicate that belief and logic influence reasoning at the same time, supporting models in which belief-based and logical evaluations occur in parallel but not theories in which belief-based heuristic evaluations precede logical analysis.

Analysis of umbu (Spondias tuberosa Arruda (Anacardiaceae)) in different landscape management regimes: a process of incipient domestication?

PubMed

Lins Neto, Ernani Machado de Freitas; Peroni, Nivaldo; Maranhão, Christine Maria Carneiro; Maciel, Maria Inês Sucupira; de Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino

2012-07-01

Plant domestication is an evolutionary process guided by human groups who modify the landscape for their needs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phenotypic variations between populations of Spondias tuberosa Arruda (umbuzeiro) when subjected to different local landscape management strategies. The influence of the landscape management system on these populations was evaluated in five identified regional units (mountains, base of mountains, pastures, cultivated areas and home gardens). Ten individuals were randomly selected from each region and subjected to morphological and chemical fruit analysis. The diversity index, based on Simpson's index, was determined for the different populations. We then evaluated the morphological differences between the individual fruits from the distinct landscape areas. We observed no significant differences in morphological diversity between the areas studied. Our data suggest that the umbuzeiro specimens in this region may be in the process of incipient domestication.

Validation of X1 motorcycle model in industrial plant layout by using WITNESSTM simulation software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamzas, M. F. M. A.; Bareduan, S. A.; Zakaria, M. Z.; Tan, W. J.; Zairi, S.

2017-09-01

This paper demonstrates a case study on simulation, modelling and analysis for X1 Motorcycles Model. In this research, a motorcycle assembly plant has been selected as a main place of research study. Simulation techniques by using Witness software were applied to evaluate the performance of the existing manufacturing system. The main objective is to validate the data and find out the significant impact on the overall performance of the system for future improvement. The process of validation starts when the layout of the assembly line was identified. All components are evaluated to validate whether the data is significance for future improvement. Machine and labor statistics are among the parameters that were evaluated for process improvement. Average total cycle time for given workstations is used as criterion for comparison of possible variants. From the simulation process, the data used are appropriate and meet the criteria for two-sided assembly line problems.

Safety of tomatillos and products containing tomatillos canned by the water-bath canning method.

PubMed

McKee, L H; Remmenga, M D; Bock, M A

1998-01-01

Three studies were conducted to evaluate the safety of tomatillos and products containing tomatillos canned by the water-bath processing method. In the first study, plain tomatillos were processed for 25, 37.5, 50 and 62.5 min. In the second study, five tomatillo/onion combinations were prepared while five tomatillo/green chile combinations were prepared in the third study. pH evaluations were conducted to determine safety in all studies using pH 4.2 as the cut-off value. No differences in the pH of plain tomatillos were detected due to processing time. All jars of plain tomatillos had pH values below 4.1. All combinations of tomatillos/onions and tomatillos/green chile containing more than 50% tomatillo had pH values below the 4.2 cut-off value. Results of the three studies indicate (1) acidification of plain tomatillos is probably unnecessary for canning by the water-bath processing method and (2) combinations of acidic tomatillos and low-acid onions or green chile must contain more than 50% tomatillos to have a pH low enough for safe water-bath processing.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Erica Brown

2016-01-01

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

Evaluating the Consistency of Scales Used in Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Assessment of College-Aged Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saleh, Ayman; Fuchs, Catherine; Taylor, Warren D.; Niarhos, Frances

2018-01-01

Objective: Neurocognitive evaluations are commonly integrated with clinical assessment to evaluate adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Study goal is to identify measures most strongly related to ADHD diagnosis and to determine their utility in screening processes. Participants: 230 students who were evaluated at the Vanderbilt…

Evaluation of Career Guidance Programs: Models, Methods, and Microcomputers. Information Series No. 317.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crites, John O.

Evaluating the effectiveness of career guidance programs is a complex process, and few comprehensive models for evaluating such programs exist. Evaluation of career guidance programs has been hampered by the myth that program outcomes are uniform and monolithic. Findings from studies of attribute treatment interactions have revealed only a few…

University Students' Understanding of Chemistry Processes and the Quality of Evidence in Their Written Arguments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seung, Eulsun; Choi, Aeran; Pestel, Beverly

2016-01-01

We have developed a process-oriented chemistry laboratory curriculum for non-science majors. The purpose of this study is both to explore university students' understanding of chemistry processes and to evaluate the quality of evidence students use to support their claims regarding chemistry processes in a process-oriented chemistry laboratory…

Evaluating an integrated approach to clinical quality improvement: clinical guidelines, quality measurement, and supportive system design.

PubMed

Cretin, S; Farley, D O; Dolter, K J; Nicholas, W

2001-08-01

Implementing clinical practice guidelines to change patient outcomes presents a challenge. Studies of single interventions focused on changing provider behavior demonstrate modest effects, suggesting that effective guideline implementation requires a multifaceted approach. Traditional biomedical research designs are not well suited to evaluating systems interventions. RAND and the Army Medical Department collaborated to develop and evaluate a system for implementing guidelines and documenting their effects on patient care. The evaluation design blended quality improvement, case study, and epidemiologic methods. A formative evaluation of implementation process and an outcome evaluation of patient impact were combined. Guidelines were implemented in 3 successive demonstrations targeting low back pain, asthma, and diabetes. This paper reports on the first wave of 4 facilities implementing a low back pain guideline. Organizational climate and culture, motivation, leadership commitment, and resources were assessed. Selected indicators of processes and outcomes of care were compared before, during, and after guideline implementation at the demonstration facilities and at comparison facilities. Logistic regression analysis was used to test for guideline effects on patient care. Process evaluation documented varied approaches to quality improvement across sites. Outcome evaluation revealed a significant downward trend in the percentage of acute low back pain patients referred to physical therapy or chiropractic care (10.7% to 7.2%) at demonstration sites and no such trend at control sites. Preliminary results suggest the power of this design to stimulate improvements in guideline implementation while retaining the power to evaluate rigorously effects on patient care.

Two-Stage Categorization in Brand Extension Evaluation: Electrophysiological Time Course Evidence

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaoyi

2014-01-01

A brand name can be considered a mental category. Similarity-based categorization theory has been used to explain how consumers judge a new product as a member of a known brand, a process called brand extension evaluation. This study was an event-related potential study conducted in two experiments. The study found a two-stage categorization process reflected by the P2 and N400 components in brand extension evaluation. In experiment 1, a prime–probe paradigm was presented in a pair consisting of a brand name and a product name in three conditions, i.e., in-category extension, similar-category extension, and out-of-category extension. Although the task was unrelated to brand extension evaluation, P2 distinguished out-of-category extensions from similar-category and in-category ones, and N400 distinguished similar-category extensions from in-category ones. In experiment 2, a prime–probe paradigm with a related task was used, in which product names included subcategory and major-category product names. The N400 elicited by subcategory products was more significantly negative than that elicited by major-category products, with no salient difference in P2. We speculated that P2 could reflect the early low-level and similarity-based processing in the first stage, whereas N400 could reflect the late analytic and category-based processing in the second stage. PMID:25438152

A contrast between DEMATEL-ANP and ANP methods for six sigma project selection: a case study in healthcare industry.

PubMed

Ortíz, Miguel A; Felizzola, Heriberto A; Nieto Isaza, Santiago

2015-01-01

The project selection process is a crucial step for healthcare organizations at the moment of implementing six sigma programs in both administrative and caring processes. However, six-sigma project selection is often defined as a decision making process with interaction and feedback between criteria; so that it is necessary to explore different methods to help healthcare companies to determine the Six-sigma projects that provide the maximum benefits. This paper describes the application of both ANP (Analytic Network process) and DEMATEL (Decision Making trial and evaluation laboratory)-ANP in a public medical centre to establish the most suitable six sigma project and finally, these methods were compared to evaluate their performance in the decision making process. ANP and DEMATEL-ANP were used to evaluate 6 six sigma project alternatives under an evaluation model composed by 3 strategies, 4 criteria and 15 sub-criteria. Judgement matrixes were completed by the six sigma team whose participants worked in different departments of the medical centre. The improving of care opportunity in obstetric outpatients was elected as the most suitable six sigma project with a score of 0,117 as contribution to the organization goals. DEMATEL-ANP performed better at decision making process since it reduced the error probability due to interactions and feedback. ANP and DEMATEL-ANP effectively supported six sigma project selection processes, helping to create a complete framework that guarantees the prioritization of projects that provide maximum benefits to healthcare organizations. As DEMATEL- ANP performed better, it should be used by practitioners involved in decisions related to the implementation of six sigma programs in healthcare sector accompanied by the adequate identification of the evaluation criteria that support the decision making model. Thus, this comparative study contributes to choosing more effective approaches in this field. Suggestions of further work are also proposed so that these methods can be applied more adequate in six sigma project selection processes in healthcare.

A contrast between DEMATEL-ANP and ANP methods for six sigma project selection: a case study in healthcare industry

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background The project selection process is a crucial step for healthcare organizations at the moment of implementing six sigma programs in both administrative and caring processes. However, six-sigma project selection is often defined as a decision making process with interaction and feedback between criteria; so that it is necessary to explore different methods to help healthcare companies to determine the Six-sigma projects that provide the maximum benefits. This paper describes the application of both ANP (Analytic Network process) and DEMATEL (Decision Making trial and evaluation laboratory)-ANP in a public medical centre to establish the most suitable six sigma project and finally, these methods were compared to evaluate their performance in the decision making process. Methods ANP and DEMATEL-ANP were used to evaluate 6 six sigma project alternatives under an evaluation model composed by 3 strategies, 4 criteria and 15 sub-criteria. Judgement matrixes were completed by the six sigma team whose participants worked in different departments of the medical centre. Results The improving of care opportunity in obstetric outpatients was elected as the most suitable six sigma project with a score of 0,117 as contribution to the organization goals. DEMATEL-ANP performed better at decision making process since it reduced the error probability due to interactions and feedback. Conclusions ANP and DEMATEL-ANP effectively supported six sigma project selection processes, helping to create a complete framework that guarantees the prioritization of projects that provide maximum benefits to healthcare organizations. As DEMATEL- ANP performed better, it should be used by practitioners involved in decisions related to the implementation of six sigma programs in healthcare sector accompanied by the adequate identification of the evaluation criteria that support the decision making model. Thus, this comparative study contributes to choosing more effective approaches in this field. Suggestions of further work are also proposed so that these methods can be applied more adequate in six sigma project selection processes in healthcare. PMID:26391445

A framework for human-hydrologic system model development integrating hydrology and water management: application to the Cutzamala water system in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wi, S.; Freeman, S.; Brown, C.

2017-12-01

This study presents a general approach to developing computational models of human-hydrologic systems where human modification of hydrologic surface processes are significant or dominant. A river basin system is represented by a network of human-hydrologic response units (HHRUs) identified based on locations where river regulations happen (e.g., reservoir operation and diversions). Natural and human processes in HHRUs are simulated in a holistic framework that integrates component models representing rainfall-runoff, river routing, reservoir operation, flow diversion and water use processes. We illustrate the approach in a case study of the Cutzamala water system (CWS) in Mexico, a complex inter-basin water transfer system supplying the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA). The human-hydrologic system model for CWS (CUTZSIM) is evaluated in terms of streamflow and reservoir storages measured across the CWS and to water supplied for MCMA. The CUTZSIM improves the representation of hydrology and river-operation interaction and, in so doing, advances evaluation of system-wide water management consequences under altered climatic and demand regimes. The integrated modeling framework enables evaluation and simulation of model errors throughout the river basin, including errors in representation of the human component processes. Heretofore, model error evaluation, predictive error intervals and the resultant improved understanding have been limited to hydrologic processes. The general framework represents an initial step towards fuller understanding and prediction of the many and varied processes that determine the hydrologic fluxes and state variables in real river basins.

Instructional Technology Professional Development Evaluation: Developing a High Quality Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaytan, Jorge A.; McEwen, Beryl C.

2010-01-01

Background: The literature contains very few studies that focused on evaluating the impact of professional development activities on student learning. And, many of these studies failed to determine whether the professional development activities met their primary goal--to improve the learning process. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use…

Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Curriculum Challenges based on Context, Input, Process, and Product Evaluation Model: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Ashghali-Farahani, Mansoureh; Ghaffari, Fatemeh; Hoseini-Esfidarjani, Sara-Sadat; Hadian, Zahra; Qomi, Robabeh; Dargahi, Helen

2018-01-01

Background: Weakness of curriculum development in nursing education results in lack of professional skills in graduates. This study was done on master's students in nursing to evaluate challenges of neonatal intensive care nursing curriculum based on context, input, process, and product (CIPP) evaluation model. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with qualitative approach, which was completed according to the CIPP evaluation model. The study was conducted from May 2014 to April 2015. The research community included neonatal intensive care nursing master's students, the graduates, faculty members, neonatologists, nurses working in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and mothers of infants who were hospitalized in such wards. Purposeful sampling was applied. Results: The data analysis showed that there were two main categories: “inappropriate infrastructure” and “unknown duties,” which influenced the context formation of NICU master's curriculum. The input was formed by five categories, including “biomedical approach,” “incomprehensive curriculum,” “lack of professional NICU nursing mentors,” “inappropriate admission process of NICU students,” and “lack of NICU skill labs.” Three categories were extracted in the process, including “more emphasize on theoretical education,” “the overlap of credits with each other and the inconsistency among the mentors,” and “ineffective assessment.” Finally, five categories were extracted in the product, including “preferring routine work instead of professional job,” “tendency to leave the job,” “clinical incompetency of graduates,” “the conflict between graduates and nursing staff expectations,” and “dissatisfaction of graduates.” Conclusions: Some changes are needed in NICU master's curriculum by considering the nursing experts' comments and evaluating the consequences of such program by them. PMID:29628958

Evaluation of toxicity of ‘Vatsanabha’ (Aconitum ferox, Ranunculaceae) Before and After Shodhana

PubMed Central

Deore, S.L.; Moon, K.V.; Khadabadi, S.S.; Deokate, U.A.; Baviskar, B.A.

2013-01-01

Ayurvedic preparations contain toxic elements like heavy metals and other chemicals exceeding their permissible limits. Ayurvedic method of detoxification of such products involves Shodhana. Hence, in present paper it has been decided to replace Ayurvedic Shodhana process by chemical purification method and to study the benefits and/or drawbacks of the traditional Ayurvedic Shodhana process. Crude aconite root, Ayurvedic Shodhana treated aconite root and chemical Shodhana treated aconite root samples were evaluated for toxicity and changes by animal studies and thin layer chromatography (TLC) respectively. The results of the toxicity study suggest that the modified method of Shodhana is less efficient as compared to the traditional Ayurvedic Shodhana process. TLC studies have shown that pseudoaconitine and aconitine were converted into far less toxic substances like veratroyl pseudoaconine and benzoylaconine respectively only in traditional Ayurvedic Shodhana. PMID:24023444

Unleashing creativity: The role of left temporoparietal regions in evaluating and inhibiting the generation of creative ideas.

PubMed

Mayseless, Naama; Aharon-Peretz, Judith; Shamay-Tsoory, Simone

2014-11-01

Human creativity is thought to entail two processes. One is idea generation, whereby ideas emerge in an associative manner, and the other is idea evaluation, whereby generated ideas are evaluated and screened. Thus far, neuroimaging studies have identified several brain regions as being involved in creativity, yet only a handful of studies have examined the neural basis underlying these two processes. We found that an individual with left temporoparietal hemorrhage who had no previous experience as an artist developed remarkable artistic creativity, which diminished as the hemorrhage receded. We thus hypothesized that damage to the evaluation network of creativity during the initial hematoma had a releasing effect on creativity by "freeing" the idea generation system. In line with this hypothesis, we conducted a subsequent fMRI study showing that decreased left temporal and parietal activations among healthy individuals as they evaluated creative ideas selectively predicted higher creativity. The current studies provide converging multi-method evidence suggesting that the left temporoparietal area is part of a neural network involved in evaluating creativity, and that as such may act as inhibitors of creativity. We propose an explanatory model of creativity centered upon the key role of the left temporoparietal regions in evaluating and inhibiting creativity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Techno-economic analysis of different pretreatment processes for lignocellulosic-based bioethanol production.

