Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Group-based Assessments'

[EN] The main objectives of this research are the following. First, to analyse the models and methods in Decision Support Systems (DSS) for forest management, taking into account the important features which allow forestry related problems to be categorized. Second, to define strategic criteria for the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests, as well as to elicit and aggregate the stakeholders' preferences. Third, to propose a robust methodology to implement collaborative management focused on ESS and to develop indicators for the main functions of ESS. The methodology is based on a workshop and surveys to elicit the decision makers', experts' and other stakeholders' preferences. Several techniques were then used to aggregate individual judgements and determine social preferences, in particular, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Goal Programming (GP). In addition, a PROMETHEE based method has been developed to provide indicators of the ESS, classified into provisioning, maintenance and direct to citizens services. The analysis of DSS for forest management has shown that the best choice of approach to solve a given problem depend on its nature, which can be characterized by the temporal scale, spatial context, spatial scale, number of decision makers or stakeholders, objectives and finally goods and services involved. A decision hierarchy for strategic management of Valencian forests has been developed by involving experts during the design phase. This was later validated in consultation with the stakeholders in a workshop and provides the base from which to obtain the social preferences. The results show greater importance for environmental and social criteria and lesser relevance for economic criteria, valid for both public and private Mediterranean forests. This result is the same regardless of which preference aggregation technique was used and takes into account the preferences of the majority of the stakeholders and also the minority opinions furthest from the consensus. New products and services such as rural tourism, renewable energies, landscape, hydrological regulation and erosion control, biodiversity and climate change mitigation are relevant. This research also proposes a robust methodology to implement collaborative management focused on ESS provided by protected areas and aggregated indicators for their main functions. Decision makers, technical staff and other stakeholders are included in the process from the beginning, by identifying ESS and eliciting preferences using the AHP method. Qualitative and quantitative data are then integrated into a PROMETHEE based method in order to obtain indicators for provisioning, maintenance and direct to citizens services. This methodology, which has been applied in a forest natural park, provides a tool for exploiting available technical and social data in a continuous process, as well as graphical results, which are easy to understand. This approach also overcomes the difficulties found in prioritising management objectives in a multiple criteria context with limited resources and facilitates consensus between all of the people involved. The new indicators define an innovative approach to assessing the ESS from the supply perspective and provide basic information to help establish payment systems for environmental services and compensation for natural disasters.
[ES] Los principales objetivos de esta investigación son los siguientes. En primer lugar, analizar los modelos y los métodos de los sistemas de ayuda a la toma de decisiones para gestión forestal, teniendo en cuenta las características relevantes que permiten clasificar los problemas forestales. En segundo lugar, definir los criterios estratégicos para la gestión forestal sostenible del bosque mediterráneo, así como obtener y agregar las preferencias de los decisores y otras partes interesadas. En tercer lugar, proponer una metodología robusta para implementar una gestión colaborativa centrada en los servicios del ecosistema y desarrollar indicadores para las principales funciones de estos servicios. La metodología se fundamenta en una jornada de trabajo con decisores, expertos y otros grupos de personas interesadas, así como en encuestas a todos ellos. Después se han utilizado varias técnicas para agregar las preferencias individuales y determinar las preferencias de los distintos grupos sociales, en particular el proceso analítico jerárquico y la programación por metas. Adicionalmente, se ha desarrollado un método basado en PROMETHEE que permite obtener indicadores de los servicios del ecosistema, clasificados en servicios de producción, mantenimiento y directos a los ciudadanos. El análisis de los sistemas de ayuda a la toma de decisiones para gestión forestal ha puesto de manifiesto que los mejores enfoques para resolver los problemas forestales dependen de su naturaleza, caracterizada por la escala temporal, el contexto espacial, la escala espacial, el número de decisores o personas interesadas, el número de objetivos y por último los bienes y servicios involucrados. Se ha desarrollado una jerarquía de decisión para la gestión estratégica de los bosques valencianos involucrando a expertos en la fase de diseño. Este modelo fue validado posteriormente por las partes interesadas en una jornada organizada con esta finalidad y ha sido la base para obtener las preferencias sociales. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la mayor importancia de los criterios medioambientales y sociales y la menor relevancia de los económicos, tanto para el monte mediterráneo público como privado. Este resultado es independiente del método de agregación utilizado y tiene en cuenta tanto las preferencias de la mayoría como de la minoría más alejada del consenso. Son relevantes los nuevos productos y servicios tales como el turismo rural, las energías renovables, el paisaje, la regulación hidrológica y el control de la erosión, la biodiversidad y la mitigación del cambio climático. Esta investigación también propone una metodología robusta para implementar una gestión colaborativa centrada en los servicios del ecosistema que proporcionan las áreas protegidas e indicadores agregados para sus principales funciones. Los responsables de las decisiones, el personal técnico y otras personas interesadas han participado desde el inicio del proceso, identificando los servicios del ecosistema y proporcionado sus preferencias mediante la técnica del proceso analítico jerárquico. Después se integran los datos cualitativos y cuantitativos en un método basado en PROMETHEE con la finalidad de obtener indicadores para los servicios de producción, mantenimiento y directos a los ciudadanos. Esta metodología, que se ha aplicado en un parque natural, facilita la explotación de los datos técnicos y sociales en un proceso continuo y proporciona resultados gráficos muy fáciles de entender. Este enfoque también permite superar las dificultades que surgen al priorizar los objetivos de gestión en un contexto multicriterio con recursos limitados y facilita el consenso entre todas las personas involucradas. Los nuevos indicadores representan un enfoque innovador para la valoración de los servicios del ecosistema desde el punto de vista de la oferta y proporcionan información básica para establecer sistemas de pagos por
[CAT] Els principals objectius d'aquesta recerca són els següents. En primer lloc, analitzar els models i els mètodes dels sistemes d'ajuda a la presa de decisions per a gestió forestal, tenint en compte les característiques rellevants que permeten classificar els problemes forestals. En segon lloc, definir els criteris estratègics per a la gestió forestal sostenible del bosc mediterrani, com també obtenir i agregar les preferències dels decisors i altres parts interessades. En tercer lloc, proposar una metodologia robusta per a implementar una gestió col·laborativa centrada en els serveis de l'ecosistema i desenvolupar indicadors per a les principals funcions d'aquests serveis. La metodologia es fonamenta en una jornada de treball amb decisors, experts i altres grups de persones interessades, i també en enquestes a tots ells. Després s'han utilitzat diverses tècniques per a afegir-hi les preferències individuals i determinar les preferències dels diferents grups socials, en particular el procés analític jeràrquic i la programació per metes. Addicionalment, s'ha desenvolupat un mètode basat en PROMETHEE que permet obtenir indicadors dels serveis de l'ecosistema, classificats en serveis de producció, manteniment i directes als ciutadans. L'anàlisi dels sistemes d'ajuda a la presa de decisions per a la gestió forestal ha posat de manifest que els millors enfocaments per a resoldre els problemes forestals depenen de la naturalesa d'aquests problemes, caracteritzada per l'escala temporal, el context espacial, l'escala espacial, el nombre de decisors o persones interessades, el nombre d'objectius i, finalment, els béns i serveis involucrats. S'ha desenvolupat una jerarquia de decisió per a la gestió estratègica dels boscos valencians involucrant experts en la fase de disseny. Aquest model ha sigut validat posteriorment per les parts interessades en una jornada organitzada amb aquesta finalitat i ha sigut la base per a obtenir les preferències socials. Els resultats posen de manifest la major importància dels criteris mediambientals i socials i la menor rellevància dels econòmics, tant per a la muntanya mediterrània pública com privada. Aquest resultat és independent del mètode d'agregació utilitzat i té en compte tant les preferències de la majoria com de la minoria més allunyada del consens. Són rellevants els nous productes i serveis, com ara el turisme rural, les energies renovables, el paisatge, la regulació hidrològica i el control de l'erosió, la biodiversitat i la mitigació del canvi climàtic. Aquesta recerca també proposa una metodologia robusta per a implementar una gestió col·laborativa centrada en els serveis de l'ecosistema que proporcionen les àrees protegides i indicadors agregats per a les seues funcions principals. Els responsables de les decisions, el personal tècnic i altres persones interessades hi han participat des de l'inici del procés, identificant els serveis de l'ecosistema i proporcionant les seues preferències mitjançant la tècnica del procés analític jeràrquic. Després s'integren les dades qualitatives i quantitatives en un mètode basat en PROMETHEE amb la finalitat d'obtenir indicadors per als serveis de producció, manteniment i directes als ciutadans. Aquesta metodologia, que s'ha aplicat en un parc natural, facilita l'explotació de les dades tècniques i socials en un procés continu i proporciona resultats gràfics molt fàcils d'entendre. Aquest enfocament també permet superar les dificultats que sorgeixen a l'hora de prioritzar els objectius de gestió en un context multicriteri amb recursos limitats i facilita el consens entre totes les persones involucrades. Els nous indicadors representen un enfocament innovador per a la valoració dels serveis de l'ecosistema des del punt de vista de l'oferta i proporcionen informació bàsica per a establir sistemes de pagaments per serveis ambientals i compensacions per desastres naturals.
Segura Maroto, M. (2015). ASSESSMENT OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES BASED ON MULTIPLE CRITERIA AND GROUP DECISION MAKING [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/57955
TESIS

