Improving Health Science Faculty\u27s Comprehension of Test Item-Analysis

Background: Differences in testing can lead to student frustration and questionable evaluation of student learning. Inconsistency in testing practices include differing levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, Faculty-written items versus publisher test bank items, and variations in grading. Failure to provide quality student learning assessment and evaluation tools and methods can negatively impact both student and program outcomes. Performing analysis of test items can improve quality of and consistency in evaluation of student learning. Objective/Purpose of the Project: This quality improvement DNP project investigated the impact of an educational intervention on multiple choice question (MCQ) test-item analysis on the Health Sciences Department Faculty of a small community college. Methods: Seven of 66 Health Science Faculty participants attended a one-hour educational session on test item-analysis. Data were collected via a pre-test/post-test survey design. In addition to demographic data, a Likert scale was used to rate participants’ knowledge of, confidence in completing, and ability to overcoming barriers to implementing test item analysis. Participants also completed an item analysis on a practice test item, rating difficulty, discrimination, and plan for use. Finally, upon completion of the intervention, participants were asked to rate their intent to incorporate test item-analysis into their curricula. Paired sample t-tests and frequency distributions were used to describe results. Results: Participants reported an increase in comprehension of (p = .030) and confidence in completing test item analysis (p = .008), as well as an increase in the ability to overcome barriers to implementing test item analysis (p = .030) following the educational session. Pre-education, 2(14.3%) correctly responded to item analysis difficulty, discrimination, and plan for use, compared to 3(43%) post education. 71.4% (N=5) strongly agreed to intent to incorporate item analysis into their curricula following education. Conclusions/Application to Practice: Performing test item analysis as part of a program testing policy can improve the quality of evaluation of student learning, increase use of evidence-based practices in education and strengthen health science programs through consistency in grading practices

Gallbladder schistosomiasis: rare but possible, a case report and review of the literature

After Malaria, schistosomiasis remains the most important tropical disease in large parts of the world. It affects mainly the colon and the urinary tract. The hepatic involvement is significantly frequent, particularly by the mansoni species. Still one of the extremely rare locations is the gallbladder. Our case is about a 51 year old woman from Tunisia, which is no longer considered an endemic country, with no particular medical history, underwent surgery for symptomatic cholelithiasis. She had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Post operative period was uneventful. Histology of the gallbladder showed fibrosis in the mucosa and schistosomal ova in the wall. As a conclusion we can see that due to the lack of specific clinical and radiological signs, the diagnosis of gallbladder schistosomiasis is established only after the histological examination

Edukasi Bantuan Hidup Dasar Pada Remaja Karang Taruna RT. 001/RW.014 Jati Bening – Pondok Gede Kota Bekasi

Pendahuluan: Ketidaktahuan masyarakat awam mengenai cara pemberian pertolongan bantuan hidup dasar atau tehnik RJP yang tepat, turut berperan dalam menyumbang kejadian henti jantung yang terjadi di rumah dan di tempat umum. Henti jantung yang terjadi di luar Rumah Sakit dapat ditangani dengan melakukan tindakan RJP saat awal serangan, namun yang menjadi fenomena di masyarakat adalah ketidaktahuan orang awam mengenai bagaimana cara pemberian pertolongan atau tehnik RJP yang tepat. Tujuan kegiatan pengabdian ini yaitu untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan terkait bantuan hidup dasar di karang taruna rt 001/014 jati bening. Metode: Metode yang digunakan dalam program kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah hari pertama dengan metode ceramah dan hari kedua simulasi tentang bantuan hidup dasar untuk masyarakat awam. Hasil dan Kesimpulam: Menunjukkan bahwa tingkat pengetahuan pre kegiatan yaitu rerata 48,30 dengan nilai minimum 13 dan nilai maksimum 73. Sedangkan nilai post kegiatan rerata 77,60 dengan nilai minimum 66 dan nilai maksimum 93. Saran: Agar pihak Karang Taruna menggunakan pengetahuan dan pengalaman yang didapat dari kegiatan edukasi BHD sehingga dapat meningkatkan skill RJP untuk menolong korban henti jantung

Constraints to Economic Development and Growth in the Middle East and North Africa

When comparing the speed and extent of economic development in different geographic regions of the world over the past 20 years, the under-average performance of Arab countries in general and Arab Mediterranean countries in particular is striking. This is despite an overall favorable geo-strategic situation at the crossroads of three continents, with excellent connections to sea and waterways and in direct proximity to the European Union, one of the world’s economic hubs. It is also despite the minor importance of negative factors such as a high-burden diseases or high levels of ethnic fractionalization. In this paper, I focus on identifying the most important constraints on Arab Mediterranean economic development. I use state-of-the-art econometric tools to quantify constraints that have been identified through economic theory and studies of the political economy characteristics of the region. The empirical results offer support for the central hypothesis that limited technological capacities and political economy structures are the primary constraints on economic development. With a view to international structural adjustment efforts, my findings imply that the limited success of the Euro-Mediterranean policy to stimulate the economic development of the Arab Mediterranean countries might be because structural adjustment efforts do not tackle—or at least do not sufficiently tackle— these constraints.Vergleicht man Geschwindigkeit und Umfang der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung der verschiedenen Weltregionen in den vergangenen zwanzig Jahren, so fällt insbesondere das unterdurchschnittliche Abschneiden der arabischen Länder im Allgemeinen und der arabischen Mittlemeerländer im Besonderen ins Auge, und dies trotz einer insgesamt vorteilhaften geographischen Lage im Schnittpunkt dreier Kontinente mit exzellenten Anschlussmöglichkeiten an See- und Wasserwege, trotz der direkten Nachbarschaft zum Weltwirtschaftsdrehkreuz Europäische Union und trotz der relativ geringen Bedeutung wichtiger entwicklungshemmender Faktoren, beispielsweise ethnische Zersplitterung oder massive Ausbreitung von Krankheiten wie AIDS oder Malaria. In diesem Aufsatz wird versucht, von den unterschiedlichen Hemmfaktoren wirtschaftlicher Entwicklung, die in der wirtschaftstheoretischen Literatur und/oder in MENARegionalstudien diskutiert werden, diejenigen herauszuarbeiten, die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung am stärksten behindern oder möglicherweise stärker als andere. Dabei benutze ich modernste ökonometrische Verfahren, um den Einfluss der verschiedenen erklärenden Variablen zu quantifizieren. Die Ergebnisse stützen die Eingangshypothese, dass insbesondere mangelnde technologische Kapazitäten und Fähigkeiten sowie regionalspezifische politökonomische Strukturen die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung in den arabischen Mittelmeerländern behindern

Project Motherhood: A Grant Proposal Project

The purpose of this grant proposal was to develop and seek funding for the implementation of “Project Motherhood”, a parenting program for transitional aged youth (TAY) mothers in Los Angeles County. The clients, former clients of Heritage Group home for Teens Inc., as well as referrals from local agencies located in Los Angeles County will have an opportunity to participate in the proposed parenting program. Through a review of the literature on the needs and challenges as well as current services and interventions in place for TAY, the grant writer proposed and designed a parenting program. This grant writer explored numerous potential public and private funding sources. The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation was selected as the potential funding source because it best fit with the goals and objectives of this project. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant were not required for the successful completion of this academic project