An Approach to Monitoring and Assessing Online/Hybrid J.D. Programs

The expansion of distance learning among American Bar Association (ABA)-approved J.D. programs has the potential to increase access to a legal education, especially for students who have traditionally faced barriers to J.D. attainment because of employment, family duties, geographical location, and other circumstances. Compared to attending class in person, distance learning provides greater flexibility and increased convenience and may also result in cost savings since students do not have to relocate or forgo earnings to enroll full-time. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only a few law schools offered ABA-approved hybrid J.D. programs, but the pandemic temporarily forced all law schools online and, subsequently, seems to have spurred the creation of additional hybrid and fully online J.D. programs. Despite the increasing number of law schools with distance education programs, there has been limited research on the successes and challenges these schools encountered as they initiated and grew their hybrid and online programs. We know little about which aspects of these law programs, including their specific pedagogies, are most beneficial to improving student engagement and learning outcomes and how the impact of these programs varies depending on student characteristics. This guide serves as a primer to law schools and other parties interested in evaluating hybrid J.D. programs. Its instructions and recommendations are based on a recent formative evaluation we conducted of an ABA-approved, hybrid J.D. program. Within each evaluation step outlined below, we recommend activities, strategies, and issues to consider for both formative and summative assessments

Influence of rural-urban migration on the fertility of migrants in developing

노트 : Final repor

Online Training on Formative Assessment for Early Language, Literacy, and Numeracy (ELLN) in the Philippines: Final report

This report describes findings and lessons learned from an online teacher training course in the Philippines. Becoming a Learning Detective is a 5-day online course that focuses on the design and use of formative assessment to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in Kindergarten to Grade 3 (K–3) classrooms. The emphasis is on classroom-based assessment strategies that are embedded within daily teaching and learning experiences, involving an active partnership between teacher and students. The course brings together asynchronous and synchronous elements, as well as whole group, small group, and individual learning experiences. The course was implemented for the first time among a small cohort of participants across 17 regions in the Philippines. Findings and recommendations of this initial training are being applied toward strengthening the course prior to offering it at a larger scale in the Philippines

Assessment and improvement of biotransfer models to cow’s milk and beef used in exposure assessment tools for organic pollutants

The aim of this study was to assess and improve the accuracy of biotransfer models for the organic pollutants (PCBs, PCDD/Fs, PBDEs, PFCAs, and pesticides) into cow’s milk and beef used in human exposure assessment. Metabolic rate in cattle is known as a key parameter for this biotransfer, however few experimental data and no simulation methods are currently available. In this research, metabolic rate was estimated using existing QSAR biodegradation models of microorganisms (BioWIN) and fish (EPI-HL and IFS-HL). This simulated metabolic rate was then incorporated into the mechanistic cattle biotransfer models (RAIDAR, ACC-HUMAN, OMEGA, and CKow). The goodness of fit tests showed that RAIDAR, ACC-HUMAN, OMEGA model performances were significantly improved using either of the QSARs when comparing the new model outputs to observed data. The CKow model is the only one that separates the processes in the gut and liver. This model showed the lowest residual error of all the models tested when the BioWIN model was used to represent the ruminant metabolic process in the gut and the two fish QSARs were used to represent the metabolic process in the liver. Our testing included EUSES and CalTOX which are KOW-regression models that are widely used in regulatory assessment. New regressions based on the simulated rate of the two metabolic processes are also proposed as an alternative to KOW-regression models for a screening risk assessment. The modified CKow model is more physiologically realistic, but has equivalent usability to existing KOW-regression models for estimating cattle biotransfer of organic pollutants

Correlates of psychological distress and major depressive disorder among African American men

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88155/1/lincoln_taylor_watkins_chatters2011.pd

Protected Aquatic Insects of Latvia - Leucorrhinia albifrons (BURMEISTER, 1839) and L. caudalis (CHARPENTIER, 1840) (Odonata: Libellulidae)

Abstract: The Eastern White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia albifrons (BURMEISTER, 1839) and Dainty White-faced Darter L. caudalis (CHARPENTIER, 1840

Understanding emotionally relevant situations in primary care dental practice: 1. Clinical situations and emotional responses

Background and aims. The stressful nature of dental practice is well established. Much less information is available on the coping strategies used by dentists and the emotions which underlie the stressful experience. Previous research has been almost exclusively questionnaire-based, limiting the range of emotions explored. This study used qualitative methods to explore the full extent of emotions and coping strategies associated with stressful events in primary dental practice. Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 dentists in Lincoln and the surrounding area. Verbatim transcriptions were analysed using thematic analysis. Results. Participants reported a wide variety of stressful situations, consistent with the existing literature, which were associated with a diverse range of negative emotional responses including anxiety, anger and sadness. Dentists tended to have more difficulty identifying positive events and emotions. The designation of a situation as stressful or otherwise was dependent on the dentist's personal interpretation of the event. Data relating to the effects of stressors and the coping strategies used by dentists will be presented in subsequent papers. Conclusion. The situations which dentists find difficult are accompanied by a diverse set of emotions, rather than omnipresent 'stress.' This has implications for stress management programmes for those in dental practic

Leaving no-one behind? Informal economies, economic inclusion, and Islamic extremism in Nigeria

This article examines how the Post-2015 commitment to economic inclusion affects informal economic actors in developing countries. It highlights the selective dynamics of inclusive market models which generate new processes of exclusion in which the most vulnerable continue to be left behind. The case of Nigeria reveals how inclusive market initiatives reinforce parallel processes of informalization, poverty and Islamic extremism in the north of the country. Fieldwork in northern Nigeria shows that inclusive initiatives are intensifying competitive struggles within the informal economy in which stronger actors are crowding out poorer, less educated and migrant actors, exacerbating disaffection and vulnerability to radicalization

A study to explore specific stressors and coping strategies in primary dental care practice

Background and Aims: It is widely acknowledged that dentists experience occupational stress. This qualitative study aimed to explore previously identified specific stressors in more detail in order to inform the development of a future stress management programme. Method: Two focus groups of dentists (N: 7 & 6) were conducted to explore, in more detail, nine specific stressors and concepts; being out of one’s comfort zone, zoning out from the patient, celebrating the positive aspects of work, thinking aloud, the effect of hurting patients, the impact of perfectionism, responsibility for patient’s self-care, the emotional impact of difficult situations as a foundation dentist. Participants were also asked for their views on the structure and contents of the proposed stress management package. Verbatim transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Results and Discussion: Dentists described the impact of these stressors and their current coping methods; thematic analysis revealed 9 themes which covered the above concepts and a further overall theme of need for control. The findings are elaborated in connection to their relevant stress, coping and emotion psychological theory. Their implications for personal well-being and clinical outcomes are discussed. Conclusion: Dentists’ stressful and coping experiences are complex and it is essential that any stress management programme reflects this and that the skills are easily accessible and sustainable within the context of a busy dental practice