42 CFR 488.110 - Procedural guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... interviews with residents and staff, that such needs are indeed met on a regular basis. In most reviews, then... Methodology. (e) Task 3—Tour of the Facility. (f) Task 4—Observation/Interview/Medical Record Review... Representatives. Tour Summation and Focus of Remaining Survey Activity. • Task 4. Observation/Interview/Medical...

Informant Report of Financial Capacity for Individuals With Chronic Acquired Brain Injury: An Assessment of Informant Accuracy.

PubMed

Sunderaraman, Preeti; Cosentino, Stephanie; Lindgren, Karen; James, Angela; Schultheis, Maria

2018-03-29

Primarily, to investigate the association between informant report and objective performance on specific financial capacity (FC) tasks by adults with chronic, moderate to severe acquired brain injury, and to examine the nature of misestimates by the informants. Cross-sectional design. A postacute, community-based rehabilitation center. Data were obtained from 22 chronic acquired brain injury (CABI) adults, mean age of 46.6 years (SD = 8.67), mean years of education of 13.45 years (SD = 2.15), with moderate to severe acquired brain injury (86% had traumatic brain injury), with a mean postinjury period of 17.14 years (SD = 9.5). Whereas the CABI adults completed the Financial Competence Assessment Inventory interview-a combination of self-report and performance-based assessment, 22 informants completed a specifically designed parallel version of the interview. Pearson correlations and 1-sample t tests based on the discrepancy scores between informant report and CABI group's performance were used. The CABI group's performance was not associated with its informant's perceptions. One-sample t tests revealed that informants both underestimated and overestimated CABI group's performance. Results indicate lack of correspondence between self- and informant ratings. Further investigation revealed that misestimations by informants occurred in contrary directions with CABI adults' performance being inaccurately rated. These findings raise critical issues related to assuming that the informant report can be used as a "gold standard" for collecting functional data related to financial management, and the idea that obtaining objective data on financial tasks may represent a more valid method of assessing financial competency in adults with brain injury.

The Cognitive Developmental Approach to "Epistemology" and Its Relation to Logical and Moral Stages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broughton, John

This paper presents a cross-sectional investigation of adolescents' and young adults' reflective epistemological development. Three groups of 8 subjects (4 male and female) ages 10, 14, and 18 were given Piagetian tasks, the Kohlberg moral judgment questionnaire, and an epistemology interview covering such concepts as knowledge, thought, feeling,…

The Measurement of Power Perception Through Cartoon Strip Completion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodchilds, Jacqueline D.; Raven, Bertram H.

Two cartoon strips were the vehicle for surveying perceptions of power use in everyday situations. A stratified cross-sectional sample of 430 adults in Los Angeles were interviewed. Their task was to choose a behavior, illustrated by a cartoon panel, most likely to be employed by a policeman in one instance and a nurse in another to secure…

Task-oriented evaluation of electronic medical records systems: development and validation of a questionnaire for physicians

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

Background Evaluation is a challenging but necessary part of the development cycle of clinical information systems like the electronic medical records (EMR) system. It is believed that such evaluations should include multiple perspectives, be comparative and employ both qualitative and quantitative methods. Self-administered questionnaires are frequently used as a quantitative evaluation method in medical informatics, but very few validated questionnaires address clinical use of EMR systems. Methods We have developed a task-oriented questionnaire for evaluating EMR systems from the clinician's perspective. The key feature of the questionnaire is a list of 24 general clinical tasks. It is applicable to physicians of most specialties and covers essential parts of their information-oriented work. The task list appears in two separate sections, about EMR use and task performance using the EMR, respectively. By combining these sections, the evaluator may estimate the potential impact of the EMR system on health care delivery. The results may also be compared across time, site or vendor. This paper describes the development, performance and validation of the questionnaire. Its performance is shown in two demonstration studies (n = 219 and 80). Its content is validated in an interview study (n = 10), and its reliability is investigated in a test-retest study (n = 37) and a scaling study (n = 31). Results In the interviews, the physicians found the general clinical tasks in the questionnaire relevant and comprehensible. The tasks were interpreted concordant to their definitions. However, the physicians found questions about tasks not explicitly or only partially supported by the EMR systems difficult to answer. The two demonstration studies provided unambiguous results and low percentages of missing responses. In addition, criterion validity was demonstrated for a majority of task-oriented questions. Their test-retest reliability was generally high, and the non-standard scale was found symmetric and ordinal. Conclusion This questionnaire is relevant for clinical work and EMR systems, provides reliable and interpretable results, and may be used as part of any evaluation effort involving the clinician's perspective of an EMR system. PMID:15018620

Task-oriented evaluation of electronic medical records systems: development and validation of a questionnaire for physicians.

PubMed

Laerum, Hallvard; Faxvaag, Arild

2004-02-09

Evaluation is a challenging but necessary part of the development cycle of clinical information systems like the electronic medical records (EMR) system. It is believed that such evaluations should include multiple perspectives, be comparative and employ both qualitative and quantitative methods. Self-administered questionnaires are frequently used as a quantitative evaluation method in medical informatics, but very few validated questionnaires address clinical use of EMR systems. We have developed a task-oriented questionnaire for evaluating EMR systems from the clinician's perspective. The key feature of the questionnaire is a list of 24 general clinical tasks. It is applicable to physicians of most specialties and covers essential parts of their information-oriented work. The task list appears in two separate sections, about EMR use and task performance using the EMR, respectively. By combining these sections, the evaluator may estimate the potential impact of the EMR system on health care delivery. The results may also be compared across time, site or vendor. This paper describes the development, performance and validation of the questionnaire. Its performance is shown in two demonstration studies (n = 219 and 80). Its content is validated in an interview study (n = 10), and its reliability is investigated in a test-retest study (n = 37) and a scaling study (n = 31). In the interviews, the physicians found the general clinical tasks in the questionnaire relevant and comprehensible. The tasks were interpreted concordant to their definitions. However, the physicians found questions about tasks not explicitly or only partially supported by the EMR systems difficult to answer. The two demonstration studies provided unambiguous results and low percentages of missing responses. In addition, criterion validity was demonstrated for a majority of task-oriented questions. Their test-retest reliability was generally high, and the non-standard scale was found symmetric and ordinal. This questionnaire is relevant for clinical work and EMR systems, provides reliable and interpretable results, and may be used as part of any evaluation effort involving the clinician's perspective of an EMR system.

Visual and Analytical Strategies in Spatial Visualisation: Perspectives from Bilateral Symmetry and Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramful, Ajay; Ho, Siew Yin; Lowrie, Tom

2015-01-01

This inquiry presents two fine-grained case studies of students demonstrating different levels of cognitive functioning in relation to bilateral symmetry and reflection. The two students were asked to solve four sets of tasks and articulate their reasoning in task-based interviews. The first participant, Brittany, focused essentially on three…

Filling the treatment gap: developing a task sharing counselling intervention for perinatal depression in Khayelitsha, South Africa.

PubMed

Nyatsanza, Memory; Schneider, Marguerite; Davies, Thandi; Lund, Crick

2016-05-26

Perinatal depression is a major public health issue especially in low income settings in South Africa, where there is a shortage of mental health professionals. New psychological interventions delivered by non-specialists are needed to fill the treatment gap. This paper describes the process of developing a manual based task sharing counselling intervention for perinatal depression in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 participants, including service providers and service users at a clinic in Khayelitsha in order to explore the feasibility, acceptability and content of a task sharing counselling intervention. The interviews were recorded, translated and transcribed. Themes were identified using the framework analysis approach and were coded and analysed using NVivo v10. After the semi-structured interviews, a workshop was conducted with mental health experts on evidence-based psychological interventions for depression, together with a document review of counselling manuals for community health workers in South Africa. The findings indicate that a task sharing counselling intervention was acceptable and feasible for depressed women in Khayelitsha, under the following conditions: (1) respondents preferred a female counsellor and felt that clinic based individual sessions should be provided at least once a month by an experienced Xhosa speaking counsellor from the community; and (2) the content of a counselling intervention should include psycho-education on cognitive and behavioural effects of depression, how to cope with interpersonal problems, and financial stressors. Based on these conditions, the review of manuals and expert consultation, key components of the counselling intervention were identified as: psycho-education, problem solving, healthy thinking and behaviour activation. These were included in the final counselling manual. The development of task sharing counselling interventions for perinatal depression should be informed by the views and needs of local service users and service providers. The study illustrates the manner in which these views can be incorporated for the development of evidence-based psychological interventions, within a task sharing framework in low and middle-income countries.

Heuristics in Managing Complex Clinical Decision Tasks in Experts’ Decision Making

PubMed Central

Islam, Roosan; Weir, Charlene; Del Fiol, Guilherme

2016-01-01

Background Clinical decision support is a tool to help experts make optimal and efficient decisions. However, little is known about the high level of abstractions in the thinking process for the experts. Objective The objective of the study is to understand how clinicians manage complexity while dealing with complex clinical decision tasks. Method After approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), three clinical experts were interviewed the transcripts from these interviews were analyzed. Results We found five broad categories of strategies by experts for managing complex clinical decision tasks: decision conflict, mental projection, decision trade-offs, managing uncertainty and generating rule of thumb. Conclusion Complexity is created by decision conflicts, mental projection, limited options and treatment uncertainty. Experts cope with complexity in a variety of ways, including using efficient and fast decision strategies to simplify complex decision tasks, mentally simulating outcomes and focusing on only the most relevant information. Application Understanding complex decision making processes can help design allocation based on the complexity of task for clinical decision support design. PMID:27275019

Heuristics in Managing Complex Clinical Decision Tasks in Experts' Decision Making.

PubMed

Islam, Roosan; Weir, Charlene; Del Fiol, Guilherme

2014-09-01

Clinical decision support is a tool to help experts make optimal and efficient decisions. However, little is known about the high level of abstractions in the thinking process for the experts. The objective of the study is to understand how clinicians manage complexity while dealing with complex clinical decision tasks. After approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), three clinical experts were interviewed the transcripts from these interviews were analyzed. We found five broad categories of strategies by experts for managing complex clinical decision tasks: decision conflict, mental projection, decision trade-offs, managing uncertainty and generating rule of thumb. Complexity is created by decision conflicts, mental projection, limited options and treatment uncertainty. Experts cope with complexity in a variety of ways, including using efficient and fast decision strategies to simplify complex decision tasks, mentally simulating outcomes and focusing on only the most relevant information. Understanding complex decision making processes can help design allocation based on the complexity of task for clinical decision support design.

Applied cognitive task analysis (ACTA): a practitioner's toolkit for understanding cognitive task demands.

PubMed

Militello, L G; Hutton, R J

1998-11-01

Cognitive task analysis (CTA) is a set of methods for identifying cognitive skills, or mental demands, needed to perform a task proficiently. The product of the task analysis can be used to inform the design of interfaces and training systems. However, CTA is resource intensive and has previously been of limited use to design practitioners. A streamlined method of CTA, Applied Cognitive Task Analysis (ACTA), is presented in this paper. ACTA consists of three interview methods that help the practitioner to extract information about the cognitive demands and skills required for a task. ACTA also allows the practitioner to represent this information in a format that will translate more directly into applied products, such as improved training scenarios or interface recommendations. This paper will describe the three methods, an evaluation study conducted to assess the usability and usefulness of the methods, and some directions for future research for making cognitive task analysis accessible to practitioners. ACTA techniques were found to be easy to use, flexible, and to provide clear output. The information and training materials developed based on ACTA interviews were found to be accurate and important for training purposes.

Opening the Black Box: Cognitive Strategies in Family Practice

PubMed Central

Christensen, Robert E.; Fetters, Michael D.; Green, Lee A.

2005-01-01

PURPOSE We wanted to describe the cognitive strategies used by family physicians when structuring the decision-making tasks of an outpatient visit. METHODS This qualitative study used cognitive task analysis, a structured interview method in which a trained interviewer works individually with expert decision makers to capture their stages and elements of information processing. RESULTS Eighteen family physicians of varying levels of experience participated. Three dominant themes emerged: time pressure, a high degree of variation in task structuring, and varying degrees of task automatization. Based on these data and previous research from the cognitive sciences, we developed a model of novice and expert approaches to decision making in primary care. The model illustrates differences in responses to unexpected opportunity in practice, particularly the expert’s use of attentional surplus (reserve capacity to handle problems) vs the novice’s choice between taking more time or displacing another task. CONCLUSIONS Family physicians have specific, highly individualized cognitive task-structuring approaches and show the decision behavior features typical of expert decision makers in other fields. This finding places constraints on and suggests useful approaches for improving practice. PMID:15798041

Young Filipino Students Making Sense of Arithmetic Word Problems in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bautista, Debbie; Mulligan, Joanne; Mitchelmore, Michael

2009-01-01

Young Filipino children are expected to solve mathematical word problems in English, a task which they typically encounter only in schools. In this exploratory study, task-based interviews were conducted with seven Filipino children from a public school. The children were asked to read and solve addition and subtraction word problems in English or…

High-School Students' Approaches to Solving Algebra Problems that Are Posed Symbolically: Results from an Interview Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huntley, Mary Ann; Davis, Jon D.

2008-01-01

A cross-curricular structured-probe task-based clinical interview study with 44 pairs of third year high-school mathematics students, most of whom were high achieving, was conducted to investigate their approaches to a variety of algebra problems. This paper presents results from three problems that were posed in symbolic form. Two problems are…

Medical ward round competence in internal medicine - an interview study towards an interprofessional development of an Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA).

PubMed

Wölfel, Teresa; Beltermann, Esther; Lottspeich, Christian; Vietz, Elisa; Fischer, Martin R; Schmidmaier, Ralf

2016-07-11

The medical ward round is a central but complex activity that is of relevance from the first day of work. However, difficulties for young doctors have been reported. Instruction of ward round competence in medical curricula is hampered by the lack of a standardized description of the procedure. This paper aims to identify and describe physicians' tasks and relevant competences for conducting a medical ward round on the first day of professional work. A review of recent literature revealed known important aspects of medical ward rounds. These were used for the development of a semi-structured interview schedule. Medical ward round experts working at different hospitals were interviewed. The sample consisted of 14 ward physicians (M = 8.82 years of work experience) and 12 nurses (M = 14.55 years of work experience) working in different specializations of internal medicine. All interviews were audiotaped, fully transcribed, and analyzed using an inductive-deductive coding scheme. Nine fields of competences with 18 related sub-competences and 62 observable tasks were identified as relevant for conducting a medical ward round. Over 70 % of the experts named communication, collaborative clinical reasoning and organization as essential competences. Deeper analysis further unveiled the importance of self-management, management of difficult situations, error management and teamwork. The study is the first to picture ward round competences and related tasks in detail and to define an EPA "Conducting an internal medicine ward round" based on systematic interprofessional expert interviews. It thus provides a basis for integration of ward round competences in the medical curricula in an evidence based manner and gives a framework for the development of instructional intervention studies and comparative studies in other medical fields.

Natural Resources Management: Task Analyses. Competency-Based Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA.

This task analysis guide is intended to help teachers and administrators develop instructional materials and implement competency-based education for natural resources management courses in the agricultural resources program. Section 1 contains a validated task inventory for natural resources management. For each task, applicable information…

Making Sense of Abstract Algebra: Exploring Secondary Teachers' Understandings of Inverse Functions in Relation to Its Group Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasserman, Nicholas H.

2017-01-01

This article draws on semi-structured, task-based interviews to explore secondary teachers' (N = 7) understandings of inverse functions in relation to abstract algebra. In particular, a concept map task is used to understand the degree to which participants, having recently taken an abstract algebra course, situated inverse functions within its…

Examining Student Conceptions of Covariation: A Focus on the Line of Best Fit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, Stephanie A.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to learn about students' conceptions concerning the line of best fit just prior to their introduction to the topic. Task-based interviews were conducted with thirty-three students, focused on five tasks that asked them to place the line of best fit on a scatterplot and explain their reasoning throughout the…

Variability and Variation of L2 Grammar: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of German Learners' Performance on Two Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrams, Zsuzsanna; Rott, Susanne

2017-01-01

Research on second language (L2) grammar in task-based language learning has yielded inconsistent results regarding the effects of task-complexity, prompting calls for more nuanced analyses of L2 development and task performance. The present cross-sectional study contributes to this discussion by comparing the performance of 245 learners of German…

Business Law: Task Analyses. Competency-Based Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum Center.

This task analysis guide is intended to help teachers and administrators develop instructional materials and implement competency-based education for a course in business law. Section 1 contains a validated task inventory for business law. For each task, applicable information pertaining to performance and enabling objectives, criterion-referenced…

Agricultural Science and Mechanics I & II. Task Analyses. Competency-Based Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum Center.

This task analysis guide is intended to help teachers and administrators develop instructional materials and implement competency-based education in the agricultural science and mechanics courses. Section 1 contains a validated task inventory for agricultural science and mechanics I and II. For each task, applicable information pertaining to…

Horticulture III, IV, and V. Task Analyses. Competency-Based Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum Center.

This task analysis guide is intended to help teachers and administrators develop instructional materials and implement competency-based education in the horticulture program. Section 1 contains a validated task inventory for horticulture III, IV, and V. For each task, applicable information pertaining to performance and enabling objectives,…

Roles of the eye care workforce for task sharing in management of diabetic retinopathy in Cambodia

PubMed Central

Shah, Mufarriq; Ormsby, Gail M.; Noor, Ayesha; Chakrabarti, Rahul; Mörchen, Manfred; Islam, Fakir M Amirul; Harper, C Alex; Keeffe, Jill E

2018-01-01

AIM To identify the current roles of eye and health care workers in eye care delivery and investigate their potential roles in screening and detection for management of diabetic retinopathy (DR) through task sharing. METHODS Purposive sampling of 24 participants including health administrators, members from non-government organizations and all available eye care workers in Takeo province were recruited. This cross sectional mixed method study comprised a survey and in-depth interviews. Data were collected from medical records at Caritas Takeo Eye Hospital (CTEH) and Kiri Vong District Referral Hospital Vision Centre, and a survey and interviews with participants were done to explore the potential roles for task sharing in DR management. Qualitative data were transcribed into a text program and then entered into N-Vivo (version 10) software for data management and analysis. RESULTS From 2009 to 2012, a total of 105 178 patients were examined and 14 030 eye surgeries were performed in CTEH by three ophthalmologists supported by ophthalmic nurses in operating and eye examination for patients. Between January 2011 and September 2012, 151 patients (72 males) with retinal pathology including 125 (83%) with DR visited CTEH. In addition 170 patients with diabetes were referred to CTEH for eye examinations from Mo Po Tsyo screening programs for people with diabetes. Factors favouring task sharing included high demand for eye care services and scarcity of ophthalmologists. CONCLUSION Task sharing and team work for eye care services is functional. Participants favor the potential role of ophthalmic nurses in screening for DR through task sharing. PMID:29375999

Effects of scanning and eliminating paper-based medical records on hospital physicians' clinical work practice.

PubMed

Laerum, Hallvard; Karlsen, Tom H; Faxvaag, Arild

2003-01-01

It is not automatically given that the paper-based medical record can be eliminated after the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) in a hospital. Many keep and update the paper-based counterpart, and this limits the use of the EMR system. The authors have evaluated the physicians' clinical work practices and attitudes toward a system in a hospital that has eliminated the paper-based counterpart using scanning technology. Combined open-ended interviews (8 physicians) and cross-sectional survey (70 physicians) were conducted and compared with reference data from a previous national survey (69 physicians from six hospitals). The hospitals in the reference group were using the same EMR system without the scanning module. The questionnaire (English translation available as an online data supplement at ) covered frequency of use of the EMR system for 19 defined tasks, ease of performing them, and user satisfaction. The interviews were open-ended. The physicians routinely used the system for nine of 11 tasks regarding retrieval of patient data, which the majority of the physicians found more easily performed than before. However, 22% to 25% of the physicians found retrieval of patient data more difficult, particularly among internists (33%). Overall, the physicians were equally satisfied with the part of the system handling the regular electronic data as that of the physicians in the reference group. They were, however, much less satisfied with the use of scanned document images than that of regular electronic data, using the former less frequently than the latter. Scanning and elimination of the paper-based medical record is feasible, but the scanned document images should be considered an intermediate stage toward fully electronic medical records. To our knowledge, this is the first assessment from a hospital in the process of completing such a scanning project.

A Closer Look at Bilingual Students' Use of Multimodality in the Context of an Area Comparison Problem from a Large-Scale Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandes, Anthony; Kahn, Leslie H.; Civil, Marta

2017-01-01

In this article, we use multimodality to examine how bilingual students interact with an area task from the National Assessment of Educational Progress in task-based interviews. Using vignettes, we demonstrate how some of these students manipulate the concrete materials, and use gestures, as a primary form of structuring their explanations and…

A cognitive task analysis of information management strategies in a computerized provider order entry environment.

PubMed

Weir, Charlene R; Nebeker, Jonathan J R; Hicken, Bret L; Campo, Rebecca; Drews, Frank; Lebar, Beth

2007-01-01

Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) with electronic documentation, and computerized decision support dramatically changes the information environment of the practicing clinician. Prior work patterns based on paper, verbal exchange, and manual methods are replaced with automated, computerized, and potentially less flexible systems. The objective of this study is to explore the information management strategies that clinicians use in the process of adapting to a CPOE system using cognitive task analysis techniques. Observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 88 primary-care clinicians at 10 Veterans Administration Medical Centers. Interviews were taped, transcribed, and extensively analyzed to identify key information management goals, strategies, and tasks. Tasks were aggregated into groups, common components across tasks were clarified, and underlying goals and strategies identified. Nearly half of the identified tasks were not fully supported by the available technology. Six core components of tasks were identified. Four meta-cognitive information management goals emerged: 1) Relevance Screening; 2) Ensuring Accuracy; 3) Minimizing memory load; and 4) Negotiating Responsibility. Strategies used to support these goals are presented. Users develop a wide array of information management strategies that allow them to successfully adapt to new technology. Supporting the ability of users to develop adaptive strategies to support meta-cognitive goals is a key component of a successful system.

Physician Information Needs and Electronic Health Records (EHRs): Time to Reengineer the Clinic Note.

PubMed

Koopman, Richelle J; Steege, Linsey M Barker; Moore, Joi L; Clarke, Martina A; Canfield, Shannon M; Kim, Min S; Belden, Jeffery L

2015-01-01

Primary care physicians face cognitive overload daily, perhaps exacerbated by the form of electronic health record documentation. We examined physician information needs to prepare for clinic visits, focusing on past clinic progress notes. This study used cognitive task analysis with 16 primary care physicians in the scenario of preparing for office visits. Physicians reviewed simulated acute and chronic care visit notes. We collected field notes and document highlighting and review, and we audio-recorded cognitive interview while on task, with subsequent thematic qualitative analysis. Member checks included the presentation of findings to the interviewed physicians and their faculty peers. The Assessment and Plan section was most important and usually reviewed first. The History of the Present Illness section could provide supporting information, especially if in narrative form. Physicians expressed frustration with the Review of Systems section, lamenting that the forces driving note construction did not match their information needs. Repetition of information contained in other parts of the chart (eg, medication lists) was identified as a source of note clutter. A workflow that included a patient summary dashboard made some elements of past notes redundant and therefore a source of clutter. Current ambulatory progress notes present more information to the physician than necessary and in an antiquated format. It is time to reengineer the clinic progress note to match the workflow and information needs of its primary consumer. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Systems thinking applied to safety during manual handling tasks in the transport and storage industry.

PubMed

Goode, Natassia; Salmon, Paul M; Lenné, Michael G; Hillard, Peter

2014-07-01

Injuries resulting from manual handling tasks represent an on-going problem for the transport and storage industry. This article describes an application of a systems theory-based approach, Rasmussen's (1997. Safety Science 27, 183), risk management framework, to the analysis of the factors influencing safety during manual handling activities in a freight handling organisation. Observations of manual handling activities, cognitive decision method interviews with workers (n=27) and interviews with managers (n=35) were used to gather information about three manual handling activities. Hierarchical task analysis and thematic analysis were used to identify potential risk factors and performance shaping factors across the levels of Rasmussen's framework. These different data sources were then integrated using Rasmussen's Accimap technique to provide an overall analysis of the factors influencing safety during manual handling activities in this context. The findings demonstrate how a systems theory-based approach can be applied to this domain, and suggest that policy-orientated, rather than worker-orientated, changes are required to prevent future manual handling injuries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Agricultural Production: Task Analysis for Livestock Production. Competency-Based Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum Center.

This task analysis guide is intended to help teachers and administrators develop instructional materials and implement competency-based education in the agricultural production program. Section 1 contains a validated task inventory for the livestock production portion of agricultural production IV and V. Tasks are divided into six duty areas:…

Prolonged labour as indication for emergency caesarean section: a quality assurance analysis by criterion-based audit at two Tanzanian rural hospitals.

PubMed

Maaløe, N; Sorensen, B L; Onesmo, R; Secher, N J; Bygbjerg, I C

2012-04-01

To audit the quality of obstetric management preceding emergency caesarean sections for prolonged labour. A quality assurance analysis of a retrospective criterion-based audit supplemented by in-depth interviews with hospital staff. Two Tanzanian rural mission hospitals. Audit of 144 cases of women undergoing caesarean sections for prolonged labour; in addition, eight staff members were interviewed. Criteria of realistic best practice were established, and the case files were audited and compared with these. Hospital staff were interviewed about what they felt might be the causes for the audit findings. Prevalence of suboptimal management and themes emerging from an analysis of the transcripts. Suboptimal management was identified in most cases. Non-invasive interventions to potentially avoid operative delivery were inadequately used. When deciding on caesarean section, in 26% of the cases labour was not prolonged, and in 16% the membranes were still intact. Of the women with genuine prolonged labour, caesarean sections were performed with a fully dilated cervix in 36% of the cases. Vacuum extraction was not considered. Amongst the hospital staff interviewed, the awareness of evidence-based guidelines was poor. Word of mouth, personal experience, and fear, especially of HIV transmission, influenced management decisions. The lack of use and awareness of evidence-based guidelines led to misinterpretation of clinical signs, fear of simple interventions, and an excessive rate of emergency caesarean sections. © 2012 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2012 RCOG.

Is task-shifting a solution to the health workers' shortage in Northern Ghana?

PubMed

Okyere, Eunice; Mwanri, Lillian; Ward, Paul

2017-01-01

To explore the experiences and perceptions of health workers and implementers of task-shifting in rural health facilities in Upper East Region, Ghana. Data was collected through field interviews. A total of sixty eight (68) in-depth interviews were conducted with health workers' in primary health care facilities (health centres); Four in-depth interviews with key persons involved in staff management was conducted to understand how task-shifting is organised including its strengths and challenges. The health workers interview guide was designed with the aim of getting data on official tasks of health workers, additional tasks assigned to them, how they perceive these tasks, and the challenges associated with the practice of task-shifting. Task-shifting is a practice being used across the health facilities in the study area to help reduce the impact of insufficient health workers. Generally, health workers had a comprehensive training that supported the organisation of task-shifting. However, staff members' are sometimes engaged in tasks above their level of training and beyond their actual job descriptions. Adequate training is usually not provided before additional tasks are assigned to staff members. Whilst some health workers perceived the additional tasks they performed as an opportunity to learn new skills, others described these as stressful and overburdening. Task-shifting has the potential to contribute to addressing the insufficient health workforce, and thereby improving health delivery system where the procedures are well defined and staff members work in a coordinated and organised manner. The provision of adequate training and supervision for health workers is important in order to improve their expertise before additional tasks are assigned to them so that the quality of care would not be compromised.

Is task-shifting a solution to the health workers’ shortage in Northern Ghana?

PubMed Central

Okyere, Eunice; Mwanri, Lillian; Ward, Paul

2017-01-01

Objective To explore the experiences and perceptions of health workers and implementers of task-shifting in rural health facilities in Upper East Region, Ghana. Methods Data was collected through field interviews. A total of sixty eight (68) in-depth interviews were conducted with health workers’ in primary health care facilities (health centres); Four in-depth interviews with key persons involved in staff management was conducted to understand how task-shifting is organised including its strengths and challenges. The health workers interview guide was designed with the aim of getting data on official tasks of health workers, additional tasks assigned to them, how they perceive these tasks, and the challenges associated with the practice of task-shifting. Findings Task-shifting is a practice being used across the health facilities in the study area to help reduce the impact of insufficient health workers. Generally, health workers had a comprehensive training that supported the organisation of task-shifting. However, staff members’ are sometimes engaged in tasks above their level of training and beyond their actual job descriptions. Adequate training is usually not provided before additional tasks are assigned to staff members. Whilst some health workers perceived the additional tasks they performed as an opportunity to learn new skills, others described these as stressful and overburdening. Conclusion Task-shifting has the potential to contribute to addressing the insufficient health workforce, and thereby improving health delivery system where the procedures are well defined and staff members work in a coordinated and organised manner. The provision of adequate training and supervision for health workers is important in order to improve their expertise before additional tasks are assigned to them so that the quality of care would not be compromised. PMID:28358841

A comparison of older adults' subjective experiences with virtual and real environments during dynamic balance activities.

PubMed

Proffitt, Rachel; Lange, Belinda; Chen, Christina; Winstein, Carolee

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of older adults interacting with both virtual and real environments. Thirty healthy older adults engaged with real and virtual tasks of similar motor demands: reaching to a target in standing and stepping stance. Immersive tendencies and absorption scales were administered before the session. Game engagement and experience questionnaires were completed after each task, followed by a semistructured interview at the end of the testing session. Data were analyzed respectively using paired t tests and grounded theory methodology. Participants preferred the virtual task over the real task. They also reported an increase in presence and absorption with the virtual task, describing an external focus of attention. Findings will be used to inform future development of appropriate game-based balance training applications that could be embedded in the home or community settings as part of evidence-based fall prevention programs.

A Cognitive Task Analysis of Information Management Strategies in a Computerized Provider Order Entry Environment

PubMed Central

Weir, Charlene R.; Nebeker, Jonathan J.R.; Hicken, Bret L.; Campo, Rebecca; Drews, Frank; LeBar, Beth

2007-01-01

Objective Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) with electronic documentation, and computerized decision support dramatically changes the information environment of the practicing clinician. Prior work patterns based on paper, verbal exchange, and manual methods are replaced with automated, computerized, and potentially less flexible systems. The objective of this study is to explore the information management strategies that clinicians use in the process of adapting to a CPOE system using cognitive task analysis techniques. Design Observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 88 primary-care clinicians at 10 Veterans Administration Medical Centers. Measurements Interviews were taped, transcribed, and extensively analyzed to identify key information management goals, strategies, and tasks. Tasks were aggregated into groups, common components across tasks were clarified, and underlying goals and strategies identified. Results Nearly half of the identified tasks were not fully supported by the available technology. Six core components of tasks were identified. Four meta-cognitive information management goals emerged: 1) Relevance Screening; 2) Ensuring Accuracy; 3) Minimizing memory load; and 4) Negotiating Responsibility. Strategies used to support these goals are presented. Conclusion Users develop a wide array of information management strategies that allow them to successfully adapt to new technology. Supporting the ability of users to develop adaptive strategies to support meta-cognitive goals is a key component of a successful system. PMID:17068345

Assessing the Temporal Stability of a Cigarette Purchase Task After an Excise Tax Increase for Factory-Made and Roll-Your-Own Smokers.

PubMed

Grace, Randolph C; Kivell, Bronwyn M; Laugesen, Murray

2015-11-01

Cigarette purchase tasks (CPTs) are used increasingly to measure simulated demand curves for tobacco. However, there is currently limited information about the temporal stability of demand curves obtained from these tasks. We interviewed a sample (N = 210) of smokers in New Zealand both before and after a 10% increase in the tobacco excise tax that took effect on January 1, 2013. Participants were interviewed in November-December 2012 (wave 1) and February-March 2013 (wave 2). At each interview, participants completed a high-resolution CPT with 64 prices ranging from NZ $0.00 to NZ $5.00/cigarette, and questionnaires regarding their smoking habit. Roll-your-own smokers had higher levels of nicotine dependence and tobacco demand based on CPT responses than factory-made smokers. Although demand curves for waves 1 and 2 were similar, intentions to purchase cigarettes were significantly less at wave 2 for three prices (NZ $0.85, NZ $0.90, and NZ $0.95) that were just higher than the actual price after the tax increase, for both roll-your-own and factory-made smokers. Measures of elasticity (α) derived from Hursh and Silberberg's model were significantly greater at wave 2 than wave 1, and there was a significant reduction in smoking habit as measured by cigarettes/day and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence at wave 2. Purchase tasks can discriminate between smokers based on their tobacco preference, and although results are relatively stable over time, they depend on contextual factors such as the current real price for tobacco. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Task Listing for Introduction to Health Occupations. Competency-Based Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum Center.

This task listing is designed to be used in combination with the "Health Occupations Education Service Area Resource" in order to implement competency-based education in health occupations programs in Virginia. The task listing contains four major sections: (1) content/concept areas; (2) program and course description; (3) content…

From Perception to Practice: The Impact of Teachers' Scoring Experience on Performance-based Instruction and Classroom Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Gail Lynn; Roswell, Barbara Sherr

2000-01-01

Studied the impact of experience scoring the Maryland School Performance Assessment tasks on teachers' instructional and classroom assessment practice. Interview data, questionnaires, classroom observation, and classroom artifacts from approximately 5 teacher-scorers demonstrated that teachers' appropriation of performance-based instruction may be…

Learning from Student Retrospective Reports: Implications for the College Developmental Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perin, Dolores; Grant, Geremy; Raufman, Julia; Kalamkarian, Hoori Santikian

2017-01-01

Retrospective reports gathered from developmental education students as part of a learning assessment revealed the use of several strategies for writing a summary based on a text. Participants were selected for the study based on the richness and variety of their verbal descriptions of task performance in structured, individualized interviews.…

Usability of a CKD educational website targeted to patients and their family members.

PubMed

Diamantidis, Clarissa J; Zuckerman, Marni; Fink, Wanda; Hu, Peter; Yang, Shiming; Fink, Jeffrey C

2012-10-01

Web-based technology is critical to the future of healthcare. As part of the Safe Kidney Care cohort study evaluating patient safety in CKD, this study determined how effectively a representative sample of patients with CKD or family members could interpret and use the Safe Kidney Care website (www.safekidneycare.org), an informational website on safety in CKD. Between November of 2011 and January of 2012, persons with CKD or their family members underwent formal usability testing administered by a single interviewer with a second recording observer. Each participant was independently provided a list of 21 tasks to complete, with each task rated as either easily completed/noncritical error or critical error (user cannot complete the task without significant interviewer intervention). Twelve participants completed formal usability testing. Median completion time for all tasks was 17.5 minutes (range=10-44 minutes). In total, 10 participants had greater than or equal to one critical error. There were 55 critical errors in 252 tasks (22%), with the highest proportion of critical errors occurring when participants were asked to find information on treatments that may damage kidneys, find the website on the internet, increase font size, and scroll to the bottom of the webpage. Participants were generally satisfied with the content and usability of the website. Web-based educational materials for patients with CKD should target a wide range of computer literacy levels and anticipate variability in competency in use of the computer and internet.

Evacuation transportation management : task four: interview and survey results.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-06-26

Much of what is known about evacuations is based on preparations for incidents, such as hurricanes, for which there is advance warning. With advance warning, evacuations can be planned and managed using procedures and systems that have been developed...

Evacuation transportation management. Task four, Interview and survey results

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

Much of what is known about evacuations is based on preparations for incidents, such as hurricanes, for which there is advance warning. With advance warning, evacuations can be planned and managed using procedures and systems that have been developed...

Environmental impact on young children's participation in home-based activities.

PubMed

Albrecht, Erin C; Khetani, Mary A

2017-04-01

To test the effect of child, family, and environmental factors on young children's participation in home-based activities. Caregivers of young children were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Participants were 395 caregivers of children (222 males, 173 females) aged from 1 month to 5 years and 11 months. Demographic items and the home section of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure were administered online, followed by completion of the daily activities, mobility, and social/cognitive domains of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test by telephone interview. A structural equation model fitted the data well (comparative fit index=0.91) and explained 31.2% of the variance in perceived environmental support and 42.5% of the variance in home involvement. Functional limitations and performance had an indirect effect on young children's participation through their effect on perceived environmental support. Specifically, fewer functional limitations and higher task performance were associated with greater environmental support, which in turn predicted higher levels of home involvement. Results suggest the importance of a young child's functional abilities and task performance on caregiver perceptions of environmental support at home, and the impact of environmental support on a child's participation in home-based activities during the early childhood period. Results warrant replication with more diverse samples to evaluate model generalizability. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Mac Keith Press.

Core Competency Needs Analysis for U.S. Naval Reserve Training and Administration of Reserve (TAR) Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-01

sponsor is interested in exploring the possibility of developing a “ Personal Qualification Standards” (PQS) program, which would delineate a...the Task Force for Excellence through Commitment to Education and Learning. Task Force Excel has five vectors: professional development, personal ...major designator communities. Seventeen personal interviews and four telephone interviews were conducted. The interview participants were, at the

Limitations of subjective cognitive load measures in simulation-based procedural training.

PubMed

Naismith, Laura M; Cheung, Jeffrey J H; Ringsted, Charlotte; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B

2015-08-01

The effective implementation of cognitive load theory (CLT) to optimise the instructional design of simulation-based training requires sensitive and reliable measures of cognitive load. This mixed-methods study assessed relationships between commonly used measures of total cognitive load and the extent to which these measures reflected participants' experiences of cognitive load in simulation-based procedural skills training. Two groups of medical residents (n = 38) completed three questionnaires after participating in simulation-based procedural skills training sessions: the Paas Cognitive Load Scale; the NASA Task Load Index (TLX), and a cognitive load component (CLC) questionnaire we developed to assess total cognitive load as the sum of intrinsic load (how complex the task is), extraneous load (how the task is presented) and germane load (how the learner processes the task for learning). We calculated Pearson's correlation coefficients to assess agreement among these instruments. Group interviews explored residents' perceptions about how the simulation sessions contributed to their total cognitive load. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Total cognitive load scores differed significantly according to the instrument used to assess them. In particular, there was poor agreement between the Paas Scale and the TLX. Quantitative and qualitative findings supported intrinsic cognitive load as synonymous with mental effort (Paas Scale), mental demand (TLX) and task difficulty and complexity (CLC questionnaire). Additional qualitative themes relating to extraneous and germane cognitive loads were not reflected in any of the questionnaires. The Paas Scale, TLX and CLC questionnaire appear to be interchangeable as measures of intrinsic cognitive load, but not of total cognitive load. A more complete understanding of the sources of extraneous and germane cognitive loads in simulation-based training contexts is necessary to determine how best to measure and assess their effects on learning and performance outcomes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Perspectives of key stakeholders regarding task shifting of care for HIV patients in Mozambique: a qualitative interview-based study with Ministry of Health leaders, clinicians, and donors.

PubMed

Rustagi, Alison S; Manjate, Rosa Marlene; Gloyd, Stephen; John-Stewart, Grace; Micek, Mark; Gimbel, Sarah; Sherr, Kenneth

2015-04-01

Task shifting is a common strategy to deliver antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings and is safe and effective if implemented appropriately. Consensus among stakeholders is necessary to formulate clear national policies that maintain high-quality care. We sought to understand key stakeholders' opinions regarding task shifting of HIV care in Mozambique and to characterize which specific tasks stakeholders considered appropriate for specific cadres of health workers. National and provincial Ministry of Health leaders, representatives from donor and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and clinicians providing HIV care were intentionally selected to represent diverse viewpoints. Using open- and closed-ended questions, interviewees were asked about their general support of task shifting, its potential advantages and disadvantages, and whether each of seven cadres of non-physician health workers should perform each of eight tasks related to ART provision. Responses were tallied overall and stratified by current job category. Interviews were conducted between November 2007 and June 2008. Of 62 stakeholders interviewed, 44% held leadership positions in the Ministry of Health, 44% were clinicians providing HIV care, and 13% were donors or employed by NGOs; 89% held a medical degree. Stakeholders were highly supportive of physician assistants performing simple ART-related tasks and unanimous in opposing community health workers providing any ART-related services. The most commonly cited motives to implement task shifting were to increase ART access, decrease physician workload, and decrease patient wait time, whereas chief concerns included reduced quality of care and poor training and supervision. Support for task shifting was higher among clinicians than policy and programme leaders for three specific task/cadre combinations: general mid-level nurses to initiate ART in adults (supported by 75% of clinicians vs. 41% of non-clinicians) and in pregnant women (75% vs. 34%, respectively) and physician assistants to change ART regimens in adults (43% vs. 24%, respectively). Stakeholders agreed on some ART-related task delegation to lower health worker cadres. Clinicians were more likely to support task shifting than policy and programme leaders, perhaps motivated by their front-line experiences. Harmonizing policy and programme managers' views with those of clinicians will be important to formulate and implement clear policy.

Development of Conceptual Models for Internet Search: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uden, Lorna; Tearne, Stephen; Alderson, Albert

This paper describes the creation and evaluation of a World Wide Web-based courseware module, using conceptual models based on constructivism, that teaches novices how to use the Internet for searching. Questionnaires and interviews were used to understand the difficulties of a group of novices. The conceptual model of the experts for the task was…

Limited Intervention at Sub Concept of Fractions in the Object Conversion into Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurniawan, Henry; Nusantara, Toto; Subanji; Susiswo; Setiawan, Iwan; Sutawidjaja, Akbar; As'ari, Abdur Rahman; Muksar, Makbul

2016-01-01

This research is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach, which is based on interviews with a task-based the purpose of this study is to describe the understanding of elementary school students in interpreting sub concept fractions in changing of the object is given to fractions with limit intervention. While intervention on problems…

Self-reported quality of ADL task performance among patients with COPD exacerbations.

PubMed

Bendixen, Hans Jørgen; Wæhrens, Eva Ejlersen; Wilcke, Jon Torgny; Sørensen, Lisbeth Villemoes

2014-07-01

Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience problems in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) tasks. The objective was to examine the self-reported quality of ADL task performance among COPD patients, and to investigate whether age, gender, and routine COPD characteristics correlate with the self-reported ADL ability. Eighty patients admitted to hospital with COPD exacerbations participated. In a cross-sectional study, the patients' self-reported ADL ability was assessed using the ADL-Interview (ADL-I) instrument. Data concerning age, gender, and routine COPD characteristics were drawn from the patients' medical records. The patients reported being inefficient to markedly inefficient when performing ADL tasks within the personal hygiene, toileting, dressing, household, mobility, and transportation domains. While more than 90% of the participants reported increased effort and/or fatigue when performing the ADL tasks, up to 88% of the participants relied on help from others in the performance of general household chores like cooking and shopping. Self-reported ADL ability did not correlate with age, gender, or routine COPD characteristics. Decreased quality of ADL task performance seemed to be extremely common among COPD patients. Therefore, addressing the problems in individually tailored pulmonary rehabilitation programmes may be advantageous.

Task uncertainty and communication during nursing shift handovers.

PubMed

Mayor, Eric; Bangerter, Adrian; Aribot, Myriam

2012-09-01

We explore variations in handover duration and communication in nursing units. We hypothesize that duration per patient is higher in units facing high task uncertainty. We expect both topics and functions of communication to vary depending on task uncertainty. Handovers are changing in modern healthcare organizations, where standardized procedures are increasingly advocated for efficiency and reliability reasons. However, redesign of handover should take environmental contingencies of different clinical unit types into account. An important contingency in institutions is task uncertainty, which may affect how communicative routines like handover are accomplished. Nurse unit managers of 80 care units in 18 hospitals were interviewed in 2008 about topics and functions of handover communication and duration in their unit. Interviews were content-analysed. Clinical units were classified into a theory-based typology (unit type) that gradually increases on task uncertainty. Quantitative analyses were performed. Unit type affected resource allocation. Unit types facing higher uncertainty had higher handover duration per patient. As expected, unit type also affected communication content. Clinical units facing higher uncertainty discussed fewer topics, discussing treatment and care and organization of work less frequently. Finally, unit type affected functions of handover: sharing emotions was less often mentioned in unit types facing higher uncertainty. Task uncertainty and its relationship with functions and topics of handover should be taken into account during the design of handover procedures. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Increasing Academic Engagement through Focused Antecedent Modification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Short, Maureen

2016-01-01

This article reviews the functional behavior assessment steps followed to develop interventions designed to decrease challenging behavior in the classroom. The implementation of antecedent based interventions generated from data gathered through interviews and observations addressed off-task, call outs and other challenging classroom behaviors.…

The smooth (tractor) operator: insights of knowledge engineering.

PubMed

Cullen, Ralph H; Smarr, Cory-Ann; Serrano-Baquero, Daniel; McBride, Sara E; Beer, Jenay M; Rogers, Wendy A

2012-11-01

The design of and training for complex systems requires in-depth understanding of task demands imposed on users. In this project, we used the knowledge engineering approach (Bowles et al., 2004) to assess the task of mowing in a citrus grove. Knowledge engineering is divided into four phases: (1) Establish goals. We defined specific goals based on the stakeholders involved. The main goal was to identify operator demands to support improvement of the system. (2) Create a working model of the system. We reviewed product literature, analyzed the system, and conducted expert interviews. (3) Extract knowledge. We interviewed tractor operators to understand their knowledge base. (4) Structure knowledge. We analyzed and organized operator knowledge to inform project goals. We categorized the information and developed diagrams to display the knowledge effectively. This project illustrates the benefits of knowledge engineering as a qualitative research method to inform technology design and training. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

How Residents Develop Trust in Interns: A Multi-Institutional Mixed-Methods Study.

PubMed

Sheu, Leslie; O'Sullivan, Patricia S; Aagaard, Eva M; Tad-Y, Darlene; Harrell, Heather E; Kogan, Jennifer R; Nixon, James; Hollander, Harry; Hauer, Karen E

2016-10-01

Although residents trust interns to provide patient care, little is known about how trust forms. Using a multi-institutional mixed-methods study design, the authors interviewed (March-September 2014) internal medicine (IM) residents in their second or third postgraduate year at a single institution to address how they develop trust in interns. Transcript analysis using grounded theory yielded a model for resident trust. Authors tested (January-March 2015) the model with residents from five IM programs using a two-section quantitative survey (38 items; 31 rated 0 = not at all to 100 = very much; 7 rated 0 = strongly disagree to 100 = strongly agree) to identify influences on how residents form trust. Qualitative analysis of 29 interviews yielded 14 themes within five previously identified factors of trust (resident, intern, relationship, task, and context). Of 478 residents, 376 (78.7%) completed the survey. Factor analysis yielded 11 factors that influence trust. Respondents rated interns' characteristics (reliability, competence, and propensity to make errors) highest when indicating importance to trust (respective means 86.3 [standard deviation = 9.7], 76.4 [12.9], and 75.8 [20.0]). They also rated contextual factors highly as influencing trust (access to an electronic medical record, duty hours, and patient characteristics; respective means 79.8 [15.3], 73.1 [14.4], and 71.9 [20.0]). Residents form trust based on primarily intern- and context-specific factors. Residents appear to consider trust in a way that prioritizes interns' execution of essential patient care tasks safely within the complexities and constraints of the hospital environment.

A comparison of older adults' subjective experience with virtual and real environments during dynamic balance activities

PubMed Central

Proffitt, Rachel; Lange, Belinda; Chen, Christina; Winstein, Carolee

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of older adults interacting with both virtual and real environments. Thirty healthy older adults engaged with real and virtual tasks of similar motor demands: reaching to a target in standing and stepping stance. Immersive tendencies and absorption scales were administered before the session. Game engagement and experience questionnaires were completed after each task, followed by a semi-structured interview at the end of the testing session. Data were analyzed respectively using paired t-tests and grounded theory methodology. Participants preferred the virtual task over the real task. They also reported an increase in presence and absorption with the virtual task, describing an external focus of attention. Findings will be used to inform future development of appropriate game-based balance training applications that could be embedded in the home or community settings as part of evidence-based fall prevention programs. PMID:24334299

Examining Expertise Using Interviews and Verbal Protocols

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van de Wiel, Margje W. J.

2017-01-01

To understand expertise and expertise development, interactions between knowledge, cognitive processing and task characteristics must be examined in people at different levels of training, experience, and performance. Interviewing is widely used in the initial exploration of domain expertise. Work and cognitive task analysis chart the knowledge,…

Can an app help identify psychomotor function impairments during drinking occasions in the real world? A mixed-method pilot study.

PubMed

Suffoletto, Brian; Goyal, Akash; Puyana, Juan Carlos; Chung, Tammy

2017-01-01

Being able to measure the acute effects of alcohol consumption on psychomotor functions in natural settings could be useful in injury prevention interventions. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of collecting app-based measures of information processing, working memory, and gait stability during times of typical alcohol consumption among young adults. Ten young adults (aged 21-26) with hazardous drinking completed a baseline assessment and ecological momentary assessments (EMA) on 4 consecutive Fridays and Saturdays, every hour from 8 pm to 12 am. EMA assessed alcohol consumption and perceived intoxication, followed by a digit symbol substitution task (DSST), a visuospatial working memory task (VSWMT), and a 5-step tandem gait task (TGT). Exit interviews probed user experiences. Multilevel models explored relationships between estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC; mg/dL) and DSST and VSWMT performance. Participants completed 32% of EMA. Higher rates of noninitiation occurred later in the evening and over time. In multilevel models, higher eBAC was associated with lower DSST scores. Eight out of 10 individuals had at least 1 drinking occasion when they did not perceive any intoxication. Lower DSST scores would identify impairment in 45% of these occasions. Exit interviews indicated that adding real-time feedback on task performance could increase awareness of alcohol effects. Collecting app-based psychomotor performance data from young adults during drinking occasions is feasible and acceptable, but strategies to reduce barriers to task initiation are needed. Mobile DSST is sensitive to eBAC levels and could identify occasions when an individual may not perceive impairments.

Usability of a CKD Educational Website Targeted to Patients and Their Family Members

PubMed Central

Zuckerman, Marni; Fink, Wanda; Hu, Peter; Yang, Shiming; Fink, Jeffrey C.

2012-01-01

Summary Background and objectives Web-based technology is critical to the future of healthcare. As part of the Safe Kidney Care cohort study evaluating patient safety in CKD, this study determined how effectively a representative sample of patients with CKD or family members could interpret and use the Safe Kidney Care website (www.safekidneycare.org), an informational website on safety in CKD. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Between November of 2011 and January of 2012, persons with CKD or their family members underwent formal usability testing administered by a single interviewer with a second recording observer. Each participant was independently provided a list of 21 tasks to complete, with each task rated as either easily completed/noncritical error or critical error (user cannot complete the task without significant interviewer intervention). Results Twelve participants completed formal usability testing. Median completion time for all tasks was 17.5 minutes (range=10–44 minutes). In total, 10 participants had greater than or equal to one critical error. There were 55 critical errors in 252 tasks (22%), with the highest proportion of critical errors occurring when participants were asked to find information on treatments that may damage kidneys, find the website on the internet, increase font size, and scroll to the bottom of the webpage. Participants were generally satisfied with the content and usability of the website. Conclusions Web-based educational materials for patients with CKD should target a wide range of computer literacy levels and anticipate variability in competency in use of the computer and internet. PMID:22798537

"He's probably more Mr. sport than me"--a qualitative exploration of mothers' perceptions of fathers' role in their children's physical activity.

PubMed

Zahra, Jesmond; Sebire, Simon J; Jago, Russell

2015-08-26

Many children do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity. Parents can influence their children's physical activity in a number of ways but little research has focused on the impact of fathers. The current study aimed to explore how mothers perceived fathers to influence children's physical activity. Telephone interviews with mothers (n = 50) who took part in a large cross sectional physical activity study were conducted. A strategic sampling method was applied to ensure varying deprivation levels and child physical activity. Interviews were based on children's physical activity and screen viewing behaviours and patterns. A total of 37 interviews included information on fathers and were used for the current study. Deductive content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Mothers suggested that fathers are directly involved in their child's physical activity though co-participation, whilst additionally playing an important role in encouraging and facilitating physical activity. The results suggest some variation in how mothers and fathers are involved in children's physical activity behaviours. Father availability seems to play a key role in the amount of physical activity involvement. Fathers play a key role in children's physical activity choices and behaviours and can influence children in a variety of ways. Parents tend to share in the physical activity related tasks of their children but father availability seems to be a factor in their amount of involvement. Health professionals aiming to improve child physical activity may benefit from developing interventions that target both children and fathers.

A Preservice Mathematics Teacher's Beliefs about Teaching Mathematics with Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belbase, Shashidhar

2015-01-01

This paper analyzed a preservice mathematics teacher's beliefs about teaching mathematics with technology. The researcher used five semi-structured task-based interviews in the problematic contexts of teaching fraction multiplications with JavaBars, functions and limits, and geometric transformations with Geometer's Sketchpad, and statistical data…

Evaluating the Feasibility of RESCUE: An Adjunctive HAI-Based Intervention for Veterans with PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

This report documents accomplishment of the following tasks: a) Completed case series, conducted qualitative interviews, and refined the protocol...Continued active recruitment of participants; currently on track with our projected recruitment targets. As of April 2018, 76 participants have been

Modelling Mathematical Argumentation: The Importance of Qualification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inglis, Matthew; Mejia-Ramos, Juan; Simpson, Adrian

2007-01-01

In recent years several mathematics education researchers have attempted to analyse students' arguments using a restricted form of Toulmina's ["The Uses of Argument," Cambridge University Press, UK, 1958] argumentation scheme. In this paper we report data from task-based interviews conducted with highly talented postgraduate mathematics students,…

Effects of Web-Based Collaborative Writing on Individual L2 Writing Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bikowski, Dawn; Vithanage, Ramyadarshanie

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effect of repeated in-class web-based collaborative writing tasks on second language writers' (L2) individual writing scores. A pre-test post-test research model was used in addition to participant surveys, class observations, and teacher interviews. Participants included 59 L2 writers in a writing class at a large U.S.…

Use of Structure as a Basis for Abstraction in Air Traffic Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davison, Hayley J.; Hansman, R. John

2004-01-01

The safety and efficiency of the air traffic control domain is highly dependent on the capabilities and limitations of its human controllers. Past research has indicated that structure provided by the airspace and procedures could aid in simplifying the controllers cognitive tasks. In this paper, observations, interviews, voice command data analyses, and radar analyses were conducted at the Boston Terminal Route Control (TRACON) facility to determine if there was evidence of controllers using structure to simplify their cognitive processes. The data suggest that controllers do use structure-based abstractions to simplify their cognitive processes, particularly the projection task. How structure simplifies the projection task and the implications of understanding the benefits structure provides to the projection task was discussed.

Development of flight experiment task requirements. Volume 2: Technical Report. Part 2: Appendix H: Tasks-skills data series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hatterick, G. R.

1972-01-01

The data sheets presented contain the results of the task analysis portion of the study to identify skill requirements of space shuttle crew personnel. A comprehensive data base is provided of crew functions, operating environments, task dependencies, and task-skills applicable to a representative cross section of earth orbital research experiments.

Between Stressors and Outcomes: Can We Simplify Caregiving Process Variables?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braithwaite, Valerie

1996-01-01

Examines Lawton, Kleban, Moss, Rovine, and Glickman's (1989) caregiving appraisal through a principal components analysis and varimax rotation of a data set based on in-depth quantitative interviews with 144 caregivers. Five caregiving appraisal dimensions are identified: task load caregiving, dysfunctional caregiving, intimacy and love, social…

Teachers' Knowledge About Informal Line of Best Fit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, Stephanie A.; Wasserman, Nicholas H.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' subject matter knowledge relevant to the teaching of informal line of best fit. Task-based interviews were conducted with nineteen pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers. The results include descriptions and categorizations of teachers' conceptions, criteria for placement, accuracy of…

Undergraduate Students' Mental Operations in Systems of Differential Equations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehead, Karen; Rasmussen, Chris

2003-01-01

This paper reports on research conducted to understand undergraduate students' ways of reasoning about systems of differential equations (SDEs). As part of a semester long classroom teaching experiment in a first course in differential equations, we conducted task-based interviews with six students after their study of first order differential…

Implementing a Plurilingual Programme in a University in France

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkey-Perret, Rebecca; Narcy-Combes, Marie-Françoise

2017-01-01

This contribution gives an account of the results of an action research in which a task-based plurilingual programme was implemented with postgraduate students of Foreign Languages and International Business. Using a mixed-methods approach, combining questionnaire, interview and observation data, we sought to explore the degree to which the…

Word Recall: Cognitive Performance Within Internet Surveys

PubMed Central

Craig, Benjamin M; Jim, Heather S

2015-01-01

Background The use of online surveys for data collection has increased exponentially, yet it is often unclear whether interview-based cognitive assessments (such as face-to-face or telephonic word recall tasks) can be adapted for use in application-based research settings. Objective The objective of the current study was to compare and characterize the results of online word recall tasks to those of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and determine the feasibility and reliability of incorporating word recall tasks into application-based cognitive assessments. Methods The results of the online immediate and delayed word recall assessment, included within the Women’s Health and Valuation (WHV) study, were compared to the results of the immediate and delayed recall tasks of Waves 5-11 (2000-2012) of the HRS. Results Performance on the WHV immediate and delayed tasks demonstrated strong concordance with performance on the HRS tasks (ρc=.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.91), despite significant differences between study populations (P<.001) and study design. Sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported memory demonstrated similar relationships with performance on both the HRS and WHV tasks. Conclusions The key finding of this study is that the HRS word recall tasks performed similarly when used as an online cognitive assessment in the WHV. Online administration of cognitive tests, which has the potential to significantly reduce participant and administrative burden, should be considered in future research studies and health assessments. PMID:26543924

Development of Internet-Based Tasks for the Executive Function Performance Test.