The overarching aim of the present thesis is to gain knowledge about how Rwandan university students understand and practice group-based learning. Specifically, this research takes a social constructivist perspective when examining how second year students within the area of Modern Languages reflect on collaborative writing and peer assessment as means to promote academic writing and active learning. Four studies make up this research. Thus, Study I examines how students carry out self-directed group work in writing. Study II investigates how instructor-guided writing groups can help promote students’ collaborative learning. Study III explores in what ways process writing as instruction method can help develop students’ academic writing abilities and Study IV focuses on how students experience peer assessment and peer feedback on group writing. The data, which are qualitative, were collected by means of interviews carried out with groups of students. The findings show that students perceive and conduct group-based learning in different ways, which can impact the quality of their learning. Also, based on initial support and guidance from the course instructor, most students acknowledged having been able to take stock of their common writing abilities and understand in what ways peer assessment and peer feedback can help them improve, and thus enrich their learning. A few students considered the common writing process time consuming though. In conclusion, some strategies are suggested to further improve group-based learning.
Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att söka kunskap om hur universitetsstudenter i Rwanda förstår och praktiserar gruppbaserat lärande. Teoretiskt utgår den från ett socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv med särskilt fokus riktat mot hur studenter inom ämnesområdet moderna språk reflekterar över kollaborativt skrivande och inbördes bedömning som ett sätt att främja akademiskt skrivande och aktivt lärande. Avhandlingen består av fyra studier. I studie I undersöks studenters reflektioner över hur deras självstyrda skrivande i grupp genomförs. Studie II belyser lärarens roll i lärarlett skrivande i grupp och hur det kan påverka studenters kollaborativa lärande. I studie III studeras på vilket sätt metoder som synliggör skrivprocessen kan stödja studenters utveckling inom akademiskt skrivande. Studie IV fokuserar hur studenter erfar inbördes bedömning av skrivande i grupp. Data består av kvalitativa intervjuer genomförda med grupper av studenter under deras andra högskoleår Resultaten visar att studenterna uppfattar och genomför gruppbaserat lärande på olika sätt vilket kan påverka kvaliteten på deras lärande. Givet ett initialt stöd och vägledning från läraren som grund, bekräftade de flesta studenterna att de i grupparbetet kunde utnyttja sin gemensamma skrivförmåga och förstå på vilket sätt inbördes utvärdering kan hjälpa dem att förbättra sitt skrivande och därmed berika deras lärande. Vissa ansåg dock att den gemensamma skrivprocessen var tidsödande. Avslutningsvis föreslås strategier som kan användas för att ytterligare förbättra ett gruppbaserat lärande.

ABSTRACT Predicting On-the-Job Teacher Success Based on a Group Assessment Procedure Used for Admission to Teacher Education by LaVaun Gene Faulk, Doctor of Education Utah State University, 2008 Major Professor: Deborah Byrnes, Ph.D. Department: Elementary Education Students who have graduated in Elementary Education at Utah State University, since 1997 when the group assessment interview procedure was adopted, and have been employed as teachers for at least two years were contacted. Students were located with the help of the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) and the Office of Teacher Education, Graduation, and Educator Licensing at USU. Permission to interview each teacher’s supervisor was obtained from each study participant. Principals were contacted and interview dates set. A self-anchoring interview was conducted to provide quantitative data on the success of each teacher. This new data was then used to compare each participant’s success as seen by supervisors to existing data already on record at USU. Specifically, principal interview data were compared to the participant’s student teaching scores, prior academic achievement data (grade point average and American College Test scores), and ratings the teacher received on the group assessment interviews when applying to the elementary education teacher training program at USU. (107 pages)

