The Evelina Resolution Project: the story of a UK children's hospital's programme to resolve conflicts with families

When a consultant paediatrician at the Evelina London Children's Hospital made a phone call to a mediator one Friday afternoon in 2012 asking for help to manage an escalating conflict between a family and the health professionals treating their daughter, neither knew that their meeting would lead to the development of the first conflict resolution and mediation training programme in a National Health Service children's hospital.  The Evelina Resolution Project has gained international recognition for training health professionals to recognise and manage conflicts between families and health professionals.  In this presentation, the doctor and the mediator describe how one case led to a programme of change which is now being trialled in 4 specialist UK children's hospitals with the aim of supporting families and health professionals to have conversations without conflict

Audience and the African American playwright : an analysis of the importance of audience selection and audience response on the dramaturgies of August Wilson and Ed Bullins

In this study I discuss the importance of audience selection and response upon the dramaturgies of African American playwrights August Wilson and Ed Bullins. Using the theories and criteria for African American art and theatre as espoused by Alain Locke, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Amiri Baraka, and created by the 1960s and 1970s Black Theatre and Black Aesthetic movements, I discuss the importance of audience selection to Wilson\u27s dramas, especially given his tremendous success on Broadway. I also explore the claimed lack of importance of audience to Bullins\u27s dramaturgy, particularly as demonstrated in those plays written during his brief tenure as Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party and those works comprising his twentieth century cycle in which he discusses the lives of members of what he calls the black underclass. This study relies on theatre reviews from New York Times theatre critics on both Wilson and Bullins as examples of mainstream audience responses to their works. Moreover, I cite published interviews by both playwrights where they discuss their influences, approaches to drama, and the importance and/or lack of importance of audience to their work. This study concludes with the chapter Same Subject, Different Audience in which it is noted that although Wilson and Bullins have both been influenced by Baraka and the Black Theatre/Black Aesthetic movements (also indirectly by the theories of Locke and Du Bois), they offer differing representations of the African American experience. The reason for these different approaches to the same subject is because Wilson and Bullins create their works for different audiences. While Wilson presents an African America that features the common folk of the culture, and (indirectly) protests against racism and segregation, he creates this world for mainstream audience members. Conversely, Bullins explores the dark side of the African American experience in his black America, focusing on issues and characters (the other common folk -pimps, prostitutes, etc.) that many mainstream American and middle class African Americans theatre patrons wish to ignore

A Taster Of An Award-Winning Conflict Resolution Training Program For Pediatric Health Professionals

In 2013, the Medical Mediation Foundation and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital initiated a project to explore the nature and impact of conflict across paediatrics. Interestingly, staff were initially reluctant to name disagreements as ‘conflict’, but widespread canvassing of experience yielded a working definition of conflict which has ‘the breakdown of trust and communication breakdown’ and "impact on the ability of staff to provide optimal care to the child" at its core.  The project, based on published research with families and health professionals, provides training to staff in recognising and managing conflict and an independent mediation service available to families, patients and staff to help resolve conflict if it escalates. The Evelina Resolution Project has become a nationally recognised, award-winning training programme.  Interactive, multi-disciplinary sessions (usually half days, 12-20 staff) are co-trained, combining the expertise of a senior consultant paediatrician and an experienced accredited mediator. Six month follow up of a cohort of 313 staff found that more than half had experienced a conflict with a parent or patient since doing the training and of these,  95% reported that the training  had helped them to recognise the warning signs and 91% said it had helped de-escalate the conflict. Feedback from more than 1600 Evelina staff trained to date, provides consistently high ‘quality’ ratings (95% rated the training as excellent/very good), ‘relevance’ ratings (99% - very relevant/relevant) This workshop will offer a condensed version of the training and an opportunity for participants to practise and discuss the skills taught.

Designing Alternative Approaches for Teaching of Some Difficult to Learn Topics in the SHS Visual Art Curriculum

The researcher designed alternative methods to fill some gaps in teaching and learning of four topics, dubbed: “Designed alternative teaching approaches for four topics under General Knowledge in Art, Graphic Design and Picture Making in three Senior High Schools in Ashanti Region, Ghana”. This study employed qualitative research method. Using purposive and simple random sampling techniques, sample of three mixed SHS, 77 respondents comprising fourteen teachers and 63 students were selected for study. Questionnaire responses revealed some shortcomings in teaching and learning of layout, composition, design and lettering topics under GKA, GD and PM in the three SHS. During personal observation of teaching and learning of the four topics’ lessons, Visual Art students used improvised tools like bamboo/cane for calligraphy. Some students used 4/5 or six colours for three colour works, a teacher said, black letters can solely be used for citation. Above flaws and others indicate that some students find it difficult to learn aspect of the four. Some teachers also find it difficult to teach some practical aspects of the four, but they do not declare it. Design of  methods for teaching Layout in  fruit package, motif arrangement, career bag and posters, Composition from objects, scenery, memory/imagination, collage, mosaic, human figure, Design in printmaking, logo, flag,  freestyle and calligraphy lettering under GKA, GD and PM are discussed. He lists some demands of practicals, shortcomings in theory and remedies. He thus, mentions how SHS Arts teachers and students must teach and learn the 4 topics, according to faults detected. Keywords: Teaching, Layout, Composition, Lettering, Visual Art