PubMed

Rand, Debbie; Lee Ben-Haim, Keren; Malka, Rachel; Portnoy, Sigal

The Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT) is a reliable and valid performance-based tool to assess executive functions (EFs). This study's objective was to develop and verify two Internet-based tasks for the EFPT. A cross-sectional study assessed the alternate-form reliability of the Internet-based bill-paying and telephone-use tasks in healthy adults and people with subacute stroke (Study 1). It also sought to establish the tasks' criterion reliability for assessing EF deficits by correlating performance with that on the Trail Making Test in five groups: healthy young adults, healthy older adults, people with subacute stroke, people with chronic stroke, and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Study 2). The alternative-form reliability and initial construct validity for the Internet-based bill-paying task were verified. Criterion validity was established for both tasks. The Internet-based tasks are comparable to the original EFPT tasks and can be used for assessment of EF deficits. Copyright © 2018 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Creep-fatigue life prediction for engine hot section materials (isotropic)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moreno, V.

1982-01-01

The objectives of this program are the investigation of fundamental approaches to high temperature crack initiation life prediction, identification of specific modeling strategies and the development of specific models for component relevant loading conditions. A survey of the hot section material/coating systems used throughout the gas turbine industry is included. Two material/coating systems will be identified for the program. The material/coating system designated as the base system shall be used throughout Tasks 1-12. The alternate material/coating system will be used only in Task 12 for further evaluation of the models developed on the base material. In Task II, candidate life prediction approaches will be screened based on a set of criteria that includes experience of the approaches within the literature, correlation with isothermal data generated on the base material, and judgements relative to the applicability of the approach for the complex cycles to be considered in the option program. The two most promising approaches will be identified. Task 3 further evaluates the best approach using additional base material fatigue testing including verification tests. Task 4 consists of technical, schedular, financial and all other reporting requirements in accordance with the Reports of Work clause.

The process of developing evidence-based guidance in medicine and public health: a qualitative study of views from the inside

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background There has been significant investment in developing guidelines to improve clinical and public health practice. Though much is known about the processes of evidence synthesis and evidence-based guidelines implementation, we know little about how evidence presented to advisory groups is interpreted and used to form practice recommendations or what happens where evidence is lacking. This study investigates how members of advisory groups of NICE (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence) conceptualize evidence and experience the process. Methods Members of three advisory groups for acute physical, mental and public health were interviewed at the beginning and end of the life of the group. Seventeen were interviewed at both time points; five were interviewed just once at time one; and 17 were interviewed only once after guidance completion. Using thematic and content analysis, interview transcripts were analysed to identify the main themes. Results Three themes were identified: 1. What is the task? Different members conceptualized the task differently; some emphasized the importance of evidence at the top of the quality hierarchy while others emphasized the importance of personal experience. 2. Who gets heard? Managing the diversity of opinion and vested interests was a challenge for the groups; service users were valued and as was the importance of fostering good working relationships between group members. 3. What is the process? Group members valued debate and recognized the need to marshal discussion; most members were satisfied with the process and output. Conclusions Evidence doesn’t form recommendations on its own, but requires human judgement. Diversity of opinion within advisory groups was seen as key to making well-informed judgments relevant to forming recommendations. However, that diversity can bring tensions in the evaluation of evidence and its translation into practice recommendations. PMID:24006933

Stress Regulation in Adolescents: Physiological Reactivity during the Adult Attachment Interview and Conflict Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beijersbergen, Marielle D.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.; Juffer, Femmie

2008-01-01

The current study examined whether adolescents' attachment representations were associated with differences in emotion regulation during the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; C. George, N. Kaplan, & M. Main, 1996) and during a mother-adolescent conflict interaction task (Family Interaction Task [FIT]; J. P. Allen et al., 2003). Participants…

Maternal depression and trait anger as risk factors for escalated physical discipline.

PubMed

Shay, Nicole L; Knutson, John F

2008-02-01

To test the hypothesized anger-mediated relation between maternal depression and escalation of physical discipline, 122 economically disadvantaged mothers were assessed for current and lifetime diagnoses of depression using the Current Depressive Episode, Past Depression, and Dysthymia sections of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and a measure of current depressive symptoms, the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II). Escalation of physical discipline was assessed using a video analog parenting task; maternal anger not specific to discipline was assessed using the Spielberger Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Reports of anger were associated with the diagnosis of depression and depressive symptoms. Bootstrap analyses of indirect effects indicated that the link between depression and escalated discipline was mediated by anger. Parallel analyses based on BDI-II scores identified a marginally significant indirect effect of depression on discipline. Findings suggest that anger and irritability are central to the putative link between depression and harsh discipline.

Student reflections on learning with challenging tasks: `I think the worksheets were just for practice, and the challenges were for maths'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, James; Hopkins, Sarah

2017-09-01

The current study considered young students' (7 and 8 years old) experiences and perceptions of mathematics lessons involving challenging (i.e. cognitively demanding) tasks. We used the Constant Comparative Method to analyse the interview responses ( n = 73) regarding what work artefacts students were most proud of creating and why. Five themes emerged that characterised student reflections: enjoyment, effort, learning, productivity and meaningful mathematics. Overall, there was evidence that students embraced struggle and persisted when engaged in mathematics lessons involving challenging tasks and, moreover, that many students enjoyed the process of being challenged. In the second section of the paper, the lesson structure preferences of a subset of participants ( n = 23) when learning with challenging tasks are considered. Overall, more students preferred the teach-first lesson structure to the task-first lesson structure, primarily because it activated their cognition to prepare them for work on the challenging task. However, a substantial minority of students (42 %) instead endorsed the task-first lesson structure, with several students explaining they preferred this structure precisely because it was so cognitively demanding. Other reasons for preferring the task-first structure included that it allowed the focus of the lesson to be on the challenging task and the subsequent discussion of student work. A key implication of these combined findings is that, for many students, work on challenging tasks appeared to remain cognitively demanding irrespective of the structure of the lesson.

Initiating an ergonomic analysis. A process for jobs with highly variable tasks.

PubMed

Conrad, K M; Lavender, S A; Reichelt, P A; Meyer, F T

2000-09-01

Occupational health nurses play a vital role in addressing ergonomic problems in the workplace. Describing and documenting exposure to ergonomic risk factors is a relatively straightforward process in jobs in which the work is repetitive. In other types of work, the analysis becomes much more challenging because tasks may be repeated infrequently, or at irregular time intervals, or under different environmental and temporal conditions, thereby making it difficult to observe a "representative" sample of the work performed. This article describes a process used to identify highly variable job tasks for ergonomic analyses. The identification of tasks for ergonomic analysis was a two step process involving interviews and a survey of firefighters and paramedics from a consortium of 14 suburban fire departments. The interviews were used to generate a list of frequently performed, physically strenuous job tasks and to capture clear descriptions of those tasks and associated roles. The goals of the survey were to confirm the interview findings across the entire target population and to quantify the frequency and degree of strenuousness of each task. In turn, the quantitative results from the survey were used to prioritize job tasks for simulation. Although this process was used to study firefighters and paramedics, the approach is likely to be suitable for many other types of occupations in which the tasks are highly variable in content and irregular in frequency.

SPS market analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goff, H. C.

1980-05-01

A market analysis task included personal interviews by GE personnel and supplemental mail surveys to acquire statistical data and to identify and measure attitudes, reactions and intentions of prospective small solar thermal power systems (SPS) users. Over 500 firms were contacted, including three ownership classes of electric utilities, industrial firms in the top SIC codes for energy consumption, and design engineering firms. A market demand model was developed which utilizes the data base developed by personal interviews and surveys, and projected energy price and consumption data to perform sensitivity analyses and estimate potential markets for SPS.

The use of cognitive task analysis to improve instructional descriptions of procedures.

PubMed

Clark, Richard E; Pugh, Carla M; Yates, Kenneth A; Inaba, Kenji; Green, Donald J; Sullivan, Maura E

2012-03-01

Surgical training relies heavily on the ability of expert surgeons to provide complete and accurate descriptions of a complex procedure. However, research from a variety of domains suggests that experts often omit critical information about the judgments, analysis, and decisions they make when solving a difficult problem or performing a complex task. In this study, we compared three methods for capturing surgeons' descriptions of how to perform the procedure for inserting a femoral artery shunt (unaided free-recall, unaided free-recall with simulation, and cognitive task analysis methods) to determine which method produced more accurate and complete results. Cognitive task analysis was approximately 70% more complete and accurate than free-recall and or free-recall during a simulation of the procedure. Ten expert trauma surgeons at a major urban trauma center were interviewed separately and asked to describe how to perform an emergency shunt procedure. Four surgeons provided an unaided free-recall description of the shunt procedure, five surgeons provided an unaided free-recall description of the procedure using visual aids and surgical instruments (simulation), and one (chosen randomly) was interviewed using cognitive task analysis (CTA) methods. An 11th vascular surgeon approved the final CTA protocol. The CTA interview with only one expert surgeon resulted in significantly greater accuracy and completeness of the descriptions compared with the unaided free-recall interviews with multiple expert surgeons. Surgeons in the unaided group omitted nearly 70% of necessary decision steps. In the free-recall group, heavy use of simulation improved surgeons' completeness when describing the steps of the procedure. CTA significantly increases the completeness and accuracy of surgeons' instructional descriptions of surgical procedures. In addition, simulation during unaided free-recall interviews may improve the completeness of interview data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Structured Interview & Scoring Tool-Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (SIST-M): development, reliability, and cross-sectional validation of a brief structured clinical dementia rating interview.

PubMed

Okereke, Olivia I; Copeland, Maura; Hyman, Bradley T; Wanggaard, Taylor; Albert, Marilyn S; Blacker, Deborah

2011-03-01

The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and CDR Sum-of-Boxes can be used to grade mild but clinically important cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer disease. However, sensitive clinical interview formats are lengthy. To develop a brief instrument for obtaining CDR scores and to assess its reliability and cross-sectional validity. Using legacy data from expanded interviews conducted among 347 community-dwelling older adults in a longitudinal study, we identified 60 questions (from a possible 131) about cognitive functioning in daily life using clinical judgment, inter-item correlations, and principal components analysis. Items were selected in 1 cohort (n=147), and a computer algorithm for generating CDR scores was developed in this same cohort and re-run in a replication cohort (n=200) to evaluate how well the 60 items retained information from the original 131 items. Short interviews based on the 60 items were then administered to 50 consecutively recruited older individuals, with no symptoms or mild cognitive symptoms, at an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Clinical Dementia Rating scores based on short interviews were compared with those from independent long interviews. In the replication cohort, agreement between short and long CDR interviews ranged from κ=0.65 to 0.79, with κ=0.76 for Memory, κ=0.77 for global CDR, and intraclass correlation coefficient for CDR Sum-of-Boxes=0.89. In the cross-sectional validation, short interview scores were slightly lower than those from long interviews, but good agreement was observed for global CDR and Memory (κ≥0.70) as well as for CDR Sum-of-Boxes (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.73). The Structured Interview & Scoring Tool-Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is a brief, reliable, and sensitive instrument for obtaining CDR scores in persons with symptoms along the spectrum of mild cognitive change.

Secondary Teachers’ Mathematics-related Beliefs and Knowledge about Mathematical Problem-solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

E Siswono, T. Y.; Kohar, A. W.; Hartono, S.

2017-02-01

This study investigates secondary teachers’ belief about the three mathematics-related beliefs, i.e. nature of mathematics, teaching mathematics, learning mathematics, and knowledge about mathematical problem solving. Data were gathered through a set of task-based semi-structured interviews of three selected teachers with different philosophical views of teaching mathematics, i.e. instrumental, platonist, and problem solving. Those teachers were selected from an interview using a belief-related task from purposively selected teachers in Surabaya and Sidoarjo. While the interviews about knowledge examine teachers’ problem solving content and pedagogical knowledge, the interviews about beliefs examine their views on several cases extracted from each of such mathematics-related beliefs. Analysis included the categorization and comparison on each of beliefs and knowledge as well as their interaction. Results indicate that all the teachers did not show a high consistency in responding views of their mathematics-related beliefs, while they showed weaknesses primarily on problem solving content knowledge. Findings also point out that teachers’ beliefs have a strong relationship with teachers’ knowledge about problem solving. In particular, the instrumental teacher’s beliefs were consistent with his insufficient knowledge about problem-solving, while both platonist and problem-solving teacher’s beliefs were consistent with their sufficient knowledge of either content or pedagogical problem solving.

Card Sorting in an Online Environment: Key to Involving Online-Only Student Population in Usability Testing of an Academic Library Web Site?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paladino, Emily B.; Klentzin, Jacqueline C.; Mills, Chloe P.

2017-01-01

Based on in-person, task-based usability testing and interviews, the authors' library Web site was recently overhauled in order to improve user experience. This led to the authors' interest in additional usability testing methods and test environments that would most closely fit their library's goals and situation. The appeal of card sorting…

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

Nexant, Inc., San Francisco, California

The first section (Task 1) of this report by Nexant includes a survey and screening of various acid gas removal processes in order to evaluate their capability to meet the specific design requirements for thermochemical ethanol synthesis in NREL's thermochemical ethanol design report (Phillips et al. 2007, NREL/TP-510-41168). MDEA and selexol were short-listed as the most promising acid-gas removal agents based on work described in Task 1. The second report section (Task 2) describes a detailed design of an MDEA (methyl diethanol amine) based acid gas removal system for removing CO2 and H2S from biomass-derived syngas. Only MDEA was chosenmore » for detailed study because of the available resources.« less

GPs' thoughts on prescribing medication and evidence-based knowledge: the benefit aspect is a strong motivator. A descriptive focus group study.

PubMed

Skoglund, Ingmarie; Segesten, Kerstin; Björkelund, Cecilia

2007-06-01

To describe GPs' thoughts of prescribing medication and evidence-based knowledge (EBM) concerning drug therapy. Tape-recorded focus-group interviews transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative methods. GPs from the south-eastern part of Västra Götaland, Sweden. A total of 16 GPs out of 178 from the south-eastern part of the region strategically chosen to represent urban and rural, male and female, long and short GP experience. Transcripts were analysed using a descriptive qualitative method. The categories were: benefits, time and space, and expert knowledge. The benefit was a merge of positive elements, all aspects of the GPs' tasks. Time and space were limitations for GPs' tasks. EBM as a constituent of expert knowledge should be more customer adjusted to be able to be used in practice. Benefit was the most important category, existing in every decision-making situation for the GP. The core category was prompt and pragmatic benefit, which was the utmost benefit. GPs' thoughts on evidence-based medicine and prescribing medication were highly related to reflecting on benefit and results. The interviews indicated that prompt and pragmatic benefit is important for comprehending their thoughts.

GPs’ thoughts on prescribing medication and evidence-based knowledge: The benefit aspect is a strong motivator

PubMed Central

Skoglund, Ingmarie; Segesten, Kerstin; Björkelund, Cecilia

2007-01-01

Objective To describe GPs’ thoughts of prescribing medication and evidence-based knowledge (EBM) concerning drug therapy. Design Tape-recorded focus-group interviews transcribed verbatim and analysed using qualitative methods. Setting GPs from the south-eastern part of Västra Götaland, Sweden. Subjects A total of 16 GPs out of 178 from the south-eastern part of the region strategically chosen to represent urban and rural, male and female, long and short GP experience. Methods Transcripts were analysed using a descriptive qualitative method. Results The categories were: benefits, time and space, and expert knowledge. The benefit was a merge of positive elements, all aspects of the GPs’ tasks. Time and space were limitations for GPs’ tasks. EBM as a constituent of expert knowledge should be more customer adjusted to be able to be used in practice. Benefit was the most important category, existing in every decision-making situation for the GP. The core category was prompt and pragmatic benefit, which was the utmost benefit. Conclusion GPs’ thoughts on evidence-based medicine and prescribing medication were highly related to reflecting on benefit and results. The interviews indicated that prompt and pragmatic benefit is important for comprehending their thoughts. PMID:17497487

A Framework for Assessing High School Students' Statistical Reasoning.

PubMed

Chan, Shiau Wei; Ismail, Zaleha; Sumintono, Bambang

2016-01-01

Based on a synthesis of literature, earlier studies, analyses and observations on high school students, this study developed an initial framework for assessing students' statistical reasoning about descriptive statistics. Framework descriptors were established across five levels of statistical reasoning and four key constructs. The former consisted of idiosyncratic reasoning, verbal reasoning, transitional reasoning, procedural reasoning, and integrated process reasoning. The latter include describing data, organizing and reducing data, representing data, and analyzing and interpreting data. In contrast to earlier studies, this initial framework formulated a complete and coherent statistical reasoning framework. A statistical reasoning assessment tool was then constructed from this initial framework. The tool was administered to 10 tenth-grade students in a task-based interview. The initial framework was refined, and the statistical reasoning assessment tool was revised. The ten students then participated in the second task-based interview, and the data obtained were used to validate the framework. The findings showed that the students' statistical reasoning levels were consistent across the four constructs, and this result confirmed the framework's cohesion. Developed to contribute to statistics education, this newly developed statistical reasoning framework provides a guide for planning learning goals and designing instruction and assessments.

A Framework for Assessing High School Students' Statistical Reasoning

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Based on a synthesis of literature, earlier studies, analyses and observations on high school students, this study developed an initial framework for assessing students’ statistical reasoning about descriptive statistics. Framework descriptors were established across five levels of statistical reasoning and four key constructs. The former consisted of idiosyncratic reasoning, verbal reasoning, transitional reasoning, procedural reasoning, and integrated process reasoning. The latter include describing data, organizing and reducing data, representing data, and analyzing and interpreting data. In contrast to earlier studies, this initial framework formulated a complete and coherent statistical reasoning framework. A statistical reasoning assessment tool was then constructed from this initial framework. The tool was administered to 10 tenth-grade students in a task-based interview. The initial framework was refined, and the statistical reasoning assessment tool was revised. The ten students then participated in the second task-based interview, and the data obtained were used to validate the framework. The findings showed that the students’ statistical reasoning levels were consistent across the four constructs, and this result confirmed the framework’s cohesion. Developed to contribute to statistics education, this newly developed statistical reasoning framework provides a guide for planning learning goals and designing instruction and assessments. PMID:27812091

Effects of Intrinsic Motivation on Feedback Processing During Learning

PubMed Central

DePasque, Samantha; Tricomi, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Learning commonly requires feedback about the consequences of one’s actions, which can drive learners to modify their behavior. Motivation may determine how sensitive an individual might be to such feedback, particularly in educational contexts where some students value academic achievement more than others. Thus, motivation for a task might influence the value placed on performance feedback and how effectively it is used to improve learning. To investigate the interplay between intrinsic motivation and feedback processing, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during feedback-based learning before and after a novel manipulation based on motivational interviewing, a technique for enhancing treatment motivation in mental health settings. Because of its role in the reinforcement learning system, the striatum is situated to play a significant role in the modulation of learning based on motivation. Consistent with this idea, motivation levels during the task were associated with sensitivity to positive versus negative feedback in the striatum. Additionally, heightened motivation following a brief motivational interview was associated with increases in feedback sensitivity in the left medial temporal lobe. Our results suggest that motivation modulates neural responses to performance-related feedback, and furthermore that changes in motivation facilitates processing in areas that support learning and memory. PMID:26112370

Low- and High-Achieving Sixth-Grade Students' Access to Participation during Mathematics Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lack, Brian; Swars, Susan Lee; Meyers, Barbara

2014-01-01

A descriptive, holistic, multiple-case methodology was applied to examine the nature of participation in discourse of two low- and two high-achieving grade 6 students while solving mathematical tasks in a standards-based classroom. Data collected via classroom observations and student interviews were analyzed through a multiple-cycle coding…

Investigating Conceptual, Procedural, and Intuitive Aspects of Area Measurement with Non-Square Area Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Amanda L.

2013-01-01

This dissertation reports the results of a qualitative research project on area measurement. The study utilized structured, task-based interviews with students to (a) investigate the ways students enumerate and structure two-dimensional space with a variety of area units; (b) identify conceptual, procedural, and intuitive aspects of area…

An Investigation of Tertiary Students' Understanding of Evaporation, Condensation and Vapour Pressure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gopal, Hemant; Kleinsmidt, Jacques; Case, Jennifer; Musonge, Paul

2004-01-01

Based on a purposive sample of 15 second-year chemical engineering students, this study investigates students' conceptions of evaporation, condensation and vapour pressure. During individual interviews the students were questioned on three tasks that had been designed around these topics. Qualitative analysis of student responses showed a range of…

An Investigation of Tertiary Students' Understanding of Evaporation, Condensation and Vapour Pressure. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gopal, Hemant; Kleinsmidt, Jacques; Case, Jennifer; Musonge, Paul

2004-01-01

Based on a purposive sample of 15 second-year chemical engineering students, this study investigates students' conceptions of evaporation, condensation and vapour pressure. During individual interviews the students were questioned on three tasks that had been designed around these topics. Qualitative analysis of student responses showed a range of…

Learner Participation in the Functions Discourse: A Focus on Asymptotes of the Hyperbola

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mpofu, Sihlobosenkosi; Pournara, Craig

2018-01-01

The study investigated learners' mathematical discourse on the hyperbola from a commognitive perspective, and focused on algebraic, graphic, and numeric representations of the hyperbola. Task-based interviews were conducted with five Grade 10 learners from a township school. Learners' mathematical discourse was analysed by means of the Discourse…

Characterizing Student Mathematics Teachers' Levels of Understanding in Spherical Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guven, Bulent; Baki, Adnan

2010-01-01

This article presents an exploratory study aimed at the identification of students' levels of understanding in spherical geometry as van Hiele did for Euclidean geometry. To do this, we developed and implemented a spherical geometry course for student mathematics teachers. Six structured, "task-based interviews" were held with eight student…

Fostering Second Language Oral Communication through Constructivist Interaction in Desktop Videoconferencing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Lina

2007-01-01

This article describes a classroom project using one-to-one desktop videoconferencing to enhance the development of second language (1.2) oral skills. Eighteen university students worked collaboratively with expert speakers to complete task-based activities. The author gathered data from video-recording samples, reflections, and oral interviews to…

Effect of a Science Diagram on Primary Students' Understanding about Magnets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Christine

2016-01-01

The research investigated the effect of a science diagram on primary students' conceptual understanding about magnets. Lack of research involving students of primary age means that little is known about the potential of science diagrams to help them understand abstract concepts such as magnetism. Task-based interviews were conducted individually…

A theoretical framework to describe communication processes during medical disability assessment interviews

PubMed Central

van Rijssen, H Jolanda; Schellart, Antonius JM; Anema, Johannes R; van der Beek, Allard J

2009-01-01

Background Research in different fields of medicine suggests that communication is important in physician-patient encounters and influences satisfaction with these encounters. It is argued that this also applies to the non-curative tasks that physicians perform, such as sickness certification and medical disability assessments. However, there is no conceptualised theoretical framework that can be used to describe intentions with regard to communication behaviour, communication behaviour itself, and satisfaction with communication behaviour in a medical disability assessment context. Objective The objective of this paper is to describe the conceptualisation of a model for the communication behaviour of physicians performing medical disability assessments in a social insurance context and of their claimants, in face-to-face encounters during medical disability assessment interviews and the preparation thereof. Conceptualisation The behavioural model, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), is conceptualised for the communication behaviour of social insurance physicians and claimants separately, but also combined during the assessment interview. Other important concepts in the model are the evaluation of communication behaviour (satisfaction), intentions, attitudes, skills, and barriers for communication. Conclusion The conceptualisation of the TPB-based behavioural model will help to provide insight into the communication behaviour of social insurance physicians and claimants during disability assessment interviews. After empirical testing of the relationships in the model, it can be used in other studies to obtain more insight into communication behaviour in non-curative medicine, and it could help social insurance physicians to adapt their communication behaviour to their task when performing disability assessments. PMID:19807905

The Interviewer in the Respondent's Shoes: What Can We Learn from the Way Interviewers Answer Survey Questions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuyts, Celine; Loosveldt, Geert

2017-01-01

Previous research shows that interviewers to some extent fail to expend the effort that is needed to collect high-quality survey data. We extend the idea of interviewer satisficing to a related task, in which the interviewers themselves answer survey questions. We hypothesize that interviewers who self-administer the questionnaire in a careless…

Parental Depression and Child Cognitive Vulnerability Predict Children’s Cortisol Reactivity

PubMed Central

Hayden, Elizabeth P.; Hankin, Benjamin L.; Mackrell, Sarah V.M.; Sheikh, Haroon I.; Jordan, Patricia L.; Dozois, David J.A.; Singh, Shiva M.; Olino, Thomas M.; Badanes, Lisa S.

2015-01-01

Risk for depression is expressed across multiple levels of analysis. For example, parental depression and cognitive vulnerability are known markers of depression risk, but no study has examined their interactive effects on children’s cortisol reactivity, a likely mediator of early depression risk. We examined relations across these different levels of vulnerability using cross-sectional and longitudinal methods in two community samples of children. Children were assessed for cognitive vulnerability using self-reports (Study 1; n = 244) and tasks tapping memory and attentional bias (Study 2; n = 205), and their parents were assessed for depression history using structured clinical interviews. In both samples, children participated in standardized stress tasks and cortisol reactivity was assessed. Cross-sectionally and longitudinally, parental depression history and child cognitive vulnerability interacted to predict children’s cortisol reactivity; specifically, associations between parent depression and elevated child cortisol activity were found when children also showed elevated depressotypic attributions, as well as attentional and memory biases. Findings indicate that models of children’s emerging depression risk may benefit from the examination of the interactive effects of multiple sources of vulnerability across levels of analysis. PMID:25422972

Time process study with UML.

PubMed

Shiki, N; Ohno, Y; Fujii, A; Murata, T; Matsumura, Y

2009-01-01

We propose a new business-process analysis approach, Time Process Study (TPS), which comprises process analysis and time and motion studies (TMS). TPS offsets weaknesses of TMS; the cost of field studies and the difficulties in applying them to tasks whose time span differs from those of usual tasks. In TPS, the job procedures are first displayed using a unified modeling language (UML). Next, time and manpower for each procedure are studied through interviews and TMS, and the information is appended to the UML diagram. We applied TPS in the case of a hospital-based cancer registry (HCR) of a university hospital to clarify the work procedure and the time required, and investigated TPS's availability. Meetings for the study were held once a month from July to September in 2008, and one inquirer committed a total of eight hours to the hospital survey. TPS revealed that HCR consisted of three tasks and 14 functions. The registration required 123 hours/month/person, the quality control required 6.5 hours/ 6 months/person and filing data into the population-based cancer registry required 0.5 hours/6 months/person. Of the total tasks involved in registration, 116.5 hours/month/person were undertaken by a registration worker, which shows the necessity of employing one full-time staff. With TPS, it is straightforward to share the concept among the study-team because the job procedure is first displayed using UML. Therefore, it requires a few workload to conduct TMS and interview. The obtained results were adopted for the review of staff assignment of HCR by Japanese government.

Evaluating Prototype Tasks and Alternative Rating Schemes for a New ESL Writing Test through G-Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yong-Won; Kantor, Robert

2007-01-01

Possible integrated and independent tasks were pilot tested for the writing section of a new generation of the TOEFL[R] (Test of English as a Foreign Language[TM]). This study examines the impact of various rating designs and of the number of tasks and raters on the reliability of writing scores based on integrated and independent tasks from the…

A matrix for the qualitative evaluation of nursing tasks.

PubMed

Durosaiye, Isaiah O; Hadjri, Karim; Liyanage, Champika L; Bennett, Kina

2018-04-01

To formulate a model for patient-nurse interaction; to compile a comprehensive list of nursing tasks on hospital wards; and to construct a nursing tasks demand matrix. The physical demands associated with nursing profession are of growing interest among researchers. Yet, it is the complexity of nursing tasks that defines the demands of ward nurses' role. This study explores nursing tasks, based on patient-nurse interaction on hospital wards. Extant literature was reviewed to formulate a patient-nurse interaction model. Twenty ward nurses were interviewed to compile a list of nursing tasks. These nursing tasks were mapped against the patient-nurse interaction model. A patient-nurse interaction model was created, consisting of: (1) patient care, (2) patient surveillance and (3) patient support. Twenty-three nursing tasks were identified. The nursing tasks demand matrix was constructed. Ward managers may use a nursing tasks demand matrix to determine the demands of nursing tasks on ward nurses. While many studies have explored either the physical or the psychosocial aspects of nursing tasks separately, this study suggests that the physicality of nursing tasks must be evaluated in tandem with their complexity. Ward managers may take a holistic approach to nursing tasks evaluation by using a nursing tasks demand matrix. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A cognitive task analysis for dental hygiene.

PubMed

Cameron, C A; Beemsterboer, P L; Johnson, L A; Mislevy, R J; Steinberg, L S; Breyer, F J

2000-05-01

To be an effective assessment tool, a simulation-based examination must be able to evoke and interpret observable evidence about targeted knowledge, strategies, and skills in a manner that is logical and defensible. Dental Interactive Simulations Corporation's first assessment effort is the development of a scoring algorithm for a simulation-based dental hygiene initial licensure examination. The first phase in developing a scoring system is the completion of a cognitive task analysis (CTA) of the dental hygiene domain. In the first step of the CTA, a specifications map was generated to provide a framework of the tasks and knowledge that are important to the practice of dental hygiene. Using this framework, broad classes of behaviors that would tend to distinguish along the dental hygiene expert-novice continuum were identified. Nine paper-based cases were then designed with the expectation that the solutions of expert, competent, and novice dental hygienists would differ. Interviews were conducted with thirty-one dental hygiene students/practitioners to capture solutions to the paper-based cases. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed to identify performance features that distinguish among the interviewees on the basis of their expertise. These features were more detailed and empirically grounded than the originating broad classes and better serve to ground the design of a scoring system. The resulting performance features were collapsed into nine major categories: 1) gathering and using information, 2) formulating problems and investigating hypotheses, 3) communication and language, 4) scripting behavior, 5) ethics, 6) patient assessment, 7) treatment planning, 8) treatment, and 9) evaluation. The results of the CTA provide critical information for defining the necessary elements of a simulation-based dental hygiene examination.

Perceptions of health stakeholders on task shifting and motivation of community health workers in different socio demographic contexts in Kenya (nomadic, peri-urban and rural agrarian).

PubMed

Ochieng, Beverly; Akunja, Edith; Edwards, Nancy; Mombo, Diana; Marende, Leah; Kaseje, Dan C O

2014-01-01

The shortage of health professionals in low income countries is recognized as a crisis. Community health workers are part of a "task-shift" strategy to address this crisis. Task shifting in this paper refers to the delegation of tasks from health professionals to lay, trained volunteers. In Kenya, there is a debate as to whether these volunteers should be compensated, and what motivation strategies would be effective in different socio-demographic contexts, based type of tasks shifted. The purpose of this study was to find out, from stakeholders' perspectives, the type of tasks to be shifted to community health workers and the appropriate strategies to motivate and retain them. This was an analytical comparative study employing qualitative methods: key informant interviews with health policy makers, managers, and service providers, and focus group discussions with community health workers and service consumers, to explore their perspectives on tasks to be shifted and appropriate motivation strategies. The study found that there were tasks to be shifted and motivation strategies that were common to all three contexts. Common tasks were promotive, preventive, and simple curative services. Common motivation strategies were supportive supervision, means of identification, equitable allocation of resources, training, compensation, recognition, and evidence based community dialogue. The study concluded that inclusion of curative tasks for community health workers, particularly in nomadic contexts, is inevitable but raises the need for accreditation of their training and regulation of their tasks.

Advantages and limitations of web-based surveys: evidence from a child mental health survey.

PubMed

Heiervang, Einar; Goodman, Robert

2011-01-01

Web-based surveys may have advantages related to the speed and cost of data collection as well as data quality. However, they may be biased by low and selective participation. We predicted that such biases would distort point-estimates such as average symptom level or prevalence but not patterns of associations with putative risk-factors. A structured psychiatric interview was administered to parents in two successive surveys of child mental health. In 2003, parents were interviewed face-to-face, whereas in 2006 they completed the interview online. In both surveys, interviews were preceded by paper questionnaires covering child and family characteristics. The rate of parents logging onto the web site was comparable to the response rate for face-to-face interviews, but the rate of full response (completing all sections of the interview) was much lower for web-based interviews. Full response was less frequent for non-traditional families, immigrant parents, and less educated parents. Participation bias affected point estimates of psychopathology but had little effect on associations with putative risk factors. The time and cost of full web-based interviews was only a quarter of that for face-to-face interviews. Web-based surveys may be performed faster and at lower cost than more traditional approaches with personal interviews. Selective participation seems a particular threat to point estimates of psychopathology, while patterns of associations are more robust.

The job analysis of Korean nurses as a strategy to improve the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination.

PubMed

Park, In Sook; Suh, Yeon Ok; Park, Hae Sook; Ahn, Soo Yeon; Kang, So Young; Ko, Il Sun

2016-01-01

This study aimed at characterizing Korean nurses' occupational responsibilities to apply the results for improvement of the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination. First, the contents of nursing job were defined based on a focus group interview of 15 nurses. Developing a Curriculum (DACOM) method was used to examine those results and produce the questionnaire by 13 experts. After that, the questionnaire survey to 5,065 hospital nurses was done. The occupational responsibilities of nurses were characterized as involving 8 duties, 49 tasks, and 303 task elements. Those 8 duties are nursing management and professional development, safety and infection control, the management of potential risk factors, basic nursing and caring, the maintenance of physiological integrity, medication and parenteral treatments, socio-psychological integrity, and the maintenance and improvement of health. The content of Korean Nursing Licensing Examination should be improved based on 8 duties and 49 tasks of the occupational responsibilities of Korean nurses.

The Effect of Two-dimensional and Stereoscopic Presentation on Middle School Students' Performance of Spatial Cognition Tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Aaron; Lee, Hee-Sun

2010-02-01

We investigated whether and how student performance on three types of spatial cognition tasks differs when worked with two-dimensional or stereoscopic representations. We recruited nineteen middle school students visiting a planetarium in a large Midwestern American city and analyzed their performance on a series of spatial cognition tasks in terms of response accuracy and task completion time. Results show that response accuracy did not differ between the two types of representations while task completion time was significantly greater with the stereoscopic representations. The completion time increased as the number of mental manipulations of 3D objects increased in the tasks. Post-interviews provide evidence that some students continued to think of stereoscopic representations as two-dimensional. Based on cognitive load and cue theories, we interpret that, in the absence of pictorial depth cues, students may need more time to be familiar with stereoscopic representations for optimal performance. In light of these results, we discuss potential uses of stereoscopic representations for science learning.

Internet-based instruction in college teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flickinger, Kathleen Anne

Distance education and Internet instruction are increasingly being used in college science teaching. In an effort to reach more students, Iowa State University's Human Anatomy and Physiology course was offered via Internet as well as via traditional lecture format. To assess the educational ramifications of this offering, three studies were conducted. In the first study, a collective case study approach was utilized to describe the learning environment created by an Internet-based college science course. In this study, three students were followed as they worked their way through the course. Collective case study methodologies were used to provide a rich description of the learning environment experienced by these students. Motivation, computer savvy, and academic and personal self-confidence appeared to impact the satisfaction level of the students enrolled in the class. To evaluate the effectiveness of the learning environment offered through the Internet-based science course, a quantitative comparison study was undertaken. In this study a comparison of achievement scores and study habits between students enrolled in the Internet-based class and those enrolled in the traditional section was made. Results from this study indicated that content understanding and retention did not appear to be effected by the type of instruction. Desirable study habits were reportedly used more frequently in the Internet section of the class than in the traditional class. To complete the description of the Internet course experience, a qualitative examination of Internet instructors' time commitment and level of teaching satisfaction was conducted. Data for this study consisted of interviews and researcher observations. Instructor time-on-task was initially quite high, and remained above the average spent on average face-to-face instruction in subsequent semesters. Additionally the role of the faculty member changed dramatically, causing some lessening of job satisfaction. Taken as a whole, these three approaches to understanding the phenomenon of Internet science instruction reveal that the experience of learning science on the Internet can be a viable alternative for diverse learners. Students can learn science on-line at an achievement level that is equal to or better than students in a traditional course. Moreover, such courses may stimulate increased student interest in science and on-line learning. The results of this research indicate that Internet-based courses change the nature of instructional tasks. Instructors spend more time preparing for Internet-based courses than traditional courses; however, the majority of course preparation is associated with technical issues. These technical issues and changes in the nature of instructional tasks will have to be addressed by higher educational institutions.

Effects off system factors on the economics of and demand for small solar thermal power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Market penetration as a function time, SPS performance factors, and market/economic considerations was estimated, and commercialization strategies were formulated. A market analysis task included personal interviews and supplemental mail surveys to acquire statistical data and to identify and measure attitudes, reactions and intentions of prospective SPS users. Interviews encompassed three ownership classes of electric utilities and industrial firms in the SIC codes for energy consumption. A market demand model was developed which utilized the data base developed, and projected energy price and consumption data to perform sensitivity analyses and estimate potential market for SPS.

Effects off system factors on the economics of and demand for small solar thermal power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-09-01

Market penetration as a function time, SPS performance factors, and market/economic considerations was estimated, and commercialization strategies were formulated. A market analysis task included personal interviews and supplemental mail surveys to acquire statistical data and to identify and measure attitudes, reactions and intentions of prospective SPS users. Interviews encompassed three ownership classes of electric utilities and industrial firms in the SIC codes for energy consumption. A market demand model was developed which utilized the data base developed, and projected energy price and consumption data to perform sensitivity analyses and estimate potential market for SPS.

SPS market analysis. [small solar thermal power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goff, H. C.

1980-01-01

A market analysis task included personal interviews by GE personnel and supplemental mail surveys to acquire statistical data and to identify and measure attitudes, reactions and intentions of prospective small solar thermal power systems (SPS) users. Over 500 firms were contacted, including three ownership classes of electric utilities, industrial firms in the top SIC codes for energy consumption, and design engineering firms. A market demand model was developed which utilizes the data base developed by personal interviews and surveys, and projected energy price and consumption data to perform sensitivity analyses and estimate potential markets for SPS.

An Aircraft Lifecycle Approach for the Cost-Benefit Analysis of Prognostics and Condition-Based Maintenance-Based on Discrete-Event Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-02

MPD. This manufacturer documentation contains maintenance tasks with specification of intervals and required man-hours that are to be carried out...failures, without consideration of false alarms and missed failures (see also section 4.1.3). The task redundancy rate is the percentage of preventive...Prognostics and Health Management ROI return on investment RUL remaining useful life TCG task code group SB Service Bulletin XML Extensible Markup

The use of cognitive task analysis to reveal the instructional limitations of experts in the teaching of procedural skills.

PubMed

Sullivan, Maura E; Yates, Kenneth A; Inaba, Kenji; Lam, Lydia; Clark, Richard E

2014-05-01

Because of the automated nature of knowledge, experts tend to omit information when describing a task. A potential solution is cognitive task analysis (CTA). The authors investigated the percentage of knowledge experts omitted when teaching a cricothyrotomy to determine the percentage of additional knowledge gained during a CTA interview. Three experts were videotaped teaching a cricothyrotomy in 2010 at the University of Southern California. After transcription, they participated in CTA interviews for the same procedure. Three additional surgeons were recruited to perform a CTA for the procedure, and a "gold standard" task list was created. Transcriptions from the teaching sessions were compared with the task list to identify omitted steps (both "what" and "how" to do). Transcripts from the CTA interviews were compared against the task list to determine the percentage of knowledge articulated by each expert during the initial "free recall" (unprompted) phase of the CTA interview versus the amount of knowledge gained by using CTA elicitation techniques (prompted). Experts omitted an average of 71% (10/14) of clinical knowledge steps, 51% (14/27) of action steps, and 73% (3.6/5) of decision steps. For action steps, experts described "how to do it" only 13% (3.6/27) of the time. The average number of steps that were described increased from 44% (20/46) when unprompted to 66% (31/46) when prompted. This study supports previous research that experts unintentionally omit knowledge when describing a procedure. CTA is a useful method to extract automated knowledge and augment expert knowledge recall during teaching.

Facilitating Participation: Teacher Roles in a Multiuser Virtual Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Airong

2015-01-01

This paper reports on a task-based language teaching course in Second Life. The data set consists of transcribed recordings and a teacher interview. Focusing on how the teacher facilitated student participation, this paper aims to explore the discourse functions in the teacher language output and then to address the teacher roles in three…

School-Based Training for Deputy Heads and Its Relationship to the Task of Primary School Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clerkin, Ciaran

1985-01-01

A survey of 40 newly appointed head teachers in Great Britain, supplemented by interviews with four head teachers, provided data establishing the extent to which head teachers were prepared for eight specific administrative roles by the experiences as deputy heads. Widely diverse, unsystematized approaches to administrator preparation were…

Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages via System of "Voice over Internet Protocol" and Language Interactions Case Study: Skype

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahid, Wazira Ali Abdul; Ahmed, Eqbal Sulaiman; Wahid, Muntaha Ali Abdul

2015-01-01

This issue expresses a research study based on the online interactions of English teaching specially conversation through utilizing VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and cosmopolitan online theme. Data has been achieved by interviews. Simplifiers indicate how oral tasks require to be planned upon to facilitate engagement models propitious to…

Strengthening the Teaching Self-Efficacy of Early Career Academics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmings, Brian Colin

2015-01-01

This article reports on a qualitative study exploring teaching self-efficacy (defined as a belief in capability to execute teaching-related tasks) in a higher education context. It is based on the views of 12 early career academics (ECAs) employed at Charles Sturt University who were interviewed to learn more about how their teaching self-efficacy…

Scaffolding Online Historical Inquiry Tasks: A Case Study of Two Secondary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Dong Dong; Lim, Cher Ping

2008-01-01

This paper examines the different dimensions of scaffolding for online historical inquiry based on a case study of two secondary-two history classes from a neighborhood school in Singapore. The data collected for the study include video and screen captures, focus group interview, digital artifacts, and students' survey. Using sample transcripts…

Construction of High School Students' Abstraction Levels in Understanding the Concept of Quadrilaterals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budiarto, Mega Teguh; Khabibah, Siti; Setianingsih, Rini

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the abstraction thinking or the vertical reorganization activity of mathematical concepts of high school students while taking account of the abstraction that was constructed earlier, and the socio-cultural background. This study was qualitative in nature with task-based interviews as the method of…

Investigating High-School Students' Reasoning Strategies when They Solve Linear Equations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huntley, Mary Ann; Marcus, Robin; Kahan, Jeremy; Miller, Jane Lincoln

2007-01-01

A cross-curricular structured-probe task-based clinical interview study with 44 pairs of third-year high-school mathematics students, most of whom were high achieving, was conducted to investigate their approaches to a variety of algebra problems. This paper presents results from one problem that involved solving a set of three linear equations of…

Perceptual and Symbolic Representations as a Starting Point of the Acquisition of the Derivative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hahkioniemi, Markus

2004-01-01

In this paper we study how a student begins to acquire the concept of the derivative, what kind of representations he acquires and how he connects these representations. A teaching period, in which different perceptual and symbolic representation were emphasized, was carried out and task based interviews conducted to five students. The students…

Investigating Young Children's Learning of Mass Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheeseman, Jill; McDonough, Andrea; Ferguson, Sarah

2014-01-01

This paper reports results of a design experiment regarding young children's concepts of mass measurement. The research built on an earlier study in which a framework of "growth points" in early mathematics learning and a related, task-based, one-to-one interview to assess children's understanding of the measurement of mass…

The Logic of Equity Practice in "Queensland State Education"--2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Sandra; Singh, Parlo

2005-01-01

This paper reports on an interview-based study which explored the implementation of a major policy initiative in Queensland, Australia, with particular attention to social justice issues. Interviews were conducted with key policy actors in three sections of the bureaucracy: strategic directions, performance and measurement; curriculum and…

Pros and Cons of Clinical Pathway Software Management: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Aarnoutse, M F; Brinkkemper, S; de Mul, M; Askari, M

2018-01-01

In this study we aimed to assess the perceived effectiveness of clinical pathway management software for healthcare professionals. A case study on the clinical pathway management software program Check-It was performed in three departments at an academic medical center. Four months after the implementation of the software, interviews were held with healthcare professionals who work with the system. The interview questions were posed in a semi-structured interview format and the participant were asked about the perceived positive or negative effects of Check-It, and whether they thought the software is effective for them. The interviews were recorded and transcribed based on grounded theory, using different coding techniques. Our results showed fewer overlooked tasks, pre-filled orders and letters, better overview, and increased protocol insight as positive aspects of using the software. Being not flexible enough was experienced as a negative aspect.

The development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of an attachment Implicit Association Task.

PubMed

Venta, Amanda; Jardin, Charles; Kalpakci, Allison; Sharp, Carla

2016-01-01

The importance of measuring attachment insecurity is underscored by a vast literature tying attachment insecurity to numerous psychological disorders. Self-report measures assess explicit attachment beliefs and experiences, while interview measures, like the Adult Attachment Interview, assess implicit internal working models about the self as worthy of care and others as reliable sources of care. The present study is a preliminary psychometric evaluation of a potentially cost-effective method of assessing implicit internal working models of attachment through the development of an Implicit Association Test (IAT). A racially diverse sample of 104 college females was administered Internet-based versions of three IATs (assessing views of the self, mother, and father) as well as self-report measures of attachment and interpersonal problems. Analyses were conducted to evaluate the (a) internal consistency of each task, (b) correlations among the tasks, (c) concurrent validity, and (d) convergent validity. Adequate internal consistency was noted and correlations among the three IATs were significant. No significant associations were observed between the explicit self-report measures of attachment and the IATs. Two primary areas for future research are discussed. First, future research should utilize an implicit attachment measure alongside an IAT. Second, future research should reevaluate the IAT stimuli used.

Governance of professional nursing practice in a hospital setting: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

dos Santos, José Luís Guedes; Erdmann, Alacoque Lorenzini

2015-01-01

To elaborate an interpretative model for the governance of professional nursing practice in a hospital setting. A mixed methods study with concurrent triangulation strategy, using data from a cross-sectional study with 106 nurses and a Grounded Theory study with 63 participants. The quantitative data were collected through the Brazilian Nursing Work Index - Revised and underwent descriptive statistical analysis. Qualitative data were obtained from interviews and analyzed through initial, selective and focused coding. Based on the results obtained with the Brazilian Nursing Work Index - Revised, it is possible to state that nurses perceived that they had autonomy, control over the environment, good relationships with physicians and organizational support for nursing governance. The governance of the professional nursing practice is based on the management of nursing care and services carried out by the nurses. To perform these tasks, nurses aim to get around the constraints of the organizational support and develop management knowledge and skills. It is important to reorganize the structures and processes of nursing governance, especially the support provided by the organization for the management practices of nurses.

Self-Reported Physical Tasks and Exercise Training in Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Teams.

PubMed

Davis, Matthew R; Easter, Richard L; Carlock, Jonathan M; Weiss, Lawrence W; Longo, Elizabeth A; Smith, Lisa M; Dawes, J Jay; Schilling, Brian K

2016-11-01

Davis, MR, Easter, RL, Carlock, JM, Weiss, LW, Longo, EA, Smith, LM, Dawes, JJ, and Schilling, BK. Self-reported physical tasks and exercise training in Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 3242-3248, 2016-Little research has been done examining the most physically demanding tasks a SWAT officer may perform in the line of duty. Our objective was to analyze the rankings of tasks by SWAT officers based on frequency, difficulty, and importance and assess if training is addressing traits needed for successful task completion. A survey was designed using Qualtrics (Qualtrics Labs Inc). The survey had a demographics section, performance section, and training section. Officers were contacted by phone or e-mail and asked about interest in participating. Officers who agreed were sent the survey. Our results found a strong correlation between frequency of task and importance (r = 0.69, p = 0.001), and a moderate correlation was found between task difficulty and importance (r = 0.37, p = 0.005). Task rankings were averaged across the 3 domains to assess "overall" importance, and the top 3 tasks were assessed for necessary traits for successful performance. Power and strength were determined to be the most important traits for successful performance. Officers ranked the top 2 focuses of their training program in the training section as stamina/muscular endurance and cardiovascular/respiratory endurance. Training programs for SWAT officers should be developed to improve performance of the tasks with the highest "overall" importance. Therefore, a training program should emphasize strength and power improvements while not neglecting other measures of fitness.

Machine Tool Series. Duty Task List.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This task list is intended for use in planning and/or evaluating a competency-based course to prepare machine tool, drill press, grinding machine, lathe, mill, and/or power saw operators. The listing is divided into six sections, with each one outlining the tasks required to perform the duties that have been identified for the given occupation.…

Korean EFL Learners' Perspectives on Speaking Tasks: Discussion, Summary, and Information-Exchange Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mihye, Kim

2014-01-01

This study investigates Korean university English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners' task preference among three different speaking tasks. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and qualitative data were collected from interviews. Quantitative data were obtained from 88 survey respondents and qualitative data from 50 interview…

Production practices affecting worker task demands in concrete operations: A case study.

PubMed

Memarian, Babak; Mitropoulos, Panagiotis

2015-01-01

Construction work involves significant physical, mental, and temporal task demands. Excessive task demands can have negative consequences for safety, errors and production. This exploratory study investigates the magnitude and sources of task demands on a concrete operation, and examines the effect of the production practices on the workers' task demands. The NASA Task Load Index was used to measure the perceived task demands of two work crews. The operation involved the construction of a cast-in-place concrete building under high schedule pressures. Interviews with each crew member were used to identify the main sources of the perceived demands. Extensive field observations and interviews with the supervisors and crews identified the production practices. The workers perceived different level of task demands depending on their role. The production practices influenced the task demands in two ways: (1) practices related to work organization, task design, resource management, and crew management mitigated the task demands; and (2) other practices related to work planning and crew management increased the crew's ability to cope with and adapt to high task demands. The findings identify production practices that regulate the workers' task demands. The effect of task demands on performance is mitigated by the ability to cope with high demands.

Georgetown University Integrated Community Energy System (GU-ICES). Phase III, Stage I. Feasibility analysis. Final report. Volume 1

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

None

This Feasibility Analysis covers a wide range of studies and evaluations. The Report is divided into five parts. Section 1 contains all material relating to the Institutional Assessment including consideration of the requirements and position of the Potomac Electric Co. as they relate to cogeneration at Georgetown in parallel with the utility (Task 1). Sections 2 through 7 contain all technical information relating to the Alternative Subsystems Analysis (Task 4). This includes the energy demand profiles upon which the evaluations were based (Task 3). It further includes the results of the Life-Cycle-Cost Analyses (Task 5) which are developed in detailmore » in the Appendix for evaluation in the Technical Report. Also included is the material relating to Incremental Savings and Optimization (Task 6) and the Conceptual Design for candidate alternate subsystems (Task 7). Section 8 contains all material relating to the Environmental Impact Assessment (Task 2). The Appendix contains supplementary material including the budget cost estimates used in the life-cycle-cost analyses, the basic assumptions upon which the life-cycle analyses were developed, and the detailed life-cycle-cost anlysis for each subsystem considered in detail.« less

Behavioral Economic Indicators of Drinking Problem Severity and Initial Outcomes Among Problem Drinkers Attempting Natural Recovery: A Cross-sectional Naturalistic Study

PubMed Central

Tucker, Jalie A.; Cheong, JeeWon; Chandler, Susan D.; Lambert, Brice H.; Kwok, Heather; Pietrzak, Brittney

2016-01-01

Background and aims Research using different behavioral economic (BE) and time perspective (TP) measures suggests that substance misusers show greater sensitivity to shorter term contingencies than normal controls, but multiple measures have seldom been investigated together. This study evaluated the extent to which multiple BE and TP measures were associated with drinking problem severity, distinguished initial outcomes of natural recovery attempts, and shared common variance. Hypotheses were (1) greater problem severity would be associated with greater impulsivity and demand for alcohol and shorter TPs; and (2) low-risk drinking would be associated with greater sensitivity to longer term contingencies compared with abstinence. Design Cross-sectional naturalistic field study. Setting Southern United States. Participants Problem drinkers, recently resolved without treatment (N = 191 [76.4% male], M age = 50.1 years) recruited using media advertisements. Measurements Drinking practices, dependence levels, and alcohol-related problems prior to stopping problem drinking were assessed during structured field interviews. Measures included the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory; BE analogue choice tasks (Delay Discounting [DD], Melioration-Maximization [MM], Alcohol Purchase Task [APT]); and the Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure (ASDE) index, derived from real spending on alcohol and voluntary savings during the year before problem cessation. Findings Measures of demand based on real (ASDE) and hypothetical (APT) spending on alcohol were associated with problem severity (ps < .05), but DD, MM, and TP measures were not. More balanced pre-resolution spending on alcohol versus saving for the future distinguished low-risk drinking from abstinent resolutions (ASDE OR = 5.59; p < .001). BE measures did not share common variance. Conclusions Two behavioural assessment tools that measure spending on alcohol, the Alcohol Purchase Task and the Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure index, appear to be reliable in assessing the severity of drinking problems. The ASDE index also may aid choices between low-risk and abstinent drinking goals. PMID:27318078

Barriers and facilitators to recovering from e-prescribing errors in community pharmacies.

PubMed

Odukoya, Olufunmilola K; Stone, Jamie A; Chui, Michelle A

2015-01-01

To explore barriers and facilitators to recovery from e-prescribing errors in community pharmacies and to explore practical solutions for work system redesign to ensure successful recovery from errors. Cross-sectional qualitative design using direct observations, interviews, and focus groups. Five community pharmacies in Wisconsin. 13 pharmacists and 14 pharmacy technicians. Observational field notes and transcribed interviews and focus groups were subjected to thematic analysis guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) work system and patient safety model. Barriers and facilitators to recovering from e-prescription errors in community pharmacies. Organizational factors, such as communication, training, teamwork, and staffing levels, play an important role in recovering from e-prescription errors. Other factors that could positively or negatively affect recovery of e-prescription errors include level of experience, knowledge of the pharmacy personnel, availability or usability of tools and technology, interruptions and time pressure when performing tasks, and noise in the physical environment. The SEIPS model sheds light on key factors that may influence recovery from e-prescribing errors in pharmacies, including the environment, teamwork, communication, technology, tasks, and other organizational variables. To be successful in recovering from e-prescribing errors, pharmacies must provide the appropriate working conditions that support recovery from errors.

Identifying instructional tasks that occasion problem behaviors and assessing the effects of student versus teacher choice among these tasks.

PubMed

Vaughn, B J; Horner, R H

1997-01-01

Levels of problem behavior were assessed when 4 students with severe disabilities received instruction on preferred versus nonpreferred tasks and when tasks of each type were chosen by the teacher rather than by the student. In Phase 1, interview and direct observation assessments were conducted to identify relative preferences for academic tasks. In Phase 2, the effects of these lower preference and higher preference tasks on the rate of problem behavior were evaluated using a multielement design. The results showed that lower preference tasks were associated with higher rates of problem behaviors and that students, when given a choice, consistently selected the tasks that had been identified through interview and direct observation as higher preference. In Phase 3, we assessed whether allowing the students to choose between pairs of lower preference tasks or between pairs of higher preference tasks reduced problem behavior relative to a condition in which the teacher selected the same tasks. For 2 of 4 students, the rates of problem behavior were lower when students (rather than the teacher) selected the lower preference activity. Higher preference tasks for 3 students were associated with relatively low rates of problem behavior regardless of whether the student or the teacher selected the task.

Effects of intrinsic motivation on feedback processing during learning.

PubMed

DePasque, Samantha; Tricomi, Elizabeth

2015-10-01

Learning commonly requires feedback about the consequences of one's actions, which can drive learners to modify their behavior. Motivation may determine how sensitive an individual might be to such feedback, particularly in educational contexts where some students value academic achievement more than others. Thus, motivation for a task might influence the value placed on performance feedback and how effectively it is used to improve learning. To investigate the interplay between intrinsic motivation and feedback processing, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during feedback-based learning before and after a novel manipulation based on motivational interviewing, a technique for enhancing treatment motivation in mental health settings. Because of its role in the reinforcement learning system, the striatum is situated to play a significant role in the modulation of learning based on motivation. Consistent with this idea, motivation levels during the task were associated with sensitivity to positive versus negative feedback in the striatum. Additionally, heightened motivation following a brief motivational interview was associated with increases in feedback sensitivity in the left medial temporal lobe. Our results suggest that motivation modulates neural responses to performance-related feedback, and furthermore that changes in motivation facilitate processing in areas that support learning and memory. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Results of Student-Generated 'Unique Characteristics' on the Medical Student Performance Evaluation.

PubMed

Holloway, Richard; Domack, Aaron; Treat, Robert; Roo, Koenraad De

2016-06-01

The Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)--formerly called the dean's letter--is an important tool for residency program directors to use in assessing student qualifications for both invitation to interview and construction of their rank order list. Many institutions are now allowing students to construct their own Unique Characteristics (UC) section for the MSPE. This study addresses the results of allowing students to construct their own UC. The goal of this study was to allow students to voice their thoughts regarding their participation in the construction of the UC section of the MSPE. The survey evaluated student attitude toward, value of, and support for the UC section. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of all fourth-year medical students at the Medical College of Wisconsin during the 2014-2015 academic year. Responses were received from 66% of students (133 out of 199). We developed a question bank to cover the aims of the study--to assess student perceived value, experience writing, and support for the UC section. There was agreement among students that their participation will positively affect their candidacy for interview selection and success in the match. Overall significance of regression model P = .001, R2. = .60. Additionally, students believed they had an advantage over applicants at other schools without the opportunity to draft their UC. Other findings included that men found the task more challenging, psychiatry applicants were least satisfied with the character count, and emergency medicine applicants voiced the lowest value for the UC section. The present study supports, in general terms, the utility and value of students drafting their own UC section of the MSPE. Future investigations should focus on expanding to other schools, comparing public to private institutions, and refining the interspecialty comparisons.