This action research study focuses on students' perceptions of group work and its assessment. The research records a four-year study involving 729 first, second and third year undergraduate students. Having started with an exploration into students' perceptions of group work, it identified social loafing as students' key concern, explored ways to alleviate the problem, presented students with a range of options and ended with an examination of students' perceptions of the formative and summative peer assessment process they chose to implement. Research was undertaken using a mixed model design referred to as "intramethod mixing" by Johnson and Turner (2003, p. 298). This involved the concurrent and sequential use of a single method (questionnaires) that included both qualitative and quantitative components. As a result of the research a pragmatic and evidence-based approach to the assessment of group work on undergraduate courses is suggested. Also six overarching themes emerged: • Group work as a social activity that can foster the development of a community of practice. • Students' lack of knowledge of how to work in groups and need for relevant training. • Students' dislike of receiving one group mark for group work. • Tension between fairness, transparency and validity when peers summatively assess peers' contribution to group work. • The role of formative peer assessment (which should remain anonymous) in assessment as learning. • Tension between the delegation of control over the assessment process and the tutor's role as assessor.

Early identification practices in assessment are crucial to preventing academic failure as well as identifying students at-risk for later learning disabilities. The PAM Early Numeracy Screening is a set of subscales designed to measure early numeracy in kindergarten students in a group setting. Given that the existing early numeracy measures are individually administered, the purpose of the current study was to explore the psychometric properties of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Correlational analysis was the primary research design used to investigate the evidence of reliability, criterion-related validity, and construct validity of the PAM Early Numeracy Screening. Criterion measures included the KeyMath-3 Diagnostic Assessment, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, Eighth Edition, Early Math Measures Study Teacher Rating of Students’ Math Proficiency, and the Early Numeracy Indicators. The sample consisted of 97 kindergarten students from a school district in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Results support the PAM Early Numeracy Screening as a promising group administered measure of early numeracy in kindergarten. Implications for future research include investigating the internal structure of the subscales and exploring evidence of predictive validity of the subscales, specifically the Quantity Discrimination subscale to independently predict later math achievement.

This thesis examines pupils’ justice conceptions regarding educational assessment. Due to the context-dependency of norms and values as well as of assessment, the study compares the justice conceptions of pupils in two different’socio-educational’ contexts: Sweden and Germany. The main interest of the study is to understand and to reconstruct pupils’ own relevance structures and what just assessment means from a pupils’ point of view. Here, the study aims to reach beyond the level of mere description by providing theoretical conceptualisations of pupils’ justice conceptions regarding assessment. Thus, the study´s methodological foundation is characterised by a combination of a context-sensitive comparative approach on the one hand, and on the other hand a pragmatist Grounded Theory approach. Data were mainly generated through focus group interviews with pupils attending the last year of the lower secondary level in the Swedish comprehensive school as well as in different school types in the German school system. In total, the sample consists of 95 pupils, who were interviewed in 21 focus group interviews. In addition, other sources of data were included, such as regulations and guidelines that supported a context-sensitive analysis of pupils’ conceptions. The theoretical conceptualisation that explains pupils’ justice conceptions is ‘meta-assessment’. ‘Meta-assessment’ refers to pupils’ evaluation of the assessment they experience in terms of justice and represents the shared, abductively derived and overlying analytical category regarding pupils’ conceptions. Pupils’ ‘meta-assessment’ is based on normative justice conceptions as well as on justice conceptions that are related to pupils’ situation and context-bound experiences with assessment. The first ones are about the ethico-moral character of pupils’ justice conceptions. The second shed light on the contextual conditions and consequences of the logics and practices underlying educational assessment as experienced by pupils on an everyday basis. This implies that just assessment from a pupils’ perspective needs to be understood in its wider contextual embedment; and in relation to teaching and learning in order to understand the complex interrelations of what just assessment ‘is’, and ‘should be’ from the perspective of those, who are mainly affected by it.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the fifth most common cancer among women and has the highest mortality of any cancer of the female reproductive system. The majority (61%) of OC cases are diagnosed at a distant stage. Because diagnoses occur most commonly at a late-stage and prognosis for advanced disease is poor, research focusing on the development of effective OC screening methods to facilitate early detection in high-risk, asymptomatic women is fundamental in reducing OC-specific mortality. Presently, there is no screening modality proven efficacious in reducing OC-mortality. However, transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) has shown value in early detection of OC. TVS presents with the possibility of false positive results which occur when a women receives an abnormal TVS screening test result that is deemed benign following repeat testing (about 7% of the time). The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the impact of false positive TVS screening test results on a variety of psychological and behavioral outcomes using mixed and trajectory statistical modeling. The three specific aims of this dissertation were to 1) compare psychological and behavioral outcomes between women receiving normal and false positive results, 2) identify characteristics of women receiving false positive results associated with increased OC-specific distress and 3) characterize distress trajectories following receipt of false positive results. Analyses included a subset of women participating in an experimental study conducted through the University of Kentucky Ovarian Cancer Screening Program. 750 women completed longitudinal assessments: 375 false positive and 375 normal results. Mixed and group-based trajectory modeling were used to evaluate the specific aims. Results suggest women receiving false positive TVS result experience increased OC-specific distress compared to women receiving normal results. Among those receiving false positives, less education, no history of an abnormal screening test result, less optimism and more social constraint were associated with increased OC-specific distress. Family history was associated with increased distress among women with monitoring informational coping styles. Three distinct trajectories characterize the trajectory of distress over a four-month study period. Although decreasing over time, a notable proportion of women experience sustained high levels of OC-specific distress.

