Search results for: subjective workload assessment

Authors: Saman Khairani

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Assessment is a pivotal component of the teaching and learning process, serving as a critical tool for evaluating student progress, diagnosing learning needs, and informing instructional decisions. In the context of English Language Teaching (ELT), effective assessment practices are essential to promote meaningful learning experiences and foster continuous improvement in language proficiency. This paper delves into various assessment strategies, explores associated challenges, and highlights best practices for assessing student learning in ELT. The paper begins by examining the diverse forms of assessment, including formative assessments that provide timely feedback during the learning process and summative assessments that evaluate overall achievement. Additionally, alternative methods such as portfolios, self-assessment, and peer assessment play a significant role in capturing various aspects of language learning. Aligning assessments with learning objectives is crucial. Educators must ensure that assessment tasks reflect the desired language skills, communicative competence, and cultural awareness. Validity, reliability, and fairness are essential considerations in assessment design. Challenges in assessing language skills—such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing—are discussed, along with practical solutions. Constructive feedback, tailored to individual learners, guides their language development. In conclusion, this paper synthesizes research findings and practical insights, equipping ELT practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary to design, implement, and evaluate effective assessment practices. By fostering meaningful learning experiences, educators contribute significantly to learners’ language proficiency and overall success.

Keywords: ELT, formative, summative, fairness, validity, reliability

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Authors: Maryam Azimi, Amin Banitalebi-Dehkordi, Yuanyuan Dong, Mahsa T. Pourazad, Panos Nasiopoulos

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While there exists a wide variety of Low Dynamic Range (LDR) quality metrics, only a limited number of metrics are designed specifically for the High Dynamic Range (HDR) content. With the introduction of HDR video compression standardization effort by international standardization bodies, the need for an efficient video quality metric for HDR applications has become more pronounced. The objective of this study is to compare the performance of the existing full-reference LDR and HDR video quality metrics on HDR content and identify the most effective one for HDR applications. To this end, a new HDR video data set is created, which consists of representative indoor and outdoor video sequences with different brightness, motion levels and different representing types of distortions. The quality of each distorted video in this data set is evaluated both subjectively and objectively. The correlation between the subjective and objective results confirm that VIF quality metric outperforms all to their tested metrics in the presence of the tested types of distortions.

Keywords: HDR, dynamic range, LDR, subjective evaluation, video compression, HEVC, video quality metrics

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Authors: Basheer Ahmad Al-Alwan, Ali Ratib Al-Awamreh, Badar Saif Alhatmi

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The success of organizations in today's rapidly changing business landscape greatly hinges on the effectiveness of management creativity. This research aimed to uncover the elements influencing the effectiveness of management creativity by employing the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study's findings indicate that two significant predictors of management creativity effectiveness are one's attitude towards it and the subjective norms within the organization. Such results are rather important for the organizations and their leaders who would want to increase management creativity. The attitudes of subordinates towards management creativity should be positive if managers wish to cultivate management creativity among their employees, and the organizational culture must also be one that enhances and supports creative thinking. They should also make available all the requisite resources and support required for the implementation of their creative ideas and let employees participate in the decision-making processes in order to increase their sense of control over their creative activities. This research contributes to the literature on managerial creativity by presenting evidence about the effectiveness of managerial creativity and the strategies aimed at increasing the level of creativity in organizations through empirical insights.

Keywords: management creativity, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control

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Authors: Gabriela Wasileski, Debra L. Stanley

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Maryland efforts to decrease the juvenile criminality and recidivism shifts towards evidence based sentencing. While in theory the evidence based sentencing has an impact on the reduction of juvenile delinquency and drug abuse; the assessment of juveniles’ risk and needs usually lacks crucial information about juvenile’s prior victimization. The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment and Service Planning (MCASP) Initiative is the primary tool for developing and delivering a treatment service plan for juveniles at risk. Even though it consists of evidence-based screening and assessment instruments very little is currently known regarding the effectiveness and the impact of the assessment in general. In keeping with Maryland’s priority to develop successful evidence-based recidivism reduction programs, this study examined results of assessments based on MCASP using a representative sample of the juveniles at risk and their assessment results. Specifically, it examined: (1) the results of the assessments in an electronic database (2) areas of need that are more frequent among delinquent youth in a system/agency, (3) the overall progress of youth in an agency’s care (4) the impact of child victimization and trauma experiences reported in the assessment. The project will identify challenges regarding the use of MCASP in Maryland, and will provide a knowledge base to support future research and practices.