Analyzing railroad dispatchers' strategies : a cognitive task analysis of a distributed planning task

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-10-11

This paper describes a preliminary cognitive task analysis (CTA) that is being conducted to examine how experienced train dispatchers manage and schedule trains. The CTA uses ethnographic field observations and structured interview techniques. The ob...

A human factors systems approach to understanding team-based primary care: a qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

Mundt, Marlon P.; Swedlund, Matthew P.

2016-01-01

Background. Research shows that high-functioning teams improve patient outcomes in primary care. However, there is no consensus on a conceptual model of team-based primary care that can be used to guide measurement and performance evaluation of teams. Objective. To qualitatively understand whether the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model could serve as a framework for creating and evaluating team-based primary care. Methods. We evaluated qualitative interview data from 19 clinicians and staff members from 6 primary care clinics associated with a large Midwestern university. All health care clinicians and staff in the study clinics completed a survey of their communication connections to team members. Social network analysis identified key informants for interviews by selecting the respondents with the highest frequency of communication ties as reported by their teammates. Semi-structured interviews focused on communication patterns, team climate and teamwork. Results. Themes derived from the interviews lent support to the SEIPS model components, such as the work system (Team, Tools and Technology, Physical Environment, Tasks and Organization), team processes and team outcomes. Conclusions. Our qualitative data support the SEIPS model as a promising conceptual framework for creating and evaluating primary care teams. Future studies of team-based care may benefit from using the SEIPS model to shift clinical practice to high functioning team-based primary care. PMID:27578837

Innovation in values based public health nursing student selection: A qualitative evaluation of candidate and selection panel member perspectives.

PubMed

McGraw, Caroline; Abbott, Stephen; Brook, Judy

2018-02-19

Values based recruitment emerges from the premise that a high degree of value congruence, or the extent to which an individual's values are similar to those of the health organization in which they work, leads to organizational effectiveness. The aim of this evaluation was to explore how candidates and selection panel members experienced and perceived innovative methods of values based public health nursing student selection. The evaluation was framed by a qualitative exploratory design involving semi-structured interviews and a group exercise. Data were thematically analyzed. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with selection panel members. Twenty-two successful candidates took part in a group exercise. The use of photo elicitation interviews and situational judgment questions in the context of selection to a university-run public health nursing educational program was explored. While candidates were ambivalent about the use of photo elicitation interviews, with some misunderstanding the task, selection panel members saw the benefits for improving candidate expression and reducing gaming and deception. Situational interview questions were endorsed by candidates and selection panel members due to their fidelity to real-life problems and the ability of panel members to discern value congruence from candidates' responses. Both techniques offered innovative solutions to candidate selection for entry to the public health nursing education program. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Family Caregivers' Reflections on Experiences of Assisted Suicide in Switzerland: A Qualitative Interview Study.

PubMed

Gamondi, C; Pott, Murielle; Preston, Nancy; Payne, Sheila

2018-04-01

Thousands of family members worldwide are annually involved in assisted dying. Family participation in assisted dying has rarely been investigated and families' needs typically are not considered in assisted dying legislation and clinical guidelines. To explore family caregivers' reflections on experiences of assisted suicide in Switzerland. A cross-sectional qualitative interview study conducted in the Italian- and French-speaking regions of Switzerland. Interpretation and analysis were performed using qualitative content analysis. Twenty-eight close relatives and family carers of 18 patients who died by assisted suicide in Switzerland were interviewed. Family members perceived their involvement in assisted suicide as characterized by five phases; 1) contemplation, 2) gaining acceptance, 3) gaining permission, 4) organization, and 5) aftermath. Families can participate in these phases at diverse levels and with varying degrees of involvement. Important triggers for families and patients for transition between phases include patients' experiences of their life-threatening illnesses and related treatments, their increasing awareness of approaching death, and family member recognition of their loved one's unbearable suffering. Participating in assisted suicide created further demanding tasks for families in addition to their role of caregivers. Families appeared to be involved in the preparation of assisted suicide along with patients, irrespective of their personal values regarding assisted dying. Support for family members is essential if they are involved in tasks preparatory to assisted suicide. Clinical guidelines and policies concerning assisted dying should acknowledge and address family needs. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Connections between Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs and Their Selection of Tasks for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Araujo, Zandra

2017-01-01

The tasks teachers select impact students' opportunities to learn mathematics and teachers' beliefs influence their choice of tasks. Through the qualitative analysis of surveys, interviews and classroom artefacts from three secondary mathematics teachers, this study examined teachers' selection of mathematics tasks for English language learners…

Putting Tasks to the Test: Human Capital, Job Tasks and Wages. NBER Working Paper No. 15116

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Autor, David H.; Handel, Michael J.

2009-01-01

Employing original, representative survey data, we document that cognitive, interpersonal and physical job task demands can be measured with high validity using standard interview techniques. Job tasks vary substantially within and between occupations, are significantly related to workers' characteristics, and are robustly predictive of wage…

The Dynamics of Development on the Dimensional Change Card Sorting Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Bers, Bianca M. C. W.; Visser, Ingmar; van Schijndel, Tessa J. P.; Mandell, Dorothy J.; Raijmakers, Maartje E. J.

2011-01-01

A widely used paradigm to study cognitive flexibility in preschoolers is the Dimensional Change Card Sorting (DCCS) task. The developmental dynamics of DCCS performance was studied in a cross-sectional design (N = 93, 3 to 5 years of age) using a computerized version of the standard DCCS task. A model-based analysis of the data showed that…

OLDER ADULTS’ PREFERENCES FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF ROBOT ASSISTANCE FOR EVERYDAY LIVING TASKS

PubMed Central

Smarr, Cory-Ann; Prakash, Akanksha; Beer, Jenay M.; Mitzner, Tracy L.; Kemp, Charles C.; Rogers, Wendy A.

2014-01-01

Many older adults value their independence and prefer to age in place. Robots can be designed to assist older people with performing everyday living tasks and maintaining their independence at home. Yet, there is a scarcity of knowledge regarding older adults’ attitudes toward robots and their preferences for robot assistance. Twenty-one older adults (M = 80.25 years old, SD = 7.19) completed questionnaires and participated in structured group interviews investigating their openness to and preferences for assistance from a mobile manipulator robot. Although the older adults were generally open to robot assistance for performing home-based tasks, they were selective in their views. Older adults preferred robot assistance over human assistance for many instrumental (e.g., housekeeping, laundry, medication reminders) and enhanced activities of daily living (e.g., new learning, hobbies). However, older adults were less open to robot assistance for some activities of daily living (e.g., shaving, hair care). Results from this study provide insight into older adults’ attitudes toward robot assistance with home-based everyday living tasks. PMID:25284971

Young Adolescents' Positioning of Human Rights: Findings from Colombia, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Keith C.

2015-01-01

This study investigated how young adolescents thought about the location of human rights issues and the nature of violations in differing geographic regions. Open-ended, task-based interviews were conducted with 116 students in Colombia, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the United States. Although students in each location pointed to…

Towards a Policy Social Psychology: Teacher Engagement with Policy Enactment and the Core Concept of Affective Disruption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheikh, Irfan; Bagley, Carl

2018-01-01

The article uncovers the complex process of educational policy enactment and the impact this process has on teachers as policy actors as they undertake the task of introducing a new mathematics curriculum in a Canadian secondary school. The three year study based on in-depth qualitative interviews adopts a classic grounded theory approach of…

An Analysis of Grade 11 Learners' Levels of Understanding of Functions in Terms of APOS Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chimhande, Tinoda; Naidoo, Ana; Stols, Gerrit

2017-01-01

This article reports on a study of six Grade 11 learners' levels of understanding of concepts related to the function definition and representation. Task-based clinical interviews were used to elicit the learners' interpretations and reasoning when working with these function-related concepts. Indicators for Action-Process-Object-Schema (APOS)…

Developing a Leveling Framework of Mathematical Belief and Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching of Indonesian Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novikasari, Ifada; Darhim, Didi Suryadi

2015-01-01

This study explored the characteristics of pre-service primary teachers (PSTs) influenced by mathematical belief and mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) PSTs'. A qualitative approach was used to investigate the levels of PSTs on mathematical belief and MKT. The two research instruments used in this study were an interview-based task and a…

Does courtesy bias affect how clients report on objective and subjective measures of family planning service quality? A comparison between facility- and home-based interviews.

PubMed

Hameed, Waqas; Ishaque, Muhammad; Gul, Xaher; Siddiqui, Junaid-Ur-Rehman; Hussain, Sharmeen; Hussain, Wajahat; Ahmed, Aftab; Balal, Asma

2017-01-01

Despite a general understanding that exit interviews being conducted at service providers' facilities may influence clients' responses favorably to health professionals, there is very little evidence available that demonstrates the extent to which this problem exists. This study aimed at assessing and comparing clients' perceptions of the quality of family planning services and their satisfaction levels between facility- and home-based interviews. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clients receiving family planning services across three service delivery channels - nongovernmental organization (NGO) clinics, social franchise (SF) centers, and outreach camps. The survey took place from December 2015 to January 2016 in 70 districts across all four provinces of Pakistan. A total of 2,807 clients were interviewed, of whom 1,404 clients were interviewed at health facilities after receiving services and 1,403 were interviewed at their homes within 3 days of method uptake. Overall, we found no significant differences between the characteristics of study participants interviewed at health facilities or at home. The findings suggested that experiences reported in exit surveys at facilities were strongly biased positively. This was true for both experiential (service quality) and perception-based (satisfaction) questions in the context of SF centers, while at NGO clinics the interview location only affected clients' responses regarding service quality. However, in outreach settings, clients are more likely to share bad experiences in exit interviews than in home-based interviews on objectively asked questions (service quality). Our study indicates signs of courtesy bias and possibly the Hawthorne effect in exit interviews. Program implementers could opt for home-based interviews for women receiving services at NGO clinics or SF center, whereas exit interviews could be used in outreach settings.

Does courtesy bias affect how clients report on objective and subjective measures of family planning service quality? A comparison between facility- and home-based interviews

PubMed Central

Hameed, Waqas; Ishaque, Muhammad; Gul, Xaher; Siddiqui, Junaid-ur-Rehman; Hussain, Sharmeen; Hussain, Wajahat; Ahmed, Aftab; Balal, Asma

2017-01-01

Purpose Despite a general understanding that exit interviews being conducted at service providers’ facilities may influence clients’ responses favorably to health professionals, there is very little evidence available that demonstrates the extent to which this problem exists. This study aimed at assessing and comparing clients’ perceptions of the quality of family planning services and their satisfaction levels between facility- and home-based interviews. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clients receiving family planning services across three service delivery channels – nongovernmental organization (NGO) clinics, social franchise (SF) centers, and outreach camps. The survey took place from December 2015 to January 2016 in 70 districts across all four provinces of Pakistan. A total of 2,807 clients were interviewed, of whom 1,404 clients were interviewed at health facilities after receiving services and 1,403 were interviewed at their homes within 3 days of method uptake. Results Overall, we found no significant differences between the characteristics of study participants interviewed at health facilities or at home. The findings suggested that experiences reported in exit surveys at facilities were strongly biased positively. This was true for both experiential (service quality) and perception-based (satisfaction) questions in the context of SF centers, while at NGO clinics the interview location only affected clients’ responses regarding service quality. However, in outreach settings, clients are more likely to share bad experiences in exit interviews than in home-based interviews on objectively asked questions (service quality). Conclusion Our study indicates signs of courtesy bias and possibly the Hawthorne effect in exit interviews. Program implementers could opt for home-based interviews for women receiving services at NGO clinics or SF center, whereas exit interviews could be used in outreach settings. PMID:29760573

Midwives Performance in Early Detection of Growth and Development Irregularities of Children Based on Task Commitment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utami, Sri; Nursalam; Hargono, Rachmat; Susilaningrum, Rekawati

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the performance of midwives based on the task commitment. This was an observational analytic with cross sectional approach. Multistage random sampling was used to determine the public health center, proportional random sampling to selected participants. The samples were 222 midwives in the public health…

The Effectiveness of Predict-Observe-Explain Technique in Probing Students' Understanding about Acid-Base Chemistry: A Case for the Concepts of pH, pOH, and Strength

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kala, Nesli; Yaman, Fatma; Ayas, Alipasa

2013-01-01

The present study describes high school students' conceptions about acids and bases in terms of pH, pOH, microscopic level, strength, and concentration. A total of 27 high school students participated in the study. The data was collected using 3 POE tasks and a semi-structured interview. The data analysis demonstrated that most of the students had…

In Order to Win, Learn How to Fight: The US Army in Urban Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-05-23

Arms MOUT Task Force, “Mission Need Statement For Urban Operations Training Capability.” Annex A, 23 Feb 2001, 5-6. 93 Mr. John Bastone , Combined Arms...John Bastone , Combined Arms MOUT Task Force, Phone interview with author on Feb.5, 2002. 100 “A Concept for Future Military Operations on Urbanized...conduct close quarters combat with enemy forces. For this 108 Mr. John Bastone , Phone Interview, Feb.5

The convergence between self-reports and observer ratings of financial skills and direct assessment of financial capabilities in patients with schizophrenia: more detail is not always better.

PubMed

Harvey, Philip D; Stone, Laura; Lowenstein, David; Czaja, Sara J; Heaton, Robert K; Twamley, Elizabeth W; Patterson, Thomas L

2013-06-01

Despite multiple lines of evidence suggesting that people with schizophrenia tend to overestimate their ability to perform everyday tasks such as money management, self-report methods are still widely used to assess functioning. In today's technology driven financial world patients are faced with increasingly complex financial management tasks. To meet these challenges adequate financial skills are required. Thus, accurate assessments of these abilities are critical to decisions regarding a patient's need for support such as a financial trustee. As part of the larger VALERO study, 195 patients with schizophrenia were asked to self-report their everyday financial skills (five common financial tasks) with the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS). They were also assessed with performance-based measures of neuro-cognition and functional capacity with a focus on financial skills. In addition, a friend, relative, or clinician informant was interviewed with the ILSS and a best estimate rating of functioning was generated. Scores on the performance-based measures of financial skills and neuropsychological tests were uncorrelated with self-reported financial activities. Interviewer and all informant judgments of financial abilities were also minimally correlated with performance on functional skill tests. Discrete financial skills appear to be challenging for clinicians to rate with accuracy without the use of direct assessments. Direct assessment of financial skills seems prudent when making determinations about the need for guardianship or other financial supervision. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Convergence between Self-reports and Observer Ratings of Financial Skills and Direct Assessment of Financial Capabilities in Patients with Schizophrenia: More Detail is Not Always Better

PubMed Central

Harvey, Philip D.; Stone, Laura; Lowenstein, David; Czaja, Sara J.; Heaton, Robert K.; Patterson, Thomas L

2013-01-01

Despite multiple lines of evidence suggesting that people with schizophrenia tend to overestimate their ability to perform everyday tasks such as money management, self-report methods are still widely used to assess functioning. In today’s technology driven financial world patients are faced with increasingly complex financial management tasks. To meet these challenges adequate financial skills are required. Thus, accurate assessments of these abilities are critical to decisions regarding a patient’s need for support such as a financial trustee. As part of the larger VALERO study, 195 patients with schizophrenia were asked to self-report their everyday financial skills (five common financial tasks) with the Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS). They were also assessed with performance-based measures of neuro-cognition and functional capacity with a focus on financial skills. In addition, a friend, relative, or clinician informant was interviewed with the ILSS and a best estimate rating of functioning was generated. Scores on the performance-based measures of financial skills and neuropsychological tests were uncorrelated with self-reported financial activities. Interviewer and all informant judgments of financial abilities were also minimally correlated with performance on functional skills tests. Discrete financial skills appear to be challenging for clinicians to rate with accuracy without the use of direct assessments. Direct assessment of financial skills seems prudent when making determinations about the need for guardianship or other financial supervision. PMID:23537475

Maternal Depression and Trait Anger as Risk Factors for Escalated Physical Discipline

PubMed Central

Shay, Nicole L.; Knutson, John F.

2008-01-01

To test the hypothesized anger-mediated relation between maternal depression and escalation of physical discipline, 122 economically disadvantaged mothers were assessed for current and lifetime diagnoses of depression using the Current Depressive Episode, Past Depression, and Dysthymia sections of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and a measure of current depressive symptoms, the Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition (BDI-II). Escalation of physical discipline was assessed using a video analog parenting task; maternal anger not specific to discipline was assessed using the Spielberger Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Reports of anger were associated with the diagnosis of depression and depressive symptoms. Bootstrap analyses of indirect effects indicated that the link between depression and escalated discipline was mediated by anger. Parallel analyses based on BDI-II scores identified a marginally significant indirect effect of depression on discipline. Findings suggest that anger and irritability are central to the putative link between depression and harsh discipline. PMID:18174347

Concept Generation Process for Patient Transferring Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dandavate, A. L.; Sarje, S. H.

2012-07-01

In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop concepts for patient transferring tasks. The concept generation process of patient transferring device (PTD), which includes interviews of the customers, interpretation of the needs, organizing the needs into a hierarchy, establishing relative importance of the needs, establishing target specifications, and conceptualization has been discussed in this paper. The authors conducted the interviews of customers at Mobilink NGO, St. John's Hospital, Bangalore in order to know the needs and wants for the PTD. AHP technique was used for establishing and evaluating relative importance of needs, and based on the importance of the customer needs, concepts were developed through brainstorming.

Micro-based fact collection tool user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayer, Richard

1988-01-01

A procedure designed for use by an analyst to assist in the collection and organization of data gathered during the interview processes associated with system analysis and modeling task is described. The basic concept behind the development of this tool is that during the interview process an analyst is presented with assertions of facts by the domain expert. The analyst also makes observations of the domain. These facts need to be collected and preserved in such a way as to allow them to serve as the basis for a number of decision making processes throughout the system development process. This tool can be thought of as a computerization of the analysts's notebook.

Doctors' use of electronic medical records systems in hospitals: cross sectional survey

PubMed Central

Lærum, Hallvard; Ellingsen, Gunnar; Faxvaag, Arild

2001-01-01

Objectives To compare the use of three electronic medical records systems by doctors in Norwegian hospitals for general clinical tasks. Design Cross sectional questionnaire survey. Semistructured telephone interviews with key staff in information technology in each hospital for details of local implementation of the systems. Setting 32 hospital units in 19 Norwegian hospitals with electronic medical records systems. Participants 227 (72%) of 314 hospital doctors responded, equally distributed between the three electronic medical records systems. Main outcome measures Proportion of respondents who used the electronic system, calculated for each of 23 tasks; difference in proportions of users of different systems when functionality of systems was similar. Results Most tasks listed in the questionnaire (15/23) were generally covered with implemented functions in the electronic medical records systems. However, the systems were used for only 2-7 of the tasks, mainly associated with reading patient data. Respondents showed significant differences in frequency of use of the different systems for four tasks for which the systems offered equivalent functionality. The respondents scored highly in computer literacy (72.2/100), and computer use showed no correlation with respondents' age, sex, or work position. User satisfaction scores were generally positive (67.2/100), with some difference between the systems. Conclusions Doctors used electronic medical records systems for far fewer tasks than the systems supported. What is already known on this topicElectronic information systems in health care have not undergone systematic evaluation, and few comparisons between electronic medical records systems have been madeGiven the information intensive nature of clinical work, electronic medical records systems should be of help to doctors for most clinical tasksWhat this study addsDoctors in Norwegian hospitals reported a low level of use of all electronic medical records systemsThe systems were mainly used for reading patient data, and doctors used the systems for less than half of the tasks for which the systems were functionalAnalyses of actual use of electronic medical records provide more information than user satisfaction or functionality of such records systems PMID:11739222

Usability Evaluation of an Unstructured Clinical Document Query Tool for Researchers.

PubMed

Hultman, Gretchen; McEwan, Reed; Pakhomov, Serguei; Lindemann, Elizabeth; Skube, Steven; Melton, Genevieve B

2018-01-01

Natural Language Processing - Patient Information Extraction for Researchers (NLP-PIER) was developed for clinical researchers for self-service Natural Language Processing (NLP) queries with clinical notes. This study was to conduct a user-centered analysis with clinical researchers to gain insight into NLP-PIER's usability and to gain an understanding of the needs of clinical researchers when using an application for searching clinical notes. Clinical researcher participants (n=11) completed tasks using the system's two existing search interfaces and completed a set of surveys and an exit interview. Quantitative data including time on task, task completion rate, and survey responses were collected. Interviews were analyzed qualitatively. Survey scores, time on task and task completion proportions varied widely. Qualitative analysis indicated that participants found the system to be useful and usable in specific projects. This study identified several usability challenges and our findings will guide the improvement of NLP-PIER 's interfaces.

What Makes a Mathematical Task Interesting?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyman, Rimma

2016-01-01

The study addresses the question of what makes a mathematical task interesting to the 9th year students. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 15 students of purposive selection of the 9th year. The students were asked to recall a task they found interesting and engaging during the past three years. An analysis of the tasks was made…

Effects of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors on Selection Decisions in Employment Interviews

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Podsakoff, Nathan P.; Whiting, Steven W.; Podsakoff, Philip M.; Mishra, Paresh

2011-01-01

This article reports on an experiment examining the effects of job candidates' propensity to exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) on selection decisions made in the context of a job interview. We developed videos that manipulated candidate responses to interview questions tapping task performance and citizenship behavior content in…

Usability study of a computer-based self-management system for older adults with chronic diseases.

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Tao, Da

2012-11-08

Usability can influence patients' acceptance and adoption of a health information technology. However, little research has been conducted to study the usability of a self-management health care system, especially one geared toward elderly patients. This usability study evaluated a new computer-based self-management system interface for older adults with chronic diseases, using a paper prototype approach. Fifty older adults with different chronic diseases participated. Two usability evaluation methods were involved: (1) a heuristics evaluation and (2) end-user testing with a think-aloud testing method, audio recording, videotaping, and interviewing. A set of usability metrics was employed to determine the overall system usability, including task incompletion rate, task completion time, frequency of error, frequency of help, satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Interviews were used to elicit participants' comments on the system design. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were analyzed for content. The participants were able to perform the predesigned self-management tasks with the current system design and they expressed mostly positive responses about the perceived usability measures regarding the system interface. However, the heuristics evaluation, performance measures, and interviews revealed a number of usability problems related to system navigation, information search and interpretation, information presentation, and readability. Design recommendations for further system interface modifications were discussed. This study verified the usability of the self-management system developed for older adults with chronic diseases. Also, we demonstrated that our usability evaluation approach could be used to quickly and effectively identify usability problems in a health care information system at an early stage of the system development process using a paper prototype. Conducting a usability evaluation is an essential step in system development to ensure that the system features match the users' true needs, expectations, and characteristics, and also to minimize the likelihood of the users committing user errors and having difficulties using the system.

Usability Study of a Computer-Based Self-Management System for Older Adults with Chronic Diseases

PubMed Central

Tao, Da

2012-01-01

Background Usability can influence patients’ acceptance and adoption of a health information technology. However, little research has been conducted to study the usability of a self-management health care system, especially one geared toward elderly patients. Objective This usability study evaluated a new computer-based self-management system interface for older adults with chronic diseases, using a paper prototype approach. Methods Fifty older adults with different chronic diseases participated. Two usability evaluation methods were involved: (1) a heuristics evaluation and (2) end-user testing with a think-aloud testing method, audio recording, videotaping, and interviewing. A set of usability metrics was employed to determine the overall system usability, including task incompletion rate, task completion time, frequency of error, frequency of help, satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Interviews were used to elicit participants’ comments on the system design. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were analyzed for content. Results The participants were able to perform the predesigned self-management tasks with the current system design and they expressed mostly positive responses about the perceived usability measures regarding the system interface. However, the heuristics evaluation, performance measures, and interviews revealed a number of usability problems related to system navigation, information search and interpretation, information presentation, and readability. Design recommendations for further system interface modifications were discussed. Conclusions This study verified the usability of the self-management system developed for older adults with chronic diseases. Also, we demonstrated that our usability evaluation approach could be used to quickly and effectively identify usability problems in a health care information system at an early stage of the system development process using a paper prototype. Conducting a usability evaluation is an essential step in system development to ensure that the system features match the users’ true needs, expectations, and characteristics, and also to minimize the likelihood of the users committing user errors and having difficulties using the system. PMID:23612015

Temporal and subjective work demands in office-based patient care: an exploration of the dimensions of physician work intensity.

PubMed

Jacobson, C Jeff; Bolon, Shannon; Elder, Nancy; Schroer, Brian; Matthews, Gerald; Szaflarski, Jerzy P; Raphaelson, Marc; Horner, Ronnie D

2011-01-01

Physician work intensity (WI) during office-based patient care affects quality of care and patient safety as well as physician job-satisfaction and reimbursement. Existing, brief work intensity measures have been used in physician studies, but their validity in clinical settings has not been established. Document and describe subjective and temporal WI dimensions for physicians in office-based clinical settings. Examine these in relation to the measurement procedures and dimensions of the SWAT and NASA-TLX intensity measures. A focused ethnographic study using interviews and direct observations. Five family physicians, 5 general internists, 5 neurologists, and 4 surgeons. Through interviews, each physician was asked to describe low and high intensity work responsibilities, patients, and events. To document time and task allotments, physicians were observed during a routine workday. Notes and transcripts were analyzed using the editing method in which categories are obtained from the data. WI factors identified by physicians matched dimensions assessed by standard, generic instruments of work intensity. Physicians also reported WI factors outside of the direct patient encounter. Across specialties, physician time spent in direct contact with patients averaged 61% for office-based services. Brief work intensity measures such as the SWAT and NASA-TLX can be used to assess WI in the office-based clinical setting. However, because these measures define the physician work "task" in terms of effort in the presence of the patient (ie, intraservice time), substantial physician effort dedicated to pre- and postservice activities is not captured.

Sixth-Grade Students' Engagement in Academic Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Seth A.; Malloy, Jacquelynn A.; Parsons, Allison Ward; Peters-Burton, Erin E.; Burrowbridge, Sarah Cohen

2018-01-01

Student engagement is important for teachers and researchers because it is associated with student achievement. Guided by self-determination theory, this year-long case study used observations and interviews to examine six students' behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement in integrated literacy and social studies tasks. Task differences…

Student use of model-based reasoning when troubleshooting an electronic circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewandowski, Heather; Stetzer, Mackenzie; van de Bogart, Kevin; Dounas-Frazer, Dimitri

2016-03-01

Troubleshooting systems is an integral part of experimental physics in both research and educational settings. Accordingly, ability to troubleshoot is an important learning goal for undergraduate physics lab courses. We investigate students' model-based reasoning on a troubleshooting task using data collected in think-aloud interviews during which pairs of students from two institutions attempted to diagnose and repair a malfunctioning circuit. Our analysis scheme was informed by the Experimental Modeling Framework, which describes physicists' use of mathematical and conceptual models when reasoning about experimental systems. We show that system and subsystem models were crucial for the evaluation of repairs to the circuit and played an important role in some troubleshooting strategies. Finally, drawing on data from interviews with electronics instructors from a broad range of institution types, we outline recommendations for model-based approaches to teaching and learning troubleshooting skills.

Student use of model-based reasoning when troubleshooting an electric circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dounas-Frazer, Dimitri

2016-05-01

Troubleshooting systems is an integral part of experimental physics in both research and educational settings. Accordingly, ability to troubleshoot is an important learning goal for undergraduate physics lab courses. We investigate students' model-based reasoning on a troubleshooting task using data collected in think-aloud interviews during which pairs of students from two institutions attempted to diagnose and repair a malfunctioning circuit. Our analysis scheme was informed by the Experimental Modeling Framework, which describes physicists' use of mathematical and conceptual models when reasoning about experimental systems. We show that system and subsystem models were crucial for the evaluation of repairs to the circuit and played an important role in some troubleshooting strategies. Finally, drawing on data from interviews with electronics instructors from a broad range of institution types, we outline recommendations for model-based approaches to teaching and learning troubleshooting skills.

Toward a Theory of Web-Mediated Knowledge Synthesis: How Advanced Learners Used the Web to Construct Knowledge about Climate Change Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSchryver, Michael

2012-01-01

This dissertation utilized a multiple case study design to explore how advanced learners synthesize information about ill-structured topics when reading-to-learn and reading-to-do on the Web. Eight graduate students provided data in the form of think-alouds, interviews, screen video, digital trails, and task artifacts. Data analysis was based on…

Building Interagency Partnerships Curriculum: Instructor’s Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

includes instructor-led components, documentary -style footage of subject matter experts, and true stories from the field to elicit reflection and discussion...context. The documentary -style films included in the curriculum are based on an analysis of interviews with military personnel, U.S. government... management tasks while collaborating with interagency partners. 29 Lesson 1: Boundary-Spanning OBJECTIVES The student will be: • Introduced to the

Solution Strategies, Modes of Representation and Justifications of Primary Five Pupils in Solving Pre Algebra Problems: An Experience of Using Task-Based Interview and Verbal Protocol Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Gan We; Ghazali, Munirah

2007-01-01

This descriptive study was aimed at looking into how Primary 5 pupils solve pre-algebra problems concerning patterns and unknown quantities. Specifically, objectives of this study were to describe Primary 5 pupils' solution strategies, modes of representations and justifications in: (a) discovering, describing and using numerical and geometrical…

Evaluation of the Trajectory Operations Applications Software Task (TOAST). Volume 2: Interview transcripts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, Sharon; Martin, Andrea; Bavinger, Bill

1990-01-01

The Trajectory Operations Applications Software Task (TOAST) is a software development project whose purpose is to provide trajectory operation pre-mission and real-time support for the Space Shuttle. The purpose of the evaluation was to evaluate TOAST as an Application Manager - to assess current and planned capabilities, compare capabilities to commercially-available off the shelf (COTS) software, and analyze requirements of MCC and Flight Analysis Design System (FADS) for TOAST implementation. As a major part of the data gathering for the evaluation, interviews were conducted with NASA and contractor personnel. Real-time and flight design users, orbit navigation users, the TOAST developers, and management were interviewed. Code reviews and demonstrations were also held. Each of these interviews was videotaped and transcribed as appropriate. Transcripts were edited and are presented chronologically.

Functions of behavior change interventions when implementing multi-professional teamwork at an emergency department: a comparative case study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background While there is strong support for the benefits of working in multi-professional teams in health care, the implementation of multi-professional teamwork is reported to be complex and challenging. Implementation strategies combining multiple behavior change interventions are recommended, but the understanding of how and why the behavior change interventions influence staff behavior is limited. There is a lack of studies focusing on the functions of different behavior change interventions and the mechanisms driving behavior change. In this study, applied behavior analysis is used to analyze the function and impact of different behavior change interventions when implementing multi-professional teamwork. Methods A comparative case study design was applied. Two sections of an emergency department implemented multi-professional teamwork involving changes in work processes, aimed at increasing inter-professional collaboration. Behavior change interventions and staff behavior change were studied using observations, interviews and document analysis. Using a hybrid thematic analysis, the behavior change interventions were categorized according to the DCOM® model. The functions of the behavior change interventions were then analyzed using applied behavior analysis. Results The two sections used different behavior change interventions, resulting in a large difference in the degree of staff behavior change. The successful section enabled staff performance of teamwork behaviors with a strategy based on ongoing problem-solving and frequent clarification of directions. Managerial feedback initially played an important role in motivating teamwork behaviors. Gradually, as staff started to experience positive outcomes of the intervention, motivation for teamwork behaviors was replaced by positive task-generated feedback. Conclusions The functional perspective of applied behavior analysis offers insight into the behavioral mechanisms that describe how and why behavior change interventions influence staff behavior. The analysis demonstrates how enabling behavior change interventions, managerial feedback and task-related feedback interact in their influence on behavior and have complementary functions during different stages of implementation. PMID:24885212

Claretian Medical Center Task Analysis. Worker Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.

This task analysis for positions at the Claretian Medical Center in southeast Chicago was developed to improve communication and customer service in the workplace. The task analysis was prepared through clinic tours, employee interviews, and supervisor questionnaires. It is used for the purpose of curriculum development for onsite instruction in…

PRN 90-3: Announcing the Formation of an Industry-Wide Spray Drift Task Force

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A Spray Drift Task Force has been organized pursuant to provisions of FIFRA section 3 (c)(2)(B)(ii) to share the cost of developing a generic spray drift data base capable of satisfying spray drift data requirements for pesticide product registrations.

Problems in Communicating the Suspect's Rights in Interpreted Police Interviews

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakane, Ikuko

2007-01-01

At first glance, communicating a suspect's rights in police interviews appears to be a straightforward task. However, it is more complex than it appears. In particular, for suspects who come from different cultural backgrounds or legal systems and who rely on interpreters in police interviews, ensuring a thorough understanding of their rights and…

A human factors systems approach to understanding team-based primary care: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Mundt, Marlon P; Swedlund, Matthew P

2016-12-01

Research shows that high-functioning teams improve patient outcomes in primary care. However, there is no consensus on a conceptual model of team-based primary care that can be used to guide measurement and performance evaluation of teams. To qualitatively understand whether the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model could serve as a framework for creating and evaluating team-based primary care. We evaluated qualitative interview data from 19 clinicians and staff members from 6 primary care clinics associated with a large Midwestern university. All health care clinicians and staff in the study clinics completed a survey of their communication connections to team members. Social network analysis identified key informants for interviews by selecting the respondents with the highest frequency of communication ties as reported by their teammates. Semi-structured interviews focused on communication patterns, team climate and teamwork. Themes derived from the interviews lent support to the SEIPS model components, such as the work system (Team, Tools and Technology, Physical Environment, Tasks and Organization), team processes and team outcomes. Our qualitative data support the SEIPS model as a promising conceptual framework for creating and evaluating primary care teams. Future studies of team-based care may benefit from using the SEIPS model to shift clinical practice to high functioning team-based primary care. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Description and measurement of concentration problems in depressed patients.

PubMed

Watts, F N; Sharrock, R

1985-05-01

Depressed patients commonly complain of concentration problems, yet these have seldom been the focus of systematic investigation. A structured interview about concentration problems was administered to a group of relatively severely depressed patients. Problems in reading and watching television were the most common, and were highly correlated with each other. Direct report of the number of concentration lapses on a reading task was the most generally satisfactory task-performance correlate of complaints of reading/TV concentration problems. Evidence both from this task and from the interview suggests that depressive concentration problems may often be due to 'mind-wandering'. The correlations with concentration problems with the severity and endogeneity of depression and with state anxiety were generally similar.

Starting points and pathways in Aboriginal students' learning of number: recognising different world views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treacy, Kaye; Frid, Sandra; Jacob, Lorraine

2015-09-01

This research was designed to investigate the conceptualisations and thinking strategies Indigenous Australian students use in counting tasks. Eighteen Aboriginal students, in years 1 to 11 at a remote community school, were interviewed using standard counting tasks and a `counting' task that involved fetching `maku' (witchetty grubs) to have enough to give a maku to each person in a picture. The tasks were developed with, and the interviews conducted by, an Aboriginal research assistant, to ensure appropriate cultural and language contexts. A main finding was that most of the students did not see the need to use counting to make equivalent sets, even though they were able to demonstrate standard counting skills. The findings highlight a need to further examine the world views, orientations and related mathematical concepts and processes that Indigenous students bring to school.

Development and application of a framework to assess community nutritionists' use of environmental strategies to prevent obesity.

PubMed

Lu, Angela H; Dickin, Katherine; Dollahite, Jamie

2014-01-01

To develop and apply a framework exploring the extent of involvement in promoting environmental changes to prevent obesity by a group of nutrition educators (NE). Cross-sectional, mixed methods: qualitative interviews informed framework development; survey applied framework to describe NE's involvement in environmental changes. Cooperative Extension in New York State. Interviewees (n = 7) selected to vary in environmental change activities and rural/urban location. Survey response rate was 100% (n = 58). Dimensions and degree of NE's involvement in promoting environmental change. Thematic analysis of qualitative data, triangulated with descriptive analyses of NE's performance of tasks in various settings. NE's promotion of environmental changes was characterized using framework based on settings and tasks, dimensions that emerged from qualitative analysis. NE's actions varied across these dimensions and ranged from low to high intensity of collaboration and leadership for environmental change. Most NE surveyed reported actions limited to providing information and recommendations on healthy eating and physical activity. Few reported intensive engagement in developing, implementing, and evaluating plans to change environments for obesity prevention. Framework identifies the levels of engagement in promoting environmental changes and supports future research and practice of community nutrition professionals by providing a roadmap for assessing their involvement on multiple levels to prevent obesity. Copyright © 2014 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. All rights reserved.

Prosthesis use in adult acquired major upper-limb amputees: patterns of wear, prosthetic skills and the actual use of prostheses in activities of daily life.

PubMed

Østlie, Kristin; Lesjø, Ingrid Marie; Franklin, Rosemary Joy; Garfelt, Beate; Skjeldal, Ola Hunsbeth; Magnus, Per

2012-11-01

To describe patterns of prosthesis wear and perceived prosthetic usefulness in adult acquired upper-limb amputees (ULAs). To describe prosthetic skills in activities of daily life (ADL) and the actual use of prostheses in the performance of ADL tasks. To estimate the influence of prosthetic skills on actual prosthesis use and the influence of background factors on prosthetic skills and actual prosthesis use. Cross-sectional study analysing population-based questionnaire data (n = 224) and data from interviews and clinical testing in a referred/convenience sample of prosthesis-wearing ULAs (n = 50). Effects were analysed using linear regression. 80.8% wore prostheses. 90.3% reported their most worn prosthesis as useful. Prosthetic usefulness profiles varied with prosthetic type. Despite demonstrating good prosthetic skills, the amputees reported actual prosthesis use in only about half of the ADL tasks performed in everyday life. In unilateral amputees, increased actual use was associated with sufficient prosthetic training and with the use of myoelectric vs cosmetic prostheses, regardless of amputation level. Prosthetic skills did not affect actual prosthesis use. No background factors showed significant effect on prosthetic skills. Most major ULAs wear prostheses. Individualised prosthetic training and fitting of myoelectric rather than passive prostheses may increase actual prosthesis use in ADL.

Exploring the Relationship between Students' Understanding of Conventional Time and Deep (Geologic) Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheek, Kim A.

2013-07-01

Many geologic processes occur in the context of geologic or deep time. Students of all ages demonstrate difficulty grasping this fundamental concept which impacts their ability to acquire other geoscience concepts. A concept of deep time requires the ability to sequence events on an immense temporal scale (succession) and to judge the durations of geologic processes based on the rates at which they occur. The twin concepts of succession and duration are the same ideas that underlie a concept of conventional time. If deep time is an extension of conventional time and not qualitatively different from it, students should display similar reasoning patterns when dealing with analogous tasks over disparate temporal periods. Thirty-five US students aged 13-24 years participated in individual task-based interviews to ascertain how they thought about succession and duration in conventional and deep time. This is the first attempt to explore this relationship in the same study in over 30 years. Most students successfully completed temporal succession tasks, but there was greater variability in responses on duration tasks. Conventional time concepts appear to impact how students reason about deep time. The application of spatial reasoning to temporal tasks sometimes leads to correct responses but in other instances does not. Implications for future research and teaching strategies are discussed.

FLORA™: Phase I development of a functional vision assessment for prosthetic vision users.

PubMed

Geruschat, Duane R; Flax, Marshall; Tanna, Nilima; Bianchi, Michelle; Fisher, Andy; Goldschmidt, Mira; Fisher, Lynne; Dagnelie, Gislin; Deremeik, Jim; Smith, Audrey; Anaflous, Fatima; Dorn, Jessy

2015-07-01

Research groups and funding agencies need a functional assessment suitable for an ultra-low vision population to evaluate the impact of new vision-restoration treatments. The purpose of this study was to develop a pilot assessment to capture the functional visual ability and well-being of subjects whose vision has been partially restored with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System. The Functional Low-Vision Observer Rated Assessment (FLORA) pilot assessment involved a self-report section, a list of functional visual tasks for observation of performance and a case narrative summary. Results were analysed to determine whether the interview questions and functional visual tasks were appropriate for this ultra-low vision population and whether the ratings suffered from floor or ceiling effects. Thirty subjects with severe to profound retinitis pigmentosa (bare light perception or worse in both eyes) were enrolled in a clinical trial and implanted with the Argus II System. From this population, 26 subjects were assessed with the FLORA. Seven different evaluators administered the assessment. All 14 interview questions were asked. All 35 tasks for functional vision were selected for evaluation at least once, with an average of 20 subjects being evaluated for each test item. All four rating options—impossible (33 per cent), difficult (23 per cent), moderate (24 per cent) and easy (19 per cent)—were used by the evaluators. Evaluators also judged the amount of vision they observed the subjects using to complete the various tasks, with 'vision only' occurring 75 per cent on average with the System ON, and 29 per cent with the System OFF. The first version of the FLORA was found to contain useful elements for evaluation and to avoid floor and ceiling effects. The next phase of development will be to refine the assessment and to establish reliability and validity to increase its value as an assessment tool for functional vision and well-being. © 2015 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2015 Optometry Australia.

FLORA™: Phase I development of a functional vision assessment for prosthetic vision users

PubMed Central

Geruschat, Duane R; Flax, Marshall; Tanna, Nilima; Bianchi, Michelle; Fisher, Andy; Goldschmidt, Mira; Fisher, Lynne; Dagnelie, Gislin; Deremeik, Jim; Smith, Audrey; Anaflous, Fatima; Dorn, Jessy

2014-01-01

Background Research groups and funding agencies need a functional assessment suitable for an ultra-low vision population in order to evaluate the impact of new vision restoration treatments. The purpose of this study was to develop a pilot assessment to capture the functional vision ability and well-being of subjects whose vision has been partially restored with the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System. Methods The Functional Low-Vision Observer Rated Assessment (FLORA) pilot assessment involved a self-report section, a list of functional vision tasks for observation of performance, and a case narrative summary. Results were analyzed to determine whether the interview questions and functional vision tasks were appropriate for this ultra-low vision population and whether the ratings suffered from floor or ceiling effects. Thirty subjects with severe to profound retinitis pigmentosa (bare light perception or worse in both eyes) were enrolled in a clinical trial and implanted with the Argus II System. From this population, twenty-six subjects were assessed with the FLORA. Seven different evaluators administered the assessment. Results All 14 interview questions were asked. All 35 functional vision tasks were selected for evaluation at least once, with an average of 20 subjects being evaluated for each test item. All four rating options -- impossible (33%), difficult (23%), moderate (24%) and easy (19%) -- were used by the evaluators. Evaluators also judged the amount of vision they observed the subjects using to complete the various tasks, with vision only occurring 75% on average with the System ON, and 29% with the System OFF. Conclusion The first version of the FLORA was found to contain useful elements for evaluation and to avoid floor and ceiling effects. The next phase of development will be to refine the assessment and to establish reliability and validity to increase its value as a functional vision and well-being assessment tool. PMID:25675964

Situational Interest in Engineering Design Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonderup Dohn, Niels

2013-08-01

The aim of the present mixed-method study was to investigate task-based situational interest of sixth grade students (n = 46), between 12 and 14 years old, during an eight-week engineering design programme in a Science & Technology-class. Students' interests were investigated by means of a descriptive interpretative analysis of qualitative data from classroom observations and informal interviews. The analysis was complemented by a self-report survey to validate findings and determine prevalence. The analysis revealed four main sources of interest: designing inventions, trial-and-error experimentation, achieved functionality of invention, and collaboration. These sources differ in terms of stimuli factors, such as novelty, autonomy (choice), social involvement, self-generation of interest, and task goal orientation. The study shows that design tasks stimulated interest, but only to the extent that students were able to self-regulate their learning strategies.

Fast Track Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The NASA Fast Track Study supports the efforts of a Special Study Group (SSG) made up of members of the Advanced Project Management Class number 23 (APM-23) that met at the Wallops Island Management Education Center from April 28 - May 8, 1996. Members of the Class expressed interest to Mr. Vem Weyers in having an input to the NASA Policy Document (NPD) 7120.4, that will replace NASA Management Institute (NMI) 7120.4, and the NASA Program/Project Management Guide. The APM-23 SSG was tasked with assisting in development of NASA policy on managing Fast Track Projects, defined as small projects under $150 million and completed within three years. 'Me approach of the APM-23 SSG was to gather data on successful projects working in a 'Better, Faster, Cheaper' environment, within and outside of NASA and develop the Fast Track Project section of the NASA Program/Project Management Guide. Fourteen interviews and four other data gathering efforts were conducted by the SSG, and 16 were conducted by Strategic Resources, Inc. (SRI), including five interviews at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and one at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The interviews were compiled and analyzed for techniques and approaches commonly used to meet severe cost and schedule constraints.

Usability test of an internet-based informatics tool for diabetes care providers: the comprehensive diabetes management program.

PubMed

Fonda, Stephanie J; Paulsen, Christine A; Perkins, Joan; Kedziora, Richard J; Rodbard, David; Bursell, Sven-Erik

2008-02-01

Research suggests Internet-based care management tools are associated with improvements in care and patient outcomes. However, although such tools change workflow, rarely is their usability addressed and reported. This article presents a usability study of an Internet-based informatics application called the Comprehensive Diabetes Management Program (CDMP), developed by content experts and technologists. Our aim is to demonstrate a process for conducting a usability study of such a tool and to report results. We conducted the usability test with six diabetes care providers under controlled conditions. Each provider worked with the CDMP in a single session using a "think aloud" process. Providers performed standardized tasks with fictitious patient data, and we observed how they approached these tasks, documenting verbalizations and subjective ratings. The providers then completed a usability questionnaire and interviews. Overall, the scores on the usability questionnaire were neutral to favorable. For specific subdomains of the questionnaire, the providers' reported problems with the application's ease of use, performance, and support features, but were satisfied with its visual appeal and content. The results from the observational and interview data indicated areas for improvement, particularly in navigation and terminology. The usability study identified several issues for improvement, confirming the need for usability testing of Internet-based informatics applications, even those developed by experts. To our knowledge, there have been no other usability studies of an Internet-based informatics application with the functionality of the CDMP. Such studies can form the foundation for translation of Internet-based medical informatics tools into clinical practice.

Medical Care Tasks among Spousal Dementia Caregivers: Links to Care-Related Sleep Disturbances.

PubMed

Polenick, Courtney A; Leggett, Amanda N; Maust, Donovan T; Kales, Helen C

2018-05-01

Medical care tasks are commonly provided by spouses caring for persons living with dementia (PLWDs). These tasks reflect complex care demands that may interfere with sleep, yet their implications for caregivers' sleep outcomes are unknown. The authors evaluated the association between caregivers' medical/nursing tasks (keeping track of medications; managing tasks such as ostomy care, intravenous lines, or blood testing; giving shots/injections; and caring for skin wounds/sores) and care-related sleep disturbances. A retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving was conducted. Spousal caregivers and PLWDs/proxies were interviewed by telephone at home. The U.S. sample included 104 community-dwelling spousal caregivers and PLWDs. Caregivers reported on their sociodemographic and health characteristics, caregiving stressors, negative caregiving relationship quality, and sleep disturbances. PLWDs (or proxies) reported on their health conditions and sleep problems. Caregivers who performed a higher number of medical/nursing tasks reported significantly more frequent care-related sleep disturbances, controlling for sociodemographic and health characteristics, caregiving stressors, negative caregiving relationship quality, and PLWDs' sleep problems and health conditions. Post hoc tests showed that wound care was independently associated with more frequent care-related sleep disturbances after accounting for the other medical/nursing tasks and covariates. Spousal caregivers of PLWDs who perform medical/nursing tasks may be at heightened risk for sleep disturbances and associated adverse health consequences. Interventions to promote the well-being of both care partners may benefit from directly addressing caregivers' needs and concerns about their provision of medical/nursing care. Copyright © 2018 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The evaluation and quantification of respirable coal and silica dust concentrations: a task-based approach.

PubMed

Grové, T; Van Dyk, T; Franken, A; Du Plessis, J

2014-01-01

Silicosis and coal worker's pneumoconiosis are serious occupational respiratory diseases associated with the coal mining industry and the inhalation of respirable dusts containing crystalline silica. The purpose of this study (funded by the Mine Health and Safety Council of South Africa) was to evaluate the individual contributions of underground coal mining tasks to the respirable dust and respirable silica dust concentrations in an underground section by sampling the respirable dust concentrations at the intake and return of each task. The identified tasks were continuous miner (CM) cutting, construction, transfer of coal, tipping, and roof bolting. The respirable dust-generating hierarchy of the tasks from highest to lowest was: transfer of coal > CM right cutting > CM left cutting > CM face cutting > construction > roof bolting > tipping; and for respirable silica dust: CM left cutting > construction > transfer of coal > CM right cutting. Personal exposure levels were determined by sampling the exposures of workers performing tasks in the section. Respirable dust concentrations and low concentrations of respirable silica dust were found at the intake air side of the section, indicating that air entering the section is already contaminated. The hierarchy for personal respirable dust exposures was as follows, from highest to lowest: CM operator > cable handler > miner > roof bolt operator > shuttle car operator, and for respirable silica dust: shuttle car operator > CM operator > cable handler > roof bolt operator > miner. Dust control methods to lower exposures should include revision of the position of workers with regard to the task performed, positioning of the tasks with regard to the CM cutting, and proper use of the line curtains to direct ventilation appropriately. The correct use of respiratory protection should also be encouraged.

Didactical design based on sharing and jumping tasks for senior high school chemistry learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatimah, I.; Hendayana, S.; Supriatna, A.

2018-05-01

The purpose of this research is to develop the didactical design of senior high school chemistry learning based on sharing and jumping tasks in shift equilibrium chemistry. Sharing tasks used to facilitate students slow learners with help by other students of fast learners so they engage in learning. While jumping tasks used to challenge fast learners students so they didn’t feel bored in learning. In developing the didactic design, teacher activity is not only to focus on students and learning materials but also on the relationship between students and learning materials. The results of the analysis teaching plan of shift equilibrium chemistry in attached Senior High School to Indonesia University of Education showed that the learning activities more focus on how the teacher teaches instead of how the process of students’ learning. The use of research method is didactical design research (DDR). Didactical design consisted of three steps i.e. (a) analysing didactical condition before learning, (b) analyzing metapedadidactical, and (c) analyzing retrospective. Data were collected by test, observations, interviews, documentation and recordings (audio and video).The result showed that the didactical design on shift equilibrium chemistry was valid.

Cognitive Task Analysis and Work-Centered Support System Recommendations for a Deployed Network Operations Support Center (NOSC-D)

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-08-01

This report presents the results of a preliminary Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) of the deployed Network Operations Support Center (NOSC-D), and the...conducted Cognitive Task Analysis interviews with four (4) NOSC-D personnel. Because of the preliminary nature of the finding, the analysis is

Students' Views of Example Generation Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breen, Sinead; O'Shea, Ann; Pfeiffer, Kirsten

2016-01-01

We report here on students' views of example generation tasks assigned to them in two first year undergraduate Calculus courses. The design and use of such tasks was undertaken as part of a project which aimed to afford students opportunities to develop their thinking skills and their conceptual understanding. In interviews with 10 students, we…

Task Listings Resulting from the Vocational Competency Measures Project. Memorandum Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, CA.

This memorandum report consists of 14 task listings resulting from the Vocational Competency Measures Project. (The Vocational Competency Measures Project was a test development project that involved the writing and verification of task listings for 14 vocational occupational areas through over 225 interviews conducted in 27 states.) Provided in…

The Role of Reading Strategies in Integrated L2 Writing Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plakans, Lia

2009-01-01

Integrated second-language writing tasks elicit writing performances that involve other abilities such as reading or listening. Thus, understanding the role of these other abilities is necessary for interpreting performance on such tasks. This study used an inductive analysis of think-aloud protocol data and interviews to uncover the reading…

[Progress in standard assessment on competency to stand trial of mentally disordered offenders].

PubMed

Chen, Xiao-Bing; Cai, Wei-Xiong

2012-08-01

Competency to stand trial relates directly to legal rights of the appraised individual as well as whether criminal procedure can be carried out smoothly. Foreign scholars have conducted a large number of theoretical researches, and developed a series of standardized evaluation tools. However, the assessment on competency to stand trial has mainly focused on medical criteria in China for a long time, and most cases were judged by forensic psychiatrists' experience. Recently, Chinese scholars have started the initial research on standardized evaluation. This paper reviews the notion of competency to stand trial, the evaluation criteria, and the assessment tools domestically and abroad. The main focus is on foreign assessment tools, which included three categories. First category includes checklist, self-report questionnaires and sentence-completion tasks. Second category is the interview-based instruments without criterion-based scoring. Last category is the interview-based instruments with criterion-based scoring. This literature may be helpful for further research and standardization on assessment tools of competency to stand trial of mentally disordered offenders.

High School Students' Forming 3D Objects Using Technological and Non-Technological Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okumus, Samet; Hollebrands, Karen

2016-01-01

We analyzed the ways in which two high school students formed 3D objects from the rotation of 2D figures. The students participated in a task-based interview using paper-and-pencil, manipulatives, and Cabri 3D. The results indicated that they had difficulty using paper-and-pencil to rotate 2D figures to form 3D objects. Their difficulty stemmed…

Test-Takers' Strategic Behaviors in Independent and Integrated Speaking Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkaoui, Khaled; Brooks, Lindsay; Swain, Merrill; Lapkin, Sharon

2013-01-01

This study investigated the strategic behaviors that test-takers reported using when responding to integrated and independent speaking tasks in an English oral proficiency test [the Speaking Section of the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language[TM] (TOEFL iBT)] and the relationship between test-takers' strategic behaviors and their…

Community hoarding task forces: a comparative case study of five task forces in the United States.

PubMed

Bratiotis, Christiana

2013-05-01

During the past decade, many community task forces have formed to address hoarding problems that come to public attention. Such task forces provide a societal-level intervention to assist people with the most severe cases of hoarding, who do not voluntarily seek or want help for their hoarding behaviour. This qualitative study of five U.S. hoarding task forces included sites selected for their diversity of purpose, approaches to hoarding intervention and community geography, composition and resources. Data were collected during the period of September 2007-March 2008. The case study methodology used multiple forms of data, including semi-structured interviews, analysis of documents, small group interviews and investigator observation. This study captured the perspectives of public and private sector service providers such as mental health, housing, social service, public health agencies and community enforcement organisations (fire, police, legal, animal control) to examine how task forces organise and operate and the emerging practice and policy changes. Study findings suggest that structural factors (e.g. leadership, purpose, funding and membership) impact hoarding task force viability, that participation on a task force influences practice and policy decisions about hoarding, and that social work can expand its role in task force leadership. Task forces may be a mechanism for improving community policies about hoarding and mechanisms for addressing other social problems across multiple sectors. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A national cross-sectional study in the Danish wood and furniture industry on working postures and manual materials handling.

PubMed

Christensen, H; Pedersen, M B; Sjøgaard, G

1995-04-01

Musculoskeletal disorders constitute a major problem in the wood and furniture industry and identification of risk factors is needed urgently. Therefore, exposures to different work tasks and variation in the job were recorded based on an observation survey in combination with an interview among 281 employees working in wood working and painting departments. A questionnaire survey confirmed high frequencies of symptoms from the musculoskeletal system: The one-year prevalence of symptoms from the low back was 42% and symptoms from the neck/shoulder was 40%. The exposure was evaluated based on: (1) classification of work tasks, (2) work cycle time, (3) manual materials handling, (4) working postures, and (5) variation in the job. Among the employees 47% performed feeding or clearing of machines, 35% performed wood working or painting materials, and 18% performed various other operations. Among the employees 20% had no variation in their job while 44% had little variation. Manual materials handling of 375 different burdens was observed, which most often occurred during feeding or clearing of machines. The weight of burdens lifted was 0.5-87.0 kg, where 2% had a weight of more than 50 kg. Among the lifting conditions 30% were evaluated as implying a risk of injury. An additional risk factor was the high total tonnage lifted per day, which was estimated to range from 132 kg to 58,800 kg. Working postures implied a risk of injury due to prolonged forward and lateral flexions of the neck, which was seen most frequently during wood working or painting materials. These data substantiate the finding that work tasks mainly during feeding or clearing of machines imply a risk of injury to the low back and a risk of injury to the neck and shoulder area mainly during wood working or painting materials. Optimal strategies for job redesign may be worked out by using these data in order to prevent occupational musculoskeletal disorders.

8 CFR 245a.19 - Interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interviews. 245a.19 Section 245a.19 Aliens... Interviews. (a) All aliens filing applications for adjustment of status with the Service under this section must be personally interviewed, except that the adjudicative interview may be waived for a child under...

Interacting Effects of Trait Anger and Acute Anger Arousal on Pain: The Role of Endogenous Opioids

PubMed Central

Bruehl, Stephen; Burns, John W.; Chung, Ok Yung; Chont, Melissa

2011-01-01

Objective Elevated trait anger (TRANG; heightened propensity to experience anger) is associated with greater pain responsiveness, possibly via associations with deficient endogenous opioid analgesia. This study tested whether acute anger arousal moderates the impact of TRANG on endogenous opioid analgesia. Methods 94 chronic low back pain participants (LBP) and 85 healthy controls received opioid blockade (8mg naloxone) or placebo in randomized, counterbalanced order in separate sessions. Participants were randomly assigned to undergo either a 5-minute anger recall interview (ARI) or neutral control interview (NCI) across both drug conditions. Immediately following the assigned interview, participants engaged sequentially in finger pressure and ischemic forearm pain tasks. Opioid blockade effects were derived (blockade minus placebo condition pain ratings) to index opioid antinociceptive function. Results Placebo condition TRANG × Interview interactions (p’s<.05) indicated that TRANG was hyperalgesic only in the context of acute anger arousal (ARI condition; p’s<.05). Blockade effect analyses suggested these hyperalgesic effects were related to deficient opioid analgesia. Significant TRANG × Interview interactions (p’s<.05) for both pain tasks indicated that elevated TRANG was associated with smaller blockade effects (less endogenous opioid analgesia) only in the ARI condition (p’s<.05). Results for ischemic task VAS intensity blockade effects suggested that associations between TRANG and impaired opioid function were most evident in LBP participants when experiencing anger (Type × Interview × TRANG Interaction; p<.05). Conclusions Results indicate that hyperalgesic effects of TRANG are most prominent when acute anger is aroused, and suggest that endogenous opioid mechanisms contribute. PMID:21862829

[Prevalence and factors associated with dental pain that prevents the performance of routine tasks by civil servants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].