Bedömning av kvaliteten är en av de viktigaste processerna som en lärare utför varje arbetsdag för att kunna relatera elevernas prestationer mot ett kulturellt och individuellt anpassat betygssystem. Med ambitionen att främja jämställdhet och reliabilitet av bedömningar tillhandahåller Skolverket bedömningskrav och kriterier för att skilja olika grader av kvalitet (Selghed 2011). Dessa kriterier förefaller emellertid ibland otydliga och inte lämpliga för att särskilja mellan kvalitativa nivåer, särskilt på högre nivåer, vilka därför kan uppfattas som delvis överlappande. Som följd finns det mycket utrymme för tolkning av den enskilda läraren när det slutliga bedömningssystemet konstrueras (Schreiber et al., 2012, Selghed 2011). En alternativ bedömningsmetod som är rekommenderad av t.ex. Hattie (2012), är den mindre komplexa SOLO-taxonomin vilken idag används i de högre utbildnings miljöer.För att uppskatta överlappningen mellan resultat som härrör från olika bedömningsmetoder analyserar denna studie kvalitetsnivåer av en skrivuppgift av andraårs-gymnasieelever med hjälp av det läroplanbaserade betygssystemet och SOLO-taxonomin. Med hjälp av principiell komponentanalys (PCA) och korrelationsanalys kunde man dra slutsatsen att de olika bedömningsmetoderna är lämpliga för att skilja högre från lägre komplexitet eller kvalitetsnivåer. Men SOLO-taxonomin kunde inte tydligt skilja de mer sofistikerade skillnaderna mellan högre betygsnivå A och B.Dessutom undersökte denna studie om en noggrant genomförd konstruktivistisk undervisningsdesign oundvikligen resulterar i högkvalitativa skriftliga arbeten. Detta analyserades med hjälp av PCA och korrelationsanalys av relationen mellan deltagarnas kunskapssyn och bedömningsresultatet. Inom detta sammanhang kunde det dras slutsatsen att (I) en mer sofistikerad syn på naturen av kunskap och kunskap och (II) heterogeniteten hos en studentgrupp med avseende på kunskapssynen verkar vara kopplad till högre kvalitativa prestationer. Bevis för en korrelation mellan elevernas individuella kunskapssyn och de valda inlärningsmetoderna diskuteras inom ramen för en generell lämplighet av konstruktivistiska undervisningsmetoder.

Forecasting eruptions using volcano seismology is a subject that affects the lives and property of millions of people around the world. However, there is still much to learn about the inner workings of volcanoes and how this relates to the chance of eruption. This dissertation attempts to increase the breadth of knowledge aimed at helping to understand when a volcano is likely to erupt and how large that eruption might be. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on a technique that uses changes in the local stress field beneath a volcano to determine the source of these changes and help forecast eruptions, while Chapter 4 focuses on a technique that shows great potential to be used to image magma chambers beneath volcanoes by using receiver functions. In Chapters 2 and 3 the source mechanisms of shallow volcano-tectonic earthquakes recorded at Mount St. Helens are investigated by calculating hypocenter locations and fault plane solutions (FPS) for shallow earthquakes recorded during two eruptive periods (1981-1986 and 2004-2008) and two non-eruptive periods (1987-2004 and 2008-2011). FPS show a mixture of normal, reverse, and strike-slip faulting during all periods, with a sharp increase in strike-slip faulting observed in 1987-1997 and an increase in normal faulting between 1998 and 2004 and again on September 25-29, 2004. FPS P-axis orientations (a proxy for ó1) show a ~90° rotation with respect to regional ó1 (N23°E) during 1981-1986 and 2004-2008, bimodal orientations (~N-S and ~E-W) during 1987-2004, and bimodal orientations at ~N-E and ~S-W from 2008-2011. These orientations are believed to be due to pressurization accompanying the shallow intrusion and subsequent eruption of magma as domes during 1981-1986 and 2004-2008, and the buildup of pore pressure beneath a shallow seismogenic volume during 1987-2004 and 2008-2011. Chapter 4 presents a study using receiver functions, which show the relative response of the Earth beneath a seismometer. Receiver functions are produced by deconvolving the vertical component of a seismogram from the horizontal components. The structure of the ground beneath the seismometer can then be inferred from the arrivals of P-to-S converted phases. Receiver functions were computed for the Katmai Volcanic Group, Alaska, at two seismic stations (KABU and KAKN) between January 2005 and July 2011. Receiver functions from station KABU clearly showed the arrival of the direct P-wave and the arrival from the Moho; however, receiver functions from station KAKN did not show the arrival from the Moho. In addition, changes in the amplitude and polarity of arrivals on receiver functions suggested that the structure beneath both KABU and KAKN was complex. Station KABU is likely underlain by dipping layers and/or anisotropy, while station KAKN may lie over a basin structure, an attenuating body, or some other highly complex structure. However, it is impossible to say for certain what the structure is under either station as the azimuthal coverage is poor and thus the structure is unable to be modeled. This dissertation also includes a section (Chapter 6) on the assessment of spreadsheet-based modules used in two Introductory Physical Geology courses at the University of South Florida (USF). When faculty at USF began using spreadsheet-based modules to help teach students math and geology concepts the students complained that they spent more time learning how to use Excel than they did learning the concepts presented in the modules. To determine whether the sharp learning curve for Excel was hindering learning we divided the students in two Introductory Physical Geology courses into two groups: one group was given a set of modules which instructed them to use Excel for all calculations; the other group was simply told to complete the calculations but was not instructed what method to use. The results of the study show that whether or not the students used Excel had very little to do with the level of learning they achieved. Despite complaints that Excel was hindering their learning, students in the study attained high gains for both the math and geology concepts presented in the modules whether they used Excel or not.

A pilot study of the use of groupwork in biology education at the Griffiths Mxenge College of Education: The Government of National Unity in 1994 introduced a new educational policy for the country. This represented a shift in paradigm from a transmission mode of teaching and learning to learner-centered education. The shift marks a transformation from a contentbased curriculum to an outcomes based education (aBE). aBE, which is underpinned by Constructivism and Social Constructivism advocates for the use of groupwork as a strategy for achieving the outcomes envisaged in our learners. The challenge facing teachers and educators is how to implement outcomes based education. The intention of this research is therefore to serve as a pilot project to find out about how groupwork may be used in teaching. It looks at types of groups, considerations a teacher should have in forming groups, dynamics which come into play during teaching and gives suggestions as to how groupwork problems may be solved. Others issued are also raised which were not fully covered in the research. It is the hope of the researcher that the project would be a basis for further research on the use of group work in teaching under outcomes based education. Towards an effective implementation of assessment of biology practical work under "curriculum 2005" Transformation taking place in education in the Republic of South Africa has implications for assessment. It involves a move away from the transmission mode of teaching and learning, to a learner-centered education with the attainment of outcomes. It is a move away from the summative mode of assessment to a formative mode, where assessment leads to the development of the learner and monitor and support teaching and learning. Questions arise as to what to assess, how, when to assess and by whom? This research project is an initial attempt to look at how this assessment policy may be implemented effectively in schools and colleges, using the teaching and learning of practical biology as a tool. It looks at examples of assessment methods that may be used to assess learners work, their functions and problems that may arise in the teachers attempt to transform hislher practices. Suggestions are made on factors to consider in implementing assessment practice and how problems, which may arise in assessment, may be overcome.