Keywords: Juvenile Justice, assessment of risk and need, victimization and crime, recidivism

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Authors: Akbar Jamali

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According to Hegel’s philosophy, constitution of any given nation is the best expression of its national Self-Consciousness. Since constitution is the place in which freedom and Universal Rights is expressed, and since the essence of Self-consciousness is freedom, the development of self-consciousness and consequently freedom, is the direct cause of the development of constitution. Self-consciousness develops in the human history according to its own internal and external dialectic; therefore, it is essentially a dynamic phenomenon. However, constitution is supposed to be a stable foundation for the legal system of state and society. Therefore, the dilemma is: how the dynamic and contradictory nature of Self-Consciousness is the foundation of constitution that supposed to be the stable base of legal system of state and society. According to Hegel’s philosophy, the contradiction between the dynamic self- consciousness and the static constitution and state has an essential role in the formation of social movements within any given state. Self-consciousness is the phenomenology of Spirit in the human history. Subjective Spirit expresses itself in the different shapes of Self-consciousness in human spirit. These different shapes of self-consciousness must be identical with its contradiction; Objective Spirit. State is the highest form of the objective Spirit. Therefore, state and its foundation namely ‘constitution’ must be identical with Self-consciousness. "Spirit cannot remain forever alienated from its expression." Hegel states. Self-consciousness is the Subjective Spirit, it freely develops according to its internal and external contradictions, but since it must be always identical with its expression namely constitution, its development results to alienation. They way by which self-consciousness became again identical with the constitution determines the nature of legal and political development of any given society and state. In the democratic states, self-consciousness shows itself partially in the public opinion. In the process of election, this public opinion changes the ruling parties that construct the government. In democracies, self-consciousness or subjective spirit is in a dialectical relationship with state or the Objective Spirit. Therefore, it cannot remain alienated with its expression that is political system and its constitution. But, in the autocracies Self-consciousness cannot easily express itself in the government and its constitution. More Self-consciousness develops more it becomes alienated with its expression that is the state and its constitution. Rebel and revolution are the symptom of alienation of Spirit (self-consciousness) with its expression (state and its constitution).

Keywords: alienation, constitution, self-consciousness, spirit

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Authors: Mohsen Shirani, Micaela Demichela

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During the last decades, a number of food crises such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), Mad-Cow disease, Dioxin in chicken food, Food-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), have certainly inflicted the reliability of the food industry. Consequently, the trend in applying different scientific methods of risk assessment in food safety has obtained more attentions in the academic and practice. However, lack of practical approach considering entire food supply chain is tangible in the academic literature. In this regard, this paper aims to apply risk assessment tool (FMEA) with integration of Human Factor along the entire supply chain of food production and test the method in a case study of Diary production, and analyze its results.

Keywords: FMEA, food supply chain, risk assessment, human factor

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Authors: Chana Pavneet

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Background: In more recent years in dentistry, a greater emphasis has been placed on competency-based education (CBE) programmes. Undergraduate and postgraduate curriculums have been reformed to reflect these changes, and adopting a CBE approach has shown to be beneficial to trainees and places an emphasis on continuous lifelong learning. The literature is vast; however, very little work has been done specifically to the assessment of competence in dentistry and even less so in oral surgery. The majority of the literature tends to opinion pieces. Some small-scale studies have been undertaken in this area researching assessment tools which can be used to assess competence in oral surgery. However, there is a lack of general consensus on the preferable assessment methods. The aim of this review is to identify the assessment methods available and their usefulness. Methods: Electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of systematic reviews) were searched. PRISMA guidelines were followed to identify relevant papers. Abstracts of studies were reviewed, and if they met the inclusion criteria, they were included in the review. Papers were reviewed against the critical appraisal skills programme (CASP) checklist and medical education research quality instrument (MERQSI) to assess their quality and identify any bias in a systematic manner. The validity and reliability of each assessment method or tool were assessed. Results: A number of assessment methods were identified, including self-assessment, peer assessment, and direct observation of skills by someone senior. Senior assessment tended to be the preferred method, followed by self-assessment and, finally, peer assessment. The level of training was shown to affect the preferred assessment method, with one study finding peer assessment more useful in postgraduate trainees as opposed to undergraduate trainees. Numerous tools for assessment were identified, including a checklist scale and a global rating scale. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, but the evidence was more favourable for global rating scales in terms of reliability, applicability to more clinical situations, and easier to use for examiners. Studies also looked into trainees’ opinions on assessment tools. Logbooks were not found to be significant in measuring the competence of trainees. Conclusion: There is limited literature exploring the methods and tools which assess the competence of oral surgery trainees. Current evidence shows that the most favourable assessment method and tool may differ depending on the stage of training. More research is required in this area to streamline assessment methods and tools.

Keywords: competence, oral surgery, assessment, trainees, education

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Authors: Virakti Dhaval Shah

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Advances in technology and the changes in lifestyle and work expectations amid the COVID-19 pandemic are requiring changes to vocational assessment, provision of vocational training, and identification of job matches for individuals with intellectual disability. Vocational assessment involves the assessment of interests, skills, abilities, and strengths/weaknesses, as well as a detailed understanding of healthcare, familial, social, community, workplace-related and policy-level protective and risk factors impacting the individual. In India, vocational assessment procedures such as interviews play a major role in vocational placement today. Unfortunately, many of the most widely used vocational assessment instruments in India were developed in the 1970s to 2000s and have not been revised since. Hence, there is a dire need to update existing tools and prepare a structured approach for vocational service providers to meet the unique employment needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities. To address this need, this project designed a multi-domain assessment toolkit for a structured approach to vocational assessment, training, and job placement for individuals with intellectual disabilities in India. Methods included conducting an empirical review of the available tools currently in use in India for the vocational assessment of persons with intellectual disabilities. Domains addressed in the instrument review were organized into a structured system, and additional items related to contemporary technology, pandemic-related experiences of persons with disabilities, and changes in lifestyle and work expectations due to the pandemic were added. Items assessing behaviors, provision of vocational training, and identification of job matches for individuals with intellectual disabilities were developed. The proposed tool has the potential to benefit organizations working with and preparing individuals with intellectual disabilities to find successful employment by undertaking a structured approach to vocational assessment, rehabilitation, training, and placement. It can be particularly useful for guiding new professionals doing vocational rehabilitation in India.