PubMed

Alexandre, Gisele Caldas; Nadanovsky, Paulo; Lopes, Claudia S; Faerstein, Eduardo

2006-05-01

The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of dental pain preventing the performance of routine tasks and to assess its association with socioeconomic factors, minor psychiatric disorders, number of missing teeth, and dental consultation patterns. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-completed questionnaire answered by 4,030 administrative employees at a university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (the Pró-Saúde Study). Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Prevalence of toothache preventing the performance of routine tasks in the two weeks prior to the interview was 2.9% (95%CI: 2.5-3.6). Men (OR = 1.6; 95%CI: 1.1-2.4), individuals with minor psychiatric disorders (OR = 1.7; 95%CI: 1.2-2.6), individuals with extensive tooth loss (OR = 3.4; 95%CI: 1.5-7.8), and those failing to appear for regular dental checkups (OR = 2.5; 95%CI: 1.8-17.3) showed increased odds of experiencing dental pain. Dental pain was an important problem in this population. Unfavorable living conditions and lack of regular dental checkups increased the odds of dental pain.

Accuracy of gestational age estimation from last menstrual period among women seeking abortion in South Africa, with a view to task sharing: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Constant, Deborah; Harries, Jane; Moodley, Jennifer; Myer, Landon

2017-08-22

The requirement for ultrasound to establish gestational age among women seeking abortion can be a barrier to access. Last menstrual period dating without clinical examination should be a reasonable alternative among selected women, and if reliable, can be task-shared with non-clinicians. This study determines the accuracy of gestational age estimation using last menstrual period (LMP) assessed by community health care workers (CHWs), and explores providers' and CHWs' perspectives on task sharing this activity. The study purpose is to expand access to early medical abortion services. We conducted a multi-center cross-sectional study at four urban non-governmental reproductive health clinics in South Africa. CHWs interviewed women seeking abortion, recorded their LMP and gestational age from a pregnancy wheel if within 63 days. Thereafter, providers performed a standard examination including ultrasound to determine gestational age. Lastly, investigators calculated gestational age for all LMP dates recorded by CHWs. We compared mean gestational age from LMP dates to mean gestational age by ultrasound using t-tests and calculated proportions for those incorrectly assessed as eligible for medical abortion from LMP. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with six providers and seven CHWs. Mean gestational age was 5 days (by pregnancy wheel) and 9 days (by LMP calculation) less than ultrasound gestational age. Twelve percent of women were eligible for medical abortion by LMP calculation but ineligible by ultrasound. Uncertainty of LMP date was associated with incorrect assessment of gestational age eligibility for medical abortion (p = 0.015). For women certain their LMP date was within 56 days, 3% had ultrasound gestational ages >70 days. In general, providers and CHWs were in favour of task sharing screening and referral for abortion, but were doubtful that women reported accurate LMP dates. Different perspectives emerged on how to implement task sharing gestational age eligibility for medical abortion. If LMP recall is within 56 days, most women will be eligible for early medical abortion and LMP can substitute for ultrasound dating. Task sharing gestational age estimation is feasible in South Africa, but its implementation should meet women's privacy needs and address healthcare workers' concerns on managing any procedural risk.

Toward Developing Laboratory-Based Parent-Adolescent Conflict Discussion Tasks that Consistently Elicit Adolescent Conflict-Related Stress Responses: Support from Physiology and Observed Behavior.

PubMed

Thomas, Sarah A; Wilson, Tristan; Jain, Anjali; Deros, Danielle E; Um, Miji; Hurwitz, Joanna; Jacobs, Irene; Myerberg, Lindsay; Ehrlich, Katherine B; Dunn, Emily J; Aldao, Amelia; Stadnik, Ryan; De Los Reyes, Andres

2017-12-01

Parent-adolescent conflict poses risk for youth maladjustment. One potential mechanism of this risk is that stress in the form of increased arousal during conflict interactions results in adolescents' impaired decision-making. However, eliciting consistent adolescent stress responses within laboratory-based tasks of parent-adolescent conflict (i.e., conflict discussion tasks) is hindered by task design. This limitation may stem from how conflict topics are assessed and selected for discussion. Within a sample of 47 adolescents (ages 14-17) and parents, we investigated whether a modified version of a conflict discussion task could elicit physiological (i.e., arousal) and behavioral (i.e., hostility) displays of adolescents' conflict-related stress responses. We assessed parent-adolescent conflict via structured interview to identify topics for dyads to discuss during the task. We randomly assigned dyads to complete a 5-minute task to discuss either a putatively benign topic (i.e., control condition) or a conflict topic while undergoing direct assessments of continuous arousal. Trained raters coded dyad members' hostile behavior during the task. Adolescents in the conflict condition exhibited significantly greater levels of arousal than adolescents in the control condition. We observed an interaction between discussion condition and baseline conflict. Specifically, higher baseline conflict predicted greater hostile behavior for adolescents in the conflict condition, yet we observed the inverse relation for adolescents in the control condition. Our modified laboratory discussion task successfully elicited both physiological and behavioral displays of adolescent conflict-related stress. These findings have important implications for leveraging experimental paradigms to understand causal links between parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent psychopathology, and their underlying mechanisms.

Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians’ Perceptions of Electronic Documentation and Workflow

PubMed Central

Neri, P.M.; Redden, L.; Poole, S.; Pozner, C.N.; Horsky, J.; Raja, A.S.; Poon, E.; Schiff, G.

2015-01-01

Summary Objective To understand emergency department (ED) physicians’ use of electronic documentation in order to identify usability and workflow considerations for the design of future ED information system (EDIS) physician documentation modules. Methods We invited emergency medicine resident physicians to participate in a mixed methods study using task analysis and qualitative interviews. Participants completed a simulated, standardized patient encounter in a medical simulation center while documenting in the test environment of a currently used EDIS. We recorded the time on task, type and sequence of tasks performed by the participants (including tasks performed in parallel). We then conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant. We analyzed these qualitative data using the constant comparative method to generate themes. Results Eight resident physicians participated. The simulation session averaged 17 minutes and participants spent 11 minutes on average on tasks that included electronic documentation. Participants performed tasks in parallel, such as history taking and electronic documentation. Five of the 8 participants performed a similar workflow sequence during the first part of the session while the remaining three used different workflows. Three themes characterize electronic documentation: (1) physicians report that location and timing of documentation varies based on patient acuity and workload, (2) physicians report a need for features that support improved efficiency; and (3) physicians like viewing available patient data but struggle with integration of the EDIS with other information sources. Conclusion We confirmed that physicians spend much of their time on documentation (65%) during an ED patient visit. Further, we found that resident physicians did not all use the same workflow and approach even when presented with an identical standardized patient scenario. Future EHR design should consider these varied workflows while trying to optimize efficiency, such as improving integration of clinical data. These findings should be tested quantitatively in a larger, representative study. PMID:25848411

Pupils' over-reliance on linearity: a scholastic effect?

PubMed

Van Dooren, Wim; De Bock, Dirk; Janssens, Dirk; Verschaffel, Lieven

2007-06-01

From upper elementary education on, children develop a tendency to over-use linearity. Particularly, it is found that many pupils assume that if a figure enlarges k times, the area enlarges k times too. However, most research was conducted with traditional, school-like word problems. This study examines whether pupils also over-use linearity if non-linear problems are embedded in meaningful, authentic performance tasks instead of traditional, school-like word problems, and whether this experience influences later behaviour. Ninety-three sixth graders from two primary schools in Flanders, Belgium. Pupils received a pre-test with traditional word problems. Those who made a linear error on the non-linear area problem were subjected to individual interviews. They received one new non-linear problem, in the S-condition (again a traditional, scholastic word problem), D-condition (the same word problem with a drawing) or P-condition (a meaningful performance-based task). Shortly afterwards, pupils received a post-test, containing again a non-linear word problem. Most pupils from the S-condition displayed linear reasoning during the interview. Offering drawings (D-condition) had a positive effect, but presenting the problem as a performance task (P-condition) was more beneficial. Linear reasoning was nearly absent in the P-condition. Remarkably, at the post-test, most pupils from all three groups again applied linear strategies. Pupils' over-reliance on linearity seems partly elicited by the school-like word problem format of test items. Pupils perform much better if non-linear problems are offered as performance tasks. However, a single experience does not change performances on a comparable word problem test afterwards.

Engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative research: reflections from an interview-based study.

PubMed

Witty, Karl; Branney, Peter; Bullen, Kate; White, Alan; Evans, Julie; Eardley, Ian

2014-01-01

To explore the challenges of engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative interview research. Qualitative interviewing offers an ideal tool for exploring men's experiences of illness, complementing and providing context to gendered health inequalities identified in epidemiological research on men. But conducting interviews with men can be challenging and embarking on a qualitative interview study with males can feel like a daunting task, given the limited amount of practical, gender-sensitive guidance for researchers. Reflecting on a researcher's experience of conducting qualitative research on men with penile cancer, this paper explores the potential challenges of interviewing this group, but also documents how engagement and data collection were achieved. This is a reflective paper, informed by the experiences of a male researcher (KW) with no nurse training, who conducted 28 interviews with men who had been treated for penile cancer. The researcher's experiences are reported in chronological order, from the methodological challenges of recruitment to those of conducting the interview. The paper offers a resource for the novice researcher, highlighting some advantages and disadvantages of conducting qualitative interview research as a nurse researcher, as well as recommendations on how to overcome challenges. Engaging men with penile cancer in qualitative interview raises practical, methodological, ethical and emotional challenges for the researcher. However, when these challenges are met, men will talk about their health. Methodological procedures must enable an open and ongoing dialogue with clinical gatekeepers and potential participants to promote engagement. Support from colleagues is essential for any interviewer, no matter how experienced the researcher is.

Beyond symptom self-report: use of a computer "avatar" to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

PubMed

Myers, Catherine E; Radell, Milen L; Shind, Christine; Ebanks-Williams, Yasheca; Beck, Kevin D; Gilbertson, Mark W

2016-11-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur in the wake of exposure to a traumatic event. Currently, PTSD symptoms are assessed mainly through self-report in the form of questionnaire or clinical interview. Self-report has inherent limitations, particularly in psychiatric populations who may have limited awareness of deficit, reduced attention span, or poor vocabulary and/or literacy skills. Diagnosis and evaluation of treatment efficacy would be aided by behavioral measures. A viable alternative may be virtual environments, in which the participant guides an on-screen "avatar" through a series of onscreen events meant to simulate real-world situations. Here, a sample of 82 veterans, self-assessed for PTSD symptoms was administered such a task, in which the avatar was confronted with situations that might evoke avoidant behavior, a core feature of PTSD. Results showed a strong correlation between PTSD symptom burden and task performance; in fact, the ability to predict PTSD symptom burden based on simple demographic variables (age, sex, combat exposure) was significantly improved by adding task score as a predictor variable. The results therefore suggest that virtual environments may provide a new way to assess PTSD symptoms, while avoiding at least some of the limitations associated with symptom self-report, and thus might be a useful complement to questionnaire or clinical interview, potentially facilitating both diagnosis and evaluation of treatment efficacy.

Intra-mathematical connections made by high school students in performing Calculus tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-García, Javier; Dolores-Flores, Crisólogo

2018-02-01

In this article, we report the results of research that explores the intra-mathematical connections that high school students make when they solve Calculus tasks, in particular those involving the derivative and the integral. We consider mathematical connections as a cognitive process through which a person relates or associates two or more ideas, concepts, definitions, theorems, procedures, representations and meanings among themselves, with other disciplines or with real life. Task-based interviews were used to collect data and thematic analysis was used to analyze them. Through the analysis of the productions of the 25 participants, we identified 223 intra-mathematical connections. The data allowed us to establish a mathematical connections system which contributes to the understanding of higher concepts, in our case, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. We found mathematical connections of the types: different representations, procedural, features, reversibility and meaning as a connection.

The reproduction of gender norms through downsizing in later life residential relocation.

PubMed

Addington, Aislinn; Ekerdt, David J

2014-01-01

Using data collected from qualitative interviews in 36 households, this article examines people's use of social relations based on gender to perform tasks associated with residential relocation in later life. Without prompting, our respondents addressed the social relations of gender in the meanings of things, in the persons of gift recipients, and in the persons of actors accomplishing the tasks. They matched gender-typed objects to same-sex recipients, reproducing circumstances of possession and passing on expectations for gender identity. The accounts of our respondents also depicted a gendered division of household labor between husbands and wives and a gendered division of care work by daughters and sons. These strategies economized a big task by shaping decisions about who should get what and who will do what. In turn, these practices affirmed the gendered nature of possession and care work into another generation. © The Author(s) 2012.

Development and interrater reliability testing of a telephone interview training programme for Australian nurse interviewers.

PubMed

Ahern, Tracey; Gardner, Anne; Gardner, Glenn; Middleton, Sandy; Della, Phillip

2013-05-01

The final phase of a three phase study analysing the implementation and impact of the nurse practitioner role in Australia (the Australian Nurse Practitioner Project or AUSPRAC) was undertaken in 2009, requiring nurse telephone interviewers to gather information about health outcomes directly from patients and their treating nurse practitioners. A team of several registered nurses was recruited and trained as telephone interviewers. The aim of this paper is to report on development and evaluation of the training process for telephone interviewers. The training process involved planning the content and methods to be used in the training session; delivering the session; testing skills and understanding of interviewers post-training; collecting and analysing data to determine the degree to which the training process was successful in meeting objectives and post-training follow-up. All aspects of the training process were informed by established educational principles. Interrater reliability between interviewers was high for well-validated sections of the survey instrument resulting in 100% agreement between interviewers. Other sections with unvalidated questions showed lower agreement (between 75% and 90%). Overall the agreement between interviewers was 92%. Each interviewer was also measured against a specifically developed master script or gold standard and for this each interviewer achieved a percentage of correct answers of 94.7% or better. This equated to a Kappa value of 0.92 or better. The telephone interviewer training process was very effective and achieved high interrater reliability. We argue that the high reliability was due to the use of well validated instruments and the carefully planned programme based on established educational principles. There is limited published literature on how to successfully operationalise educational principles and tailor them for specific research studies; this report addresses this knowledge gap. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Expectations, requirements and limitations of future task sharing between the nursing profession and the medical profession: results from the Care-N Study M-V].

PubMed

Dreier, Adina; Rogalski, Hagen; Homeyer, Sabine; Oppermann, Roman Frank; Hingst, Peter; Hoffmann, Wolfgang

2015-10-01

The aging population causes a sustained increase in demand of medical and nursing care services. At the same time health care professionals are aging, too. This leads to a growing number of health care gaps. Therefore, the health care system needs to be reformed. This includes a reallocation of task between some of the health care professions. This article addresses developments, potentials and limitations in the context of the future allocation of tasks between the nursing and the medical profession. Aim is to specify the future task sharing between nurses and physicians regarding expectations, requirements and limitations. We conducted questionnaire based Delphi interviews with an interdisciplinary group of experts. (type aggregation of ideas). In the future, to expert’s point of view, nurses will take over routine tasks in the medical and nursing health care supply. Task sharing by substitution is regarded with skepticism by experts. It requires a long time perspective and an early involvement of all stakeholders. Germany is at the beginning of the process of the future task sharing between nurses and physicians. The realization requires a comprehensive political support and further development of concepts including scientific implementation and evaluation.

Enhancing memory and imagination improves problem solving among individuals with depression.

PubMed

McFarland, Craig P; Primosch, Mark; Maxson, Chelsey M; Stewart, Brandon T

2017-08-01

Recent work has revealed links between memory, imagination, and problem solving, and suggests that increasing access to detailed memories can lead to improved imagination and problem-solving performance. Depression is often associated with overgeneral memory and imagination, along with problem-solving deficits. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that an interview designed to elicit detailed recollections would enhance imagination and problem solving among both depressed and nondepressed participants. In a within-subjects design, participants completed a control interview or an episodic specificity induction prior to completing memory, imagination, and problem-solving tasks. Results revealed that compared to the control interview, the episodic specificity induction fostered increased detail generation in memory and imagination and more relevant steps on the problem-solving task among depressed and nondepressed participants. This study builds on previous work by demonstrating that a brief interview can enhance problem solving among individuals with depression and supports the notion that episodic memory plays a key role in problem solving. It should be noted, however, that the results of the interview are relatively short-lived.

Quality Control Analysis of Selected Aspects of Programs Administered by the Bureau of Student Financial Assistance. Error-Prone Model Derived from 1978-1979 Quality Control Study. Data Report. [Task 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saavedra, Pedro; Kuchak, JoAnn

An error-prone model (EPM) to predict financial aid applicants who are likely to misreport on Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) applications was developed, based on interviews conducted with a quality control sample of 1,791 students during 1978-1979. The model was designed to identify corrective methods appropriate for different types of…

Students meeting with caregivers of cancer patient: results of an experience-based learning project.

PubMed

Atasoy, Beste M; Sarikaya, Ozlem; Kuscu, M Kemal; Yondem, Merve; Buyukkara, Elif; Eken, E Gokcen; Kahyaoglu, Figen

2012-12-01

The communication between medical students and cancer caregivers, and the problems they have experienced as well as the outcomes for their professional development before starting clinical practice was assessed in the context of a student research project. Data were collected by questionnaires or by 20 to 40-min long interviews with cancer caregivers. Their communications with physicians, hearing the bad news, and health service satisfaction were questioned. Therefore, the caregivers trusted the professional approach of their physician. However, they expected more empathic communication in the process of diagnosis and therapy. Development of empathy and trust-based communication between patients and physicians and enhancement of the quality of devoted time to cancer patients and caregivers may have an effect on the course of disease. Interviewer students mentioned that they developed communication skills about difficult clinical tasks and in delivering bad news face to face to cancer caregivers before starting their clinical education.

The SIST-M: Predictive validity of a brief structured Clinical Dementia Rating interview

PubMed Central

Okereke, Olivia I.; Pantoja-Galicia, Norberto; Copeland, Maura; Hyman, Bradley T.; Wanggaard, Taylor; Albert, Marilyn S.; Betensky, Rebecca A.; Blacker, Deborah

2011-01-01

Background We previously established reliability and cross-sectional validity of the SIST-M (Structured Interview and Scoring Tool–Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center), a shortened version of an instrument shown to predict progression to Alzheimer disease (AD), even among persons with very mild cognitive impairment (vMCI). Objective To test predictive validity of the SIST-M. Methods Participants were 342 community-dwelling, non-demented older adults in a longitudinal study. Baseline Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) ratings were determined by either: 1) clinician interviews or 2) a previously developed computer algorithm based on 60 questions (of a possible 131) extracted from clinician interviews. We developed age+gender+education-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models using CDR-sum-of-boxes (CDR-SB) as the predictor, where CDR-SB was determined by either clinician interview or algorithm; models were run for the full sample (n=342) and among those jointly classified as vMCI using clinician- and algorithm-based CDR ratings (n=156). We directly compared predictive accuracy using time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. Results AD hazard ratios (HRs) were similar for clinician-based and algorithm-based CDR-SB: for a 1-point increment in CDR-SB, respective HRs (95% CI)=3.1 (2.5,3.9) and 2.8 (2.2,3.5); among those with vMCI, respective HRs (95% CI) were 2.2 (1.6,3.2) and 2.1 (1.5,3.0). Similarly high predictive accuracy was achieved: the concordance probability (weighted average of the area-under-the-ROC curves) over follow-up was 0.78 vs. 0.76 using clinician-based vs. algorithm-based CDR-SB. Conclusion CDR scores based on items from this shortened interview had high predictive ability for AD – comparable to that using a lengthy clinical interview. PMID:21986342

Examining Residents' Strategic Mindfulness During Self-Regulated Learning of a Simulated Procedural Skill.

PubMed

Brydges, Ryan; Hatala, Rose; Mylopoulos, Maria

2016-07-01

Simulation-based training is currently embedded in most health professions education curricula. Without evidence for how trainees think about their simulation-based learning, some training techniques may not support trainees' learning strategies. This study explored how residents think about and self-regulate learning during a lumbar puncture (LP) training session using a simulator. In 2010, 20 of 45 postgraduate year 1 internal medicine residents attended a mandatory procedural skills training boot camp. Independently, residents practiced the entire LP skill on a part-task trainer using a clinical LP tray and proper sterile technique. We interviewed participants regarding how they thought about and monitored their learning processes, and then we conducted a thematic analysis of the interview data. The analysis suggested that participants considered what they could and could not learn from the simulator; they developed their self-confidence by familiarizing themselves with the LP equipment and repeating the LP algorithmic steps. Participants articulated an idiosyncratic model of learning they used to interpret the challenges and successes they experienced. Participants reported focusing on obtaining cerebrospinal fluid and memorizing the "routine" version of the LP procedure. They did not report much thinking about their learning strategies (eg, self-questioning). During simulation-based training, residents described assigning greater weight to achieving procedural outcomes and tended to think that the simulated task provided them with routine, generalizable skills. Over this typical 1-hour session, trainees did not appear to consider their strategic mindfulness (ie, awareness and use of learning strategies).

Effects of Fluency Instruction on Selection-Based and Topography-Based Comprehension Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Clarissa S.; Rehfeldt, Ruth Anne

2013-01-01

A multiple probe across participants design was used to assess the effects of an intervention package on reading fluency and section-based and topography-based comprehension tasks. Participants were three adolescents diagnosed with high functioning pervasive developmental disorders. The intervention package consisted of listen passage preview,…

Task shifting in maternal and newborn care: a non-inferiority study examining delegation of antenatal counseling to lay nurse aides supported by job aids in Benin.

PubMed

Jennings, Larissa; Yebadokpo, André Sourou; Affo, Jean; Agbogbe, Marthe; Tankoano, Aguima

2011-01-06

Shifting the role of counseling to less skilled workers may improve efficiency and coverage of health services, but evidence is needed on the impact of substitution on quality of care. This research explored the influence of delegating maternal and newborn counseling responsibilities to clinic-based lay nurse aides on the quality of counseling provided as part of a task shifting initiative to expand their role. Nurse-midwives and lay nurse aides in seven public maternities were trained to use job aids to improve counseling in maternal and newborn care. Quality of counseling and maternal knowledge were assessed using direct observation of antenatal consultations and patient exit interviews. Both provider types were interviewed to examine perceptions regarding the task shift. To compare provider performance levels, non-inferiority analyses were conducted where non-inferiority was demonstrated if the lower confidence limit of the performance difference did not exceed a margin of 10 percentage points. Mean percent of recommended messages provided by lay nurse aides was non-inferior to counseling by nurse-midwives in adjusted analyses for birth preparedness (β = -0.0, 95% CI: -9.0, 9.1), danger sign recognition (β = 4.7, 95% CI: -5.1, 14.6), and clean delivery (β = 1.4, 95% CI: -9.4, 12.3). Lay nurse aides demonstrated superior performance for communication on general prenatal care (β = 15.7, 95% CI: 7.0, 24.4), although non-inferiority was not achieved for newborn care counseling (β = -7.3, 95% CI: -23.1, 8.4). The proportion of women with correct knowledge was significantly higher among those counseled by lay nurse aides as compared to nurse-midwives in general prenatal care (β = 23.8, 95% CI: 15.7, 32.0), birth preparedness (β = 12.7, 95% CI: 5.2, 20.1), and danger sign recognition (β = 8.6, 95% CI: 3.3, 13.9). Both cadres had positive opinions regarding task shifting, although several preferred 'task sharing' over full delegation. Lay nurse aides can provide effective antenatal counseling in maternal and newborn care in facility-based settings, provided they receive adequate training and support. Efforts are needed to improve management of human resources to ensure that effective mechanisms for regulating and financing task shifting are sustained.

Task shifting in maternal and newborn care: a non-inferiority study examining delegation of antenatal counseling to lay nurse aides supported by job aids in Benin

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Shifting the role of counseling to less skilled workers may improve efficiency and coverage of health services, but evidence is needed on the impact of substitution on quality of care. This research explored the influence of delegating maternal and newborn counseling responsibilities to clinic-based lay nurse aides on the quality of counseling provided as part of a task shifting initiative to expand their role. Methods Nurse-midwives and lay nurse aides in seven public maternities were trained to use job aids to improve counseling in maternal and newborn care. Quality of counseling and maternal knowledge were assessed using direct observation of antenatal consultations and patient exit interviews. Both provider types were interviewed to examine perceptions regarding the task shift. To compare provider performance levels, non-inferiority analyses were conducted where non-inferiority was demonstrated if the lower confidence limit of the performance difference did not exceed a margin of 10 percentage points. Results Mean percent of recommended messages provided by lay nurse aides was non-inferior to counseling by nurse-midwives in adjusted analyses for birth preparedness (β = -0.0, 95% CI: -9.0, 9.1), danger sign recognition (β = 4.7, 95% CI: -5.1, 14.6), and clean delivery (β = 1.4, 95% CI: -9.4, 12.3). Lay nurse aides demonstrated superior performance for communication on general prenatal care (β = 15.7, 95% CI: 7.0, 24.4), although non-inferiority was not achieved for newborn care counseling (β = -7.3, 95% CI: -23.1, 8.4). The proportion of women with correct knowledge was significantly higher among those counseled by lay nurse aides as compared to nurse-midwives in general prenatal care (β = 23.8, 95% CI: 15.7, 32.0), birth preparedness (β = 12.7, 95% CI: 5.2, 20.1), and danger sign recognition (β = 8.6, 95% CI: 3.3, 13.9). Both cadres had positive opinions regarding task shifting, although several preferred 'task sharing' over full delegation. Conclusions Lay nurse aides can provide effective antenatal counseling in maternal and newborn care in facility-based settings, provided they receive adequate training and support. Efforts are needed to improve management of human resources to ensure that effective mechanisms for regulating and financing task shifting are sustained. PMID:21211045

A competency framework for colonoscopy training derived from cognitive task analysis techniques and expert review.

PubMed

Zupanc, Christine M; Burgess-Limerick, Robin; Hill, Andrew; Riek, Stephan; Wallis, Guy M; Plooy, Annaliese M; Horswill, Mark S; Watson, Marcus O; Hewett, David G

2015-12-01

Colonoscopy is a difficult cognitive-perceptual-motor task. Designing an appropriate instructional program for such a task requires an understanding of the knowledge, skills and attitudes underpinning the competency required to perform the task. Cognitive task analysis techniques provide an empirical means of deriving this information. Video recording and a think-aloud protocol were conducted while 20 experienced endoscopists performed colonoscopy procedures. "Cued-recall" interviews were also carried out post-procedure with nine of the endoscopists. Analysis of the resulting transcripts employed the constant comparative coding method within a grounded theory framework. The resulting draft competency framework was modified after review during semi-structured interviews conducted with six expert endoscopists. The proposed colonoscopy competency framework consists of twenty-seven skill, knowledge and attitude components, grouped into six categories (clinical knowledge; colonoscope handling; situation awareness; heuristics and strategies; clinical reasoning; and intra- and inter-personal). The colonoscopy competency framework provides a principled basis for the design of a training program, and for the design of formative assessment to gauge progress towards attaining the knowledge, skills and attitudes underpinning the achievement of colonoscopy competence.

Health information management in the home: a human factors assessment.

PubMed

Zayas-Cabán, Teresa

2012-01-01

Achieving optimal health outcomes requires that consumers maintain myriad health data and understand how to utilize appropriate health information management applications. This case study investigated four families' health information management tasks in their homes. Four different families participated in the study: a single parent household; two nuclear family households; and an extended family household. A work system model known as the balance model was used as a guiding framework for data collection. Data collection consisted of three stages: (1) primary health information manager interviews; (2) family interviews; and (3) task observations. Overall, families reported 69 unique health information management tasks that took place in nine different locations, using 22 different information storage artifacts. Frequently occurring tasks related to health management or health coordination were conducted in public spaces. Less frequent or more time-consuming tasks, such as researching a health concern or storing medical history, were performed in private spaces such as bedrooms or studies. Similarities across households suggest potential foundational design elements that consumer health information technology application designers need to balance with tailored interventions to successfully support variations in individuals' health information management needs.

The Detroit Early School Leavers Project: A Profile of Dropouts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poulos, Nicholis

The results of an attempt to identify a dropout pattern or profile which could be used to more readily identify at risk youth in Detroit Public Schools are presented in this report. The report is divided into two major sections. Section 1 discusses methodology and analyzes data and findings. Based on personal interviews with Detroit dropouts at…

Technical memo, project 0-6132 : task 6 - test sections in the districts.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

This Tech Memo provides a summary of the Lab Test, Distress Survey, and Construction Reports : for the RAP Test Sections in Laredo District. Based on extensive lab testing by TTI, the District : elected to use the TTI mix-design (5.0% PG 64-22 + Crus...

Adaptive Automation Design and Implementation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-17

Study : Space Navigator This section demonstrates the player modeling paradigm, focusing specifically on the response generation section of the player ...human-machine system, a real-time player modeling framework for imitating a specific person’s task performance, and the Adaptive Automation System...Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Clustering-Based Real-Time Player Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 An

Bugs, butterflies, and spiders: children's understandings about insects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepardson, Daniel P.

2002-06-01

This article explores elementary children's ideas about insects. The study involved 20 children from each grade level, kindergarten through fifth-grade, for a total of 120 children. The data collection procedure was designed to investigate what an insect means to children, through the use of three different tasks: draw and explain, interview about instances, and the formulation of a general rule. Considering children's responses to the three tasks, I found that their ideas about insects reflect understandings based on physical characteristics of size and shape, arthropod characteristics, insect characteristics, human-insect interactions, life habits of insects, feeding habits of insects, and means of locomotion. Children's understandings are juxtaposed to that of a scientific perspective, elucidating implications for curriculum development and instructional practice.

Students’ thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems based on learning styles: a comparison of paper-pencil and geogebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farihah, Umi

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze students’ thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems using paper pencil comparing to geogebra based on their learning styles. This research employed a qualitative descriptive study. The subjects of this research was six of eighth grade students of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri 2 Trenggalek, East Java Indonesia academic year 2015-2016 with their difference learning styles; two visual students, two auditory students, and two kinesthetic students.. During the interview, the students presented the Paper and Pencil-based Task (PBTs) and the Geogebra-based Task (GBTs). By investigating students’ solution methods and the representation in solving the problems, the researcher compared their visual and non-visual thinking preferences in solving mathematics problems while they were using Geogebra and without Geogebra. Based on the result of research analysis, it was shown that the comparison between students’ PBTs and GBTs solution either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic represented how Geogebra can influence their solution method. By using Geogebra, they prefer using visual method while presenting GBTs to using non-visual method.

The Influence of Trainee Gaming Experience and Computer Self-Efficacy on Learner Outcomes of Videogame-Based Learning Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

videogame-based training environment. In this research, 413 participants played a first-person-perspective videogame that began with a single- player ...section to introduce game-specific tasks, followed by a multi- player section where participants formed small teams to conduct several collaborative...with over four million registered players . In Janurary 2004, America’s Army was used during a four-day inter-semester game- based training exercise at

Relationships between undergraduates' argumentation skills, conceptual quality of problem solutions, and problem solving strategies in introductory physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebello, Carina M.

This study explored the effects of alternative forms of argumentation on undergraduates' physics solutions in introductory calculus-based physics. A two-phase concurrent mixed methods design was employed to investigate relationships between undergraduates' written argumentation abilities, conceptual quality of problem solutions, as well as approaches and strategies for solving argumentative physics problems across multiple physics topics. Participants were assigned via stratified sampling to one of three conditions (control, guided construct, or guided evaluate) based on gender and pre-test scores on a conceptual instrument. The guided construct and guided evaluate groups received tasks and prompts drawn from literature to facilitate argument construction or evaluation. Using a multiple case study design, with each condition serving as a case, interviews were conducted consisting of a think-aloud problem solving session paired with a semi-structured interview. The analysis of problem solving strategies was guided by the theoretical framework on epistemic games adapted by Tuminaro and Redish (2007). This study provides empirical evidence that integration of written argumentation into physics problems can potentially improve the conceptual quality of solutions, expand their repertoire of problem solving strategies and show promise for addressing the gender gap in physics. The study suggests further avenues for research in this area and implications for designing and implementing argumentation tasks in introductory college physics.

Student cognition and motivation during the Classroom BirdWatch citizen science project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomasek, Terry Morton

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the ways various stakeholders (CBW project developer/coordinator, elementary and middle school teachers, and 5th through 8th grade students) envisioned, implemented and engaged in the citizen science project, eBird/Classroom BirdWatch. A multiple case study mixed-methods research design was used to examine student engagement in the cognitive processes associated with scientific inquiry as part of citizen science participation. Student engagement was described based on a sense of autonomy, competence, relatedness and intrinsic motivation. A goal of this study was to expand the taxonomy of differences between authentic scientific inquiry and simple inquiry to include those inquiry tasks associated with participation in citizen science by describing how students engaged in this type of science. This research study built upon the existing framework of cognitive processes associated with scientific inquiry described by Chinn and Malhotra (2002). This research provides a systematic analysis of the scientific processes and related reasoning tasks associated with the citizen science project eBird and the corresponding curriculum Classroom BirdWatch . Data consisted of responses to surveys, focus group interviews, document analysis and individual interviews. I suggest that citizen science could be an additional form of classroom-based science inquiry that can promote more authentic features of scientific inquiry and engage students in meaningful ways.

Emerging Adulthood: Age-Related Tasks and Underlying Self Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shulman, Shmuel; Feldman, Benni; Blatt, Sidney; Cohen, Omri; Mahler, Amalya

2005-01-01

Seventy-two Israeli emerging adults were interviewed for descriptions of themselves and accounts of their personal, social, and professional dreams, current life status, romantic relationships, and relationships with their parents. Interviews were transcribed and rated on scales assessing self-processes, attainment of professional and romantic…

Divide and rule: A qualitative analysis of the debriefing process in elite team sports.

PubMed

Macquet, A-C; Ferrand, C; Stanton, N A

2015-11-01

This article aimed to gain an understanding of the process of debriefing during major competitions in elite team sports. Debrief interviews were conducted with 9 head coaches. The interview data were used to identify how head coaches divided up the tasks given to staff and team members prior to, and during the post-match debriefing. Results showed that debriefing consisted of two steps: preparation and presentation. Preparation referred to four successive tasks. Presentation to the team of players consisted of eight tasks relating to transformational and transactional styles of leadership. Coaches were shown to divide the labor within the staff and team. The data tend to support the view that in elite team sports, coaches are both transformational and transactional leaders, adapting their style of leadership to the situation, athletes and time available. This study provides insights into the task-work and team-work underlying team functioning and division of labor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

MADE 2. Marketing and Distributive Education Competency Based Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Jersey State Dept. of Education, Trenton. Div. of Vocational Education.

This curriculum guide is one in a series of three competency-based instructional materials dealing with marketing and distributive education (MADE). Covered in the individual sections of the guide are the following topics: job orientation (personal appearance, job opportunities, job interviews, basic skills, training plans, legal requirements, and…

First-Year Non-STEM Majors' Use of Definitions to Solve Calculus Tasks: Benefits of Using Concept Image over Concept Definition?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahl, Bettina

2017-01-01

Six US first-year university students in humanities or social science degree programmes were interviewed while solving 4 tasks on continuity and asymptotes in a required mathematics course. The focus was on how the students referred to the definitions or to the concept images when solving the tasks and if partial understandings appeared. Partial…

A taxonomy of visualization tasks for the analysis of biological pathway data.

PubMed

Murray, Paul; McGee, Fintan; Forbes, Angus G

2017-02-15

Understanding complicated networks of interactions and chemical components is essential to solving contemporary problems in modern biology, especially in domains such as cancer and systems research. In these domains, biological pathway data is used to represent chains of interactions that occur within a given biological process. Visual representations can help researchers understand, interact with, and reason about these complex pathways in a number of ways. At the same time, these datasets offer unique challenges for visualization, due to their complexity and heterogeneity. Here, we present taxonomy of tasks that are regularly performed by researchers who work with biological pathway data. The generation of these tasks was done in conjunction with interviews with several domain experts in biology. These tasks require further classification than is provided by existing taxonomies. We also examine existing visualization techniques that support each task, and we discuss gaps in the existing visualization space revealed by our taxonomy. Our taxonomy is designed to support the development and design of future biological pathway visualization applications. We conclude by suggesting future research directions based on our taxonomy and motivated by the comments received by our domain experts.

Selection of essential medicines for South Africa - an analysis of in-depth interviews with national essential medicines list committee members.

PubMed

Perumal-Pillay, Velisha Ann; Suleman, Fatima

2017-01-07

The South African (SA) public health system has employed an Essential Medicines List (EML) with Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) in the public sector since 1996. To date no studies have reported on the process of selection of essential medicines for SA EMLs and how this may have changed over time. This study reports on the decision making process for the selection of essential medicines for SA EMLs, over the years, as described by various members of the National Essential Medicines List Committee (NEMLC) and their task teams. Qualitative in-depth interviews, guided by an interview questionnaire, were conducted with 11 members of the SA NEMLC and their task teams (both past and present members) during the period January - April 2015. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were then coded by the first author and verified by the second author before being reconciled and input into NVIVO, a qualitative software, to facilitate analysis of the data. The interviews conducted suggest that the NEMLC process of medicine selection has been refined over the years. This together with the EML review process is now essentially predominantly an evidence based process where quality, safety and efficacy of a medicine is considered first followed by cost considerations which includes pharmacoeconomic evaluations, and pricing of medicines. This is the first study in SA to report on how decisions are taken to include or exclude medicines on SA national EMLs and provides insight into the SA EML medicine selection, review and monitoring processes over time. The results show that the NEMLC has undergone tremendous transformation over the years. Whilst the membership of the committee largely remains unchanged, the committee has developed its policies and processes over the years. However there is still a need to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation aspects of the SA EML policy process.

Development of a Task-Exposure Matrix (TEM) for Pesticide Use (TEMPEST).

PubMed

Dick, F D; Semple, S E; van Tongeren, M; Miller, B G; Ritchie, P; Sherriff, D; Cherrie, J W

2010-06-01

Pesticides have been associated with increased risks for a range of conditions including Parkinson's disease, but identifying the agents responsible has proven challenging. Improved pesticide exposure estimates would increase the power of epidemiological studies to detect such an association if one exists. Categories of pesticide use were identified from the tasks reported in a previous community-based case-control study in Scotland. Typical pesticides used in each task in each decade were identified from published scientific and grey literature and from expert interviews, with the number of potential agents collapsed into 10 groups of pesticides. A pesticide usage database was then created, using the task list and the typical pesticide groups employed in those tasks across seven decades spanning the period 1945-2005. Information about the method of application and concentration of pesticides used in these tasks was then incorporated into the database. A list was generated of 81 tasks involving pesticide exposure in Scotland covering seven decades producing a total of 846 task per pesticide per decade combinations. A Task-Exposure Matrix for PESTicides (TEMPEST) was produced by two occupational hygienists who quantified the likely probability and intensity of inhalation and dermal exposures for each pesticide group for a given use during each decade. TEMPEST provides a basis for assessing exposures to specific pesticide groups in Scotland covering the period 1945-2005. The methods used to develop TEMPEST could be used in a retrospective assessment of occupational exposure to pesticides for Scottish epidemiological studies or adapted for use in other countries.

HIV and tuberculosis coinfection: a qualitative study of treatment challenges faced by care providers.

PubMed

Wannheden, C; Westling, K; Savage, C; Sandahl, C; Ellenius, J

2013-08-01

Infectious Diseases Department, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. To understand the challenges faced by nurses and physicians in the treatment of patients co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB), with special focus on opportunities for information and communication technology. Using a qualitative study design, on-site observations and informal discussions were carried out to become acquainted with the clinical context. Seven nurses and six physicians were purposefully selected to participate in one-to-one in-depth interviews inspired by cognitive task analysis. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Care providers faced challenges related to 1) the complexities inherent to TB-HIV co-treatment, 2) clinical knowledge and task standardisation, 3) care coordination and collaboration, 4) information management, and 5) engaging patients in their treatment. Support is needed on several levels to address the emerging burden of TB-HIV coinfection in Sweden. Educational material and tools need to be further developed to support care providers in making decisions about adequate care, and to support collaborative activities and communication among patients and care providers. Information and communication technology based solutions may provide an opportunity to address some of these challenges.

Students’ metacognitive activities in solving the combinatorics problem: the experience of students with holist-serialist cognitive style

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trisna, B. N.; Budayasa, I. K.; Siswono, T. Y. E.

2018-01-01

Metacognition is related to improving student learning outcomes. This study describes students’ metacognitive activities in solving the combinatorics problem. Two undergraduate students of mathematics education from STKIP PGRI Banjarmasin were selected as the participants of the study, one person has a holist cognitive style and the other a serialist. Data were collected by task-based interviews where the task contains a combinatorial problem. The interviews were conducted twice using equivalent problem at two different times. The study found that the participants showed metacognitive awareness (A), metacognitive evaluation (E), and metacognitive regulation (R) that operated as pathways from one function to another. Both, holist and serialist, have metacognitive activities in different pathway. The path of metacognitive activities of the holist is AERCAE-AAEER-ACRECCECC-AREERCE with the AERAE-AER-ARE-ARERE pattern, while the path of metacognitive activities of the serialist is AERCA-AAER-ACRERCERC-AREEEE with the AERA-AER-ARERER-ARE pattern. As an implication of these findings, teachers/lecturers need to pay attention to metacognitive awareness when they begin a stage in mathematical problem solving. Teachers/lecturers need to emphasize to students that in mathematical problem solving, processes and results are equally important.

A multimedia psychosocial support program for couples receiving infertility treatment: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Cousineau, Tara M; Lord, Sarah E; Seibring, Angel R; Corsini, Evelyn A; Viders, Jessie C; Lakhani, Shaheen R

2004-03-01

To develop and test the feasibility of a theory-driven, psychosocial support CD-ROM prototype for couples in infertility treatment. Focus group meetings with reproductive health experts, semistructured interviews with infertility patients, and content analysis of an infertility message board to determine content domains of the CD-ROM. Usability and acceptance testing of prototype CD-ROM based on predetermined feasibility criteria. Private offices and fertility centers. Expert panel of 5 reproductive health specialists; interviews with 62 individuals with infertility (35 women, 27 men); feasibility study with 12 patients and 12 experts in reproductive medicine and infertility support. None. Product usability/acceptance test. Participant feedback and content analysis informed the development of a prototype patient education CD-ROM that uses audio, video, interactive tasks, and personalized feedback. Over 80% of participants successfully completed usability tasks, and over 90% rated prototype satisfaction as "good" to "excellent." Some areas were noted for improvement in navigation and refinement in delivery of instructions. Results strongly indicate an interest in an infertility multimedia support tool. Multimedia methods may serve as an effective, innovative psychosocial intervention for infertility patients and overcome barriers of limited local access to educational and support services.

STS-109 Crew Interviews - Altman

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

STS-109 crew Commander Scott D. Altman is seen during a prelaunch interview. He answers questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. He gives details on the mission's goals and significance, which are all related to maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). After the Columbia Orbiter's rendezvous with the HST, extravehicular activities (EVA) will be focused on several important tasks which include: (1) installing the Advanced Camera for Surveys; (2) installing a cooling system on NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera Multi-Object Spectrometer); (3) repairing the reaction wheel assembly; (4) installing additional solar arrays; (5) augmenting the power control unit; (6) working on the HST's gyros. The reaction wheel assembly task, a late addition to the mission, may necessitate the abandonment of one or more of the other tasks, such as the gyro work.

The effect of an electronic cognitive aid on the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction during caesarean section: a prospective randomised simulation study.

PubMed

St Pierre, Michael; Luetcke, Bjoern; Strembski, Dieter; Schmitt, Christopher; Breuer, Georg

2017-03-20

Cognitive aids have come to be viewed as promising tools in the management of perioperative critical events. The majority of published simulation studies have focussed on perioperative crises that are characterised by time pressure, rare occurrence, or complex management steps (e.g., cardiac arrest emergencies, management of the difficult airway). At present, there is limited information on the usefulness of cognitive aids in critical situations with moderate time pressure and complexity. Intraoperative myocardial infarction may be an emergency to which these limitations apply. Anaesthetic teams were allocated to control (no cognitive aid; n = 10) or intervention (cognitive aid provided; n = 10) groups. The primary aim of this study was to compare cognitive aid versus memory for intraoperative ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) management in a simulation of caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia. We identified nine evidence-based metrics of essential care from current guidelines and subdivided them into mandatory (high level of evidence; no interference with surgery) and optional (lower class of recommendation; possible impact on surgery) tasks. Six clinically relevant tasks were added by consensus. Implementation of these steps was measured by scoring task items in a binary fashion (yes/no). The interval between the diagnosis of STEMI and the first contact with the cardiac catheterisation lab was measured. To determine whether or not the cognitive aid had prompted an action, participants from the cognitive aid group were interviewed during debriefing on every single treatment step. At the end of the simulation, session participants were asked to complete a survey. The presence of the cognitive aid did not shorten the time interval until the cardiac catheterisation lab was contacted. The availability of the cognitive aid improved task performance in the tasks identified from the guidelines (93% vs. 69%; p < 0.001) as well as overall task performance (87.5% vs. 59%; p < 0.001). The observed difference in performance can be attributed to the use of the cognitive aid, as performance from memory alone would have been comparable across both groups. Trainees appeared to derive greater benefit from the cognitive aid than did consultants and nurses. The management of intraoperative ST-elevation myocardial infarction can be improved if teams use a cognitive aid. Trainees appeared to derive greater benefit from the cognitive aid than did consultants and nurses.

Task analysis of information technology-mediated medication management in outpatient care.

PubMed

van Stiphout, F; Zwart-van Rijkom, J E F; Maggio, L A; Aarts, J E C M; Bates, D W; van Gelder, T; Jansen, P A F; Schraagen, J M C; Egberts, A C G; ter Braak, E W M T

2015-09-01

Educating physicians in the procedural as well as cognitive skills of information technology (IT)-mediated medication management could be one of the missing links for the improvement of patient safety. We aimed to compose a framework of tasks that need to be addressed to optimize medication management in outpatient care. Formal task analysis: decomposition of a complex task into a set of subtasks. First, we obtained a general description of the medication management process from exploratory interviews. Secondly, we interviewed experts in-depth to further define tasks and subtasks. Outpatient care in different fields of medicine in six teaching and academic medical centres in the Netherlands and the United States. 20 experts. Tasks were divided up into procedural, cognitive and macrocognitive tasks and categorized into the three components of dynamic decision making. The medication management process consists of three components: (i) reviewing the medication situation; (ii) composing a treatment plan; and (iii) accomplishing and communicating a treatment and surveillance plan. Subtasks include multiple cognitive tasks such as composing a list of current medications and evaluating the reliability of sources, and procedural tasks such as documenting current medication. The identified macrocognitive tasks were: planning, integration of IT in workflow, managing uncertainties and responsibilities, and problem detection. All identified procedural, cognitive and macrocognitive skills should be included when designing education for IT-mediated medication management. The resulting framework supports the design of educational interventions to improve IT-mediated medication management in outpatient care. © 2015 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Pharmacological Society.

A qualitative analysis of success stories from Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership institute participants.

PubMed

Dewitt, Natalie; Lohrmann, David K; O'Neill, James; Clark, Jeffrey K

2011-12-01

The purpose of this study was to detect and document common themes among success stories, along with challenges, as related by participants in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute. Four-member teams from 18 Michigan and Indiana school districts participated in semiannual Institute workshops over a 3-year period and were tasked with implementing Coordinated School Health Programs (CSHPs). Qualitative methods were used to generate themes from interviews. Data were gathered through a combined survey/interview process related to programmatic successes, evidence of success, and implementation challenges. One participant from 11 of 18 participating school districts completed the survey/interview. Each participant reported at least 1 success that had a positive effect on students and/or staff, many of which were related to the federally mandated wellness policy. With some notable exceptions, success was based on subjective judgments rather than systematically collected data. Unanimous expression of time constraints and being overworked in their current positions constituted major challenges. Although the Institute required only process evaluation, some participants collected outcome data, a task that is important in validating the benefits of CSHPs. Most districts were not able to hire the recommended coordinator to ensure implementation of health program planning initially developed during the institute. Encouragingly, at the time of data collection many teams were still acting to ensure health programming remained a priority. Nevertheless, without the network of social support provided by the Institute, some respondents struggled to maintain momentum. © 2011, American School Health Association.

Understanding and Improving Knowledge Transactions in Command and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

implications for the development of tools to facilitate efficient and effectiv and knowledge exchange. Cognitive task analysis (CTA) in support...makers]?” *quotes taken from K-web cognitive task analysis , Global 2000 and Global 2001 War Games, interviews with Carl Vinson K-Web users following

Living and doing with chronic pain: narratives of pain program participants.

PubMed

Van Huet, Helen; Innes, Ev; Whiteford, Gail

2009-01-01

This study aimed to explore factors which predicated successful long-term pain management for people who had attended a cognitive-behavioural-based pain management program (PMP) in regional Australia. This study used qualitative methods based on analysis of narratives. Fifteen people (11 women and four men), who attended the PMP in 2002 and 2003, agreed to participate in two in-depth interviews with a narrative focus in 2005. Their ages ranged from 30-65 years. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically. Themes that emerged from the interviews were the meanings and beliefs participants had attributed to their pain at the time of the program and after program completion (i.e. being ready to do the program and acceptance or non-acceptance of the long term nature of their pain). It also identified the strategies that some participants used and continued to apply in their daily lives (i.e. using pacing strategies and re-engaging in valued routines and tasks). The findings suggested that the ability to adopt positive meaning attributes and use a variety of strategies was related to those participants who were successful in their ongoing pain management. The importance of these factors should be considered for those attending chronic pain programs.

Test plan : I-40 TTIS system/historical data analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-12-01

The first section of this report presents an overview of impediments to intermodal freight transportation. It identifies types of intermodal impediments based on studies, reports, and interviews with shippers, carriers, public agencies, and others in...

An online network tool for quality information to answer questions about occupational safety and health: usability and applicability.

PubMed

Rhebergen, Martijn D F; Hulshof, Carel T J; Lenderink, Annet F; van Dijk, Frank J H

2010-10-22

Common information facilities do not always provide the quality information needed to answer questions on health or health-related issues, such as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) matters. Barriers may be the accessibility, quantity and readability of information. Online Question & Answer (Q&A) network tools, which link questioners directly to experts can overcome some of these barriers. When designing and testing online tools, assessing the usability and applicability is essential. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the usability and applicability of a new online Q&A network tool for answers on OSH questions. We applied a cross-sectional usability test design. Eight occupational health experts and twelve potential questioners from the working population (workers) were purposively selected to include a variety of computer- and internet-experiences. During the test, participants were first observed while executing eight tasks that entailed important features of the tool. In addition, they were interviewed. Through task observations and interviews we assessed applicability, usability (effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction) and facilitators and barriers in use. Most features were usable, though several could be improved. Most tasks were executed effectively. Some tasks, for example searching stored questions in categories, were not executed efficiently and participants were less satisfied with the corresponding features. Participants' recommendations led to improvements. The tool was found mostly applicable for additional information, to observe new OSH trends and to improve contact between OSH experts and workers. Hosting and support by a trustworthy professional organization, effective implementation campaigns, timely answering and anonymity were seen as important use requirements. This network tool is a promising new strategy for offering company workers high quality information to answer OSH questions. Q&A network tools can be an addition to existing information facilities in the field of OSH, but also to other healthcare fields struggling with how to answer questions from people in practice with high quality information. In the near future, we will focus on the use of the tool and its effects on information and knowledge dissemination.

Domestic Robots for Older Adults: Attitudes, Preferences, and Potential

PubMed Central

Mitzner, Tracy L.; Beer, Jenay M.; Prakash, Akanksha; Chen, Tiffany L.; Kemp, Charles C.; Rogers, Wendy A.

2014-01-01

The population of older adults in America is expected to reach an unprecedented level in the near future. Some of them have difficulties with performing daily tasks and caregivers may not be able to match pace with the increasing need for assistance. Robots, especially mobile manipulators, have the potential for assisting older adults with daily tasks enabling them to live independently in their homes. However, little is known about their views of robot assistance in the home. Twenty-one independently living older Americans (65–93 years old) were asked about their preferences for and attitudes toward robot assistance via a structured group interview and questionnaires. In the group interview, they generated a diverse set of 121 tasks they would want a robot to assist them with in their homes. These data, along with their questionnaire responses, suggest that the older adults were generally open to robot assistance but were discriminating in their acceptance of assistance for different tasks. They preferred robot assistance over human assistance for tasks related to chores, manipulating objects, and information management. In contrast, they preferred human assistance to robot assistance for tasks related to personal care and leisure activities. Our study provides insights into older adults' attitudes and preferences for robot assistance with everyday living tasks in the home which may inform the design of robots that will be more likely accepted by older adults. PMID:25152779

Domestic Robots for Older Adults: Attitudes, Preferences, and Potential.

PubMed

Smarr, Cory-Ann; Mitzner, Tracy L; Beer, Jenay M; Prakash, Akanksha; Chen, Tiffany L; Kemp, Charles C; Rogers, Wendy A

2014-04-01

The population of older adults in America is expected to reach an unprecedented level in the near future. Some of them have difficulties with performing daily tasks and caregivers may not be able to match pace with the increasing need for assistance. Robots, especially mobile manipulators, have the potential for assisting older adults with daily tasks enabling them to live independently in their homes. However, little is known about their views of robot assistance in the home. Twenty-one independently living older Americans (65-93 years old) were asked about their preferences for and attitudes toward robot assistance via a structured group interview and questionnaires. In the group interview, they generated a diverse set of 121 tasks they would want a robot to assist them with in their homes. These data, along with their questionnaire responses, suggest that the older adults were generally open to robot assistance but were discriminating in their acceptance of assistance for different tasks. They preferred robot assistance over human assistance for tasks related to chores, manipulating objects, and information management. In contrast, they preferred human assistance to robot assistance for tasks related to personal care and leisure activities. Our study provides insights into older adults' attitudes and preferences for robot assistance with everyday living tasks in the home which may inform the design of robots that will be more likely accepted by older adults.

APA, Meet Google: Graduate Students' Approaches to Learning Citation Style

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Note Chism, Nancy; Weerakoon, Shrinika

2012-01-01

Inspired by Perkins' Theories of Difficulty concept, this exploratory study examined the learning patterns of graduate students as they grappled with using the style sheet of the American Psychological Association (APA). The researchers employed task performance analysis of three APA formatting tasks, interviews, and observation during a "think…

Children's Concepts of How People Get Babies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Anne C.; Cowan, Philip A.

1975-01-01

Twenty children, 3-12 years old, were given a newly constructed interview on their concepts of human reproduction (social causality), in conjunction with Piaget-type tasks assessing physical conservation-identity, physical causality, and a new social identity task. The children's concepts of human reproduction appeared to proceed through a…

Gender, Self-Efficacy and Achievement among South African Technology Teacher Trainees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackay, James; Parkinson, Jean

2010-01-01

This article considers the relationship between gender and self-efficacy in teacher trainees engaged in an electricity-related design and construction task. Quantitative data (examination scores, task assessment, and questionnaire) and qualitative data (interviews and written student reflections) were collected. There is a gender bias in student…

Initial development of the Systems Approach to Home Medication Management (SAHMM) model.

PubMed

Doucette, William R; Vinel, Shanrae'l; Pennathur, Priyadarshini

Adverse drug events and medication nonadherence are two problems associated with prescription medication use for chronic conditions. These issues often develop because patients have difficulty managing their medications at home. To guide patients and providers for achieving safe and effective medication use at home, the Systems Approach to Home Medication Management (SAHMM) model was derived from a systems engineering model for health care workplace safety. To explore how well concepts from the SAHMM model can represent home medication management by using patient descriptions of how they take prescription medications at home. Twelve patients were interviewed about home medication management using an interview guide based on the factors of the SAHMM model. Each interview was audio-taped and then transcribed verbatim. Interviews were coded to identify themes for home medication management using MAXQDA for Windows. SAHMM concepts extracted from the coded interview transcripts included work system components of person, tasks, tools & technology, internal environment, external environment, and household. Concepts also addressed work processes and work outcomes for home medication management. Using the SAHMM model for studying patients' home medication management is a promising approach to improving our understanding of the factors that influence patient adherence to medication and the development of adverse drug events. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving the care pathway for women who request Caesarean section: an experience-based co-design study.

