Leading the evaluation of institutional online learning environments for quality enhancement in times of change

This paper reports on findings from a nationally funded project which aims to design and implement a quality management framework for online learning environments (OLEs). Evaluation is a key component of any quality management system and it is this aspect of the framework that is the focus of this paper. In developing the framework initial focus groups were conducted at the five participating institutions. These revealed that, although regarded as important, there did not appear to be a shared understanding of the nature and purpose of evaluation. A second series of focus groups revealed there were multiple perspectives arising from those with a vested interest in online learning. These perspectives will be outlined. Overall, how evaluation was undertaken was highly variable within and across the five institutions reflecting where they were at in relation to the development of their OLE

Social support and community functioning of clients with schizophrenia : a nursing investigation

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge regarding the concept of social support and its role in contributing to a better understanding of clients with schizophrenia and their ability to function in the community. The conceptual framework based on Norbeck's model of social support (Norbeck, 1981) suggested that individual and situational properties combine to impact on the need for social support and its actual and perceived availability from the social network surrounding the individual. Adequate, appropriate social support is expected to be more likely to result in satisfactory levels of functioning in the community. -- A convenience sample of 30 subjects between the ages of 18 and 61 participated in the study. They each had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, attended an Ambulatory Care service and had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital within the past year. The study instruments utilized were the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and a Client Profile, designed by the investigator. The study was designed to obtain information related to subjects' perceptions of their social networks, their perceptions of social support available from those networks, and their levels of community functioning. Relationships between community functioning and social support were analyzed. -- Social support was conceptualized on the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire as two variables: functional social support, composed of affect, affirmation and aid; and network properties, composed of network size, duration of relationships with network members and frequency of contact with network members. Community functioning was measured by the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. -- The results of the study demonstrated that this sample of clients with schizophrenia had social networks which were small and family-dominated. Relationships outside the family were not long-standing and contact with network members was limited. Recent loss of network members was relatively common. Subjects perceived that they received less social support than other groups. Eight subjects indicated serious problems with their level of functioning in the community while 22 subjects had mild or moderate difficulties. -- A significant positive relationship was found between social support as measured by the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire and community functioning as measured by the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Because the relationship between social support and community functioning may operate bidirectionally, it was suggested that enhancing social support may improve community functioning and alternatively that improving community functioning may improve social support. -- Based on the information provided by this study, guidelines for incorporating the concept of social support in clinical practice were addressed as well as implications for nursing theory and research

Evidencing the development of distributed leadership capacity in the quality management of online learning environments (OLEs) in Australian higher education

The poster will present findings from the first year of a two-year nationally funded Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project, Building distributed leadership in designing and implementing a quality management framework for Online Learning Environments undertaken by Deakin University, Macquarie University, University of South Australia, University of Southern Queensland and RMIT University. The project is running over 2011-2012. This project aims to design and implement a framework that uses a distributed leadership approach for the quality management of Online Learning Environments (OLEs) in Australian higher education. The distributed leadership approach enables the development of the framework and in turn contributes to its implementation. The framework is the vehicle for building leadership capacity. The national project team itself represents a broad range of educational, technical and managerial expertise

Quality management of online learning environments : final report of the project : Building distributed leadership in designing and implementing a quality management framework for online learning environments

&nbsp;The project developed and disseminated, through a distributed leadership approach, an overall framework for the quality management of online learning environments (OLEs) in Australian higher education. The Six Elements of the Online Learning Environment (6EOLE) Quality Management Framework and its guidelines was constructed based on various data collection methods deployed in the project.The 6EOLE Quality Management Framework, displayed on page six, and accompanying guidelines (i.e. An evidence-based approach to implementation, and A condensed guide) can be used to guide management action to assure and continuously improve the quality of an organisation&rsquo;s OLE where environmental factors are relatively stable, at least for a period....This report shows how the project&rsquo;s objectives were achieved through the project approach and methodology, which in turn led to a set of project outcomes and key deliverables. Moreover, a consideration of these key outcomes and deliverables has led to the presentation of recommendations to the Office for Learning and Teaching and the higher education sector. We argue these recommendations are pertinent to the consideration of distributed leadership and the quality management of OLEs at any tertiary institution.</div

