Academic literature on the topic '3903 Education systems'

South Africa’s largest bank has recently completed a transformation from traditional systems development to the scaled agile framework. The individual leading the transformation is now considering how to keep the momentum going and possible new directions. Josef Langerman, Head of IT Transformation for Standard Bank, reflected on the extraordinary transformation that his organization’s IT group had recently experienced. Over the past three years, Standard Bank’s IT group had changed from the relatively well accepted systems development lifecycle/waterfall model to a revolutionary large scale agile approach. The results had been gratifying. But it left a question unanswered. Now that things were starting to stabilize, what should be the next steps? The 154-year-old Standard Bank was the largest banking group in Africa, and the 5th largest company headquartered in South Africa. The bank offered a range of corporate, business and personal banking as well as financial services. Its 49,000 employees served over 15 million customers, in 20 countries across the continent of Africa, as well as other countries scattered around the globe. Standard Bank’s IT group, located within the company’s Johannesburg headquarters, had over 6000 employees. The group managed the bank’s technology infrastructure–including a network of nearly 10,000 ATMs, its applications development, testing, deployment, maintenance and operations. By 2014, the bank recognized that its IT performance was lagging industry benchmarks in productivity, turnaround time and employee satisfaction. Employing a “do it in-house” philosophy, it embarked on a major transformation. Abandoning traditional highly structured approaches to project management and development, it had adopted an agile philosophy that was most commonly seen in much smaller organizations and technology startups. The results had been impressive–productivity, cycle time and organizational health indicators had all risen dramatically. The group had also achieved substantial reductions in its budget. Even skeptics within the organization could not fail to be impressed. Now, however, Langerman wondered about the future. He had been cautioned by his group’s HR Culture Transformation Guide that rapid improvement could easily be followed by disillusionment. What could be done to keep the momentum going forward? Should the bank double down on the types of changes to culture, practice and training that had led to its success, or was it time to let things settle? And who should be guiding the change? Should the implementation continue entirely in-house, or should outside consultants–that were working in other areas of the bank–play a significant role? In the near future, he would need to present his recommendations to the group’s CIO.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs in Georgia, identify the challenges of SMEs in pandemic conditions, and analyze government economic policy measures. For this purpose, 102 small and medium entrepreneurs from different regions of Georgia were interviewed. The survey was conducted by sending a questionnaire through digital channels. The results were processed using data analysis, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and presented graphically. As a result, key challenges and development directions that are typical for SMEs operations in Georgia during the pandemic were identified. For 60.8% of surveyed SME owners, lockdown is the main challenge. Sales volume of 45.1% of SMEs decreased. In addition, 39.3% of the surveyed SME owners increased the innovative capabilities of a company and 37.2% increased the sales volume of a company through digital channels. The main challenge of the pandemic, lockdown, gave impetus to a change in entrepreneurial behavior. In a pandemic, entrepreneurial activity has become more favorable through digital channels. During the pandemic, there is a need to continue the government’s program of tax incentives and subsidies for SMEs. In addition, the government should promote education in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology.

Abstract Context Primary care physicians need a strong foundation in diabetes management, as they are the first line of care for patients with this complex disease, which is increasing in frequency in the United States. This foundational training begins in medical school, but its applications become more important during residency. Objectives To quantify osteopathic and allopathic family medicine residents’ amount of exposure to diabetes in residency training, investigate referral patterns related to diabetes management, and assess comfort levels with various diabetes treatment modalities. Methods An 18-item cross sectional survey was sent via email using Qualtrics to program directors and chief residents of 16 different training programs located in seven different health systems and four different states; the programs were focused on family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and combined internal medicine/pediatrics programs. The link was also posted on Twitter using specific “handles” to “tag” professional associations and groups related to primary care. Emails and tweets were initiated on October 15, 2018 and responses were collected through April 15, 2019. Data collection was reinitiated via email only from May 1, 2020 through July 31, 2020 due to low initial response rate. The study, which included multiple choice and Likert scale questions with some skip logic, was designed by study investigators. Data was exported from Qualtrics to an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using descriptive statistics, which are reported as percentages. Results A total of 61 residents responded to the survey, with most (52; 85.2%) enrolled in family medicine or internal medicine programs. Residents were mostly located in rural (28; 45.9%) and suburban (25; 41.0%) areas. Respondents reported being extremely comfortable with metformin (45; 73.8%), basal insulin (24; 39.3%), and healthy lifestyle education (32; 52.5%) for the treatment of diabetes. They reported being least comfortable with diabetes technology, with 51 (83.6%) uncomfortable or extremely uncomfortable with insulin pumps and 43 (70.5%) uncomfortable with continuous glucose monitoring systems for diabetes treatment. Referral rates to endocrinologists were low, with 47 (77%) reporting referral of diabetes patients 10–15% of the time. Residents reported interest in workshops and online continuing medical education for further training opportunities, but interest in additional formal training was low (3; 4.9%). Conclusions Residents in this study reported confidence in diabetes management and referral rates among this group were low. However, reported comfort levels with treatment modalities beyond metformin and lifestyle changes were not strong. Referral rates may have been low due to the low number of endocrinologists in rural areas and therapeutic inertia. Diabetes fellowships could increase resource availability for patient referral. Utilization of diabetologists in primary care programs may also add benefit and improve skills among trainees including more familiarity with diabetes technology and use of newer medications used in diabetes management.

AbstractBackground:Hospital medical incident monitoring improves preventable morbidity and mortality rates. Error management systems have been adopted widely in this setting. Data relating to incident monitoring in the prehospital setting is limited.Problem:Implementation of an incident monitoring process in a prehospital setting.Methods:This is a prospective, descriptive study of the pilot phase of the implementation of an incident monitoring process in a regional prehospital setting, with a focus on trauma care. Paramedics and emergency department staff submitted anonymous incident reports, and a chart review was performed on patients who met major trauma criteria. Selected trauma cases were analyzed by a structured interview/debriefing process to elucidate undocumented incidents.A project committee coded and logged all incidents and developed recommendations.Results:Of 4,429 ambulance responses, 41 cases were analyzed.Twenty-four (58.5%; 95% CI = 49.7–67.4%) were reported anonymously, and the rest were major trauma patients. A total of 77 incidents were identified (mean per case = 1.8; CI = 1.03–2.57). Anonymous cases revealed 26 incidents (mean = 1.1; CI = 0.98–1.22); eight trauma debriefings revealed 38 incidents (mean = 4.8; CI = 0.91–8.69) and nine trauma chart reviews revealed 13 incidents (mean = 1.6; CI = 1.04–2.16). A total of 56 of 77 (72.7%; CI = 65.5–80.0%) incidents related to system inadequacies, and 15 (57.7%; CI = 46.7–68.6%) anonymously reported incidents related to resource problems. A total of 35 of 77 (45.5%; CI = 40.4–50.5%) incidents had minimal or no impact on the patients' outcomes. Thirty-four of 77 (44.2%; CI = 39.3–49.1%) incidents were considered mitigated by circumstance. Incident monitoring led to generalized feedback in most cases (65 of 77; 84.4%; CI = 77.6–91.3%); in three cases (3.9%; CI = 3.7–4.1%), specific education occurred; two cases were reported to an external body (2.6%; CI = 2.5–2.7%); three cases resulted in remedial action (3.9%; CI = 3.7–4.1%); four for trend/further observation and analysis responses (5.2%; CI = 4.9–5.5%).Conclusions:The pilot project demonstrates successful implementation of an incident monitoring system within a regional, prehospital environment. The combination of incident detecting techniques has a high yield with potential to capture different error types.The large proportion of incidents in the “near miss” category allows analysis of incidents without patient harm. The majority of incidents were system related and many were mitigated by circumstance. The model used is appropriate for ongoing incident monitoring in this setting.