PubMed

da Silva, André Rodrigues Gurgel; Torres Ortega, Carlo Edgar; Rong, Ben-Guang

2016-10-01

In this work, a method based on process synthesis, simulation and evaluation has been used to setup and study the industrial scale lignocellulosic bioethanol productions processes. Scenarios for pretreatment processes of diluted acid, liquid hot water and ammonia fiber explosion were studied. Pretreatment reactor temperature, catalyst loading and water content as well as solids loading in the hydrolysis reactor were evaluated regarding its effects on the process energy consumption and bioethanol concentration. The best scenarios for maximizing ethanol concentration and minimizing total annual costs (TAC) were selected and their minimum ethanol selling price was calculated. Ethanol concentration in the range of 2-8% (wt.) was investigated after the pretreatment. The best scenarios maximizing the ethanol concentration and minimizing TAC obtained a reduction of 19.6% and 30.2% respectively in the final ethanol selling price with respect to the initial base case. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Program for Raising Awareness of Indirect and Relational Aggression in Elementary Schools: A Preliminary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verlaan, Pierrette; Turmel, France

2010-01-01

The development process of a program for raising awareness of indirect and relational aggression in elementary school children and teachers is described and a preliminary outcome evaluation of the program was conducted. The 188 participants were derived from 8 fourth- through sixth-grade elementary classes in two lower-middle-class schools from…

Diabetes Self-Management Care via Cell Phone: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Krishna, Santosh; Boren, Suzanne Austin

2008-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the evidence on the impact of cell phone interventions for persons with diabetes and/or obesity in improving health outcomes and/or processes of care for persons with diabetes and/or obesity. Methods We searched Medline (1966–2007) and reviewed reference lists from included studies and relevant reviews to identify additional studies. We extracted descriptions of the study design, sample size, patient age, duration of study, technology, educational content and delivery environment, intervention and control groups, process and outcome measures, and statistical significance. Results In this review, we included 20 articles, representing 18 studies, evaluating the use of a cell phone for health information for persons with diabetes or obesity. Thirteen of 18 studies measured health outcomes and the remaining 5 studies evaluated processes of care. Outcomes were grouped into learning, behavior change, clinical improvement, and improved health status. Nine out of 10 studies that measured hemoglobin A1c reported significant improvement among those receiving education and care support. Cell phone and text message interventions increased patient–provider and parent–child communication and satisfaction with care. Conclusions Providing care and support with cell phones and text message interventions can improve clinically relevant diabetes-related health outcomes by increasing knowledge and self-efficacy to carry out self-management behaviors. PMID:19885219

Diabetes self-management care via cell phone: a systematic review.

PubMed

Krishna, Santosh; Boren, Suzanne Austin

2008-05-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the evidence on the impact of cell phone interventions for persons with diabetes and/or obesity in improving health outcomes and/or processes of care for persons with diabetes and/or obesity. We searched Medline (1966-2007) and reviewed reference lists from included studies and relevant reviews to identify additional studies. We extracted descriptions of the study design, sample size, patient age, duration of study, technology, educational content and delivery environment, intervention and control groups, process and outcome measures, and statistical significance. In this review, we included 20 articles, representing 18 studies, evaluating the use of a cell phone for health information for persons with diabetes or obesity. Thirteen of 18 studies measured health outcomes and the remaining 5 studies evaluated processes of care. Outcomes were grouped into learning, behavior change, clinical improvement, and improved health status. Nine out of 10 studies that measured hemoglobin A1c reported significant improvement among those receiving education and care support. Cell phone and text message interventions increased patient-provider and parent-child communication and satisfaction with care. Providing care and support with cell phones and text message interventions can improve clinically relevant diabetes-related health outcomes by increasing knowledge and self-efficacy to carry out self-management behaviors.

An Evaluation on English Language Education Process in Turkey from the Viewpoints of University Preparatory School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dincer, Ali; Takkac, Mehmet; Akahn, Suna

2010-01-01

Many studies on effective language teaching process draw attention to the importance of teacher roles in this process, and give advice teachers to have prior knowledge about what their students know before beginning the instruction. This study is intended to draw an effective English language teacher profile by taking into consideration first year…

Attitudes toward evaluation: An exploratory study of students' and stakeholders' social representations.

PubMed

Schultes, Marie-Therese; Kollmayer, Marlene; Mejeh, Mathias; Spiel, Christiane

2018-06-15

Positive attitudes toward evaluation among stakeholders are an important precondition for successful evaluation processes. However, empirical studies focusing on stakeholders' attitudes toward evaluation are scarce. The present paper explores the approach of assessing social representations as indicators of people's attitudes toward evaluation. In an exploratory study, two groups were surveyed: University students (n = 60) with rather theoretical knowledge of evaluation and stakeholders (n = 61) who had shortly before taken part in participatory evaluation studies. Both groups were asked to name their free associations with the term "evaluation", which were subsequently analyzed lexicographically. The results indicate different social representations of evaluation in the two groups. The student group primarily saw evaluation as an "appraisal", whereas the stakeholders emphasized the "improvement" resulting from evaluation. Implications for further evaluation research and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flash X-ray with image enhancement applied to combustion events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, K. J.; McCoy, D. G.

1983-10-01

Flow visualization of interior ballistic processes by use of X-rays has placed more stringent requirements on flash X-ray techniques. The problem of improving radiographic contrast of propellants in X-ray transparent chambers was studied by devising techniques for evaluating, measuring and reducing the effects of scattering from both the test object and structures in the test area. X-ray film and processing is reviewed and techniques for evaluating and calibrating these are outlined. Finally, after X-ray techniques were optimized, the application of image enhancement processing which can improve image quality is described. This technique was applied to X-ray studies of the combustion of very high burning rate (VHBR) propellants and stick propellant charges.

Examination of Social Studies Curriculum and Course Books in the Context of Global Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakus, Mehmet; Türkkan, Buket Turhan; Öztürk, Fikriye

2017-01-01

The document review method, which is a qualitative research method, was used in this study that aims to examine the social studies curriculum and course books in terms of attainments, teaching-learning process and measurement-evaluation process in the context of global citizenship. Furthermore, opinions of social studies teachers on the curriculum…

[Evaluating the Significance of Odor Gas Released During the Directly Drying Process of Sludge: Based on the Multi-index Integrated Assessment Method].

PubMed

Ding, Wen-jie; Chen, Wen-he; Deng, Ming-jia; Luo, Hui; Li, Lin; Liu, Jun-xin

2016-02-15

Co-processing of sewage sludge using the cement kiln can realize sludge harmless treatment, quantity reduction, stabilization and reutilization. The moisture content should be reduced to below 30% to meet the requirement of combustion. Thermal drying is an effective way for sludge desiccation. Odors and volatile organic compounds are generated and released during the sludge drying process, which could lead to odor pollution. The main odor pollutants were selected by the multi-index integrated assessment method. The concentration, olfactory threshold, threshold limit value, smell security level and saturated vapor pressure were considered as indexes based on the related regulations in China and foreign countries. Taking the pollution potential as the evaluation target, and the risk index and odor emission intensity as evaluation indexes, the odor pollution potential rated evaluation model of the pollutants was built according to the Weber-Fechner law. The aim of the present study is to form the rating evaluation method of odor potential pollution capacity suitable for the directly drying process of sludge.

Task-Oriented Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanis, Ira B.

1992-01-01

In 1985, participants in the Second International Science Study developed and evaluated hands-on problem-solving activities and gave students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of science process skills. Six evaluation stations for fifth and sixth graders are presented: Blowing in a Liquid, Compare and Contrast, Electrical Circuit, Hot and…

78 FR 22551 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-16

... is needed for the design, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs. New mobile... could make smartphones ideal for the ongoing research, surveillance, and evaluation of risk behaviors... feasibility study to evaluate the process of conducting Web surveys by smartphone [[Page 22552

Participatory evaluation (I)--sharing lessons from fieldwork in Asia.

PubMed

Crishna, B

2007-05-01

There is a need to study methodologies for evaluating social development projects. Traditional methods of evaluation are often not able to capture or measure the 'spirit of change' in people, which is the very essence of human development. Using participatory methodologies is a positive way to ensure that evaluations encourage an understanding of the value of critical analysis among service providers and other stakeholders. Participatory evaluation provides a systematic process of learning through experiences. Practical experiences of conducting a number of evaluation studies in social development projects have led the author to develop four basic principles of participatory evaluation strategies. This has been further conceptualized through an extensive literature search. The article develops and shares these principles through descriptions of field experiences in Asia. The article illustrates that the role of any evaluation remains a learning process, one which promotes a climate of reflection and self-assessment. It shows how using participatory methods can create this environment of learning. However, one needs to keep in mind that participatory evaluation takes time, and that the role and calibre of the facilitator are crucial. Participatory evaluation methods have been recommended for social development projects to ensure that stakeholders remain in control of their own lives and decisions.

Primary Health Care and tuberculosis: services evaluation.

PubMed

Wysocki, Anneliese Domingues; Ponce, Maria Amélia Zanon; Brunello, Maria Eugênia Firmino; Beraldo, Aline Ale; Vendramini, Silvia Helena Figueiredo; Scatena, Lúcia Marina; Ruffino, Antonio; Villa, Tereza Cristina Scatena

2017-01-01

In order to control tuberculosis, the Brazilian Ministry of Health recommends the decentralization of control actions directed to the Primary Health Care, and there are few studies on the performance of the Tuberculosis Control Program in decentralized contexts. To evaluate the performance of Primary Health Care services in tuberculosis treatment. This is an evaluative study with cross-sectional approach conducted in 2011. Two hundred and thirty-nine health professionals from Primary Health Care units were interviewed using a structured instrument based on the evaluation reference of the health services quality (structure - process - results). The performance of these services was analyzed applying techniques of descriptive statistics, validation, and construction of indicators and by determining the reduced variable "Z". The indicators "participation of professionals in tuberculosis patients' care" (structure) and "reference and counterreference" (process) had the best evaluations, whereas "professional training" (structure) and "external actions for tuberculosis control" (process) had the worst results. The decentralization of tuberculosis control actions has been taking place in a vertical manner in Primary Health Care. The challenge of controlling tuberculosis involves overcoming constraints related to the engagement, training, and turnover rates among health professionals, which is a coordination between services and monitoring of control actions in Primary Health Care.

The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Dematel) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) for Safety Management System Evaluation Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolita, Lisa; Surarso, Bayu; Gernowo, Rahmat

2018-02-01

In order to improve airport safety management system (SMS) performance, an evaluation system is required to improve on current shortcomings and maximize safety. This study suggests the integration of the DEMATEL and ANP methods in decision making processes by analyzing causal relations between the relevant criteria and taking effective analysis-based decision. The DEMATEL method builds on the ANP method in identifying the interdependencies between criteria. The input data consists of questionnaire data obtained online and then stored in an online database. Furthermore, the questionnaire data is processed using DEMATEL and ANP methods to obtain the results of determining the relationship between criteria and criteria that need to be evaluated. The study cases on this evaluation system were Adi Sutjipto International Airport, Yogyakarta (JOG); Ahmad Yani International Airport, Semarang (SRG); and Adi Sumarmo International Airport, Surakarta (SOC). The integration grades SMS performance criterion weights in a descending order as follow: safety and destination policy, safety risk management, healthcare, and safety awareness. Sturges' formula classified the results into nine grades. JOG and SMG airports were in grade 8, while SOG airport was in grade 7.

Framework and criteria for program evaluation in the Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy

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

Not Available

This study addresses the development of a framework and generic criteria for conducting program evaluation in the Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy. The evaluation process is intended to provide the Assistant Secretary with comprehensive and consistent evaluation data for management decisions regarding policy and strategy, crosscutting energy impacts and resource allocation and justification. The study defines evaluation objectives, identifies basic information requirements (criteria), and identifies a process for collecting evaluation results at the basic program level, integrating the results, and summarizing information upward through the CE organization to the Assistant Secretary. Methods are described by which initial criteria weremore » tested, analyzed, and refined for CE program applicability. General guidelines pertaining to evaluation and the Sunset Review requirements are examined and various types, designs, and models for evaluation are identified. Existing CE evaluation reports are reviewed and comments on their adequacy for meeting current needs are provided. An inventory and status survey of CE program evaluation activities is presented, as are issues, findings, and recommendations pertaining to CE evaluation and Sunset Review requirements. Also, sources of data for use in evaluation and the Sunset Review response are identified. An inventory of CE evaluation-related documents and reports is provided.« less

Development and Processing Improvement of Aerospace Aluminum Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lisagor, W. Barry; Bales, Thomas T.

2007-01-01

This final report, in multiple presentation format, describes a comprehensive multi-tasked contract study to improve the overall property response of selected aerospace alloys, explore further a newly-developed and registered alloy, and correlate the processing, metallurgical structure, and subsequent properties achieved with particular emphasis on the crystallographic orientation texture developed. Modifications to plate processing, specifically hot rolling practices, were evaluated for Al-Li alloys 2195 and 2297, for the recently registered Al-Cu-Ag alloy, 2139, and for the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy, 7050. For all of the alloys evaluated, the processing modifications resulted in significant improvements in mechanical properties. Analyses also resulted in an enhanced understanding of the correlation of processing, crystallographic texture, and mechanical properties.

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

PubMed

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

2012-06-18

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

A school-based interdisciplinary approach to promote health and academic achievement among children in a deprived neighborhood: study protocol for a mixed-methods evaluation.

PubMed

Abrahamse, Mariëlle E; Jonkman, Caroline S; Harting, Janneke

2018-04-10

The large number of children that grow up in poverty is concerning, especially given the negative developmental outcomes that can persist into adulthood. Poverty has been found as a risk factor to negatively affect academic achievement and health outcomes in children. Interdisciplinary interventions can be an effective way to promote health and academic achievement. The present study aims to evaluate a school-based interdisciplinary approach on child health, poverty, and academic achievement using a mixed-method design. Generally taken, outcomes of this study increase the knowledge about effective ways to give disadvantaged children equal chances early in their lives. An observational study with a mixed-methods design including both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods will be used to evaluate the interdisciplinary approach. The overall research project exists of three study parts including a longitudinal study, a cross-sectional study, and a process evaluation. Using a multi-source approach we will assess child health as the primary outcome. Child poverty and child academic achievement will be assessed as secondary outcomes. The process evaluation will observe the program's effects on the school environment and the program's implementation in order to obtain more knowledge on how to disseminate the interdisciplinary approach to other schools and neighborhoods. The implementation of a school-based interdisciplinary approach via primary schools combining the cross-sectoral domains health, poverty, and academic achievement is innovative and a step forward to reach an ethnic minority population. However, the large variety of the interventions and activities within the approach can limit the validity of the study. Including a process evaluation will therefore help to improve the interpretation of our findings. In order to contribute to policy and practice focusing on decreasing the unequal chances of children growing up in deprived neighborhoods, it is important to study whether the intervention leads to positive developmental outcomes in children. ( NTR 6571 ) (retrospectively registered on August 4, 2017).

The design of a real-time formative evaluation of the implementation process of lifestyle interventions at two worksites using a 7-step strategy (BRAVO@Work).

