Quality Control Charts in Large-Scale Assessment Programs

There are relatively few examples of quantitative approaches to quality control in educational assessment and accountability contexts. Among the several techniques that are used in other fields, Shewart charts have been found in a few instances to be applicable in educational settings. This paper describes Shewart charts and gives examples of how they have been used to monitor quality in testing programs. Additional areas of application in large-scale educational assessment programs are proposed Accessed 10,392 times on https://pareonline.net from October 19, 2011 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

An Investigation of Advising Satisfaction of Traditional-Aged Community College Students Enrolled Exclusively in Online Courses

Although enrollment in online community college courses continues to increase, there is evidence that many students are not completing their studies. Research on persistence indicates the importance of students feeling connected with their institution through faculty and staff which can be difficult when separated geographically. Using the Model of Online Community College Student Satisfaction and Continued Enrollment (MOCCSSE), a path model which includes components from both Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure and Kember’s Model of Dropout in Distance Education, this study explored traditional-aged community college students’ levels of satisfaction with their academic advisor to determine if they influence the students’ decision to continue enrolling online. Study participants included 346 traditional-aged community college students who enrolled exclusively in online courses for at least one semester in Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Virginia. Eligible students were identified by institutions and invited by email to participate in an electronic survey using SurveyMonkey. Results of this study were analyzed using path analysis to build a model linking students’ satisfaction with academic advising and online experience with online adaptability level and continued online enrollment. The interaction of satisfaction with online education experience and the advisor seems to indicate a positive effect on continued online enrollment. Continued online enrollment was also positively affected by online adaptability level, which was measured by student’s self-efficacy and perceived mastery of computer usage and time management. These findings suggest that while students who have the necessary skills to succeed in an online education environment are likely to continue enrolling online, their satisfaction with their advisor and their online education experience may also impact that decision. A major limitation was that the survey items that were thought to measure online satisfaction did not; instead student’s level of overall satisfaction was used to create a construct. Other limitations included removal of participants who did not communicate with their academic advisor, and the low percentage of students who check email regularly. Future research should investigate demographics of traditional-aged community college students further. Topics should include expanding diversification of online students so that demographics align with overall population, and comparing traditional-aged and non-traditional students with previous studies

Absolute X-Ray Yields From Laser-Irradiated, Ge-Doped Aerogel Targets

Bright, multi-keV x-ray sources are essential for radiography of inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. In this context, there are two parameters of importance: the energy of the emitted photons, which determines how penetrating the x-rays are for radiographic purposes, and the brightness of the source, which determines the ability of a radiograph to resolve small features. As ICF experiments continue to get larger, such as those that will be carried out at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, or at the French Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique's (CEA) Laser MegaJoule, and compression in fuel capsules gets higher, sources for x-ray backlighting will have to have harder-photon spectra. For a given laser energy available to drive the multi-keV x-ray-backlight source, the only way for the source to get brighter is for it to convert the laser to x-rays more efficiently. We have been developing and characterizing laser-driven, underdense x-ray sources that are highly efficient in recent years [2-5]. CEA researchers have also recently had great success efficiently making multi-keV x-rays from pre-pulsed foils [6]

Investigation of radial wire arrays for inertial confinement fusion and radiation effects science.

Radial wire arrays provide an alternative x-ray source for Z-pinch driven Inertial Confinement Fusion. These arrays, where wires are positioned radially outwards from a central cathode to a concentric anode, have the potential to drive a more compact ICF hohlraum. A number of experiments were performed on the 7MA Saturn Generator. These experiments studied a number of potential risks in scaling radial wire arrays up from the 1MA level, where they have been shown to provide similar x-ray outputs to larger diameter cylindrical arrays, to the higher current levels required for ICF. Data indicates that at 7MA radial arrays can obtain higher power densities than cylindrical wire arrays, so may be of use for x-ray driven ICF on future facilities. Even at the 7MA level, data using Saturn's short pulse mode indicates that a radial array should be able to drive a compact hohlraum to temperatures {approx}92eV, which may be of interest for opacity experiments. These arrays are also shown to have applications to jet production for laboratory astrophysics. MHD simulations require additional physics to match the observed behavior

Alirocumab and cardiovascular outcomes after acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUN

Alirocumab and Cardiovascular Outcomes after Acute Coronary Syndrome

BACKGROUN