PubMed

Kenyon, Sara L; Johns, Nina; Duggal, Sandhya; Hewston, Ruth; Gale, Nicola

2016-11-09

Maternal request for Caesarean section is controversial and yet the NICE Caesarean section Guideline recommends that that if this is requested, following discussion of the risks and benefits, women should be supported in their choice. There was a desire to improve the pathway at Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust. Experience-based co-design methodology uses service user and clinicians experiences collected using qualitative methods to jointly re-design services. Firstly semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit the views and experiences of health care professionals and women who requested Caesarean section (with and without medical indication). Analysis identified key themes arising from the health care professionals' interviews and 'touch points' (key moments or events related to the experience of care) arising from the interviews with women.. Separate workshops were then held with each group to ensure these resonated and to identify key areas for service improvement. At the first joint workshop a pathway using 'audio clips' demonstrating women's agreed 'touch points' prompted discussion and joint working began to change the pathway. A final second workshop was held to agree changes to the pathway. Interviews were conducted with health care professionals (n = 22, 10 consultant obstetricians and 12 midwives) and women (n = 15). The women's 'touch points' included repetition of request, delay in the decision for Caesarean section to be made, feeling judged, and that information was poor with similar findings identified from the health care professionals. Joint working resulted in a revised pathway for women who request Caesarean section. Changes to the pathway for women as a result of the work include written information about 'The way your baby may be born' which is given to the woman followed by a discussion about mode of birth around the 16 week appointment. If the woman wishes to have a Caesarean section, referral is made to appropriate health care professionals (e.g., Consultant Midwife, counsellor) only if support and information would be useful. If Caesarean section is requested, woman is referred to a consultant obstetrician for an appointment at 20/40, with a decision by 28/40. Recording this in the notes minimises repeated challenge described by women. Final consent and timing of Caesarean section remain as recommended. This has resulted in changes to the pathway agreed by a co-design process and which are acceptable to both health care professionals and women. Use of such methodologies should be considered more frequently when implementing service change.

Moving to senior school: an under-exploited opportunity to teach nutrition?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bullen, Kathryn; Benton, David

2004-03-01

The effect of age on the way that children aged 7-16 years classify food was examined in a cross-section of Welsh school children. Primary school children were interviewed and invited to classify photographs of food into groups. Secondary school children undertook a similar task using cards on which were written the names of foods. Although by 7 years of age children had well-established food classification strategies, there are considerable differences between those used by older and younger children. A time of particular change was seen in the use of classification labels during the first year of senior school with children aged 11-12. Potential implications of the findings for the design and implementation of nutrition education programmes are considered.

Selective processing of threatening information: effects of attachment representation and anxiety disorder on attention and memory.

PubMed

Zeijlmans van Emmichoven, Ingeborg A; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H; de Ruiter, Corine; Brosschot, Jos F

2003-01-01

To investigate the effect of the mental representation of attachment on information processing, 28 anxiety disorder outpatients, as diagnosed by the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Revised, were administered the Adult Attachment Interview and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. They also completed an emotional Stroop task with subliminal and supraliminal exposure conditions, a free recall memory task, and a recognition test. All tasks contained threatening, neutral, and positively valenced stimuli. A nonclinical comparison group of 56 participants completed the same measures. Results on the Stroop task showed color-naming interference for threatening words in the supraliminal condition only. Nonclinical participants with insecure attachment representations showed a global response inhibition to the Stroop task. Clinical participants with secure attachment representations showed the largest Stroop interference of the threatening words compared to the other groups. Results on the free recall task showed superior recall of all types of stimuli by participants with secure attachment representations. In the outpatient group, participants with secure attachment representations showed superior recall of threatening words on the free recall task, compared to insecure participants. Results on the recognition task showed no differences between attachment groups. We conclude that secure attachment representations are characterized by open communication about and processing of threatening information, leading to less defensive exclusion of negative material during the attentional stage of information processing and to better recall of threatening information in a later stage. Attachment insecurity, but not the type of insecurity, seems a decisive factor in attention and memory processes.

Taiwanese-Canadian Mothers' Beliefs about Personal Freedom for Their Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuang, Susan S.

2006-01-01

This study examined Taiwanese-Canadian mothers' conceptions of personal freedom in everyday situations for their children and the influence of acculturation on their beliefs. Forty mothers of six- to eight-year-old children participated in a semistructured interview and sorting task. Interview responses revealed that, regardless of acculturation,…

Socialization of Children's Recall and Use of Strategies for Coping with Interparental Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Paul A.; Kliewer, Wendy; Partch, Jenifer

2010-01-01

Using experimental, observational and interview-assessment methods, we examined relations among mother-child discussion skills and suggested strategies for coping with postdivorce interparental conflict in a conflict task, children's memory for those strategies in a later recall interview, and children's self-reported use of coping strategies in…

Complete Interview Procedures for Hiring School Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gagnon Jr, William L.

2003-01-01

Most school districts do not have a full time human resources administrator to conduct interviews and this important task most often becomes the responsibility of the building principal or a department head. Here is a guide designed for hiring employees, both professional staff as well as non-professional, in public, parochial, or private schools.…

Interpreting Unfamiliar Graphs: A Generative, Activity Theoretic Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael; Lee, Yew Jin

2004-01-01

Research on graphing presents its results as if knowing and understanding were something stored in peoples' minds independent of the situation that they find themselves in. Thus, there are no models that situate interview responses to graphing tasks. How, then, we question, are the interview texts produced? How do respondents begin and end…

An interview technique for recording work postures in epidemiological studies. Music-Norrtälje Study Group.

PubMed

Wiktorin, C; Selin, K; Ekenvall, L; Alfredsson, L

1996-02-01

The aim of the study was to present and evaluate a work-task-oriented interview technique focusing on the placement of the hands relative to the body and assessing per cent time spent in five standard work postures during a working day. The reproducibility of estimated time spent in each work posture was tested by the test-retest method in 32 subjects; 16 were interviewed by the same interviewer and 16 were interviewed by another one at the retest. The validity concerning estimated time spent in th five standard work postures was tested in relation to observations in 58 male blue-collar workers. The mean registration (assessment) time was 6 hours and 15 minutes. No evident differences in the reproducibility depending on same or different interviewers at test and retest could be observed. The linear relationship between times estimated by the interview and by observations was high for four of the work postures: 'sitting' (r = 0.86), 'standing with hands above shoulder level' (r = 0.87), 'between shoulder and knuckle level' (r = 0.75), and 'below knuckle level' (r = 0.93). When the work posture 'standing with hands between shoulder and knuckle level' was divided into 'hands fixed' (r = 0.62) and 'hands not fixed' (r = 0.50) the correlations were weak. Current musculoskeletal complaints did not influence the accuracy of the estimations. The present task-oriented interview technique may be the best available method to estimate these work postures in a way that requires few resources compared to observations and technical measurements.

Occupational exposure to carcinogens in Australian road transport workers.

PubMed

Si, Si; Carey, Renee; Reid, Alison; Peters, Susan; Glass, Deborah D; Driscoll, Timothy; Darcey, Ellie; Fritschi, Lin

2016-01-01

Road transport workers (RTWs) are at high risk of exposure to several occupational carcinogens. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the extent and the circumstances of exposure. As a sub-study of the Australian Work Exposures Study, this study investigated the prevalence of occupational exposure in Australian RTWs. A random sample of Australian working population was invited to a telephone interview regarding their current jobs. An automated expert-assessment procedure was applied to self-reported job-related tasks using a web-based application. 162 RTWs were included in this study. RTWs were exposed to diesel exhaust (97%), solar ultraviolet radiation (78%), environmental tobacco smoke (55%), benzene (29%), silica (15%), and asbestos (10%) at work. Besides driving on roads, vehicle maintenance-related tasks were the major source of carcinogen exposures among RTWs. Most RTWs are exposed to at least one carcinogen at work. We have identified tasks where the use of control measures could potentially reduce exposures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

School-based use of a robotic arm system by children with disabilities.

PubMed

Cook, Albert M; Bentz, Brenda; Harbottle, Norma; Lynch, Cheryl; Miller, Brad

2005-12-01

A robotic arm system was developed for use by children who had very severe motor disabilities and varying levels of cognitive and language skills. The children used the robot in a three-task sequence routine to dig objects from a tub of dry macaroni. The robotic system was used in the child's school for 12-15 sessions over a period of four weeks. Goal attainment scaling indicated improvement in all children in operational competence of the robot, and varying levels of gain in functional skill development with the robot and in carryover to the classroom from the robot experiments. Teacher interviews revealed gains in classroom participation, expressive language (vocalizations, symbolic communication), and a high degree of interest by the children in the robot tasks. The teachers also recommended that the robot should have more color, contrast and character, as well as generating sounds and/or music for student cues. They also felt that the robotic system accuracy should be increased so that teacher assistance is not necessary to complete the task.

Lack of cortisol response in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) undergoing a diagnostic interview

PubMed Central

Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana; Eckart, Cindy; Ruf, Martina; Neuner, Frank; de Quervain, Dominique JF; Elbert, Thomas

2007-01-01

Background According to DSM-IV, the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires the experience of a traumatic event during which the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. In order to diagnose PTSD, clinicians must interview the person in depth about his/her previous experiences and determine whether the individual has been traumatized by a specific event or events. However, asking questions about traumatic experiences can be stressful for the traumatized individual and it has been cautioned that subsequent "re-traumatization" could occur. This study investigated the cortisol response in traumatized refugees with PTSD during a detailed and standardized interview about their personal war and torture experiences. Methods Participants were male refugees with severe PTSD who solicited an expert opinion in the Psychological Research Clinic for Refugees of the University of Konstanz. 17 patients were administered the Vivo Checklist of War, Detention, and Torture Events, a standardized interview about traumatic experiences, and 16 subjects were interviewed about absorption behavior. Self-reported measures of affect and arousal, as well as saliva cortisol were collected at four points. Before and after the experimental intervention, subjects performed a Delayed Matching-to-Sample (DMS) task for distraction. They also rated the severity of selected PTSD symptoms, as well as the level of intrusiveness of traumatic memories at that time. Results Cortisol excretion diminished in the course of the interview and showed the same pattern for both groups. No specific response was detectable after the supposed stressor. Correspondingly, ratings of subjective well-being, memories of the most traumatic event(s) and PTSD symptoms did not show any significant difference between groups. Those in the presumed stress condition did not perform worse than persons in the control condition after the stressor. However, both groups performed poorly in the DMS task, which is consistent with memory and concentration problems demonstrated in patients with PTSD. Conclusion A comprehensive diagnostic interview including questions about traumatic events does not trigger an HPA-axis based alarm response or changes in psychological measures, even for persons with severe PTSD, such as survivors of torture. Thus, addressing traumatic experiences within a safe and empathic environment appears to impose no unacceptable additional load to the patient. PMID:17916253

Job Characteristics and Mentoring in Pre-Schools: Mentoring Relationships among the Educational Staff When Challenged by Problem-Solving Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waaland, Torbjorn

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of problem-solving tasks on mentoring received, peer mentoring and mentoring provided. Design/methodology/approach: This cross-sectional survey was based on a questionnaire that was sent to a total of 435 employees from 29 pre-schools in Norway. A total of 284 responses were returned, a…

Leadership, staffing and quality of care in nursing homes

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Leadership and staffing are recognised as important factors for quality of care. This study examines the effects of ward leaders' task- and relationship-oriented leadership styles, staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and ratio of unlicensed staff on three independent measures of quality of care. Methods A cross-sectional survey of forty nursing home wards throughout Norway was used to collect the data. Five sources of data were utilised: self-report questionnaires to 444 employees, interviews with and questionnaires to 13 nursing home directors and 40 ward managers, telephone interviews with 378 relatives and 900 hours of field observations. Separate multi-level analyses were conducted for quality of care assessed by relatives, staff and field observations respectively. Results Task-oriented leadership style had a significant positive relationship with two of the three quality of care indexes. In contrast, relationship-oriented leadership style was not significantly related to any of the indexes. The lack of significant effect for relationship-oriented leadership style was due to a strong correlation between the two leadership styles (r = 0.78). Staffing levels and ratio of registered nurses were not significantly related to any of the quality of care indexes. The ratio of unlicensed staff, however, showed a significant negative relationship to quality as assessed by relatives and field observations, but not to quality as assessed by staff. Conclusions Leaders in nursing homes should focus on active leadership and particularly task-oriented behaviour like structure, coordination, clarifying of staff roles and monitoring of operations to increase quality of care. Furthermore, nursing homes should minimize use of unlicensed staff and address factors related to high ratios of unlicensed staff, like low staff stability. The study indicates, however, that the relationship between staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and quality of care is complex. Increasing staffing levels or the ratio of registered nurses alone is not likely sufficient for increasing quality of care. PMID:22123029

Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Validating Women’s Self-Report of Emergency Cesarean Sections in Ghana and the Dominican Republic

PubMed Central

Tunçalp, Özge; Stanton, Cynthia; Castro, Arachu; Adanu, Richard; Heymann, Marilyn; Adu-Bonsaffoh, Kwame; Lattof, Samantha R.; Blanc, Ann; Langer, Ana

2013-01-01

Background Cesarean section is the only surgery for which we have nearly global population-based data. However, few surveys provide additional data related to cesarean sections. Given weaknesses in many health information systems, health planners in developing countries will likely rely on nationally representative surveys for the foreseeable future. The objective is to validate self-reported data on the emergency status of cesarean sections among women delivering in teaching hospitals in the capitals of two contrasting countries: Accra, Ghana and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR). Methods and Findings This study compares hospital-based data, considered the reference standard, against women’s self-report for two definitions of emergency cesarean section based on the timing of the decision to operate and the timing of the cesarean section relative to onset of labor. Hospital data were abstracted from individual medical records, and hospital discharge interviews were conducted with women who had undergone cesarean section in two hospitals. The study assessed sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of responses to questions regarding emergency versus non-emergency cesarean section and estimated the percent of emergency cesarean sections that would be obtained from a survey, given the observed prevalence, sensitivity, and specificity from this study. Hospital data were matched with exit interviews for 659 women delivered via cesarean section for Ghana and 1,531 for the Dominican Republic. In Ghana and the Dominican Republic, sensitivity and specificity for emergency cesarean section defined by decision time were 79% and 82%, and 50% and 80%, respectively. The validity of emergency cesarean defined by operation time showed less favorable results than decision time in Ghana and slightly more favorable results in the Dominican Republic. Conclusions Questions used in this study to identify emergency cesarean section are promising but insufficient to promote for inclusion in international survey questionnaires. Additional studies which confirm the accuracy of key facility-based indicators in advance of data collection and which use a longer recall period are warranted. PMID:23667428

Factors Contributing to Single- and Dual-Task Timed "Up & Go" Test Performance in Middle-Aged and Older Adults Who Are Active and Dwell in the Community.

PubMed

Chen, Hui-Ya; Tang, Pei-Fang

2016-03-01

Dual-task Timed "Up & Go" (TUG) tests are likely to have applications different from those of a single-task TUG test and may have different contributing factors. The purpose of this study was to compare factors contributing to performance on single- and dual-task TUG tests. This investigation was a cross-sectional study. Sixty-four adults who were more than 50 years of age and dwelled in the community were recruited. Interviews and physical examinations were performed to identify potential contributors to TUG test performance. The time to complete the single-task TUG test (TUGsingle) or the dual-task TUG test, which consisted of completing the TUG test while performing a serial subtraction task (TUGcognitive) or while carrying water (TUGmanual), was measured. Age, hip extensor strength, walking speed, general mental function, and Stroop scores for word and color were significantly associated with performance on all TUG tests. Hierarchical multiple regression models, without the input of walking speed, revealed different independent factors contributing to TUGsingle performance (Mini-Mental Status Examination score, β=-0.32), TUGmanual performance (age, β=0.35), and TUGcognitive performance (Stroop word score, β=-0.40; Mini-Mental Status Examination score, β=-0.31). At least 40% of the variance in the performance on the 3 TUG tests was not explained by common clinical measures, even when the factor of walking speed was considered. However, this study successfully identified some important factors contributing to performance on different TUG tests, and other studies have reported similar findings for single-task TUG test and dual-task gait performance. Although the TUGsingle and the TUGcognitive shared general mental function as a common factor, the TUGmanual was uniquely influenced by age and the TUGcognitive was uniquely influenced by focused attention. These results suggest that both common and unique factors contribute to performance on single- and dual-task TUG tests and suggest important applications of the combined use of the 3 TUG tests. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Monitoring and modeling of pavement response and performance task B : New York volume 3, I90.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-01

This research presents the evaluation and comparison of two Portland-cement concrete (PCC) pavement test : sections with cement-treated permeable bases (CTPB) and dense-graded aggregate bases (DGAB) on the Interstate : 90 Thruway in New York. Two ins...

Elementary science education: Dilemmas facing preservice teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Sherry Elaine

Prospective teachers are involved in a process of induction into a culture of teaching that has rules, or codes of conduct for engaging in teaching practice. This same culture of teaching exists within a larger culture of schooling that also has values and norms for behaviors, that over time have become institutionalized. Teacher educators are faced with the challenging task of preparing preservice teachers to resolve dilemmas that arise from conflicts between the pressure to adopt traditional teaching practices of schooling, or to adopt inquiry-based teaching practices from their university methods classes. One task for researchers in teacher education is to define with greater precision what factors within the culture of schooling hinder or facilitate implementation of inquiry-based methods of science teaching in schools. That task is the focus of this study. A qualitative study was undertaken using a naturalistic research paradigm introduced by Lincoln and Guba in 1985. Participant observation, interviews, discourse analysis of videotapes of lessons from the methods classroom and written artifacts produced by prospective teachers during the semester formed the basis of a grounded theory based on inductive analysis and emergent design. Unstructured interviews were used to negotiate outcomes with participants. Brief case reports of key participants were also written. This study identified three factors that facilitated or hindered the prospective teachers in this research success in implementing inquiry-based science teaching in their field placement classrooms: (a) the culture of teaching/teacher role-socialization, (b) the culture of schooling and its resistance to change, and (c) the culture of teacher education, especially in regards to grades and academic standing. Some recommendations for overcoming these persistent obstacles to best practice in elementary science teaching include: (a) preparing prospective teachers to understand and cope with change processes, (b) to understand the nature of teaching and schooling, and (c) to understand the nature of teacher education itself through explicit discourse about these topics. In addition, development of greater partnerships among university faculty and schools though Partnership School models and other community-building efforts can afford prospective teachers more opportunities to enter the discourse; perhaps even as change agents.

Adapting Cognitive Task Analysis to Investigate Clinical Decision Making and Medication Safety Incidents.

PubMed

Russ, Alissa L; Militello, Laura G; Glassman, Peter A; Arthur, Karen J; Zillich, Alan J; Weiner, Michael

2017-05-03

Cognitive task analysis (CTA) can yield valuable insights into healthcare professionals' cognition and inform system design to promote safe, quality care. Our objective was to adapt CTA-the critical decision method, specifically-to investigate patient safety incidents, overcome barriers to implementing this method, and facilitate more widespread use of cognitive task analysis in healthcare. We adapted CTA to facilitate recruitment of healthcare professionals and developed a data collection tool to capture incidents as they occurred. We also leveraged the electronic health record (EHR) to expand data capture and used EHR-stimulated recall to aid reconstruction of safety incidents. We investigated 3 categories of medication-related incidents: adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, and drug-disease interactions. Healthcare professionals submitted incidents, and a subset of incidents was selected for CTA. We analyzed several outcomes to characterize incident capture and completed CTA interviews. We captured 101 incidents. Eighty incidents (79%) met eligibility criteria. We completed 60 CTA interviews, 20 for each incident category. Capturing incidents before interviews allowed us to shorten the interview duration and reduced reliance on healthcare professionals' recall. Incorporating the EHR into CTA enriched data collection. The adapted CTA technique was successful in capturing specific categories of safety incidents. Our approach may be especially useful for investigating safety incidents that healthcare professionals "fix and forget." Our innovations to CTA are expected to expand the application of this method in healthcare and inform a wide range of studies on clinical decision making and patient safety.

Accessibility Standards, Illustrated.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Michael A.

The book sets forth Illinois environmental accessibility standards for disabled persons based on observation and interview data. Photographs, drawings, and detailed floor plans are included in sections dealing with human data (including space requirements for maneuvering wheelchairs, color blindness, incontinence, and severe auditory or visual…

Social Experience and the Development of Social Cognition in Orthopedically Disabled and Non Disabled Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volpe, Richard

Evaluated were the cognitive and social development of 40 orthopedially handicapped children ages 6 to 12 years. Social development was measured by the Children's Social Relations Rating Scale, the Children's Social Relations Interview Schedule, and the Children's Role Taking Task. The Concrete Operations Tasks assessed cognitive ability. Data…

Failing to Fulfill Tasks of Social Justice Weakens Country.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

USA Today, 1981

1981-01-01

Presents excerpts from an interview with Walter Mondale in which the former vice president expressed fears that the United States will be weakened by current policies of removing government from the tasks of social justice. Topics discussed include social security cuts, reduction of student loans, and elimination of the legal aid program. (DB)

Selected Childrearing Tasks and Problems of Mothers and Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartz, Karen W.

1978-01-01

Interviews with parents at two stages of the family life cycle provide comparable data on some tasks and problems of parenting. Differences in involvement and perception of problems are identified between mothers and fathers and parents in school-age and teen-age stages. Implications are drawn for parent education programs. (Author)

First-Graders' Spatial-Mathematical Reasoning about Plane and Solid Shapes and Their Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallowell, David A.; Okamoto, Yukari; Romo, Laura F.; La Joy, Jonna R.

2015-01-01

The primary goal of the study was to explore first-grade children's reasoning about plane and solid shapes across various kinds of geometric representations. Children were individually interviewed while completing a shape-matching task developed for this study. This task required children to compose and decompose geometric figures to identify…

The Primary Program: Report from the Task Force on Improving Kentucky Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Lexington, KY.

Because the primary years are the point where specific changes are required in teaching practice and school organization, a task force examined Kentucky's primary program through school visits, interviews, expert testimony, and research. The last three years have shown marked improvement in student performance in the basics (reading, writing, and…

Discharge Planning Revisited: What Do Social Workers Actually Do in Discharge Planning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadushin, Goldie; Kulys, Regina

1993-01-01

Interviewed 80 social workers in 36 acute care hospitals concerning amount of time they spent on and importance of 73 discharge planning tasks. Findings suggest that discharge planning comprises primarily concrete resource provision with counseling component focused on decision making. Time spent on tasks was influenced by prospective payment…

Performance Assessment and the Components of the Oral Construct across Different Tasks and Rater Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline

This study investigated whether different groups of native speakers assess second language learners' language skills differently for three elicitation techniques. Subjects were six learners of college-level Arabic as a second language, tape-recorded performing three tasks: participating in a modified oral proficiency interview, narrating a picture…

The Relative Efficiency of Two Strategies for Conducting Cognitive Task Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flynn, Catherine L.

2012-01-01

Cognitive task analysis (CTA) has evolved over the past half century to capture the mental decisions and analysis that experts have learned to implement when solving complex problems. Since expertise is largely automated and nonconscious, a variety of observation and interview strategies have been developed to identify the most critical cognitive…

'I believe high blood pressure can kill me:' using the PEN-3 Cultural Model to understand patients' perceptions of an intervention to control hypertension in Ghana.

PubMed

Blackstone, Sarah; Iwelunmor, Juliet; Plange-Rhule, Jacob; Gyamfi, Joyce; Quakyi, Nana Kofi; Ntim, Micheal; Addison, Abigail; Ogedegbe, Gbenga

2017-07-04

Currently in Ghana, there is an on-going task-shifting strategy in which nurses are trained in hypertension management. While this study will provide useful information on the viability of this approach, it is not clear how patients in the intervention perceive hypertension, the task-shifting strategy, and its effects on blood pressure management. The objective of this paper is to examine patients' perceptions of hypertension and hypertension management in the context of an on-going task-shifting intervention to manage blood pressure control in Ghana. Forty-two patients participating in the Task Shifting Strategy for Hypertension program (23 males, 19 females, and mean age 61. 7 years) completed in-depth, qualitative interviews. Interviews were transcribed, and key words and phrases were extracted and coded using the PEN-3 Cultural Model as a guide through open and axial coding techniques, thus allowing rich exploration of the data. Emergent themes included patients' perceptions of hypertension, which encompassed misperceptions of hypertension and blood pressure control. Additional themes included enablers and barriers to hypertension management, and how the intervention nurtured lifestyle change associated with blood pressure control. Primary enabling factors included the supportive nature of TASSH nurses, while notable barriers were financial constraints and difficulty accessing medication. Nurturing factors included the motivational interviewing and patient counseling which instilled confidence in the patients that they could make lasting behavior changes. This study offers a unique perspective of blood pressure control by examining how patients view an on-going task-shifting initiative for hypertension management. The results of this study shed light on factors that can help and hinder individuals in low-resource settings with long-term blood pressure management.

Identifying applicants suitable to a career in nursing: a value-based approach to undergraduate selection.

PubMed

Traynor, Marian; Galanouli, Despina; Roberts, Martin; Leonard, Lawrence; Gale, Thomas

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to complement existing evidence on the suitability of Multiple Mini Interviews as a potential tool for the selection of nursing candidates on to a BSc (Hons) nursing programme. This study aimed to trial the Multiple Mini Interview approach to recruitment with a group of first year nursing students (already selected using traditional interviews). Cross-sectional validation study. This paper reports on the evaluation of the participants' detailed scores from the Multiple Mini Interview stations; their original interview scores and their end of year results. This study took place in March 2015. Scores from the seven Multiple Mini Interview stations were analysed to show the internal structure, reliability and generalizability of the stations. Original selection scores from interviews and in-course assessment were correlated with the MMI scores and variation by students' age, gender and disability status was explored. Reliability of the Multiple Mini Interview score was moderate (G = 0·52). The Multiple Mini Interview score provided better differentiation between more able students than did the original interview score but neither score was correlated with the module results. Multiple Mini Interview scores were positively associated with students' age but not their gender or disability status. The Multiple Mini Interview reported in this study offers a selection process that is based on the values and personal attributes regarded as desirable for a career in nursing and does not necessarily predict academic success. Its moderate reliability indicates the need for further improvement but it is capable of discriminating between candidates and shows little evidence of bias. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cultural and social factors and quality of life of Maori in advanced age. Te puawaitanga o nga tapuwae kia ora tonu - Life and living in advanced age: a cohort study in New Zealand (LiLACS NZ).

PubMed

Dyall, Lorna; Kepa, Mere; Teh, Ruth; Mules, Rangimarie; Moyes, Simon A; Wham, Carol; Hayman, Karen; Connolly, Martin; Wilkinson, Tim; Keeling, Sally; Loughlin, Hine; Jatrana, Santosh; Kerse, Ngaire

2014-05-02

To establish 1) the socioeconomic and cultural profile and 2) correlates of quality of life (QOL) of Maori in advanced age. A cross sectional survey of a population based cohort of Maori aged 80-90 years, participants in LiLACS NZ, in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Socioeconomic and cultural engagement characteristics were established by personal interview and QOL was assessed by the SF-12. In total 421 (56%) participated and 267 (63%) completed the comprehensive interview. Maori lived with high deprivation areas and had received a poor education in the public system. Home ownership was high (81%), 64% had more than 3 children still living and social support was present for practical tasks and emotional support in 82%. A need for more practical help was reported by 21%. Fifty-two percent of the participants used te reo Maori me nga tikanga (Maori language and culture) daily. One in five had experienced discrimination and one in five reported colonisation affecting their life today. Greater frequency of visits to marae/sacred gathering places was associated with higher physical health-related QOL. Unmet need for practical help was associated with lower physical health-related QOL. Lower mental health-related QOL was associated with having experienced discrimination. Greater language and cultural engagement is associated with higher QOL for older Maori and unmet social needs and discrimination are associated with lower QOL.

8 CFR 245a.19 - Interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Interviews. 245a.19 Section 245a.19 Aliens... AND NATIONALITY ACT Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act Legalization Provisions § 245a.19 Interviews. (a) All aliens filing applications for adjustment of status with the Service under this section...

8 CFR 245a.19 - Interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Interviews. 245a.19 Section 245a.19 Aliens... AND NATIONALITY ACT Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act Legalization Provisions § 245a.19 Interviews. (a) All aliens filing applications for adjustment of status with the Service under this section...

8 CFR 245a.19 - Interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Interviews. 245a.19 Section 245a.19 Aliens... IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act Legalization Provisions § 245a.19 Interviews. (a) All aliens filing applications for adjustment of status with the Service under this section...

8 CFR 245a.19 - Interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Interviews. 245a.19 Section 245a.19 Aliens... AND NATIONALITY ACT Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act Legalization Provisions § 245a.19 Interviews. (a) All aliens filing applications for adjustment of status with the Service under this section...

Operational Failures and Interruptions in Hospital Nursing

PubMed Central

Tucker, Anita L; Spear, Steven J

2006-01-01

Objective To describe the work environment of hospital nurses with particular focus on the performance of work systems supplying information, materials, and equipment for patient care. Data Sources Primary observation, semistructured interviews, and surveys of hospital nurses. Study Design We sampled a cross-sectional group of six U.S. hospitals to examine the frequency of work system failures and their impact on nurse productivity. Data Collection We collected minute-by-minute data on the activities of 11 nurses. In addition, we conducted interviews with six of these nurses using questions related to obstacles to care. Finally, we created and administered two surveys in 48 nursing units, one for nurses and one for managers, asking about the frequency of specific work system failures. Principal Findings Nurses we observed experienced an average of 8.4 work system failures per 8-hour shift. The five most frequent types of failures, accounting for 6.4 of these obstacles, involved medications, orders, supplies, staffing, and equipment. Survey questions asking nurses how frequently they experienced these five categories of obstacles yielded similar frequencies. For an average 8-hour shift, the average task time was only 3.1 minutes, and in spite of this, nurses were interrupted mid-task an average of eight times per shift. Conclusions Our findings suggest that nurse effectiveness can be increased by creating improvement processes triggered by the occurrence of work system failures, with the goal of reducing future occurrences. Second, given that nursing work is fragmented and unpredictable, designing processes that are robust to interruption can help prevent errors. PMID:16704505

Abnormal Brain Activation During Theory of Mind Tasks in Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Kronbichler, Lisa; Tschernegg, Melanie; Martin, Anna Isabel; Schurz, Matthias; Kronbichler, Martin

2017-10-21

Social cognition abilities are severely impaired in schizophrenia (SZ). The current meta-analysis used foci of 21 individual studies on functional abnormalities in the schizophrenic brain in order to identify regions that reveal convergent under- or over-activation during theory of mind (TOM) tasks. Studies were included in the analyses when contrasting tasks that require the processing of mental states with tasks which did not. Only studies that investigated patients with an ICD or DSM diagnosis were included. Quantitative voxel-based meta-analyses were done using Seed-based d Mapping software. Common TOM regions like medial-prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction revealed abnormal activation in schizophrenic patients: Under-activation was identified in the medial prefrontal cortex, left orbito-frontal cortex, and in a small section of the left posterior temporo-parietal junction. Remarkably, robust over-activation was identified in a more dorsal, bilateral section of the temporo-parietal junction. Further abnormal activation was identified in medial occipito-parietal cortex, right premotor areas, left cingulate gyrus, and lingual gyrus. The findings of this study suggest that SZ patients simultaneously show over- and under-activation in TOM-related regions. Especially interesting, temporo-parietal junction reveals diverging activation patterns with an under-activating left posterior and an over-activating bilateral dorsal section. In conclusion, SZ patients show less specialized brain activation in regions linked to TOM and increased activation in attention-related networks suggesting compensatory effects. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.

A Mixed-Methods Study of Patient Views on Reflux Symptoms and Medication Routines.

PubMed

Pisegna, Jessica M; Yang, Sky; Purcell, Audrey; Rubio, Alix

2017-05-01

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a chronic disorder often accompanied by laryngopharyngeal reflux. Speech-language pathologists are tasked with treating these patients with voice, dysphagia, and/or reflux therapy. This study investigated patient-reported reasons for reduced compliance with recommended reflux treatment and the top symptoms in patients with reflux, dysphagia, and voice symptoms. This study used a cross-sectional qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods design to identify and describe patients' reflux symptoms and reflux medication routines. Fifty-one patients completed a face-to-face, semistructured interview, a questionnaire, and the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI). Interview transcripts were coded by authors for concepts in two cycles. During the 51 interviews, the top four reported symptoms were heartburn (n = 17), mucous (n = 11), dysphagia, and globus (n = 10). Further, 62.7% (n = 32/51) described an incorrect routine in taking their proton pump inhibitor (PPI): taking it with other pills, taking it with food/drink, and uncertainty about which pill is for reflux. RSI scores were moderately correlated with patient-reported reflux severity (r = 0.62, P < 0.0001, r 2  = 0.34). Correct compliance with PPI timing was not enough to significantly lower RSI scores more than those who did not comply (an average RSI of 20.0 vs. 25.9, P = 0.1252). Literature has not described the most relevant reflux-related symptoms and why PPI compliance is notoriously poor, from the patients' perspective. The results of this study confirm that PPI compliance is poor, and the reasons for poor compliance could have been prevented with patient education. Even when PPI compliance was adequate, symptoms like globus, mucous, voice dysfunction, and dysphagia persisted. Other interventions such as evidence-based diet and behavioral changes should be a part of voice/dysphagia/reflux therapy. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A General Interview Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ives, Edward D.

This guide is divided into 11 sections, each containing a number of questions and suggestions for conducting successful folklore and oral history interviews. Section 1, "Settlement and Dwellings," deals with the physical environment, local inhabitants, houses and outbuildings, and public buildings. Section 2, "Livelihood and…

8 CFR 208.14 - Approval, denial, referral, or dismissal of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... is found to have a credible fear of persecution or torture based on information elicited from the... proceedings under section 240 of the Act, without conducting a separate credible fear interview pursuant to § 208.30. If such applicant is not found to have a credible fear based on information elicited at the...

8 CFR 1208.14 - Approval, denial, referral, or dismissal of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... applicant is found to have a credible fear of persecution or torture based on information elicited from the... proceedings under section 240 of the Act, without conducting a separate credible fear interview pursuant to § 1208.30. If such applicant is not found to have a credible fear based on information elicited at the...

Designing a proficiency-based, content validated virtual reality curriculum for laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a Delphi approach.

PubMed

Palter, Vanessa N; Graafland, Maurits; Schijven, Marlies P; Grantcharov, Teodor P

2012-03-01

Although task training on virtual reality (VR) simulators has been shown to transfer to the operating room, to date no VR curricula have been described for advanced laparoscopic procedures. The purpose of this study was to develop a proficiency-based VR technical skills curriculum for laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The Delphi method was used to determine expert consensus on which VR tasks (on the LapSim simulator) are relevant to teaching laparoscopic colorectal surgery. To accomplish this task, 19 international experts rated all the LapSim tasks on a Likert scale (1-5) with respect to the degree to which they thought that a particular task should be included in a final technical skills curriculum. Results of the survey were sent back to participants until consensus (Cronbach's α >0.8) was reached. A cross-sectional design was utilized to define the benchmark scores for the identified tasks. Nine expert surgeons completed all identified tasks on the "easy," "medium," and "hard" settings of the simulator. In the first round of the survey, Cronbach's α was 0.715; after the second round, consensus was reached at 0.865. Consensus was reached for 7 basic tasks and 1 advanced suturing task. Median expert time and economy of movement scores were defined as benchmarks for all curricular tasks. This study used Delphi consensus methodology to create a curriculum for an advanced laparoscopic procedure that is reflective of current clinical practice on an international level and conforms to current educational standards of proficiency-based training. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

What evidence and support do state-level public health practitioners need to address obesity prevention.

PubMed

Leeman, Jennifer; Teal, Randall; Jernigan, Jan; Reed, Jenica Huddleston; Farris, Rosanne; Ammerman, Alice

2014-01-01

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Public health practitioners are distinctly positioned to promote the environmental changes essential to addressing obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other entities provide evidence and technical assistance to support this work, yet little is known about how practitioners use evidence and support as they intervene to prevent obesity. The study's purpose was to describe how practitioners and CDC project officers characterized the obesity prevention task, where practitioners accessed support and evidence, and what approaches to support and evidence they found most useful. APPROACH OR DESIGN: Mixed-methods, cross-sectional interviews, and survey. State-level public health obesity prevention programs. Public health practitioners and CDC project officers. We conducted 10 in-depth interviews with public health practitioners (n = 7) and project officers (n = 3) followed by an online survey completed by 62 practitioners (50% response rate). We applied content analysis to interview data and descriptive statistics to survey data. Practitioners characterized obesity prevention as uncertain and complex, involving interdependence among actors, multiple levels of activity, an excess of information, and a paucity of evidence. Survey findings provide further detail on the types of evidence and support practitioners used and valued. We recommend approaches to tailoring evidence and support to the needs of practitioners working on obesity prevention and other complex health problems.

Build a better mouse: directly-observed issues in computer use for adults with SMI.

PubMed

Black, Anne C; Serowik, Kristin L; Schensul, Jean J; Bowen, Anne M; Rosen, Marc I

2013-03-01

Integrating information technology into healthcare has the potential to bring treatment to hard-to-reach people. Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), however, may derive limited benefit from these advances in care because of lack of computer ownership and experience. To date, conclusions about the computer skills and attitudes of adults with SMI have been based primarily on self-report. In the current study, 28 psychiatric outpatients with co-occurring cocaine use were interviewed about their computer use and opinions, and 25 were then directly observed using task analysis and think aloud methods as they navigated a multi-component health informational website. Participants reported low rates of computer ownership and use, and negative attitudes towards computers. Self-reported computer skills were higher than demonstrated in the task analysis. However, some participants spontaneously expressed more positive attitudes and greater computer self-efficacy after navigating the website. Implications for increasing access to computer-based health information are discussed.

Build a Better Mouse: Directly-Observed Issues in Computer Use for Adults with SMI

PubMed Central

Black, Anne C.; Serowik, Kristin L.; Schensul, Jean J.; Bowen, Anne M.; Rosen, Marc I.

2014-01-01

Integrating information technology into healthcare has the potential to bring treatment to hard-to-reach people. Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), however, may derive limited benefit from these advances in care because of lack of computer ownership and experience. To date, conclusions about the computer skills and attitudes of adults with SMI have been based primarily on self-report. In the current study, 28 psychiatric outpatients with co-occurring cocaine use were interviewed about their computer use and opinions, and 25 were then directly observed using task analysis and think aloud methods as they navigated a multi-component health informational website. Participants reported low rates of computer ownership and use, and negative attitudes towards computers. Self-reported computer skills were higher than demonstrated in the task analysis. However, some participants spontaneously expressed more positive attitudes and greater computer self-efficacy after navigating the website. Implications for increasing access to computer-based health information are discussed. PMID:22711454

Interviewing Child Witnesses: The Effect of Forced Confabulation on Event Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stolzenberg, Stacia; Pezdek, Kathy

2013-01-01

Age differences in rates of forced confabulation and memory consequences thereof were assessed using a recall task similar to real forensic interview procedures. Children viewed a target video and were tested with the same 18 questions immediately afterward and 1 week later. Of the 18 questions, 12 were answerable; the 6 unanswerable questions…

Autism from a Religious Perspective: A Study of Parental Beliefs in South Asian Muslim Immigrant Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jegatheesan, Brinda; Miller, Peggy J.; Fowler, Susan A.

2010-01-01

Three multilingual immigrant South Asian Muslim families who have children with autism were interviewed to ascertain their beliefs about autism. Data were drawn from interviews and conversations recorded during 17 months of ethnographic fieldwork in homes and community. Results indicate that families understood the task of raising a child with…

The Voice Transcription Technique: Use of Voice Recognition Software to Transcribe Digital Interview Data in Qualitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matheson, Jennifer L.

2007-01-01

Transcribing interview data is a time-consuming task that most qualitative researchers dislike. Transcribing is even more difficult for people with physical limitations because traditional transcribing requires manual dexterity and the ability to sit at a computer for long stretches of time. Researchers have begun to explore using an automated…

Evaluation of a community health representative program among the Cree of northern Quebec.

PubMed

Lavallée, C; James, C A; Robinson, E J

1991-01-01

The James Bay Cree Community Health Representative (CHR) program was implemented in 1984 to train persons from the Cree population of northern Quebec to act as health care advocates and educators, as intermediaries between the Cree population, health services and local organizations, and as participants in assessing health needs. A formative evaluation was initiated which included quantitative analysis of the daily tasks of CHRs and a qualitative component based on documentary research, observation and semi-structured interviews. The evaluation revealed that CHRs actively participated in the ongoing community health programs mainly through health education; the people interviewed showed a high level of satisfaction. However, direct supervision, sufficient continuing education for the CHRs and better integration into health care teams are long-term goals which need to be emphasized in the program.

It takes longer than you think: librarian time spent on systematic review tasks*

PubMed Central

Bullers, Krystal; Howard, Allison M.; Hanson, Ardis; Kearns, William D.; Orriola, John J.; Polo, Randall L.; Sakmar, Kristen A.

2018-01-01

Introduction The authors examined the time that medical librarians spent on specific tasks for systematic reviews (SRs): interview process, search strategy development, search strategy translation, documentation, deliverables, search methodology writing, and instruction. We also investigated relationships among the time spent on SR tasks, years of experience, and number of completed SRs to gain a better understanding of the time spent on SR tasks from time, staffing, and project management perspectives. Methods A confidential survey and study description were sent to medical library directors who were members of the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries as well as librarians serving members of the Association of American Medical Colleges or American Osteopathic Association. Results Of the 185 participants, 143 (77%) had worked on an SR within the last 5 years. The number of SRs conducted by participants during their careers ranged from 1 to 500, with a median of 5. The major component of time spent was on search strategy development and translation. Average aggregated time for standard tasks was 26.9 hours, with a median of 18.5 hours. Task time was unrelated to the number of SRs but was positively correlated with years of SR experience. Conclusion The time required to conduct the librarian’s discrete tasks in an SR varies substantially, and there are no standard time frames. Librarians with more SR experience spent more time on instruction and interviews; time spent on all other tasks varied widely. Librarians also can expect to spend a significant amount of their time on search strategy development, translation, and writing. PMID:29632442

Knowledge-based support for the participatory design and implementation of shift systems.

PubMed

Gissel, A; Knauth, P

1998-01-01

This study developed a knowledge-based software system to support the participatory design and implementation of shift systems as a joint planning process including shift workers, the workers' committee, and management. The system was developed using a model-based approach. During the 1st phase, group discussions were repeatedly conducted with 2 experts. Thereafter a structure model of the process was generated and subsequently refined by the experts in additional semistructured interviews. Next, a factual knowledge base of 1713 relevant studies was collected on the effects of shift work. Finally, a prototype of the knowledge-based system was tested on 12 case studies. During the first 2 phases of the system, important basic information about the tasks to be carried out is provided for the user. During the 3rd phase this approach uses the problem-solving method of case-based reasoning to determine a shift rota which has already proved successful in other applications. It can then be modified in the 4th phase according to the shift workers' preferences. The last 2 phases support the final testing and evaluation of the system. The application of this system has shown that it is possible to obtain shift rotas suitable to actual problems and representative of good ergonomic solutions. A knowledge-based approach seems to provide valuable support for the complex task of designing and implementing a new shift system. The separation of the task into several phases, the provision of information at all stages, and the integration of all parties concerned seem to be essential factors for the success of the application.

Recommendations for a Standardized Program Management Office (PMO) Time Compliance Network Order (TCNO) Patching Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

self -reporting. The interview process and resulting data analysis may be impacted by research bias since both were conducted by the same individual...the processes you employ? Answer: 97 MAJCOM CONTACTS RESPOSIBLE FOR GENERAL TCNO PROCEDURES SECTION 1: INTERVIEWEE INFO Question 1: Please...BASE-LEVEL NCC CONTACTS RESPOSIBLE FOR GENERAL TCNO PROCEDURES SECTION 1: INTERVIEWEE INFO Question 1: Please provide your general job description

Benefits of task-shifting HIV care to nurses in terms of health-related quality of life in patients initiating antiretroviral therapy in rural district hospitals in Cameroon [Stratall Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA (ANRS) 12110/Ensemble pour une Solidarité Thérapeutique Hospitalière en Réseau (ESTHER) substudy].

PubMed

Suzan-Monti, M; Blanche, J; Boyer, S; Kouanfack, C; Delaporte, E; Bonono, R-C; Carrieri, P M; Protopopescu, C; Laurent, C; Spire, B

2015-05-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends task-shifting HIV care to nurses in low-resource settings with limited numbers of physicians. However, the effect of such task-shifting on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of people living with HIV (PLHIV) has seldom been evaluated. We aimed to investigate the effect of task-shifting HIV care to nurses on HRQL outcomes in PLHIV initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in rural district hospitals in Cameroon. Outcomes in PLHIV were longitudinally collected in the 2006-2010 Stratall trial. PLHIV were followed up for 24 months by nurses and/or physicians. Six HRQL dimensions were assessed during face-to-face interviews using the WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-HIV BREF scale: physical health; psychological health; independence level; social relationships; environment; and spirituality/religion/personal beliefs. The degree of task-shifting was estimated using a consultant ratio (i.e. the ratio of nurse-led to physician-led visits). The effect of task-shifting and other potential correlates on HRQL dimensions was explored using a Heckman two-stage approach based on linear mixed models to adjust for the potential bias caused by missing data in the outcomes. Of 1424 visits in 440 PLHIV (70.5% female; median age 36 years; median CD4 count 188 cells/μL at enrolment), 423 (29.7%) were task-shifted to nurses. After multiple adjustment, task-shifting was associated with higher HRQL level for four dimensions: physical health [coefficient 0.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-1.2; P = 0.01], psychological health (coefficient 0.5; 95% CI 0.0-1.0; P = 0.05), independence level (coefficient 0.6; 95% CI 0.1-1.1; P = 0.01) and environment (coefficient 0.6; 95% CI 0.1-1.0; P = 0.02). Task-shifting HIV care to nurses benefits the HRQL of PLHIV. Together with the previously demonstrated comparable clinical effectiveness of physician-based and nurse-based models of HIV care, our results support the WHO recommendation for task-shifting. © 2015 British HIV Association.

Quality of life and near vision impairment due to functional presbyopia among rural Chinese adults.

PubMed

Lu, Qing; Congdon, Nathan; He, Xiangdong; Murthy, Gudlavalleti V S; Yang, Amy; He, Wei

2011-06-13

To evaluate the impact of near-vision impairment on visual functioning and quality of life in a rural adult population in Shenyang, northern China. A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among persons aged 40+ years, during which functional presbyopia (correctable presenting near vision < 20/50 [N8] at 40 cm) was assessed. Near-vision-related quality of life and spectacle usage questionnaires were administered by trained interviewers to determine the degree of self-rated difficulty with near tasks. A total of 1008 respondents (91.5% of 1102 eligible persons) were examined, and 776 (78%) of completed the questionnaires (mean age, 57.0 ± 10.2 years; 63.3% women). Near-vision spectacle wearers obtained their spectacles primarily from markets (74.5%) and optical shops (21.7%), and only 1.14% from eye clinics. Among 538 (69.3%) persons with functional presbyopia, self-rated overall (distance and near) vision was worse (P < 0.001) and difficulty with activities of daily living greater (P < 0.001) than among nonpresbyopes. Odds of reporting any difficulty with daily tasks remained higher (OR = 2.32; P < 0.001) for presbyopes after adjustment for age, sex, education and distance vision. Compared to persons without presbyopia, presbyopic persons were more likely to report diminished accomplishment due to vision (P = 0.01, adjusted for age, sex, education, and distance vision.) Difficulties with activities of daily living and resulting social impediments are common due to presbyopia in this setting. Most spectacle wearers with presbyopia in rural China obtain near correction from sources that do not provide comprehensive vision care.

SRM Internal Flow Test and Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis. Volume 1; Major Task Summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitesides, R. Harold; Dill, Richard A.; Purinton, David C.

1995-01-01

During the four year period of performance for NASA contract, NASB-39095, ERC has performed a wide variety of tasks to support the design and continued development of new and existing solid rocket motors and the resolution of operational problems associated with existing solid rocket motor's at NASA MSFC. This report summarizes the support provided to NASA MSFC during the contractual period of performance. The report is divided into three main sections. The first section presents summaries for the major tasks performed. These tasks are grouped into three major categories: full scale motor analysis, subscale motor analysis and cold flow analysis. The second section includes summaries describing the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tasks performed. The third section, the appendices of the report, presents detailed descriptions of the analysis efforts as well as published papers, memoranda and final reports associated with specific tasks. These appendices are referenced in the summaries. The subsection numbers for the three sections correspond to the same topics for direct cross referencing.

Criterion-Related Validity of the TOEFL iBT Listening Section. TOEFL iBT Research Report. RR-09-02

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawaki, Yasuyo; Nissan, Susan

2009-01-01

The study investigated the criterion-related validity of the "Test of English as a Foreign Language"[TM] Internet-based test (TOEFL[R] iBT) Listening section by examining its relationship to a criterion measure designed to reflect language-use tasks that university students encounter in everyday academic life: listening to academic…

Benchmarking progress in the implementation of the Fourth Joint Societies' Task Force Guidelines on the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Clinical Practice.

PubMed

Morgan, Karen; Burke, Helen; McGee, Hannah

2013-02-01

The Fourth Joint Societies' Task Force (4th JTF) Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice are agreed, evidence-based standards of care across European countries and professions. In advance of the publication of the 5th JTF Guidelines in 2012, this work assesses the extent to which the 4th JTF guidelines have been implemented. Qualitative study of guideline implementation in 13 European countries, focusing on the themes of guideline implementation structures, processes, and outcomes. Key personnel in 13 selected countries completed interviews or comparable questionnaires: they were national coordinators for CVD prevention (n = 14) and representatives of the national cardiac society (n = 9), heart foundations (n = 11), health ministry (n = 8), and service providers (n = 3). Interview and service-related data from each country were compiled to provide a detailed overview. Ten of the 13 countries used European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines on prevention at a national level, where three broad approaches to implementation were identified. In all 10 countries, multidisciplinary alliances oversaw implementation, but ongoing promotion of the guidelines was not evident, with just two of the 10 countries conducting evaluation of implementation. Barriers to implementation included weak health authority support, the unwieldy nature of the guidelines, guideline fatigue, and the lesser role of prevention in national healthcare systems. Substantial progress had been made in implementing the guidelines, but countries struggled with the task. Some rebalancing of the ESC focus may be warranted so that part of the effort dedicated to improving guidelines might be redirected at translating them into practice.

Factors promoting and inhibiting sustained impact of a mental health task-shifting program for HIV providers in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Jerene, D; Biru, M; Teklu, A; Rehman, T; Ruff, A; Wissow, L

2017-01-01

Task-shifting mental health into general medical care requires more than brief provider training. Generalists need long-term support to master new skills and changes to work context are required to sustain change in the face of competing priorities. We examined program and context factors promoting sustainability of a mental health task-shifting training for hospital-based HIV providers in Ethiopia. Convergent mixed-methods quasi-experimental study. Sustained impact was measured by trained/not-trained provider differences in case detection and management 16 months following the end of formal support. Factors related to sustainability were examined through interviews with trained providers. Extent of sustained impact: Trained providers demonstrated modest but better agreement with standardized screeners (greater sensitivity with similar specificity). They were more likely to request that patients with mental health problems return to see them v. making a referral. Factors promoting sustainability (reported in semi-structured interviews): provider belief that the treatments they had learned were effective. New interactions with on-site mental health staff were a source of ongoing learning and encouragement. Factors diminishing sustainability: providers feelings of isolation when mental health partners left for work elsewhere, failure to incorporate mental health indicators into administrative data, to re-stock staff education materials, and to build formal mechanisms for generalist-mental health staff interaction. An intervention seen as feasible and effective, and promotion of relationships across professional lines, helped generalists sustain new skills. Failure to address key system context issues made use of the skills unsustainable as external supports ended.

SOLID STATE ENERGY CONVERSION ALLIANCE DELPHI SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL

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

Steven Shaffer; Sean Kelly; Subhasish Mukerjee

2004-05-07

The objective of this project is to develop a 5 kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell power system for a range of fuels and applications. During Phase I, the following will be accomplished: Develop and demonstrate technology transfer efforts on a 5 kW stationary distributed power generation system that incorporates steam reforming of natural gas with the option of piped-in water (Demonstration System A). Initiate development of a 5 kW system for later mass-market automotive auxiliary power unit application, which will incorporate Catalytic Partial Oxidation (CPO) reforming of gasoline, with anode exhaust gas injected into an ultra-lean burn internal combustion engine.more » This technical progress report covers work performed by Delphi from July 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003, under Department of Energy Cooperative Agreement DE-FC-02NT41246. This report highlights technical results of the work performed under the following tasks: Task 1 System Design and Integration; Task 2 Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack Developments; Task 3 Reformer Developments; Task 4 Development of Balance of Plant (BOP) Components; Task 5 Manufacturing Development (Privately Funded); Task 6 System Fabrication; Task 7 System Testing; Task 8 Program Management; Task 9 Stack Testing with Coal-Based Reformate; and Task 10 Technology Transfer from SECA CORE Technology Program. In this reporting period, unless otherwise noted Task 6--System Fabrication and Task 7--System Testing will be reported within Task 1 System Design and Integration. Task 8--Program Management, Task 9--Stack Testing with Coal Based Reformate, and Task 10--Technology Transfer from SECA CORE Technology Program will be reported on in the Executive Summary section of this report.« less

"I Help Them Navigate the Organization": Recognizing the Contributions of Non-Clinical Professionals to Person-Centered Approaches in Assisted Living.

PubMed

Shrestha, Priyanka; Abbott, Katherine M

2018-02-01

The current study explored the contribution of non-clinical professionals, such as housekeepers and maintenance mechanics, in promoting person-centered care (PCC) for older adults residing in assisted living. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with staff (n = 8), concierge (n = 2), maintenance mechanics (n = 2), housekeepers (n = 3), and an administrative assistant (n = 1) from an assisted living organization were conducted. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and reviewed for accuracy. The comments from the staff were coded based on prior PCC themes (i.e., promoting decision making, meaningful living, pleasurable living, and personhood). Results show that non-clinical staff play an important role in facilitating PCC in their everyday tasks with residents. A new sub-theme was added regarding how non-clinical staff help residents in assisted living navigate the organization. Findings suggest that all tasks, no matter how routine, can be performed in a person-centered manner, contributing to the quality of life of older adults in assisted living. The authors recommend including all staff who have direct contact with residents in person-centered education and training efforts as they support the PCC goals of an organization. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 44(2), 9-13.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

Exploring College Students' Mental Representations of Inferential Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavigne, Nancy C.; Salkind, Sara J.; Yan, Jie

2008-01-01

We report a case study that explored how three college students mentally represented the knowledge they held of inferential statistics, how this knowledge was connected, and how it was applied in two problem solving situations. A concept map task and two problem categorization tasks were used along with interviews to gather the data. We found that…

Impact of 360-degree Sensor Information on Vehicle Commander Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

Questionnaire .....................................3  2.2.2  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) Task Load Index ( NASA - TLX ...Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index ( NASA - TLX ) Questionnaire 63  Appendix D. Usability and Exit Interview Questionnaires 65  Appendix E...49  Figure 33. Mean workload rating for the NASA - TLX subscales

Secret Keepers: Children's Theory of Mind and Their Conception of Secrecy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colwell, Malinda J.; Corson, Kimberly; Sastry, Anuradha; Wright, Holly

2016-01-01

In this mixed methods study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 3-5-year-olds (n?=?21) in a university-sponsored preschool programme and children completed a theory of mind (ToM) task. After grouping children into pass/no pass groups for the ToM tasks, analyses using interpretive phenomenology indicated that preschool children explain…

Separateness Representations in a Sculpting Task: Revealing Maternal Subjective Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bat Or, Michal

2015-01-01

This study explored mothers' separateness representations via a clay sculpting task assigned to 24 mothers of preschool children aged 21 months to 4 years. Each participant created a clay sculpture of herself and her child, followed by a semi-structured interview about the sculpting experience and the meaning of the sculpture. Qualitative analyses…

Elicitation Techniques: Getting People to Talk about Ideas They Don't Usually Talk About

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Keith C.

2015-01-01

Elicitation techniques are a category of research tasks that use visual, verbal, or written stimuli to encourage participants to talk about their ideas. These tasks are particularly useful for exploring topics that may be difficult to discuss in formal interviews, such as those that involve sensitive issues or rely on tacit knowledge. Elicitation…

Attribution of Conditions for School Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flammer, August; Schmid, David

2003-01-01

210 children (110 girls and 100 boys) were interviewed individually about causes that lead to success or to failure in school tests. They were presented fictitious scenarios about an unknown peer who had either success or failure in a dictation task and a sums task. The free answers were taken as mirroring means-ends beliefs of the interviewed…

Helping and hurting others: Person and situation effects on aggressive and prosocial behavior as assessed by the Tangram task.

PubMed

Saleem, Muniba; Barlett, Christopher P; Anderson, Craig A; Hawkins, Ian

2017-04-01

The Tangram Help/Hurt Task is a laboratory-based measure designed to simultaneously assess helpful and hurtful behavior. Across five studies we provide evidence that further establishes the convergent and discriminant validity of the Tangram Help/Hurt Task. Cross-sectional and meta-analytic evidence finds consistently significant associations between helpful and hurtful scores on the Tangram Task and prosocial and aggressive personality traits. Experimental evidence reveals that situational primes known to induce aggressive and prosocial behavior significantly influence helpful and hurtful scores on the Tangram Help/Hurt Task. Additionally, motivation items in all studies indicate that tangram choices are indeed associated with intent of helping and hurting. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the Tangram Help/Hurt Task relative to established measures of helpful and hurtful behavior. Aggr. Behav. 43:133-146, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Translational Science Project Team Managers: Qualitative Insights and Implications from Current and Previous Postdoctoral Experiences.

