Annual Report, 2003-2004

Submitted by Charles E. Stegman, Dean, Aug. 1998-Aug. 1999; Interim Dean Sharon Hunt, Aug. 15, 2000 ; Dean Reed Greenwood, Aug. 2001-200

Annual Report, 2004-2005

Beginning in 2004/2005- issued in online format onl

Annual Report, 2004-2005

Beginning in 2004/2005- issued in online format onl

Sviluppo e sperimentazione di un ambiente interattivo per il potenziamento della coordinazione visuo-motoria in bambini con ipovisione grave

In una società moderna basata sull'abilità del vedere, la vista gioca un ruolo critico in ogni momento e fase della vita di una persona. Purtroppo, non tutti "vedono" allo stesso modo. Con un team multidisciplinare che comprendeva ingegneri informatici e terapisti della Fondazione Robert Hollman, sono stati progettati e sviluppati una serie di mini giochi digitali esplicitamente rivolti a bambini con problemi di vista e che mirano a migliorare le loro abilità cognitive e/o motorio-sensoriali. Questa tesi analizza i requisiti dei giochi che hanno necessitato di un'attenta e dettagliata progettazione che tenesse conto delle caratteristiche e dei bisogni degli operatori (terapisti) e dei giocatori. Descrive anche i dettagli sull'implementazione di tre giochi. Questi si basano su un large-scale interactive environment e vengono giocati proiettando il campo sul pavimento. Sopra quest'area viene posto un sistema di motion capture che permette di tracciare la posizione dei bambini. I movimenti dei giocatori all'interno del campo vengono usati per farli interagire con gli elementi del gioco, producendo output visivi e uditivi adeguati. Infine, vengono discussi l'usabilità e la funzionalità del sistema tramite l'analisi dei dati raccolti durante uno studio pilota. Quattro terapisti e undici bambini sono stati coinvolti facendo utilizzare loro il sistema in un ambiente appositamente predisposto. I risultati hanno permesso al team di migliorare il prodotto e di definire una serie di linee guida utili a terapisti, progettisti e sviluppatori.In a modern society based on the ability to see, vision plays a critical role in every moment and stage of a person's life. Unfortunately, not everyone "sees" in the same way. With a multidisciplinary team including computer engineers and therapists from the Robert Hollman Foundation, a series of digital mini-games, explicitly aimed at children with visual impairment, were designed and developed with the aim of improving their cognitive and/or motor-sensory skills. This thesis analyses the design requirements of the games, which needed a careful and detailed design that took into account the characteristics and needs of the operators (therapists) and players. It also details the implementation of three games based on a large-scale interactive environment that are played by projecting the field onto the floor. Above this area a motion capture system is placed to track the position of the children. The players' movements within the field are used to make them interact with the game elements, producing appropriate visual and auditory outputs. Finally, the usability and functionality of the system are discussed through the analysis of data collected during a pilot study. Four therapists and eleven children has been involved making them use the system in a specially designed environment. The results allowed the team to improve the final product and to define a set of guidelines useful for designers, developers, and therapists

Delirium in Long Term Care Rehabilitation Residents: A Correlational Retrospective Study