Thesis (Ph.d.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006
The research investigates the use of the Communicative Learning Programmes in the English First Additional Language (EFAL) Senior phase classrooms in the Free State province. During the turn of the twentieth century, syllabi were tools that were designed and provided by the Department of Education to the schools. Recent changes in education in South Africa now expect educators to design these learning programmes. The Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) details steps that educators can follow in order to design the learning programmes for their learning areas. Outcomes-Based Education encompasses the eight learning areas in the Senior phase, namely Languages, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Economic and Management Sciences, Social Science, Technology, Life Orientation, and Arts and Culture. The learning area that this study focuses on is Languages. EFAL is one of the languages that form the learning area of Languages. EFAL comprises six learning outcomes that have to be interpreted by the educators and achieved by the learners by linking teaching and learning with the accompanying assessment standards. Through the use of the communicative approach and co-operative strategies during group work, this study adds to the body of knowledge communicative learning programmes that Senior phase EFAL educators can use to assist and complement their current strategies.

This qualitative case study was designed to investigate mentors and mentees and their relationships in a formal group-mentoring program. Results and findings were expected to contribute to the literature on how to best support future new faculty and senior faculty careers by providing data on the opinions of those who participated in the mentoring program. The study may also add to the limited literature on the successes and challenges of using a group mentoring model. The researcher interviewed 20 faculty members who participated in a formal mentoring program. The interviews examined how and in what ways faculty mentors and mentees describe what they understand, integrate, and implement in their relationship after going through this program; the mentors’ and mentees’ perceptions of the materials and activities in the program in supporting their efforts in developing a mentoring relationship; and after completing the mentorship program, the success and challenges in sustaining an effective mentoring relationship. In addition to interviews, a focus group was conducted and archival documentation was reviewed. The study site was a private 4-year college in the eastern region of the United States. Data collection included interviews, a focus group, and documents. Interpretation analysis was used to identify themes. An analysis of the data revealed the importance that experiences, resources, knowledge, trust, support, and feelings of connection to the institution have on an a successful mentoring relationship in a group mentoring model.

碩士
東南科技大學
工業管理研究所
101
A process-based business usually completes its goal by a series of operations. Each task in this process may have different types, volumes, or significance in the operations. The traditional productivity-based assessment methods are difficult to derive fair results for the individual in such business process. This paper presents a novel method to do the group and individual performance assessments for a process-based business in terms of flow network analysis. Examples are given to comprehensively explain the proposed method.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008.
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1733. Adviser: Michaelene M. Ostrosky. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-79) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

The purpose of the study was to investigate factors that affect students’ perceptions of the use of online peer and self assessment in an online collaborative learning environment, and to explore the impacts of the assessments on the online collaboration of the students. The setting of this study was a university graduate-level online credit course entitled Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), in which all course activities were conducted collaboratively through online communications and online peer and self assessment was provided at the end of every group project. Data sources included: face-to-face or online video conferencing interviews with 14 participants; participants’ written reflections; their portfolios; messages that each participant posted to their group online discussion board; and peers’ and self comments on the online peer and self assessment. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) grounded theory approach. Results of the data analysis showed that many factors allowed students to have varied perceptions, attitudes, and feelings in conducting the online peer and self assessment. The factors were grouped into three: learning context, individual differences, and online learning community. Learning context encompassed all parts of the CSCL online course strongly related to the peer and self assessment, including course elements, online assessment system, types of assessment feedback, and graduate school environment. Categories under the factor of individual differences included stringency-leniency in ratings, objectivity of ratings, previous assessment experience, purpose of the assessments, and degree of self-confidence in assessing their own contributions to the group activity. Categories related to the online learning community included group composition, engagement of group members, and sense of community. Additionally, the results revealed the impact of the use of peer and self assessment on the group collaboration in terms of understanding others’ perspectives, reflections on themselves, awareness of the assessments, interpersonal skills for collaboration, accountability, participation, personal criteria for the assessments, level of confidence with the assessments, and group collaboration.
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Monitoring Academic Progress: Reading (MAP: R), a silent, group-administered screener was piloted as part of a comprehensive Response to Intervention program. MAP: R along with AIMSweb© Maze and STAR reading were administered to 1,688 students in Grades 1-3. Overall alternate-form reliabilities for MAP: R resulted in moderately high stability (Grade 1 = .79, Grade 2 = .78, and Grade 3 = .75). Test-retest reliability was .90 for Grade1, .84 for Grade 2, and .89 for Grade 3. Concurrent validity, correlations for MAP: R and AIMSweb© Maze ranged from .43 to .69, with correlations for MAP: R and STAR ranging from .48 to .67. Predictive validity was determined using end-of-the-year STAR reading scores as the criterion for MAP: R and AIMSweb© Maze. Results of a stepwise regression indicated that MAP: R scores predicted 37% of the variance in STAR scores and AIMSweb© Maze failed to add additional predictive variance. Data support the utility of MAP: R as a reading screener for progress monitoring within a Response to Intervention framework, though additional data are needed.

The study investigated the psychometric properties of a newly developed math curriculum-based measure, the Monitoring Academic Progress: Mathematics (MAP:M), through examination of its internal consistency, alternate-form, slope, and test-retest reliability and validity. Participants included 1688 first through third-grade students from a school district in Northeast Tennessee. Application of Generalizability Theory produced reliability coefficients, score variances, and standard-error-of-measures (SEM) for both absolute and relative decisions based on a particular number of probes. MAP:M reliability coefficients for relative decisions ranged from .67 to .97 across eleven probes. The highest percentage of score variance at all three grades was attributed to the Person facet (academic growth), 58% to 66%, while variation in the Item facet (test difficulty) contributed the least score variance (11% to 16%). The SEMs for relative decisions ranged from 7.06 after one probe to 1.70 after eleven probes. SEMs were higher for absolute decisions. Results indicate that one MAP:M probe provides adequate reliability, although two probes provide good reliability estimates, exceeding .80. Alternate-form reliabilities’ ranged from .65 to .83 at first grade, .51 to .79 at second grade, and .59 to .80 at third grade. Lower reliabilities are best explained by increased time between administrations. Test-retest reliabilities were .81, .79, and .76 for first, second, and third grades, respectively. Correlation coefficients between the MAP:M and Monitoring Basic Skills Progress: Computation (MBSP) show adequate concurrent validity estimates ranging from .58 to .75 for first and third grades. Second-grade concurrent validity estimates were somewhat lower and ranged from .37 to .52. A stepwise multiple regression indicates that the MAP:M provides stronger relative predictive power than does the MBSP when predicting end-of-year STAR Math scores, , R2 =.33, F(28) = 13.11, p < .01. Results support adequate to strong reliability and validity of the MAP:M, in addition to successful implementation in a school environment.