PubMed

Wierenga, Debbie; Engbers, Luuk H; van Empelen, Pepijn; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; van Mechelen, Willem

2012-08-07

Worksite health promotion programs (WHPPs) offer an attractive opportunity to improve the lifestyle of employees. Nevertheless, broad scale and successful implementation of WHPPs in daily practice often fails. In the present study, called BRAVO@Work, a 7-step implementation strategy was used to develop, implement and embed a WHPP in two different worksites with a focus on multiple lifestyle interventions.This article describes the design and framework for the formative evaluation of this 7-step strategy under real-time conditions by an embedded scientist with the purpose to gain insight into whether this this 7-step strategy is a useful and effective implementation strategy. Furthermore, we aim to gain insight into factors that either facilitate or hamper the implementation process, the quality of the implemented lifestyle interventions and the degree of adoption, implementation and continuation of these interventions. This study is a formative evaluation within two different worksites with an embedded scientist on site to continuously monitor the implementation process. Each worksite (i.e. a University of Applied Sciences and an Academic Hospital) will assign a participating faculty or a department, to implement a WHPP focusing on lifestyle interventions using the 7-step strategy. The primary focus will be to describe the natural course of development, implementation and maintenance of a WHPP by studying [a] the use and adherence to the 7-step strategy, [b] barriers and facilitators that influence the natural course of adoption, implementation and maintenance, and [c] the implementation process of the lifestyle interventions. All data will be collected using qualitative (i.e. real-time monitoring and semi-structured interviews) and quantitative methods (i.e. process evaluation questionnaires) applying data triangulation. Except for the real-time monitoring, the data collection will take place at baseline and after 6, 12 and 18 months. This is one of the few studies to extensively and continuously monitor the natural course of the implementation process of a WHPP by a formative evaluation using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods on different organizational levels (i.e. management, project group, employees) with an embedded scientist on site. NTR2861.

Evaluation of feedback interventions for improving the quality assurance of cancer screening in Japan: study design and report of the baseline survey.

PubMed

Machii, Ryoko; Saika, Kumiko; Higashi, Takahiro; Aoki, Ayako; Hamashima, Chisato; Saito, Hiroshi

2012-02-01

The importance of quality assurance in cancer screening has recently gained increasing attention in Japan. To evaluate and improve quality, checklists and process indicators have been developed. To explore effective methods of enhancing quality in cancer screening, we started a randomized control study of the methods of evaluation and feedback for cancer control from 2009 to 2014. We randomly assigned 1270 municipal governments, equivalent to 71% of all Japanese municipal governments that performed screening programs, into three groups. The high-intensity intervention groups (n = 425) were individually evaluated using both checklist performance and process indicator values, while the low-intensity intervention groups (n= 421) were individually evaluated on the basis of only checklist performance. The control group (n = 424) received only a basic report that included the national average of checklist performance scores. We repeated the survey for each municipality's quality assurance activity performance using checklists and process indicators. In this paper, we report our study design and the result of the baseline survey. The checklist adherence rates were especially low in the checklist elements related to invitation of individuals, detailed monitoring of process indicators such as cancer detection rates according to screening histories and appropriate selection of screening facilities. Screening rate and percentage of examinees who underwent detailed examination tended to be lower for large cities when compared with smaller cities for all cancer sites. The performance of the Japanese cancer screening program in 2009 was identified for the first time.

Power effects on implicit prejudice and stereotyping: The role of intergroup face processing.

PubMed

Schmid, Petra C; Amodio, David M

2017-04-01

Power is thought to increase discrimination toward subordinate groups, yet its effect on different forms of implicit bias remains unclear. We tested whether power enhances implicit racial stereotyping, in addition to implicit prejudice (i.e., evaluative associations), and examined the effect of power on the automatic processing of faces during implicit tasks. Study 1 showed that manipulated high power increased both forms of implicit bias, relative to low power. Using a neural index of visual face processing (the N170 component of the ERP), Study 2 revealed that power affected the encoding of White ingroup vs. Black outgroup faces. Whereas high power increased the relative processing of outgroup faces during evaluative judgments in the prejudice task, it decreased the relative processing of outgroup faces during stereotype trait judgments. An indirect effect of power on implicit prejudice through enhanced processing of outgroup versus ingroup faces suggested a potential link between face processing and implicit bias. Together, these findings demonstrate that power can affect implicit prejudice and stereotyping as well as early processing of racial ingroup and outgroup faces.

Subliminal influence on preferences? A test of evaluative conditioning for brief visual conditioned stimuli using auditory unconditioned stimuli

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In the field of evaluative conditioning (EC), two opposing theories—propositional single-process theory versus dual-process theory—are currently being discussed in the literature. The present set of experiments test a crucial prediction to adjudicate between these two theories: Dual-process theory postulates that evaluative conditioning can occur without awareness of the contingency between conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US); in contrast, single-process propositional theory postulates that EC requires CS-US contingency awareness. In a set of three studies, we experimentally manipulate contingency awareness by presenting the CSs very briefly, thereby rendering it unlikely to be processed consciously. We address potential issues with previous studies on EC with subliminal or near-threshold CSs that limited their interpretation. Across two experiments, we consistently found an EC effect for CSs presented for 1000 ms and consistently failed to find an EC effect for briefly presented CSs. In a third pre-registered experiment, we again found evidence for an EC effect with CSs presented for 1000 ms, and we found some indication for an EC effect for CSs presented for 20 ms. PMID:28989730

Subliminal influence on preferences? A test of evaluative conditioning for brief visual conditioned stimuli using auditory unconditioned stimuli.

PubMed

Heycke, Tobias; Aust, Frederik; Stahl, Christoph

2017-09-01

In the field of evaluative conditioning (EC), two opposing theories-propositional single-process theory versus dual-process theory-are currently being discussed in the literature. The present set of experiments test a crucial prediction to adjudicate between these two theories: Dual-process theory postulates that evaluative conditioning can occur without awareness of the contingency between conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US); in contrast, single-process propositional theory postulates that EC requires CS-US contingency awareness. In a set of three studies, we experimentally manipulate contingency awareness by presenting the CSs very briefly, thereby rendering it unlikely to be processed consciously. We address potential issues with previous studies on EC with subliminal or near-threshold CSs that limited their interpretation. Across two experiments, we consistently found an EC effect for CSs presented for 1000 ms and consistently failed to find an EC effect for briefly presented CSs. In a third pre-registered experiment, we again found evidence for an EC effect with CSs presented for 1000 ms, and we found some indication for an EC effect for CSs presented for 20 ms.

Health information systems evaluation frameworks: A systematic review.

PubMed

Eslami Andargoli, Amirhossein; Scheepers, Helana; Rajendran, Diana; Sohal, Amrik

2017-01-01

Evaluation of health information systems (HISs) is complicated because of the complex nature of the health care domain. Various studies have proposed different frameworks to reduce the complexity in the assessment of these systems. The aim of these frameworks is to provide a set of guidelines for the evaluation of the adequacy of health care information systems. This paper aims to analyse studies on the evaluation of HISs by applying a content, context and process (CCP) framework to address the 'who', 'what', 'how', 'when', and 'why' of the evaluation processes used. This will allow for a better understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of various HISs evaluation frameworks, and will pave the way for developing a more complete framework for HISs. A systematic literature review on HIS evaluation studies was undertaken to identify the currently available HIS evaluation frameworks. Five academic databases were selected to conduct this systematic literature review. Most of the studies only address some, but not all, of the five main questions, i.e. the who, what, how, when, why, and that there was a lack of consensus in the way these questions were addressed. The critical role of context was also largely neglected in these studies. Evaluation of HISs is complex. The health care domain is highly context sensitive and in order to have a complete assessment of HISs, consideration of contextual factors is necessary. Specifically, to have the right set of criteria to measure the 'what', the answer to the 'who' of the evaluation is necessary. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing of the coping flexibility hypothesis based on the dual-process theory: Relationships between coping flexibility and depressive Symptoms.

PubMed

Kato, Tsukasa

2015-12-15

According to the dual-process theory of coping flexibility (Kato, 2012), coping flexibility is the ability to discontinue an ineffective coping strategy (i.e., evaluation coping process) and implement an alternative strategy (i.e., adaptive coping process). The coping flexibility hypothesis (CFH) proposes that the ability to engage in flexible coping is related to better psychological functioning and physical health, including less depression. I the present study, participants were 393 American Whites, 429 Australian Whites, and 496 Chinese, selected from the data pool of the 2013 Coping and Health Survey (see Kato, 2014b). They completed both the Coping Flexibility Scale (Kato, 2012), which is based on the dual-process theory of coping flexibility, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). For all nationalities and genders, evaluation coping and adaptive coping were significantly correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed that evaluation coping was associated with lower depressive symptoms for all nationalities and genders, whereas no significant relationships between adaptive coping and depressive symptoms were found for any nationalities. Our results partially supported that the CFH fits with the dual-process theory of coping flexibility. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of test methods, material properties, and processes for solar cell encapsulants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willis, P. B.

1983-01-01

A study of potentially useful low cost encapsulation materials for the Flat-Plate Solar Array project is discussed. The goal is to identify, evaluate, test and recommend encapsulant materials and processes for the production of cost-effective, long life solar cell modules. Technical investigations included studies of aging and degradation of candidate encapsulation materials, continued identification of primers for durable bonding of module interfaces, continued evaluation of soil resistant treatments for the sunlit surface of the module and testing of corrosion protective coatings for use low cost mild steel substrates.

New atmospheric sensor analysis study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, K. G.

1989-01-01

The functional capabilities of the ESAD Research Computing Facility are discussed. The system is used in processing atmospheric measurements which are used in the evaluation of sensor performance, conducting design-concept simulation studies, and also in modeling the physical and dynamical nature of atmospheric processes. The results may then be evaluated to furnish inputs into the final design specifications for new space sensors intended for future Spacelab, Space Station, and free-flying missions. In addition, data gathered from these missions may subsequently be analyzed to provide better understanding of requirements for numerical modeling of atmospheric phenomena.

On-Site Pilot Study - Removal of Uranium, Radium-226 and Arsenic from Impacted Leachate by Reverse Osmosis - 13155

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

McMurray, Allan; Everest, Chris; Rilling, Ken

Conestoga-Rovers and Associates (CRA-LTD) performed an on-site pilot study at the Welcome Waste Management Facility in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, to evaluate the effectiveness of a unique leachate treatment process for the removal of radioactive contaminants from leachate impacted by low-level radioactive waste. Results from the study also provided the parameters needed for the design of the CRA-LTD full scale leachate treatment process design. The final effluent water quality discharged from the process to meet the local surface water discharge criteria. A statistical software package was utilized to obtain the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the results from design ofmore » experiment applied to determine the effect of the evaluated factors on the measured responses. The factors considered in the study were: percent of reverse osmosis permeate water recovery, influent coagulant dosage, and influent total dissolved solids (TDS) dosage. The measured responses evaluated were: operating time, average specific flux, and rejection of radioactive contaminants along with other elements. The ANOVA for the design of experiment results revealed that the operating time is affected by the percent water recovery to be achieved and the flocculant dosage over the range studied. The average specific flux and rejection for the radioactive contaminants were not affected by the factors evaluated over the range studied. The 3 month long on-site pilot testing on the impacted leachate revealed that the CRA-LTD leachate treatment process was robust and produced an effluent water quality that met the surface water discharge criteria mandated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the local municipality. (authors)« less

The mediating role of state maladaptive emotion regulation in the relation between social anxiety symptoms and self-evaluation bias.

PubMed

Sarfan, Laurel D; Cody, Meghan W; Clerkin, Elise M

2018-03-16

Although social anxiety symptoms are robustly linked to biased self-evaluations across time, the mechanisms of this relation remain unclear. The present study tested three maladaptive emotion regulation strategies - state post-event processing, state experiential avoidance, and state expressive suppression - as potential mediators of this relation. Undergraduate participants (N = 88; 61.4% Female) rated their social skill in an impromptu conversation task and then returned to the laboratory approximately two days later to evaluate their social skill in the conversation again. Consistent with expectations, state post-event processing and state experiential avoidance mediated the relation between social anxiety symptoms and worsening self-evaluations of social skill (controlling for research assistant evaluations), particularly for positive qualities (e.g. appeared confident, demonstrated social skill). State expressive suppression did not mediate the relation between social anxiety symptoms and changes in self-evaluation bias across time. These findings highlight the role that spontaneous, state experiential avoidance and state post-event processing may play in the relation between social anxiety symptoms and worsening self-evaluation biases of social skill across time.

Bridging the gap between the economic evaluation literature and daily practice in occupational health: a qualitative study among decision-makers in the healthcare sector.

PubMed

van Dongen, Johanna M; Tompa, Emile; Clune, Laurie; Sarnocinska-Hart, Anna; Bongers, Paulien M; van Tulder, Maurits W; van der Beek, Allard J; van Wier, Marieke F

2013-06-03

Continued improvements in occupational health can only be ensured if decisions regarding the implementation and continuation of occupational health and safety interventions (OHS interventions) are based on the best available evidence. To ensure that this is the case, scientific evidence should meet the needs of decision-makers. As a first step in bridging the gap between the economic evaluation literature and daily practice in occupational health, this study aimed to provide insight into the occupational health decision-making process and information needs of decision-makers. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted with a purposeful sample of occupational health decision-makers in the Ontario healthcare sector. Eighteen in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the process by which occupational health decisions are made and the importance given to the financial implications of OHS interventions. Twenty-five structured telephone interviews were conducted to explore the sources of information used during the decision-making process, and decision-makers' knowledge on economic evaluation methods. In-depth interview data were analyzed according to the constant comparative method. For the structured telephone interviews, summary statistics were prepared. The occupational health decision-making process generally consists of three stages: initiation stage, establishing the need for an intervention; pre-implementation stage, developing an intervention and its business case in order to receive senior management approval; and implementation and evaluation stage, implementing and evaluating an intervention. During this process, information on the financial implications of OHS interventions was found to be of great importance, especially the employer's costs and benefits. However, scientific evidence was rarely consulted, sound ex-post program evaluations were hardly ever performed, and there seemed to be a need to advance the economic evaluation skill set of decision-makers. Financial information is particularly important at the front end of implementation decisions, and can be a key deciding factor of whether to go forward with a new OHS intervention. In addition, it appears that current practice in occupational health in the healthcare sector is not solidly grounded in evidence-based decision-making and strategies should be developed to improve this.

Bridging the gap between the economic evaluation literature and daily practice in occupational health: a qualitative study among decision-makers in the healthcare sector

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Continued improvements in occupational health can only be ensured if decisions regarding the implementation and continuation of occupational health and safety interventions (OHS interventions) are based on the best available evidence. To ensure that this is the case, scientific evidence should meet the needs of decision-makers. As a first step in bridging the gap between the economic evaluation literature and daily practice in occupational health, this study aimed to provide insight into the occupational health decision-making process and information needs of decision-makers. Methods An exploratory qualitative study was conducted with a purposeful sample of occupational health decision-makers in the Ontario healthcare sector. Eighteen in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the process by which occupational health decisions are made and the importance given to the financial implications of OHS interventions. Twenty-five structured telephone interviews were conducted to explore the sources of information used during the decision-making process, and decision-makers’ knowledge on economic evaluation methods. In-depth interview data were analyzed according to the constant comparative method. For the structured telephone interviews, summary statistics were prepared. Results The occupational health decision-making process generally consists of three stages: initiation stage, establishing the need for an intervention; pre-implementation stage, developing an intervention and its business case in order to receive senior management approval; and implementation and evaluation stage, implementing and evaluating an intervention. During this process, information on the financial implications of OHS interventions was found to be of great importance, especially the employer’s costs and benefits. However, scientific evidence was rarely consulted, sound ex-post program evaluations were hardly ever performed, and there seemed to be a need to advance the economic evaluation skill set of decision-makers. Conclusions Financial information is particularly important at the front end of implementation decisions, and can be a key deciding factor of whether to go forward with a new OHS intervention. In addition, it appears that current practice in occupational health in the healthcare sector is not solidly grounded in evidence-based decision-making and strategies should be developed to improve this. PMID:23731570

Evaluation of the quality of the teaching-learning process in undergraduate courses in Nursing.

PubMed

González-Chordá, Víctor Manuel; Maciá-Soler, María Loreto

2015-01-01

to identify aspects of improvement of the quality of the teaching-learning process through the analysis of tools that evaluated the acquisition of skills by undergraduate students of Nursing. prospective longitudinal study conducted in a population of 60 secondyear Nursing students based on registration data, from which quality indicators that evaluate the acquisition of skills were obtained, with descriptive and inferential analysis. nine items were identified and nine learning activities included in the assessment tools that did not reach the established quality indicators (p<0.05). There are statistically significant differences depending on the hospital and clinical practices unit (p<0.05). the analysis of the evaluation tools used in the article "Nursing Care in Welfare Processes" of the analyzed university undergraduate course enabled the detection of the areas for improvement in the teachinglearning process. The challenge of education in nursing is to reach the best clinical research and educational results, in order to provide improvements to the quality of education and health care.