Abstract Background: Delirium is associated with devastating outcomes, cognitive loss, decreased function and an increase risk of mortality which affects patients and places a heavy burden on family and the healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between select demographics, clinical characteristics, CHART- DEL-derived delirium diagnosis and ICD-10 coded discharge delirium diagnoses among Long Term Care (LTC) rehabilitation residents. Method: A retrospective correlational design from174 LTC rehabilitation residents age 65 years or older using EMR and hard copy charts. The setting was a Southern California community hospital-based 100-bed LTC. Abstracted data included demographic characteristics (age, gender, race), principal admitting diagnosis, admission source, discharge disposition, medication management (polypharmacy, psychotropic medications duration), presence of dementia, CHART-DEL-derived delirium diagnoses documented delirium symptoms and International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD 10) coded delirium, LOS, Charlson score (comorbidities). Statistical methodology included: descriptive statistics for demographic and other variable data. Chi square for relationship between delirium and the independent variables. ANOVA described the difference between the variables. Multiple logistic regression determined the odds of having a delirium diagnosis (by either approach with separate models) based upon gender, race, principle admitting diagnosis, polypharmacy, dementia, age, LOS, Charlson score (comorbidities), and psychotropic medications duration. Results: Majority residents were female, white, average age 80.6, 99.4% acute care admissions, and 96.6% had polypharmacy. Psychotropic duration mean was 9.5 days, LOS 14.7 days, and 64.9% discharged home with home health. More delirium identified with CHART-DEL-derived delirium diagnoses (24.9%) compared to ICD-10 code diagnosis (5.2%). The Charlson score (comorbidity) was related to delirium in both models (CHART-DEL-derived p = .044; ICD-10 code p = .002), while LOS additionally explained variance, but only in CHART-DEL-derived delirium model. Conclusions: The daily use of a delirium-screening instrument by the healthcare team could assist with delirium identification sooner and implement appropriate interventions. This then could decrease negative outcomes of delirium, improve satisfaction among family and staff and increase resident quality of care and safety

Inclusive early childhood education : an analysis of 32 European examples

This report is part of the three-year Inclusive Early Childhood Education (IECE) project run by the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (the Agency) from 2015 to 2017. The project aims to identify, analyse and subsequently promote the main characteristics of quality inclusive pre-primary education for all children from three years of age to the start of primary education. This report presents the results of a qualitative analysis of 32 descriptions of examples of IECE provisions across Europe. The descriptions were submitted to the project in August 2015. The findings represent European practitioners’ perceptions of and practices for IECE. An inductive thematic data analysis method was used, in that themes or issues were initially derived from reading the descriptions. This inductive process was, however, also intertwined with relevant theory, particularly the Agency’s ‘ultimate vision for inclusive education systems’ that: ... ensure that all learners of any age are provided with meaningful, high‐quality educational opportunities in their local community, alongside their friends and peers(European Agency, 2015, p. 1). In total, 25 subthemes were identified. These were organised into a new Ecosystem Model of Inclusive Early Childhood Education, which is also presented in a comprehensive diagram (Figure 1). Two major perspectives previously used in describing the quality of ECE settings inspired this new model. These are the Outcome-Process-Structure model and the Ecological Systems model. The subthemes were subsequently grouped into five main themes: • Theme 1: The first main and central theme is ‘Child belongingness, engagement and learning’, often generally understood as active participation. This participation is regarded as both the main outcome and process of IECE. • Theme 2: Five major processesinvolving the child’s direct experience in the IECE setting enable this central outcome and process. These processes are: − Positive interaction with adults and peers − Involvement in play and other daily activities − A child-centred approach − Personalised assessment for learning − Accommodations, adaptations and support. • Theme 3: These processes are in turn supported by structural factors, consisting of the physical, social, cultural and educational environment. These factors may operate at different ecological levels. Some operate within the ECE setting and include: − A warm welcome for every child and family − Family involvement within the ECE setting. − A holistic curriculum designed for all children’s needs − An environment designed for all children − Staff who are appropriately qualified for IECE − A culturally-responsive social and physical environment − Inclusive leadership committed to respect and engagement for all individuals − Collaboration and shared responsibility among all stakeholders. • Theme 4: Inclusive processes experienced by the child are also influenced by more distant structural factors in the community surrounding the ECE setting. These include: − Collaboration between the ECE setting and the children’s families − Relevant in-service training for ECE staff − Wider community commitment and support for serving all children − Inter-disciplinary and inter-agency co-operation of services from outside the ECE setting that serve the children in the pre-school − Organising smooth transitions between home and the ECE setting. • Theme 5: Finally, the analysis found a number of structural factors operating at the macro-system level. These factors were not in direct contact with the ECE setting. However, they still influenced inclusive processes in the setting. They are: − A rights-based approach to ECE − Provision of mainstream ECE access for all − Setting up regional/national standards for a holistic IECE curriculum − Availability of initial education for teachers and other staff for IECE − Good governance and funding systems for IECE − Procedures for regular monitoring and evaluation. This overview of the ecosystem of outcomes, processes and structures for IECE is presented in the Results chapter. Five evidence-based chapters, dedicated to each of the five main themes, follow this. Each chapter presents a brief description of each of the outcome, process or structural factors within each main theme. These are accompanied by one to five quotations from each of the 32 example descriptions. The quotations illustrate and provide concrete evidence of what constitutes quality outcomes, processes and structures that are prevalent across Europe. The quotations were chosen both to reflect the different types of IECE concepts and practices, and to reflect the variety of countries and cultures where they occur. They are intended to stimulate inclusive developments in research, policy and practice in Europe and internationally. Finally, the Conclusion highlights the added value that this analysis contributes to IECE research, policy and practice. Four new insights are addressed: 1. The development of the new Ecosystem Model of IECE, inspired by two previous major models, should clarify the understanding of the issues related to quality ECE. 2. The analysis shows how, within an inclusive perspective, IECE’s primary goal is best conceived as that of ensuring quality outcomes for all children in terms of participation. This is described here as belongingness, engagement and learning. 3. The analysis shines a new light on the major processes in which children are directly involved and which mostinfluence each child’s participation and learning. These need to be a major focus of any intervention to improve ECE quality. 4. The analysis clarifies the structural factors needed to support the development of more inclusive ECE settings. It also shows how these factors are related to local and national policies and practices. Situating the structures at the ECE setting, community and regional/national levels isimportant in levering them to bring about the changes needed to enable each child to participate and learn.peer-reviewe