碩士
輔仁大學
企業管理學系管理學碩士在職專班
104
Since the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC）being officially established in 2015 is now the third largest market in the world, second to China and Indian. The establishment of AEC indicates free trading/movement of goods, services, and labor among the 10 involving countries. The estimated coverage of 0.62 billion people and $2.4 trillion GDP is phenomenal. Since most emerging countries are bounded by insufficient fund, BOT model has been widely adopted to allow firms to involve in infrastructure construction. In this study I investigate the case of the Formosa Plastics Group, being rejected a proposal of founding steelworks in Yunlin, Taiwan in 2005 due to unfriendly environmental issues, now diverts its focus on AEC and has been officially approved by the Vietnamese government since 2008 of founding a total-solution BOT project that cover the construction of steelworks, harbors, and power plants. The project represents a fundamental infrastructure in Vietnam and would become the largest steelwork in AEC covering more than $10 billion USD investment. I utilize the technique of capital budgeting to investigate the feasibility and profitability of the BOT project. Firstly, I estimate the future cash flows and discount them using appropriate discount rate. The net present value approach is used to evaluate the feasibility and profitability of the BOT project. Sensitivity analysis is conducted by varying the following variables and one at each time: market size, market share, interest rate, price, cost, and initial investment. The NPV estimation of the project in the period of 2016-2037 concludes the baseline NPV of $2.35 billion out $10.55 billion initial investment. The handsome profit is mainly due to Vietnamese government’s tax subsidy and facilitation in locating cites and the port. Moreover, the low interest rate of Taiwan greatly reduces firm’s cost of capital. The result from sensitivity analysis indicates that price and cost are the two most critical factors to dictate the success and profitability of the BOT project. This study provides reference value for firms to engage in international capital projects, especially for BOT projects. It also gives guidance for local banks to form syndication to facilitate firms engaging in international BOT projects.

碩士
國立臺南大學
材料科學系碩士班
98
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of peer assessment in group-representative on students’ learning performance in information science within a web-based learning environment. A semi-experimental design was adopted as research method in this study. Students in a class using peer assessment in group-representative were assigned as the experimental group, while the students in a class using peer assessment in the personal homework were assigned as the control group. The data obtained from the web-based learning platform were analyzed by content analysis. Students’ learning performance on information science was evaluated by the method of experts’ assessment in every student’ homework. The data obtained from experts’ assessment were statistically analyzed by independent-samples t test. A semi-structured interview was used to collect the information of students’ view on the peer assessment in homework within web-based learning environment. Fifty-nine sixth-grade students from two classes which are selected from an elementary school in Tainan City participated in this study. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. 1. The learning performance in information science of the experimental group is better than the control group. 2. Using the Peer Assessment in Group-representative can inspire the learning motivation of students. 3. Using the Peer Assessment in Group-representative can improve the deep of students’ learning efficiency. 4. Using the Peer Assessment in Group-representative can promote the quality and quantity of peer assessment learning. According to the results from this study, the suggestions for teacher instruction, system enhancement and future research are also proposed.

博士
義守大學
資訊工程學系
104
High technology brings the smart life whether in multimedia, arts, administration, defense, and medical care and made the quality of human life continue to improve. There are many objects in the physical space of people''s lives; for example, remote control, mobile phone, lighting equipment, monitoring equipment, home appliances, and even railways, bridges, buildings and the like. The internet of Things makes it easy for people to interact with, and further to have the quality of life by these objects in physical space. However, more and more people in advanced countries or developed countries have begun to reflect on what kind of role-playing that progressive teches are in the future lives when people enjoy the quality of life brought about by high technology. In view of this, this study is to assess the feasibility assessment of constructing the intelligence classroom for special needs students based on group decision making using the Incomplete Linguistic Preference Relations. Whereby to help the administration staffs become aware of the essential factors affecting the intelligence classroom, as well as identifying the actions necessary before constructing intelligence classroom. In this study, we will put the subjective opinions and fuzzy characteristics generated from the prediction process be quantified. This proposed approach is demonstrated with a real case study involving seven influential factors assessed by ten experts from a high school in Keelung as the research object. By means of the questionnaire surveys of the ten experts, the author collated and analyzed the seven criteria to validate the feasibility of this model. There are two results obtained through the model operation. On the one hand, the sequence of seven criteria weights is : The decision-makers’ support ; Budget ; Teachers’ information literacy; Device setting up mode ; Device stability, Special needs students’ characteristics and the Parents’ support. On the other hand, the feasible chance of building intelligence classroom for special needs students is more than 50%. This result can be considered as feasible to construct intelligence classroom for special needs students in the current environment.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an acquired physical disability through traumatic injuries such as car accidents and shooting incidents, and non-traumatic injury such as a tumour on the spinal cord, amongst others. Unlike other parts of the body, the spinal cord does not have the ability to repair itself if it is damaged. Consequently, a person who has acquired an SCI will have a physical disability and will be either a paraplegic – paralysis of the lower part of the body, including the legs, or a quadriplegic, which is paralysis of all four limbs. Acquiring a spinal cord injury (SCI) has devastating long-term negative outcomes for the injured person as well as his/her cohabiting partner on a physical, psychological, psychosocial and socio-economical level. Exposure to such prolonged adversity and resulting negative outcomes calls for resilience, namely the ability to positively adapt despite the adversity being exposed to. Not all individuals have the natural ability to “bounce back”, and consequently resilience promotion is imperative. In South Africa, the focus of service delivery in rehabilitation centres is mainly centred on the injured person and consequently the well-being of the spinal cord injured person’s partner (SCIPP) is neglected. Little information is available on resilience-promoting programmes for SCIPPs; thus the main aim of this study was to design and develop a group resilience-promoting programme (GRPP) for SCIPPs. The researcher mainly followed a qualitative research approach and included a small quantitative component. In the context of applied research, an intervention research model comprising six phases was employed. Phase 1, Problem analysis and project planning, was reported on in section A. Manuscript 1 reports on phase 2 (information gathering and synthesis), and consists of a qualitative research synthesis, and mainly aimed at organizing and synthesizing previous research on resilience-promoting processes in order to inform the design and development of a group resilience-promoting programme (GRPP) for SCIPPs. After a systematic review and quality appraisal a total of 74 papers were selected to be quality appraised after abstracts and titles were assessed for relevance. Twenty-one studies were included and synthesized where after an outline for the content of a GRPP for SCIPPs was formulated. Conclusions and recommendations highlight that the formulated GRPP for SCIPPs needs to be further developed into an intervention that could be implemented with SCIPPs. As such, the researcher therefore proceeded with the study (see manuscript 2), aiming in developing small-group programme content and activities (using knowledge gathered from pre-existing interventions; resilience literature; consultations with experts; people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) and personal experience) to promote resilience in SCIPPs. By means of purposive sampling six advisory panel members from a diverse background were interviewed before and after the pilot study with two SCIPPs and one observer to contribute towards the further development of the GRPP for SCIPPs. A six-session GRPP for SCIPPs was formulated, including the following: (1) Information on SCI and resilience; (2) Help SCIPPs understand that their reactions to/emotions regarding these huge changes are normal; (3) Caretaking and support; (4) My dual role; (5) Own caretaking by SCIPPs; and (6) Termination and way forward. The newly developed GRPP for SCIPPs however had to be formally evaluated. Recommendations were made by professionals in the field that the GRPP for SCIPPs should first be subjected to peer review prior to implementing it with the target population. Therefore in manuscript 3 (reporting on phase 5 – evaluation ) the evaluation purpose was to subject the GRPP for SCIPPs to peer review by means of an empirical study with professional role-players (social workers and psychologists) in the field of spinal cord injury, prior to exhibiting it to the target population. The six group sessions were presented to professional role-players (n=12) working within the field of SCI during two 2-day workshops, whereby they were requested to evaluate the content and procedural elements of the GRPP for SCIPPs mainly by means of qualitative research, with a small numerical (quantitative) component. Thematic content analysis and basic descriptive statistics were employed. Overall positive feedback regarding the newly developed intervention was received, with suggested adjustments that needed to be made to the GRPP for SCIPPs prior to formal evaluation with the target group. The GRPP for SCIPPs will further be subjected to expert review in other provinces in South Africa, as the current participants were all from Gauteng. Furthermore, postgraduate students will be recruited to test the programme with the target-population in South Africa for possible further improvement and suggestions, as well as possible expansion to adjust this intervention to meet the needs of male SCIPPs; SCIPs themselves; children of a parent/s living with SCI; and also for post-injury cohabiting relationships, as this intervention might be a starting point for above-mentioned research-opportunities.