Quality management of online learning environments: An evidence-based approach to implementing the 6EOLE Quality Management Framework

This project will design and implement a framework using a distributed leadership approach for the quality management of online learning environments in Australian higher education. The distributed leadership approach will enable the development of the framework and, in turn, contribute to its implementation. The framework will be the vehicle for building leadership capacity. The project will draw upon the combined expertise and strengths of five universities using different learning management systems and approaches to social networking and which are at various stages of deploying their next-generation online learning environments. The universities involved represent different groupings of institutions in the sector and each is reliant on disparate leadership groups to successfully implement and sustain their environments. The project will determine the key components of such a quality management framework and the key sources of evidence needed to ensure that institutional investments generate good student learning experiences

Parent-clinician communication intervention during end-of-life decision making for children with incurable cancer.

Background: In this single-site study, we evaluated the feasibility of a parent-clinician communication intervention designed to: identify parents\u27 rationale for the phase I, do-not-resuscitate (DNR), or terminal care decision made on behalf of their child with incurable cancer; identify their definition of being a good parent to their ill child; and provide this information to the child\u27s clinicians in time to be of use in the family\u27s care. Methods: Sixty-two parents of 58 children and 126 clinicians participated. Within 72 hours after the treatment decision, parents responded to 6 open-ended interview questions and completed a 10-item questionnaire about the end-of-life communication with their child\u27s clinicians. They completed the questionnaire again two to three weeks later and responded to three open-ended questions to assess the benefit:risk ratio of their study participation three months after the intervention. Clinicians received the interview data within hours of the parent interview and evaluated the usefulness of the information three weeks later. Results: All preestablished intervention feasibility criteria were met; 77.3% of families consented; and in 100% of interventions, information was successfully provided individually to 3 to 11 clinicians per child before the child died. No harm was reported by parents as a result of participating; satisfaction and other benefits were reported. Clinicians reported moderate to strong satisfaction with the intervention. Conclusion: The communication intervention was feasible within hours of decision making, was acceptable and beneficial without harm to participating parents, and was acceptable and useful to clinicians in their care of families

Resource use, governance and case load of rapid response teams in Australia and New Zealand in 2014

Background: Rapid response teams (RRTs) are a mandatory element of Australian national health care policy. However, the uptake, resourcing, case load and funding of RRTs in Australian and New Zealand hospitals remain unknown.Aim: To assess the clinical activity, funding, staffing and governance of RRTs in Australian and New Zealand hospitals.Methods: Survey of Australian and New Zealand hospitals as part of a biannual audit of intensive care resources and capacity.Results: Of 207 hospitals surveyed, 165 (79.7%) participated, including 22 (13.3%) from New Zealand. RRTs were present in 138/143 (95.5%) Australian and 11/22 (50%) New Zealand hospitals equipped with intensive care units (P &lt; 0.001). Additional funding was provided in 43/146 hospitals (29.4%) but was more likely in tertiary ICUs (P &lt; 0.001) and in New Zealand (P = 0.012). ICU staff participated in 147/148 RRTs (99.3%), which involved medical staff only (10.2%), nursing staff only (6.8%), and both medical and nursing staff (76.2%). Isolated ICU nursing involvement was more common in smaller ICUs (P = 0.005), in rural/regional and metropolitan hospitals (P = 0.04), and in New Zealand (P = 0.006). Dedicated ICU outreach registrars and consultants were present in 19/146 hospitals (13.0%) and 14/145 hospitals (9.7%), respectively. The ICU provided oversight for 122/147 RRTs (83%). In the 2013&ndash;14 financial year, there were more than 104 000 RRT calls.Conclusion: In cases where data were known, ICU staff provided staff for most RRTs, and oversight for more than 80% of RRTs. However, additional funding for ICU RRT staff and dedicated doctors was relatively uncommon