MEASUREMENT OF INDOOR AIR EMISSIONS FROM DRY-PROCESS PHOTOCOPY MACHINES

EPA Science Inventory

The article provides background information on indoor air emissions from office equipment, with emphasis on dry-process photocopy machines. The test method is described in detail along with results of a study to evaluate the test method using four dry-process photocopy machines. ...

Quality Assessment of College Admissions Processes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Caroline; Weymann, Elizabeth; Todd, Amy

2000-01-01

This study evaluated the admissions process for a Master's in Business Administration Program using such quality improvement techniques as customer surveys, benchmarking, and gap analysis. Analysis revealed that student dissatisfaction with the admissions process may be a factor influencing declining enrollment. Cycle time and number of student…

Study Sensitivity: Evaluating the Ability to Detect Effects in Systematic Reviews of Chemical Exposures

PubMed Central

Cooper, Glinda S.; Lunn, Ruth M.; Ågerstrand, Marlene; Glenn, Barbara S.; Kraft, Andrew D.; Luke, April M.; Ratcliffe, Jennifer M.

2016-01-01

A critical step in systematic reviews of potential health hazards is the structured evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the included studies; risk of bias is a term often used to represent this process, specifically with respect to the evaluation of systematic errors that can lead to inaccurate (biased) results (i.e. focusing on internal validity). Systematic review methods developed in the clinical medicine arena have been adapted for use in evaluating environmental health hazards; this expansion raises questions about the scope of risk of bias tools and the extent to which they capture the elements that can affect the interpretation of results from environmental and occupational epidemiology studies and in vivo animal toxicology studies, (the studies typically available for assessment of risk of chemicals). One such element, described here as “sensitivity”, is a measure of the ability of a study to detect a true effect or hazard. This concept is similar to the concept of the sensitivity of an assay; an insensitive study may fail to show a difference that truly exists, leading to a false conclusion of no effect. Factors relating to study sensitivity should be evaluated in a systematic manner with the same rigor as the evaluation of other elements within a risk of bias framework. We discuss the importance of this component for the interpretation of individual studies, examine approaches proposed or in use to address it, and describe how it relates to other evaluation components. The evaluation domains contained within a risk of bias tool can include, or can be modified to include, some features relating to study sensitivity; the explicit inclusion of these sensitivity criteria with the same rigor and at the same stage of study evaluation as other bias-related criteria can improve the evaluation process. In some cases, these and other features may be better addressed through a separate sensitivity domain. The combined evaluation of risk of bias and sensitivity can be used to identify the most informative studies, to evaluate the confidence of the findings from individual studies and to identify those study elements that may help to explain heterogeneity across the body of literature. PMID:27156196

Evaluation of Communication Alternatives for Intelligent Transportation Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-31

The primary focus of this study involved developing a process for the evaluation of wireless technologies : for intelligent transportation systems, and for conducting experiments of potential wireless technologies : and topologies. Two wireless techn...

Evaluating landscape health: Integrating societal goals and biophysical process

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rapport, D.J.; Gaudet, C.; Karr, J.R.; Baron, Jill S.; Bohlen, C.; Jackson, W.; Jones, Bruce; Naiman, R.J.; Norton, B.; Pollock, M. M.

1998-01-01

Evaluating landscape change requires the integration of the social and natural sciences. The social sciences contribute to articulating societal values that govern landscape change, while the natural sciences contribute to understanding the biophysical processes that are influenced by human activity and result in ecological change. Building upon Aldo Leopold's criteria for landscape health, the roles of societal values and biophysical processes in shaping the landscape are explored. A framework is developed for indicators of landscape health and integrity. Indicators of integrity are useful in measuring biological condition relative to the condition in landscapes largely unaffected by human activity, while indicators of health are useful in evaluating changes in highly modified landscapes. Integrating societal goals and biophysical processes requires identification of ecological services to be sustained within a given landscape. It also requires the proper choice of temporal and spatial scales. Societal values are based upon inter-generational concerns at regional scales (e.g. soil and ground water quality). Assessing the health and integrity of the environment at the landscape scale over a period of decades best integrates societal values with underlying biophysical processes. These principles are illustrated in two contrasting case studies: (1) the South Platte River study demonstrates the role of complex biophysical processes acting at a distance; and (2) the Kissimmee River study illustrates the critical importance of social, cultural and economic concerns in the design of remedial action plans. In both studies, however, interactions between the social and the biophysical governed the landscape outcomes. The legacy of evolution and the legacy of culture requires integration for the purpose of effectively coping with environmental change.

Who Is Afraid of Evaluation? Ethics in Evaluation Research as a Way to Cope with Excessive Evaluation Anxiety: Insights from a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bechar, Shlomit; Mero-Jaffe, Irit

2014-01-01

In this paper we share our reflections, as evaluators, on an evaluation where we encountered Excessive Evaluation Anxiety (XEA). The signs of XEA which we discerned were particularly evident amongst the program head and staff who were part of a new training program. We present our insights on the evaluation process and its difficulties, as well as…

Applying the Quadruple Process Model to Evaluate Change in Implicit Attitudinal Responses During Therapy for Panic Disorder

PubMed Central

Clerkin, Elise M.; Fisher, Christopher R.; Sherman, Jeffrey W.; Teachman, Bethany A.

2013-01-01

Objective This study explored the automatic and controlled processes that may influence performance on an implicit measure across cognitive-behavioral group therapy for panic disorder. Method The Quadruple Process model was applied to error scores from an Implicit Association Test evaluating associations between the concepts Me (vs. Not Me) + Calm (vs. Panicked) to evaluate four distinct processes: Association Activation, Detection, Guessing, and Overcoming Bias. Parameter estimates were calculated in the panic group (n=28) across each treatment session where the IAT was administered, and at matched times when the IAT was completed in the healthy control group (n=31). Results Association Activation for Me + Calm became stronger over treatment for participants in the panic group, demonstrating that it is possible to change automatically activated associations in memory (vs. simply overriding those associations) in a clinical sample via therapy. As well, the Guessing bias toward the calm category increased over treatment for participants in the panic group. Conclusions This research evaluates key tenets about the role of automatic processing in cognitive models of anxiety, and emphasizes the viability of changing the actual activation of automatic associations in the context of treatment, versus only changing a person’s ability to use reflective processing to overcome biased automatic processing. PMID:24275066

Scientific Process Flowchart Assessment (SPFA): A Method for Evaluating Changes in Understanding and Visualization of the Scientific Process in a Multidisciplinary Student Population

PubMed Central

Wilson, Kristy J.; Rigakos, Bessie

2016-01-01

The scientific process is nonlinear, unpredictable, and ongoing. Assessing the nature of science is difficult with methods that rely on Likert-scale or multiple-choice questions. This study evaluated conceptions about the scientific process using student-created visual representations that we term “flowcharts.” The methodology, Scientific Process Flowchart Assessment (SPFA), consisted of a prompt and rubric that was designed to assess students’ understanding of the scientific process. Forty flowcharts representing a multidisciplinary group without intervention and 26 flowcharts representing pre- and postinstruction were evaluated over five dimensions: connections, experimental design, reasons for doing science, nature of science, and interconnectivity. Pre to post flowcharts showed a statistically significant improvement in the number of items and ratings for the dimensions. Comparison of the terms used and connections between terms on student flowcharts revealed an enhanced and more nuanced understanding of the scientific process, especially in the areas of application to society and communication within the scientific community. We propose that SPFA can be used in a variety of circumstances, including in the determination of what curricula or interventions would be useful in a course or program, in the assessment of curriculum, or in the evaluation of students performing research projects. PMID:27856551

[Qualitative Research in Health Services Research - Discussion Paper, Part 3: Quality of Qualitative Research].

PubMed

Stamer, M; Güthlin, C; Holmberg, C; Karbach, U; Patzelt, C; Meyer, T

2015-12-01

The third and final discussion paper of the German Network of Health Services Research's (DNVF) "Qualitative Methods Working Group" demonstrates methods for the evaluation and quality of qualitative research in health services research. In this paper we discuss approaches described in evaluating qualitative studies, including: an orientation to the general principles of empirical research, an approach-specific course of action, as well as procedures based on the research-process and criteria-oriented approaches. Divided into general and specific aspects to be considered in a qualitative study quality evaluation, the central focus of the discussion paper undertakes an extensive examination of the process and criteria-oriented approaches. The general aspects include the participation of relevant groups in the research process as well as ethical aspects of the research and data protection issues. The more specific aspects in evaluating the quality of qualitative research include considerations about the research interest, research questions, and the selection of data collection methods and types of analyses. The formulated questions are intended to guide reviewers and researchers to evaluate and to develop qualitative research projects appropriately. The intention of this discussion paper is to ensure a transparent research culture, and to reflect on and discuss the methodological and research approach of qualitative studies in health services research. With this paper we aim to initiate a discussion on high quality evaluation of qualitative health services research. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

School nutrition guidelines: overview of the implementation and evaluation.

PubMed

Gregorič, Matej; Pograjc, Larisa; Pavlovec, Alenka; Simčič, Marjan; Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, Mojca

2015-06-01

To holistically evaluate the extent of implementation of dietary guidelines in schools and present various monitoring systems. The study comprises three methods: (i) a cross-sectional survey (process evaluation); (ii) an indicator-based evaluation (menu quality); and (iii) a 5 d weighed food record of school lunches (output evaluation). Slovenian primary schools. A total 234 food-service managers from 488 schools completed a self-administrated questionnaire for process evaluation; 177 out of 194 randomly selected schools provided menus for menu quality evaluation; and 120 school lunches from twenty-four schools were measured and nutritionally analysed for output evaluation. The survey among food-service managers revealed high levels of implementation at almost all process evaluation areas of the guidelines. An even more successful implementation of these guidelines was found in relation to organization cultural issues as compared with technical issues. Differences found in some process evaluation areas were related to location, size and socio-economic characteristics of schools. Evaluation of school menu quality demonstrated that score values followed a normal distribution. Higher (better) nutrition scores were found in larger-sized schools and corresponding municipalities with higher socio-economic status. School lunches did not meet minimum recommendations for energy, carbohydrates or dietary fibre intake, nor for six vitamins and three (macro, micro and trace) elements. The implementation of the guidelines was achieved differently at distinct levels. The presented multilevel evaluation suggests that different success in implementation might be attributed to different characteristics of individual schools. System changes might also be needed to support and improve implementation of the guidelines.

Evaluation of complex community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions.

PubMed

Karacabeyli, D; Allender, S; Pinkney, S; Amed, S

2018-05-16

Multi-setting, multi-component community-based interventions have shown promise in preventing childhood obesity; however, evaluation of these complex interventions remains a challenge. The objective of the study is to systematically review published methodological approaches to outcome evaluation for multi-setting community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions and synthesize a set of pragmatic recommendations. MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched from inception to 6 July 2017. Papers were included if the intervention targeted children ≤18 years, engaged at least two community sectors and described their outcome evaluation methodology. A single reviewer conducted title and abstract scans, full article review and data abstraction. Directed content analysis was performed by three reviewers to identify prevailing themes. Thirty-three studies were included, and of these, 26 employed a quasi-experimental design; the remaining were randomized control trials. Body mass index was the most commonly measured outcome, followed by health behaviour change and psychosocial outcomes. Six themes emerged, highlighting advantages and disadvantages of active vs. passive consent, quasi-experimental vs. randomized control trials, longitudinal vs. repeat cross-sectional designs and the roles of process evaluation and methodological flexibility in evaluating complex interventions. Selection of study designs and outcome measures compatible with community infrastructure, accompanied by process evaluation, may facilitate successful outcome evaluation. © 2018 World Obesity Federation.

Management of the General Process of Parenteral Nutrition Using mHealth Technologies: Evaluation and Validation Study.

PubMed

Cervera Peris, Mercedes; Alonso Rorís, Víctor Manuel; Santos Gago, Juan Manuel; Álvarez Sabucedo, Luis; Wanden-Berghe, Carmina; Sanz-Valero, Javier

2018-04-03

Any system applied to the control of parenteral nutrition (PN) ought to prove that the process meets the established requirements and include a repository of records to allow evaluation of the information about PN processes at any time. The goal of the research was to evaluate the mobile health (mHealth) app and validate its effectiveness in monitoring the management of the PN process. We studied the evaluation and validation of the general process of PN using an mHealth app. The units of analysis were the PN bags prepared and administered at the Son Espases University Hospital, Palma, Spain, from June 1 to September 6, 2016. For the evaluation of the app, we used the Poststudy System Usability Questionnaire and subsequent analysis with the Cronbach alpha coefficient. Validation was performed by checking the compliance of control for all operations on each of the stages (validation and transcription of the prescription, preparation, conservation, and administration) and by monitoring the operative control points and critical control points. The results obtained from 387 bags were analyzed, with 30 interruptions of administration. The fulfillment of stages was 100%, including noncritical nonconformities in the storage control. The average deviation in the weight of the bags was less than 5%, and the infusion time did not present deviations greater than 1 hour. The developed app successfully passed the evaluation and validation tests and was implemented to perform the monitoring procedures for the overall PN process. A new mobile solution to manage the quality and traceability of sensitive medicines such as blood-derivative drugs and hazardous drugs derived from this project is currently being deployed. ©Mercedes Cervera Peris, Víctor Manuel Alonso Rorís, Juan Manuel Santos Gago, Luis Álvarez Sabucedo, Carmina Wanden-Berghe, Javier Sanz-Valero. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 03.04.2018.

"Rate My Therapist": Automated Detection of Empathy in Drug and Alcohol Counseling via Speech and Language Processing

PubMed Central

Xiao, Bo; Imel, Zac E.; Georgiou, Panayiotis G.; Atkins, David C.; Narayanan, Shrikanth S.

2015-01-01

The technology for evaluating patient-provider interactions in psychotherapy–observational coding–has not changed in 70 years. It is labor-intensive, error prone, and expensive, limiting its use in evaluating psychotherapy in the real world. Engineering solutions from speech and language processing provide new methods for the automatic evaluation of provider ratings from session recordings. The primary data are 200 Motivational Interviewing (MI) sessions from a study on MI training methods with observer ratings of counselor empathy. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) was used to transcribe sessions, and the resulting words were used in a text-based predictive model of empathy. Two supporting datasets trained the speech processing tasks including ASR (1200 transcripts from heterogeneous psychotherapy sessions and 153 transcripts and session recordings from 5 MI clinical trials). The accuracy of computationally-derived empathy ratings were evaluated against human ratings for each provider. Computationally-derived empathy scores and classifications (high vs. low) were highly accurate against human-based codes and classifications, with a correlation of 0.65 and F-score (a weighted average of sensitivity and specificity) of 0.86, respectively. Empathy prediction using human transcription as input (as opposed to ASR) resulted in a slight increase in prediction accuracies, suggesting that the fully automatic system with ASR is relatively robust. Using speech and language processing methods, it is possible to generate accurate predictions of provider performance in psychotherapy from audio recordings alone. This technology can support large-scale evaluation of psychotherapy for dissemination and process studies. PMID:26630392

Development of a School Leadership Evaluation System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orlando, Nik

2014-01-01

This action research study examined the effectiveness of the process implemented by Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC) Schools Charter Management Organization to develop their school leader evaluation system in collaboration with current PUC school leaders. The development of the leadership evaluation system included the collective voices of…

The Neurobiological Basis of Reading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Jane; Noble, Kimberly; Eden, Guinevere

2001-01-01

This paper reviews studies using positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging in adults to study the reading process and notes that general networks of regions seem to be uniquely associated with different components of the reading process. Findings are evaluated in light of technical and experimental limitations and…

Structural and functional connectivity as a driver of hillslope erosion following disturbance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrologic response to rainfall input on fragmented or burnt hillslopes is strongly influenced by the ensuing connectivity of runoff and erosion processes. Yet, cross-scale process connectivity is seldom evaluated in field studies due scale limitations in experimental design. This study quantified...