The dynamics of the social interaction within the cooperative learning group are accepted and considered to be one of the aspects that will influence the individual learner's feelings regarding the group activity. The impact of the groupings on the quality and quantity of the observable learning within the class is considered. For this study the cooperative learning groupings were manipulated, considering aspects of the learner's social relationships uncovered with the use of a social questionnaire, which the learners completed. These details were summarised by means of a sociometric table and a sociogram. This study approaches the topic from two main perspectives. Primarily observation and naive sketches, from the learners, formed the source of the data and provided the initial perspective on the area of study. From the viewpoint provided in this information specific grouping paramaters were applied to later groups of learners, and a survey conducted.
Educational Studies
M. Ed (Socio-Education)

The needs of the free trade regime and governments' legitimate regulatory aims in the area of public health protection conflict. Government health measures create barriers to free trade and are thus disciplined by the trade regime. This conflict is addressed in the rules of the World Trade Organization, in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. This Agreement uses science to mediate the conflict. The reason for the reliance on science is the view that it provides a neutral, universally-valid discipline and that thus the results of testing health measures for scientific validity would be acceptable to both parties in a dispute. This uncritical approach towards science is called into question. An analysis of the relevant science-based disciplines of the SPS Agreement and their interpretation in WTO dispute settlement shows the flaws in this system. A re-evaluation of the WTO rules governing health regulation is called for.
Law
LL.M.

The needs of the free trade regime and governments' legitimate regulatory aims in the area of public health protection conflict. Government health measures create barriers to free trade and are thus disciplined by the trade regime. This conflict is addressed in the rules of the World Trade Organization, in the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. This Agreement uses science to mediate the conflict. The reason for the reliance on science is the view that it provides a neutral, universally-valid discipline and that thus the results of testing health measures for scientific validity would be acceptable to both parties in a dispute. This uncritical approach towards science is called into question. An analysis of the relevant science-based disciplines of the SPS Agreement and their interpretation in WTO dispute settlement shows the flaws in this system. A re-evaluation of the WTO rules governing health regulation is called for.
Law
LL.M.