Keywords: intellectual disability, rehabilitation, vocational assessment, vocational rehabilitation

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Authors: Iveta Eimontaite, Sarah R. Fletcher, Michele Surico, Alfio Minissale, Fabio F. Abba

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Industry 4.0 offers possibilities for increased production volumes and greater efficiency whilst at the same time presenting new opportunities and challenges for the human workforce. Exoskeletons have been used in healthcare and are now starting to be adopted in manufacturing. The potential benefits of reducing fatigue and physical strain are attractive prospects of the technology for industry; however, the novelty of exoskeletons and surrounding ethical issues raise concerns amongst the stakeholders. The current case study investigated the introduction of an upper body exoskeleton designed to support posture but not increase physical strength in a factory over three time points: before the exoskeleton was introduced, and one and two months post-introduction once operators had experienced working with it. The main focus was to evaluate changes in operators' workload, situation awareness, technology self-efficacy, and physical discomfort following the introduction of the exoskeleton. After using the exoskeleton over two months, operators reported a decrease in temporal demand and an increase in performance of the NASA TLX instrument. Furthermore, over the second month, operators' self-reported technology self-efficacy scores increased, but at the same time, their situation awareness decreased. Interestingly, operators' physical discomfort after using the exoskeleton for two months increased from not uncomfortable to quite uncomfortable in the shoulder, arm, and middle back regions. The results suggest that self-perceived task efficiency improved; however, increased discomfort and decreased situation awareness scores indicate that two months might not be long enough for the exoskeleton to be integrated into operators’ mental body schema. The paper will discuss further implications and suggestions for exoskeleton introduction to manufacturing environments.

Keywords: exoskeleton, manufacturing, mental workload, physical discomfort, situation awareness, technology self-efficacy

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Authors: Mahdi Farajzadeh Ajirlou

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Ordinary fetal brain development can be considered by in vivo attractive reverberation imaging (MRI) from the 18th gestational week (GW) to term and depends fundamentally on T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted (DW) arrangements. The foremost commonly suspected brain pathologies alluded to fetal MRI for assist assessment are ventriculomegaly, lost corpus callosum, and anomalies of the posterior fossa. Brain division could be a crucial to begin with step in neuroimage examination. Within the case of fetal MRI it is especially challenging and critical due to the subjective introduction of the hatchling, organs that encompass the fetal head, and irregular fetal movement. A few promising strategies have been proposed but are constrained in their execution in challenging cases and in realtime division. Fetal MRI is routinely performed on a 1.5-Tesla scanner without maternal or fetal sedation. The mother lies recumbent amid the course of the examination, the length of which is ordinarily 45 to 60 minutes. The accessibility and continuous approval of standardizing fetal brain development directions will give critical devices for early discovery of impeded fetal brain development upon which to oversee high-risk pregnancies.

Keywords: brain, fetal, MRI, imaging

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Authors: Sandija Zeverte-Rivza, Irina Pilvere, Baiba Rivza

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The use of renewable energy sources incl. biogas has become topical in accordance with the increasing demand for energy, decrease of fossil energy resources and the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as to increase energy independence from the territories where fossil energy resources are available. As the technologies of biogas production from agricultural biomass develop, risk assessment and risk management become necessary for farms producing such a renewable energy. The need for risk assessments has become particularly topical when discussions on changing the biogas policy in the EU take place, which may influence the development of the sector in the future, as well as the operation of existing biogas facilities and their income level. The current article describes results of the risk assessment for farms producing biomass from agriculture biomass in Latvia, the risk assessment system included 24 risks, that affect the whole biogas production process and the obtained results showed the high significance of political and production risks.