Aims/Objectives/BackgroundGlobally, injuries cause more than 5 million deaths annually. Children and young people are a particularly vulnerable group and injuries are the leading cause of death in people aged 5–24 years globally and a leading cause of disability.In most low and middle-income countries where the majority of global child injury burden occurs, systems for routinely collecting injury data are limited. There is a continuing need for better data on childhood injuries and for injury surveillance.The aim of our study was to introduce a hospital-based injury surveillance tool – the first of its kind in Nepal and explore its feasibility. We undertook prospective collection of data on all injuries/trauma presenting to 2 hospital emergency departments to describe the epidemiology of paediatric hospital injury presentations and associated risk factors.Methods/DesignA new injury surveillance system for use in emergency departments in Nepal was designed and used to collect data on patients presenting with injuries. Data were collected prospectively in two hospitals 24 h a day over 12 months (April 2019 - March 2020) by trained data collectors using tablet computers.Abstract 432 Table 1Socio-demographic profile and characteristics of injury among children attending emergency of hospitals in Makwanpur district, Nepal, April 2019 – March 2020 (N=2696)CharacteristicsFrequencyGender Male 1778 Female 918 Age groups 0–4 years 653 5–9 years 866 10–14 years 680 15–17 years 497 Median year (IRQ) 8 (5 – 13) Ethnicity/caste Janajati 1384 Brahmin/Chhetri 892 Dalit 148 Madhesi 146 Muslim 74 Others 50 Unknown 2 Place where injury occurred Home/Compound 1576 Highway/road/street 636 School 233 Recreational area 138 Workplace 76 Other 37 Activities at the time injury occurred Leisure/Play 1889 Travelling (other than to/from school/work) 296 Work 202 Travelling (to/from school/work) 184 Education 42 Organised sports 11 Other 52 Unknown 20 Intent of injury Unintentional 2560 Intentional (self-harm) 61 Intentional (assault) 75 Unintentional (n=2560) Fall 912 Animal or insect related 728 Road traffic injury 356 Injured by a blunt force 201 Stabbed, cut or pierced 176 Fire, burn or scald 65 Poisoning 52 Suffocation/choking 36 Electrocution 12 Drowning and submersion 7 Other 13 Unknown 2 Self-harm (n=61) Poisoning 38 Hanging, strangulation, suffocation 12 Stabbed, cut or pierced 6 Injured by blunt object 4 Other 1 Assault (n=75) Bodily force (physical violence) 43 Injured by blunt object 18 Stabbed, cut or pierced 8 Pushing from a high place 2 Poisoning 2 Sexual assault 1 Other 1 Nature of injury (one most severe) Cuts, bites or open wound 1378 Bruise or superficial injury 383 Fracture 299 Sprain, strain or dislocation 243 Internal injury 124 Head Injury/Concussion 83 Burns 67 Other 115 Unknown 2 Not recorded 2 Severity of injury No apparent injury 125 Minor 1645 Moderate 813 Severe 111 Not recorded 2 Disposition Discharged 2317 Admitted to hospital 164 Transferred to another hospital 179 Died 21 Leave Against Medical Advice (LAMA) 11 Unknown 2 Not recorded 2 Note:Not recorded = missing cases95% CI calculated using one proportion test and normal approximation method in Minitab.Abstract 432 Table 2Distribution of injuries by age-group, sex and mechanism of injury among children attending emergency of hospitals in Makwanpur district, Nepal, April 2019 – March 2020Age groups & Sex0 - 4 years5 - 9 years10–14 years15–17 yearsMaleFemaleTotalIntent & mechanismsn (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)Unintentional Fall 239 (26.2) 328 (36.0) 249 (27.3) 96 (10.5) 636 (69.7) 276 (30.3) 912 (100) Animal or insect related 175 (24.0) 260 (35.7) 190 (26.1) 103 (14.1) 470 (64.6) 258 (35.4) 728 (100) Road traffic injury 49 (13.8) 108 (30.3) 86 (24.2) 113 (31.7) 223 (62.6) 133 (37.4) 356 (100) Injured by a blunt force 54 (26.9) 74 (36.8) 49 (24.4) 24 (11.9) 150 (74.6) 51 (25.4) 201 (100) Stabbed, cut or pierced 20 (11.4) 56 (31.8) 49 (27.8) 51 (29.0) 127 (72.2) 49 (27.8) 176 (100) Fire, burn or scald 42 (64.6) 10 (15.4) 9 (13.8) 4 (6.2) 27 (41.5) 38 (58.5) 65 (100) Poisoning 33 (63.5) 6 (11.5) 5 (9.6) 8 (15.4) 26 (50.0) 26 (50.0) 52 (100) Suffocation/choking 24 (66.7) 5 (13.9) 2 (5.6) 5 (13.9) 20 (55.6) 16 (44.4) 36 (100) Electrocution 2 (15.7) 0 (0.0) 3 (25.0) 7 (58.3) 10 (83.3) 2 (16.7) 12 (100) Drowning and submersion 1 (14.3) 1 (14.3) 3 (42.9) 2 (28.6) 3 (42.9) 4 (57.1) 7 (100) Other 6 (46.2) 4 (30.8) 3 (23.1) 0 (0.0) 10 (76.9) 3 (23.1) 13 (100) Unknown 2 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (100) 2 (100) Total 647 (25.3) 852 (33.3) 648 (25.3) 413 (16.1) 1702 (66.5) 858 (33.5) 2560 (100) Self-harm Poisoning 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 6 (15.8) 32 (84.2) 7 (18.4) 31 (81.6) 38 (100) Hanging 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 3 (25.0) 9 (75.0) 4 (33.3) 8 (66.7) 12 (100) Stabbed, cut or pierced 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (33.3) 4 (66.7) 1 (16.7) 5 (83.3) 6 (100) Injured by blunt object 0 (0.0) 2 (50.0) 2 (50.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (100) 0 (0.0) 4 (100) Other 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) 1 (100) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) Total 0 (0.0) 2 (3.3) 13 (21.3) 46 (75.4) 17 (27.9) 44 (72.1) 61 (100) Assault Bodily force (physical violence) 3 (7.0) 1 (2.3) 11 (25.6) 28 (65.1) 37 (86.0) 6 (14.0) 43 (100) Injured by blunt object 2 (11.1) 8 (44.4) 4 (22.2) 4 (22.2) 13 (72.2) 5 (27.8) 18 (100) Stabbed, cut or pierced 1 (12.5) 0 (0.0) 2 (25.0) 5 (62.5) 7 (87.5) 1 (12.5) 8 (100) Pushing from a high place 0 (0.0) 1 (50.0) 1 (50.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (50.0) 1 (50.0) 2 (100) Poisoning 0 (0.0) 1 (50.