Technology applications

A summary of NASA Technology Utilization programs for the period of 1 December 1971 through 31 May 1972 is presented. An abbreviated description of the overall Technology Utilization Applications Program is provided as a background for the specific applications examples. Subjects discussed are in the broad headings of: (1) cancer, (2) cardiovascular disease, (2) medical instrumentation, (4) urinary system disorders, (5) rehabilitation medicine, (6) air and water pollution, (7) housing and urban construction, (8) fire safety, (9) law enforcement and criminalistics, (10) transportation, and (11) mine safety

Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework - Application of Data Science in Inclusive Education

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Data ScienceBeing a disabled student the author faced higher education with a handicap which as experience studying during COVID 19 confinement periods matched the findings in recent research about the importance of digital accessibility through more e-learning intensive academic experiences. Narrative and systematic literature reviews enabled providing context in World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, legal and standards framework and information technology and communication state-of-the art. Assessing Portuguese higher education institutions’ web sites alerted to the fact that only outlying institutions implemented near perfect, accessibility-wise, websites. Therefore a gap was identified in how accessible the Portuguese higher education websites are, the needs of all students, including those with disabilities, and even the accessibility minimum legal requirements for digital products and the services provided by public or publicly funded organizations. Having identified a problem in society and exploring the scientific base of knowledge for context and state of the art was a first stage in the Design Science Research methodology, to which followed development and validation cycles of an Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework. The framework blends various Data Science study fields contributions with accessibility guidelines compliant interface design and content upload accessibility compliance assessment. Validation was provided by a focus group whose inputs were considered for the version presented in this dissertation. Not being the purpose of the research to deliver a complete implementation of the framework and lacking consistent data to put all the modules interacting with each other, the most relevant modules were tested with open data as proof of concept. The rigor cycle of DSR started with the inclusion of the previous thesis on Atlântica University Institute Scientific Repository and is to be completed with the publication of this thesis and the already started PhD’s findings in relevant journals and conferences