Keywords: biogas production, risks, risk assessment, biosystems engineering

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Authors: Oluwaseun Ijiwade, Chris Davison, Kelvin Gregory

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In Australia, like other parts of the world, the debate on how to enhance teachers using assessment data to inform teaching and learning of English as an Additional Language (EAL, Australia) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL, United States) have occupied the centre of academic scholarship. Traditionally, this approach was conceptualised as ‘Formative Assessment’ and, in recent times, ‘Assessment for Learning (AfL)’. The central problem is that teacher-made tests are limited in providing data that can inform teaching and learning due to variability of classroom assessments, which are hindered by teachers’ characteristics and assessment literacy. To address this concern, scholars in language education and testing have proposed a uniformed large-scale computer-based assessment program to meet the needs of teachers and promote AfL in language education. In Australia, for instance, the Victoria state government commissioned a large-scale project called 'Tools to Enhance Assessment Literacy (TEAL) for Teachers of English as an additional language'. As part of the TEAL project, a tool called ‘Reading and Vocabulary assessment for English as an Additional Language (RVEAL)’, as a diagnostic language assessment (DLA), was developed by language experts at the University of New South Wales for teachers in Victorian schools to guide EAL pedagogy in the classroom. Therefore, this study aims to provide qualitative evidence for understanding beliefs about the diagnostic language assessment (DLA) among EAL teachers in primary and secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. To realize this goal, this study raises the following questions: (a) How do teachers use large-scale assessment data for diagnostic purposes? (b) What skills do language teachers think are necessary for using assessment data for instruction in the classroom? and (c) What factors, if any, contribute to teachers’ beliefs about diagnostic assessment in a large-scale assessment? Semi-structured interview method was used to collect data from at least 15 professional teachers who were selected through a purposeful sampling. The findings from the resulting data analysis (thematic analysis) provide an understanding of teachers’ beliefs about DLA in a classroom context and identify how these beliefs are crystallised in language teachers. The discussion shows how the findings can be used to inform professional development processes for language teachers as well as informing important factor of teacher cognition in the pedagogic processes of language assessment. This, hopefully, will help test developers and testing organisations to align the outcome of this study with their test development processes to design assessment that can enhance AfL in language education.

Keywords: beliefs, diagnostic language assessment, English as an additional language, teacher cognition

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Authors: Bolormaa Dalanbayar, Batsaikhan Ulaankhuu, Bayarmaa Tsogtbaatar

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In this study, we surveyed employers and students to identify compliance between employers' needs and student self-assessment of skills. Employers' survey consisted of fifteen questions to determine employers' assessment of the knowledge and skills of graduates in heavy equipment repairer's programs from four TVET schools. We also compared a survey questionnaire with Liebherr brands' job duty requirements, which determines the training needs and qualification level of their new workers. The study shows more than 76% of employers assessed professional knowledge as sufficient, more than 47% of employers assessed vocational skills as sufficient and more than 43% of employers rated attitudes as sufficient. Therefore, we can state there is a skill mismatch between the employer's assessment and students' self-assessment.

Keywords: skill mismatch, employers needs, competence-based curriculum

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Authors: Melaku Takele Abate, Abbi Lemma Wodajo, Adula Bekele Hunde

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This study aimed at exploring mathematics teachers' reactions, learning, school leaders’ support, and use of the Lesson Study for Transformative Assessment (LSforTA) program ideas in practice. The LSforTA program was new, and therefore, a local and grounded approach was needed to examine teachers’ knowledge and skills acquired using LSforTA. So, a design-based research approach was selected to evaluate and refine the LSforTA approach. The results showed that LSforTA increased teachers' knowledge and use of different levels of mathematics assessment tasks. The program positively affected teachers' practices of transformative assessment and enhanced their knowledge and skills in assessing students in a transformative way. The paper concludes how the LSforTA procedures were adapted in response to this evaluation and provides suggestions for future development and research.

Keywords: classroom assessment, feedback practices, lesson study, mathematics, design-based research

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Authors: S. Khakurel, R. P. Dhakal, T. Z. Yeow

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Downtime is one of the major sources (alongside damage and injury/death) of financial loss incurred by a structure in an earthquake. The length of downtime associated with a building after an earthquake varies depending on the time taken for the reaction (to the earthquake), decision (on the future course of action) and execution (of the decided course of action) phases. Post-earthquake assessment of buildings is a key step in the decision making process to decide the appropriate safety placarding as well as to decide whether a damaged building is to be repaired or demolished. The aim of the present study is to develop a model to quantify downtime associated with the post-earthquake building-assessment phase in terms of two parameters; i) duration of the different assessment phase; and ii) probability of different colour tagging. Post-earthquake assessment of buildings includes three stages; Level 1 Rapid Assessment including a fast external inspection shortly after the earthquake, Level 2 Rapid Assessment including a visit inside the building and Detailed Engineering Evaluation (if needed). In this study, the durations of all three assessment phases are first estimated from the total number of damaged buildings, total number of available engineers and the average time needed for assessing each building. Then, probability of different tag colours is computed from the 2010-11 Canterbury earthquake Sequence database. Finally, a downtime model for the post-earthquake building inspection phase is proposed based on the estimated phase length and probability of tag colours. This model is expected to be used for rapid estimation of seismic downtime within the Loss Optimisation Seismic Design (LOSD) framework.