The protocol and design of a randomised controlled study on training of attention within the first year after acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Bartfai, Aniko; Markovic, Gabriela; Sargenius Landahl, Kristina; Schult, Marie-Louise

2014-05-08

To describe the design of the study aiming to examine intensive targeted cognitive rehabilitation of attention in the acute (<4 months) and subacute rehabilitation phases (4-12 months) after acquired brain injury and to evaluate the effects on function, activity and participation (return to work). Within a prospective, randomised, controlled study 120 consecutive patients with stroke or traumatic brain injury were randomised to 20 hours of intensive attention training by Attention Process Training or by standard, activity based training. Progress was evaluated by Statistical Process Control and by pre and post measurement of functional and activity levels. Return to work was also evaluated in the post-acute phase. Primary endpoints were the changes in the attention measure, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test and changes in work ability. Secondary endpoints included measurement of cognitive functions, activity and work return. There were 3, 6 and 12-month follow ups focussing on health economics. The study will provide information on rehabilitation of attention in the early phases after ABI; effects on function, activity and return to work. Further, the application of Statistical Process Control might enable closer investigation of the cognitive changes after acquired brain injury and demonstrate the usefulness of process measures in rehabilitation. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol. NCT02091453, registered: 19 March 2014.

Insights into numerical cognition: considering eye-fixations in number processing and arithmetic.

PubMed

Mock, J; Huber, S; Klein, E; Moeller, K

2016-05-01

Considering eye-fixation behavior is standard in reading research to investigate underlying cognitive processes. However, in numerical cognition research eye-tracking is used less often and less systematically. Nevertheless, we identified over 40 studies on this topic from the last 40 years with an increase of eye-tracking studies on numerical cognition during the last decade. Here, we review and discuss these empirical studies to evaluate the added value of eye-tracking for the investigation of number processing. Our literature review revealed that the way eye-fixation behavior is considered in numerical cognition research ranges from investigating basic perceptual aspects of processing non-symbolic and symbolic numbers, over assessing the common representational space of numbers and space, to evaluating the influence of characteristics of the base-10 place-value structure of Arabic numbers and executive control on number processing. Apart from basic results such as reading times of numbers increasing with their magnitude, studies revealed that number processing can influence domain-general processes such as attention shifting-but also the other way round. Domain-general processes such as cognitive control were found to affect number processing. In summary, eye-fixation behavior allows for new insights into both domain-specific and domain-general processes involved in number processing. Based thereon, a processing model of the temporal dynamics of numerical cognition is postulated, which distinguishes an early stage of stimulus-driven bottom-up processing from later more top-down controlled stages. Furthermore, perspectives for eye-tracking research in numerical cognition are discussed to emphasize the potential of this methodology for advancing our understanding of numerical cognition.

Column Testing and 1D Reactive Transport Modeling to Evaluate Uranium Plume Persistence Processes

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

Johnson, Raymond H.; Morrison, Stan; Morris, Sarah

Motivation for Study: Natural flushing of contaminants at various U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management sites is not proceeding as quickly as predicted (plume persistence) Objectives: Help determine natural flushing rates using column tests. Use 1D reactive transport modeling to better understand the major processes that are creating plume persistence Approach: Core samples from under a former mill tailings area Tailings have been removed. Column leaching using lab-prepared water similar to nearby Gunnison River water. 1D reactive transport modeling to evaluate processes

Nitrogen Trifluoride-Based Fluoride- Volatility Separations Process: Initial Studies

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

McNamara, Bruce K.; Scheele, Randall D.; Casella, Andrew M.

2011-09-28

This document describes the results of our investigations on the potential use of nitrogen trifluoride as the fluorinating and oxidizing agent in fluoride volatility-based used nuclear fuel reprocessing. The conceptual process uses differences in reaction temperatures between nitrogen trifluoride and fuel constituents that produce volatile fluorides to achieve separations and recover valuable constituents. We provide results from our thermodynamic evaluations, thermo-analytical experiments, kinetic models, and provide a preliminary process flowsheet. The evaluations found that nitrogen trifluoride can effectively produce volatile fluorides at different temperatures dependent on the fuel constituent.

A conversation-based process tracing method for use with naturalistic decisions: an evaluation study.

PubMed

Williamson, J; Ranyard, R; Cuthbert, L

2000-05-01

This study is an evaluation of a process tracing method developed for naturalistic decisions, in this case a consumer choice task. The method is based on Huber et al.'s (1997) Active Information Search (AIS) technique, but develops it by providing spoken rather than written answers to respondents' questions, and by including think aloud instructions. The technique is used within a conversation-based situation, rather than the respondent thinking aloud 'into an empty space', as is conventionally the case in think aloud techniques. The method results in a concurrent verbal protocol as respondents make their decisions, and a retrospective report in the form of a post-decision summary. The method was found to be virtually non-reactive in relation to think aloud, although the variable of Preliminary Attribute Elicitation showed some evidence of reactivity. This was a methodological evaluation, and as such the data reported are essentially descriptive. Nevertheless, the data obtained indicate that the method is capable of producing information about decision processes which could have theoretical importance in terms of evaluating models of decision-making.

Rural Principals and the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process: How Has the Transition from the TPAI-R to the New Evaluation Process Changed Principals' Evaluative Practices?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Charles Avery

2016-01-01

Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year the North Carolina State Board of Education (SBE) mandated the use of the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process (Evaluation Process) for use in all public school systems in the state to conduct teacher observations and evaluations. The Evaluation Process replaced the Teacher Performance Appraisal…

Improving the Textbook Selection Process: Case Studies of the Textbook Adoption Guidelines Project. Technical Report No. 478.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dole, Janice; And Others

A study followed three textbook adoption committees as they evaluated basal reading programs. The committees used "A Guide to Selecting Basal Reading Programs" (developed at the Center for the Study of Reading) to help them evaluate the quality of instruction in existing programs. Case studies of the three committees sought to address the…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2016-01-01

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

Beyond Resistance: Exploring Health Managers' Propensity for Participatory Evaluation in a Developing Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smits, Pernelle A.; Champagne, Francois; Farand, Lambert

2012-01-01

The evaluation of interventions is becoming increasing common and now often seeks to involve managers in the process. Such practical participatory evaluation (PPE) aims to increase the use of evaluation results through the participation of stakeholders. This study focuses on the propensity of health managers for PPE, as measured through the…

Can You Increase Teacher Engagement with Evaluation Simply by Improving the Evaluation System?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moskal, Adon C. M.; Stein, Sarah J.; Golding, Clinton

2016-01-01

We know various factors can influence how teaching staff engage with student evaluation, such as institutional policies or staff beliefs. However, little research has investigated the influence of the technical processes of an evaluation system. In this article, we present a case study of the effects of changing the technical system for…

Idea Evaluation: Error in Evaluating Highly Original Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Licuanan, Brian F.; Dailey, Lesley R.; Mumford, Michael D.

2007-01-01

Idea evaluation is a critical aspect of creative thought. However, a number of errors might occur in the evaluation of new ideas. One error commonly observed is the tendency to underestimate the originality of truly novel ideas. In the present study, an attempt was made to assess whether analysis of the process leading to the idea generation and…

Translation Training in the Jordanian Context: Curriculum Evaluation in Translator Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahasneh, Anjad

2013-01-01

This study aims at drawing a clear picture of translator training in Jordan through the evaluation of translation programs at the Master's level. The framework of the Context, Input, Process, and Product components of the CIPP evaluation model developed by Daniel Stufflebeam in 1971 was used to evaluate the three translation Master's programs at…

Using ERP and WfM Systems for Implementing Business Processes: An Empirical Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aversano, Lerina; Tortorella, Maria

Software systems mainly considered from enterprises for dealing with a business process automation belong to the following two categories: Workflow Management Systems (WfMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The wider diffusion of ERP systems tends to favourite this solution, but there are several limitations of most ERP systems for automating business processes. This paper reports an empirical study aiming at comparing the ability of implementing business processes of ERP systems and WfMSs. Two different case studies have been considered in the empirical study. It evaluates and analyses the correctness and completeness of the process models implemented by using ERP and WfM systems.

Health Care Merged With Senior Housing: Description and Evaluation of a Successful Program.

PubMed

Barry, Theresa Teta

2017-01-01

Objective: This article describes and evaluates a successful partnership between a large health care organization and housing for seniors. The program provides on-site, primary care visits by a physician and a nurse in addition to intensive social services to residents in an affordable senior housing apartment building located in Pennsylvania. Per Donabedian's "Structure-Process-Outcome" model, the program demonstrated positive health care outcomes for its participants via a prescribed structure. To provide guidance for replication in similar settings, we qualitatively evaluated the processes by which successful outcomes were obtained. Methods: With program structures in place and outcomes measured, this case study collected and analyzed qualitative information taken from key informant interviews on care processes involved in the program. Themes were extracted from semistructured interviews and used to describe the processes that helped and hindered the program. Results and Discussion: Common processes were identified across respondents; however, the nuanced processes that lead to successful outcomes suggest that defined structures and processes may not be sufficient to produce similar outcomes in other settings. Further research is needed to determine the program's replicability and policy implications.

Both Trace and Delay Conditioning of Evaluative Responses Depend on Contingency Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kattner, Florian; Ellermeier, Wolfgang; Tavakoli, Paniz

2012-01-01

Whereas previous evaluative conditioning (EC) studies produced inconsistent results concerning the role of contingency knowledge, there are classical eye-blink conditioning studies suggesting that declarative processes are involved in trace conditioning but not in delay conditioning. In two EC experiments pairing neutral sounds (conditioned…

COPES Report: System Reliability Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foothill-De Anza Community Coll. District, Los Altos Hills, CA.

The study examines the reliability of the Community College Occupational Programs Evaluation System (COPES). The COPES process is a system for evaluating program strengths and needs. A two-way test, college self-appraisal with third party validation of the self-appraisal, is utilized to assist community colleges in future institutional planning…

Implementation of School Self-Evaluation in Secondary Schools: Teachers' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Wai Lun

2010-01-01

The study investigates how teacher administrators and teachers in Hong Kong secondary schools experienced the implementation process of School Self-Evaluation (SSE), perceived the effects of SSE and described the implementation approach of SSE from the perspectives of policy implementation within the policy studies in education. Given that this…

Trait self-esteem and neural activities related to self-evaluation and social feedback

PubMed Central

Yang, Juan; Xu, Xiaofan; Chen, Yu; Shi, Zhenhao; Han, Shihui

2016-01-01

Self-esteem has been associated with neural responses to self-reflection and attitude toward social feedback but in different brain regions. The distinct associations might arise from different tasks or task-related attitudes in the previous studies. The current study aimed to clarify these by investigating the association between self-esteem and neural responses to evaluation of one’s own personality traits and of others’ opinion about one’s own personality traits. We scanned 25 college students using functional MRI during evaluation of oneself or evaluation of social feedback. Trait self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale after scanning. Whole-brain regression analyses revealed that trait self-esteem was associated with the bilateral orbitofrontal activity during evaluation of one’s own positive traits but with activities in the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, and occipital cortices during evaluation of positive social feedback. Our findings suggest that trait self-esteem modulates the degree of both affective processes in the orbitofrontal cortex during self-reflection and cognitive processes in the medial prefrontal cortex during evaluation of social feedback. PMID:26842975

Trait self-esteem and neural activities related to self-evaluation and social feedback.

PubMed

Yang, Juan; Xu, Xiaofan; Chen, Yu; Shi, Zhenhao; Han, Shihui

2016-02-04

Self-esteem has been associated with neural responses to self-reflection and attitude toward social feedback but in different brain regions. The distinct associations might arise from different tasks or task-related attitudes in the previous studies. The current study aimed to clarify these by investigating the association between self-esteem and neural responses to evaluation of one's own personality traits and of others' opinion about one's own personality traits. We scanned 25 college students using functional MRI during evaluation of oneself or evaluation of social feedback. Trait self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale after scanning. Whole-brain regression analyses revealed that trait self-esteem was associated with the bilateral orbitofrontal activity during evaluation of one's own positive traits but with activities in the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, and occipital cortices during evaluation of positive social feedback. Our findings suggest that trait self-esteem modulates the degree of both affective processes in the orbitofrontal cortex during self-reflection and cognitive processes in the medial prefrontal cortex during evaluation of social feedback.

Mechanisms of masked evaluative priming: task sets modulate behavioral and electrophysiological priming for picture and words differentially.

PubMed

Kiefer, Markus; Liegel, Nathalie; Zovko, Monika; Wentura, Dirk

2017-04-01

Research with the evaluative priming paradigm has shown that affective evaluation processes reliably influence cognition and behavior, even when triggered outside awareness. However, the precise mechanisms underlying such subliminal evaluative priming effects, response activation vs semantic processing, are matter of a debate. In this study, we determined the relative contribution of semantic processing and response activation to masked evaluative priming with pictures and words. To this end, we investigated the modulation of masked pictorial vs verbal priming by previously activated perceptual vs semantic task sets and assessed the electrophysiological correlates of priming using event-related potential (ERP) recordings. Behavioral and electrophysiological effects showed a differential modulation of pictorial and verbal subliminal priming by previously activated task sets: Pictorial priming was only observed during the perceptual but not during the semantic task set. Verbal priming, in contrast, was found when either task set was activated. Furthermore, only verbal priming was associated with a modulation of the N400 ERP component, an index of semantic processing, whereas a priming-related modulation of earlier ERPs, indexing visuo-motor S-R activation, was found for both picture and words. The results thus demonstrate that different neuro-cognitive processes contribute to unconscious evaluative priming depending on the stimulus format. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Using a Systematic Conceptual Model for a Process Evaluation of a Middle School Obesity Risk-Reduction Nutrition Curriculum Intervention: Choice, Control & Change

PubMed Central

Lee, Heewon; Contento, Isobel R.; Koch, Pamela

2012-01-01

Objective To use and review a conceptual model of process evaluation and to examine the implementation of a nutrition education curriculum, Choice, Control & Change, designed to promote dietary and physical activity behaviors that reduce obesity risk. Design A process evaluation study based on a systematic conceptual model. Setting Five middle schools in New York City. Participants 562 students in 20 classes and their science teachers (n=8). Main Outcome Measures Based on the model, teacher professional development, teacher implementation, and student reception were evaluated. Also measured were teacher characteristics, teachers’ curriculum evaluation, and satisfaction with teaching the curriculum. Analysis Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s Rho Correlation for quantitative analysis and content analysis for qualitative data were used. Results Mean score of the teacher professional development evaluation was 4.75 on a 5-point scale. Average teacher implementation rate was 73%, and student reception rate was 69%. Ongoing teacher support was highly valued by teachers. Teachers’ satisfaction with teaching the curriculum was highly correlated with students’ satisfaction (p <.05). Teachers’ perception of amount of student work was negatively correlated with implementation and with student satisfaction (p<.05). Conclusions and implications Use of a systematic conceptual model and comprehensive process measures improves understanding of the implementation process and helps educators to better implement interventions as designed. PMID:23321021

Using a systematic conceptual model for a process evaluation of a middle school obesity risk-reduction nutrition curriculum intervention: choice, control & change.

