Continuous Improvement in Education

In recent years, 'continuous improvement' has become a popular catchphrase in the field of education. However, while continuous improvement has become commonplace and well-documented in other industries, such as healthcare and manufacturing, little is known about how this work has manifested itself in education.This white paper attempts to map the landscape of this terrain by identifying and describing organizations engaged in continuous improvement, and by highlighting commonalities and differences among them. The findings classify three types of organizations engaged in continuous improvement: those focused on instructional improvement at the classroom level; those concentrating on system-wide improvement; and those addressing collective impact. Each type is described in turn and illustrated by an organizational case study. Through the analysis, six common themes that characterize all three types of organizations (e.g., leadership and strategy, communication and engagement, organizational infrastructure, methodology, data collection and analysis, and building capacity) are enumerated. This white paper makes four concluding observations. First, the three case studies provide evidence of organizations conducting continuous improvement work in the field of education, albeit at different levels and in different ways. Second, entry points to continuous improvement work are not mutually exclusive, but are nested and, hence, mutually informative and comparative. Third, continuous improvement is not synonymous with improving all organizational processes simultaneously; rather, research and learning cycles are iterative and gradual in nature. Fourth, despite being both iterative and gradual, it is imperative that improvement work is planned and undertaken in a rigorous, thoughtful, and transparent fashion

Continuous Transitional Focus (CTF): A New Concept in Ophthalmic Surgery

Presbyopia is a condition that affects many as the lens ages, and is a secondary effect of cataract surgery. Multifocal lenses for the treatment of presbyopia have been undergoing cycles of development and improvement over the past two decades. The latest advancements have yielded lenses with a continuous range of optical powers, otherwise known as continuous transitional focus (CTF) lenses. Modern CTF lenses provide a more natural experience for patients while minimizing unwanted optical side effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quality Evaluation in Agile Process: A First Approach

In recent years, it has been given much importance to the use of models and quality standards on software development processes. Because these are those that facilitate continuous improvement and enable companies to provide higher quality products to its customers by increasing their competitive level. Today, software development is based on agile processes that allow production characterized by its changing requirements and the need for continuous customer deliveries environments. Thus it is imperative to provide companies with tools for assessing the quality of these cycles agile processes. QuAM is presented in this article, an approach to design a model of quality, integrated and flexible, that assesses the quality development cycles based on the principles and practices of the agile approach.XIII Workshop Ingeniería de Software (WIS).Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Influence of a pulsed laser regime on surface finish induced by thedirect metal deposition process on a Ti64 alloy

tThe direct metal deposition (DMD) laser technique is a free-form metal deposition process, which allowsgenerating a prototype or small series of near net-shape structures. Despite numerous advantages, oneof the most critical issues of the technique is that produced pieces have a deleterious surface finish whichrequires post machining steps. Following recent investigations where the use of laser pulses instead of acontinuous regime was successful to obtain smoother DMD structures, this paper relates investigationson the influence of a pulsed laser regime on the surface finish induced by DMD on a widely used titaniumalloy (Ti64). Findings confirm that using high mean powers improves surface finish but also indicate aspecific effect of the laser operating mode: using a quasi-continuous pulsed mode instead of fully-cw laserheating is an efficient way for surface finish improvement. For similar average powers, the use of a pulsedmode with large duty cycles is clearly shown to provide smoothening effects. The formation of larger andstable melt pools having less pronounced lateral curvatures, and the reduction of thermal gradients andMarangoni flow in the external side of the fusion zone were assumed to be the main reasons for surfacefinish improvement. Additional results indicate that combining the benefits from a pulsed regime and auniform laser irradiation does not provide further reduction of surface roughness

Quality Evaluation in Agile Process: A First Approach

In recent years, it has been given much importance to the use of models and quality standards on software development processes. Because these are those that facilitate continuous improvement and enable companies to provide higher quality products to its customers by increasing their competitive level. Today, software development is based on agile processes that allow production characterized by its changing requirements and the need for continuous customer deliveries environments. Thus it is imperative to provide companies with tools for assessing the quality of these cycles agile processes. QuAM is presented in this article, an approach to design a model of quality, integrated and flexible, that assesses the quality development cycles based on the principles and practices of the agile approach.XIII Workshop Ingeniería de Software (WIS).Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

An Assessment and Continuous Improvement Model for Engineering Technology Programs

