Use of a tablet-based system to perform abdominal ultrasounds in a field investigation of schistosomiasis-related morbidity in western Kenya

Chronic intestinal schistosomiasis can cause severe hepatosplenic disease and is a neglected tropical disease of public health importance in sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya. Although the goal of control programs is to reduce morbidity, milestones for program performance focus on reductions in prevalence and intensity of infection, rather than actual measures of morbidity. Using ultrasound to measure hepatosplenic disease severity is an accepted method of determining schistosomiasis-related morbidity; however, ultrasound has not historically been considered a field-deployable tool because of equipment limitations and unavailability of expertise. A point-of-care tablet-based ultrasound system was used to perform abdominal ultrasounds in a field investigation of schistosomiasis-related morbidity in western Kenya; during the study, other pathologies and pregnancies were also identified via ultrasound, and participants referred to care. Recent technological advances may make it more feasible to implement ultrasound as part of a control program and can also offer important benefits to the community

Perceptions and Memorization Strategies of Piano Students Toward Piano Performance: A Phenomenological Study

For many piano students, it has always been a challenge to memorize pieces. Most of them would admit to making mistakes and experiencing a mental block during a performance. Difficulty in memorizing may cause difficulty in playing the piano. Though some studies about this case have already been done, this research tried to look for new findings regarding the perceptions of piano students about memorization as a major element for piano performance. The study also described the memorization strategies utilized by the students. Through purposive sampling, ten piano students were selected to participate in this phenomenological study. They were also observed during their piano practices to confirm gathered data from a semi-structured interview. An interview guide was utilized to gather information which was transcribed, categorized, and thematically analyzed. The results revealed that the piano students highly preferred to memorize because it helps boost confidence, focus, and interpret the music well. It was also revealed that during practice, certain memorization strategies such as separation of hands, repetition, singing of the melody, and listening to recordings were used to perform by memory. However, the process of being able to perform by memory takes a lot of hard work and discipline. Therefore, it is recommended for students and teachers to work together in the learning and memorization process

Measuring Cognitive Reflection without Maths: Development and Validation fo the Verbal Cognitive Reflection Test

The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) became popular for its impressive power to predict how well people reason and make decisions. Despite the popularity of the CRT, a major issue complicates its interpretation: the numerical nature of the CRT confounds reflection ability with mathematical ability. We have addressed this issue by developing the Verbal CRT (CRT-V), a novel 10-item measure of cognitive reflection (https://osf.io/xehbv/), using non-mathematical problems with good statistical and psychometric properties and with low familiarity. First, we selected suitable items with relatively low familiarity and optimal difficulty as identified in two different populations (Studies 1 and 2) and with high content validity as judged by an expert panel (Study 3). Second, we demonstrated good criterion and construct validity for the test in different populations with a wide range of variables (Studies 4-6, 8) and a good internal consistency and test-retest reliability (Study 7). The Verbal CRT was less associated with math anxiety, objective and subjective numeracy than the original CRT and it was test equivalent across gender, age groups and administration setting. In contrast with the original CRT (Hedge’s g = 0.29, 95% CI[0.17, 0.40]), the Verbal CRT showed no gender differences (Hedge’s g = -0.06, 95% CI[-0.18, 0.06]). The Verbal CRT can complement existing, numerical, tests of cognitive reflection

Academic Assessment: Best Practices for Successful Outcomes with Accreditation Evaluation Teams

This chapter describes the role of faculty in conducting quality assessment and includes suggestions for preparing for successful meetings with reviewers on accreditation teams

Creating an Instrument to Measure Student Response to Instructional Practices

BackgroundCalls for the reform of education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have inspired many instructional innovations, some research based. Yet adoption of such instruction has been slow. Research has suggested that students’ response may significantly affect an instructor’s willingness to adopt different types of instruction.PurposeWe created the Student Response to Instructional Practices (StRIP) instrument to measure the effects of several variables on student response to instructional practices. We discuss the step‐by‐step process for creating this instrument.Design/MethodThe development process had six steps: item generation and construct development, validity testing, implementation, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and instrument modification and replication. We discuss pilot testing of the initial instrument, construct development, and validation using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.ResultsThis process produced 47 items measuring three parts of our framework. Types of instruction separated into four factors (interactive, constructive, active, and passive); strategies for using in‐class activities into two factors (explanation and facilitation); and student responses to instruction into five factors (value, positivity, participation, distraction, and evaluation).ConclusionsWe describe the design process and final results for our instrument, a useful tool for understanding the relationship between type of instruction and students’ response.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136692/1/jee20162_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136692/2/jee20162.pd

Retest effects in operational selection settings: Development and test of a framework

This study proposes a framework for examining the effects of retaking tests in operational selection settings. A central feature of this frame-work is the distinction between within-person and between-person retest effects. This framework is used to develop hypotheses about retest ef-fects for exemplars of 3 types of tests (knowledge tests, cognitive ability tests, and situational judgment tests) and to test these hypotheses in a high stakes selection setting (admission to medical studies in Belgium). Analyses of within-person retest effects showed that mean scores of re-peat test takers were one-third of a standard deviation higher for the knowledge test and situational judgment test and one-half of a standard deviation higher for the cognitive ability test. The validity coefficients for the knowledge test differed significantly depending on whether ex-aminees ’ test scores on the first versus second administration were used, with the latter being more valid. Analyses of between-person retest ef-fects on the prediction of academic performance showed that the same test score led to higher levels of performance for those passing on the first attempt than for those passing on the second attempt. The implications of these results are discussed in light of extant retesting practice. In employment settings, the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selec-tion Procedures (1978) state that organizations should provide a reasonable opportunity to test takers for retesting. Hence, most organizations in the private and public sector have installed retesting policies in promotion and hiring situations (e.g., Campbell, 2004; McElreath, Bayless, Reilly, & Hayes, 2004). In the educational domain, the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (APA/AERA/NCME, 1999) state that retest op-portunities should be provided for tests used for promotion or graduation decisions. The opportunity for retesting is also mandated for tests used in making admission, licensing, or certification decisions. A previous version of this manuscript was presented at the Annual Convention of th