Keywords: assessment, downtime, LOSD, Loss Optimisation Seismic Design, phase length, tag color

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Authors: Ugochukwu Ejike Akpudo, Jank-Wook Hur

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The increasing demand for improved productivity, maintainability, and reliability has prompted rapidly increasing research studies on the emerging condition-based maintenance concept- Prognostics and health management (PHM). Varieties of fuel pumps serve critical functions in several hydraulic systems; hence, their failure can have daunting effects on productivity, safety, etc. The need for condition monitoring and assessment of these pumps cannot be overemphasized, and this has led to the uproar in research studies on standard feature extraction techniques for optimized condition assessment of fuel pumps. By extracting time-based, frequency-based and the more robust time-frequency based features from these vibrational signals, a more comprehensive feature assessment (and selection) can be achieved for a more accurate and reliable condition assessment of these pumps. With the aid of emerging deep classification and regression algorithms like the locally linear embedding (LLE), we propose a method for comprehensive condition assessment of electromagnetic fuel pumps (EMFPs). Results show that the LLE as a comprehensive feature extraction technique yields better feature fusion/dimensionality reduction results for condition assessment of EMFPs against the use of single features. Also, unlike other feature fusion techniques, its capabilities as a fault classification technique were explored, and the results show an acceptable accuracy level using standard performance metrics for evaluation.

Keywords: electromagnetic fuel pumps, comprehensive feature extraction, condition assessment, locally linear embedding, feature fusion

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Authors: Marcio Emilio Dos Santos, Kelly C. F. Dos Santos

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Caregivers of patients diagnosed with ASD are subjected to high stress situations due to the complexity and multiple levels of daily activities that require the organization of events, behaviors and socioemotional situations, such as immediate decision making and in public spaces. The cognitive and emotional requirement needed to fulfill this caregiving role exceeds the regular cultural process that adults receive in their process of preparation for conjugal and parental life. Therefore, in many cases, caregivers present a high level of overload, poor capacity to organize and mediate the development process of the child or patient about their care. Aims: Improvement in the cognitive and emotional capacities related to the caregiver function, allowing the reduction of the overload, the feeling of incompetence and the characteristic level of stress, developing a more organized conduct and decision making more oriented towards the objectives and procedural gains necessary for the integral development of the patient with diagnosis of ASD. Method: The study was performed with 20 relatives, randomly selected from a total of 140 patients attended. The family members were submitted to the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III intelligence test and the Family assessment Management Measure (FaMM) questionnaire as a previous evaluation. Therapeutic activity in a small group of family members or caregivers, with weekly frequency, with a minimum workload of two hours, using the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment Cognitive Development Program - Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment for ten months. Reapplication of the previous tests to verify the gains obtained. Results and Discussion: There is a change in the level of caregiver overload, improvement in the results of the Family assessment Management Measure and highlight to the increase of performance in the cognitive aspects related to problem solving, planned behavior and management of behavioral crises. These results lead to the discussion of the need to invest in the integrated care of patients and their caregivers, mainly by enabling cognitively to deal with the complexity of Autism. This goes beyond the simple therapeutic orientation about adjustments in family and school routines. The study showed that when the caregiver improves his/her capacity of management, the results of the treatment are potentiated and there is a reduction of the level of the caregiver's overload. Importantly, the study was performed for only ten months and the number of family members attended in the study (n = 20) needs to be expanded to have statistical strength.

Keywords: caregiver overload, cognitive development program ASD caregivers, feuerstein instrumental enrichment, family assessment management measure

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Authors: Jung Ae Park, Jooyong Park

Abstract:

Writing is an important learning activity that cultivates higher level thinking. Effective and immediate feedback is necessary to help improve students' writing skills. Peer assessment can be an effective method in writing tasks because it makes it possible for students not only to receive quick feedback on their writing but also to get a chance to examine different perspectives on the same topic. Peer assessment can be practiced frequently and has the advantage of immediate feedback. However, there is controversy about the accuracy of peer assessment. In this study, we tried to demonstrate experimentally how the accuracy of peer assessment could be improved. Participants (n=76) were randomly assigned to groups of 4 members. All the participant graded two sets of 4 essays on the same topic. They graded the first set twice, and the second set or the posttest once. After the first grading of the first set, each group in the experimental condition 1 (discussion group), were asked to discuss the results of the peer assessment and then to grade the essays again. Each group in the experimental condition 2 (reading group), were asked to read the assessment on each essay by an expert and then to grade the essays again. In the control group, the participants were asked to grade the 4 essays twice in different orders. Afterwards, all the participants graded the second set of 4 essays. The mean score from 4 participants was calculated for each essay. The accuracy of the peer assessment was measured by Pearson correlation with the scores of the expert. The results were analyzed by two-way repeated measure ANOVA. The main effect of grading was observed: Grading accuracy got better as the number of grading experience increased. Analysis of posttest accuracy revealed that the score variations within a group of 4 participants decreased in both discussion and reading conditions but not in the control condition. These results suggest that having students discuss their grading together can be an efficient means to improve peer assessment accuracy. By discussing, students can learn from others about what to consider in grading and whether their grading is too strict or lenient. Further research is needed to examine the exact cause of the grading accuracy.