PubMed

Lee, Heewon; Contento, Isobel R; Koch, Pamela

2013-03-01

To use and review a conceptual model of process evaluation and to examine the implementation of a nutrition education curriculum, Choice, Control & Change, designed to promote dietary and physical activity behaviors that reduce obesity risk. A process evaluation study based on a systematic conceptual model. Five middle schools in New York City. Five hundred sixty-two students in 20 classes and their science teachers (n = 8). Based on the model, teacher professional development, teacher implementation, and student reception were evaluated. Also measured were teacher characteristics, teachers' curriculum evaluation, and satisfaction with teaching the curriculum. Descriptive statistics and Spearman ρ correlation for quantitative analysis and content analysis for qualitative data were used. Mean score of the teacher professional development evaluation was 4.75 on a 5-point scale. Average teacher implementation rate was 73%, and the student reception rate was 69%. Ongoing teacher support was highly valued by teachers. Teacher satisfaction with teaching the curriculum was highly correlated with student satisfaction (P < .05). Teacher perception of amount of student work was negatively correlated with implementation and with student satisfaction (P < .05). Use of a systematic conceptual model and comprehensive process measures improves understanding of the implementation process and helps educators to better implement interventions as designed. Copyright © 2013 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Space Tug avionics definition study. Volume 4: Supporting trade studies and analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Analyses and trade studies were performed for the evaluation of the most desirable solutions to space tug subsystem requirements. These were accomplished at system, subsystem, and at component levels. The criteria, the candidate options evaluated, the selection process, and the recommended solutions that have been integrated together in the configuration descriptions are reported.

Self-Study and Evaluation Guide/1968 Edition. Section D-3: Rehabilitation Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, New York, NY.

This self-study and evaluation guide on rehabilitation centers is one of 28 guides designed for organizations undertaking a self-study as part of the process for accreditation from the National Accreditation Council (NAC) for agencies serving the blind and visually handicapped. Provided are lists of standards to be appraised by the self-evaluation…

Self-Study and Evaluation Guide/1977 Edition. Section D-8: Rehabilitation Teaching Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, New York, NY.

This self-study and evaluation guide on rehabilitation teaching services is one of 28 guides designed for organizations who are undertaking a self-study as part of the process for accreditation from the National Accreditation Council (NAC) for agencies serving the blind and visually handicapped. Provided are lists of standards to be appraised by…

Self-Study and Evaluation Guide [1976 Edition]. Section D-4: Workshop Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, New York, NY.

This self-study and evaluation guide on workshop service is one of twenty-eight guides designed for organizations who are undertaking a self-study as part of the process for accreditation from the National Accreditation Council (NAC) for agencies serving the blind and visually handicapped. Provided are lists of standards to be appraised by the…

Self-Study and Evaluation Guide/[1975 Edition]. Section D-6: Vocational Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, New York, NY.

This self-study and evaluation guide on vocational services is one of 28 guides designed for organizations who are undertaking a self-study as part of the process for accreditation from the National Accreditation Council (NAC) for agencies serving the blind and visually handicapped. Provided are lists of standards to be appraised by the…

Re-Mediating Practitioners' Practice for Equity in Higher Education: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vines, Erin

2012-01-01

This study examines the influence of action research on California community college practitioners' attitudes, beliefs, and behavior using the Center for Urban Education's (CUE) Equity Scorecard tools and process. This developmental evaluation study began March 2011 and concluded April 2012. The pseudonym of the field site studied is Las Flores…

Developing Indicators of Classroom Practice to Evaluate the Impact of District Mathematics Reform Initiative: A Generalizability Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton, Xiaoxia A.

2010-01-01

This paper reported results from a generalizability study that examined the process of developing classroom practice indicators used to evaluate the impact of a school district's mathematics reform initiative. The study utilized classroom observational data from 32 second, fourth, eighth, and tenth grade teachers. The study addresses important…

The Challenges of Improving the Teaching-Learning Process in Computer Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Michael Eric

In spring 1984, a study was conducted at the University of Maryland's University College to evaluate the effectiveness of computer studies faculty. The student ratings of these faculty members were compared with the ratings given to mathematics faculty and to all other faculty teaching that term. On all three evaluation criteria (i.e., encourages…

Automated matching software for clinical trials eligibility: measuring efficiency and flexibility.

PubMed

Penberthy, Lynne; Brown, Richard; Puma, Federico; Dahman, Bassam

2010-05-01

Clinical trials (CT) serve as the media that translates clinical research into standards of care. Low or slow recruitment leads to delays in delivery of new therapies to the public. Determination of eligibility in all patients is one of the most important factors to assure unbiased results from the clinical trials process and represents the first step in addressing the issue of under representation and equal access to clinical trials. This is a pilot project evaluating the efficiency, flexibility, and generalizibility of an automated clinical trials eligibility screening tool across 5 different clinical trials and clinical trial scenarios. There was a substantial total savings during the study period in research staff time spent in evaluating patients for eligibility ranging from 165h to 1329h. There was a marked enhancement in efficiency with the automated system for all but one study in the pilot. The ratio of mean staff time required per eligible patient identified ranged from 0.8 to 19.4 for the manual versus the automated process. The results of this study demonstrate that automation offers an opportunity to reduce the burden of the manual processes required for CT eligibility screening and to assure that all patients have an opportunity to be evaluated for participation in clinical trials as appropriate. The automated process greatly reduces the time spent on eligibility screening compared with the traditional manual process by effectively transferring the load of the eligibility assessment process to the computer. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluative Research of the Mentoring Process of the PGDT, with Particular Reference to Cluster Centers under Jimma University Facilitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tegegne, Worku Fentie; Gelaneh, Alebachew Hailu

2015-01-01

The objective of the study is to evaluate the mentoring process of the PGDT program which was under the supervision of Jimma University in the regional states of Oromia and SNNP, Ethiopia. The overall intention was to see whether the program was being underway as expected. Because, there was uncertainty regarding the proper running of it as it was…

The Role of Affective and Cognitive Individual Differences in Social Perception.

PubMed

Aquino, Antonio; Haddock, Geoffrey; Maio, Gregory R; Wolf, Lukas J; Alparone, Francesca R

2016-06-01

Three studies explored the connection between social perception processes and individual differences in the use of affective and cognitive information in relation to attitudes. Study 1 revealed that individuals high in need for affect (NFA) accentuated differences in evaluations of warm and cold traits, whereas individuals high in need for cognition (NFC) accentuated differences in evaluations of competent and incompetent traits. Study 2 revealed that individual differences in NFA predicted liking of warm or cold targets, whereas individual differences in NFC predicted perceptions of competent or incompetent targets. Furthermore, the effects of NFA and NFC were independent of structural bases and meta-bases of attitudes. Study 3 revealed that differences in the evaluation of warm and cold traits mediated the effects of NFA and NFC on liking of targets. The implications for social perception processes and for individual differences in affect-cognition are discussed. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Feasibility of utilizing bioindicators for testing microbial inactivation in sweetpotato purees processed with a continuous-flow microwave system.

PubMed

Brinley, T A; Dock, C N; Truong, V-D; Coronel, P; Kumar, P; Simunovic, J; Sandeep, K P; Cartwright, G D; Swartzel, K R; Jaykus, L-A

2007-06-01

Continuous-flow microwave heating has potential in aseptic processing of various food products, including purees from sweetpotatoes and other vegetables. Establishing the feasibility of a new processing technology for achieving commercial sterility requires evaluating microbial inactivation. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using commercially available plastic pouches of bioindicators containing spores of Geobacillius stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 35021 for evaluating the degree of microbial inactivation achieved in vegetable purees processed in a continuous-flow microwave heating unit. Sweetpotato puree seeded with the bioindicators was subjected to 3 levels of processing based on the fastest particles: undertarget process (F(0) approximately 0.65), target process (F(0) approximately 2.8), and overtarget process (F(0) approximately 10.10). After initial experiments, we found it was necessary to engineer a setup with 2 removable tubes connected to the continuous-flow microwave system to facilitate the injection of indicators into the unit without interrupting the puree flow. Using this approach, 60% of the indicators injected into the system could be recovered postprocess. Spore survival after processing, as evaluated by use of growth indicator dyes and standard plating methods, verified inactivation of the spores in sweetpotato puree. The log reduction results for B. subtilis were equivalent to the predesigned degrees of sterilization (F(0)). This study presents the first report suggesting that bioindicators such as the flexible, food-grade plastic pouches can be used for microbial validation of commercial sterilization in aseptic processing of foods using a continuous-flow microwave system.

Validity Study of U.T. Austin Test for Use in Credit by Examination in Introduction to Electronic Data Processing (DPA 310), Fall 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appenzellar, Anne B.; Kelley, H. Paul

The Measurement and Evaluation Center of the University of Texas (Austin) conducted a validity study to assist the Department of Management Science and Information (DMSI) at the College of Business Administration in establishing a program of credit by examination for an introductory course in electronic data processing--Data Processing Analysis…

Modeling and evaluating user behavior in exploratory visual analysis

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

Reda, Khairi; Johnson, Andrew E.; Papka, Michael E.

Empirical evaluation methods for visualizations have traditionally focused on assessing the outcome of the visual analytic process as opposed to characterizing how that process unfolds. There are only a handful of methods that can be used to systematically study how people use visualizations, making it difficult for researchers to capture and characterize the subtlety of cognitive and interaction behaviors users exhibit during visual analysis. To validate and improve visualization design, however, it is important for researchers to be able to assess and understand how users interact with visualization systems under realistic scenarios. This paper presents a methodology for modeling andmore » evaluating the behavior of users in exploratory visual analysis. We model visual exploration using a Markov chain process comprising transitions between mental, interaction, and computational states. These states and the transitions between them can be deduced from a variety of sources, including verbal transcripts, videos and audio recordings, and log files. This model enables the evaluator to characterize the cognitive and computational processes that are essential to insight acquisition in exploratory visual analysis, and reconstruct the dynamics of interaction between the user and the visualization system. We illustrate this model with two exemplar user studies, and demonstrate the qualitative and quantitative analytical tools it affords.« less

Process evaluation of a food marketing and environmental change intervention in Tiendas that serve Latino immigrants in North Carolina.

PubMed

Baquero, Barbara; Linnan, Laura; Laraia, Barbara A; Ayala, Guadalupe X

2014-11-01

This article describes a comprehensive process evaluation of an efficacious store-based intervention that increased store customers' fruit and vegetable consumption. The process evaluation plan was designed at study inception and implemented at baseline, during the intervention, and at immediate postintervention. Four Latino food stores were randomly assigned either to an intervention or to a control condition. Data were collected from store managers, employees, and 139 Latino customers. Researchers used manager, employee, and customer interviews; weekly observations of the store environment; and implementation logs to assess reach, dose delivered, dose received, and fidelity. Results indicated that it is possible to reach customers in a store-based intervention. Indicators of dose delivered demonstrated that the intervention was implemented as planned, and in the case of employee training, it exceeded the plan. Dose received data indicated that customers moderately engaged with the intervention activities. Together these suggest that the intervention was delivered with good fidelity. Comprehensive process evaluation efforts can facilitate the identification and elimination of barriers to implementation. This approach can serve as a model for future store-based interventions. The study demonstrated that it is feasible to implement Latino food store-based interventions to increase access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Physical Property Evaluation of ZnO Thin Film Fabricated by Low-Temperature Process for Flexible Transparent TFT.

PubMed

Khafe, Adie Bin Mohd; Watanabe, Hiraku; Yamauchi, Hiroshi; Kuniyoshi, Shigekazu; Iizuka, Masaaki; Sakai, Masatoshi; Kudo, Kazuhiro

2016-04-01

The usual silicon-based display back planes require fairly high process temperature and thus the development of a low temperature process is needed on flexible plastic substrates. A new type of flexible organic light emitting transistor (OLET) had been proposed and investigated in the previous work. By using ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O3) assisted thermal treatments on wet processed zinc oxide field effect transistor (ZnO-FET), through low-process temperature, ZnO-FETs were fabricated which succeeded to achieve target drain current value and mobility. In this study, physical property evaluation of ZnO was conducted in term of their crystallinity, the increase composition of ZnO formed inside the thin film and the decrease of the carbon impurities originated from aqueous solution of the ZnO itself. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) evaluation showed UV/03 assisted thermal treatment has no obvious effect towards crystallinity of ZnO in the range of low process temperature. Moreover, through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) evaluation and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy evaluation, more carbon impurities disappeared from the ZnO thin film and the increase of composition amount of ZnO, when the thin film was subjected to UV/O3 assisted thermal treatment. Therefore, UV/O3 assisted thermal treatment contributed in carbon impurities elimination and accelerate ZnO formation in ZnO thin film, which led to the improvement in the electrical property of ZnO-FET in the low-process temperature.

Anaemia control: lessons from the flour fortification programme.

PubMed

Sadighi, J; Mohammad, K; Sheikholeslam, R; Amirkhani, M A; Torabi, P; Salehi, F; Abdolahi, Z

2009-12-01

Anaemia is an important public health problem in Iran; therefore, a programme of flour fortification with iron was launched in two pilot provinces. The present study was conducted in January 2009 to evaluate the effectiveness and process of this programme. A 'before-and-after study' was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the flour fortification programme, and the process of the programme was evaluated using a cross-sectional study. To evaluate the effectiveness of the programme, blood haemoglobin and ferritin levels were measured in sample populations from Bushehr and Golestan provinces. The target population was women aged 15-49 years. Iron content was measured in samples of flour and bread to evaluate the flour fortification process in these two national pilot provinces. The total study population was 600 women from Bushehr province and 652 women from Golestan province. Similar trends were found in the indicators of anaemia/iron deficiency among the women studied in both provinces. The flour fortification programme only appears to have had a beneficial effect on ferritin levels (iron deficiency) in the two provinces. The prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia before and after the intervention did not differ significantly in either province. Interestingly, the prevalence of anaemia (low haemoglobin) was significantly higher after the intervention in women from both provinces. The coverage of fortified flour and bread was 90% and 98.7% in Bushehr province, and 94.1% and 95% in Golestan province, respectively. In areas where anaemia is not mainly due to iron deficiency, an iron fortification programme might decrease the prevalence of iron deficiency without affecting the prevalence of anaemia.

Winning and losing: differences in reward and punishment sensitivity between smokers and nonsmokers.

PubMed

Martin, Laura E; Cox, Lisa S; Brooks, William M; Savage, Cary R

2014-01-01

Smokers show increased brain activation in reward processing regions in response to smoking-related cues, yet few studies have examined secondary rewards not associated with smoking (i.e., money). Inconsistencies exist in the studies that do examine secondary rewards with some studies showing increased brain activation in reward processing brain regions, while others show decreased activation or no difference in activation between smokers and nonsmokers. The goal of the current study is to see if smokers process the evaluation and delivery of equally salient real world rewards similarly or differently than nonsmokers. The current study employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain responses in smokers and nonsmokers during the evaluation and delivery of monetary gains and losses. In comparison to nonsmokers, smokers showed increased activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex to the evaluation of anticipated monetary losses and the brain response. Moreover, smokers compared to nonsmokers showed decreased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus to the delivery of expected monetary gains. Brain activations to both the evaluation of anticipated monetary losses and the delivery of expected monetary gains correlated with increased self-reported smoking craving to relieve negative withdrawal symptoms and craving related to positive aspects of smoking, respectively. Together these results indicate that smokers are hyperresponsive to the evaluation of anticipated punishment and hyporesponsive to the delivery of expected rewards. Although further research is needed, this hypersensitivity to punishments coupled with increased craving may negatively impact quit attempts as smokers anticipate the negative withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting.

Assessing coastal reclamation suitability based on a fuzzy-AHP comprehensive evaluation framework: A case study of Lianyungang, China.

PubMed

Feng, Lan; Zhu, Xiaodong; Sun, Xiang

2014-12-15

Coastal reclamation suitability evaluation (CRSE) is a difficult, complex and protracted process requiring the evaluation of many different criteria. In this paper, an integrated framework employing a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to the suitability evaluation for coastal reclamation for future sustainable development in the coastal area of Lianyungang, China. The evaluation results classified 6.63%, 22.99%, 31.59% and 38.79% of the coastline as suitable, weakly suitable, unsuitable and forbidden, respectively. The evaluation results were verified by the marine pollution data and highly consistent with the water quality status. The fuzzy-AHP comprehensive evaluation method (FACEM) was found to be suitable for the CRSE. This CRSE can also be applied to other coastal areas in China and thereby be used for the better management of coastal reclamation and coastline protection projects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive Mass Analysis for Chemical Processes, a Case Study on L-Dopa Manufacture

EPA Science Inventory

To evaluate the “greenness” of chemical processes in route selection and process development, we propose a comprehensive mass analysis to inform the stakeholders from different fields. This is carried out by characterizing the mass intensity for each contributing chemical or wast...

