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Evaluators
Kinds of Evaluators Selected AbstractsComputer-based management environment for an assembly language programming laboratoryCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 1 2007Santiago Rodríguez Abstract This article describes the environment used in the Computer Architecture Department of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) for managing small laboratory work projects and a specific application for an Assembly Language Programming Laboratory. The approach is based on a chain of tools that a small team of teachers can use to efficiently manage a course with a large number of students (400 per year). Students use this tool chain to complete their assignments using an MC88110 CPU simulator also developed by the Department. Students use a Delivery Agent tool to send files containing their implementations. These files are stored in one of the Department servers. Every student laboratory assignment is tested by an Automatic Project Evaluator that executes a set of previously designed and configured tests. These tools are used by teachers to manage mass courses thereby avoiding restrictions on students working on the same assignment. This procedure may encourage students to copy others' laboratory work and we have therefore developed a complementary tool to help teachers find "replicated" laboratory assignment implementations. This tool is a plagiarism detection assistant that completes the tool-chain functionality. Jointly, these tools have demonstrated over the last decade that important benefits can be gained from the exploitation of a global laboratory work management system. Some of the benefits may be transferable to an area of growing importance that we have not directly explored, i.e. distance learning environments for technical subjects. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 15: 41,54, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20094 [source] Techno-economic evaluation of a two-step biological process for hydrogen productionBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2010Mattias Ljunggren Abstract An integrated biological process for the production of hydrogen based on thermophilic and photo-heterotrophic fermentation was evaluated from a technical and economic standpoint. Besides the two fermentation steps the process also includes pretreatment of the raw material (potato steam peels) and purification of hydrogen using amine absorption. The study aimed neither at determining the absolute cost of biohydrogen nor at an economic optimization of the production process, but rather at studying the effects of different parameters on the production costs of biohydrogen as a guideline for future improvements. The effect of the key parameters, hydrogen productivity and yield and substrate concentration in the two fermentations on the cost of the hydrogen produced was studied. The selection of the process conditions was based mainly on laboratory data. The process was simulated by use of the software Aspen Plus and the capital costs were estimated using the program Aspen Icarus Process Evaluator. The study shows that the photo-fermentation is the main contributor to the hydrogen production cost mainly because of the cost of plastic tubing, for the photo-fermentors, which represents 40.5% of the hydrogen production cost. The costs of the capital investment and chemicals were also notable contributors to the hydrogen production cost. Major economic improvements could be achieved by increasing the productivity of the two fermentation steps on a medium-term to long-term scale. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source] Feasibility and applicability of computer-assisted myocardial blush quantification after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction,CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, Issue 5 2010Joost D.E. Haeck MD Abstract Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the "Quantitative Blush Evaluator" (QuBE) score is associated with measures of myocardial reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated in two hospitals with 24/7 coronary intervention facilities. Background: QuBE is an open source computer program to quantify myocardial perfusion. Although QuBE has shown to be practical and feasible in the patients enrolled in the Thrombus Aspiration during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction Study (TAPAS), QuBE has not yet been verified on reperfusion outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients treated in other catheterization laboratories. Methods: Core lab adjudicated angiographic outcomes and QuBE values were assessed on angiograms of patients who were enrolled in the PRoximal Embolic Protection in Acute myocardial infarction and Resolution