Keywords: peer assessment, evaluation accuracy, discussion, score variations

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Authors: Shivani Thakur, Jasmin Dominguez Cervantes, Ahmed Zabiba, Fatima Zabiba, Sandhini Agarwal, Kamalpreet Kaur, Hussein Maatouk, Shae Chand, Omar Madriz, Tiffany Huang, Saloni Bansal

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The prevalence of lymphedema in women in rural communities highlights the importance of developing effective treatment and prevention methods. Subjects with secondary lymphedema in California’s Central Valley were surveyed at 6 surgical clinics to assess demographics and symptoms of lymphedema. Additionally, subjects on semaglutide treatment for obesity and/or T2DM were monitored for their diabetes management, weight loss progress, and lymphedema symptoms compared to subjects who were not treated with semaglutide. The subjects were followed for 12 months. Subjects who were treated with semaglutide completed pre-treatment questionnaires and follow-up post-treatment questionnaires at 3, 6, 9, 12 months, along with medical assessment. The untreated subjects completed similar questionnaires. The questionnaires investigated subjective feelings regarding lymphedema symptoms and management using a Likert-scale; quantitative leg measurements were collected, and blood work reviewed at these appointments. Paired difference t-tests, chi-squared tests, and independent sample t-tests were performed. 50 subjects, aged 18-75 years, completed the surveys evaluating secondary lymphedema: 90% female, 69% Hispanic, 45% Spanish speaking, 42% disabled, 57 % employed, 54% income range below 30 thousand dollars, and average BMI of 40. Both treatment and non-treatment groups noted the most common symptoms were leg swelling (x̄=3.2, ▁d= 1.3), leg pain (x̄=3.2, ▁d=1.6 ), loss of daily function (x̄=3, ▁d=1.4 ), and negative body image (x̄=4.4, ▁d=0.54). Subjects in the semaglutide treatment group >3 months of treatment compared to the untreated group demonstrated: 55% subject in the treated group had a 10% weight loss vs 3% in the untreated group (average BMI reduction by 11% vs untreated by 2.5%, p<0.05) and improved subjective feelings about their lymphedema symptoms: leg swelling (x̄=2.4, ▁d=0.45 vs x̄=3.2, ▁d=1.3, p<0.05), leg pain (x̄=2.2, ▁d=0.45 vs x̄= 3.2, ▁d= 1.6, p<0.05), and heaviness (x̄=2.2, ▁d=0.45 vs x̄=3, ▁d=1.56, p<0.05). Improvement in diabetes management was demonstrated by an average of 0.9 % decrease in A1C values compared to untreated 0.1 %, p<0.05. In comparison to untreated subjects, treatment subjects on semaglutide noted 6 cm decrease in the circumference of the leg, knee, calf, and ankle compared to 2 cm in untreated subjects, p<0.05. Semaglutide was shown to significantly improve weight loss, T2DM management, leg circumference, and secondary lymphedema functional, physical and psychosocial symptoms.

Keywords: diabetes, secondary lymphedema, semaglutide, obesity

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Authors: H. Jalahi, A. Yazdanpanah Nozari

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Background and Purpose: Assessment of learners’ performance is an important factors in teaching-learning process. When a factor is sensitive and has high influence on life, their assessment should be done precisely. Thinking dispositions are very important factors in medical education because of its specific condition. In this study a model is designed for fostering thinking dispositions of learners in which authentic assessment is an important element. Materials and Methods: Objective based research is developmental, and such a model was not designed for curricula. Data collection and comparing approaches about assessment and analyzing current assessments offered applied proposals. Results: Based on research findings, the current assessments are response-based, that is students instead of product of response, only offers the specific response which the teachers expects; but authentic assessment is a form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-word tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. Conclusion: Because of the difficulties and unexpected problems in life and individuals needs to lifelong learning and conditions in medical course that require decision making in specific times, we must pay attention to reach thinking dispositions and it should be included in curriculum. Authentic assessment as an important aspect of curriculum can help fostering thinking dispositions of learners. Using this kind of assessments which focus on application of information and skills to solve real-word tasks have more important role in medical courses.

Keywords: assessment, authentic, medical courses, developmental

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Authors: S. Kreitlein, N. Eder, J. Franke

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The importance of energy efficiency within the production process increases steadily. Unfortunately, so far no tools for a comprehensive assessment of energy efficiency within the production process exist. Therefore the Institute for Factory Automation and Production Systems of the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg has developed two methods with the goal of achieving transparency and a quantitative assessment of energy efficiency: EEV (Energy Efficiency Value) and EPE (Energetic Process Efficiency). This paper describes the basics and state of the art as well as the developed approaches.

Keywords: energy efficiency, energy efficiency value, energetic process efficiency, production

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Authors: Emmanuel Kamal Aziz Saba, Gihan Abd El-Lateif Younis El-Tantawi, Mohammed Hamdy Zahran, Ibrahim Khalil Ibrahim, Mohammed Abd El-Salam Shehata, Hussein Al-Moghazy Sultan, Medhat Mohamed Anwar

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Examination of the external anal sphincter muscle strength of voluntary contraction is essential in initial assessment and assessment of efficacy of rehabilitation of patients with faecal incontinence (FI) and obstructed defecation (OD). The present study was conducted to evaluate the digital assessment of the external anal sphincter muscle strength of voluntary contraction by using Modified Oxford Scale (MOS) in comparison to anal manometry squeeze pressure. The present cross-sectional study included 65 patients. There were 40 patients (61.5 %) with FI and 25 patients (38.5 %) with OD. All patients were subjected to history taking, clinical examination including assessment of the external anal sphincter muscle strength of voluntary contraction by using MOS and anal manometry (mean squeeze pressure and maximal squeeze pressure). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between MOS and anal manometry squeeze pressures including mean squeeze pressure and maximal squeeze pressure among FI group and OD group. In conclusion, assessment of the external anal sphincter muscle strength of voluntary contraction by using MOS is a valid method and can substitute anal manometry assessment.