Automating the evaluation of flood damages: methodology and potential gains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eleutério, Julian; Martinez, Edgar Daniel

2010-05-01

The evaluation of flood damage potential consists of three main steps: assessing and processing data, combining data and calculating potential damages. The first step consists of modelling hazard and assessing vulnerability. In general, this step of the evaluation demands more time and investments than the others. The second step of the evaluation consists of combining spatial data on hazard with spatial data on vulnerability. Geographic Information System (GIS) is a fundamental tool in the realization of this step. GIS software allows the simultaneous analysis of spatial and matrix data. The third step of the evaluation consists of calculating potential damages by means of damage-functions or contingent analysis. All steps demand time and expertise. However, the last two steps must be realized several times when comparing different management scenarios. In addition, uncertainty analysis and sensitivity test are made during the second and third steps of the evaluation. The feasibility of these steps could be relevant in the choice of the extent of the evaluation. Low feasibility could lead to choosing not to evaluate uncertainty or to limit the number of scenario comparisons. Several computer models have been developed over time in order to evaluate the flood risk. GIS software is largely used to realise flood risk analysis. The software is used to combine and process different types of data, and to visualise the risk and the evaluation results. The main advantages of using a GIS in these analyses are: the possibility of "easily" realising the analyses several times, in order to compare different scenarios and study uncertainty; the generation of datasets which could be used any time in future to support territorial decision making; the possibility of adding information over time to update the dataset and make other analyses. However, these analyses require personnel specialisation and time. The use of GIS software to evaluate the flood risk requires personnel with a double professional specialisation. The professional should be proficient in GIS software and in flood damage analysis (which is already a multidisciplinary field). Great effort is necessary in order to correctly evaluate flood damages, and the updating and the improvement of the evaluation over time become a difficult task. The automation of this process should bring great advance in flood management studies over time, especially for public utilities. This study has two specific objectives: (1) show the entire process of automation of the second and third steps of flood damage evaluations; and (2) analyse the induced potential gains in terms of time and expertise needed in the analysis. A programming language is used within GIS software in order to automate hazard and vulnerability data combination and potential damages calculation. We discuss the overall process of flood damage evaluation. The main result of this study is a computational tool which allows significant operational gains on flood loss analyses. We quantify these gains by means of a hypothetical example. The tool significantly reduces the time of analysis and the needs for expertise. An indirect gain is that sensitivity and cost-benefit analyses can be more easily realized.

The Teaching Evaluation Process: Segmentation of Marketing Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yau, Oliver H. M.; Kwan, Wayne

1993-01-01

A study applied the concept of market segmentation to student evaluation of college teaching, by assessing whether there exist several segments of students and how this relates to their evaluation of faculty. Subjects were 156 Australian undergraduate business administration students. Results suggest segments do exist, with different expectations…

Major Factors Influencing HIV/AIDS Project Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niba, Mercy Bi; Green, J. Maryann

2005-01-01

This article aimed at finding out if participatory processes (group discussions, enactments, and others) do make a valuable contribution in communication-based project implementation/evaluation and the fight against HIV/AIDS. A case study backed by documentary analysis of evaluation reports and occasional insights from interviews stood as the main…

Evaluating Fluid and Crystallized Abilities in the Performance of an Educational Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanch, Angel

2015-01-01

The fluid and crystallized ("Gf-Gc") intelligence theory has been used extensively to evaluate the influence of cognitive abilities on educational outcomes within cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs. This study evaluated the contribution of fluid and crystallized abilities in the performance of a 1-week instructional…

Atmospheric Modeling And Sensor Simulation (AMASS) study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, K. G.

1984-01-01

The capabilities of the atmospheric modeling and sensor simulation (AMASS) system were studied in order to enhance them. This system is used in processing atmospheric measurements which are utilized in the evaluation of sensor performance, conducting design-concept simulation studies, and also in the modeling of the physical and dynamical nature of atmospheric processes. The study tasks proposed in order to both enhance the AMASS system utilization and to integrate the AMASS system with other existing equipment to facilitate the analysis of data for modeling and image processing are enumerated. The following array processors were evaluated for anticipated effectiveness and/or improvements in throughput by attachment of the device to the P-e: (1) Floating Point Systems AP-120B; (2) Floating Point Systems 5000; (3) CSP, Inc. MAP-400; (4) Analogic AP500; (5) Numerix MARS-432; and (6) Star Technologies, Inc. ST-100.

Bloom's Taxonomy: Improving Assessment and Teaching-Learning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandio, Muhammad Tufail; Pandhiani, Saima Murtaza; Iqbal, Rabia

2016-01-01

This research study critically analyzes the scope and contribution of Bloom's Taxonomy in both assessment and teaching-learning process. Bloom's Taxonomy consists of six stages, namely; remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating and moves from lower degree to the higher degree. The study applies Bloom's Taxonomy to…

ERP Study of Pre-Attentive Auditory Processing in Treatment-Refractory Schizophrenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milovan, Denise L.; Baribeau, Jacinthe; Roth, Robert M.; Stip, Emmanuel

2004-01-01

Event-related potential (ERP) studies have demonstrated impaired auditory sensory processing in patients with schizophrenia, as reflected in abnormal mismatch negativity (MMN). We sought to extend this finding by evaluating MMN in 13 treatment-refractory patients with schizophrenia, and 14 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Subjects…

Effect of processing methods on the stability and nutritional profiles of navy bean-soybean emulsions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, an innovative emulsion made from soybean and navy bean blends of different proportionalities was developed. In addition, two processing methods were evaluated: traditional cooking and jet-cooking. The physical attributes and storage stability were measured and compared. This study fou...

Quantitative image quality evaluation of MR images using perceptual difference models

PubMed Central

Miao, Jun; Huo, Donglai; Wilson, David L.

2008-01-01

The authors are using a perceptual difference model (Case-PDM) to quantitatively evaluate image quality of the thousands of test images which can be created when optimizing fast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging strategies and reconstruction techniques. In this validation study, they compared human evaluation of MR images from multiple organs and from multiple image reconstruction algorithms to Case-PDM and similar models. The authors found that Case-PDM compared very favorably to human observers in double-stimulus continuous-quality scale and functional measurement theory studies over a large range of image quality. The Case-PDM threshold for nonperceptible differences in a 2-alternative forced choice study varied with the type of image under study, but was ≈1.1 for diffuse image effects, providing a rule of thumb. Ordering the image quality evaluation models, we found in overall Case-PDM ≈ IDM (Sarnoff Corporation) ≈ SSIM [Wang et al. IEEE Trans. Image Process. 13, 600–612 (2004)] > mean squared error ≈ NR [Wang et al. (2004) (unpublished)] > DCTune (NASA) > IQM (MITRE Corporation). The authors conclude that Case-PDM is very useful in MR image evaluation but that one should probably restrict studies to similar images and similar processing, normally not a limitation in image reconstruction studies. PMID:18649487

Affective Evaluations of Exercising: The Role of Automatic-Reflective Evaluation Discrepancy.

PubMed

Brand, Ralf; Antoniewicz, Franziska

2016-12-01

Sometimes our automatic evaluations do not correspond well with those we can reflect on and articulate. We present a novel approach to the assessment of automatic and reflective affective evaluations of exercising. Based on the assumptions of the associative-propositional processes in evaluation model, we measured participants' automatic evaluations of exercise and then shared this information with them, asked them to reflect on it and rate eventual discrepancy between their reflective evaluation and the assessment of their automatic evaluation. We found that mismatch between self-reported ideal exercise frequency and actual exercise frequency over the previous 14 weeks could be regressed on the discrepancy between a relatively negative automatic and a more positive reflective evaluation. This study illustrates the potential of a dual-process approach to the measurement of evaluative responses and suggests that mistrusting one's negative spontaneous reaction to exercise and asserting a very positive reflective evaluation instead leads to the adoption of inflated exercise goals.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia and auditory processing in autism: modifiable deficits of an integrated social engagement system?

PubMed

Porges, Stephen W; Macellaio, Matthew; Stanfill, Shannon D; McCue, Kimberly; Lewis, Gregory F; Harden, Emily R; Handelman, Mika; Denver, John; Bazhenova, Olga V; Heilman, Keri J

2013-06-01

The current study evaluated processes underlying two common symptoms (i.e., state regulation problems and deficits in auditory processing) associated with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. Although these symptoms have been treated in the literature as unrelated, when informed by the Polyvagal Theory, these symptoms may be viewed as the predictable consequences of depressed neural regulation of an integrated social engagement system, in which there is down regulation of neural influences to the heart (i.e., via the vagus) and to the middle ear muscles (i.e., via the facial and trigeminal cranial nerves). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and heart period were monitored to evaluate state regulation during a baseline and two auditory processing tasks (i.e., the SCAN tests for Filtered Words and Competing Words), which were used to evaluate auditory processing performance. Children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were contrasted with aged matched typically developing children. The current study identified three features that distinguished the ASD group from a group of typically developing children: 1) baseline RSA, 2) direction of RSA reactivity, and 3) auditory processing performance. In the ASD group, the pattern of change in RSA during the attention demanding SCAN tests moderated the relation between performance on the Competing Words test and IQ. In addition, in a subset of ASD participants, auditory processing performance improved and RSA increased following an intervention designed to improve auditory processing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the implementation process of a participatory organizational level occupational health intervention in schools.

PubMed

Schelvis, Roosmarijn M C; Wiezer, Noortje M; Blatter, Birgitte M; van Genabeek, Joost A G M; Oude Hengel, Karen M; Bohlmeijer, Ernst T; van der Beek, Allard J

2016-12-01

The importance of process evaluations in examining how and why interventions are (un) successful is increasingly recognized. Process evaluations mainly studied the implementation process and the quality of the implementation (fidelity). However, in adopting this approach for participatory organizational level occupational health interventions, important aspects such as context and participants perceptions are missing. Our objective was to systematically describe the implementation process of a participatory organizational level occupational health intervention aimed at reducing work stress and increasing vitality in two schools by applying a framework that covers aspects of the intervention and its implementation as well as the context and participants perceptions. A program theory was developed, describing the requirements for successful implementation. Each requirement was operationalized by making use of the framework, covering: initiation, communication, participation, fidelity, reach, communication, satisfaction, management support, targeting, delivery, exposure, culture, conditions, readiness for change and perceptions. The requirements were assessed by quantitative and qualitative data, collected at 12 and 24 months after baseline in both schools (questionnaire and interviews) or continuously (logbooks). The intervention consisted of a needs assessment phase and a phase of implementing intervention activities. The needs assessment phase was implemented successfully in school A, but not in school B where participation and readiness for change were insufficient. In the second phase, several intervention activities were implemented at school A, whereas this was only partly the case in school B (delivery). In both schools, however, participants felt not involved in the choice of intervention activities (targeting, participation, support), resulting in a negative perception of and only partial exposure to the intervention activities. Conditions, culture and events hindered the implementation of intervention activities in both schools. The framework helped us to understand why the implementation process was not successful. It is therefore considered of added value for the evaluation of implementation processes in participatory organizational level interventions, foremost because of the context and mental models dimensions. However, less demanding methods for doing detailed process evaluations need to be developed. This can only be done if we know more about the most important process components and this study contributes to that knowledge base. Netherlands Trial Register NTR3284 .

Miniaturized Power Processing Unit Study: A Cubesat Electric Propulsion Technology Enabler Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghassemieh, Shakib M.

2014-01-01

This study evaluates High Voltage Power Processing Unit (PPU) technology and driving requirements necessary to enable the Microfluidic Electric Propulsion technology research and development by NASA and university partners. This study provides an overview of the state of the art PPU technology with recommendations for technology demonstration projects and missions for NASA to pursue.

Operations planning simulation model extension study. Volume 1: Long duration exposure facility ST-01-A automated payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marks, D. A.; Gendiellee, R. E.; Kelly, T. M.; Giovannello, M. A.

1974-01-01

Ground processing and operation activities for selected automated and sortie payloads are evaluated. Functional flow activities are expanded to identify payload launch site facility and support requirements. Payload definitions are analyzed from the launch site ground processing viewpoint and then processed through the expanded functional flow activities. The requirements generated from the evaluation are compared with those contained in the data sheets. The following payloads were included in the evaluation: Long Duration Exposure Facility; Life Sciences Shuttle Laboratory; Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite; Dedicated Solar Sortie Mission; Magnetic Spectrometer; and Mariner Jupiter Orbiter. The expanded functional flow activities and descriptions for the automated and sortie payloads at the launch site are presented.

Dynamical relations for left ventricular ejection - Flow rate, momentum, force and impulse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Back, L. H.; Selzer, R. H.; Gordon, D. G.; Ledbetter, D. C.; Crawford, D. W.

1984-01-01

An investigation was carried out to quantitatively evaluate left ventricular volume flow rate, momentum, force and impulse derived from application of conservation principles for mass and momentum of blood within the ventricle during the ejection phase. An automated digital image processing system was developed and applied to left ventricular angiograms which are computer processed and analyzed frame by frame to determine the dynamical relations by numerical methods. The initial experience with force and impulse has indicated that neither quantity seemed to be a sensitive indicator of coronary artery disease as evaluated by qualitative angiography for the particular patient group studied. Utilization of the dynamical relations in evaluating human left ventricular performance requires improved means of measurement and interpretation of clinical studies.

The Impact of Coping Flexibility on the Risk of Depressive Symptoms

PubMed Central

Kato, Tsukasa

2015-01-01

Objective According to the dual-process theory, coping flexibility is defined as the ability to produce and implement a new coping strategy in place of an ineffective coping strategy. Specifically, coping flexibility includes two processes: evaluation coping and adaptive coping. Evaluation coping refers to sensitivity to feedback about the efficacy of a coping strategy, and adaptive coping involves the willingness to implement alternative coping strategies. The coping flexibility hypothesis (CFH) postulates that more flexible coping will be associated with more adaptive outcomes; importantly, there are numerous theories and studies that support the CFH. The main purpose of this study was to test the CFH based on dual-process theory. Methods A total of 1,770 Japanese college students participated and, completed a set of questionnaires that measured coping flexibility (evaluation coping and adaptive coping) and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were measured via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results The proportions of women and men who reported depressive symptoms were 58.69% (95% CIs [55.74, 61.66]) and 54.17% (95% CIs [50.37, 57.95]), respectively when a cut-off score of 16 on the CES-D was used. A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that evaluation coping (OR = 0.86, 95% CIs [0.83, 0.0.89]) and adaptive coping (OR = 0.91, 95% CIs [0.88, 0.93]) were significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Conclusion The results of the present study indicated that the CFH based on dual-process theory was supported in a Japanese sample. PMID:26011626

[Problem-based learning in cardiopulmonary resuscitation: basic life support].

PubMed

Sardo, Pedro Miguel Garcez; Dal Sasso, Grace Terezinha Marcon

2008-12-01

Descriptive and exploratory study, aimed to develop an educational practice of Problem-Based Learning in CPR/BLS with 24 students in the third stage of the Nursing Undergraduate Course in a University in the Southern region of Brazil. The study used the PBL methodology, focused on problem situations of cardiopulmonary arrest, and was approved by the CONEP. The methodological strategies for data collection, such as participative observation and questionnaires to evaluate the learning, the educational practices and their methodology, allowed for grouping the results in: students' expectations; group activities; individual activities; practical activities; evaluation of the meetings and their methodology. The study showed that PBL allows the educator to evaluate the academic learning process in several dimensions, functioning as a motivating factor for both the educator and the student, because it allows the theoretical-practical integration in an integrated learning process.

Statistical process control: A feasibility study of the application of time-series measurement in early neurorehabilitation after acquired brain injury.