of ST-Elevation (PREPARE) trial. ST-segment resolution immediately after PCI measured by continuous ST Holter monitoring was calculated by a blinded core lab. Results: The QuBE score could be assessed on 229 of the 284 angiograms (81%) and was significantly associated with visually assessed myocardial blush grade (P < 0.0001). Patients with improved postprocedural Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction-graded flow, myocardial blush grade, ST-segment resolution immediately after PCI, or a small infarct size measured by peak CK-MB had a significant better QuBE score. Conclusions: QuBE is feasible and applicable at angiograms of patients with STEMI recorded at other catheterization laboratories and is associated with measures of myocardial reperfusion. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Repeatability of subjective evaluation of lameness in horsesEQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010K. G. KEEGAN Summary Reasons for performing study: Previous studies have suggested that agreement between equine veterinarians subjectively evaluating lameness in horses is low. These studies were limited to small numbers of horses, evaluating movement on the treadmill or to evaluating previously-recorded videotape. Objectives: To estimate agreement between equine practitioners performing lameness evaluations in horses in the live, over ground setting. Methods: 131 mature horses were evaluated for lameness by 2,5 clinicians (mean 3.2) with a weighted-average of 18.7 years of experience. Clinicians graded each limb using the AAEP lameness scale by first watching the horse trot in a straight line only and then after full lameness evaluation. Agreement was estimated by calculation of Fleiss' (,). Evaluators agreed if they picked the same limb as lame or not lame regardless of the severity of perceived lameness. Results: After only evaluating the horse trot in a straight line clinicians agreed whether a limb was lame or not 76.6% of the time (,= 0.44). After full lameness evaluation clinicians agreed whether a limb was lame or not 72.9% of the time (,= 0.45). Agreement on forelimb lameness was slightly higher than on hindlimb lameness. When the mean AAEP lameness score was >1.5 clinicians agreed whether or not a limb was lame 93.1% of the time (,= 0.86), but when the mean score was ,1.5 they agreed 61.9% (,= 0.23) of the time. When given the task of picking whether or not the horse was lame and picking the worst limb after full lameness evaluation, clinicians agreed 51.6% (,= 0.37) of the time. Conclusions: For horses with mild lameness subjective evaluation of lameness is not very reliable. Potential relevance: A search for and the development of more objective and reliable methods of lameness evaluation is justified and should be encouraged and supported. [source] Improving the Evaluation of Rural Development Policy Pour une meilleure évaluation de la politique de développement rural Die Evaluation der Politik zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums verbessernEUROCHOICES, Issue 1 2010David Blandford Summary Improving the Evaluation of Rural Development Policy A previous EuroChoices (Vol. 7, No. 1) compared and contrasted approaches to rural development policy in the EU and US. This Special Issue focuses on the evaluation of these policies, drawing on a workshop held in June 2009 at OECD Conference Center in Paris. Evaluation is an activity that runs parallel with policymaking and is capable of contributing to effectiveness and efficiency at all stages. Evaluators, wherever they work and whatever aspect of rural development is their focus, face some common technical problems. These include multiple (and often ill-defined) policy objectives, the choice of appropriate indicators (especially the need to distinguish between outputs and outcomes), how to establish baseline values, where to draw boundaries in terms of impact and time, and the identification of additionality and causality. Ensuring that lessons learned from evaluation are actually applied is problematic. Experiences covered in this Issue include the use of macro and case-study approaches, and various schemes (investment in human and social capital, and agri-environment and forestry). There is an inherent tension between using a common approach across countries and regions in the interests of comparability and the flexibility needed to capture all the relevant factors in the diverse situations in which rural development actions take place. Un précédent numéro de EuroChoices (Vol. 7, No. 1) comparait et mettait en regard les approches de l'Union européenne et des États-Unis en terme de politique de développement rural. Ce numéro spécial est consacréà l'évaluation de la politique et tire parti d'un atelier qui s'est tenu en juin 2009 au Centre de Conférences de