PubMed

Wooten, Kevin C; Dann, Sara M; Finnerty, Celeste C; Kotarba, Joseph A

2014-07-01

The development of leadership and project management skills is increasingly important to the evolution of translational science and team-based endeavors. Team science is dependent upon individuals at various stages in their careers, inclusive of postdocs. Data from case histories, as well as from interviews with current and former postdocs, and those supervising postdocs, indicate six essential tasks required of project managers in multidisciplinary translational teams, along with eight skill-related themes critical to their success. To optimize the opportunities available and to ensure sequential development of team project management skills, a life cycle model for the development of translational team skills is proposed, ranging from graduate trainees, postdocs, assistant professors, and finally to mature scientists. Specific goals, challenges and project management roles and tasks are recommended for each stage for the life cycle.

Translational Science Project Team Managers: Qualitative Insights and Implications from Current and Previous Postdoctoral Experiences

PubMed Central

Wooten, Kevin C.; Dann, Sara M.; Finnerty, Celeste C.; Kotarba, Joseph A.

2015-01-01

The development of leadership and project management skills is increasingly important to the evolution of translational science and team-based endeavors. Team science is dependent upon individuals at various stages in their careers, inclusive of postdocs. Data from case histories, as well as from interviews with current and former postdocs, and those supervising postdocs, indicate six essential tasks required of project managers in multidisciplinary translational teams, along with eight skill-related themes critical to their success. To optimize the opportunities available and to ensure sequential development of team project management skills, a life cycle model for the development of translational team skills is proposed, ranging from graduate trainees, postdocs, assistant professors, and finally to mature scientists. Specific goals, challenges and project management roles and tasks are recommended for each stage for the life cycle. PMID:25621288

Delegation to nurses in general practice

PubMed Central

Bowling, Ann

1981-01-01

A random sample of general practitioners and their nursing staff was interviewed to examine the extent to which the doctors delegated medical tasks to the nurses and to analyse attitudes towards delegation. A significant minority of both doctors and nurses were reluctant to have minor clinical tasks delegated and a majority did not think that nurses should carry out delegated diagnostic procedures. Doctors and nurses who had completed their training since 1960 were more likely to favour delegation than those who had completed their training before 1960. This suggests that delegation may become more common. However, the finding that there is considerable opposition to delegation and that this opposition is often based on feelings of professional threat suggests that many doctors may not be ready to experiment with ways of expanding the nurse's role in general practice. PMID:7328527

Incorporating Guideline Adherence and Practice Implementation Issues into the Design of Decision Support for Beta-Blocker Titration for Heart Failure.

PubMed

Smith, Michael W; Brown, Charnetta; Virani, Salim S; Weir, Charlene R; Petersen, Laura A; Kelly, Natalie; Akeroyd, Julia; Garvin, Jennifer H

2018-04-01

 The recognition of and response to undertreatment of heart failure (HF) patients can be complicated. A clinical reminder can facilitate use of guideline-concordant β-blocker titration for HF patients with depressed ejection fraction. However, the design must consider the cognitive demands on the providers and the context of the work.  This study's purpose is to develop requirements for a clinical decision support tool (a clinical reminder) by analyzing the cognitive demands of the task along with the factors in the Cabana framework of physician adherence to guidelines, the health information technology (HIT) sociotechnical framework, and the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework of health services implementation. It utilizes a tool that extracts information from medical records (including ejection fraction in free text reports) to identify qualifying patients at risk of undertreatment.  We conducted interviews with 17 primary care providers, 5 PharmDs, and 5 Registered Nurses across three Veterans Health Administration outpatient clinics. The interviews were based on cognitive task analysis (CTA) methods and enhanced through the inclusion of the Cabana, HIT sociotechnical, and PARIHS frameworks. The analysis of the interview data led to the development of requirements and a prototype design for a clinical reminder. We conducted a small pilot usability assessment of the clinical reminder using realistic clinical scenarios.  We identified organizational challenges (such as time pressures and underuse of pharmacists), knowledge issues regarding the guideline, and information needs regarding patient history and treatment status. We based the design of the clinical reminder on how to best address these challenges. The usability assessment indicated the tool could help the decision and titration processes.  Through the use of CTA methods enhanced with adherence, sociotechnical, and implementation frameworks, we designed a decision support tool that considers important challenges in the decision and execution of β-blocker titration for qualifying HF patients at risk of undertreatment. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

The impact of failing to identify suspect effort in patients undergoing adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment.

PubMed

Marshall, Paul S; Hoelzle, James B; Heyerdahl, Danielle; Nelson, Nathaniel W

2016-10-01

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 28(10) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2016-22725-001). In the article, the penultimate sentence of the abstract should read “These results suggest that a significant percentage of those making a suspect effort will be diagnosed with ADHD using the most commonly employed assessment methods: an interview alone (71%); an interview and ADHD behavior rating scales combined (65%); and an interview, behavior rating scales, and most continuous performance tests combined (62%).” All versions of this article have been corrected.] This retrospective study examines how many adult patients would plausibly receive a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) if performance and symptom validity measures were not administered during neuropsychological evaluations. Five hundred fifty-four patients were extracted from an archival clinical dataset. A total of 102 were diagnosed with ADHD based on cognitive testing, behavior rating scales, effort testing, and clinical interview; 115 were identified as putting forth suspect effort in accordance with the Slick, Sherman, and Iverson (1999) criteria. From a clinical decision-making perspective, suspect effort and ADHD groups were nearly indistinguishable on ADHD behavior, executive function, and functional impairment rating scales, as well as on cognitive testing and key clinical interview questions. These results suggest that a significant percentage of those making a suspect effort will be diagnosed with ADHD using the most commonly employed assessment methods: an interview alone (71%); an interview and ADHD behavior rating scales combined (65%); and an interview, behavior rating scales, and most continuous performance tests combined (62%) [corrected]. This research makes clear that it is essential to evaluate task engagement and possible symptom amplification during clinical evaluations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

Distance educational technologies as means of increase of student’s motivation in the learning of general physics course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gubkin, M. K.; Ivanov, D. A.; Ivanova, I. V.; Spivak, V. S.

2017-11-01

The Department of General physics and nuclear fusion, National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”, developed a set of tests (over 1000 questions) for the current control of knowledge of students in the section “Electricity and magnetism” of the General physics course using the internet distance learning system “Prometheus” (fourth generation). Under this section of the proposed test tasks are divided into sections corresponding to the topics section. These tasks include quality issues, design tasks, tasks with a choice of answers (one of many, many of many), the job with the selection region in the figure, tasks with detailed answer. The variety of tasks allows the teacher not only to objectively assess the student acquired knowledge but also to develop his problem-solving skills, to learn to be fluent in theory. The results of testing conducted for several years, show the high interest of students in the repeated independent execution of tasks and correlate well with the results of intermediate certification (exams).

Solar Energy Task Force Report: Technical Training Guidelines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Kevin

This task force report offers guidelines and information for the development of vocational education programs oriented to the commercial application of solar energy in water and space heating. After Section I introduces the Solar Energy Task Force and its activities, Section II outlines the task force's objectives and raises several issues and…

Evaluation of a well-established task-shifting initiative: the lay counselor cadre in Botswana.

PubMed

Ledikwe, Jenny H; Kejelepula, Mable; Maupo, Kabelo; Sebetso, Siwulani; Thekiso, Mothwana; Smith, Monica; Mbayi, Bagele; Houghton, Nankie; Thankane, Kabo; O'Malley, Gabrielle; Semo, Bazghina-Werq

2013-01-01

Evidence supports the implementation of task shifting to address health worker shortages that are common in resource-limited settings. However, there is need to learn from established programs to identify ways to achieve the strongest, most sustainable impact. This study examined the Botswana lay counselor cadre, a task shifting initiative, to explore effectiveness and contribution to the health workforce. This evaluation used multiple methods, including a desk review, a national lay counselor survey (n = 385; response = 94%), in-depth interviews (n = 79), lay counselors focus group discussions (n = 7), lay counselors observations (n = 25), and client exit interviews (n = 47). Interview and focus group data indicate that lay counselors contribute to essentially all HIV-related programs in Botswana and they conduct the majority of HIV tests and related counseling at public health facilities throughout the country. Interviews showed that the lay counselor cadre is making the workload of more skilled health workers more manageable and increasing HIV acceptance in communities. The average score on a work-related knowledge test was 74.5%. However for 3 questions, less than half answered correctly. During observations, lay counselors demonstrated average competence for most skills assessed and clients (97.9%) were satisfied with services received. From the survey, lay counselors generally reported being comfortable with their duties; however, some reported clinical duties that extended beyond their training and mandate. Multiple factors affecting the performance of the lay counselors were identified, including insufficient resources, such as private counseling space and HIV test kits; and technical, administrative, and supervisory support. Lay counselors are fulfilling an important role in Botswana's healthcare system, serving as the entry point into HIV care, support, and treatment services. For this and other similar task shifting initiatives, it is important that lay counselors' responsibilities are clear and that training and support are adequate to optimize their effectiveness.

Evaluation of a Well-Established Task-Shifting Initiative: The Lay Counselor Cadre in Botswana

PubMed Central

Ledikwe, Jenny H.; Kejelepula, Mable; Maupo, Kabelo; Sebetso, Siwulani; Thekiso, Mothwana; Smith, Monica; Mbayi, Bagele; Houghton, Nankie; Thankane, Kabo; O’Malley, Gabrielle; Semo, Bazghina-werq

2013-01-01

Background Evidence supports the implementation of task shifting to address health worker shortages that are common in resource-limited settings. However, there is need to learn from established programs to identify ways to achieve the strongest, most sustainable impact. This study examined the Botswana lay counselor cadre, a task shifting initiative, to explore effectiveness and contribution to the health workforce. Methods This evaluation used multiple methods, including a desk review, a national lay counselor survey (n = 385; response = 94%), in-depth interviews (n = 79), lay counselors focus group discussions (n = 7), lay counselors observations (n = 25), and client exit interviews (n = 47). Results Interview and focus group data indicate that lay counselors contribute to essentially all HIV-related programs in Botswana and they conduct the majority of HIV tests and related counseling at public health facilities throughout the country. Interviews showed that the lay counselor cadre is making the workload of more skilled health workers more manageable and increasing HIV acceptance in communities. The average score on a work-related knowledge test was 74.5%. However for 3 questions, less than half answered correctly. During observations, lay counselors demonstrated average competence for most skills assessed and clients (97.9%) were satisfied with services received. From the survey, lay counselors generally reported being comfortable with their duties; however, some reported clinical duties that extended beyond their training and mandate. Multiple factors affecting the performance of the lay counselors were identified, including insufficient resources, such as private counseling space and HIV test kits; and technical, administrative, and supervisory support. Conclusion Lay counselors are fulfilling an important role in Botswana's healthcare system, serving as the entry point into HIV care, support, and treatment services. Recommendation For this and other similar task shifting initiatives, it is important that lay counselors' responsibilities are clear and that training and support are adequate to optimize their effectiveness. PMID:23585912

Measuring Primary Students' Graph Interpretation Skills Via a Performance Assessment: A case study in instrument development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterman, Karen; Cranston, Kayla A.; Pryor, Marie; Kermish-Allen, Ruth

2015-11-01

This case study was conducted within the context of a place-based education project that was implemented with primary school students in the USA. The authors and participating teachers created a performance assessment of standards-aligned tasks to examine 6-10-year-old students' graph interpretation skills as part of an exploratory research project. Fifty-five students participated in a performance assessment interview at the beginning and end of a place-based investigation. Two forms of the assessment were created and counterbalanced within class at pre and post. In situ scoring was conducted such that responses were scored as correct versus incorrect during the assessment's administration. Criterion validity analysis demonstrated an age-level progression in student scores. Tests of discriminant validity showed that the instrument detected variability in interpretation skills across each of three graph types (line, bar, dot plot). Convergent validity was established by correlating in situ scores with those from the Graph Interpretation Scoring Rubric. Students' proficiency with interpreting different types of graphs matched expectations based on age and the standards-based progression of graphs across primary school grades. The assessment tasks were also effective at detecting pre-post gains in students' interpretation of line graphs and dot plots after the place-based project. The results of the case study are discussed in relation to the common challenges associated with performance assessment. Implications are presented in relation to the need for authentic and performance-based instructional and assessment tasks to respond to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.

Entering Into Suffering: Becoming a Transformed and Transforming Healer.

PubMed

Gaudino, Rebecca; Braband, Barbara; Rogers, Anissa

Learning how to respond to suffering is a significant challenge for healthcare providers. This interdisciplinary paper relays a Pedagogy of Suffering Model, based on research following a suffering interview project with undergraduate nursing students. The model is compared to the Gospel account of an encounter between Jesus and a Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30), supporting biblical and theological soundness of the model's transformative tasks for learning how to respond to suffering. The model can guide development of learning experiences that deepen understanding of compassionate interventions for those who suffer.

Perceptions of health stakeholders on task shifting and motivation of community health workers in different socio demographic contexts in Kenya (nomadic, peri-urban and rural agrarian)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The shortage of health professionals in low income countries is recognized as a crisis. Community health workers are part of a “task-shift” strategy to address this crisis. Task shifting in this paper refers to the delegation of tasks from health professionals to lay, trained volunteers. In Kenya, there is a debate as to whether these volunteers should be compensated, and what motivation strategies would be effective in different socio-demographic contexts, based type of tasks shifted. The purpose of this study was to find out, from stakeholders’ perspectives, the type of tasks to be shifted to community health workers and the appropriate strategies to motivate and retain them. Methods This was an analytical comparative study employing qualitative methods: key informant interviews with health policy makers, managers, and service providers, and focus group discussions with community health workers and service consumers, to explore their perspectives on tasks to be shifted and appropriate motivation strategies. Results The study found that there were tasks to be shifted and motivation strategies that were common to all three contexts. Common tasks were promotive, preventive, and simple curative services. Common motivation strategies were supportive supervision, means of identification, equitable allocation of resources, training, compensation, recognition, and evidence based community dialogue. Further, in the nomadic and peri-urban sites, community health workers had assumed curative services beyond the range provided for in the Kenyan task shifting policy. This was explained to be influenced by lack of access to care due to distance to health facilities, population movement, and scarcity of health providers in the nomadic setting and the harsh economic realities in peri-urban set up. Therefore, their motivation strategies included training on curative skills, technical support, and resources for curative care. Data collection was viewed as an important task in the rural site, but was not recognized as priority in nomadic and peri-urban sites, where they sought monetary compensation for data collection. Conclusions The study concluded that inclusion of curative tasks for community health workers, particularly in nomadic contexts, is inevitable but raises the need for accreditation of their training and regulation of their tasks. PMID:25079588

Human Error Analysis in a Permit to Work System: A Case Study in a Chemical Plant

PubMed Central

Jahangiri, Mehdi; Hoboubi, Naser; Rostamabadi, Akbar; Keshavarzi, Sareh; Hosseini, Ali Akbar

2015-01-01

Background A permit to work (PTW) is a formal written system to control certain types of work which are identified as potentially hazardous. However, human error in PTW processes can lead to an accident. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted to estimate the probability of human errors in PTW processes in a chemical plant in Iran. In the first stage, through interviewing the personnel and studying the procedure in the plant, the PTW process was analyzed using the hierarchical task analysis technique. In doing so, PTW was considered as a goal and detailed tasks to achieve the goal were analyzed. In the next step, the standardized plant analysis risk-human (SPAR-H) reliability analysis method was applied for estimation of human error probability. Results The mean probability of human error in the PTW system was estimated to be 0.11. The highest probability of human error in the PTW process was related to flammable gas testing (50.7%). Conclusion The SPAR-H method applied in this study could analyze and quantify the potential human errors and extract the required measures for reducing the error probabilities in PTW system. Some suggestions to reduce the likelihood of errors, especially in the field of modifying the performance shaping factors and dependencies among tasks are provided. PMID:27014485

Conceptions over Time: Are Language and the Here-and-Now up to the Task?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewson, Peter W.

2008-01-01

Is it possible to explain students' conceptions of natural phenomena purely in terms of the interactions between two people and the language they use during an interview? I argue that this hypothesis cannot be accepted on several grounds. First, contextual factors prior to the interview influence the course of its events, and that these in turn…

Investigating Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Balance Concepts Utilizing a Clinical Interview Method and a Virtual Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilhelm, Jennifer; Matteson, Shirley; She, Xiaobo

2013-01-01

Our study was enacted in university mathematics education classes in the USA with preservice teachers (PSTs). This research focused on PSTs' interview responses that were used to assess their understanding of balance when challenged with tasks involving virtual manipulatives. Siegler's rules were used in analyzing PSTs' responses to…

Using Think Aloud Interviews in Evidence-Centered Assessment Design for the AP World History Exam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaliski, Pamela; France, Megan; Huff, Kristen; Thurber, Allison

2011-01-01

Developing a cognitive model of task performance is an important and often overlooked phase in assessment design; failing to establish such a model can threaten the validity of the inferences made from the scores produced by an assessment (e.g., Leighton, 2004). Conducting think aloud interviews (TAIs), where students think aloud while completing…

Chemical Library Screening for Potential Therapeutics Using Novel Cell Based Models of ALS

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

Major Task 1, Subtask 1. Our first major activity in year 1 was the design and engineering of a custom inducible plasmid for expressing fluorescently...back to that construct. Other achievements during this first major activity derived from investigating why Broccoli RNA aptamer did not fold...These are outlined below in the CHANGES/PROBLEMS section. Major Task 1, Subtask 2. Our second major activity in year 1 was to generate human neural

Family informed consent to organ donation--who performs better: organ procurement organizations, in-hospital coordinators, or intensive care unit professionals?

PubMed

Lenzi, J A; Sarlo, R; Assis, A; Ponte, M; Paura, P; Araújo, C; Rocha, E

2014-01-01

Successful organ donation in countries adopting informed consent legislation depends on adequate interviewing of potential donors' families. As the number of both referral and effective donors in Brazil increases, health care managers argue whether educational efforts should be directed toward training in-hospital coordinators (IHC)--based on the "Spanish model"--or on the creation of extra-hospital-based professionals (Organ Procurement Organizations [OPOs], the "American model"). Meanwhile, many potential donor families are still approached by intensive care unit (ICU) professionals not trained in donation interviews. The aim of our study was to compare performances in obtaining informed consent from potential donors' families, according to the type of health care professional conducting the interviews: OPO, IHC, or ICU staff. In this retrospective 2-year study performed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we observed an increase in referrals (285 to 411) and consent rates (48.1% to 55.7%). Each year, OPO professionals conducted most family interviews (58.6% and 60.4%, respectively) and obtained better consent rates (63.5% and 64.5%, respectively), when compared to IHC (41.8% and 53.7%, respectively) or untrained ICU professionals (22.1% and 13.4%, respectively). Our results show that adequate professional training is necessary for obtaining family consent for organ donation. Both established international policies for organ procurement and donation, namely the "Spanish model" with its IHCs or the "American model" of extra-hospital OPOs, may equally achieve this task. However, family interviews performed by untrained ICU professionals result in low donation rates and should be discouraged. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study of the effectiveness of machine learning methods for classification of clinical interview fragments into a large number of categories.

PubMed

Hasan, Mehedi; Kotov, Alexander; Carcone, April; Dong, Ming; Naar, Sylvie; Hartlieb, Kathryn Brogan

2016-08-01

This study examines the effectiveness of state-of-the-art supervised machine learning methods in conjunction with different feature types for the task of automatic annotation of fragments of clinical text based on codebooks with a large number of categories. We used a collection of motivational interview transcripts consisting of 11,353 utterances, which were manually annotated by two human coders as the gold standard, and experimented with state-of-art classifiers, including Naïve Bayes, J48 Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), AdaBoost, DiscLDA, Conditional Random Fields (CRF) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in conjunction with lexical, contextual (label of the previous utterance) and semantic (distribution of words in the utterance across the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count dictionaries) features. We found out that, when the number of classes is large, the performance of CNN and CRF is inferior to SVM. When only lexical features were used, interview transcripts were automatically annotated by SVM with the highest classification accuracy among all classifiers of 70.8%, 61% and 53.7% based on the codebooks consisting of 17, 20 and 41 codes, respectively. Using contextual and semantic features, as well as their combination, in addition to lexical ones, improved the accuracy of SVM for annotation of utterances in motivational interview transcripts with a codebook consisting of 17 classes to 71.5%, 74.2%, and 75.1%, respectively. Our results demonstrate the potential of using machine learning methods in conjunction with lexical, semantic and contextual features for automatic annotation of clinical interview transcripts with near-human accuracy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Defining SNAP by cross-sectional and longitudinal definitions of neurodegeneration.

PubMed

Wisse, L E M; Das, S R; Davatzikos, C; Dickerson, B C; Xie, S X; Yushkevich, P A; Wolk, D A

2018-01-01

Suspected non-Alzheimer's pathophysiology (SNAP) is a biomarker driven designation that represents a heterogeneous group in terms of etiology and prognosis. SNAP has only been identified by cross-sectional neurodegeneration measures, whereas longitudinal measures might better reflect "active" neurodegeneration and might be more tightly linked to prognosis. We compare neurodegeneration defined by cross-sectional 'hippocampal volume' only (SNAP/L-) versus both cross-sectional and longitudinal 'hippocampal atrophy rate' (SNAP/L+) and investigate how these definitions impact prevalence and the clinical and biomarker profile of SNAP in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). 276 MCI patients from ADNI-GO/2 were designated amyloid "positive" (A+) or "negative" (A-) based on their florbetapir scan and neurodegeneration 'positive' or 'negative' based on cross-sectional hippocampal volume and longitudinal hippocampal atrophy rate. 74.1% of all SNAP participants defined by the cross-sectional definition of neurodegeneration also met the longitudinal definition of neurodegeneration, whereas 25.9% did not. SNAP/L+ displayed larger white matter hyperintensity volume, a higher conversion rate to dementia over 5 years and a steeper decline on cognitive tasks compared to SNAP/L- and the A- CN group. SNAP/L- had more abnormal values on neuroimaging markers and worse performance on cognitive tasks than the A- CN group, but did not show a difference in dementia conversion rate or longitudinal cognition. Using a longitudinal definition of neurodegeneration in addition to a cross-sectional one identifies SNAP participants with significant cognitive decline and a worse clinical prognosis for which cerebrovascular disease may be an important driver.

The inhibitory spillover effect: Controlling the bladder makes better liars *

PubMed Central

Fenn, Elise; Blandón-Gitlin, Iris; Coons, Jennifer; Pineda, Catherine; Echon, Reinalyn

2015-01-01

The Inhibitory-Spillover-Effect (ISE) on a deception task was investigated. The ISE occurs when performance in one self-control task facilitates performance in another (simultaneously conducted) self-control task. Deceiving requires increased access to inhibitory control. We hypothesized that inducing liars to control urination urgency (physical inhibition) would facilitate control during deceptive interviews (cognitive inhibition). Participants drank small (low-control) or large (high-control) amounts of water. Next, they lied or told the truth to an interviewer. Third-party observers assessed the presence of behavioral cues and made true/lie judgments. In the high-control, but not the low-control condition, liars displayed significantly fewer behavioral cues to deception, more behavioral cues signaling truth, and provided longer and more complex accounts than truth-tellers. Accuracy detecting liars in the high-control condition was significantly impaired; observers revealed bias toward perceiving liars as truth-tellers. The ISE can operate in complex behaviors. Acts of deception can be facilitated by covert manipulations of self-control. PMID:26366466

Conceptualizing surrogate decision making at end of life in the intensive care unit using cognitive task analysis.

PubMed

Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Willis, Danny G; Bakitas, Marie; Crandall, Beth; Grace, Pamela J

2015-01-01

Surrogate decision makers (SDMs) face difficult decisions at end of life (EOL) for decisionally incapacitated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. To identify and describe the underlying psychological processes of surrogate decision making for adults at EOL in the ICU. Qualitative case study design using a cognitive task analysis interviewing approach. Participants were recruited from October 2012 to June 2013 from an academic tertiary medical center's ICU located in the rural Northeastern United States. Nineteen SDMs for patients who had died in the ICU completed in-depth semistructured cognitive task analysis interviews. The conceptual framework formulated from data analysis reveals that three underlying, iterative, psychological dimensions (gist impressions, distressing emotions, and moral intuitions) impact an SDM's judgment about the acceptability of either the patient's medical treatments or his or her condition. The framework offers initial insights about the underlying psychological processes of surrogate decision making and may facilitate enhanced decision support for SDMs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A day in the life of a volunteer incident commander: errors, pressures and mitigating strategies.

PubMed

Bearman, Christopher; Bremner, Peter A

2013-05-01

To meet an identified gap in the literature this paper investigates the tasks that a volunteer incident commander needs to carry out during an incident, the errors that can be made and the way that errors are managed. In addition, pressure from goal seduction and situation aversion were also examined. Volunteer incident commanders participated in a two-part interview consisting of a critical decision method interview and discussions about a hierarchical task analysis constructed by the authors. A SHERPA analysis was conducted to further identify potential errors. The results identified the key tasks, errors with extreme risk, pressures from strong situations and mitigating strategies for errors and pressures. The errors and pressures provide a basic set of issues that need to be managed by both volunteer incident commanders and fire agencies. The mitigating strategies identified here suggest some ways that this can be done. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Lightweight design of automobile frame based on magnesium alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, R.; Jiang, X.; Minoru, O.; Ju, D. Y.

2018-06-01

The structural performance and lightweighting of car base frame design is a challenging task due to all the performance targets that must be satisfied. In this paper, three kinds of materials (iron, aluminum and magnesium alloy) replacement along with section design optimization strategy is proposed to develop a lightweight car frame structure to satisfy the tensile and safety while reducing weight. Two kinds of cross-sections are considered as the design variables. Using Ansys static structure, the design optimization problem is solved, comparing the results of each step, structure of the base flame is optimized for lightweight.

10 CFR 709.12 - Defining polygraph examination questions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Protection of National Security § 709.12 Defining polygraph examination questions. The examiner determines the exact wording of the polygraph questions based on the examiner's pretest interview of the covered... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Defining polygraph examination questions. 709.12 Section...

10 CFR 709.12 - Defining polygraph examination questions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Protection of National Security § 709.12 Defining polygraph examination questions. The examiner determines the exact wording of the polygraph questions based on the examiner's pretest interview of the covered... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Defining polygraph examination questions. 709.12 Section...

School-age children talk about chess: does knowledge drive syntactic complexity?

PubMed

Nippold, Marilyn A

2009-08-01

This study examined language productivity and syntactic complexity in school-age children in relation to their knowledge of the topic of discussion-the game of chess. Children (N = 32; mean age = 10;11 [years;months]) who played chess volunteered to be interviewed by an adult examiner who had little or no experience playing chess. Children's chess knowledge and experience was assessed, and each child was classified as a novice or an expert player. Each child participated in 3 speaking tasks: General Conversation, Chess Conversation, and Chess Explanation. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed into Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (J. F. Miller & R. Chapman, 2003), segmented into T-units, and coded for finite clauses. Each speaking task was analyzed for total T-units; mean length of T-unit; clausal density; and nominal, relative, and adverbial clause use. Total T-units, mean length of T-unit, clausal density, and the use of each type of subordinate clause was substantially higher in the Chess Explanation task compared with the Chess Conversation task or the General Conversation task. Compared with the novices, the experts knew more about chess, had played longer, and were stronger players. Nevertheless, the novices and experts did not differ on any of the language factors for any of the speaking tasks. Language productivity and syntactic complexity in school-age children are strongly influenced by the speaking task. When children are presented with a motivating and challenging topic, they rise to the occasion to explain the finer details of it to a naïve adult.

Cognitive and behavioural dispositions in offspring at high risk for alcoholism.

PubMed

Kumar, Rajesh; Kumar, Keshav Janakiprasad; Benegal, Vivek

2018-06-01

Offspring with family history of alcoholism are considered to be at high risk for alcoholism. The present study sought to expand our understanding of cognitive and behavioural dispositions associated with executive control and self-regulation in alcohol naïve offspring with and without family history of alcoholism. Sample comprised of alcohol naive offspring in two groups: (i) at high risk (n = 34) and (ii) at low risk for alcoholism (n = 34). Both groups were matched on age (+/-1 year), education (+/-1 year) and gender. Measures used were: Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Family Interview for Genetic Studies, Socio-demographic Data Sheet, Annett's Handedness Questionnaire, Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale-version 11, Digit Span Test, Spatial Span Test, Tower of London, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT). Results showed that alcohol naive offspring at high risk for alcoholism reported significantly high impulsivity and demonstrated significant differences on executive functions and decision making tasks. Correlation analysis revealed that high impulsivity was significantly associated with poor performance on explicit decision making task (GDT) and executive function task (WCST). There was no significant correlation between two decision making tasks (IGT and GDT) in both groups and performance on IGT was not significantly associated with impulsivity and executive functions. The present study indicates cognitive and behavioural dispositions in alcohol naive offspring at high risk for alcoholism and support the sub-optimal balance between reflective and impulsive system responsible for addiction. Furthermore, present study supports separability between two different types of decision making tasks. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physicians' perspectives of adopting computer-assisted navigation in orthopedic surgery.

PubMed

Hsu, Hui-Mei; Chang, I-Chiu; Lai, Ta-Wei

2016-10-01

Using Computer-assisted orthopedic navigation surgery system (CAOS) has many advantages but is not mandatory to use during an orthopedic surgery. Therefore, opinions obtained from clinical orthopedists with this system are valuable. This paper integrates technology acceptance model and theory of planned behavior to examine the determinants of continued CAOS use to facilitate user management. Opinions from orthopedists who had used a CAOS for at least two years were collected through a cross-sectional survey to verify the research framework. Follow-up interviews with an expert panel based on their experiences of CAOS were conducted to reason the impacts of factors of the research framework. The results show that factors of "perceived usefulness" and "facilitating condition" determine the intention to continue using CAOS, and "perceived usefulness" was driving by "complexity of task" and "social influence". Additionally, support in practice from high-level managers had an influence on orthopedists' satisfaction after using a CAOS. The aging population is accompanied by the increasing requirements for medical care and medical care attendant expenses, especially in total knee replacement. More precision and improvements on survivorship of patients' artificial joints are needed. This study facilitates suggestions in user management when encountering an obstacle in implementing a CAOS. Based on these findings, scientific and practical implications are then discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unpacking High and Low Efficacy Teachers' Task Analysis and Competence Assessment in Teaching Low-Achieving Students in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Li-Yi; Jen-Yi, Li; Tan, Liang-See; Tan, Irene; Lim, Xue-Fang; Wu, Bing Sheng

2016-01-01

This study adopted a pragmatic qualitative research design to unpack high and low efficacy teachers' task analysis and competence assessment in the context of teaching low-achieving students. Nine secondary school English and Science teachers were recruited and interviewed. Results of thematic analysis show that helping students perform well in…

Prior experiences associated with residents' scores on a communication and interpersonal skill OSCE.

PubMed

Yudkowsky, Rachel; Downing, Steven M; Ommert, Dennis

2006-09-01

This exploratory study investigated whether prior task experience and comfort correlate with scores on an assessment of patient-centered communication. A six-station standardized patient exam assessed patient-centered communication of 79 PGY2-3 residents in Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. A survey provided information on prior experiences. t-tests, correlations, and multi-factorial ANOVA explored relationship between scores and experiences. Experience with a task predicted comfort but did not predict communication scores. Comfort was moderately correlated with communication scores for some tasks; residents who were less comfortable were indeed less skilled, but greater comfort did not predict higher scores. Female gender and medical school experiences with standardized patients along with training in patient-centered interviewing were associated with higher scores. Residents without standardized patient experiences in medical school were almost five times more likely to be rejected by patients. Task experience alone does not guarantee better communication, and may instill a false sense of confidence. Experiences with standardized patients during medical school, especially in combination with interviewing courses, may provide an element of "deliberate practice" and have a long-term impact on communication skills. The combination of didactic courses and practice with standardized patients may promote a patient-centered approach.

What technologies do people engage with while driving and why?

PubMed

Parnell, Katie J; Stanton, Neville A; Plant, Katherine L

2018-02-01

This paper presents the findings of a semi-structured interview study that was conducted to identify drivers' self-reported likelihood of engaging with technologies that are now commonly found in modern automobiles. Previous research has focused on the effect these technological tasks have on driving performance, but there has been less focus on how, why and when drivers choose to engage with them. As distraction remains a significant contributor to road accidents, an understanding of why it occurs will give important insights into how it can be prevented. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed to allow drivers to discuss the factors that influence their decision to engage with a variety of different technologies. The methodology facilitated both quantitative ratings of the drivers' likelihood of engaging in a variety of tasks and qualitative insights into why. Age and gender had some influence on the propensity to engage, in line with other findings in the literature, as did road type and task type. The reasons drivers gave for why they engage with potentially distracting tasks inform recommendations for preventing distraction related accidents from the increasingly prevalent sources of technologies available to drivers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular reactivity in a simulated job interview: the role of gender role self-concept.

PubMed

Sieverding, Monika; Weidner, Gerdi; von Volkmann, Bettina

2005-01-01

This study investigated the relation of gender role self-concept (G-SC) to cardiovascular and emotional reactions to an ecologically relevant stressor in a sample of graduating male and female university students. Thirty-seven men and 37 women completed the Personal Attribute Questionnaire and worked on four tasks designed to reflect common features of a job interview. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at baseline, during, and after each task; subjective stress was measured at baseline and after each task. Subjective and objective stress scores were averaged across tasks and analyzed by sex and G-SC (i.e., instrumentality, expressiveness). Results indicated that women as a group demonstrated greater emotional reactivity, but did not differ in their physiological reactions when compared to men. Regardless of sex, participants' instrumentality scores contributed significantly to the variation in subjective stress response: those scoring high on instrumentality reported less stress, but evidenced greater blood pressure reactivity than those scoring low on instrumentality. These results suggest that gender roles, particularly an instrumental self-concept, may play an important role in both subjective and objective reactions to an ecologically relevant stressor.

An investigation of the development of the topological spatial structures in elementary school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everett, Susan Ann

1999-09-01

In this study the relationships among the topological spatial structures were examined in students in kindergarten, second, and fourth grades. These topological spatial structures are part of the three major types of spatial thinking: topological, projective, and Euclidean (as defined by Jean Piaget and associates). According to Piaget's model of spatial thinking, the spatial structures enable humans to think about spatial relationships at a conceptual or representational level rather than only at a simpler, perceptual level. The clinical interview technique was used to interact individually with 72 children to assess the presence of each of the different topological spatial structures. This was accomplished through the use of seven task protocols and simple objects which are familiar to young children. These task protocols allowed the investigator to interact with each child in a consistent manner. The results showed that most of the children in this study (97.2%) had not developed all of the topological spatial structures. The task scores, were analyzed using non-parametric statistical tests due to the ordinal nature of the data. From the data the following results were obtained: (1) the spatial structures did not develop in random order based on the task scores but developed in the sequence expected from Piaget's model, (2) task performance improved with grade level with fourth grade students outperforming second graders and kindergartners on each of the seven tasks, and (3) no significant differences on task performance due to gender were found. Based on these results, young elementary children are beginning to develop topological spatial thinking. This is critical since it provides the foundation for the other types of spatial thinking, projective and Euclidean. Since spatial thinking is not a "gift" but can be developed, educators need to provide more opportunities for students to increase their level of spatial thinking since it is necessary for conceptual understanding of many different topics in math and science.

The Volcanic Hazards Simulation: Students behaving expert-like when faced with challenging, authentic tasks during a simulated Volcanic Crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dohaney, J. A.; kennedy, B.; Brogt, E.; Gravley, D.; Wilson, T.; O'Steen, B.

2011-12-01

This qualitative study investigates behaviors and experiences of upper-year geosciences undergraduate students during an intensive role-play simulation, in which the students interpret geological data streams and manage a volcanic crisis event. We present the development of the simulation, its academic tasks, (group) role assignment strategies and planned facilitator interventions over three iterations. We aim to develop and balance an authentic, intensive and highly engaging capstone activity for volcanology and geo-hazard courses. Interview data were collected from academic and professional experts in the fields of Volcanology and Hazard Management (n=11) in order to characterize expertise in the field, characteristics of key roles in the simulation, and to validate the authenticity of tasks and scenarios. In each iteration, observations and student artifacts were collected (total student participants: 68) along with interviews (n=36) and semi-structured, open-ended questionnaires (n=26). Our analysis of these data indicates that increasing the structure (i.e. organization, role-specific tasks and responsibilities) lessens non-productive group dynamics, which allows for an increase in difficulty of academic tasks within the simulation without increasing the cognitive load on students. Under these conditions, students exhibit professional expert-like behaviours, in particular in the quality of decision-making, communication skills and task-efficiency. In addition to illustrating the value of using this simulation to teach geosciences concepts, this study has implications for many complex situated-learning activities.

Investigating young children's learning of mass measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheeseman, Jill; McDonough, Andrea; Ferguson, Sarah

2014-06-01

This paper reports results of a design experiment regarding young children's concepts of mass measurement. The research built on an earlier study in which a framework of "growth points" in early mathematics learning and a related, task-based, one-to-one interview to assess children's understanding of the measurement of mass were developed. Prompted by the results and recommendations from the earlier study, five lessons were developed that offered rich learning experiences regarding concepts of mass. The 119 Year 1 and 2 children participating in the study were interviewed using the same protocol before and after the teaching period. The assessment data showed that the majority of these children moved from using nonstandard units to using standard units and instruments for measuring mass. The findings from this study challenge the traditional approach of using informal units for an extended period before the introduction of standard units.

The Perception and Costs of the Interview Process for Plastic Surgery Residency Programs: Can the Process Be Streamlined?

PubMed

Susarla, Srinivas M; Swanson, Edward W; Slezak, Sheri; Lifchez, Scott D; Redett, Richard J

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess applicant perceptions and costs associated with the interview process for plastic surgery residency positions. This was a cross-sectional survey of applicants to the integrated- and independent-track residencies at the authors' institution. All applicants who were interviewed were invited to complete a Web-based survey on costs and perceptions of various components of the interview process. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed to compare applicants to the two program tracks. Fifty-three applicants were interviewed for residency positions; 48 completed a survey (90.5 percent response rate). Thirty-four applicants were candidates for the integrated program; 16 applicants were candidates for the independent program. The program spent $2763 per applicant interviewed; 63 percent of applicants spent more than $5000 on the interview process. More than 70 percent of applicants missed more than 7 days of work to attend interviews. Independent applicants felt less strongly that interviews were critical to the selection process and placed less value on physically visiting the hospital and direct, in-person interaction. Applicants placed little value on program informational talks. Applicants who had experience with virtual interviews felt more positively about the format of a video interview relative to those who did not. The residency interview process is resource intensive for programs and applicants. Removing informational talks may improve the process. Making physical tours and in-person interviews optional are other alternatives that merit future study.

Self-administered versus interview-based questionnaires among patients with intermittent claudication: Do they give different results? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lozano, Francisco; Lobos, José María; March, José Ramón; Carrasco, Eduardo; Barros, Marcello Barbosa; González-Porras, José Ramón

2016-01-01

Many clinical investigations use generic and/or specific questionnaires to obtain information about participants and patients. There is disagreement about whether the administration method can affect the results. The aim here was to determine whether, among patients with intermittent claudication (IC), there are differences in the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) and European Quality of Life-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) scores with regard to: 1) the questionnaire administration method (self-administration versus face-to-face interview); and 2) the type of interviewer (vascular surgeon, VS, versus general practitioner, GP). Cross-sectional observational multicenter epidemiological study carried out within the Spanish National Health Service. 1,641 evaluable patients with IC firstly completed the WIQ and EQ-5D questionnaires and then were interviewed by their doctor on the same day. Pearson correlations and Chi-square tests were used. There was a strong correlation (r > 0.800; P < 0.001) between the two methods of administering the WIQ and EQ-5D questionnaires, and between the VS and GP groups. Likewise, there was a high level of concordance (P > 0.05) between the different dimensions of the WIQ-distance and EQ-5D (self-administration versus face-to-face) in the VS and GP groups. There was no difference between the different methods of administering the WIQ and EQ-5D questionnaires, among the patients with IC. Similarly, the two types of interviewers (VS or GP) were equally valid. Therefore, it seems unnecessary to expend effort to administer these questionnaires by interview, in studies on IC.

Effects of aging and job demands on cognitive flexibility assessed by task switching.

PubMed

Gajewski, Patrick D; Wild-Wall, Nele; Schapkin, Sergei A; Erdmann, Udo; Freude, Gabriele; Falkenstein, Michael

2010-10-01

In a cross-sectional, electrophysiological study 91 workers of a big car factory performed a series of switch tasks to assess their cognitive control functions. Four groups of workers participated in the study: 23 young and 23 middle aged assembly line employees and 22 young and 23 middle aged employees with flexible job demands like service and maintenance. Participants performed three digit categorisation tasks. In addition to single task blocks, a cue-based (externally guided) and a memory-based (internally guided) task switch block was administered. Compared to young participants, older ones showed the typical RT-decline. No differences between younger and older participants regarding the local switch costs could be detected despite the source of the current task information. In contrast, whereas the groups did not differ in mixing costs in the cued condition, clear performance decrements in the memory-based mixing block were observed in the group of older employees with repetitive work demands. These findings were corroborated by a number of electrophysiological results showing a reduced CNV suggesting an impairment of task specific preparation, an attenuated P3b suggesting reduced working memory capacity and a decreased Ne suggesting deficits in error monitoring in older participants with repetitive job demands. The results are compatible with the assumption that long lasting, unchallenging job demands may induce several neurocognitive impairments which are already evident in the early fifties. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this assumption. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding facilitators and barriers to reengineering the clinical research enterprise in community-based practice settings.

PubMed

Kukafka, Rita; Allegrante, John P; Khan, Sharib; Bigger, J Thomas; Johnson, Stephen B

2013-09-01

Solutions are employed to support clinical research trial tasks in community-based practice settings. Using the IT Implementation Framework (ITIF), an integrative framework intended to guide the synthesis of theoretical perspectives for planning multi-level interventions to enhance IT use, we sought to understand the barriers and facilitators to clinical research in community-based practice settings preliminary to implementing new informatics solutions for improving clinical research infrastructure. The studies were conducted in practices within the Columbia University Clinical Trials Network. A mixed-method approach, including surveys, interviews, time-motion studies, and observations was used. The data collected, which incorporates predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors in IT use, were analyzed according to each phase of ITIF. Themes identified in the first phase of ITIF were 1) processes and tools to support clinical trial research and 2) clinical research peripheral to patient care processes. Not all of the problems under these themes were found to be amenable to IT solutions. Using the multi-level orientation of the ITIF, we set forth strategies beyond IT solutions that can have an impact on reengineering clinical research tasks in practice-based settings. Developing strategies to target enabling and reinforcing factors, which focus on organizational factors, and the motivation of the practice at large to use IT solutions to integrate clinical research tasks with patient care processes, is most challenging. The ITIF should be used to consider both IT and non-IT solutions concurrently for reengineering of clinical research in community-based practice settings. © 2013.

Development of MijnAVL, an Interactive Portal to Empower Breast and Lung Cancer Survivors: An Iterative, Multi-Stakeholder Approach.

PubMed

Kuijpers, Wilma; Groen, Wim G; Oldenburg, Hester Sa; Wouters, Michel Wjm; Aaronson, Neil K; van Harten, Wim H

2015-01-22

MijnAVL (MyAVL) is an interactive portal being developed to empower cancer survivors. Literature review and focus groups yielded the selection of features such as access to the electronic medical record (EMR), patient reported outcomes (PROs) and related feedback, and a physical activity support program. Our aim was to present a final design of MijnAVL based on (1) health professionals' evaluation of proposed features, (2) cancer survivors' evaluation of a first draft, and (3) cancer survivors' evaluation of a functional online prototype. Professionals from various disciplines gave input to the content of and procedures related to MijnAVL. Subsequently, 16 cancer survivors participated in an interview to evaluate content and graphic design of a first draft (shown with screenshots). Finally, 7 survivors participated in a usability test with a fully functional prototype. They performed predefined tasks (eg, logging in, finding a test result, completing a questionnaire) while thinking aloud. Descriptive statistics and simple content analysis were used to analyze the data of both the interviews and the usability tests. Professionals supported access to the EMR (eg, histology reports, lab results, and their letters to general practitioners). They also informed the development of PROs and the physical activity support program. Based on the first draft, survivors selected the preferred graphic design, approved the features and provided suggestions for the content (eg, explanation of medical jargon, more concise texts, notification by emails). Usability tests revealed that it was relatively easy to navigate the website and use the different features. Recommendations included, among others, a frequently asked questions section and the use of hyperlinks between different parts of the website. The development of MijnAVL, an interactive portal to empower breast and lung cancer survivors, was performed iteratively and involved multiple groups of end-users. This approach resulted in a usable and understandable final version. Its effectiveness should be determined in further research.

Development of MijnAVL, an Interactive Portal to Empower Breast and Lung Cancer Survivors: An Iterative, Multi-Stakeholder Approach

PubMed Central

Kuijpers, Wilma; Groen, Wim G; Oldenburg, Hester SA; Wouters, Michel WJM; Aaronson, Neil K

2015-01-01

Background MijnAVL (MyAVL) is an interactive portal being developed to empower cancer survivors. Literature review and focus groups yielded the selection of features such as access to the electronic medical record (EMR), patient reported outcomes (PROs) and related feedback, and a physical activity support program. Objective Our aim was to present a final design of MijnAVL based on (1) health professionals' evaluation of proposed features, (2) cancer survivors’ evaluation of a first draft, and (3) cancer survivors’ evaluation of a functional online prototype. Methods Professionals from various disciplines gave input to the content of and procedures related to MijnAVL. Subsequently, 16 cancer survivors participated in an interview to evaluate content and graphic design of a first draft (shown with screenshots). Finally, 7 survivors participated in a usability test with a fully functional prototype. They performed predefined tasks (eg, logging in, finding a test result, completing a questionnaire) while thinking aloud. Descriptive statistics and simple content analysis were used to analyze the data of both the interviews and the usability tests. Results Professionals supported access to the EMR (eg, histology reports, lab results, and their letters to general practitioners). They also informed the development of PROs and the physical activity support program. Based on the first draft, survivors selected the preferred graphic design, approved the features and provided suggestions for the content (eg, explanation of medical jargon, more concise texts, notification by emails). Usability tests revealed that it was relatively easy to navigate the website and use the different features. Recommendations included, among others, a frequently asked questions section and the use of hyperlinks between different parts of the website. Conclusions The development of MijnAVL, an interactive portal to empower breast and lung cancer survivors, was performed iteratively and involved multiple groups of end-users. This approach resulted in a usable and understandable final version. Its effectiveness should be determined in further research. PMID:25614924

How Voting and Consensus Created the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III).

PubMed

Davies, James

2017-04-01

This paper examines how Task Force votes were central to the development of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III and DSM-III-R). Data were obtained through a literature review, investigation of DSM archival material housed at the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and interviews with key Task Force members of DSM-III and DSM-III-R. Such data indicate that Task Force votes played a central role in the making of DSM-III, from establishing diagnostic criteria and diagnostic definitions to settling questions about the inclusion or removal of diagnostic categories. The paper concludes that while the APA represented DSM-III, and the return to descriptive psychiatry it inaugurated, as a triumph of empirically based decision-making, the evidence presented here fails to support that view. Since the DSM is a cumulative project, and as DSM-III lives on through subsequent editions, this paper calls for a more socio-historically informed understanding of DSM's construction to be deployed in how the DSM is taught and implemented in training and clinical settings.

Retrospective cohort mortality study of workers at an aircraft maintenance facility. II. Exposures and their assessment.

PubMed Central

Stewart, P A; Lee, J S; Marano, D E; Spirtas, R; Forbes, C D; Blair, A

1991-01-01

Methods are presented that were used for assessing exposures in a cohort mortality study of 15,000 employees who held 150,000 jobs at an Air Force base from 1939 to 1982. Standardisation of the word order and spelling of the job titles identified 43,000 unique job title organisation combinations. Walkthrough surveys were conducted, long term employees were interviewed, and available industrial hygiene data were collected to evaluate historic exposures. Because of difficulties linking air monitoring data and use of specific chemicals to the departments identified in the work histories, position descriptions were used to identify the tasks in each job. From knowledge of the tasks and the chemicals used in those tasks the presence or absence of 23 chemicals or groups of chemicals were designated for each job organisation combination. Also, estimates of levels of exposure were made for trichloroethylene and for mixed solvents, a category comprising several solvents including trichloroethylene, Stoddard solvent, carbon tetrachloride, JP4 gasoline, freon, alcohols, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, acetone, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, methylene chloride, o-dichlorobenzene, perchloroethylene, chloroform, styrene, and xylene. PMID:1878309

Mathematics education graduate students' understanding of trigonometric ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yiǧit Koyunkaya, Melike

2016-10-01

This study describes mathematics education graduate students' understanding of relationships between sine and cosine of two base angles in a right triangle. To explore students' understanding of these relationships, an elaboration of Skemp's views of instrumental and relational understanding using Tall and Vinner's concept image and concept definition was developed. Nine students volunteered to complete three paper and pencil tasks designed to elicit evidence of understanding and three students among these nine students volunteered for semi-structured interviews. As a result of fine-grained analysis of the students' responses to the tasks, the evidence of concept image and concept definition as well as instrumental and relational understanding of trigonometric ratios was found. The unit circle and a right triangle were identified as students' concept images, and the mnemonic was determined as their concept definition for trigonometry, specifically for trigonometric ratios. It is also suggested that students had instrumental understanding of trigonometric ratios while they were less flexible to act on trigonometric ratio tasks and had limited relational understanding. Additionally, the results indicate that graduate students' understanding of the concept of angle mediated their understanding of trigonometry, specifically trigonometric ratios.

Sample and design considerations in post-disaster mental health needs assessment tracking surveys

PubMed Central

Kessler, Ronald C.; Keane, Terence M.; Ursano, Robert J.; Mokdad, Ali; Zaslavsky, Alan M.

2009-01-01

Although needs assessment surveys are carried out after many large natural and man-made disasters, synthesis of findings across these surveys and disaster situations about patterns and correlates of need is hampered by inconsistencies in study designs and measures. Recognizing this problem, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) assembled a task force in 2004 to develop a model study design and interview schedule for use in post-disaster needs assessment surveys. The US National Institute of Mental Health subsequently approved a plan to establish a center to implement post-disaster mental health needs assessment surveys in the future using an integrated series of measures and designs of the sort proposed by the SAMHSA task force. A wide range of measurement, design, and analysis issues will arise in developing this center. Given that the least widely discussed of these issues concerns study design, the current report focuses on the most important sampling and design issues proposed for this center based on our experiences with the SAMHSA task force, subsequent Katrina surveys, and earlier work in other disaster situations. PMID:19035440

Interventions aimed at improving the ability to use everyday technology in work after brain injury.

PubMed

Kassberg, Ann-Charlotte; Prellwitz, Maria; Malinowsky, Camilla; Larsson-Lund, Maria

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore and describe how client-centred occupational therapy interventions may support and improve the ability to use everyday technology (ET) in work tasks in people with acquired brain injury (ABI). A qualitative, descriptive multiple-case study was designed, and occupation-based interventions were provided to three working-age participants with ABI. Multiple sources were used to collect data throughout the three intervention processes, including assessments, field notes, and interviews. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and the Management of Everyday Technology Assessment were administered before the interventions, after the interventions and at a follow-up session 2-3 months subsequent to the interventions. The three intervention processes initially consisted of similar actions, but subsequently the actions took on a different focus and intensity for each case. All of the goals in each of the three case processes were achieved, and both perceived and observed abilities to use ET in work tasks improved. Client-centred occupational therapy interventions might have the potential to improve the ability to use ET in work tasks in people with ABI.

The role of indigenous traditional counting systems in children's development of numerical cognition: results from a study in Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matang, Rex A. S.; Owens, Kay

2014-09-01

The Government of Papua New Guinea undertook a significant step in developing curriculum reform policy that promoted the use of Indigenous knowledge systems in teaching formal school subjects in any of the country's 800-plus Indigenous languages. The implementation of the Elementary Cultural Mathematics Syllabus is in line with the above curriculum emphasis. Given the aims of the reform, the research reported here investigated the influence of children's own mother tongue (Tok Ples) and traditional counting systems on their development of early number knowledge formally taught in schools. The study involved 272 school children from 22 elementary schools in four provinces. Each child participated in a task-based assessment interview focusing on eight task groups relating to early number knowledge. The results obtained indicate that, on average, children learning their traditional counting systems in their own language spent shorter time and made fewer mistakes in solving each task compared to those taught without Tok Ples (using English and/or the lingua franca, Tok Pisin). Possible reasons accounting for these differences are also discussed.

DOE SBIR Phase-1 Report on Hybrid CPU-GPU Parallel Development of the Eulerian-Lagrangian Barracuda Multiphase Program

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

Dr. Dale M. Snider

2011-02-28

This report gives the result from the Phase-1 work on demonstrating greater than 10x speedup of the Barracuda computer program using parallel methods and GPU processors (General-Purpose Graphics Processing Unit or Graphics Processing Unit). Phase-1 demonstrated a 12x speedup on a typical Barracuda function using the GPU processor. The problem test case used about 5 million particles and 250,000 Eulerian grid cells. The relative speedup, compared to a single CPU, increases with increased number of particles giving greater than 12x speedup. Phase-1 work provided a path for reformatting data structure modifications to give good parallel performance while keeping a friendlymore » environment for new physics development and code maintenance. The implementation of data structure changes will be in Phase-2. Phase-1 laid the ground work for the complete parallelization of Barracuda in Phase-2, with the caveat that implemented computer practices for parallel programming done in Phase-1 gives immediate speedup in the current Barracuda serial running code. The Phase-1 tasks were completed successfully laying the frame work for Phase-2. The detailed results of Phase-1 are within this document. In general, the speedup of one function would be expected to be higher than the speedup of the entire code because of I/O functions and communication between the algorithms. However, because one of the most difficult Barracuda algorithms was parallelized in Phase-1 and because advanced parallelization methods and proposed parallelization optimization techniques identified in Phase-1 will be used in Phase-2, an overall Barracuda code speedup (relative to a single CPU) is expected to be greater than 10x. This means that a job which takes 30 days to complete will be done in 3 days. Tasks completed in Phase-1 are: Task 1: Profile the entire Barracuda code and select which subroutines are to be parallelized (See Section Choosing a Function to Accelerate) Task 2: Select a GPU consultant company and jointly parallelize subroutines (CPFD chose the small business EMPhotonics for the Phase-1 the technical partner. See Section Technical Objective and Approach) Task 3: Integrate parallel subroutines into Barracuda (See Section Results from Phase-1 and its subsections) Task 4: Testing, refinement, and optimization of parallel methodology (See Section Results from Phase-1 and Section Result Comparison Program) Task 5: Integrate Phase-1 parallel subroutines into Barracuda and release (See Section Results from Phase-1 and its subsections) Task 6: Roadmap of Phase-2 (See Section Plan for Phase-2) With the completion of Phase 1 we have the base understanding to completely parallelize Barracuda. An overview of the work to move Barracuda to a parallelized code is given in Plan for Phase-2.« less

Ergonomic assessment of airport shuttle driver tasks using an ergonomic analysis toolset.

PubMed

Çakıt, Erman

2018-06-01

This study aimed to (a) evaluate strength requirements and lower back stresses during lifting and baggage handling tasks with the 3D Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPP) and (b) provide additional analyses using rapid entire body assessment (REBA) and the NASA task load index (TLX) to assess the risks associated with the tasks. Four healthy female shuttle drivers of good health aged between 55 and 60 years were observed and interviewed in an effort to determine the tasks required of their occupations. The results indicated that lifting bags and placing them in a shuttle were high risk for injury and possible changes should be further investigated. The study concluded there was a potential for injury associated with baggage storing and retrieval tasks of a shuttle driver.

37 CFR 1.133 - Interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Interviews. 1.133 Section 1... COMMERCE GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE IN PATENT CASES National Processing Provisions Interviews § 1.133 Interviews. (a)(1) Interviews with examiners concerning applications and other matters pending before the...

Safety analysis of patient transfers and handling tasks.

PubMed

Vieira, Er; Kumar, S

2009-10-01

Low-back disorders are related to biomechanical demands, and nurses are among the professionals with the highest rates. Quantification of risk factors is important for safety assessment and reduction of low-back disorders. This study aimed to quantify physical demands of frequent nursing tasks and provide evidence-based recommendations to increase low-back safety. Thirty-six volunteer female nurses participated in a cross-sectional study of nine nursing tasks. Lumbar range of motion (ROM) and motion during nursing tasks were measured. Compression and shear forces at L5/S1, ligament strain and percentage of population without sufficient torso strength to perform 14 phases of nine nursing tasks were estimated. Peak flexions during trolley-to-bed, bed-to-chair and chair-to-bed transfers reached the maximum flexion ROM of the nurses. Average lumbar flexion during trolley-to-bed transfers was >50% of flexion ROM, being higher than during all other tasks. Mean (SD) compression at L5/S1 (4754 N (437 N)) and population without sufficient torso strength (37% (9%)) were highest during the pushing phase of bed-to-trolley transfers. Shear force (487 N (40 N)) and ligament strain (14% (5%)) were highest during the pulling phase of trolley-to-bed transfers. Nursing tasks impose high biomechanical demands on the lumbar spine. Excessive lumbar flexion and forces are critical aspects of manual transfers requiring most of the nurses' capabilities. Evidence-based recommendations to improve low-back safety in common nursing tasks were provided. Fitness to work, job modifications and training programs can now be designed and assessed based on the results.