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (50.0) 1 (50.0) 1 (50.0) 2 (100) Sexual assault 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) 1 (100) Other 0 (0.0) 1 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) 1 (100) Total 6 (8.0) 12 (16.0) 19 (25.3) 38 (50.7) 59 (78.7) 16 (21.3) 75 (100) Abstract 432 Table 3Association of injury location, nature and severity with age among children attending emergency of hospitals in Makwanpur district, Nepal, April 2019 – March 2020Age groups0 – 4 years5 – 9 years10–14 years15–17 yearsTotalChi-SquareInjury characteristicsn (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)P valueLocation of injury sustained Home/Compound 537 (34.1) 504 (32.0) 319 (20.2) 216 (13.7) 1576 (100) <0.001 Highway/road/street 85 (13.4) 196 (30.8) 190 (29.9) 165 (25.9) 636 (100) School 15 (6.4) 107 (45.9) 85 (36.5) 26 (11.2) 233 (100) Recreational area 9 (6.5) 44 (31.9) 55 (39.9) 30 (21.7) 138 (100) Workplace 1 (1.3) 4 (5.3) 19 (25.0) 52 (68.4) 76 (100) Other 6 (16.2) 11 (29.7) 12 (32.4) 8 (21.6) 37 (100) Total 653 (24.2) 866 (32.1) 680 (25.2) 497 (18.4) 2696 (100) Nature of injury Cuts, bites or open wound 328 (23.8) 506 (36.7) 314 (22.8) 230 (16.7) 1378 (100) <0.001 Bruise or superficial injury 81 (21.1) 99 (25.8) 118 (30.8) 85 (22.2) 383 (100) Fracture 48 (16.1) 101 (33.8) 112 (37.5) 38 (12.7) 299 (100) Sprain, strain or dislocation 48 (19.8) 78 (32.1) 72 (29.6) 45 (18.5) 243 (100) Internal injury 44 (35.5) 8 (6.5) 18 (14.5) 54 (43.5) 124 (100) Head Injury/Concussion 18 (21.7) 26 (31.3) 18 (21.7) 21 (25.3) 83 (100) Burns 42 (62.7) 9 (13.4) 10 (14.9) 6 (9.0) 67 (100) Other 41 (35.7) 38 (33.0) 18 (15.7) 18 (15.7) 115 (100) Unknown 2 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (100) Total 652 (24.2) 865 (32.1) 680 (25.2) 497 (18.4) 2694 (100) Severity of injury No apparent injury 39 (31.2) 45 (36.0) 26 (20.8) 15 (12.0) 125 (100) <0.001 Minor 419 (25.5) 535 (32.5) 406 (24.7) 285 (17.3) 1645 (100) Moderate 171 (21.0) 262 (32.2) 225 (27.7) 155 (19.1) 813 (100) Severe 23 (20.7) 23 (20.7) 23 (20.7) 42 (37.8) 111 (100) Total 652 (24.2) 865 (32.1) 680 (25.2) 497 (18.4) 2694 (100) Abstract 432 Table 4Association of injury location, nature and severity with sex among children attending emergency of hospitals in Makwanpur district, Nepal, April 2019 – March 2020SexMaleFemaleTotalChi-SquareInjury characteristicsn (%)n (%)n (%)P valueLocation of injury sustained Home/Compound 979 (62.1) 597 (37.9) 1576 (100) <0.001 Highway/road/street 421 (66.2) 215 (33.8) 636 (100) School 176 (75.5) 57 (24.5) 233 (100) Recreational area 111 (80.4) 27 (19.6) 138 (100) Workplace 62 (81.6) 14 (18.4) 76 (100) Other 29 (78.4) 8 (21.6) 37 (100) Total 1778 (65.9) 918 (34.1) 2696 (100) Nature of injury Cuts, bites or open wound 959 (69.6) 419 (30.4) 1378 (100) <0.001 Bruise or superficial injury 246 (64.2) 137 (35.8) 383 (100) Fracture 200 (66.9) 99 (33.1) 299 (100) Sprain, strain or dislocation 154 (63.4) 89 (36.6) 243 (100) Internal injury 50 (40.3) 74 (59.7) 124 (100) Head Injury/Concussion 59 (71.1) 24 (28.9) 83 (100) Burns 27 (40.3) 40 (59.7) 67 (100) Other 79 (68.7) 36 (31.3) 115 (100) Unknown 2 (100) 0 (0.0) 2 (100) Total 1776 (65.9) 918 (34.1) 2694 (100) Severity of injury No apparent injury 81 (64.8) 44 (35.2) 125 (100) 0.048 Minor 1102 (67.0) 543 (33.0) 1645 (100) Moderate 533 (65.6) 280 (34.4) 813 (100) Severe 60 (54.1) 51 (45.9) 111 (100) Total 1776 (65.9) 918 (34.1) 2694 (100) Abstract 432 Table 5Distribution of injuries by outcome and mechanism of injury among children attending emergency of hospitals in Makwanpur district, Nepal, April 2019 – March 2020Outcome of injuryDischargedAdmittedTransferredDiedLAMAUnknownTotalIntent & mechanismsn (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)Unintentional Fall 787 (86.5) 65 (7.1) 53 (5.8) 0 (0.0) 4 (0.4) 1 (0.1) 910 (100) Animal/insect bite/sting 704 (96.7) 3 (0.4) 19 (2.6) 0 (0.0) 1 (0.1) 1 (0.1) 728 (100) Road traffic injury 260 (73.0) 47 (13.2) 44 (12.4) 5 (1.4) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 356 (100) Injured by a blunt force 190 (94.5) 4 (2.0) 6 (3.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (0.5) 0 (0.0) 201 (100) Stabbed, cut or pierced 165 (93.8) 8 (4.5) 3 (1.7) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 176 (100) Fire, burn or scald 52 (80.0) 12 (18.5) 1 (1.5) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 65 (100) Poisoning 30 (57.7) 4 (7.7) 16 (30.8) 1 (1.9) 1 (1.9) 0 (0.0) 52 (100) Suffocation/choking/asphyxia 24 (66.7) 4 (11.1) 6 (16.7) 1 (2.8) 1 (2.8) 0 (0.0) 36 (100) Electrocution 7 (58.3) 2 (16.7) 2 (16.7) 1 (8.3) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 12 (100) Drowning and submersion 4 (57.1) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 3 (42.9) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 7 (100) Other 12 (92.3) 1 (7.7) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 13 (100) Unknown 2 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (100) Total 2237 (87.5) 150 (5.9) 150 (5.9) 11 (0.4) 8 (0.3) 2 (0.1) 2558 (100) Self-harm Poisoning 5 (13.2) 8 (21.1) 23 (60.5) 0 (0.0) 2 (5.3) 0 (0.0) 38 (100) Hanging 1 (8.3) 0 (0.0) 1 (8.3) 10 (83.3) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 12 (100) Stabbed, cut or pierced 6 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 6 (100) Injured by blunt object 4 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 4 (100) Other 1 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) Total 17 (27.9) 8 (13.1) 24 (39.3) 10 (16.4) 2 (3.3) 0 (0.0) 61 (100) Assault Bodily force (physical violence) 34 (79.1) 5 (11.6) 3 (7.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (2.3) 0 (0.0) 43 (100) Injured by blunt object 18 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 18 (100) Stabbed, cut or pierced 6 (75.0) 1 (12.5) 1 (12.5) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 8 (100) Pushing from a high place 2 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (100) Poisoning 1 (50) 0 (0.0) 1 (50.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (100) Sexual assault 1 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) Other 1 (100) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 1 (100) Total 63 (84.0) 6 (8.0) 5 (6.7) 0 (0.0) 1 (1.3) 0 (0.0) 75 (100) Abstract 432 Figure 1Seasonal variation of injuries identified by the injury surveillance system over a year among children attending emergency of hospitals in Makwanpur district, Nepal, April 2019 – March 2020Results/ConclusionsThe total number of ED patients with injury in the study was 10,154.2,696 were patients aged <18 years. Most injuries in children were unintentional and over half of children presenting with injuries were <10 years of age. Falls, animal bites/stings and road traffic injuries accounted for nearly 75% of all injuries with some (drowning, poisonings and burns) under-represented. Over half of injuries were cuts, bites and open wounds. The next most common injury types were superficial injuries (14.2%); fractures (11.1%); sprains/dislocations (9.0%). Child mortality was 1%.This is the biggest prospective injury surveillance study in a low or middle country in recent years and supports the use of injury surveillance in Nepal for reducing child morbidity and mortality through improved data.CHILD PAPER: RESULTS SECTIONTotal number of ED patients: 33046Total number of ED patient with injury: 10154 (adult=7458 & children=2696)8.2% (n=2696) patients with injury were children aged <18 yearsHetauda hospital: 2274 (84.3%)Chure hill hospital: 422 (15.7%)