l'OCDE à Paris. L'évaluation va de pair avec l'élaboration des politiques et peut contribuer à améliorer l'efficacité et l'efficience à tous les stades. Quels que soient leur affiliation et l'aspect du développement rural sur lequel ils se concentrent, les évaluateurs sont confrontés à certains problèmes techniques communs. Il s'agit des objectifs multiples (et souvent mal définis) de la politique, du choix d'indicateurs pertinents (en particulier la nécessité de faire la différence entre produit et résultat), de la manière d'établir des valeurs de référence, de la fixation de limites en terme d'incidence et de durée, et de l'identification des effets additifs et de la causalité. Il est difficile de s'assurer que les leçons tirées des évaluations sont effectivement retenues. Les expériences rapportées dans ce numéro comprennent des approches macroéconomiques ou fondées sur des études de cas, et couvrent différents programmes (investissements dans le capital social et humain, mesures agroenvironnementales, mesures forestières). Il existe une tension évidente entre l'utilisation d'une approche commune entre chaque pays et région, qui vise la comparabilité, et la flexibilité qui permet de prendre en compte l'ensemble des différents facteurs des situations variées dans lesquelles les mesures de développement rural sont appliquées. In einer vorherigen Ausgabe von EuroChoices (7:1) wurden Herangehensweisen an die Politik zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums in der EU und in den USA verglichen und diskutiert. Diese Sonderausgabe beschäftigt sich auf der Grundlage eines Workshops, der im Juni 2009 am OECD-Hauptsitz in Paris abgehalten wurde, mit Politikevaluation. Die Evaluation erfolgt parallel zur Politikgestaltung und kann in jeder Phase zur Steigerung von Wirksamkeit und Effizienz beitragen. Evaluatoren stehen einigen allgemeinen technischen Problemen gegenüber , ganz gleich, wo sie arbeiten und welchen Aspekten ländlicher Entwicklung sie sich widmen. Dazu zählen multiple (und oftmals unzureichend definierte) politische Ziele; die Auswahl von geeigneten Indikatoren (hier muss insbesondere zwischen Endprodukten und Ergebnissen unterschieden werden); die Frage, wie Ausgangswerte festzulegen und wo Grenzen im Hinblick auf Auswirkungen und den zeitlichen Rahmen zu setzen sind; sowie die Identifizierung von Additionalität und Kausalität. Es ist schwierig sicherzustellen, dass die Erkenntnisse aus der Evaluation auch umgesetzt werden. Die in dieser Ausgabe aufgegriffenen Erfahrungen berücksichtigen u.a. Makro- und Fallstudienansätze sowie verschiedene Maßnahmen (Investitionen in Human-/Sozialkapital sowie Agrarumwelt und Forstwirtschaft). Es besteht eine grundsätzliche Spannung zwischen einer im Interesse der Vergleichbarkeit einheitlichen länder- und regionenübergreifenden Herangehensweise und einer Flexibilität bei der Erfassung aller relevanten Faktoren in den verschiedenen Situationen, in denen ländliche Entwicklung stattfindet. [source] Evaluation of Rural Development Requires Clarity on Expected Outcomes L'évaluation du développement rural demande à ce que les résultats attendus soient clairement identifiés Die Evaluation der Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums erfordert Klarheit hinsichtlich der erwarteten ErgebnisseEUROCHOICES, Issue 1 2010Richard Wakeford Summary Evaluation of Rural Development Requires Clarity on Expected Outcomes Without good evaluation, we deny ourselves the evidence that should influence choices of policy instrument in the future. Evaluation of rural development is complex. The crucial thing is to be absolutely clear about the outcome you want before starting the project. For a building, defining desired outcomes is not too difficult if the architect and partners in development work properly with the client from the start. Evaluation of whether society is achieving sustainable development is pretty near impossible, given so many competing views of what success might look like in terms of outcomes. Evaluation of rural development policy falls somewhere between these two extremes. The suspicion is that, despite Regulations agreed at Council level, the EU's 27 ,Rural Development' Ministers would not reveal much consensus about the desired outcomes of the EU's rural development policy. Ministers and officials may find it hard to bring themselves to do evaluation as it may show that their policies haven't delivered. Nevertheless, useful evaluation can take place. It has to face a series of technical issues, such as ,Should the evaluation be of individual programmes or combinations of programmes'. It also has to respect certain principles, such as the ,arms length' status of the evaluator. Sans une bonne évaluation, nous nous privons des informations qui devraient influencer les choix en matière d'instrument de