A Delphi Study Assessing Long-term Access to Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

This research effort addressed the issue of long-term access to electronic medical records as technological generations become obsolete, thereby preventing the access to patient health information. Using the Delphi methodology, experts with experience in electronic medical records and applicable systems provided insight based on their years of hands-on experience managing and/or using records and these systems. The end result of this research was a collection of ideas that medical institutions and medical informaticians must consider to ensure that patients and hospitals do not lose long-term access to electronic medical records as electronic medical records and technology continually evolves. Results of the study identified the need for more research in this particular area as no definitive solution to long-term access to electronic medical records was revealed. Additionally, the research findings highlighted the fact that a few medical institutions may actually be concerned about long-term access to electronic records

English as a second language and bilingual education teacher perceptions of technology integration in the K-12 classroom

Technology for the English language learning classroom offers both benefits and challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of ESL and Bilingual Education teachers, from four school districts, in a large Midwestern region of the United States, concerning the current state of technology for educational purposes; their innovativeness in the strategies they employ in integrating technology in their classrooms; and how they negotiate their instructional needs with what resources they have at their disposal. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following research questions: 1. What type and level of technology do ESL and BE teachers use in their classrooms? 2. How do ESL and BE teachers use technology in their classrooms? a. How do they perceive that technology meets their instructional needs? b. How do their experiences and instructional goals affect their perceptions? 3.What strategies do ESL and BE teachers employ for integrating technology into instruction? a. How have teachers altered or tailored technologies to meet the needs of their specific classes and students? b. How can technology better meet the instructional needs of ESL and BE teachers? The study, using a modified Delphi approach, consisted of two rounds. Findings from the present research revealed that resources for teachers varied even within the same district. The panel of experts reported that the availability of technological resources and an Instructional Technology department (or lack thereof) affected their perceptions of technology integration. Essentially, teachers in this study desired more working computers, more time to learn how to use software programs, and assistance in using and maintaining the programs and computers.The subjects listed student engagement and enjoyment as a benefit, but viewed the challenges of technology integration enough to resist largely incorporating it in their instruction. The increased use of technology outside the classroom and possible advantages it offers teachers and students, must be tempered with what resources teachers have available to them through the availability of time, effective training, and district funding. Pedagogical factors and economic considerations can serve as guidelines for teachers and administrators who plan on adopting (more) technology resources in their schools

A Multiple Case Study Analysis of Digital Preservation Techniques across Government, Private, and Public Service Organizations

The process of record keeping has evolved through time. As our technology advances, so does our ability to manage information. We have progressed from paper-based records to new digital techniques and formats to store records. However, digital storage is not the Holy Grail answer to preservation and storage problems. Digital storage is confounded by multiple problems, also. Some of these problems are, but not limited to, lack of standardization and legal guidance, proprietary formats, and the fragility of the digital medium. This research examines several organizations that are deeply involved in digital preservation and tries to identify common practices and problems across the industry

Student-Centered Learning Opportunities For Adolescent English Learners In Flipped Classrooms

This study documents opportunities for diverse adolescent English learners to deeply engage with content and language in flipped learning environments. Through a linked description of teaching practices and student learning experiences in an urban New England high school, the study attempts to understand the potential of flipped instruction in preparing a traditionally underserved population for post-secondary education. Our research partner Patriot High School (PHS) is one of the New England schools implementing flipped learning. PHS represents a typical secondary school context for adolescent English learners: More than half of students speak a language other than English at home and the majority of students are from minority and low-income homes (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2014). PHS is also an urban school committed to implementing student-centered learning strategies to meet the needs of its diverse students