The dysarthrias form a group of diverse, chronic motor speech disorders. The disorders of Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and cerebral palsy are reviewed because they represent important clinical diagnoses in which dysarthria is a frequent and debilitating symptom. The roles played by speech-language pathologists include participation in differential diagnosis, provision of speech treatment, staging of treatment, and timely education so that clients and families can make informed decisions about communication alternatives. Both scientific and clinical evidence is presented that suggests that individuals with dysarthria benefit from the services of speech-language pathologists. Group-treatment studies, single-subject studies, and case reports illustrate the effectiveness of various types ofspeech treatment. Research into the effectiveness of augmentative and alternative communication systems for individuals with cerebral palsy is also presented.

Abstract Background Nutrition labels on pre-packaged foods are an important source of nutrition information; however, differences in comprehension of varying label formats may limit their use and effectiveness. Objectives This study examined levels and correlates of consumers’ self-reported understanding of Nutrition Facts tables (NFt) and Front-of-Package (FOP) labels, as well as functional NFt understanding. Methods Adults (≥18 years) in Australia (n = 3901), Canada (n = 4107), Mexico (n = 4012), United Kingdom (UK) (n = 5121), and the United States (US) (n = 4445) completed online surveys in November-December 2018. Descriptive statistics summarized sample profiles by country. Linear regression models examined the association between label understanding (self-reported NFt and FOP, functional NFt) and consumer dietary behaviours, functional nutrition knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics. NFt understanding was measured in all countries, with FOP labelling assessed only in Mexico, Australia, and the UK. Results Self-reported and functional NFt understanding was significantly higher in the US and Canada (P &lt; 0.0001). In adjusted analyses, functional NFt understanding was significantly higher among women than men (P &lt; 0.0001); respondents from the ‘majority’ ethnic group in their respective countries compared to minority ethnic groups (P &lt; 0.0001); those with higher education levels (P &lt; 0.0001) and functional nutrition knowledge compared to their lower education and nutrition knowledge counterparts (P &lt; 0.0001), respectively; and those making efforts to consume less sodium, sugar or fat compared to those not reporting dietary efforts (P &lt; 0.0001). Self-reported FOP label understanding was significantly higher for interpretive labelling systems in Australia (Health Star Ratings) and the UK (Traffic Lights) compared with Mexico's Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) (P &lt; 0.0001). Conclusions Nutrition labels requiring greater numeracy skills (i.e., NFt, GDA) were more difficult for consumers to understand than interpretive FOP labels (i.e., Traffic Lights). Differences in NFt and FOP label understanding by income adequacy and education suggest potential disparities in labelling policy effects among vulnerable subgroups.

AbstractResearchers typically rely on fossils from the Family Bovidae to generate African paleoenvironmental reconstructions due to their strict ecological tendencies. Bovids have dominated the southern African fauna for the past four million years and, therefore, dominate the fossil faunal assemblages, especially isolated teeth. Traditionally, researchers reference modern and fossil comparative collections to identify teeth. However, researchers are limited by the specific type and number of bovids at each institution. B.O.V.I.D. (Bovidae Occlusal Visual IDentification) is a repository of images of the occlusal surface of bovid teeth. The dataset currently includes extant bovids from 7 tribes and 20 species (~3900). B.O.V.I.D. contains two scaled images per specimen: a color and a black and white (binarized) image. The database is a useful reference for identifying bovid teeth. The large sample size also allows one to observe the natural variation that exists in each taxa. The binarized images can be used in statistical shape analyses, such as taxonomic classification. B.O.V.I.D. is a valuable supplement to other methods for taxonomically identifying bovid teeth.