Assessment and continuous improvement are essential and critical processes for higher education. Development and implementation of such processes are not only required by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) but it is also a necessary condition for the maturation and development of any engineering technology program. The assessment and continuous improvement plan discussed here was developed at Old Dominion University (ODU) and implemented during the last accreditation cycle within the Engineering Technology Department. The plan is based on two cycles of assessment and evaluation, a short cycle of one year and a long term cycle of three years. The plan includes a variety of assessment methods and tools. In addition to assessing the achievement of program outcomes, the plan allows assessment of program objectives and goals. A method for individual course assessment is also presented. Issues related to institutionalization of the assessment process are also discussed

Efficacy of Pulsed 405-nm LEDs for antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation : effects of intensity, frequency, and duty cycle

Objective: This study investigates possible advantages in pulsed over continuous 405-nm LED-light for bacterial inactivation and energy efficiency. Background: Alternative non-antibiotic methods of disinfection and infection control have become of significant interest. Recent studies have demonstrated the application of systems using 405-nm light-emitting diodes for continuous disinfection of the clinical environment, and also for potential treatment of contaminated wounds. Methods: Liquid suspensions of 103 CFU/ml populations of Staphylococcus aureus were subject to pulsed 405-nm light of different frequencies, duty cycles and intensities, and for different lengths of time. Results: Pulsed exposures with the same average irradiance of 16 mWcm2 and varying duty cycle (25%, 50%, 75%), showed very similar performance compared with continuous exposures, with 95-98% reduction of S. aureus achieved for all duty cycles. The pulsing frequency was varied in intervals from 100 Hz - 10 kHz and appeared to have little effect on antimicrobial efficacy. However, when comparing pulsed with continuous exposure, an improvement in inactivation per unit optical energy was achieved, with results showing an increase of approximately 83% in optical efficiency. Conclusions: These results suggest that under pulsed conditions a lower energy consumption and lower perceived brightness could be achieved, thus potentially providing improved operating conditions for medical/infection-control applications without compromising antimicrobial efficacy

Skill competency development strategies by a contractor

Construction skills are one of the vital aspects of construction work which is growing in importance due to skill gaps and skill shortages during different economic cycles. The aim of this study was to investigate competence development strategies by a traditional construction company within its own pool of skill resources and among its supply chain members. The study was carried out via literature review, empirical studies involving a focus study, analysis of documentary evidence supported by unstructured interviews and a report of skill development/supply chain conference. The study demonstrates how long-term skill development can be achieved through: (a) strategic capacity planning which allows high retention, continuous training, and balanced construction demand and contractor’s supply capacity over the long term; (b) updating and upgrading the knowledge base of the supply chain through conferences and training schemes; (c) strategic investment in the workforce through training, vocational and higher degrees; and (d) acquaintance with different sources of finance. This study will assist small traditional firms in building competencies in skill development and improvement. It will assist an international audience who may face similar issue with their construction firm

Chemical vs. Physical Methods to Improve Dermal Drug Delivery: A Case Study with Nanoemulsions and Iontophoresis

So far, various approaches have been proposed to improve dermal drug delivery. The use of chemical penetration enhancers has a long history of application, while methods based on the electrical current (such as iontophoresis) stand out as promising “active” techniques. Aiming to evaluate the contribution of different approaches to dermal delivery, in this work curcumin-loaded nanoemulsions with and without monoterpenes (eucalyptol or pinene) as chemical penetration enhancers, and a custom-made adhesive dermal delivery system based on iontophoresis were designed and assessed. In an in vivo study applying skin bioengineering techniques, their safety profile was proven. Three examined iontophoresis protocols, with total skin exposure time of 15 min (continuous flow for 15 min (15-0); 3 min of continuous flow and 2 min pause (3-2; 5 cycles) and 5 min of continuous flow and 1 min pause (5-1; 3 cycles) were equally efficient in terms of the total amount of curcumin that penetrated through the superficial skin layers ( in vivo tape stripping) (Q3-2 = 7.04 ± 3.21 μg/cm2; Q5-1 = 6.66 ± 2.11 μg/cm2; Q15-0 = 6.96 ± 3.21 μg/cm2), significantly more efficient compared to the referent nanoemulsion and monoterpene-containing nanoemulsions. Further improvement of an efficient mobile adhesive system for iontophoresis would be a practical contribution in the field of dermal drug application