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa
The main aim of this study was to explore the extent to which teachers use group investigation as a teaching approach for Life Orientation in selected secondary schools in the Northern Cape Province in South Africa. Group investigation (GI) as a cooperative learning teaching approach is based on the philosophical principles of John Dewey who believed that schools had the responsibility of capturing learners’ interests, to expand and develop their horizons and to assist them in responding appropriately to new ideas and influences. Group investigation, a particular cooperative learning strategy, is based on the pragmatic paradigm that suggests that learners construct and apply knowledge as they interact with one another in a teacher-learner environment. This study was adopted in a concurrent triangulation mixed methods research design to be conducted concurrently. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed separately but simultaneously, the findings converged in the conclusion in order to respond to the research question. Convenient and purposive sampling was employed to select teachers and learners as participants in this study. Data were collected in the social setting where teachers employed group investigation as a teaching strategy with learners in cooperative working groups participating in learner-centred activities. The researcher used face-to-face interviews, focus group interviews, classroom observations as well as document analysis to collect data. The findings of this study revealed that teachers tend to display adequate content and pedagogical knowledge for the teaching of Life Orientation. However, the findings established that there is a need for novice teacher development in the interpretation and application of the content. Furthermore, group investigation has indicated that learners developed group skills easily, learn to work cooperatively in groups and that learners can depend on each other for the groups’ success. This study recommends that group investigation as a teaching approach be incorporated in the Life Orientation curriculum and that this needs to be shown in the lesson planning of teachers. The importance in the body of knowledge regarding teaching approaches and the academic value of the subject, Life Orientation as a fundamental subject, is indispensable within the FET curriculum.
Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal in watter mate onderwysers groepondersoek as ʼn onderrigbenadering vir Lewensoriëntering in uitgesoekte sekondêre skole in die Noord-Kaapprovinsie gebruik. Groepondersoek as ʼn koöperatiewe leer- en onderrigbenadering is gegrond op die filosofiese beginsels van John Dewey, wat geglo het dat skole die verantwoordelikheid het om leerders se belange te akkommodeer, om hul horisonne te verbreed en te ontwikkel en om hulle by te staan om gepas op nuwe idees en invloede te reageer. Groepondersoek, ʼn spesifieke koöperatieweleerstrategie, is gegrond op die sosiaal-interpretivistiese-konstruktivistiese paradigma wat suggereer dat leerders kennis konstrueer en toepas wanneer hulle met mekaar interaksie het in ʼn onderwyser-leerder-omgewing. Hierdie studie is in ʼn konkurrente triangulering- gemengdemetodenavorsingsontwerp aangepak – om samelopend maar afsonderlik uitgevoer te word. Kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is afsonderlik ingesamel en ontleed, maar terselfdertyd is die resultate gekonvergeer in die gevolgtrekking om die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord. Gerieflikheid- en doelbewuste steekproefneming is gebruik om onderwysers en leerders te kies om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Data is ingesamel in die sosiale situasie waar onderwysers groepondersoeke as ʼn onderrigstrategie aangewend het, met leerders wat in koöperatiewe werksgroepe aan leergesentreerde aktiwiteite deelneem. Die navorser het persoonlike onderhoude, fokusgroeponderhoude, klaskamerwaarnemings sowel as dokumentontleding gebruik om data in te samel. Die bevindings van die studie het getoon dat onderwysers geneig is om voldoende inhoud en pedagogiese kennis vir die onderrig van Lewensoriëntering te toon, terwyl daar ʼn behoefte aan die ontwikkeling van nuweling-onderwysers se interpretasie en toepassing van die inhoud is. Daarbenewens het die groepondersoeke ook gewys dat leerders maklik groepvaardighede ontwikkel, leer om koöperatief in groepe te werk, en dat hulle op mekaar kan staatmaak vir die sukses van die groep. Hierdie studie beveel aan dat groepondersoeke as ‘n onderrigstrategie in die Lewensorientering kurrikulum geïnkorporeer moet word en dat dit in die lesbeplanning van die onderwysers aangedui moet word. Die belangrikheid van kennis met verwysing na die onderrrigstrategieë en die akademiese waarde van die vak, is Lewensorientering as ‘n fundamentele vak onvervangbaar binne die VOO kurrikulum.
Injongo ephambili yesi sifundo kukuqwalasela ukuba ootitshala bayisebenzisa kangakanani indlela yokufundisa yophando lweqela kwizifundo ngobomi ekuthiwa yiLife Orientation kwizikolo zesekondari ezikhethiweyo kwiPhondo loMntla Koloni. Uphando lweqela, njengecebo lokufunda nokufundisa ngokubambisana lusekelwe kwiinqobo zefilosofi kaJohn Dewey, owayekholelwa ekubeni izikolo zinoxanduva lokudlwengula umdla wabafundi, zinabise amathuba olwazi, zibancedise ekusabeleni ngokufanelekileyo kwizimvo neempembelelo ezintsha. Uphando lweqela, nolulicebo lobulumko lokusebenza ngokubambisana, lusekelwe kwiingcinga zokwakha intsingiselo ngokusebenzisana, le nto kuthiwa yisocial interpretivist-constructivist paradigm ngolwimi lwesiNgesi. Ezi ngcinga zithi abafundi bazakhela ulwazi, balusebenzise xa besebenzisana kuloo ndawo bafundela kuyo. Esi sifundo siqhutywe ngokusebenzisa iindlela zophando ezixubeneyo neziqhutywa ngaxeshanye lo gama zahlukene. Kuqokelelwe, kwaphengululwa idatha ngokwahlukeneyo ngokobuninzi bayo ngaxeshanye nangokokucinga nzulu ngayo, okufunyanisiweyo kwadityaniswa esiphelweni ngenjongo yokuphendula umbuzo wophando. Isampulu yophando yakhethwa ngononophelo nangendlela enokusebenza lula xa kwakukhethwa ootitshala nabafundi abaza kuba ngabathathi nxaxheba kwesi sifundo. Idatha yaqokelelwa kwimeko yezentlalo apho ootitshala babesebenzisa uphando lweqela njengecebo lokufundisa, apho abafundi babesebenza ngokwamaqela ancedisanayo kwimisebenzi yezifundo zabo. Umphandi waqhuba udliwano ndlebe nomntu ngamnye, udliwano ndlebe namaqela achaphazelekayo, waqwalasela okwenzeka eklasini, waphengulula nemibhalo ekhoyo xa wayeqokelela idatha. Okufunyaniswe kwesi sifundo kwadiza ukuba ootitshala babonisa ulwazi olwaneleyo ngeziqulatho neendlela zokufundisa izifundo ngobomi okanye iLife Orientation, lo gama sikho sona isidingo sokuphuhlisa izakhono zootitshala abatsha ekutolikeni nasekusebenzeni ngeziqulatho zezi zifundo. Ngaphezu koko, uphando lweqela lubonise ukuba izakhono zabafundi zokusebenza ngamaqela ziphuhla lula, bafunda ukusebenzisana bengamaqela kwaye bafunda ukwazi ukuxhomekeka omnye komnye ukuze iqela liphumelele.
Curriculum and Instructional Studies
Ph. D. (Curriculum Studies)

no
Aims and objectives To (1) investigate the organisation, provision and practice of oral care in typical UK stroke units; (2) explore stroke survivors', carers' and healthcare professionals' experiences and perceptions about the barriers and facilitators to receiving and undertaking oral care in stroke units. Background Cerebrovascular disease and oral health are major global health concerns. Little is known about the provision, challenges and practice of oral care in the stroke unit setting, and there are currently no evidence-based practice guidelines. Design Cross-sectional survey of 11 stroke units across Greater Manchester and descriptive qualitative study using focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Methods A self-report questionnaire was used to survey 11 stroke units in Greater Manchester. Data were then collected through two focus groups (n = 10) with healthcare professionals and five semi-structured interviews with stroke survivors and carers. Focus group and interview data were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework approach. Results Eleven stroke units in Greater Manchester responded to the survey. Stroke survivors and carers identified a lack of oral care practice and enablement by healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals identified a lack of formal training to conduct oral care for stroke patients, inconsistency in the delivery of oral care and no set protocols or use of formal oral assessment tools. Conclusion Oral care post-stroke could be improved by increasing healthcare professionals' awareness, understanding and knowledge of the potential health benefits of oral care post-stroke. Further research is required to develop and evaluate the provision of oral care in stroke care to inform evidence-based education and practice.