Abstract Objective. To know the perception of health, education and social service professionals about the records and notifications of violence against children and adolescents, carried out in a municipality in the south of Brazil.Methods. This is an exploratory, descriptive, and qualitative approach, specifically developed in places that integrate children and adolescents victims of violence. Ten professionals participated, including three nurses, one doctor, two social workers, two psychologists, one tutor, and one educator. Data collection was performed through a semi-structured interview. The statements were submitted to discursive textual analysis.Results. The analysis showed that the act of recording and reporting violence against children and adolescents is still not a routine practice for health professionals. The registration and formal communication of the information should be considered as a priority; however, the results showed that the protection of the victim seems to overlap with the registry. The study identified important elements in strategies for coping with violence against children and adolescents: centralization of notifications in a single service; creation of a notification flow; existence of an advisory team to deal with cases of violence; and completion of compulsory notification by education and social assistance professionals.Conclusion. For the professionals, the routine attendance of situations involving violence, but not formalized through the notification form, has contributed to the underreporting and invisibility of the cases.Descriptors: nursing; domestic violence; child advocacy; mandatory reporting; registries.How to cite this article: Silva PA, Lunardi VL, Meucci RD, Algeri S, Silva MP, Franciscatto FP. (In) visibility of notifications of violence against children and adolescents registered in a municipality in southern Brazil. Invest. Educ. Enferm. 2019; 37(2):e11.ReferencesCovell, K; Becker JO, NGO Advisory Council for Follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against Children. Five years on: a global update on violence against children [Internet]. 2011 [Cited 11 Feb 2018]. Available from: http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/sites/default/files/documents/5085.pdf. Viola TW, Salum GA, Kluwe-Schiavon B, Sanvicente-Vieira B, Levandowsky ML, Grassi-Oliveira R. The influence of geographical and economic factors in estimates of childhood abuse and neglect using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire: A worldwide meta-regression analysis. Child Abuse Neglect. 2016; 51(1):1-11. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Portaria nº 1271, de 6 de junho de 2014. 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Garbin CAS, Dias IA, Rovida TAS, Garbin AJI. Desafios do profissional de saúde na notificação da violência: obrigatoriedade, efetivação e encaminhamento. Cien. Saude Colet. 2015; 20(6):1879-90. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Conselho Nacional de Saúde. Resolução nº 466, de 12 de dezembro de 2012. Aprova as diretrizes e normas regulamentadoras de pesquisa envolvendo seres humanos. Brasília; 2012. Moraes R, Galiazzi MC. Análise textual discursiva. 2nd Ed. Ijuí: Editora Unijuí; 2011. Rolim ACA, Moreira GAR, Corrêa CRS, Vieira LJES. Subnotificação de maus-tratos em crianças e adolescentes na Atenção Básica e análise de fatores associados. Saúde Debate. 2014; 38(103):794-804. Waiselfisz JJ. Mapa da violência. Crianças e Adolescentes do Brasil. São Paulo: Instituto Sangari; 2012. Moreira GAR, Vieira LJES, Deslandes SF, Pordeus MAJ, Gama IS, Brilhante AVM. Fatores associados à notificação de maus-tratos em crianças e adolescentes na atenção básica. Cien. Saude Colet. 2014; 19(10):4267-76. 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In a study of the genesis of the 'dual system' of universal elementary education in England and Wales, obtaining at the present, it is easy to be influenced by the received view that the 1870 Elementary Education Act was a wise and judicious measure, albeit a move of limited potential, by W. E. Forster and the Liberal ministry of 1868, under William Gladstone.Educational historians, in the main, while setting out the importance of the 1870 Elementary Education Act, tend to expound an established opinion that the legislation was predominantly the work of Forster, who was ably assisted by an unwritten alliance between the Conservative Party and the Established Church. However, in order to understand fully, the developments leading up to the act itself, it is necessary to appreciate the little recognised, fundamental influences and pressures initiated by both radicals and nonconformists on the final outcome, and the resultant antagonisms in the struggle for universal elementary education, especially those political and religious controversies which were characterised by the wider debate of the years between 1866 and 1870.It is my purpose in the study to trace the developments of events over this period, and to give just deference to the specific details, preferences and campaigning that would set up the right conditions for the successful passing of legislation in 1870. In this respect, I contend that the final, amended bill, as passed by Forster, was the result of a four year agitation, and only really emerged in 1870, and in the form that it did, because of the radical and nonconformist influence. In qualifying this, it is not my purpose to support the ideas and philosophies of those protagonists, but rather to justify their importance as catalysts in the development of legislation, and in the moulding of the significant clauses which established the bill as a compromise. The act of 1870 was only successful because of the continued pressure and influence of the radicals and nonconformists in their challenge to the, hitherto, voluntary system of elementary education.The major part of this study is concerned with events between the latter part of 1866 and August, 1870 which saw the passing of Forster's education bill. This period saw the growth of both the Manchester Education Aid Society and the Birmingham Education Society; attempts at legislation for the reform of elementary education in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords on four occasions between 1867 and 1868; the collapse of the voluntaryists under Edward Baines; the passing of the second reform bill, which enabled Gladstone to form a radical and reforming ministry; the creation of the National Education League as a truly nationwide pressure group, and its adversary the National Education Union; and ultimately, the planning of the education bill and its passage on to the statute book.

In the last decade there has been a growing interest in improving the nature of assessment to enhance student learning in higher education. At its best, assessment can motivate and influence the student’s direction and approaches to learning. It is widely accepted that assessment should be valid, reliable, and transparent. Despite what is known about quality assessment, the literature suggests that these conceptualisations are not always practised. This thesis seeks to reflect on current Initial Teacher Education assessment practices by integrating student, academic and high-school teacher perceptions. The overall objective of this research was to develop an innovative assessment framework that resolved key issues, including depth of understanding, engagement with assessment, and achieving authentic and sustainable assessment practices. An important consideration was to ensure any optimised assessment did not increase the marking and feedback workload for the academics. Aligning to Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology principles, this thesis adopted design thinking as a qualitative methodological approach in the research inquiry process to explore and develop solutions to the complex assessment issues identified by literature and participants in this research. As proposed by Stanford d.school, design thinking is a structured method of thinking processes used in problem solving, with consultation of end-users to develop prototypes and devise solutions. Under the umbrella of PAR, this research incorporated the design thinking mindset and its structured approaches to investigate perspectives which then enabled creation of assessment frameworks. This research consisted of two phases: Phase One focused on end-users’ perspectives and experience of usual assessment practices that occurred pre-Covid-19, in a face-to-face teaching and learning setting. Semi-structured interview analyses revealed that despite acknowledging and understanding the importance of assessment and feedback processes, end-users were not completely satisfied with their assessment experiences. Students wanted assessment with more clarity and transparency providing them with authentic opportunities. While academics and high-school teachers wanted more student engagement in assessment. Assessment workload constraints affected both students’ and academics’ assessment and feedback experiences. Based on these understandings, the assessment framework was ideated and developed into a scenario-based experience assessment prototype. After this stage, the pandemic pushed teaching, learning, and assessment practices to a digitally supported remote delivery, which meant that the framework adopted in Phase One could not be tested for effectiveness. Phase Two evolved from these social distancing Covid-19 restrictions which caused new problems and challenges in delivering and completing assessment. In light of this, the same design thinking stages and procedures as Phase One were adopted. Analyses discovered academics and teachers experienced tensions between their usual pedagogical practices and the limited social cues available to them in the online environment. It appeared that students did not necessarily know how to collaborate, which was magnified in the online environment. Therefore, a new fit-for-purpose assessment framework prototype was developed for the digital emerging environment to support end-users in facilitating, monitoring, and assessing collaboration. This thesis presents practical assessment alternatives in these universal and situational assessment environments, to equip students with knowledge and skills to excel in future employment settings. The lessons thereby learned from adopting the design thinking approach as a results-driven planning method in this study may assist others in exploring this more novel approach to qualitative research. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will contribute to promoting and sustaining changes to improve teaching, learning, and assessment in higher and teacher education.