FACS 170 Introduction to Early Care and Education: A Three Year Analysis and Peer Review of College Teaching/Learning

I. Peer Review of Teaching Project This project provides a way for college faculty to work with others in a supportive context to document and reflect on both the quantity and quality of student learning. Faculty members work in groups of 3-5 for a semester or year to support each other\u27s exploration of not only what students learn but also how they learn, for a particular selected course. Personal goals: To improve teaching delivery and teaching methods for the enhancement of student learning and student professional development. II. UNL\u27s Peer Review Process The purpose is to improve college teaching and “make learning visible” by: • Carefully describing course objectives and structure and investigating teaching strategies and student understanding and performance • Reflecting with others on the course’s effectiveness and the links between teaching and the learning achieved or not achieved • Documenting the process in a course portfolio • Putting the portfolios on the web to be shared among the universities in the Peer Review of Teaching Consortium (Nebraska, Indiana, Kansas State, Michigan, and Texas A&M

The Instructional Processes for the Teaching of Some Difficult Topics in the Ghanaian SHS Visual Art Curriculum

The researcher investigated four topics’teaching-learning processes or described and analyze strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning of four difficult topics in Ghanaian Visual Art curriculum.The study employed qualitative research approach with descriptive research and quasi experimental design research methods. Data were gathered via questionnaire administration and observation. Purposive and simple random sampling procedures were used to select 49 respondents. Questionnaire urged teachers and students to describe teaching and learning of layout, composition, design and lettering in two Senior High Schools, whether there are shortcomings in the four topics’ lessons. Responses revealed that there are no standardized textbooks, inadequate tools, equipment and materials for teachers and students to do practicals in the two SHS. During observation of teaching and learning of the four topics’ lessons in General Knowledge in Art, Graphic Design and Picture Making, it was noted that there were few resources available to the two SHS in Ashanti. As a result, Visual Art students were allowed to use bamboo/cane in calligraphy lessons observed. Some students used more colours than required number. Others made spelling, spacing and layout mistakes. Some words were missing in calligraphy/poster works. Some calligraphies were without border designs or initial letters, not decorated. Some objects were out of proportion. A student wrote freestyle letters in boxes. Teachers did not teach topics like optical spacing cartoon, fabric and edition binding practicals. Students produced pictorial posters without letters. A teacher said, citation can be written with black letters only, letters are in some PM3. Keywords: Instructional Processes, Visual Arts, Curriculum, Teaching, Layout

Assessment of the impact of some common weed management methods on the growth and yield of pineapples in Ghana

A 5X5 Latin Square experiment was conducted in a farmer’s field in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region to evaluate the efficacies of different weed management systems and their effect on pineapple production. The different weed management systems evaluated were T1 - weedy check, T2- manual weed control (hoeing) only, T3- synthetic herbicide alone, T4- manual weed control and plastic mulch and T5- herbicide and plastic mulch. Treatments were replicated five times. Suckers were planted at a spacing of 90cm X 60cm X 25cm on 27 August 2010. Appropriate cultural practices were done at the right times. The results indicated that in all the growth parameters, the two plastic mulched treatments showed the greatest effect, followed by the herbicide-applied only treatment over that of the manual weeding treatment. Weed reemergence was almost nil on the plastic mulched plots. Fruit weight of the two plastic mulched treatments was similar, but was significantly higher than all other treatment effects. However, percentage exportable fruits were similar among the synthetic and plastic mulch treatments. The results showed that farmers are better off if they add plastic mulch to the application of herbicides for more effective weed control and quality fruit yield. Keywords: Weed management, pineapple, plastic mulch, herbicide, forcin

Adopting Successive Approximation Model For The Development Of Locally-Made Interventionary Manipulatives For The Teaching Ang Learning Of Mathematics In Basic Education Context: The Case Of Akrom M/A And Knust Primary Schools