CCAPG, Shame Resilience, and God Attachment: A Case Study Analysis

The experience of shame is a universal human phenomenon associated with a myriad of mental health conditions and positively correlated to the destructive aspects of religiosity, such as perceived alienation from God or excessive focus on human sinfulness. For the religious believer, shameful experiences may hinder the development of a secure God attachment and influence one’s internal working model of God as harsh or malevolent, reinforcing a sense of internal shame. To date, the availability of therapeutic interventions targeting shame reduction and addressing insecure God attachment are minimal. Grounded in implicit internal working model correspondence theory and shame resilience theory, this case study analysis explored the use of the Christian Creative Arts Personal Growth Group (CCAPG) in fostering shame regulation and cultivating secure attachment with God. CCAPG is a six-week protocol that utilizes creative arts activities, anchoring skills, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and Christian-integrated practices for Christian clients with a history of shame and disconnection from God. This qualitative case study explored the lived experiences of 31 group members dispersed over three separate groups and highlighted the components and processes that participants indicated as helpful in reducing shame and increasing relational connection with God. Among the findings, the personhood of the leader, the creative arts interventions, and the Christian-integrated psychoeducation were effective in achieving these goals. The results of this study were discussed in relevance to current literature. Implications for the five core competencies of counselor educators and recommendations for future research were identified

Using Ecological Lens to Explore a One-to-one Laptop Program Integration in Classrooms with English Language Learners in an Urban Middle School

Thesis advisor: Lillie Richardson AlbertCurrently, one of the most popular technology initiatives used in schools to prepare information- and technology-literate students is one-to-one laptop programs. However, limited research studies have investigated factors involved in laptop programs' integration process in schools from various participant perspectives by specifically focusing on ELL students and their needs. Through an ecological lens, this study investigated a one-to-one laptop program integrated into ESL classrooms in an urban middle school, which sustained the program for 6 years. The study included multiple perspectives of various school community members to capture an accurate account of factors necessary for the program's implementation and continuation. This study used a qualitative, single-case research design with exploratory purposes to investigate the multi-level nature of a one-to-one laptop program. Ecology was used as a lens to interpret data and show the relations between living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) factors in the program. In-depth data was collected through interviews, classroom observations, field notes, and archives. Collected data were analyzed through constructivist grounded theory using open, axial, and selective coding. The study demonstrated that multiple factors interact with each other and impact the laptop initiative in ESL classrooms. These factors and their interaction were visually represented as a conceptual model. Factors identified in findings were discussed under three main themes: financial, technical and leadership factors. Findings related to financial factors indicated that technical issues increased over the years due to the financial problems, which influenced the instructional use of laptops unfavorably and amplified doubts about the future of the program. Results related to leadership highlighted the importance of having multiple leaderships and allowing the participation of various school members in the decision making process. Results also showed that the federal mandates on achievement influenced the laptop program by changing the vision of the school from teaching with technology to improving instruction and achievement scores on standardized tests. Finally, findings emphasized the importance of including ESL leadership in the laptop program from the very beginning to adjust it to the needs of ESL students. Implications for teachers, administrators, educational researchers, policy makers, and future research are discussed.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Are Citations to Academic Journal Articles a Measure of Quality or Something Else? An Exploratory Analysis with Emphasis on Design Science and IS Technical Research

One pervasive belief about scholarly citations that underlies several studies appearing in the IS literature is that the number ofcitations to a paper reflects the quality of the study. For example, a paper that receives 200 citations is perceived as havinghigher quality than another study that receives 50 citations. While most experts acknowledge that there are other factors thatdrive citations, such as the number of years a paper was available to be cited – or possibly “gaming” of citations by authorswho cite themselves frequently (author self-citations) or over-zealous editors who incent prospective authors to cite theirjournals (journal self-citations), there is an underlying assumption that, barring such unscrupulous behavior, citations are ameasure of research quality. This paper critically examines this assumption using a validated typology identifying 13 distinctsubject areas that characterize IS research. Results show that papers on some topics (e.g., IT adoption and use; newmeasurement development and validation) consistently receive more citations than average – while some topics consistentlyreceive below-average citation rates (e.g., IS development; IT project/risk management). Unless one assumes that all paperson a given topic are consistently of higher quality than all papers on other topics, our data suggest that a key driver ofcitations are the subject area of the study and, in turn, the size of the research community that conducts research on the topic

Who's afraid of file format obsolescence? Evaluating file format endangerment levels and factors for the creation of a file format endangerment index