PubMed

Markovic, Gabriela; Schult, Marie-Louise; Bartfai, Aniko; Elg, Mattias

2017-01-31

Progress in early cognitive recovery after acquired brain injury is uneven and unpredictable, and thus the evaluation of rehabilitation is complex. The use of time-series measurements is susceptible to statistical change due to process variation. To evaluate the feasibility of using a time-series method, statistical process control, in early cognitive rehabilitation. Participants were 27 patients with acquired brain injury undergoing interdisciplinary rehabilitation of attention within 4 months post-injury. The outcome measure, the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, was analysed using statistical process control. Statistical process control identifies if and when change occurs in the process according to 3 patterns: rapid, steady or stationary performers. The statistical process control method was adjusted, in terms of constructing the baseline and the total number of measurement points, in order to measure a process in change. Statistical process control methodology is feasible for use in early cognitive rehabilitation, since it provides information about change in a process, thus enabling adjustment of the individual treatment response. Together with the results indicating discernible subgroups that respond differently to rehabilitation, statistical process control could be a valid tool in clinical decision-making. This study is a starting-point in understanding the rehabilitation process using a real-time-measurements approach.

Comparison of pre-processing methods for multiplex bead-based immunoassays.

PubMed

Rausch, Tanja K; Schillert, Arne; Ziegler, Andreas; Lüking, Angelika; Zucht, Hans-Dieter; Schulz-Knappe, Peter

2016-08-11

High throughput protein expression studies can be performed using bead-based protein immunoassays, such as the Luminex® xMAP® technology. Technical variability is inherent to these experiments and may lead to systematic bias and reduced power. To reduce technical variability, data pre-processing is performed. However, no recommendations exist for the pre-processing of Luminex® xMAP® data. We compared 37 different data pre-processing combinations of transformation and normalization methods in 42 samples on 384 analytes obtained from a multiplex immunoassay based on the Luminex® xMAP® technology. We evaluated the performance of each pre-processing approach with 6 different performance criteria. Three performance criteria were plots. All plots were evaluated by 15 independent and blinded readers. Four different combinations of transformation and normalization methods performed well as pre-processing procedure for this bead-based protein immunoassay. The following combinations of transformation and normalization were suitable for pre-processing Luminex® xMAP® data in this study: weighted Box-Cox followed by quantile or robust spline normalization (rsn), asinh transformation followed by loess normalization and Box-Cox followed by rsn.

Evaluation of advanced light scattering technology for microgravity experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fredericks, W. J.; Rosenblum, W. M.

1990-01-01

The capabilities of modern light scattering equipment and the uses it might have in studying processes in microgravity are evaluated. Emphasis is on the resolution of polydisperse systems. This choice was made since a major use of light scattering was expected to be the study of crystal growth of macromolecules in low gravity environments. An evaluation of a modern photon correlation spectrometer and a Mie spectrometer is presented.

An Evaluation Model Applied to a Mathematics-Methods Program Involving Three Characteristics of Teaching Style and Their Relationship to Pupil Achievement. Teacher Education Forum; Volume 3, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodd, Carol Ann

This study explores a technique for evaluating teacher education programs in terms of teaching competencies, as applied to the Indiana University Mathematics Methods Program (MMP). The evaluation procedures formulated for the study include a process product design in combination with a modification of Pophan's performance test paradigm and Gage's…

Development and evaluation of web-based animated pedagogical agents for facilitating critical thinking in nursing.

PubMed

Morey, Diane J

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Web-based animated pedagogical agents on critical thinking among nursing students. A pedagogical agent or virtual character provides a possible innovative tool for critical thinking through active engagement of students by asking questions and providing feedback about a series of nursing case studies. This mixed methods experimental study used a pretest, posttest design with a control group. ANCOVA demonstrated no significant difference between the groups on the Critical Thinking Process Test. Pre- and post-think-alouds were analyzed using a rating tool and rubric for the presence of eight cognitive processes, level of critical thinking, and for accuracy of nursing diagnosis, conclusions, and evaluation. Chi-square analyses for each group revealed a significant difference for improvement of the critical thinking level and correct conclusions from pre-think-aloud to post-think-aloud, but only the pedagogical agent group had a significant result for appropriate evaluations.

The Role of Theory of Mind on Social Information Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Mediation Analysis.

PubMed

Mazza, Monica; Mariano, Melania; Peretti, Sara; Masedu, Francesco; Pino, Maria Chiara; Valenti, Marco

2017-05-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show significant impairments in social skills and theory of mind (ToM). The aim of this study was to evaluate ToM and social information processing abilities in 52 children with ASD compared to 55 typically developing (TD) children. A mediation analysis evaluated whether social information processing abilities can be mediated by ToM competences. In our results, children with autism showed a deficit in social skills and ToM components. The innovative results of our study applying mediation analysis demonstrate that ToM plays a key role in the development of social abilities, and the lack of ToM competences in children with autism impairs their competent social behavior.

Using new media to build social capital for health: a qualitative process evaluation study of participation in the CityNet project.

PubMed

Bolam, Bruce; McLean, Carl; Pennington, Andrew; Gillies, Pamela

2006-03-01

The present article presents an exploratory qualitative process evaluation study of 'Ambassador' participation in CityNet, an innovative information-communication technology-based (ICT) project that aims to build aspects of social capital and improve access to information and services among disadvantaged groups in Nottingham, UK. A purposive sample of 40 'Ambassadors' interviewees was gathered in three waves of data collection. The two emergent analytic themes highlighted how improvements in confidence, self-esteem and social networks produced via participation were mitigated by structural problems in devolving power within the project. This illustrates how concepts of power are important for understanding the process of health promotion interventions using new media.

Phantom evaluation of the effect of film processing on mammographic screen-film combinations.

PubMed

McLean, D; Rickard, M T

1994-08-01

Mammographic image quality should be optimal for diagnosis, and the film contrast can be manipulated by altering development parameters. In this study phantom test objects were radiographed and processed for a given range of developer temperatures and times for four film-screen systems. Radiologists scored the phantom test objects on the resultant films to evaluate the effect on diagnosis of varying image contrast. While for three film-screen systems processing led to appreciable contrast differences, for only one film system did maximum contrast correspond with optimal phantom test object scoring. The inability to show an effect on diagnosis in all cases is possibly due to the variation in radiologist responses found in this study and in normal clinical circumstances. Other technical factors such as changes in film fog, grain and mottle may contribute to the study findings.

Searching for new features of intravitality of hanging based on macro- and microscopic evaluation of the proximal attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone.

PubMed

Szleszkowski, Ł; Hałoń, A; Thannhäuser, A; Jurek, T

2015-01-01

Assessment of the usefulness of intravital lesions in the proximal attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone in medico-legal evaluation of death by hanging. The study material was obtained from the bodies of 35 people who died by hanging. The control group comprised specimens collected from 30 people who died of non-traumatic causes. The structures under study were examined macro- and microscopically. The basic change which could be recognized as a marker of intravitality of hanging was the presence of a macroscopically extensive blotchy area of abundant ecchymosis in the proximal muscle attachment, similar to that found in the distal attachment, and the presence of abundant diffuse intraosseous ecchymoses in the mastoid process. None of the cases revealed any ecchymoses in the proximal attachment of the muscle that would be similar to those present in the distal attachment. Discolourations within the mastoid processes, macroscopically suggestive of extensive intraosseous effusions arising from the mechanism of stretching, were not confirmed by microscopic evaluation and occurred at the same frequency as in the control group. Limitations of the study were related to the method which involved sample collection by means of bone chisels, decalcification and preparation of specimens, which had an effect, for example, on the measurable evaluation of the degree of congestion. The study has failed to provide convincing and unambiguous data on the usefulness of examining mastoid processes and proximal attachments of the sternocleidomastoid muscles during autopsy to determine the presence of intravitality features of hanging. A description of research methodology and its associated difficulties, e.g. with the interpretation of results, can also be useful for the planning of similar studies by other researchers.

A Module Experimental Process System Development Unit (MEPSDU)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The purpose of this program is to demonstrate the technical readiness of a cost effective process sequence that has the potential for the production of flat plate photovoltaic modules which met the price goal in 1986 of $.70 or less per watt peak. Program efforts included: preliminary design review, preliminary cell fabrication using the proposed process sequence, verification of sandblasting back cleanup, study of resist parameters, evaluation of pull strength of the proposed metallization, measurement of contact resistance of Electroless Ni contacts, optimization of process parameter, design of the MEPSDU module, identification and testing of insulator tapes, development of a lamination process sequence, identification, discussions, demonstrations and visits with candidate equipment vendors, evaluation of proposals for tabbing and stringing machine.

Evaluation of low-dose irradiation on microbiological quality of white carrots and string beans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koike, Amanda C. R.; Santillo, Amanda G.; Rodrigues, Flávio T.; Duarte, Renato C.; Villavicencio, Anna Lucia C. H.

2012-08-01

The minimally processed food provided the consumer with a product quality, safety and practicality. However, minimal processing of food does not reduce pathogenic population of microorganisms to safe levels. Ionizing radiation used in low doses is effective to maintain the quality of food, reducing the microbiological load but rather compromising the nutritional values and sensory property. The association of minimal processing with irradiation could improve the quality and safety of product. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-doses of ionizing radiation on the reduction of microorganisms in minimally processed foods. The results show that the ionizing radiation of minimally processed vegetables could decontaminate them without several changes in its properties.

Evaluation development for a physical activity positive youth development program for girls.

PubMed

Ullrich-French, Sarah; Cole, Amy N; Montgomery, Anna K

2016-04-01

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an after school program for girls in third through fifth grade which utilizes a physical activity based positive youth development curriculum that culminates with completing a 5K run. Unfortunately, there is little empirical data documenting GOTR participant changes that align with the curriculum and describe the evaluation process. Therefore, this study presents an evaluation of GOTR consisting of three main processes: curriculum content analysis and stakeholder focus groups (N=11) to identify key outcomes of the program; community-based participatory research to collaborate with program personnel to further identify important outcomes; and the design and pilot testing of an instrument (N=104) for assessing changes in the theoretically grounded outcomes over time. Findings demonstrated a positive collaborative process that led to important information to be used for an impact evaluation of Girls on the Run and for future evaluation development efforts for physical activity based positive youth development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural changes evaluation with Raman spectroscopy in meat batters prepared by different processes.

PubMed

Kang, Zhuang-Li; Li, Xiang; He, Hong-Ju; Ma, Han-Jun; Song, Zhao-Jun

2017-08-01

A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the structural changes of meat and protein of pork batters produced by chopping or beating process through the phase-contrast micrograph, laser light scattering analyzer, scanning electronic microscopy and Raman spectrometer. The results showed that the shattered myofibrilla fragments were shorter and particle-sizes were smaller in the raw batter produced by beating process than those in the chopping process. Compared with the raw and cooked batters produced by chopping process, modifications in amide I and amide III bands revealed a significant decrease of α -helix content and an increase of β -sheet, β -turn and random coils content in the beating process. The changes in secondary structure of protein in the batter produced by beating process was thermally stable. Moreover, more tyrosine residues were buried, and more gauche-gauche-trans disulfide bonds conformations and hydrophobic interactions were formed in the batter produced by beating process.

Effects of auditing patient safety in hospital care: design of a mixed-method evaluation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Auditing of patient safety aims at early detection of risks of adverse events and is intended to encourage the continuous improvement of patient safety. The auditing should be an independent, objective assurance and consulting system. Auditing helps an organisation accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance. Audits are broadly conducted in hospitals, but little is known about their effects on the behaviour of healthcare professionals and patient safety outcomes. This study was initiated to evaluate the effects of patient safety auditing in hospital care and to explore the processes and mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods and design Our study aims to evaluate an audit system to monitor and improve patient safety in a hospital setting. We are using a mixed-method evaluation with a before-and-after study design in eight departments of one university hospital in the period October 2011–July 2014. We measure several outcomes 3 months before the audit and 15 months after the audit. The primary outcomes are adverse events and complications. The secondary outcomes are experiences of patients, the standardised mortality ratio, prolonged hospital stay, patient safety culture, and team climate. We use medical record reviews, questionnaires, hospital administrative data, and observations to assess the outcomes. A process evaluation will be used to find out which components of internal auditing determine the effects. Discussion We report a study protocol of an effect and process evaluation to determine whether auditing improves patient safety in hospital care. Because auditing is a complex intervention targeted on several levels, we are using a combination of methods to collect qualitative and quantitative data about patient safety at the patient, professional, and department levels. This study is relevant for hospitals that want to early detect unsafe care and improve patient safety continuously. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NTR3343 PMID:23800253

Effects of auditing patient safety in hospital care: design of a mixed-method evaluation.

PubMed

Hanskamp-Sebregts, Mirelle; Zegers, Marieke; Boeijen, Wilma; Westert, Gert P; van Gurp, Petra J; Wollersheim, Hub

2013-06-22

Auditing of patient safety aims at early detection of risks of adverse events and is intended to encourage the continuous improvement of patient safety. The auditing should be an independent, objective assurance and consulting system. Auditing helps an organisation accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance. Audits are broadly conducted in hospitals, but little is known about their effects on the behaviour of healthcare professionals and patient safety outcomes. This study was initiated to evaluate the effects of patient safety auditing in hospital care and to explore the processes and mechanisms underlying these effects. Our study aims to evaluate an audit system to monitor and improve patient safety in a hospital setting. We are using a mixed-method evaluation with a before-and-after study design in eight departments of one university hospital in the period October 2011-July 2014. We measure several outcomes 3 months before the audit and 15 months after the audit. The primary outcomes are adverse events and complications. The secondary outcomes are experiences of patients, the standardised mortality ratio, prolonged hospital stay, patient safety culture, and team climate. We use medical record reviews, questionnaires, hospital administrative data, and observations to assess the outcomes. A process evaluation will be used to find out which components of internal auditing determine the effects. We report a study protocol of an effect and process evaluation to determine whether auditing improves patient safety in hospital care. Because auditing is a complex intervention targeted on several levels, we are using a combination of methods to collect qualitative and quantitative data about patient safety at the patient, professional, and department levels. This study is relevant for hospitals that want to early detect unsafe care and improve patient safety continuously. Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NTR3343.

An Evaluation of Syntactic-Semantic Processing in Developmental Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez, Juan E.; Garcia, Eduardo; Estevez, Adelina; Diaz, Alicia; Guzman, Remedios; Hernandez-Valle, Isabel; Rosario, Maria; Rodrigo, Mercedes; Hernandez, Sergio

2004-01-01

Introduction: The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether children who have reading disabilities in an alphabetically transparent orthography show a syntactic processing deficit. This research focuses on exploring syntactic processing and the use of morphological markers by subjects with reading disabilities. We analyze these groups'…

Evaluating Outsourcing Information Technology and Assurance Expertise by Small Non-Profit Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guinn, Fillmore

2013-01-01

Small non-profit organizations outsource at least one information technology or information assurance process. Outsourcing information technology and information assurance processes has increased every year. The study was to determine the key reasons behind the choice to outsource information technology and information assurance processes. Using…

SOME QUANTITATIVE ASPECTS OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GAVIN, WILLIAM J.; SPITZER, MURRAY

THE DATA FROM THE SEVERAL STUDIES ANALYZED IN THIS REPORT HAVE BEEN COLLECTED AS PART OF AN ON-GOING EFFORT TO IMPLEMENT THE ABT ASSOCIATES' EDUCATION COST EFFECTIVENESS INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS SUBMODEL, WHICH IS DEVELOPING TECHNIQUES TO EVALUATE THE QUANTITATIVE, CAUSE-AND-EFFECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS AND SCHOLASTIC…

Process-Oriented Measurement Using Electronic Tangibles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veerbeek, Jochanan; Verhaegh, Janneke; Elliott, Julian G.; Resing, Wilma C. M.

2017-01-01

This study evaluated a new measure for analyzing the process of children's problem solving in a series completion task. This measure focused on a process that we entitled the "Grouping of Answer Pieces" (GAP) that was employed to provide information on problem representation and restructuring. The task was conducted using an electronic…

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

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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