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs are responsible for producing graduate teachers with strong capabilities, through advancing high quality teaching strategies and evidence-based teaching. With an increased understanding of universities’ capacities for delivering social change, an interest in broadening knowledges beyond traditional disciplines has emerged. ITE programs are further challenged to address sustainability and mobilise possibilities. A strategic goal for achieving these expectations is to reorient teaching and learning by connecting them with dimensions of the world beyond a discipline focus, including culture, society, and the natural world. Leveraging from Lin’s (2011) work on creative pedagogy, I explore the teaching and learning experiences of Balinese ITE educators and pre-service teachers (PSTs), which interconnect with several ecological zones within the university. The aim of this inquiry is to obtain and offer insights into how a particular pedagogical strategy – creative pedagogy – supports the establishment of transformative environmental learning, including how it enhances the ITE educators’ capacity to scaffold environmental learning, and repositions Balinese indigenous knowledge within an Indonesian ITE program. I also provide an analysis of barriers to practicing creative pedagogies within this higher education context, and signal possible response strategies. This research is informed by Barnett’s (2018) notion of the ‘ecological university’ and draws on literature, and concepts, that relate to creativity in education, pedagogies in higher education, and meaning-making through an indigenous lens. Each chapter of my thesis is accompanied by a different Balinese metaphor that models ways of integrating cross-cultural knowledge. Using the metaphor of Balinese broom construction in the sampat lidi, my study is situated within interpretivist and transformative paradigms. I utilised Kemmis et al.’s (2014) critical participatory action research (CPAR) approaches in semi-structured classroom observations, creative collegial group meetings, and questionnaires with three ITE educators and forty-six PSTs. All participants boast the dual roles of experiencing pedagogies and initiating pedagogical transformation in the ITE program. Data were analysed using two cycles of coding before being displayed as analytic units in a conceptually clustered matrix. Major findings from my research include the emergence of a creative pedagogies mandala that offers an understanding of pedagogical practices across five ecological zones: knowledge, learning, culture, persons, and natural environment. The mandala reflects the results of an interplay between creative teaching, teaching for creativity, and creative learning, techniques administered by the ITE educators to support the shaping of PSTs’ intuitive, collaborative, and reflective skills. The mandala encompasses appropriate pedagogical strategies that are sensitive to indigenous perspectives. The mandala creates a third space for Western and Eastern cultures to interact after creativity and environmental learning, and grounds the indigenous Balinese ways of knowing nature within Western-style ITE classrooms. I pose that creative pedagogies promote the involvement of the ITE educators and PSTs in a more sustainable learning, and support individual and future wellbeing within a world full of uncertainty and ambiguity. Although this research was conducted prior to the pandemic, my findings signal that it is imperative for an ITE program to allow a space for ITE educators and PSTs to experiment with learning, perform risk-taking pedagogical actions, and re-connect with their local places and communities in order to build resilience amidst unprecedented circumstances in the post-COVID era.

This study examines the informal learning undertaken by secondary school science teachers, in order to enhance their professionality. Situated within the field of science education, this research focuses on the role of informal learning in science teachers’ professional development (PD). While there is a substantial body of research examining teachers’ formal PD, there has been limited research on science teachers’ informal learning as a form of PD. This study aims to broaden our understanding regarding the ways by which teachers develop their professionality across their career. Specifically, the study posed the following questions: How frequently are secondary school science teachers presently accessing informal learning resources? What are the teachers’ purposes in accessing informal learning resources? And how do the number of years teaching experience relate to teachers’ usages of the various informal learning resources? A mixed methods approach was applied to the collection and analysis of data from two sources: semi-structured questionnaires with secondary school science teachers (n = 91); and two focus group sessions – one with biology teachers (n = 11), and one with chemistry teachers (n = 6). Teachers identified the frequency and purposes of accessing 32 resources. The various resources were grouped into the following four categories: interactive media resources, non-interactive media resources, interpersonal communications, and exhibitory and experiential learning resources. The findings reveal specific preferences for types of resources, and clear purposes for accessing informal learning. In regard to the preferred resources, teachers prioritise the use of non-interactive media resources, such as Google and YouTube, over interactive media resources such as Facebook and Twitter; and, resources which provide ‘tailored’ information, such as Google over resources which provide general, non-specific, information such as newsletters and online courses. The most highly prioritised source of informal learning is conversations with colleagues. Online interactive communications do not appear to be a substitute for face-to-face contact. No significant differences were found in the frequency with which teachers with a different number of years of science teaching experience, access the various informal learning resources. In regard to the purposes of accessing informal learning, the study reveals two distinguishable needs: the first is as a means for developing professional identity, and the second purpose is to aid teaching. The discussion of the findings highlights the need for providing and promoting opportunities for face-to-face, peer conversations among teachers, and that these face-to-face conversations cannot be replaced by online alternatives. It further suggests that informal learning contributes not only to enhancing the teachers’ science teaching capabilities but also to the lifelong development of their professional identity. This study provides practical implications suggesting that accreditation bodies need to find more accurate indices for capturing the ways in which teachers enhance their professionality. Similarly, principals, and organisers of PD need to develop more awareness regarding the informal PD needs of science teachers and to facilitate these accordingly.

Academics’ capacity for collaborating when managing and developing education products and services required by Higher Education (HE) systems is both complex and challenging work (Grant, 2021; Dougherty & Natow, 2019; Barnett, 2018). Accordingly, this situation results in tensions and opportunities for academics trying to navigate their teaching, research and other duties alongside burgeoning expectations and accountability driven university systems (Krause, 2020; Shumar & Robinson, 2018; Marginson, 2016). Leonard and Roberts (2016) and Alden Rivers, Nie and Armellini (2015) signify a gap in the research around collaborative practices that support ways academics work within these complexities, which include certain attributes of creativity and innovation. My research generates insight into the way creativity and innovation influence pedagogy and the opportunities for academics’ collaborative practices in initial teacher education (ITE) programs. ITE programs are complex spaces within HE where academics work in preparation of new skilled teachers, administration, developing programs, research, and meeting expectations of education and innovation policies of universities, schools, community, and government demands (Marginson, 2018; Turk, 2017). My study contributes to work revealing academics’ experiences of space, voice, and agency in their potential to contribute meaningfully within and to HE systems. My research addresses the value and potential of collaboration, creativity, and innovation practices, reflecting the relationship between academics and the HE environment, not from the whole university perspective, rather the phenomena of spaces within the system. The key understanding is collaboration, creativity, and innovation are fluid, dynamic practices, superseding methods for academics’ professional participatory and policy compliance. They are key acts and experiences for navigating the shifting and complex spaces of universities. These spaces, rather than atomising academics’ viability in the workforce, positively influence workplace relations, identity as academics, scholarship, and agency, to result in universities as a good place to work. To understand academics’ potential for collaborating and applying certain attributes of creativity and innovation when developing contemporary education programs, I sought a pragmatic, reflexive, and reflective methodology. Thus, my methodology largely situated a pragmatic worldview, which on occasions moved to an interpretivist and constructivist lens (Mertens, 2019; Alvesson & Sköldberg, 2017). Using informal survey and semi structured interview data, academics’ experiences were analysed through linguistic methods applied to empirical phenomenology and sequential qualitative (QUAL - qual) approaches to multi methods (Schoonenboom & Johnson, 2017; Morse, 2010). These methods explored relationships between phenomenology, reflexivity, and creativity, to reveal layers of meaning from the dialogue (Fetters & Azorin, 2017; Holmes 2007). I analysed these layers with a framework of pragmalinguistic and meta-text analysis to identify conceptual themes (Esenova, 2017; Witosz, 2017). The findings and interpretations demonstrated social, psychological, and political factors of phenomena academics experienced and valued in their work. Including approaches for academics to navigate complexities and change in HE. These findings contribute knowledge for university policymakers and managers, when designing academics’ workloads and communities of practice, to be inclusive of time and spaces for authentic opportunities for genuine collaboration and connectedness within social ecologies of HE.