Keywords: anal manometry, external anal sphincter muscle, Modified Oxford Scale, muscle strength

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Authors: Swathi Sampath, V. Kalaichelvi

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The assessment of the risk posed by a borrower to a lender is one of the common problems that financial institutions have to deal with. Consumers vying for a mortgage are generally compared to each other by the use of a number called the Credit Score, which is generated by applying a mathematical algorithm to information in the applicant’s credit report. The higher the credit score, the lower the risk posed by the candidate, and the better he is to be taken on by the lender. The objective of the present work is to use fuzzy logic and linguistic rules to create a model that generates Credit Scores.

Keywords: credit scoring, fuzzy logic, mortgage, risk assessment

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Authors: Aliffaizi Arsat, Nur Ida Fatihah, Che Shalifullizam

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Malaysia is well known as a Muslim country and is quickly becoming a Global Halal-hub of Halal business in promoting Halal food products in both Muslim countries and non-Muslim countries. The objective of this study is to analyse the Muslim consumer purchased behaviour on doubtful Halal packed food by using theory of planned behaviour, to examine the mediating effects between certification, and Muslim consumer purchased behaviour on doubtful Halal packed food. The relevant questionnaires have been distributed in Kuala Selangor. Among the 300 Muslim participants from Kuala Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia, only 107 of them have returned the questionnaire with complete answers. The respondent’s rate was discovered to be at 35.67%. The data have been analysed by using SPSS version 22 and Structural equation modelling Partial Least Square SEM-PLS. There are three dimensions needed to identify Muslim consumer purchased behaviour on doubtful Halal packed food. They are attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural. All the results from this study show that the hypothesis has been supported. However, subjective norm had shown that there is a negative relationship towards Muslim consumer purchased behaviour on doubtful Halal packed food.

Keywords: Muslim consumer purchase behaviour, theory planned behaviour, doubtful Halal, certification

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Authors: Preeda Sansakorn, Min An

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In order to be capable of dealing with uncertainties, subjectivities, including vagueness arising in building construction projects, the application of fuzzy reasoning technique based on fuzzy set theory is proposed. This study contributes significantly to the development of a fuzzy reasoning safety risk assessment model for building construction projects that could be employed to assess the risk magnitude of each hazardous event identified during construction, and a third parameter of probability of consequence is incorporated in the model. By using the proposed safety risk analysis methodology, more reliable and less ambiguities, which provide the safety risk management project team for decision-making purposes.

Keywords: safety risk assessment, building construction safety, fuzzy reasoning, construction risk assessment model, building construction projects

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Authors: Abigail Kusi Amponsah, Evans Frimpong Kyei, John Bright Agyemang, Hanson Boakye, Joana Kyei-Dompim, Collins Kwadwo Ahoto, Evans Oduro

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Staff shortages, deficient knowledge, inappropriate attitudes, demanding workloads, analgesic shortages, and low prioritization of pain management have been identified in earlier studies as the nursing-related barriers to optimal children’s pain management. These studies have mainly been undertaken in developed countries, which have different healthcare dynamics than those in developing countries. The current study, therefore, sought to identify and understand the nursing-related barriers to children’s pain management in the Ghanaian context. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 28 purposively sampled nurses working in the pediatric units of five hospitals in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Over the course of three months, participants were interviewed on the barriers which prevented them from optimally managing children’s pain in practice. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and deductively analysed based on a conceptual interest in pain assessment and management-related barriers. NVivo 12 plus software guided data management and analyses. The mean age of participating nurses was 30 years, with majority being females (n =24). Participants had worked in the nursing profession for an average of five years and in the pediatric care settings for an average of two years. The nursing-related barriers identified in the present study included communication difficulties in assessing and evaluating pain management interventions with children who have nonfunctional speech, insufficient training, misconceptions on the experience of pain in children, lack of assessment tools, and insufficient number of nurses to manage the workload and nurses’ inability to prescribe analgesics. The present study revealed some barriers which prevented Ghanaian nurses from optimally managing children’s pain. Nurses should be educated, empowered, and supported with the requisite material resources to effectively manage children’s pain and improve outcomes for families, healthcare systems, and the nation. Future studies should explore the facilitators and barriers from other stakeholders involved in pediatric pain management

Keywords: Nursing-Related Barriers, Children, Pain Management, Ghana

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Authors: Milan N. A. Van Der Kuil, Anne M. A. Visser-Meily, Andrea W. M. Evers, Ineke J. M. Van Der Ham