Much digital preservation research has been built on the assumption that file format obsolescence poses a great risk to the continued access of digital content. In an endeavor to address this risk, a number of researchers created lists of factors that could be used to assess risks associated with digital file formats. This research examines these assumptions about file format obsolescence and file format evaluation factors with the aim of creating a simplified file format endangerment index. This study examines file format risk under a new lens of file format endangerment, or the possibility that information stored in a particular file format will not be interpretable or renderable in human accessible means within a certain timeframe. Using the Delphi method in two separate studies, this exploratory research collected expert opinion on file format endangerment levels of 50 test file formats; and collected expert opinion on relevance of 21 factors as causes of file format endangerment. Experts expressed the belief that generally, digital information encoded in the rated file formats will be accessible for 20 years or more. This indicates that file format experts believe that there is not a great deal of short-term risk associated with encoding information in the rated file formats, though this does not preclude continued engagement with preservation activities for these and other file formats. Furthermore, the findings show that only three of the dozens of file format evaluation factors discussed in the literature exceeded an emergent threshold level as causes of file format endangerment: 'rendering software available', 'specifications available', and 'community/3rd party support.' These factors are ideal candidates for use in a file format endangerment index. Such an index allows only for the inclusion of formative indicators, or factors that indicate a cause of file format endangerment. The three factors shown to be the most relevant as causal indicators of file format endangerment, 'rendering software available', 'specifications available', and 'community/3rd party support' are the best candidate indicators to build into the index. The intention is to construct and validate an index using these three candidate factors as part of a future research agenda.Doctor of Philosoph

Estado da arte em preservação digital

Relatório sobre o estado da arte em preservação digital desenvolvido no âmbito do projeto Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP).O presente estudo está inscrito no plano de atividades de 2011 do projeto Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP) e assinala o início do interesse do RCAAP no domínio da preservação digital na esfera dos repositórios de acesso aberto. Para além de recolher informação atualizada sobre o tema e as iniciativas mais relevantes relacionadas com a preservação digital, o objetivo deste documento é também o de informar e orientar futuras atividades e desenvolvimentos relacionados com a preservação digital no âmbito do RCAAP em anos vindouros. Na sua introdução, o documento começa por contextualizar a crescente importância e interesse do tema da preservação digital na agenda dos repositórios de acesso aberto, e que tem sido objeto de debate nos últimos anos. Independentemente das diversas opiniões quanto à sua centralidade na atividade dos repositórios parece claro que a preservação digital será uma preocupação crescente dos repositórios nos próximos anos, a nível internacional e também em Portugal. Na segunda secção do estudo intitulada: “Preservação Digital” é apresentada uma panorâmica geral do tema, definindo os conceitos mais relevantes e apresentando as principais técnicas preservação digital utilizadas na atualidade. Na terceira secção designada: “Repositórios de Acesso Aberto e preservação digital”, o relatório procura contextualizar a preservação digital no âmbito dos repositórios de acesso aberto e identificar os projetos, as arquiteturas e as estratégias mais relevantes neste domínio. Nas conclusões, que constituem a última secção do documento, constata-se que a preservação digital, no âmbito dos repositórios de acesso aberto, tem evoluído significativamente, como se comprova pelas múltiplas atividades, iniciativas e projetos, que se têm vindo a conhecer nos últimos anos. No entanto, apesar da crescente consciencialização e interesse no que concerne às questões relacionadas com a preservação digital, o número de repositórios com políticas, estratégias e ações consolidadas ainda é residual. Também em Portugal, dos 35 repositórios atualmente registados no portal RCAAP, nenhum destes repositórios possuirá uma política de preservação formal. Haverá instituições com procedimentos no que concerne aos formatos admissíveis ou que realizam, como normativo interno, migrações de formatos aquando do depósito de documentos, mas ainda sem uma sistematização desejável. O estudo termina com a exposição de um conjunto de ações e linhas de orientação que poderão integradas no projeto RCAAP, ou desenvolvidas por instituições que nele participam, com o intuito de promover e facilitar o processo de preservação e curadoria digital nos repositórios de acesso aberto em Portugal.Ministério da Ciência e TecnologiaUMIC - Agência para a Sociedade do ConhecimentoFCCN - Fundação para Computação Científica NacionalUniversidade do MInhoPOS_ConhecimentoUnião Europei