The author investigates how a school–university partnership involving pre-service teachers (PSTs), mentors, teacher educators and students impacts the learning and engagement of participant stakeholders. The examination considers the purpose of an educational partnership in the context of a school’s transformation and improvement. The study is premised on an assumption that an effective partnership between a school and university in site-based teacher education, has the potential to improve the learning of students; enhance the quality of the practicum experience for PSTs; and promote opportunities in professional learning and growth for practising teachers, school leaders and teacher educators. The partnership raises questions about what learning looks like in a contemporary school setting; by enhancing a culture of continuous learning and new knowledge, through sustained collaboration, practitioner research and inquiry, innovation, and change. The author demonstrates that a school–university partnership can enable all stakeholders who participate to learn: primarily, the students through the developing contributions of PSTs; the PSTs as they work in authentically demanding practice; school leaders and teacher educators as they work together to achieve common goals; and the teachers, whose professional understandings and practices are developed through taking on the primary responsibility of mentoring the PSTs. The research draws on Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger’s (1991) theory of situated learning and Etienne Wenger’s (1998) theory of communities of practice. The study acknowledges the social nature of schools and a view of knowledge being socially generated through participant engagement in communities of practice. An exploration of the social and situated dimensions of learning offers insights into those elements of partnership-based teacher education that enhance PST professional knowledge, practice, and agency through ongoing contact with students and their learning. The selection of a case study methodology is a means through which to explore situated learning within communities of practice. This methodology provides an exploration of the way in which the culture, structures, and processes within the school–university partnership facilitated professional agency—creating the conditions for effective teaching and learning. The research uses quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis to obtain a rich spectrum of views. The case study methodology combining quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis allows concepts to be wholly explored, ensuring all aspects of the phenomenon (school–university partnership) are reflected on and understood. The research explores the potential for a school–university partnership to create an alternative discourse and pathway to raise school and student outcomes. The study reveals how a school–university partnership can produce adaptive and discursive practices, countering the normalising influence of a system regime’s focus on compliance, performance, and accountability. This study explores how a partnership with a university provides the school with a vehicle to create a unique school culture, catering for local challenges within Departmental accountabilities.

It is widely accepted by today’s Australian society that education, in particular, be inclusive and accessible for all students. Teachers regularly report a perceived limit to their skills set in relation to working with students with a disability, particularly when the students are in a mainstream setting. This perception has also been identified within cohorts of physical education (PE) teachers with many reporting they do not feel confident to teach students with a disability in a physical activity setting. Research has shown that PE teachers often feel underprepared to work with students with a disability, particularly in PE classes where activities may need to be modified or adapted for full participation (Forlin & Chambers, 2011; Barber, 2018). The purpose of this study, adopting a phenomenological approach, was to demonstrate the importance of undergraduate tertiary PE students participating in an inclusion and diversity or Adapted PE program, and to understand the value of that experience. The mixed methods research methodology with a focus on phenomenology was developed using a triangulation methodology that used three phases of research to produce data that would address a set of sub- aims relating to the undergraduate PE student experience and the perspectives of experts regarding inclusive practices. Phase 1 of the research involved surveying undergraduate PE students participating in an Inclusion and Diversity in Physical Activity unit in an inner-city university in the west of Melbourne, Australia using the Physical Educators’ Attitude Towards Teaching Individuals with a Disability (PEATID-11) questionnaire pre and post-completion of the Inclusion and Diversity in Physical Activity unit. As a questionnaire was used, a positivist paradigm was adopted for this quantitative phase. One hundred and twenty two responses were collected and of that, 29 were completed both pre and post-completion of the unit. Results indicated that there were significant differences to the attitudes of the undergraduate PE students’ pre and post the unit, which is supported by previous research findings using this instrument. The PEATID-11 data results found students showed positive changes in their attitudes and behaviours after completing the unit, as they scored higher in the post-mean scores in each category of the questionnaire indicating a more positive intent post-completion of the unit and demonstrating the importance of the inclusion of the unit in the undergraduate PE degree. A prediction that therefore can be made is that undergraduate PE students, who have specific, focused Adapted PE training, as a part of their undergraduate PE studies, will have a more favourable attitude towards inclusion and working with students with a disability. Phase 2 of the research utilised focus groups with the same undergraduate PE student cohort using a phenomenological lens to capture their ‘lived experience’ of participating in the Inclusion and Diversity in Physical Activity unit. Three focus groups, with a total of 22 undergraduate PE students were conducted with students post the completion of the unit. This approach has provided a data that describes the students’ experiences and learnings in their own voices that has not been a feature of earlier quantitative studies. The research has provided an additional perspective to the current body of knowledge in the research conducted around the impact of Adapted PE courses on the attitudes, confidence and skill set of undergraduate PE students and has identified keys trends, themes and issues in relation to the experiences and learnings of students engaged in the Inclusion and Diversity in Physical Activity unit at Victoria University. Results of this phase of the research showed that the undergraduate PE students did report the value the experience and found it to be ‘life changing’ and useful. The third phase of the research involved the completion of 8 individual interviews with industry education experts in the field of PE and inclusion. This last phase of the research was designed to investigate in what way how inclusion teacher training was viewed and how important it was considered to be by experts in the field. Findings of this stage of the research overwhelmingly support the inclusion of Adapted PE, inclusion and diversity training in undergraduate PE degrees. This was evidenced by more favourable attitudes towards working with students with a disability at the completion of an inclusive PE unit and positive responses to focus group questions on the impact of the inclusive PE unit. The three phases of the research support the importance of including an inclusive PE program in an undergraduate PE degree. This research supports the literature that clearly demonstrates that preservice and undergraduate teachers who have had experience in an Adapted Physical Education unit as part of their studies, which included theory and practice, could make a difference to the predisposition of their preparedness to be more inclusive. (Hodge et al., 2002). Additionally, this research adds to the body of knowledge in providing undergraduate PE student voices together with expert educators’ voices regarding the importance of ‘hands on inclusive learning’. The findings that detail more favourable attitudes post-completion of the inclusive PE unit in association with the positive ‘lived experience’ data, prompted the recommendations of including mandated inclusive education and training for physical education teachers (both undergraduate and practicing) and the requirement of inclusive practice training being provided within an experiential context. It is anticipated that the findings of this research will serve as evidence to support the development of undergraduate PE courses and foster further research in regards to inclusive education and training for physical educators.