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Navigation ability is essential for autonomy and mobility in daily life. In patients with acquired brain injury, navigation impairment is frequently impaired; however, in this study, we tested the effectiveness of a serious gaming training protocol as a tool for cognitive rehabilitation to reduce navigation impairment. In total, 38 patients with acquired brain injury and subjective navigation complaints completed the experiment, with a partially blind, randomized control trial design. An objective navigation test was used to construct a strengths and weaknesses profile for each patient. Subsequently, patients received personalized compensation training that matched their strengths and weaknesses by addressing an egocentric or allocentric strategy or a strategy aimed at minimizing the use of landmarks. Participants in the experimental condition received psychoeducation and a home-based rehabilitation game with a series of exercises (e.g., map reading, place finding, and turn memorization). The exercises were developed to stimulate the adoption of more beneficial strategies, according to the compensatory approach. Self-reported navigation ability (wayfinding questionnaire), participation level, and objective navigation performance were measured before and after 1 and 4 weeks after completing the six-week training program. Results indicate that the experimental group significantly improved in subjective navigation ability both 1 and 4 weeks after completion of the training, in comparison to the score before training and the scores of the control group. Similarly, goal attainment showed a significant increase after the first and fourth week after training. Objective navigation performance was not affected by the training. This navigation training protocol provides an effective solution to address navigation impairment after acquired brain injury, with clear improvements in subjective performance and goal attainment of the participants. The outcomes of the training should be re-examined after implementation in a clinical setting.

Keywords: spatial navigation, cognitive rehabilitation, serious gaming, acquired brain injury

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Authors: Van Thien NGO

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The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of student response systems in computer-based formative assessment on learning outcomes. The backward design course is a tool to be applied for collecting necessary assessment evidence. The quasi-experimental research design involves collecting pre and posttest data on students assigned to the control group and the experimental group. The sample group consists of 150 college students randomly selected from two of the eight classes of electrical and electronics students at Cao Thang Technical College in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Findings from this research revealed that the experimental group, in which student response systems were applied, got better results than the controlled group, who did not apply them. Results show that using student response systems for technology-based formative assessment is vital and meaningful not only for teachers but also for students in the teaching and learning process.

Keywords: student response system, computer-based formative assessment, learning outcome, backward design course

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Authors: Li-Ching Hung

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The lack of empirical research on portfolio assessment in aboriginal EFL English classes of junior high schools in Taiwan may inhibit EFL teachers from appreciating the utility of this alternative assessment approach. This study addressed the following research questions: 1) understand how aboriginal EFL students and instructors of junior high schools in Taiwan perceive portfolio assessment, and 2) how portfolio assessment affects Taiwanese aboriginal EFL students’ learning outcomes. Ten classes of five junior high schools in Taiwan (from different regions of Taiwan) participated in this study. Two classes from each school joined the study, and each class was randomly assigned as a control group, and one was the experimental group. These five junior high schools consisted of at least 50% of aboriginal students. A mixed research design was utilized. The instructor of each class implemented a portfolio assessment for 15 weeks of the 2015 Fall Semester. At the beginning of the semester, all participants took a GEPT test (pretest), and in the 15th week, all participants took the same level of GEPT test (post-test). Scores of students’ GEPT tests were checked by the researcher as supplemental data in order to understand each student’s performance. In addition, each instructor was interviewed to provide qualitative data concerning students’ general learning performance and their perception of implementing portfolio assessments in their English classes. The results of this study were used to provide suggestions for EFL instructors while modifying their lesson plans regarding assessment. In addition, the empirical data were used as references for EFL instructors implementing portfolio assessments in their classes effectively.

Keywords: assessment, portfolio assessment, qualitative design, aboriginal ESL students

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Authors: Musbah Abdussayed

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The washback effect refers to the influence of assessment on teaching and learning, and this washback effect can either be positive or negative. This study implemented, sequentially, self-assessment (SA) and peer assessment (PA) and examined the washback effect of self and peer assessment (SPA) activities on the writing growth during the revision phase in the writing process. Twenty advanced Arabic as a second language learners from a private school in the USA participated in the study. The participants composed and then revised a short Arabic story as a part of a midterm grade. Qualitative data was collected, analyzed, and synthesized from ten interviews with the learners and from the twenty learners’ post-reflective journals. The findings indicate positive washback effects on the learners’ writing growth. The PA activity enhanced descriptions and meaning, promoted creativity, and improved textual coherence, whereas the SA activity led to detecting editing issues. Furthermore, both SPA activities had washback effects in common, including helping the learners meet the writing genre conventions and developing metacognitive awareness. However, the findings also demonstrate negative washback effects on the learners’ attitudes during the revision phase in the writing process, including bias toward self-evaluation during the SA activity and reluctance to rate peers’ writing performance during the PA activity. The findings suggest that self-and peer assessment activities are essential teaching and learning tools that can be utilized sequentially to help learners tackle multiple writing areas during the revision phase in the writing process.

Keywords: self assessment, peer assessment, washback effect, second language writing, writing process

Procedia PDF Downloads 68