Biomaterial-Based Implantable Devices for Cancer Therapy

This review article focuses on the current local therapies mediated by implanted macroscaled biomaterials available or proposed for fighting cancer and also highlights the upcoming research in this field. Several authoritative review articles have collected and discussed the state-of-the-art as well as the advancements in using biomaterial-based micro- and nano-particle systems for drug delivery in cancer therapy. On the other hand, implantable biomaterial devices are emerging as highly versatile therapeutic platforms, which deserve an increased attention by the healthcare scientific community, as they are able to offer innovative, more effective and creative strategies against tumors. This review summarizes the current approaches which exploit biomaterial-based devices as implantable tools for locally administrating drugs and describes their specific medical applications, which mainly target resected brain tumors or brain metastases for the inaccessibility of conventional chemotherapies. Moreover, a special focus in this review is given to innovative approaches, such as combined delivery therapies, as well as to alternative approaches, such as scaffolds for gene therapy, cancer immunotherapy and metastatic cell capture, the later as promising future trends in implantable biomaterials for cancer applications

Medial longitudinal arch development of school children : The College of Podiatry Annual Conference 2015: meeting abstracts

Background Foot structure is often classified into flat foot, neutral and high arch type based on the variability of the Medial Longitudinal Arch (MLA). To date, the literature provided contrasting evidence on the age when MLA development stabilises in children. The influence of footwear on MLA development is also unknown. Aim This study aims to (i) clarify whether the MLA is still changing in children from age 7 to 9 years old and (ii) explore the relationship between footwear usage and MLA development, using a longitudinal approach. Methods We evaluated the MLA of 111 healthy school children [age = 6.9 (0.3) years] using three parameters [arch index (AI), midfoot peak pressure (PP) and maximum force (MF: % of body weight)] extracted from dynamic foot loading measurements at baseline, 10-month and 22-month follow-up. Information on the type of footwear worn was collected using survey question. Linear mixed modelling was used to test for differences in the MLA over time. Results Insignificant changes in all MLA parameters were observed over time [AI: P = .15; PP: P = .84; MF: P = .91]. When gender was considered, the AI of boys decreased with age [P = .02]. Boys also displayed a flatter MLA than girls at age 6.9 years [AI: mean difference = 0.02 (0.01, 0.04); P = .02]. At baseline, subjects who wore close-toe shoes displayed the lowest MLA overall [AI/PP/MF: P < .05]. Subjects who used slippers when commencing footwear use experienced higher PP than those who wore sandals [mean difference = 31.60 (1.44, 61.75) kPa; post-hoc P = .04]. Discussion and conclusion Our findings suggested that the MLA of children remained stable from 7 to 9 years old, while gender and the type of footwear worn during childhood may influence MLA development. Clinicians may choose to commence therapy when a child presents with painful flexible flat foot at age 7 years, and may discourage younger children from wearing slippers when they commence using footwear

Articulating high quality free choice time in Head Start preschools: A framework to support professional development and classroom observations

Free choice time (FCT) is ubiquitous on Head Start and other preschool’s daily schedules. Yet there is a lot of variation in what FCT looks like across classrooms. We lack tools that identify strong FCT practice, including how teachers ought to facilitate it. A framework for defining and gauging high quality FCT in preschool classrooms is overdue. This study documents the development of and preliminary findings from the Framework for Free Choice Time (F-FCT). Based on a comprehensive field- and research-based understanding of best practices, this framework articulates low, middle-range, and high-quality practice across 26 elements within 5 dimensions. Findings demonstrate some initial validity and reliability of the framework. The F-FCT articulates a range of quality and can be used to support preservice and in-service teacher professional development. Future work with the F-FCT may have implications for preschool curricula, policy, and teacher evaluation