Building the capacity of Australian organisations continues to be a challenge in today’s changing work environments. Increasing concern about the calibre of graduates entering the workforce highlights a ‘disconnect’ between pedagogy and contemporary business practices, as the Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) sectors seek to address industry’s demand for employment-ready graduates. In order to meet this challenge, HE and VET educators are expected to have current industry knowledge and skills relevant to their areas of teaching, yet there is considerable difficulty in forging academia-industry partnerships to achieve this. Teacher placement in industry (TPI) schemes are a form of continuing professional development, whereby the teacher spends a predetermined period of time working for a host organisation in situ, immersed in contemporary industry-based processes, whilst working alongside peers. For HE and VET educators, TPI provides opportunities for teachers to upgrade and/or expand their industry knowledge and skills to support teaching and learning. For enterprises, TPI initiatives may contribute to the creation of new knowledge and build organisational capacity through the transfer of information and ideas between educators and firms’ employees. Yet, notwithstanding the acknowledged benefits of TPI, the challenges of implementing such initiatives are at odds with broader policies encouraging education-industry alliances. Constraining forces such as lack of funding, poorly developed HR policies and workforce casualisation raise concerns about the long-term viability of TPI schemes. The research question this study set out to addresses is: In what ways may TPI contribute to the development of individual and organisational capacities? A relativist-constructivist paradigm was applied to a mixed-methodological framework to explore HE, and VET business disciplines managers, and industry managers’ views about the value of TPI schemes, and the benefits and challenges of implementing such initiatives. The theoretical framework employed in the study was drawn from situated theories of workplace learning. This thesis should be of interest to teachers, education managers, senior university management, managers in industry, government policy makers, industry associations and professional/accrediting bodies, as each of these is potentially influenced/impacted by the outcomes of TPI initiatives. The thesis contributes to the research question by revealing several issues, including the need to expand academia-industry partnerships, which would strengthen the workplace proficiency of teachers in HE and VET. The findings from this study indicate that there is considerable goodwill from both academia and industry to engage with each other, as each can see benefits from TPI initiatives. However, there are also a considerable number of challenges that make it difficult in practice, for such engagements to flourish, including issues such as: funding, the setting of goals and objectives, and the evaluation of TPI outcomes. This thesis contributes to the field of workplace learning and capacity building by proposing a number of recommendations to strengthen education-industry alliances through TPI initiatives, including; policy changes; the provision of dedicated funding for sustainable TPI schemes; and the development of a national register of HE, VET, and industry partners.

A high expectation exists from managers in the sport management (SM) industry sector for graduates from undergraduate (UG) SM programs to have extensive practical experience and employability. It is unclear however, from the literature reviewed, of the contribution practical experience plays to graduate employability. Also unclear is how SM employers recognise employable graduates. The purpose of this Australian-based research was to determine how practical experience can align the learning, development, and subsequent capacity of graduates from UG SM programs, to transparently signal their employability during job recruitment and selection. This purpose was refined into three research questions with specific foci. The first research question focused on differentiating and defining SM job classifications to identify broad SM role functions. Associated with these role functions are the skills, attributes, and corresponding knowledge that UGs should develop while undertaking practical experiences in an UG SM program. The focus of the second research question was to examine how learning and development gained from practical experience can transparently be converted into employability signals and observed by prospective SM employers during job recruitment and selection. The third research question focused on providing recommendations to managers from the SM industry sector and coordinators of UG SM programs to assist both sectors prepare UGs to be employable graduates. A mixed methods approach was adopted in three stages. In Stage One a job advertisement audit was conducted of 200 graduate-entry SM positions that stipulated a tertiary qualification and practical experience as prerequisites. The data were analysed through text coding and using descriptive statistics. In Stage Two, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 sport managers identified from the job audit. The interview transcripts were coded and thematically analysed. Stage Three involved the conduct of an online employability survey which incorporated eight Employability Dimensions (Rosenberg et al., 2012) with corresponding items, garnering responses from 165 sport managers. However, following data cleansing, 92 responses were analysed using non-parametric statistics.

M.Sc. (Computer Science)
Knowledge sharing technique has been revolutionized over the past years, and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is one of the main contributors to this revolution. One of the knowledge sharing means that emerged from the use of ICTs is the electronic Learning (e-Learning) system. An e-Learning Management System (e-LMS) is a software application that utilises ICTs to manage and deliver e-Learning to users. One of the main advantages of the e-LMS is unlimited access to information, including shared knowledge regardless of geographic location and time, which is the basis for its widespread popularity of e-LMSs in the academic and corporate environment. The main motivation behind this study is the realisation of the unique nature of e-LMSs, and its dependency on ICTs that makes it more vulnerable to information security risks; if these information security risks are not mitigated or put to an acceptable level, the overall integrity of the entire e-Learning process will be compromised. Moreover, in spite of the abundance of literature in e-Learning systems, the security aspect of e-LMS has been given very little consideration. This dissertation will investigate the possible information security risks facing e-LMSs from each user’s (i.e. Lecturers, Learners and Administrator) perspective. For the identified risks, as a possible information security counter measure, the author has created an information security reference framework, called ‘An Information Security Reference Framework for e-Learning Management Systems’ (ISRFe-LMS), which is based on the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) 27002. The ISO 27002 Standard is internationally accepted best practice for Information Security Management. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is strictly focused on creating and enhancing the security of e-LMSs through the creation of the ISRFe-LMS. The Moodle e-LMS has been studied from its information security capabilities and mapped to the ISRFe-LMS, to validate how well it conforms to the security standards and criteria set by the ISRFe-LMS.

Education continues to evolve to meet changing educational needs, budgetary pressures, and evolving lifestyles of different students. Distance and online education has become a greater force in the portfolio of products offered by colleges and universities. This chapter reviews recent trends in the courses and methods of delivery offered to meet the changing needs of students.

In this chapter, issues concerning the role of Learning Management Systems in early childhood education are discussed. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such issues have not been thoroughly discussed till now in literature. Learning Management Systems in early childhood concern four types of users: pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, early childhood students and their parents. To a certain degree, each type of user affects the types of services and functionalities that have to be provided by a Learning Management System. Relevant case studies depicting Learning Management Systems role in different settings are presented. Requirements that Learning Management Systems should satisfy are also discussed. Practical issues and guidelines concerning the use of the open source Learning Management System Moodle are also presented. Lastly, future research directions are outlined.

Technology has become ubiquitous throughout medical education. Currently there is a wide range of tools that can be used to supplement traditional classroom and clinical learning. Simulators and mobile devices are among the tools that may make an especially significant impact on educating medical practitioners. Simulators range from simple part-task trainers to complex high-fidelity human patient simulators. Internet-enabled handheld portable computers such as the iPad® have begun to revolutionize and expand the medical classroom to even further reaches. Instructional design principles maintain that these technologies can and should be used to allow practitioners to learn by playing. Blind investment in these technologies, however, can quickly turn these technologies into a waste of time and money. We present principles intended to ensure that factors such as cost, size and technological expertise are taken into consideration when investing in such technologies for medical education. Following these principles will allow a medical department to optimize the cost-benefit ratio of an investment in simulation and portable computer technology for medical education.

The use of Web 2.0 technology is rapidly being integrated into undergraduate and graduate education, which dramatically influences the ways learners approach and use information. Knowledge transfer has become a two-way process. Users no longer simply consume and download information from the web; they create and interact with it. Several theoretical frameworks were developed in order to discuss the possibilities of integration of Web 2.0 tools in Pharmacy, Medicine, Allied Health, Nursing and many other biomedical areas. Other studies have started gathering qualitative and quantitative evidence of the importance of Web 2.0 tools in the learning process. By performing the integrative review, this paper will provide an overview of current research in biomedical education, and elaborate on some of the potential opportunities and challenges that these applications present. We hope to give our contribution to ongoing research in this promising area.

In this chapter, the reader is taken through a “big picture” view of learning management systems, with an emphasis on systems that are used in higher education. Included in this view is a description of common features found in learning management systems and the advantages and limitations of these systems. Also included is the report of a large research study identifying the features used most commonly by students and which of these features are the most and least valued. In addition, the reader is presented with specific resources and options for evaluating, selecting and deploying learning management systems. The chapter concludes with a series of brief profiles of the leading learning management vendors and systems.