Advanced Wireless Integrated Navy Network - AWINN

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-30

de Sousa, GRA (5/15/05-6/30/05) George C. Hadjichristofi, GRA (4/1/05-5/14/05) Unghee Lee, GRA (33% for 4/1/05-5/14/05, 100% for 5/15/05-6/30/05...and initial implementation of test bed conversion to support Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). In this section, we also report on accomplishments in...below. 2.1.2 Task Activities for the Period Subtask 2. la Policy-based Quality of Service Task Obiective: The objectives of this subtask are to

Burden on Family Caregivers Caring for Patients with Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Shamsaei, Farshid; Cheraghi, Fatemeh; Bashirian, Saied

2015-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study ‎was to determine the prevalence ‎of the burden reported by family ‎caregivers of Patients with ‎schizophrenia.‎ Methods: This cross sectional ‎study involved face-to-face ‎interviews with family caregivers ‎of patients with schizophrenia. ‎Using convenience sampling, ‎‎225 caregivers were selected ‎from Farshchian psychiatry ‎Hospital in Hamadan, Iran from ‎July to September 2012. ‎Measures included patients and ‎caregivers’ demographic ‎variables and caregivers’ burden ‎using the Zarit Burden Interview ‎‎(ZBI). Data were analyzed by ‎SPSS-18 with Pearson ‎correlation and t-test.‎ Results: Using the ZBI, we found ‎that 7.6% of the caregivers ‎experienced “no to low” burden, ‎‎23.5% “mild to moderate”, 41.8% ‎‎“moderate to severe” and 27.1% ‎‎“severe” burden. The mean ‎average score of the responses ‎to ZBI was 51.73 (SD: ± 18.23). ‎The level of burden experienced ‎was significantly associated with ‎age, gender, and educational ‎level, relation to care recipient, ‎caregiving duration and duration ‎of schizophrenia illness.‎ Conclusion: ‎ ‏ ‏Mental health ‎professionals need to develop ‎more innovative programs for ‎families of schizophrenic ‎patients. Furthermore, as a ‎replacement for supporting the ‎families and easing their ‎burdens, it may be more ‎effective to include them in the ‎health care team by assigning ‎specific tasks and providing the ‎required resources to them to ‎perform such tasks. ‎ PMID:27006669

Examination of arthritis-related work place activity limitations and intermittent disability over four-and-a-half years and its relationship to job modifications and outcomes.

PubMed

Gignac, Monique A M; Cao, Xingshan; Tang, Kenneth; Beaton, Dorcas E

2011-07-01

To examine the type, degree, and episodic nature of arthritis-related work place activity limitations and the consistency of the relationship of activity limitations to job modifications and work place outcomes. Using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire, individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) or inflammatory arthritis (IA) were interviewed at 4 time points, 18 months apart. At baseline, all participants (n = 490; 381 women, 109 men) were employed. Respondents were recruited using community advertising and from rheumatology and rehabilitation clinics. The Workplace Activity Limitations Scale (WALS) assessed arthritis-related disability with job tasks. Job modifications/accommodations (e.g., scheduling changes), work place outcomes (e.g., absenteeism), demographics, illness, and work context were also measured. Repeated cross-sectional logistic regressions examined levels of WALS disability with job modifications and outcomes at each time point. Similar levels of activity limitations were found comparing OA and IA with fewer difficulties with global aspects of work (e.g., scheduling) than with specific tasks (e.g., working with hands). Three-quarters of the participants had episodic or intermittent WALS difficulty over time. Medium and high levels of work place activity limitations were significantly associated with job modifications, and high WALS difficulty was consistently related to negative work outcomes. Many individuals with arthritis report some difficulty with work place activities. However, these difficulties are often intermittent and may not result in changes to work productivity until they are consistently high. This is important for designing work place interventions and for employers, insurers, and the government to understand to avoid viewing individuals with arthritis as a permanent drain on work place and health resources. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Grassroots Journalism in the City: Cleveland's Neighborhood Newspapers. Monograph No. 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffres, Leo W.; And Others

The first section of this monograph on community newspapers describes the patterns and trends of "grassroots journalism" in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Based on interviews with 37 newspaper editors, the following topics are covered: origins and history, goals, organization and structure, method of production, advertising, content,…

Do DSM-5 Section II personality disorders and Section III personality trait domains reflect the same genetic and environmental risk factors?

PubMed

Reichborn-Kjennerud, T; Krueger, R F; Ystrom, E; Torvik, F A; Rosenström, T H; Aggen, S H; South, S C; Neale, M C; Knudsen, G P; Kendler, K S; Czajkowski, N O

2017-09-01

DSM-5 includes two conceptualizations of personality disorders (PDs). The classification in Section II is identical to the one found in DSM-IV, and includes 10 categorical PDs. The Alternative Model (Section III) includes criteria for dimensional measures of maladaptive personality traits organized into five domains. The degree to which the two conceptualizations reflect the same etiological factors is not known. We use data from a large population-based sample of adult twins from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel on interview-based DSM-IV PDs and a short self-report inventory that indexes the five domains of the DSM-5 Alternative Model plus a domain explicitly targeting compulsivity. Schizotypal, Paranoid, Antisocial, Borderline, Avoidant, and Obsessive-compulsive PDs were assessed at the same time as the maladaptive personality traits and 10 years previously. Schizoid, Histrionic, Narcissistic, and Dependent PDs were only assessed at the first interview. Biometric models were used to estimate overlap in genetic and environmental risk factors. When measured concurrently, there was 100% genetic overlap between the maladaptive trait domains and Paranoid, Schizotypal, Antisocial, Borderline, and Avoidant PDs. For OCPD, 43% of the genetic variance was shared with the domains. Genetic correlations between the individual domains and PDs ranged from +0.21 to +0.91. The pathological personality trait domains, which are part of the Alternative Model for classification of PDs in DSM-5 Section III, appears to tap, at an aggregate level, the same genetic risk factors as the DSM-5 Section II classification for most of the PDs.

Do work technique and musculoskeletal symptoms differ between men and women performing the same type of work tasks?

PubMed

Dahlberg, Raymond; Karlqvist, Lena; Bildt, Carina; Nykvist, Karin

2004-11-01

Musculoskeletal disorders are more common among women than among men. When comparing the difference between men and women in the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, methodological problems arise as men and women seldom perform the same type of activities, neither at work nor at home. The main objective of this cross-sectional case study was to compare work technique and self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms between men and women performing the same type of work tasks within a metal industry. Other factors, such as leisure activities, were also taken into consideration. Three data collection methods were used; questionnaire, interviews and systematic observations. The results from the observations revealed that women worked more frequently and during longer times with their hands above shoulder height than men. Working with hands above shoulder height is considered a risk factor for neck and shoulder disorders according to previous studies. Workplace design factors were probably a reason for differences in working technique between men and women. A higher proportion of women than men reported shoulder symptoms. Women spent more time on household activities than men, which indicates a higher total workload in paid and unpaid work.

Social participation after successful kidney transplantation.

PubMed

van der Mei, Sijrike F; van Sonderen, Eric L P; van Son, Willem J; de Jong, Paul E; Groothoff, Johan W; van den Heuvel, Wim J A

2007-03-30

To explore and describe the degree of social participation after kidney transplantation and to examine associated factors. A cross-sectional study on 239 adult patients 1-7.3 years after kidney transplantation was performed via in-home interviews on participation in obligatory activities (i.e., employment, education, household tasks) and leisure activities (volunteer work, assisting others, recreation, sports, clubs/associations, socializing, going out). Kidney transplantation patients had a lower educational level, spent less time on obligatory activities, had part-time jobs more often, and participated less in sports compared to a control group from the general population. No difference was found in socializing, church attendance, volunteer work and going out. Multivariate regression analysis showed a negative association of age and a positive association of educational status and time since transplantation with obligatory participation. Multivariate logistic regression showed positive associations of education and time since transplantation with volunteer work; age was negatively and education positively associated with sports and going out, whereas living arrangement was also associated with going out. Although kidney transplantation patients participate less in employment and sports, they do participate in household tasks, volunteer work, going out, socializing and other leisure activities. Participation is associated with factors as age, educational status and time since transplantation.

The origin of children's implanted false memories: memory traces or compliance?

PubMed

Otgaar, Henry; Verschuere, Bruno; Meijer, Ewout H; van Oorsouw, Kim

2012-03-01

A longstanding question in false memory research is whether children's implanted false memories represent actual memory traces or merely result from compliance. The current study examined this question using a response latency based deception task. Forty-five 8-year-old children received narratives about a true (first day at school) and false event (hot air balloon ride). Across two interviews, 58/32% of the participants developed a partial/full false memory. Interestingly, these children also showed higher false recall on an unrelated DRM paradigm compared to children without a false memory. The crucial finding, however, was that the results of the deception task revealed that children with partial and full false memories were faster to confirm than to deny statements relating to the false event. This indicates that children's implanted false memories reflect actual memory traces, and are unlikely to be explained by mere compliance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding the complex needs of automotive training at final assembly lines.

PubMed

Hermawati, Setia; Lawson, Glyn; D'Cruz, Mirabelle; Arlt, Frank; Apold, Judith; Andersson, Lina; Lövgren, Maria Gink; Malmsköld, Lennart

2015-01-01

Automobile final assembly operators must be highly skilled to succeed in a low automation environment where multiple variants must be assembled in quick succession. This paper presents formal user studies conducted at OPEL and VOLVO Group to identify assembly training needs and a subset of requirements; and to explore potential features of a hypothetical game-based virtual training system. Stakeholder analysis, timeline analysis, link analysis, Hierarchical Task Analysis and thematic content analysis were used to analyse the results of interviews with various stakeholders (17 and 28 participants at OPEL and VOLVO, respectively). The results show that there is a strong case for the implementation of virtual training for assembly tasks. However, it was also revealed that stakeholders would prefer to use a virtual training to complement, rather than replace, training on pre-series vehicles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Participant Reactivity in Dyads Performing a Videotaped Conflict-Management Task.

PubMed

Semeniuk, Yulia Y; Riesch, Susan K

2011-01-01

Videotaping is used frequently in nursing research. A threat to the validity of videotaping is participant reactivity, that is, being recorded by a camera may influence the behavior of interest. This paper's purpose is to report how youth ages 10 to 14 years old and their parent viewed participation in a videotaped conflict-management task. Five dyads, who were part of a randomized clinical trial testing an intervention to promote parent-child communication, participated in a structured interview. All parents were mothers. Youth were eighth graders. Three were boys and two were girls. Findings indicated that (a) dyads felt that the videotaped interaction had a progression of feeling unnatural in the beginning to feeling natural toward the end, (b) dyads found it relatively easy to choose a topic of discussion, and (c) dyads felt that the discussions were meaningful. Based on these data, recommendations for researchers to reduce participant reactivity are provided.

Analysis of Participant Reactivity in Dyads Performing a Videotaped Conflict-Management Task

PubMed Central

Semeniuk, Yulia Y.; Riesch, Susan K.

2011-01-01

Videotaping is used frequently in nursing research. A threat to the validity of videotaping is participant reactivity, that is, being recorded by a camera may influence the behavior of interest. This paper's purpose is to report how youth ages 10 to 14 years old and their parent viewed participation in a videotaped conflict-management task. Five dyads, who were part of a randomized clinical trial testing an intervention to promote parent-child communication, participated in a structured interview. All parents were mothers. Youth were eighth graders. Three were boys and two were girls. Findings indicated that (a) dyads felt that the videotaped interaction had a progression of feeling unnatural in the beginning to feeling natural toward the end, (b) dyads found it relatively easy to choose a topic of discussion, and (c) dyads felt that the discussions were meaningful. Based on these data, recommendations for researchers to reduce participant reactivity are provided. PMID:21738877

Improving the National Board of Medical Examiners internal Medicine Subject Exam for use in clerkship evaluation.

PubMed

Elnicki, D Michael; Lescisin, Dianne A; Case, Susan

2002-06-01

To provide a consensus opinion on modifying the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Medicine Subject Exam (Shelf) to: 1) reflect the internal medicine clerkship curriculum, developed by the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) and the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM); 2) emphasize knowledge important for a clerkship student; and 3) obtain feedback about students' performances on the Shelf. Two-round Delphi technique. The CDIM Research and Evaluation Committee and CDIM members on NBME Step 2 Committees. Using 1-5 Likert scales (5 = highest ratings), the group rated test question content for relevance to the SGIM-CDIM Curriculum Guide and importance for clerkship students' knowledge. The Shelf content is organized into 4 physician tasks and into 11 sections that are generally organ system based. Each iteration of the Shelf has 100 questions. Participants indicated a desired distribution of questions by physician task and section, topics critical for inclusion on each exam, and new topics to include. They specified the types of feedback clerkship directors desired on students' performances. Following the first round, participants viewed pooled results prior to submitting their second-round responses. Of 15 individuals contacted, 12 (80%) participated in each round. The desired distribution by physician task was: diagnosis (43), treatment (23), mechanism of disease (20), and health maintenance (15). The sections with the most questions requested were the cardiovascular (17), respiratory (15), and gastroenterology (12) sections. The fewest were requested in aging/ethics (4) and neurology, dermatology, and immunology (5 each). Examples of low-rated content were Wilson's Disease, chancroid and tracheal rupture (all <2.0). Health maintenance in type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease all received 5.0 ratings. Participants desired feedback by: section (4.6) and physician task (3.9), on performances of the entire class (4.0), and for individual students (3.8). Clerkship directors identified test content that was relevant to the curricular content and important for clerkship students to know, and they indicated a desired question distribution. They would most like feedback on their students' performance by organ system-based sections for the complete academic year. This collaborative effort could serve as a model for aligning national exams with course goals.

Personality, coping, risky behavior, and mental disorders in the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder: a comprehensive psychosocial assessment.

PubMed

Nijjar, Rami; Ellenbogen, Mark A; Hodgins, Sheilagh

2014-09-01

It has been proposed that the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (OBD), through genetic mechanisms and early family interactions, develop a heightened sensitivity to stress, maladaptive coping, and dysregulated behavior, which ultimately increases the risk for affective disorders. The current study tested certain predictions of this model by assessing different psychosocial and health-related outcomes in the OBD, including personality, coping style, smoking, suicidality, high-risk sexual behaviors, criminality, and mental health. The sample was composed of 74 OBD and 75 control offspring, who were between 14 and 27 years of age (mean: 19.38±3.56). Participants underwent a diagnostic interview and a structured interview to assess high-risk behavior and other maladaptive outcomes, and they completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory and Coping in Stressful Situations questionnaire. The rates of affective (31.1%) and non-affective (56.8%) disorders were elevated in the OBD compared to controls (9.5% and 32.4%). Relative to controls, OBD endorsed fewer task-oriented and more distraction coping strategies [Wilk׳s λ=.83, F(1, 136) =6.92, p<.01], and were more likely to report engaging in high-risk sexual behavior (OR=2.37; Wald=4.13, 1 df, p<05). Importantly, OBD reported elevated high-risk sexual behavior relative to controls, irrespective of affective disorder diagnosis. The results highlight a potential risk profile for the OBD, consisting of ineffective coping strategies and risky sexual behavior and are discussed in the context of current knowledge of stress and coping in this population. The present findings were based on cross-sectional data and relied on offspring self-report. It would be useful to corroborate these findings with biobehavioural and longitudinal measures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The consequences of task delegation for the process of care: Female patients seem to benefit more.

PubMed

Noordman, Janneke; van Dulmen, Sandra

2016-01-01

The shift of tasks from primary care physicians to practice nurses and the continuing incease in the numbers of women involved in medical care may have consequences for the provision of health care and communication. The aim of the present study was to examine potential differences in female practice nurses' application of communication skills, practice guidelines, and motivational interviewing skills during consultations with female and male patients. Nineteen female practice nurses and their patients (n = 181) agreed to have their consultations videotaped (during 2010-2011). The videotaped consultations were rated using two validated instruments: the Maas-Global (to assess generic communication skills and practice guidelines) and the Behaviour Change Counselling Index (to assess motivational interviewing skills). Multilevel linear and logistic regression analyses were performed. Female practice nurses provided significantly more comprehensive information during consultations with female patients (p = .03) and talked more about management with male patients (p = .04). Furthermore, nurses applied motivational interviewing skills more clearly during consultations with female than with male patients (p < .01). The shift in tasks from primary care physicians toward practice nurses may have implications for clinical and patient outcomes as patients will no longer be counseled by male professionals. Conceivably, female patients are motivated more by nurses to change their behavior, while male patients receive more concrete management information or advice.

Delegation: a solution to the workload problem? Observations and interviews with community pharmacists in England.

PubMed

Lea, Victoria M; Corlett, Sarah A; Rodgers, Ruth M

2016-05-01

This study aims to describe how pharmacists utilise and perceive delegation in the community setting. Non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of community pharmacists working in Kent between July and October 2011. Content analysis was undertaken to determine key themes and the point of theme saturation informed sample size. Findings from observations were also compared against those from interviews. Observations and interviews were undertaken with 11 pharmacists. Observations showed that delegation occurred in four different forms: assumed, active, partial and reverse. It was also employed to varying extents within the different pharmacies. Interviews revealed mixed views on delegation. Some pharmacists presented positive attitudes towards delegation while others were concerned about maintaining accountability for delegated tasks, particularly in terms of accuracy checking of dispensed medication. Other pharmacists noted the ability to delegate was not a skill they found inherently easy. Comparison of observation and interview data highlighted discrepancies between tasks pharmacists perceived they delegated and what they actually delegated. Effective delegation can potentially promote better management of workload to provide pharmacists with additional time to spend on cognitive pharmaceutical services. To do this, pharmacists' reluctance to delegate must be addressed. Lack of insight into own practice might be helped by self-reflection and feedback from staff. Also, a greater understanding of legal accountability in the context of delegation needs to be achieved. Finally, delegation is not just dependent on pharmacists, but also on support staff; ensuring staff are empowered and equipped to take on delegated roles is essential. © 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Student Reflections on Learning with Challenging Tasks: "I Think the Worksheets Were Just for Practice, and the Challenges Were for Maths"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, James; Hopkins, Sarah

2017-01-01

The current study considered young students' (7 and 8 years old) experiences and perceptions of mathematics lessons involving challenging (i.e. cognitively demanding) tasks. We used the Constant Comparative Method to analyse the interview responses (n = 73) regarding what work artefacts students were most proud of creating and why. Five themes…

Young Children's Reasoning About Physical & Behavioural Family Resemblance: Is There a Place for a Precursor Model of Inheritance?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ergazaki, Marida; Alexaki, Aspa; Papadopoulou, Chrysa; Kalpakiori, Marieleni

2014-02-01

This paper aims at exploring (a) whether preschoolers recognize that offspring share physical traits with their parents due to birth and behavioural ones due to nurture, and (b) whether they seem ready to explain shared physical traits with a `pre-biological' causal model that includes the contribution of both parents and a rudimentary notion of genes. This exploration is supposed to provide evidence for our next step, which is the development of an early years' learning environment about inheritance. Conducting individual, semi-structured interviews with 90 preschoolers (age 4.5-5.5) of four public kindergartens in Patras, we attempted to trace their reasoning about (a) whether and why offspring share physical and behavioural traits with parents and (b) which mechanism could better explain the shared physical traits. The probes were a modified six-case version of Solomon et al. (Child Dev 67:151-171, 1996) `adoption task, as well as a three-case task based on Springer's (Child Dev 66:547-558, 1995) `mechanism task' and on Solomon and Johnson's (Br J Dev Psychol 18(1):81-96, 2000) idea of genes as a `conceptual placeholder'. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the interviews showed overlapping reasoning about the origin of physical and behavioural family resemblance. Nevertheless, we did trace the `birth-driven' argument for the attribution of the offspring's physical traits to the biological parents, as well as a preference for the `pre-biological' model that introduces a rudimentary idea of genes in order to explain shared physical traits between parents and offspring. The findings of the study and the educational implications are thoroughly discussed.

HOW DO WORK HIERARCHIES AND STRICT DIVISIONS OF LABOUR IMPACT CARE WORKERS' EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH AND SAFETY? CASE STUDIESOF LONG TERM CARE IN TORONTO.

PubMed

Syed, I; Daly, T; Armstrong, P; Lowndes, R; Chadoin, M; Naidoo, V

2016-01-01

According to the Canadian Health Care Association (1), there are 2,577 long-term care ("LTC") facilities across Canada, with the largest proportion (33.4%) located in Ontario. Most studies focus on residents' health, with less attention paid to the health and safety experiences of staff. Given that the work performed in Ontario LTC facilities is very gendered, increasingly racialized, task-oriented, and with strict divisions of labour, this paper explores in what ways some of these factors impact workers' experiences of health and safety. The study objectives included the following research question: How are work hierarchies and task orientation experienced by staff? This paper draws on data from rapid team-based ethnographies of the shifting division of labour in LTC due to use of informal carers in six non-profit LTC facilities located in Toronto, Ontario. Our method involved conducting observations and key informant interviews (N=167) with registered nurses, registered practical nurses, personal support workers, dietary aides, recreation therapists, families, privately paid companions, students, and volunteers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. For observations, researchers were paired and covered shifts between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., as well as into the late night over six days, at each of the six sites. Detailed ethnographic field notes were written during and immediately following observational fieldwork. Our results indicate that employee stress is linked to the experiences of care work hierarchies, task orientation, and strict divisions of labour between and among various staff designations. Findings from this project confirm and extend current research that demonstrates there are challenging working conditions in LTC, which can result in occupational health and safety problems, as well as stress for individual workers.

8 CFR 1245.6 - Interview.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interview. 1245.6 Section 1245.6 Aliens and... OF STATUS TO THAT OF PERSON ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE § 1245.6 Interview. Each applicant for adjustment of status under this part shall be interviewed by an immigration officer. This interview may be...

Influences of OSCE design on students' diagnostic reasoning.

PubMed

Lafleur, Alexandre; Côté, Luc; Leppink, Jimmie

2015-02-01

Some characteristics of assessments exert a strong influence on how students study. Understanding these pre-assessment learning effects is of key importance to the designing of medical assessments that foster students' reasoning abilities. Perceptions of the task demands of an assessment significantly influence students' cognitive processes. However, why and how certain tasks positively 'drive' learning remain unknown. Medical tasks can be assessed as coherent meaningful whole tasks (e.g. examining a patient based on his complaint to find the diagnosis) or can be divided into simpler part tasks (e.g. demonstrating the physical examination of a pre-specified disease). Comparing the benefits of whole-task and part-task assessments in a randomised controlled experiment could guide the design of 'assessments for learning'. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the knowledge that an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) will contain whole tasks, as opposed to part tasks, increases the use of diagnostic reasoning by medical students when they study for this assessment. In this randomised, controlled, mixed-methods experiment, 40 medical students were randomly paired and filmed while studying together for two imminent physical examination OSCE stations. Each 25-minute study period began with video cues and ended with a questionnaire on cognitive loads. Cues disclosed either a part-task OSCE station (examination of a healthy patient) or a whole-task OSCE station (hypothesis-driven physical examination [HDPE]). In a crossover design, sequences were randomised for both task and content (shoulder or spine). Two blinded and independent authors scored all 40 videos in distinct randomised orders, listening to participants studying freely. Mentioning a diagnosis in association with a sign was scored as a backward association, and the opposite was scored as a forward association; both revealed the use of diagnostic reasoning. Qualitative data were obtained through group interviews. Studying for whole-task OSCE stations resulted in a greater use of diagnostic reasoning. Qualitative data triangulate these findings and show the precedence of cues sourced from the 'student grapevine'. In comparison with 'traditional' part-task OSCEs, whole-task OSCEs like the HDPE increase students' use of diagnostic reasoning during study time. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Synthesis of Seafood Catch, Distribution, and Consumption Patterns in the Gulf of Mexico Region

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

Steimle and Associates, Inc.

The purpose of this task was to gather and assemble information that will provide a synthesis of seafood catch, distribution and consumption patterns for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) region. This task was part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored project entitled ''Environmental and Economic Assessment of Discharges from Gulf of Mexico Region Oil and Gas Operations.'' Personal interviews were conducted with a total of 905 recreational fishermen and 218 commercial fishermen (inclusive of shrimpers, crabbers, oystermen and finfishermen) in Louisiana and Texas using survey questionnaires developed for the study. Results of these interviews detail the species and quantitiesmore » caught, location of catch, mode of fishing, distribution of catch, family consumption patterns and demographics of the fishermen.« less

Effects of drinking patterns on prospective memory performance in college students.

PubMed

Zamroziewicz, Marta; Raskin, Sarah A; Tennen, Howard; Austad, Carol S; Wood, Rebecca M; Fallahi, Carolyn R; Dager, Alecia D; Sawyer, Broderick; Leen, Samantha; Pearlson, Godfrey D

2017-02-01

Traditional college students are at a critical juncture in the development of prospective memory (PM). Their brains are vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. There were 123 third and fourth year college students, 19-23 years old, who completed the Self-Rating Effects of Alcohol (SREA), Modified Timeline Follow-back (TFLB), Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Scale (BYAACS), and Alcohol Effects Questionnaire (AEQ) once per month on a secure online database, as reported elsewhere (Dager et al., 2013). Data from the 6 months immediately before memory testing were averaged. In a single testing session participants were administered the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revision (MINI-DSM-IV-TR), measures of PM (event-based and time-based), and retrospective memory (RM). Based on the average score of six consecutive monthly responses to the SREA, TLFB, and AEQ, students were classified as nondrinkers, light drinkers, or heavy drinkers (as defined previously; Dager et al., 2013). Alcohol-induced amnesia (blackout) was measured with the BYAACS. We found a relationship between these alcohol use classifications and time-based PM, such that participants who were classified as heavier drinkers were more likely to forget to perform the time-based PM task. We also found that self-reported alcohol-induced amnesia (blackouts) during the month immediately preceding memory testing was associated with lower performance on the event-based PM task. Participants' ability to recall the RM tasks suggested the PM items were successfully encoded even when they were not carried out, and we observed no relationship between alcohol use and RM performance. Heavy alcohol use in college students may be related to impairments in PM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

`Just Be Quiet and Listen to Exactly What He's Saying': Conceptualising power relations in inquiry-oriented classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Dermot Francis; McGarr, Oliver; O'Reilly, John

2014-08-01

Interest in inquiry-based science education (IBSE) often pays little heed to the complex power relations that exist within classrooms. A common obstacle to inquiry is that it strongly diverges from current classroom culture and hence, is outside the sphere of teachers' and students' experiences. Teachers and students bring expectations to the classroom that are entrenched in traditional practices and influenced by dynamics of power that exist within all teacher-student relationships. This study, which emerged during a wider study of the use of a Virtual Chemistry Lab in supporting IBSE, explores how classroom discourse constructs and maintains power relations that either stifle or facilitate inquiry-based approaches in two science lessons. Research methods included teacher interviews, student focus groups, video-recorded lessons, and student self-assessments. Findings indicate distinctive features of power inside the classroom that impact on inquiry-based instruction, such as predominant teacher monitoring on task completion over task understanding, lack of student engagement in ownership of scientific ideas, and prevailing norms of what effective teacher questioning is. We discuss implications for IBSE change efforts, highlighting that well-established power relations currently represent an important limiting factor in the capacity of teachers' IBSE implementation.

Learning motivational interviewing in a real-life setting: a randomised controlled trial in the Swedish Prison Service.

PubMed

Forsberg, Lars; Ernst, Denise; Farbring, Carl Åke

2011-07-01

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centred, directive counselling style for helping people to explore and resolve ambivalence about behaviour change and shown to decrease drug and alcohol use. A five-session semi-structured MI intervention [Beteende, Samtal, Förändring (BSF; Behaviour, Counselling, Change)] was implemented in Swedish prisons. To examine whether, in a real-life implementation of semi-structured MI, staff receiving ongoing MI training, based on audio-recorded feedback in peer groups (BSF+), possess greater MI skill compared with staff receiving workshop-only MI training (BSF), and staff conducting usual prison planning interviews (UPI). Prisoners were randomised to one of the three interventions. The fi rst sessions between staff and prisoner with complete data were assessed with the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code 3.0. Content analysis of 45 staff: prisoner sessions revealed that counsellors in the BSF+ group were significantly more competent in MI than those in the UPI group, but there was no difference in MI competency between the BSF and UPI groups. Overall, staff were rated as not having achieved beginning proficiency. Our findings suggest that staff delivering motivational interviewing programmes for substance-misusing prisoners in Sweden are not being given sufficient training for the task. Previous literature has suggested that staff need more than a basic 3- to 5-day workshop training, but our findings suggest that they may need longer-term continuing supervision and support than previously recognised.

The worker of the future. A system outlines the competencies its employees will need.

PubMed

Hill, K; Meyer, B

1998-01-01

In 1993, Sisters of Mercy Health System-St. Louis (SMHS), having asked itself what kind of employees it would need in the twenty-first century, established a Worker of the Future Task Force to develop tentative answers. The task force began by making projections concerning healthcare, studying the strategic plans of SMHS's members, and surveying its employees. It learned that the system should help workers see how change could benefit them. Next, the task force studied the cultural history of the Sisters of Mercy, developing from it Six Guiding Principles for the evaluation of employee performance. From these principles, the task force derived Twelve Competencies that SMHS will seek in future workers. In 1995 the system's education leaders, with the aid of an internal training organization, decided to develop 17 training modules based on these guiding principles and competencies. Since then, more than 85 SMHS employees have been trained to help coworkers develop customer service skills and other competencies. SMHS has also incorporated the competencies in its job descriptions and performance evaluations, added the Worker of the Future curriculum to its orientation program for new employees, and is currently developing Worker of the Future training sessions for human resources personnel who interview prospective employees.

Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gimmestad, Gary G.; West, Leanne L.; Wood, Jack W.; Frehlich, Rod

2004-01-01

This report describes the results of investigations performed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) under a task entitled 'Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment' funded by the Crew Systems Branch of the Airborne Systems Competency at the NASA Langley Research Center. The investigations included two tasks, 1.1(a) and 1.1(b). The Tasks discussed in this report are in support of the NASA Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation (VAMS) program and are designed to evaluate a pulsed lidar that will be required for active wake vortex avoidance solutions. The Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) WindTracer LIDAR is an eye-safe, 2-micron, coherent, pulsed Doppler lidar with wake tracking capability. The actual performance of the WindTracer system was to be quantified. In addition, the sensor performance has been assessed and modeled, and the models have been included in simulation efforts. The WindTracer LIDAR was purchased by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in near-term field data collection efforts as part of a joint NASA/FAA wake vortex research program. In the joint research program, a minimum common wake and weather data collection platform will be defined. NASA Langley will use the field data to support wake model development and operational concept investigation in support of the VAMS project, where the ultimate goal is to improve airport capacity and safety. Task 1.1(a), performed by NCAR in Boulder, Colorado to analyze the lidar system to determine its performance and capabilities based on results from simulated lidar data with analytic wake vortex models provided by NASA, which were then compared to the vendor's claims for the operational specifications of the lidar. Task 1.1(a) is described in Section 3, including the vortex model, lidar parameters and simulations, and results for both detection and tracking of wake vortices generated by Boeing 737s and 747s. Task 1.1(b) was performed by GTRI in Atlanta, Georgia and is described in Section 4. Task 1.1(b) includes a description of the St. Louis Airport (STL) field test being conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, and it also addresses the development of a test plan to validate simulation studies conducted as part of Task 1.1(a). Section 4.2 provides a description of the Volpe STL field tests, and Section 4.3 describes 3 possible ways to validate the WindTracer lidar simulations performed in Task 1.1(a).

The Development of an Officer Training School Board Score Prediction Method Using a Multi-Board Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-01

forms: ". ..application blanks, biographical inventories , interviews, work sample tests, and intelligence, aptitude, and personality tests" (1:11...the grouping method, 3) the task method, and 4) the knowledge , skills, abilities (KSA) method. The point method of measuring training/experience assigns... knowledge , skills, abilities, and other characteristics which relate specifically to each job element (3:131). Interview. According to N. Schmitt

Law Enforcement Methods for Counterinsurgency Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-26

Report to the Legislature 2003.” 52 David Starbuck , former Chief of Kansas City Gang Task Force, Interview by author, 9 November 2004, Kansas City...MO. 29 calculated violence against rival gangs, and synchronization with other Crip franchises , of which there are over 800 in the U.S. These are...54 J.D. Lloyd, Gangs, Contemporary Issues, 26. 55 David Starbuck , Interview by author. 31 leader, several lieutenants, a drug coordinator

Drastic increases in overweight and obesity from 1981 to 2010 and related risk factors: results from the Barbados Children's Health and Nutrition Study.

PubMed

Fernandez, Melissa Anne; Kubow, Stan; Gray-Donald, Katherine; Knight, JaDon; Gaskin, Pamela S

2015-12-01

To examine overweight and obesity (OWOB), changes in prevalence and potential risk factors in Barbadian children. A cross-section of students were weighed and measured. The WHO BMI-for-age growth references (BAZ), the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth percentiles were used to determine OWOB prevalence. Harvard weight-for-height-for-age growth standards were used to estimate differences in OWOB prevalence from 1981 to 2010. Samples of parents and students were interviewed to describe correlates of OWOB. Barbados. Public-school students (n 580) in class 3. Based on WHO BAZ, the overall prevalence of OWOB was 34·8 % (95 % CI 30·9, 38·7 %). A trend of higher OWOB prevalence was seen for girls across cut-offs, with significant sex differences noted using the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs. According to Harvard growth standards, OWOB has increased dramatically, from 8·52 % to 32·5 %. Children were more likely to be OWOB when annual household income was below BBD 9000 (OR=2·69; 95 % CI 1·21, 5·99). Eating dinner with the family every night was associated with a lower prevalence of OWOB (OR=0·56; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·87). The sharp increase of OWOB rates in Barbados warrants attention. Sex disparities in OWOB prevalence may emerge at a young age. Promoting family meals may be a feasible option for OWOB prevention. Understanding familial and sociodemographic factors influencing OWOB will be useful in planning successful intervention or prevention programmes in Barbados.

Electronic health records and support for primary care teamwork.

PubMed

O'Malley, Ann S; Draper, Kevin; Gourevitch, Rebecca; Cross, Dori A; Scholle, Sarah Hudson

2015-03-01

Consensus that enhanced teamwork is necessary for efficient and effective primary care delivery is growing. We sought to identify how electronic health records (EHRs) facilitate and pose challenges to primary care teams as well as how practices are overcoming these challenges. Practices in this qualitative study were selected from those recognized as patient-centered medical homes via the National Committee for Quality Assurance 2011 tool, which included a section on practice teamwork. We interviewed 63 respondents, ranging from physicians to front-desk staff, from 27 primary care practices ranging in size, type, geography, and population size. EHRs were found to facilitate communication and task delegation in primary care teams through instant messaging, task management software, and the ability to create evidence-based templates for symptom-specific data collection from patients by medical assistants and nurses (which can offload work from physicians). Areas where respondents felt that electronic medical record EHR functionalities were weakest and posed challenges to teamwork included the lack of integrated care manager software and care plans in EHRs, poor practice registry functionality and interoperability, and inadequate ease of tracking patient data in the EHR over time. Practices developed solutions for some of the challenges they faced when attempting to use EHRs to support teamwork but wanted more permanent vendor and policy solutions for other challenges. EHR vendors in the United States need to work alongside practicing primary care teams to create more clinically useful EHRs that support dynamic care plans, integrated care management software, more functional and interoperable practice registries, and greater ease of data tracking over time. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

A novel application in the study of client language: Alcohol and marijuana-related statements in substance-using adolescents during a simulation task.

PubMed

Ladd, Benjamin O; Garcia, Tracey A; Anderson, Kristen G

2016-09-01

The current study explored whether laboratory-based techniques can provide a strategy for studying client language as a mechanism of behavior change. Specifically, this study examined the potential of a simulation task to elicit healthy talk, or self-motivational statements in favor of healthy behavior, related to marijuana and alcohol use. Participants (N = 84) were adolescents reporting at least 10 lifetime substance use episodes recruited from various community settings in an urban Pacific Northwest setting. Participants completed the Adolescent Simulated Intoxication Digital Elicitation (A-SIDE), a validated paradigm for assessing substance use decision making in peer contexts. Participants responded to 4 types of offers in the A-SIDE: (a) marijuana, (b) food (marijuana control), (c) alcohol, and (d) soda (alcohol control). Using a validated coding scheme adapted for the current study, client language during a structured interview assessing participants' response to the simulated offers was evaluated. Associations between percent healthy talk (PHT, calculated by dividing the number of healthy statements by the sum of all substance-related statements) and cross-sectional outcomes of interest (previous substance use, substance use expectancies, and behavioral willingness) were explored. The frequency of substance-related statements differed in response to offer type; rate of PHT did not. PHT was associated with behavioral willingness to accept the offer. However, PHT was not associated with decontextualized measures of substance use. Associations between PHT and global expectancies were limited. Simulation methods may be useful in investigating the impact of context on self-talk and to systematically explore client language as a mechanism of change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Web-based learning resources - new opportunities for competency development.

PubMed

Moen, Anne; Nygård, Kathrine A; Gauperaa, Torunn

2009-01-01

Creating web-based learning environments holds great promise for on the job training and competence development in nursing. The web-based learning environment was designed and customized by four professional development nurses. We interviewed five RNs that pilot tested the web-based resource. Our findings give some insight into how the web-based design tool are perceived and utilized, and how content is represented in the learning environment. From a competency development perspective, practicing authentic tasks in a web-based learning environment can be useful to train skills and keep up important routines. The approach found in this study also needs careful consideration. Emphasizing routines and skills can be important to reduce variation and ensure more streamlined practice from an institution-wide quality improvement efforts. How the emphasis on routines and skills plays out towards the individual's overall professional development needs further careful studies.

Critical features of peer assessment of clinical performance to enhance adherence to a low back pain guideline for physical therapists: a mixed methods design.

PubMed

Maas, Marjo J M; van Dulmen, Simone A; Sagasser, Margaretha H; Heerkens, Yvonne F; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G; van der Wees, Philip J

2015-11-12

Clinical practice guidelines are intended to improve the process and outcomes of patient care. However, their implementation remains a challenge. We designed an implementation strategy, based on peer assessment (PA) focusing on barriers to change in physical therapy care. A previously published randomized controlled trial showed that PA was more effective than the usual strategy "case discussion" in improving adherence to a low back pain guideline. Peer assessment aims to enhance knowledge, communication, and hands-on clinical skills consistent with guideline recommendations. Participants observed and evaluated clinical performance on the spot in a role-play simulating clinical practice. Participants performed three roles: physical therapist, assessor, and patient. This study explored the critical features of the PA program that contributed to improved guideline adherence in the perception of participants. Dutch physical therapists working in primary care (n = 49) organized in communities of practice (n = 6) participated in the PA program. By unpacking the program we identified three main tasks and eleven subtasks. After the program was finished, a questionnaire was administered in which participants were asked to rank the program tasks from high to low learning value and to describe their impact on performance improvement. Overall ranking results were calculated. Additional semi-structured interviews were conducted to elaborate on the questionnaires results and were transcribed verbatim. Questionnaires comments and interview transcripts were analyzed using template analysis. Program tasks related to performance in the therapist role were perceived to have the highest impact on learning, although task perceptions varied from challenging to threatening. Perceptions were affected by the role-play format and the time schedule. Learning outcomes were awareness of performance, improved attitudes towards the guideline, and increased self-efficacy beliefs in managing patients with low back pain. Learning was facilitated by psychological safety and the quality of feedback. The effectiveness of PA can be attributed to the structured and performance-based design of the program. Participants showed a strong cognitive and emotional commitment to performing the physical therapist role. That might have contributed to an increased awareness of strength and weakness in clinical performance and a motivation to change routine practice.

Motivational interviewing: experiences of primary care nurses trained in the method.

PubMed

Östlund, Ann-Sofi; Wadensten, Barbro; Kristofferzon, Marja-Leena; Häggström, Elisabeth

2015-03-01

Motivational interviewing is a person-centered counseling style used to promote behavioral change regarding a wide variety of lifestyle problems. Use of motivational interview is growing worldwide and among many different healthcare professions, including primary care nursing. The study aim was to describe motivational interview trained nurses' experiences of motivational interviewing in primary care settings. The study had a qualitative descriptive design. It was carried out in Swedish primary care settings in two county council districts, with 20 primary care nurses trained in motivational interviewing. Half of them used the method in their work, half did not. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The nurses experienced that openness to the approach and an encouraging working climate are required to overcome internal resistance and to increase use of motivational interviewing. They also experienced mutual benefit: motivational interviewing elicits and develops abilities in both nurses and patients. For the nurses using it, motivational interviewing is perceived to facilitate work with patients in need of lifestyle change. Lack of training/education, support, interest and appropriate work tasks/patients are reasons for not using motivational interviewing.

Job and Workload Analysis System for Civil Servants in North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krisnanda, M.; Mewengkang, A.; Rompas, P. T. D.; Togas, P. V.

2018-02-01

This study aims to create automation system to assist sub division of job analysis and workload of North Sulawesi, Indonesia in completing its annual tasks to record all civil servants. The method used in this research is prototyping where a system will be developed according to the revision supplied by the user. The result of this research is a system used to generate reports and calculations based on user filled forms. The result gathered from the interviews, users can make reports faster and easier. Users can also optimise reports on time using the built system.

Health worker performance in the management of paediatric fevers following in-service training and exposure to job aids in Kenya

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Improving the way artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is provided to patients attending clinics is critical to maximize the benefit of this new medicine. In 2007, a new initiative was launched in one part of Kenya to improve malaria case-management through enhanced in-service training and provision of job aids. Methods An evaluation of the intervention using pre- and post-intervention cross sectional health facility surveys was conducted in Bondo district. The surveys included: audit of government health facilities, health worker structured interviews and exit interviews with caretakers of sick children below five years of age. The outcome indicators were the proportions of febrile children who had AL prescribed, AL dispensed, and four different dispensing and counseling tasks performed. Results At baseline 33 government health facilities, 48 health workers and 386 febrile child consultations were evaluated. At follow-up the same health facilities were surveyed and 36 health workers and 390 febrile child consultations evaluated. The findings show: 1) no health facility or health worker was exposed to all components of the intervention; 2) the proportion of health workers who received the enhanced in-service training was 67%; 3) the proportion of febrile children with uncomplicated malaria treated with the first-line anti-malarial drug, artemether-lumefantrine (AL), at health facilities where AL was in stock increased from 76.9% (95%CI: 69.4, 83.1) to 87.6% (95% CI: 82.5, 91.5); 4) there were modest but non-significant improvements in dispensing and counseling practices; and 5) when the analyses were restricted to health workers who received the enhanced in-service training and/or had received new guidelines and job aids, no significant improvements in reported case-management tasks were observed compared to baseline. Conclusion In-service training and provision of job aids alone may not be adequate to improve the prescribing, dispensing and counseling tasks necessary to change malaria case-management practices and the inclusion of supervision and post-training follow-up should be considered in future clinical practice change initiatives. PMID:20849650

Health worker performance in the management of paediatric fevers following in-service training and exposure to job aids in Kenya.

PubMed

Wasunna, Beatrice; Zurovac, Dejan; Bruce, Jane; Jones, Caroline; Webster, Jayne; Snow, Robert W

2010-09-18

Improving the way artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is provided to patients attending clinics is critical to maximize the benefit of this new medicine. In 2007, a new initiative was launched in one part of Kenya to improve malaria case-management through enhanced in-service training and provision of job aids. An evaluation of the intervention using pre- and post-intervention cross sectional health facility surveys was conducted in Bondo district. The surveys included: audit of government health facilities, health worker structured interviews and exit interviews with caretakers of sick children below five years of age. The outcome indicators were the proportions of febrile children who had AL prescribed, AL dispensed, and four different dispensing and counseling tasks performed. At baseline 33 government health facilities, 48 health workers and 386 febrile child consultations were evaluated. At follow-up the same health facilities were surveyed and 36 health workers and 390 febrile child consultations evaluated. The findings show: 1) no health facility or health worker was exposed to all components of the intervention; 2) the proportion of health workers who received the enhanced in-service training was 67%; 3) the proportion of febrile children with uncomplicated malaria treated with the first-line anti-malarial drug, artemether-lumefantrine (AL), at health facilities where AL was in stock increased from 76.9% (95%CI: 69.4, 83.1) to 87.6% (95% CI: 82.5, 91.5); 4) there were modest but non-significant improvements in dispensing and counseling practices; and 5) when the analyses were restricted to health workers who received the enhanced in-service training and/or had received new guidelines and job aids, no significant improvements in reported case-management tasks were observed compared to baseline. In-service training and provision of job aids alone may not be adequate to improve the prescribing, dispensing and counseling tasks necessary to change malaria case-management practices and the inclusion of supervision and post-training follow-up should be considered in future clinical practice change initiatives.

How Entrustment Is Informed by Holistic Judgments Across Time in a Family Medicine Residency Program: An Ethnographic Nonparticipant Observational Study.

PubMed

Sagasser, Margaretha H; Fluit, Cornelia R M G; van Weel, Chris; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Kramer, Anneke W M

2017-06-01

Entrustment has mainly been conceptualized as delegating discrete professional tasks. Because residents provide most of their patient care independently, not all resident performance is visible to supervisors; the entrustment process involves more than granting discrete tasks. This study explored how supervisors made entrustment decisions based on residents' performance in a long-term family medicine training program. A qualitative nonparticipant observational study was conducted in 2014-2015 at competency-based family medicine residency programs in the Netherlands. Seven supervisor-resident pairs participated. During two days, one researcher observed first-year residents' patient encounters, debriefing sessions, and supervisor-resident educational meetings and interviewed them separately afterwards. Data were collected and analyzed using iterative, phenomenological inductive research methodology. The entrustment process developed over three phases. Supervisors based their initial entrustment on prior knowledge about the resident. In the ensuing two weeks, entrustment decisions regarding independent patient care were derived from residents' observed general competencies necessary for a range of health problems (clinical reasoning, decision making, relating to patients); medical knowledge and skills; and supervisors' intuition. Supervisors provided supervision during and after encounters. Once residents performed independently, supervisors kept reevaluating their decisions, informed by residents' overall growth in competencies rather than by adhering to a predefined set of tasks. Supervisors in family medicine residency training took a holistic approach to trust, based on general competencies, knowledge, skills, and intuition. Entrustment started before training and developed over time. Building trust is a mutual process between supervisor and resident, requiring a good working relationship.

Communication Delays Impact Behavior and Performance Aboard the International Space Station.

PubMed

Kintz, Natalie M; Palinkas, Lawrence A

Long-duration space explorations will involve significant communication delays that will likely impact individual and team outcomes. However, the extent of these impacts and the appropriate countermeasures for their mitigation remain largely unknown. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing the International Space Station (ISS) as a research platform to assess the impacts of communication delays on individual and team behavior and performance. For this study, 3 ISS crewmembers and 18 mission support personnel performed 10 tasks identified by subject matter experts as meeting study criteria, 6 tasks without a delay in communication and 4 tasks with a 50-s one-way delay. Assessments of individual and team performance and behavior were obtained after each task. The completion rate of posttask assessments and postmission interviews with astronauts were used to assess feasibility and acceptability. Posttask assessments were completed in 100% of the instances where a crewmember was assigned to a task and in 83% where mission support personnel were involved. Qualitative analysis of postmission interviews found the study to be important and acceptable to the three astronauts. However, they also reported the study was limited in the number and type of tasks included, limitations in survey questions, and preference for open-ended to scaled items. Although the ISS is considered a high fidelity analog for long-duration space missions, future studies of communication delays on the ISS must take into considerations the constraints imposed by mission operations and subject preferences and priorities. Kintz KM, Palinkas LA. Communication delays impact behavior and performance aboard the International Space Station. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 87(11):940-946.

41 CFR 301-75.102 - What pre-employment interview travel expenses are not payable?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... interview travel expenses are not payable? 301-75.102 Section 301-75.102 Public Contracts and Property...-PRE-EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW TRAVEL Travel Expenses § 301-75.102 What pre-employment interview travel... other than communication directly related to travel arrangement for the Government interview. (b) Hire...

8 CFR 245.6 - Interview.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interview. 245.6 Section 245.6 Aliens and... ADMITTED FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCE § 245.6 Interview. Each applicant for adjustment of status under this part shall be interviewed by an immigration officer. This interview may be waived in the case of a child...

49 CFR 1018.22 - Personal interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Personal interviews. 1018.22 Section 1018.22... § 1018.22 Personal interviews. (a) The Board may seek an interview with the debtor at the offices of the... grant an interview with a debtor upon the debtor's request. The Board will not reimburse a debtor's...

Relationship between Tasks Performed, Personality Traits, and Sleep Bruxism in Brazilian School Children - A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Serra-Negra, Junia Maria; Paiva, Saul Martins; Abreu, Mauro Henrique; Flores-Mendoza, Carmen Elvira; Pordeus, Isabela Almeida

2013-01-01

Background Tasks can be instruments of stress and may affect the health of children. Sleep bruxism is a multifactorial sleep-related movement disorder that affects children and adults. The aim of the present study was to analyze the association between children’s tasks, personality traits and sleep bruxism. Methods And Findings A cross-sectional, population-based study of 652 randomly selected Brazilian schoolchildren (52% of whom were female), aged from 7 to 10 years was conducted in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A questionnaire based on criteria proposed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) was completed by parents. In addition, the Neuroticism and Responsibility sub-scales of the Big Five Questionnaire for Children (BFQ-C) were administered to the children. Psychological tests were administered and evaluated by psychologists. The Social Vulnerability Index from the city council database was used to determine the social classification of the families. Chi-square and Poisson regression statistical tests were used with a 95% confidence interval. The majority of families were classified as having low social vulnerability (61.3%), whereas, 38.7% were classified as having high social vulnerability. Regarding extracurricular activities, the majority of girls performed household work (56.4%) and some artistic activity (51.3%) while sporting activities were most common among boys (61%). The results of the Poisson regression model indicated that sleep bruxism was most prevalent in children who scored highly in the Neuroticism sub-scale, and who frequently performed household tasks. Conclusion Children whose personality domain has a high level of Neuroticism and who perform household chores imposed by the family are more vulnerable to sleep bruxism. PMID:24244614

[Implementation of the new drinking water regulation section sign 18: monitoring of drinking water systems in houses--water for public use].

PubMed

Hentschel, W; Voigt, K; Heudorf, U

2006-08-01

The monitoring of drinking water based on the drinking water regulation is one of the central tasks of public health authorities in Germany. With the coming into force of the new drinking water regulation in the year 2003 also water supply plants "from which water is made available for the public, in particular in schools, kindergartens, hospitals, restaurants and other communal facilities" must be supervised for the first time (TrinkwV section sign 18). Thus, for Frankfurt/Main the number of the facilities/objects which are to be supervised rose from approx. 300 to approx. 4,700. Since appropriate expansion of personnel was not possible, innovative solutions were in demand for implementation of these tasks. These are introduced here.

Research Experiences of Staff within a Specialist UK Higher Education Institution: Challenges, Opportunities and Priorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmings, Brian; Hill, Doug; Sharp, John

2013-01-01

The study discussed here was based on a collective case approach involving a specialist UK higher education institution. Six individual interviews were carried out with a cross-sectional sample of the institution's staff members. Additional information was gained through observations and examination of relevant documents. These data were…

Cardio-Pulmonary Function Testing. Continuing Education Curriculum for Respiratory Therapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saint Paul Technical Vocational Inst., MN.

Compiled from interviews with personnel in pulmonary function testing (PFT) laboratories in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, this competency-based curriculum guide is intended to provide a knowledge of PFT for persons who provide respiratory care. The guide contains 20 sections covering the following topics: vital capacity, flow measurements,…

Big-Data Based Decision-Support Systems to Improve Clinicians' Cognition.

PubMed

Roosan, Don; Samore, Matthew; Jones, Makoto; Livnat, Yarden; Clutter, Justin

2016-01-01

Complex clinical decision-making could be facilitated by using population health data to inform clinicians. In two previous studies, we interviewed 16 infectious disease experts to understand complex clinical reasoning. For this study, we focused on answers from the experts on how clinical reasoning can be supported by population-based Big-Data. We found cognitive strategies such as trajectory tracking, perspective taking, and metacognition has the potential to improve clinicians' cognition to deal with complex problems. These cognitive strategies could be supported by population health data, and all have important implications for the design of Big-Data based decision-support tools that could be embedded in electronic health records. Our findings provide directions for task allocation and design of decision-support applications for health care industry development of Big data based decision-support systems.

Big-Data Based Decision-Support Systems to Improve Clinicians’ Cognition

PubMed Central

Roosan, Don; Samore, Matthew; Jones, Makoto; Livnat, Yarden; Clutter, Justin

2016-01-01

Complex clinical decision-making could be facilitated by using population health data to inform clinicians. In two previous studies, we interviewed 16 infectious disease experts to understand complex clinical reasoning. For this study, we focused on answers from the experts on how clinical reasoning can be supported by population-based Big-Data. We found cognitive strategies such as trajectory tracking, perspective taking, and metacognition has the potential to improve clinicians’ cognition to deal with complex problems. These cognitive strategies could be supported by population health data, and all have important implications for the design of Big-Data based decision-support tools that could be embedded in electronic health records. Our findings provide directions for task allocation and design of decision-support applications for health care industry development of Big data based decision-support systems. PMID:27990498

Memory, reasoning, and categorization: parallels and common mechanisms

PubMed Central

Hayes, Brett K.; Heit, Evan; Rotello, Caren M.

2014-01-01

Traditionally, memory, reasoning, and categorization have been treated as separate components of human cognition. We challenge this distinction, arguing that there is broad scope for crossover between the methods and theories developed for each task. The links between memory and reasoning are illustrated in a review of two lines of research. The first takes theoretical ideas (two-process accounts) and methodological tools (signal detection analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves) from memory research and applies them to important issues in reasoning research: relations between induction and deduction, and the belief bias effect. The second line of research introduces a task in which subjects make either memory or reasoning judgments for the same set of stimuli. Other than broader generalization for reasoning than memory, the results were similar for the two tasks, across a variety of experimental stimuli and manipulations. It was possible to simultaneously explain performance on both tasks within a single cognitive architecture, based on exemplar-based comparisons of similarity. The final sections explore evidence for empirical and processing links between inductive reasoning and categorization and between categorization and recognition. An important implication is that progress in all three of these fields will be expedited by further investigation of the many commonalities between these tasks. PMID:24987380

Memory, reasoning, and categorization: parallels and common mechanisms.

PubMed

Hayes, Brett K; Heit, Evan; Rotello, Caren M

2014-01-01

Traditionally, memory, reasoning, and categorization have been treated as separate components of human cognition. We challenge this distinction, arguing that there is broad scope for crossover between the methods and theories developed for each task. The links between memory and reasoning are illustrated in a review of two lines of research. The first takes theoretical ideas (two-process accounts) and methodological tools (signal detection analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves) from memory research and applies them to important issues in reasoning research: relations between induction and deduction, and the belief bias effect. The second line of research introduces a task in which subjects make either memory or reasoning judgments for the same set of stimuli. Other than broader generalization for reasoning than memory, the results were similar for the two tasks, across a variety of experimental stimuli and manipulations. It was possible to simultaneously explain performance on both tasks within a single cognitive architecture, based on exemplar-based comparisons of similarity. The final sections explore evidence for empirical and processing links between inductive reasoning and categorization and between categorization and recognition. An important implication is that progress in all three of these fields will be expedited by further investigation of the many commonalities between these tasks.

Wayfinding and Glaucoma: A Virtual Reality Experiment.

PubMed

Daga, Fábio B; Macagno, Eduardo; Stevenson, Cory; Elhosseiny, Ahmed; Diniz-Filho, Alberto; Boer, Erwin R; Schulze, Jürgen; Medeiros, Felipe A

2017-07-01

Wayfinding, the process of determining and following a route between an origin and a destination, is an integral part of everyday tasks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of glaucomatous visual field loss on wayfinding behavior using an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment. This cross-sectional study included 31 glaucomatous patients and 20 healthy subjects without evidence of overall cognitive impairment. Wayfinding experiments were modeled after the Morris water maze navigation task and conducted in an immersive VR environment. Two rooms were built varying only in the complexity of the visual scene in order to promote allocentric-based (room A, with multiple visual cues) versus egocentric-based (room B, with single visual cue) spatial representations of the environment. Wayfinding tasks in each room consisted of revisiting previously visible targets that subsequently became invisible. For room A, glaucoma patients spent on average 35.0 seconds to perform the wayfinding task, whereas healthy subjects spent an average of 24.4 seconds (P = 0.001). For room B, no statistically significant difference was seen on average time to complete the task (26.2 seconds versus 23.4 seconds, respectively; P = 0.514). For room A, each 1-dB worse binocular mean sensitivity was associated with 3.4% (P = 0.001) increase in time to complete the task. Glaucoma patients performed significantly worse on allocentric-based wayfinding tasks conducted in a VR environment, suggesting visual field loss may affect the construction of spatial cognitive maps relevant to successful wayfinding. VR environments may represent a useful approach for assessing functional vision endpoints for clinical trials of emerging therapies in ophthalmology.

The Difficulty of "Length x Width": Is a Square the Unit of Measurement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamii, Constance; Kysh, Judith

2006-01-01

In individual interviews, 220 students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 9 were given one task, and 72 eighth graders were given three tasks to answer two questions: (a) Is a square the unit of measurement for an area for students in grades 4-8? and (b) Does a square have a space-covering characteristic for students in grade 8? The answers to both questions…

Communication about palliative care: A phenomenological study exploring patient views and responses to its discussion.