Manipulatives are concrete or virtual objects that enable pupils to visualize abstract mathematical concepts in concrete terms for easy comprehension. They play an important role in the success of effective mathematics education. Preliminary studies in the selected schools revealed that manipulatives were lacking in these schools and that made teaching and learning of some mathematics topics very challenging. This research sought to find out how mathematics is taught in the selected schools to establish the brunt on how the teaching and learning of mathematics is done with or without manipulatives. The two selected schools are public schools or government owned schools. The study is qualitative in nature employing the descriptive and quasi-experimental methods of research. The research instruments employed for the study were interview and observation. The accessible population for the study was 339. This was made up of 6 teachers, 199 teachers and 1 head teacher. The non-probability sampling techniques were employed specifically; convenient sampling was used to hand pick schools that were not too far from the researcher whiles the purposive sampling was used to judgmentally select the school that are been studied. Results from observation in both schools showed that, manipulatives were available for only addition and subtraction. Data from interviews showed that some topics in mathematics are challenging to teach without manipulatives. Successive Approximation Model (SAM) was used to design and develop mathematics manipulatives for five of the challenging topics to teach and learn which were tested in the selected schools to measure their effectiveness. The test scores revealed that pupil’s academic experiences in those challenging mathematics topics improved with the use of manipulatives; pupils’ participation in the classroom also improved drastically. It was recommended that, manipulatives should be available for all topics in mathematics to make teaching and learning easier and fun to improve academic performance of pupils in mathematics

Pengaruh Penempatan dan Disiplin Pegawai dalam Rangka Meningkatkan Kinerja Pegawai pada Dinas Perhubungan Kabupaten Langkat

Dinas Perhubungan Kabupaten Langkat merupakan unsur pelaksana Pemerintah Daerah yang dipimpin oleh seorang Kepala Dinas yang berada dibawah dan bertanggung jawab kepada Bupati melalui Sekretaris Daerah Kabupaten Langkat. Dinas Perhubungan mempunyai tugas melaksanakan urusan pemerintahan daerah di bidang perhubungan dan tugas lain yang diberikan oleh Bupati. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui apakah penempatan memberi pengaruh dalam meningkatan kinerja pegawai di Dinas Perhubungan Kabupaten Langkat, untuk mengetahui apakah disiplin pegawai memberi pengaruh dalam meningkatan kinerja pegawai di Dinas Perhubungan Kabupaten Langkat dan untuk meogetahui apakah penempatan dan disiplin pegawai memberi pengaruh dalam meningkatan kinerja pegawai di Dinas Perhubungan Kabupaten Langkat. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian asosiatif. Sampel penelitian ini adalah pegawai negeri sipil yang digunakan sebagai sampel yang berjumlah 87 orang. Sedangkan teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan data primer berupa pengamatan/ observasl dan menyebarkan angket pada pada responden yang dijadikan sampel penelitian serta data sekunder dengan melakukan studi kepustakaan untuk mendapatkan data-data yang berkaitan dengan masalah penelitian. Teknik analisis yang dipergunakan adalah analisa regresi OLS dengan memakai program software SPSS 15.00 for windows. Berdasarkan hasil pembahasan penelitian diketahui bahwa penempatan dan disiplin pegawai secara parsial dan simultan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja pegawai di Dinas Perhubungan Kabupaten Langkat

Conflict in a paediatric hospital: a prospective mixed-method study

Background Conflict in healthcare is a well-recognised but under-examined phenomenon. Little is known about the prevalence and causes of conflict across paediatric specialties.  Objective To report the frequency and characteristics of conflict in a paediatric hospital.  Design and setting An explanatory sequential mixed-method approach was adopted. A bespoke questionnaire recorded frequency, severity, cause and staff involved in conflict prospectively. Data were recorded for the same two 12-week periods in 2013 and 2014, in one UK children's teaching hospital. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation, the findings of which informed the construction of a semistructured interview schedule. Qualitative interviews were conducted with six key informant healthcare professionals to aid data interpretation; interviews were analysed thematically.  Results 136 individual episodes of conflict were reported. The three most common causes were ‘communication breakdown’, ‘disagreements about treatment’ and ‘unrealistic expectations’. Over 448 h of healthcare professional time was taken up by these conflicts; most often staff nurses, consultants, doctors in training and matrons. The mean severity rating was 4.9 out of 10. Qualitative interviews revealed consensus regarding whether conflicts were ranked as low, medium or high severity, and explanations regarding why neurology recorded the highest number of conflicts in the observed period.  Conclusions Conflict is prevalent across paediatric specialties, and particularly in neurology, general paediatrics and neonatology. Considerable staff time is taken in managing conflict, indicating a need to focus resources on supporting staff to resolve conflict, notably managing communication breakdown