PubMed

Collins, Anna; McLachlan, Sue-Anne; Philip, Jennifer

2018-01-01

Communication about palliative care is a complex task frequently delayed until otherwise unavoidable. There is a need for discussion of palliative care to be viewed as a distinct communication task that is guided by empirical data. However, little is known of patient views and responses to these encounters. To explore patient views surrounding communication about palliative care and their responses to its discussion. Cross-sectional, prospective, exploratory qualitative design, involving narrative-style interviews and underpinned by an interpretative phenomenological framework. Purposively sampled, English-speaking, adult patients with advanced cancer ( n = 30) recruited from cancer services at a tertiary metropolitan hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Three major themes evolved. (1) Death as unspeakable: death was expressed using only implicit, ambiguous or technical terms and perceived to be outside the parameters of medical interactions. (2) Palliative care as a euphemism for death: the term 'palliative care' was perceived to be used by health professionals as a tool to talk about dying and understood by patients as a euphemism for death. (3) Palliative care as unspeakable: 'palliative care' was personified by patients to mean not just death, but my death, in turn, also becoming unspeakable. This study provides important new patient insights and responses to the discussion of palliative care. Results demonstrate that the task of discussing palliative care remains complex, difficult and limited by our language. Greater consistency, sensitivity and sophistication are required when talking about palliative care to patients who may benefit from this care.

Use of and attitudes to a hospital information system by medical secretaries, nurses and physicians deprived of the paper-based medical record: a case report.

PubMed

Laerum, Hallvard; Karlsen, Tom H; Faxvaag, Arild

2004-10-16

Most hospitals keep and update their paper-based medical records after introducing an electronic medical record or a hospital information system (HIS). This case report describes a HIS in a hospital where the paper-based medical records are scanned and eliminated. To evaluate the HIS comprehensively, the perspectives of medical secretaries and nurses are described as well as that of physicians. We have used questionnaires and interviews to assess and compare frequency of use of the HIS for essential tasks, task performance and user satisfaction among medical secretaries, nurses and physicians. The medical secretaries use the HIS much more than the nurses and the physicians, and they consider that the electronic HIS greatly has simplified their work. The work of nurses and physicians has also become simplified, but they find less satisfaction with the system, particularly with the use of scanned document images. Although the basis for reference is limited, the results support the assertion that replacing the paper-based medical record primarily benefits the medical secretaries, and to a lesser degree the nurses and the physicians. The varying results in the different employee groups emphasize the need for a multidisciplinary approach when evaluating a HIS.

Use of and attitudes to a hospital information system by medical secretaries, nurses and physicians deprived of the paper-based medical record: a case report

PubMed Central

Lærum, Hallvard; Karlsen, Tom H; Faxvaag, Arild

2004-01-01

Background Most hospitals keep and update their paper-based medical records after introducing an electronic medical record or a hospital information system (HIS). This case report describes a HIS in a hospital where the paper-based medical records are scanned and eliminated. To evaluate the HIS comprehensively, the perspectives of medical secretaries and nurses are described as well as that of physicians. Methods We have used questionnaires and interviews to assess and compare frequency of use of the HIS for essential tasks, task performance and user satisfaction among medical secretaries, nurses and physicians. Results The medical secretaries use the HIS much more than the nurses and the physicians, and they consider that the electronic HIS greatly has simplified their work. The work of nurses and physicians has also become simplified, but they find less satisfaction with the system, particularly with the use of scanned document images. Conclusions Although the basis for reference is limited, the results support the assertion that replacing the paper-based medical record primarily benefits the medical secretaries, and to a lesser degree the nurses and the physicians. The varying results in the different employee groups emphasize the need for a multidisciplinary approach when evaluating a HIS. PMID:15488150

The effects of leadership and ward factors on job satisfaction in nursing homes: a multilevel approach.

PubMed

Havig, Anders K; Skogstad, Anders; Veenstra, Marijke; Romøren, Tor I

2011-12-01

To examine (1) the relationships between job satisfaction and task- and relationship-oriented leadership and (2) the direct and moderating effects on job satisfaction of three ward-level factors: workload, use of teams and staff stability. Job satisfaction in nursing homes is vital to meeting the challenges related to recruitment and turnover. Cross-sectional design. A multilevel analysis approach was used to recognise a hierarchal structure of determined factors and to capture variation in job satisfaction at the individual and ward level. A questionnaire was sent to 444 registered nurses, auxiliary nurses and unskilled nursing assistants. Structured interviews were administered to 40 ward managers and 13 directors, and 900 hours of field observations was conducted in 40 nursing home wards throughout Norway. We found a significant relationship between job satisfaction and task-oriented and relationship-oriented leadership styles, with a stronger effect for task orientation. The effect of the two leadership styles varied significantly across wards. Furthermore, staff stability had both a significant positive direct effect and a moderating effect on job satisfaction, whereas the two other ward-level predictors yielded no significant contributions. The relatively stronger effect of task-oriented leadership on job satisfaction, particularly in wards with low staff stability, is in contrast to most previous studies and suggests that there may be specific conditions in nursing homes that favour the use of this leadership style. The varying effect of both leadership styles indicates that staff in different nursing home wards could benefit from the use of different leadership styles. The study highlights the importance of using different leadership behaviour and the importance of high staff stability to ensure job satisfaction among nursing home personnel. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Prevalence, characteristics, and acute care utilization of disabled older adults with an absence of help for activities of daily living: Findings from a nationally representative survey.

PubMed

Wang, Hui-Hsuan; Shyu, Yea-Ing Lotus; Chang, Hsing-Yi; Bai, Yuh-Bin; Stanaway, Fiona; Lin, Jen-Der; Li, Chia-Lin

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and acute care utilization of community dwelling disabled older adults with an absence of help for activities of daily living (ADL). We analyzed cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of people aged 65 years and over (n=2904) participating in the 2009 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan. Disability was defined as self-reporting a lot of difficulty or complete inability to carry out one or more ADL tasks. Participants with disability were asked whether they received help in the form of personal assistance or assistive devices to complete ADL tasks, with a yes response indicating the presence of help and a no response indicating the absence of help. Hospitalization and emergency department visits was assessed as a dichotomous variable (any or none), respectively. An absence of available help for ADL disability was reported in 16.6% of disabled older adults. Disabled older adults reporting an absence of help were more likely to be female. After adjustment for other factors, compared to older adults without disability, older adults with disability not receiving help for ADL tasks were highly related to hospitalization (OR=4.57; 95%CI=[1.51-13.82]) and emergency department visits (OR=3.52; 95%CI=[1.15-10.76]) during the past year, respectively. We found that there is high prevalence of absence of help to perform ADL tasks in older adults with disability, and that this absence of help for ADL disability is associated with a greater burden of acute care utilization than those without disability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Planning for long-duration space exploration: Interviews with NASA subject matter experts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntosh, Tristan; Mulhearn, Tyler; Gibson, Carter; Mumford, Michael D.; Yammarino, Francis J.; Connelly, Shane; Day, Eric A.; Vessey, William B.

2016-12-01

Planning is critical to organizations, especially for those involved in pursuing technologic, scientific, and innovative ventures. Examination of planning processes is particularly important in high-stake and high-risk environments. In the present study, to highlight the significance of planning in the context of long-duration space missions, 11 current and former National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) personnel were interviewed to gain a better understanding of astronaut and Mission Control leadership in preparing for and carrying out space missions. Interviewees focused their responses on perceptions of leadership and thoughts on how long-duration spaceflight leadership should be different from current and short-term spaceflight. Notes from these interviews were content coded and qualitatively analyzed. We found that cognitive planning skills and case-based reasoning were among the variables that were most highly rated for being critical to the success of long-duration space missions. Moreover, qualitative analyses revealed new considerations for long-duration space missions, such as granting greater autonomy to crewmembers and the need for more near-term forecasting. The implications of these findings for understanding the planning processes and necessary characteristics of individuals tasked with planning are discussed.

14 CFR 1213.105 - Interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interviews. 1213.105 Section 1213.105... INFORMATION MEDIA § 1213.105 Interviews. (a) Only spokespersons designated by the Assistant Administrator for... regarding NASA policy, programmatic, and budget issues. (b) In response to media interview requests, NASA...

Assessment of personality-related levels of functioning: a pilot study of clinical assessment of the DSM-5 level of personality functioning based on a semi-structured interview.

PubMed

Thylstrup, Birgitte; Simonsen, Sebastian; Nemery, Caroline; Simonsen, Erik; Noll, Jane Fjernestad; Myatt, Mikkel Wanting; Hesse, Morten

2016-08-25

The personality disorder categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV have been extensively criticized, and there is a growing consensus that personality pathology should be represented dimensionally rather than categorically. The aim of this pilot study was to test the Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale, a semi-structured clinical interview, designed to assess the Level of Personality Functioning Scale of the DSM-5 (Section III) by applying strategies similar to what characterizes assessments in clinical practice. The inter-rater reliability of the assessment of the four domains and the total impairment in the Level of Personality Functioning Scale were measured in a patient sample that varied in terms of severity and type of pathology. Ratings were done independently by the interviewer and two experts who watched a videotaped Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale interview. Inter-rater reliability coefficients varied between domains and were not sufficient for clinical practice, but may support the use of the interview to assess the dimensions of personality functioning for research purposes. While designed to measure the Level of Personality Functioning Scale with a high degree of similarity to clinical practice, the Clinical Assessment of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale had weak reliabilities and a rating based on a single interview should not be considered a stand-alone assessment of areas of functioning for a given patient.

Rights and Responsibilities of Tuberculosis Patients, and the Global Fund: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Atif, Muhammad; Javaid, Sareema; Farooqui, Maryam; Sarwar, Muhammad Rehan

2016-01-01

Implementation of the Charter to protect patients' rights is an important criterion to achieve patient-centered approach and receive financial support from the Global Fund. Our study aims to explore the knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) patients about their rights and responsibilities at the Chest Disease Unit of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. This was a qualitative study. The data from purposefully selected TB patients was collected by in-depth interviews. Eligibility criteria included confirmed diagnosis of TB and enrollment in the TB program. A pilot tested interview protocol was based upon the objectives of the study, and was used uniformly in each interview to maintain the consistency. The sample size was limited by applying the saturation criteria. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic content analysis was applied to analyze the data and draw conclusions. Out of the total 16 patients, four were female, and seven were illiterate. Eight patients were known cases of multi-drug resistant TB. Analysis of the data yielded seven themes; tuberculosis care services, moral support and stigmatization, dignity and privacy, complaints, fear of losing job, information sharing and compliance to the treatment plan, and contribution to eradicate TB. First five represented the rights section while latter two were related to the responsibilities section of the Charter. Discriminatory access to TB care services and the right to privacy were two major concerns identified in this study. However, the respondents recognized their responsibilities as a TB patient. To ensure uninterrupted investment from the Global Fund, there is a need to implement fair TB care policies which support human rights-based approach.

Rights and Responsibilities of Tuberculosis Patients, and the Global Fund: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Atif, Muhammad; Javaid, Sareema; Farooqui, Maryam; Sarwar, Muhammad Rehan

2016-01-01

Background Implementation of the Charter to protect patients’ rights is an important criterion to achieve patient-centered approach and receive financial support from the Global Fund. Our study aims to explore the knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) patients about their rights and responsibilities at the Chest Disease Unit of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Methods This was a qualitative study. The data from purposefully selected TB patients was collected by in-depth interviews. Eligibility criteria included confirmed diagnosis of TB and enrollment in the TB program. A pilot tested interview protocol was based upon the objectives of the study, and was used uniformly in each interview to maintain the consistency. The sample size was limited by applying the saturation criteria. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic content analysis was applied to analyze the data and draw conclusions. Results Out of the total 16 patients, four were female, and seven were illiterate. Eight patients were known cases of multi-drug resistant TB. Analysis of the data yielded seven themes; tuberculosis care services, moral support and stigmatization, dignity and privacy, complaints, fear of losing job, information sharing and compliance to the treatment plan, and contribution to eradicate TB. First five represented the rights section while latter two were related to the responsibilities section of the Charter. Conclusion Discriminatory access to TB care services and the right to privacy were two major concerns identified in this study. However, the respondents recognized their responsibilities as a TB patient. To ensure uninterrupted investment from the Global Fund, there is a need to implement fair TB care policies which support human rights-based approach. PMID:26998830

Effort-based decision making as an objective paradigm for the assessment of motivational deficits in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Fervaha, Gagan; Duncan, Mark; Foussias, George; Agid, Ofer; Faulkner, Guy E; Remington, Gary

2015-10-01

Negative symptoms and motivational deficits are prevalent features of schizophrenia, and represent robust predictors of real-world functional outcomes. The standard for assessment of these symptoms is clinical interview and severity ratings on standardized rating scales. In the present study we examined the psychometric properties of a performance-based measure of motivational deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Ninety-seven patients with schizophrenia were included in this investigation. Patients' willingness to expend effort for reward (i.e., motivation) was evaluated using an effort-based decision making paradigm where participants chose over a series of trials whether to expend a greater amount of effort for a larger monetary reward versus less effort for a smaller reward. Effort performance was evaluated twice, separated by a two-week interval. Patients with schizophrenia opted to expend greater effort for trials with higher reward value and greater likelihood of reward receipt. Patients did not find the task overly difficult and reported being motivated to perform well, underscoring the tolerability of the task for patients. Test-retest consistency was good and there was only minimal change in scores over time. Effort performance was not related to sociodemographic or clinical variables (e.g., positive symptoms); however, deficit syndrome patients exerted effort for reward at a significantly lower rate than nondeficit patients. The effort-based decision making task used in the present study represents an objective paradigm that can be used to evaluate motivational impairments in patients with schizophrenia. Such performance-based measures of motivation may also serve as viable endpoints in clinical trials. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Task conflicts and exclusive professionalism in nursing in South Korea.

PubMed

Jung, Minsoo

2014-01-01

Task conflicts among medical professions are essential problems to be solved in health care organizations. This study examined job conflicts between practical nurses (PNs) and registered nurses (RNs) in their duties and tasks with representative panelists from South Korea. This qualitative study used the Dacum Task Analysis process. Subject-matter experts in practical nursing were recruited utilizing stratified sampling: Ten experts developed job descriptions of PNs, and 20 validated the descriptions. The on-site tasks and duties of the PNs were measured by means of Dacum, and the results were reviewed by RNs using 3 focus-group interviews. The job description of PNs consisted of 10 duties and 117 tasks, overlapping with some tasks of RNs. Core tasks performed by PNs, such as invasive activities, led to task conflicts between the 2 groups, as these activities were regarded as the inherent duty of nursing professions. Thus, the RNs did not concede the expanded job scope of the PNs in terms of exclusive professionalism. To reduce task conflict, there is a need for the balanced development of nursing professionalism.

Use of the North American guidelines for children's agricultural tasks with Hmong farm families.

PubMed

Rasmussen, R C; Schermann, M A; Shutske, J M; Olson, D K

2003-11-01

This literature review synthesizes available studies on Hmong agricultural practices, patterns of childhood growth and development of Hmong children in the context of injury prevention, and potential application or adaptation of the North American Guidelines for Children's Agricultural Tasks (Lee and Marlenga, 1999) for Hmong children working in the U.S. Data from qualitative interviews, focus groups, case studies, and surveys were collected, categories were determined, and themes were identified. Field tools and practices, gender roles, and reasons for farming were examined, as well as physical and cognitive development of Hmong children and Hmong parenting techniques to describe factors related to farm task assignment of children. Current agricultural practices of Hmong in the U.S. can be described as generally small-scale operations that use mainly hand tools, manual labor, and local direct-marketing techniques. Specific practices include thinning, weeding, and hoeing; carrying tools, buckets, or baskets; setting plant supports; and watering. Hmong children appear to be given greater amounts of responsibility at earlier ages than North American children. Hmong parenting practices, as would be used in task assignment, are somewhat more authoritarian-based and lead to psychosocial skills that are more group-oriented than individual-oriented. Hmong children were found to be shorter than children in the U.S. of the same ages. This review suggests that the NAGCAT cannot be literally translated and disseminated to Hmong farming families as an injury prevention intervention. Further information is needed about what farm tasks Hmong children do and how Hmong parents assign those tasks to children.

Cluster Guide. Accounting Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaverton School District 48, OR.

Based on a recent task inventory of key occupations in the accounting cluster taken in the Portland, Oregon, area, this curriculum guide is intended to assist administrators and teachers in the design and implementation of high school accounting cluster programs. The guide is divided into four major sections: program organization and…

User and Task Analysis of the Flight Surgeon Console at the Mission Control Center of the NASA Johnson Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Kathy A.; Shek, Molly

2003-01-01

Astronauts in a space station are to some extent like patients in an intensive care unit (ICU). Medical support of a mission crew will require acquisition, transmission, distribution, integration, and archiving of significant amounts of data. These data are acquired by disparate systems and will require timely, reliable, and secure distribution to different communities for the execution of various tasks of space missions. The goal of the Comprehensive Medical Information System (CMIS) Project at Johnson Space Center Flight Medical Clinic is to integrate data from all Medical Operations sources, including the reference information sources and the electronic medical records of astronauts. A first step toward the full CMIS implementation is to integrate and organize the reference information sources and the electronic medical record with the Flight Surgeons console. In order to investigate this integration, we need to understand the usability problems of the Flight Surgeon's console in particular and medical information systems in general. One way to achieve this understanding is through the use of user and task analyses whose general purpose is to ensure that only the necessary and sufficient task features that match users capacities will be included in system implementations. The goal of this summer project was to conduct user and task analyses employing cognitive engineering techniques to analyze the task of the Flight Surgeons and Biomedical Engineers (BMEs) while they worked on Console. The techniques employed were user interviews, observations and a questionnaire to collect data for which a hierarchical task analysis and an information resource assessment were performed. They are described in more detail below. Finally, based on our analyses, we make recommendations for improvements to the support structure.

Translating self-persuasion into an adolescent HPV vaccine promotion intervention for parents attending safety-net clinics.

PubMed

Baldwin, Austin S; Denman, Deanna C; Sala, Margarita; Marks, Emily G; Shay, L Aubree; Fuller, Sobha; Persaud, Donna; Lee, Simon Craddock; Skinner, Celette Sugg; Wiebe, Deborah J; Tiro, Jasmin A

2017-04-01

Self-persuasion is an effective behavior change strategy, but has not been translated for low-income, less educated, uninsured populations attending safety-net clinics or to promote human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. We developed a tablet-based application (in English and Spanish) to elicit parental self-persuasion for adolescent HPV vaccination and evaluated its feasibility in a safety-net population. Parents (N=45) of age-eligible adolescents used the self-persuasion application. Then, during cognitive interviews, staff gathered quantitative and qualitative feedback on the self-persuasion tasks including parental decision stage. The self-persuasion tasks were rated as easy to complete and helpful. We identified six question prompts rated as uniformly helpful, not difficult to answer, and generated non-redundant responses from participants. Among the 33 parents with unvaccinated adolescents, 27 (81.8%) reported deciding to get their adolescent vaccinated after completing the self-persuasion tasks. The self-persuasion application was feasible and resulted in a change in parents' decision stage. Future studies can now test the efficacy of the tablet-based application on HPV vaccination. The self-persuasion application facilitates verbalization of reasons for HPV vaccination in low literacy, safety-net settings. This self-administered application has the potential to be more easily incorporated into clinical practice than other patient education approaches. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Knowledge Worker Teams Deal Effectively with Task Uncertainty: The Impact of Transformational Leadership and Group Development.

PubMed

Leuteritz, Jan-Paul; Navarro, José; Berger, Rita

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to clarify how leadership is able to improve team effectiveness, by means of its influence on group processes (i.e., increasing group development) and on the group task (i.e., decreasing task uncertainty). Four hundred and eight members of 107 teams in a German research and development (R&D) organization completed a web-based survey; they provided measures of transformational leadership, group development, 2 aspects of task uncertainty, task interdependence, and team effectiveness. In 54 of these teams, the leaders answered a web-based survey on team effectiveness. We tested the model with the data from team members, using structural equations modeling. Group development and a task uncertainty measurement that refers to unstable demands from outside the team partially mediate the effect of transformational leadership on team effectiveness in R&D organizations ( p < 0.05). Although transformational leaders reduce unclarity of goals ( p < 0.05), this seems not to contribute to team effectiveness. The data provided by the leaders was used to assess common source bias, which did not affect the interpretability of the results. Limitations include cross-sectional data and a lower than expected variance of task uncertainty across different job types. This paper contributes to understanding how knowledge worker teams deal effectively with task uncertainty and confirms the importance of group development in this context. This is the first study to examine the effects of transformational leadership and team processes on team effectiveness considering the task characteristics uncertainty and interdependence.

How Knowledge Worker Teams Deal Effectively with Task Uncertainty: The Impact of Transformational Leadership and Group Development

PubMed Central

Leuteritz, Jan-Paul; Navarro, José; Berger, Rita

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to clarify how leadership is able to improve team effectiveness, by means of its influence on group processes (i.e., increasing group development) and on the group task (i.e., decreasing task uncertainty). Four hundred and eight members of 107 teams in a German research and development (R&D) organization completed a web-based survey; they provided measures of transformational leadership, group development, 2 aspects of task uncertainty, task interdependence, and team effectiveness. In 54 of these teams, the leaders answered a web-based survey on team effectiveness. We tested the model with the data from team members, using structural equations modeling. Group development and a task uncertainty measurement that refers to unstable demands from outside the team partially mediate the effect of transformational leadership on team effectiveness in R&D organizations (p < 0.05). Although transformational leaders reduce unclarity of goals (p < 0.05), this seems not to contribute to team effectiveness. The data provided by the leaders was used to assess common source bias, which did not affect the interpretability of the results. Limitations include cross-sectional data and a lower than expected variance of task uncertainty across different job types. This paper contributes to understanding how knowledge worker teams deal effectively with task uncertainty and confirms the importance of group development in this context. This is the first study to examine the effects of transformational leadership and team processes on team effectiveness considering the task characteristics uncertainty and interdependence. PMID:28861012

Removing the interview for medical school selection is associated with gender bias among enrolled students.

PubMed

Wilkinson, David; Casey, Mavourneen G; Eley, Diann S

2014-02-03

To report, and determine reasons for, a change in the gender ratio observed among enrolled medical students after removal of the interview from the selection process. Cross-sectional study of 4051 students admitted to the medical program at the University of Queensland between 2004 and 2012. Students are enrolled either directly as graduates or via a school-leaver pathway. Change in proportions of male and female students over time, and gender-specific scores in the three sections of the GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test). Between 2004 and 2008 (when an interview was part of the selection process), 891 enrolled students (51.4%) were male, whereas between 2009 and 2012 (no interview), 1134 (57.7%; P < 0.001) were male. This change in gender ratio was limited to domestic direct graduate-entry students, and the male proportion in this group rose from 50.9% (705 students) before the interview was removed to 64.0% (514 students; P < 0.001) after removal of the interview (reaching 73.8% in 2012). Between 2004 and 2012, male students consistently performed better than female students on GAMSAT section III (mean score, 71.5 v 68.5; P < 0.001). The proportion of males enrolled in the medical program at this university increased markedly after removal of the interview from the selection process. This change is limited to domestic direct graduate-entry students, and seems to be due to higher scores by male students in section III of the GAMSAT. The interview may play an important role in ensuring gender equity in selection, and medical schools should carefully monitor the consequences of changes to selection policy.

32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

Validated Competency Task Lists for Apparel and Accessories Marketing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selke-Kern, Barbara E.

Developed by a project that validated task lists by a variety of teachers and apparel marketing business persons, this guide contains task lists for occupations in the field of apparel and accessories marketing. The guide is organized in three sections. Section 1 includes the following: (1) notes on using the information in the guide; (2) a…

Task Lists for Home Economics Occupations, 1988: Cluster Matrices for Home Economics Occupations. Education for Employment Task Lists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Below, Virginia

This document contains information for home economics occupations in Illinois in seven sections. The first part provides lists of employability skills for the following: food preparation and service worker, fashion designer, dietetic technician, and service coordinator/consumer assistant/concierge. The second section contains task analyses for the…

The role of gender in the association between personality and task priority in older adults' dual-tasking while walking.

PubMed

Agmon, Maayan; Armon, Galit; Denesh, Shani; Doumas, Mihalis

2018-01-02

Falls are a major problem for older adults. Many falls occur when a person's attention is divided between two tasks, such as a dual task (DT) involving walking. Most recently, the role of personality in walking performance was addressed; however, its association with DT performance remains to be determined. This cross-sectional study of 73 older, community-dwelling adults explores the association between personality and DT walking and the role of gender in this relationship. Personality was evaluated using the five-factor model. Single-task (ST) and DT assessment of walking-cognitive DT performance comprised a 1-min walking task and an arithmetic task performed separately (ST) and concurrently (DT). Dual-task costs (DTCs), reflecting the proportional difference between ST and DT performance, were also calculated. Gender plays a role in the relationship between personality and DT. Extraversion was negatively associated with DTC-motor for men (ΔR 2  = 0.06, p < 0.05). Conscientiousness was positively associated with DTC-cognition for women (ΔR 2  = 0.08, p < 0.01). These findings may lead to effective personality-based early detection and intervention for fall prevention.

Diagnosing Students' Understanding of the Nature of Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogolin, Sarah; Krüger, Dirk

2017-10-01

Students' understanding of models in science has been subject to a number of investigations. The instruments the researchers used are suitable for educational research but, due to their complexity, cannot be employed directly by teachers. This article presents forced choice (FC) tasks, which, assembled as a diagnostic instrument, are supposed to measure students' understanding of the nature of models efficiently, while being sensitive enough to detect differences between individuals. In order to evaluate if the diagnostic instrument is suitable for its intended use, we propose an approach that complies with the demand to integrate students' responses to the tasks into the validation process. Evidence for validity was gathered based on relations to other variables and on students' response processes. Students' understanding of the nature of models was assessed using three methods: FC tasks, open-ended tasks and interviews ( N = 448). Furthermore, concurrent think-aloud protocols ( N = 30) were performed. The results suggest that the method and the age of the students have an effect on their understanding of the nature of models. A good understanding of the FC tasks as well as a convergence in the findings across the three methods was documented for grades eleven and twelve. This indicates that teachers can use the diagnostic instrument for an efficient and, at the same time, valid diagnosis for this group. Finally, the findings of this article may provide a possible explanation for alternative findings from previous studies as a result of specific methods that were used.

Using Payroll Deduction to Shelter Individual Health Insurance from Income Tax

PubMed Central

Hall, Mark A; Hager, Christie L; Orentlicher, David

2011-01-01

Objective To assess the impact of state laws requiring or encouraging employers to establish “section 125” cafeteria plans that shelter employees' premium contributions from tax. Data Sources Available descriptive statistics, 65 key-informant interviews, and relevant documents in study states and nationally, 2008–2009. Study Design Case studies were conducted in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Missouri—three states adopting laws in 2007. Descriptive quantitative information came from insurers, regulators, and surveys of employers. In each state, 15–17 semistructured but open-ended interviews were conducted with insurance agents, insurers, government officials, and third-party administration firms, and 29 informed sources were interviewed from a national perspective or other states. Key informants were selected based on their known or reported experience, in a “snowball” fashion until saturation was reached. Interview notes were coded for systematic analysis. Finally, relevant rulings, brochures, instructions, marketing materials, and other documents were collected and analyzed. Findings Despite the potential for substantial cost savings, use of section 125 plans to purchase individual insurance remained low in these states after 1 or 2 years. Absent a mandate, few employers were strongly motivated to offer these plans in order to retain an adequate workforce, and uncertainty about federal legality deterred doing so. For smaller employers, benefits to owners did not outweigh administrative complexities. Nevertheless, few downsides were found to states mandating or encouraging these plans. In particular, there is little evidence that many employers dropped group coverage as a result. Conclusions Section 125 plans remain a limited tool for states to reduce the inequitable tax treatment of individually purchased insurance, but a complete remedy requires reform of federal tax law. PMID:21054377

Using payroll deduction to shelter individual health insurance from income tax.

PubMed

Hall, Mark A; Hager, Christie L; Orentlicher, David

2011-02-01

To assess the impact of state laws requiring or encouraging employers to establish "section 125" cafeteria plans that shelter employees' premium contributions from tax. Available descriptive statistics, 65 key-informant interviews, and relevant documents in study states and nationally, 2008-2009. Case studies were conducted in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Missouri--three states adopting laws in 2007. Descriptive quantitative information came from insurers, regulators, and surveys of employers. In each state, 15-17 semistructured but open-ended interviews were conducted with insurance agents, insurers, government officials, and third-party administration firms, and 29 informed sources were interviewed from a national perspective or other states. Key informants were selected based on their known or reported experience, in a "snowball" fashion until saturation was reached. Interview notes were coded for systematic analysis. Finally, relevant rulings, brochures, instructions, marketing materials, and other documents were collected and analyzed. Despite the potential for substantial cost savings, use of section 125 plans to purchase individual insurance remained low in these states after 1 or 2 years. Absent a mandate, few employers were strongly motivated to offer these plans in order to retain an adequate workforce, and uncertainty about federal legality deterred doing so. For smaller employers, benefits to owners did not outweigh administrative complexities. Nevertheless, few downsides were found to states mandating or encouraging these plans. In particular, there is little evidence that many employers dropped group coverage as a result. Section 125 plans remain a limited tool for states to reduce the inequitable tax treatment of individually purchased insurance, but a complete remedy requires reform of federal tax law. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Illegitimate Tasks as an Impediment to Job Satisfaction and Intrinsic Motivation: Moderated Mediation Effects of Gender and Effort-Reward Imbalance

PubMed Central

Omansky, Rachel; Eatough, Erin M.; Fila, Marcus J.

2016-01-01

The current work examines a contemporary workplace stressor that has only recently been introduced into the literature: illegitimate tasks. Illegitimate tasks are work tasks that violate identity role norms about what can reasonably be expected from an employee in a given position. Although illegitimate tasks have been linked to employee well-being in past work, we know little about the potential explanatory mechanisms linking illegitimate tasks to work-relevant negative psychological states. Using a sample of 213 US-based employees of mixed occupations and a cross-sectional design, the present study examines job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation as outcomes of illegitimate tasks. Additionally, we examine perception of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) as a potential mediating mechanism through which illegitimate tasks relate to job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation, highlighting a possible pathway by which these relationships are functioning. Finally, we explore gender as a socially constructed variable that could contribute to variation in responses to illegitimate tasks and moderate the mediated link between illegitimate tasks and outcomes. Results indicated that illegitimate tasks were significantly related to job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation both directly and indirectly through perceptions of ERI in the predicted directions. Moreover, a moderated-mediation effect was found such that male workers reacted more than female workers to illegitimate tasks through the mechanism of perceived ERI. PMID:27917145

Illegitimate Tasks as an Impediment to Job Satisfaction and Intrinsic Motivation: Moderated Mediation Effects of Gender and Effort-Reward Imbalance.

PubMed

Omansky, Rachel; Eatough, Erin M; Fila, Marcus J

2016-01-01

The current work examines a contemporary workplace stressor that has only recently been introduced into the literature: illegitimate tasks. Illegitimate tasks are work tasks that violate identity role norms about what can reasonably be expected from an employee in a given position. Although illegitimate tasks have been linked to employee well-being in past work, we know little about the potential explanatory mechanisms linking illegitimate tasks to work-relevant negative psychological states. Using a sample of 213 US-based employees of mixed occupations and a cross-sectional design, the present study examines job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation as outcomes of illegitimate tasks. Additionally, we examine perception of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) as a potential mediating mechanism through which illegitimate tasks relate to job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation, highlighting a possible pathway by which these relationships are functioning. Finally, we explore gender as a socially constructed variable that could contribute to variation in responses to illegitimate tasks and moderate the mediated link between illegitimate tasks and outcomes. Results indicated that illegitimate tasks were significantly related to job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation both directly and indirectly through perceptions of ERI in the predicted directions. Moreover, a moderated-mediation effect was found such that male workers reacted more than female workers to illegitimate tasks through the mechanism of perceived ERI.

Tryon Trekkers: An Evaluation of a STEM Based Afterschool Program for At-Risk Youth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckels Anderson, Chessa

This study contributed to the body of research that supports a holistic model of afterschool learning through the design of an afterschool intervention that benefits elementary school students of low socioeconomic status. This qualitative study evaluated a science focused afterschool curriculum that was designed using principles from Risk and Resiliency Theory, academic motivation theories, science core ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards, and used environmental education philosophy. The research question of this study is: how does an outdoor and STEM based afterschool program impact at-risk students' self-efficacy, belonging and engagement and ability to apply conceptual knowledge of environmental science topics? The study collected information about the participants' affective experiences during the intervention using structured and ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews. Observations and interviews were coded and analyzed to find patterns in participants' responses. Three participant profiles were developed using the structured observations and ethnographic observations to provide an in depth understanding of the participant experience. The study also assessed the participants' abilities to apply conceptual understanding of the program's science topics by integrating an application of conceptual knowledge task into the curriculum. This task in the form of a participant project was assessed using an adapted version of the Portland Metro STEM Partnership's Application of Conceptual Knowledge Rubric. Results in the study showed that participants demonstrated self-efficacy, a sense of belonging and engagement during the program. Over half of the participants in the study demonstrated a proficient understanding of program concepts. Overall, this holistic afterschool program demonstrated that specific instructional practices and a multi-modal science curriculum helped to support the social and emotional needs of at-risk children.

Teamwork and delegation in medical homes: primary care staff perspectives in the Veterans Health Administration.

PubMed

True, Gala; Stewart, Greg L; Lampman, Michelle; Pelak, Mary; Solimeo, Samantha L

2014-07-01

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) relies on a team approach to patient care. For organizations engaged in transitioning to a PCMH model, identifying and providing the resources needed to promote team functioning is essential. To describe team-level resources required to support PCMH team functioning within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and provide insight into how the presence or absence of these resources facilitates or impedes within-team delegation. Semi-structured interviews with members of pilot teams engaged in PCMH implementation in 77 primary care clinics serving over 300,000 patients across two VHA regions covering the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest United States. A purposive sample of 101 core members of pilot teams, including 32 primary care providers, 42 registered nurse care managers, 15 clinical associates, and 12 clerical associates. Investigators from two evaluation sites interviewed frontline primary care staff separately, and then collaborated on joint analysis of parallel data to develop a broad, comprehensive understanding of global themes impacting team functioning and within-team delegation. We describe four themes key to understanding how resources at the team level supported ability of primary care staff to work as effective, engaged teams. Team-based task delegation was facilitated by demarcated boundaries and collective identity; shared goals and sense of purpose; mature and open communication characterized by psychological safety; and ongoing, intentional role negotiation. Our findings provide a framework for organizations to identify assets already in place to support team functioning, as well as areas in need of improvement. For teams struggling to make practice changes, our results indicate key areas where they may benefit from future support. In addition, this research sheds light on how variation in medical home implementation and outcomes may be associated with variation in team-based task delegation.

Hierarchical structure and importance of patients' reasons for treatment choices in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a concept mapping study.

PubMed

Selten, Ellen M H; Geenen, Rinie; van der Laan, Willemijn H; van der Meulen-Dilling, Roelien G; Schers, Henk J; Nijhof, Marc W; van den Ende, Cornelia H M; Vriezekolk, Johanna E

2017-02-01

To improve patients' use of conservative treatment options of hip and knee OA, in-depth understanding of reasons underlying patients' treatment choices is required. The current study adopted a concept mapping method to thematically structure and prioritize reasons for treatment choice in knee and hip OA from a patients' perspective. Multiple reasons for treatment choices were previously identified using in-depth interviews. In consensus meetings, experts derived 51 representative reasons from the interviews. Thirty-six patients individually sorted the 51 reasons in two card-sorting tasks: one based on content similarity, and one based on importance of reasons. The individual sortings of the first card-sorting task provided input for a hierarchical cluster analysis (squared Euclidian distances, Ward's method). The importance of the reasons and clusters were examined using descriptive statistics. The hierarchical structure of reasons for treatment choices showed a core distinction between two categories of clusters: barriers [subdivided into context (e.g. the healthcare system) and disadvantages] and outcome (subdivided into treatment and personal life). At the lowest level, 15 clusters were identified of which the clusters Physical functioning, Risks and Prosthesis were considered most important when making a treatment decision for hip or knee OA. Patients' treatment choices in knee and hip OA are guided by contextual barriers, disadvantages of the treatment, outcomes of the treatment and consequences for personal life. The structured overview of reasons can be used to support shared decision-making. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

75 FR 29336 - ILP Effectiveness Evaluation 2010; Georgia Power Company; et al.; Notice of Interviews...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-25

...; Georgia Power Company; et al.; Notice of Interviews, Teleconferences, Regional Workshops and Multi... Effectiveness Evaluation. This effort includes conducting interviews and teleconferences with a cross-section of... ILP. Interviews and Teleconferences Over the next few weeks, members of Kearns & West will be...

10 CFR 15.25 - Personal interviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Personal interviews. 15.25 Section 15.25 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DEBT COLLECTION PROCEDURES Administrative Collection of Claims § 15.25 Personal interviews. (a) The NRC may seek an interview with the debtor at the offices of the NRC when— (1) A matter...

10 CFR 10.12 - Interview and other investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Interview and other investigation. 10.12 Section 10.12... Interview and other investigation. (a) The Director, Division of Facilities and Security, Office of... the information in the possession of the NRC or may authorize an interview with the individual, if the...

10 CFR 10.12 - Interview and other investigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interview and other investigation. 10.12 Section 10.12... Interview and other investigation. (a) The Director, Division of Facilities and Security, Office of... the information in the possession of the NRC or may authorize an interview with the individual, if the...

Unified Modeling Language (UML) for hospital-based cancer registration processes.

PubMed

Shiki, Naomi; Ohno, Yuko; Fujii, Ayumi; Murata, Taizo; Matsumura, Yasushi

2008-01-01

Hospital-based cancer registry involves complex processing steps that span across multiple departments. In addition, management techniques and registration procedures differ depending on each medical facility. Establishing processes for hospital-based cancer registry requires clarifying specific functions and labor needed. In recent years, the business modeling technique, in which management evaluation is done by clearly spelling out processes and functions, has been applied to business process analysis. However, there are few analytical reports describing the applications of these concepts to medical-related work. In this study, we initially sought to model hospital-based cancer registration processes using the Unified Modeling Language (UML), to clarify functions. The object of this study was the cancer registry of Osaka University Hospital. We organized the hospital-based cancer registration processes based on interview and observational surveys, and produced an As-Is model using activity, use-case, and class diagrams. After drafting every UML model, it was fed-back to practitioners to check its validity and improved. We were able to define the workflow for each department using activity diagrams. In addition, by using use-case diagrams we were able to classify each department within the hospital as a system, and thereby specify the core processes and staff that were responsible for each department. The class diagrams were effective in systematically organizing the information to be used for hospital-based cancer registries. Using UML modeling, hospital-based cancer registration processes were broadly classified into three separate processes, namely, registration tasks, quality control, and filing data. An additional 14 functions were also extracted. Many tasks take place within the hospital-based cancer registry office, but the process of providing information spans across multiple departments. Moreover, additional tasks were required in comparison to using a standardized system because the hospital-based cancer registration system was constructed with the pre-existing computer system in Osaka University Hospital. Difficulty of utilization of useful information for cancer registration processes was shown to increase the task workload. By using UML, we were able to clarify functions and extract the typical processes for a hospital-based cancer registry. Modeling can provide a basis of process analysis for establishment of efficient hospital-based cancer registration processes in each institute.

Report of the P.E.C.A. Task Force on Lifelong Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgkinson, Barbara; And Others

Based on an investigation of the lifelong learning resources available outside of traditional postsecondary institutions in American society, this report provides an overview of available educational resources and suggests interorganizational linkages for reaching more people more effectively. The overview section describes the types of efforts of…

Perceptions of Receiving Bad News about Cancer among Bone Cancer Patients in Sarawak General Hospital - A Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Cheah, Whye Lian; Dollah, Nurul Bahariah; Chang, Ching Thon

2012-07-01

This study aimed to determine the perceptions and expectations of bone cancer patients with respect to their doctors and the breaking of bad news as well as the environment in which the news was delivered. A cross-sectional study using a pretested 41-item questionnaire was conducted using convenience sampling among bone cancer patients in Sarawak General Hospital. Face-to-face interviews were conducted after consent was obtained. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16 (SPSS Inc., IL, US). A total of 30 patients were interviewed. The majority of the respondents were younger than 40-years-old, Malays, and female. All of the respondents perceived that they received news in a comfortable place, agreed that the doctor used simple language and appropriate words during the interaction, and believed that the way the doctor delivered the news might influence their life. The majority of the respondents reported that their news was received without interruption, that the doctor was sitting close but without making physical contact, and time was given for patient to ask questions and they were informed accordingly. Delivering bad news regarding cancer is an important communication skill and a complex task that can be learned and acquired. Specially tailored training is proposed to improve medical practice in this area.

Self-regulated learning processes of medical students during an academic learning task.

PubMed

Gandomkar, Roghayeh; Mirzazadeh, Azim; Jalili, Mohammad; Yazdani, Kamran; Fata, Ladan; Sandars, John

2016-10-01

This study was designed to identify the self-regulated learning (SRL) processes of medical students during a biomedical science learning task and to examine the associations of the SRL processes with previous performance in biomedical science examinations and subsequent performance on a learning task. A sample of 76 Year 1 medical students were recruited based on their performance in biomedical science examinations and stratified into previous high and low performers. Participants were asked to complete a biomedical science learning task. Participants' SRL processes were assessed before (self-efficacy, goal setting and strategic planning), during (metacognitive monitoring) and after (causal attributions and adaptive inferences) their completion of the task using an SRL microanalytic interview. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the means and frequencies of SRL processes. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of SRL processes with previous examination performance and the learning task performance. Most participants (from 88.2% to 43.4%) reported task-specific processes for SRL measures. Students who exhibited higher self-efficacy (odds ratio [OR] 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.90) and reported task-specific processes for metacognitive monitoring (OR 6.61, 95% CI 1.68-25.93) and causal attributions (OR 6.75, 95% CI 2.05-22.25) measures were more likely to be high previous performers. Multiple analysis revealed that similar SRL measures were associated with previous performance. The use of task-specific processes for causal attributions (OR 23.00, 95% CI 4.57-115.76) and adaptive inferences (OR 27.00, 95% CI 3.39-214.95) measures were associated with being a high learning task performer. In multiple analysis, only the causal attributions measure was associated with high learning task performance. Self-efficacy, metacognitive monitoring and causal attributions measures were associated positively with previous performance. Causal attributions and adaptive inferences measures were associated positively with learning task performance. These findings may inform remediation interventions in the early years of medical school training. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Assessment of the dose reduction potential of a model-based iterative reconstruction algorithm using a task-based performance metrology

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

Samei, Ehsan, E-mail: samei@duke.edu; Richard, Samuel

2015-01-15

Purpose: Different computed tomography (CT) reconstruction techniques offer different image quality attributes of resolution and noise, challenging the ability to compare their dose reduction potential against each other. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the task-based imaging performance of CT systems to enable the assessment of the dose performance of a model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) to that of an adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) and a filtered back projection (FBP) technique. Methods: The ACR CT phantom (model 464) was imaged across a wide range of mA setting on a 64-slice CT scanner (GE Discovery CT750 HD,more » Waukesha, WI). Based on previous work, the resolution was evaluated in terms of a task-based modulation transfer function (MTF) using a circular-edge technique and images from the contrast inserts located in the ACR phantom. Noise performance was assessed in terms of the noise-power spectrum (NPS) measured from the uniform section of the phantom. The task-based MTF and NPS were combined with a task function to yield a task-based estimate of imaging performance, the detectability index (d′). The detectability index was computed as a function of dose for two imaging tasks corresponding to the detection of a relatively small and a relatively large feature (1.5 and 25 mm, respectively). The performance of MBIR in terms of the d′ was compared with that of ASIR and FBP to assess its dose reduction potential. Results: Results indicated that MBIR exhibits a variability spatial resolution with respect to object contrast and noise while significantly reducing image noise. The NPS measurements for MBIR indicated a noise texture with a low-pass quality compared to the typical midpass noise found in FBP-based CT images. At comparable dose, the d′ for MBIR was higher than those of FBP and ASIR by at least 61% and 19% for the small feature and the large feature tasks, respectively. Compared to FBP and ASIR, MBIR indicated a 46%–84% dose reduction potential, depending on task, without compromising the modeled detection performance. Conclusions: The presented methodology based on ACR phantom measurements extends current possibilities for the assessment of CT image quality under the complex resolution and noise characteristics exhibited with statistical and iterative reconstruction algorithms. The findings further suggest that MBIR can potentially make better use of the projections data to reduce CT dose by approximately a factor of 2. Alternatively, if the dose held unchanged, it can improve image quality by different levels for different tasks.« less

The Emergence of a Learning Progression in Middle School Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Philip; Tymms, Peter

2011-01-01

Previously, a small scale, interview-based, 3-year longitudinal study (ages 11-14) in one school had suggested a learning progression related to the concept of a substance. This article presents the results of a large-scale, cross-sectional study which used Rasch modeling to test the hypothesis of the learning progression. Data were collected from…

Anti-Smoking Socialization Beliefs among Rural Native American and White Parents of Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kegler, Michelle C.; Malcoe, Lorraine Halinka

2005-01-01

This study assesses similarities and differences in anti-smoking socialization beliefs of White and Native American parents in a low-income, rural population in northeastern Oklahoma. Data are from a population-based, cross-sectional children's environmental health study in which in-home interviews were conducted with 356 parents (56.2% White,…

Modeling the Structure of Partnership between Researchers and Front-Line Service Providers: Strengthening Collaborative Public Health Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinto, Rogério M.; Wall, Melanie M.; Spector, Anya Y.

2014-01-01

Partnerships between HIV researchers and service providers are essential for reducing the gap between research and practice. Community-Based Participatory Research principles guided this cross-sectional study, combining 40 in-depth interviews with surveys of 141 providers in 24 social service agencies in New York City. We generated the…

Visual and analytical strategies in spatial visualisation: perspectives from bilateral symmetry and reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramful, Ajay; Ho, Siew Yin; Lowrie, Tom

2015-12-01

This inquiry presents two fine-grained case studies of students demonstrating different levels of cognitive functioning in relation to bilateral symmetry and reflection. The two students were asked to solve four sets of tasks and articulate their reasoning in task-based interviews. The first participant, Brittany, focused essentially on three criteria, namely (1) equidistance, (2) congruence of sides and (3) `exactly opposite' as the intuitive counterpart of perpendicularity for performing reflection. On the other hand, the second participant, Sara, focused on perpendicularity and equidistance, as is the normative procedure. Brittany's inadequate knowledge of reflection shaped her actions and served as a validation for her solutions. Intuitively, her visual strategies took over as a fallback measure to maintain congruence of sides in the absence of a formal notion of perpendicularity. In this paper, we address some of the well-known constraints that students encounter in dealing with bilateral symmetry and reflection, particularly situations involving inclined line of symmetry. Importantly, we make an attempt to show how visual and analytical strategies interact in the production of a reflected image. Our findings highlight the necessity to give more explicit attention to the notion of perpendicularity in bilateral symmetry and reflection tasks.

The evolution of the Krebs cycle: A promising subject for meaningful learning of biochemistry.

PubMed

da Costa, Caetano; Galembeck, Eduardo

2016-05-06

Evolution has been recognized as a key concept for biologists. To enhance comprehension and motivate biology undergraduates for the contents of central energetic metabolism, we addressed the Krebs cycle structure and functions in an evolutionary view. To this end, we created a study guide that contextualizes the emergence of the cyclic pathway, in light of the prokaryotic influence since the early anaerobic condition of the Earth to increase oxygen in the atmosphere. The study guide is composed of three interrelated sections: (1) a problem, designed to arouse curiosity, inform and motivate students, (2) a text about life evolution, including early microorganisms and the emergence of the Krebs cycle, and (3) questions for debate. The activity consisted on individual reading and peer discussion based on this written material, under the guidance of the instructors. The questions were designed to foster debate in an ever-increasing level of complexity and to strengthen the main contextual aspects leading to emergence, evolving, and permanency of a complex metabolic pathway. Based on classroom observation, analysis of student's written responses, and individual interviews, we noticed they were engaged and motivated by the task, especially during group discussion. The whole experience suggests that the study guide was a stimulus to broaden the comprehension of the Krebs cycle, reinforcing the evolutionary approach as an important subject for learning purposes. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:288-296, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Projecting social support needs of informal caregivers in Malaysia.

PubMed

Abu Bakar, Siti Hajar; Weatherley, Richard; Omar, Noralina; Abdullah, Fatimah; Mohamad Aun, Nur Saadah

2014-03-01

This article presents the findings of a self-report study of the consequences of being an informal caregiver in Malaysia. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine Malaysian efforts in assisting informal caregivers, based on an analysis of the issues and concerns raised by the caregivers themselves. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of informal caregivers in 2009. This sample comprised parents, spouses and/or adult siblings, and adult children, caring for their children, spouses or siblings and parents who were chronically ill and/or had a disability. Of 300 prospective participants, only 175 could be located (58%), but all those contacted agreed to participate. Respondents were randomly selected and interviewed using a structured questionnaire to identify the emotional, financial, social and physical issues consequent upon being a caregiver. Most respondents reported that their care-giving responsibilities had impacted their emotional, financial, social and/or physical well-being. Inadequate and/or uncertain income was by far the greatest concern followed in descending order by social, physical and emotional consequences. The one-way analysis of variance showed significant differences among the three categories of caregivers with respect to physical and emotional consequences. The findings show that care-giving has detrimental effects on the lives of informal caregivers, and that they are in significant need of social support to help them deal with care-giving tasks and responsibilities. Based on the findings, an integrated social support programme is proposed, tailored to the needs of informal caregivers. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Internal evaluation of the European network for health technology assessment project.

PubMed

Håheim, Lise Lund; Imaz, Iñaki; Loud, Marlène Läubli; Gasparetto, Teresa; González-Enriquez, Jesús; Dahlgren, Helena; Trofimovs, Igor; Berti, Elena; Mørland, Berit

2009-12-01

The internal evaluation studied the development of the European network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) Project in achieving the general objective of establishing an effective and a sustainable network of health technology assessment (HTA) in Europe. The Work Package 3 group was dedicated to this task and performed the work. Information on activities during the project was collected from three sources. First, three yearly cross-sectional studies surveyed the participants' opinions. Responses were by individuals or by institutions. The last round included surveys to the Steering Committee, the Stakeholder Forum, and the Secretariat. Second, the Work Package Lead Partners were interviewed bi-annually, five times in total, to update the information on the Project's progress. Third, additional information was sought in available documents. The organizational structure remained stable. The Project succeeded in developing tools aimed at providing common methodology with intent to establish a standard of conducting and reporting HTA and to facilitate greater collaboration among agencies. The participants/agencies expressed their belief in a network and in maintaining local/national autonomy. The Work Package Leaders expressed a strong belief in the solid base of the Project for a future network on which to build, but were aware of the need for funding and governmental support. Participants and Work Package Leaders have expressed support for a future network that will improve national and international collaboration in HTA based on the experience from the EUnetHTA project.

STS-109 Crew Interview: Grunsfeld

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

STS-109 Payload Commander John Grunsfeld is seen during a prelaunch interview answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. He gives details on the mission's goal (which is to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)), his role during the mission, the five scheduled spacewalks, the Columbia Orbiter's recent upgrades, and what he sees as the challenges of the mission. Grunsfeld describes how his experience on the STS-103 mission, a previous HST servicing mission, has helped prepare him for the STS-109 mission. The interview ends with Grunsfeld explaining why the servicing of the Reaction Wheel Assembly, a task added late in his training, is so important.

The other side of caring: adult children with mental illness as supports to their mothers in later life.

PubMed

Greenberg, J S

1995-05-01

This article discusses the role of adult children with serious mental illness as a source of support to their aging parents. The data come from a cross-sectional study of 105 mothers age 55 and older who were living with and caring for an adult child with a serious mental illness. The mothers participated in in-depth face-to-face interviews conducted in their homes and also completed a set of self-administered questionnaires. The majority of mothers in this study reported that their children provided at least some ongoing help with a range of daily living tasks. As hypothesized, the adult child's assistance and support were related significantly to lower levels of maternal subjective burden. By beginning to acknowledge the contributions that people with mental illness make to their families, social workers can help clients maintain and sustain self-esteem and improve the quality of their lives.

Diagnosis of sustainable collaboration in health promotion – a case study

PubMed Central

Leurs, Mariken TW; Mur-Veeman, Ingrid M; van der Sar, Rosalie; Schaalma, Herman P; de Vries, Nanne K

2008-01-01

Background Collaborations are important to health promotion in addressing multi-party problems. Interest in collaborative processes in health promotion is rising, but still lacks monitoring instruments. The authors developed the DIagnosis of Sustainable Collaboration (DISC) model to enable comprehensive monitoring of public health collaboratives. The model focuses on opportunities and impediments for collaborative change, based on evidence from interorganizational collaboration, organizational behavior and planned organizational change. To illustrate and assess the DISC-model, the 2003/2004 application of the model to the Dutch whole-school health promotion collaboration is described. Methods The study combined quantitative research, using a cross-sectional survey, with qualitative research using the personal interview methodology and document analysis. A DISC-based survey was sent to 55 stakeholders in whole-school health promotion in one Dutch region. The survey consisted of 22 scales with 3 to 8 items. Only scales with a reliability score of 0.60 were accepted. The analysis provided for comparisons between stakeholders from education, public service and public health. The survey was followed by approaching 14 stakeholders for a semi-structured DISC-based interview. As the interviews were timed after the survey, the interviews were used to clarify unexpected and unclear outcomes of the survey as well. Additionally, a DISC-based document analysis was conducted including minutes of meetings, project descriptions and correspondence with schools and municipalities. Results Response of the survey was 77% and of the interviews 86%. Significant differences between respondents of different domains were found for the following scales: organizational characteristics scale, the change strategies, network development, project management, willingness to commit and innovative actions and adaptations. The interviews provided a more specific picture of the state of the art of the studied collaboration regarding the DISC-constructs. Conclusion The DISC-model is more than just the sum of the different parameters provided in the literature on interorganizational collaboration, organization change, networking and setting-approaches. Monitoring a collaboration based on the DISC-model yields insight into windows of opportunity and current impediments for collaborative change. DISC-based monitoring is a promising strategy enabling project managers and social entrepreneurs to plan change management strategies systematically. PMID:18992132

Investigating and improving introductory physics students’ understanding of the electric field and superposition principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jing; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-09-01

We discuss an investigation of the difficulties that students in a university introductory physics course have with the electric field and superposition principle and how that research was used as a guide in the development and evaluation of a research-validated tutorial on these topics to help students learn these concepts better. The tutorial uses a guided enquiry-based approach to learning and involved an iterative process of development and evaluation. During its development, we obtained feedback both from physics instructors who regularly teach introductory physics in which these concepts are taught and from students for whom the tutorial is intended. The iterative process continued and the feedback was incorporated in the later versions of the tutorial until the researchers were satisfied with the performance of a diverse group of introductory physics students on the post-test after they worked on the tutorial in an individual one-on-one interview situation. Then the final version of the tutorial was administered in several sections of the university physics course after traditional instruction in relevant concepts. We discuss the performance of students in individual interviews and on the pre-test administered before the tutorial (but after traditional lecture-based instruction) and on the post-test administered after the tutorial. We also compare student performance in sections of the class in which students worked on the tutorial with other similar sections of the class in which students only learned via traditional instruction. We find that students performed significantly better in the sections of the class in which the tutorial was used compared to when students learned the material via only lecture-based instruction.

Interviewing strategically to elicit admissions from guilty suspects.

PubMed

Tekin, Serra; Granhag, Pär Anders; Strömwall, Leif; Giolla, Erik Mac; Vrij, Aldert; Hartwig, Maria

2015-06-01

In this article we introduce a novel interviewing tactic to elicit admissions from guilty suspects. By influencing the suspects' perception of the amount of evidence the interviewer holds against them, we aimed to shift the suspects' counterinterrogation strategies from less to more forthcoming. The proposed tactic (SUE-Confrontation) is a development of the Strategic Use of Evidence (SUE) framework and aims to affect the suspects' perception by confronting them with statement-evidence inconsistencies. Participants (N = 90) were asked to perform several mock criminal tasks before being interviewed using 1 of 3 interview techniques: (a) SUE-Confrontation, (b) Early Disclosure of Evidence, or (c) No Disclosure of Evidence. As predicted, the SUE-Confrontation interview generated more statement-evidence inconsistencies from suspects than the Early Disclosure interview. Importantly, suspects in the SUE-Confrontation condition (vs. Early and No disclosure conditions) admitted more self-incriminating information and also perceived the interviewer to have had more information about the critical phase of the crime (the phase where the interviewer lacked evidence). The findings show the adaptability of the SUE-technique and how it may be used as a tool for eliciting admissions. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia as a measure of cognitive workload.

PubMed

Muth, Eric R; Moss, Jason D; Rosopa, Patrick J; Salley, James N; Walker, Alexander D

2012-01-01

The current standard for measuring cognitive workload is the NASA Task-load Index (TLX) questionnaire. Although this measure has a high degree of reliability, diagnosticity, and sensitivity, a reliable physiological measure of cognitive workload could provide a non-invasive, objective measure of workload that could be tracked in real or near real-time without interrupting the task. This study investigated changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during seven different sub-sections of a proposed selection test for Navy aviation and compared them to changes reported on the NASA-TLX. 201 healthy participants performed the seven tasks of the Navy's Performance Based Measure. RSA was measured during each task and the NASA-TLX was administered after each task. Multi-level modeling revealed that RSA significantly predicted NASA-TLX scores. A moderate within-subject correlation was also found between RSA and NASA TLX scores. The findings support the potential development of RSA as a real-time measure of cognitive workload. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

78 FR 4158 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request Rent Reform Demonstration (Task Order 1)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-18

... technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. This notice also lists the following.... Data will be gathered through a variety of methods including informational interviews, direct...