politique pour l'avenir. L'évaluation du développement rural est complexe. Avant de démarrer un projet, il est crucial d'être absolument clair sur les résultats désirés. Définir les résultats désirés n'est pas tellement difficile pour une construction si les architectes et les partenaires du développement travaillent correctement avec le client dès le début. Évaluer si la société atteint un développement durable est pratiquement impossible du fait du grand nombre de vues contradictoires sur ce que pourrait constituer un succès en termes de résultats. L'évaluation de la politique de développement rural se situe quelque part entre ces extrêmes. On peut soupçonner qu'en dépit des règlements acceptés au niveau du Conseil, les ministres en charge du "développement rural" des pays de l'Union européenne à 27 n'atteindraient pas un grand niveau de consensus sur les résultats désirés de la politique de développement rural. Les ministres et les autorités pourraient trouver difficile de procéder à une évaluation car elle pourrait conduire à la conclusion que les politiques n'ont pas eu de succès. Il est pourtant possible de réaliser une évaluation utile. Elle devrait s'affronter à une série de questions techniques telles que "l'évaluation devrait-elle concerner des programmes individuels ou une combinaison de programmes". Elle devrait aussi respecter certains principes comme le statut "en retrait" de l'évaluateur. Ohne eine gute Evaluation verzichtet man bewusst auf Information, anhand derer zukünftige Politikmaßnahmen ausgewählt werden sollten. Die Evaluation der Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums ist kompliziert: Es kommt darauf an, das verlangte Ergebnis im Vorfeld ganz genau festzulegen. Beim Hausbau z.B. ist es nicht allzu schwierig, die gewünschten Ergebnisse zu definieren, wenn der Architekt und alle beteiligten Vertragspartner von Anfang an mit dem Bauherrn Hand in Hand arbeiten. Es ist dagegen nahezu unmöglich zu evaluieren, ob die Gesellschaft eine nachhaltige Entwicklung erreicht, wenn so viele widersprüchliche Vorstellungen hinsichtlich eines erfolgreichen Ergebnisses existieren. Die Evaluation der Politik des ländlichen Raums liegt irgendwo zwischen diesen beiden Extremen. Obwohl im Ministerrat Einigkeit über die entsprechenden Verordnungen erzielt wurde, würden die Minister für die "Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums" der EU27 vermutlich nicht in vielen Fragen, welche die gewünschten Ergebnisse der Politik zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums der EU betreffen, übereinstimmen. Minister und Beamte können sich möglicherweise nur schwer dazu motivieren, Evaluationen durchzuführen, da sich ihre Politikmaßnahmen eventuell nicht als erfolgreich herausstellen könnten. Dennoch kann eine nutzbringende Evaluation stattfinden. Sie steht einer Reihe von technischen Fragen gegenüber wie z.B. ,Sollte sich die Evaluation auf einzelne Programme oder auf eine Kombination von Programmen beziehen'. Sie muss ebenfalls auf gewissen Grundsätzen beruhen, wie z.B. der Unabhängigkeit des Evaluators. [source] Evaluating the Evaluators: Perceptions of Interviewers by Rejected Job Applicants as a Function of Interviewer and Applicant Sex,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 11 2006Rebecca Holloway Students who had recently had an unsuccessful job interview rated the competence of their interviewer and completed the Women As Managers Scale (WAMS; Terborg, Peters, Ilgen, & Smith, 1977). The results showed an impact of the sex of interviewer on judgments of interviewer competence and WAMS scores, but only for male participants. Male participants gave lower ratings of interviewer competence to female than to male interviewers, and ratings for the female interviewers were also lower than those given by female participants. Scores on the WAMS were lower for male participants who were interviewed by a female interviewer than those interviewed by a male interviewer, and were lower for male than for female participants with a female interviewer. [source] The affect heuristic and the attractiveness of simple gamblesJOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 4 2007Ian Bateman Abstract Prior studies have observed that the attractiveness of playing a simple gamble (7/36 to win $9; otherwise win nothing) is greatly enhanced by introducing a small loss (7/36 win $9; otherwise lose 5¢). The present studies tested and confirmed an explanation of this finding based on the concept of evaluability and the affect heuristic. Evaluators of the "no-loss" gamble lack a precise feeling for how good $9 is, hence give it little weight in their judgment. In the second gamble, comparison with the small loss makes $9 "come alive with feeling" and become weighted in the judgment, thus increasing the attractiveness of the gamble. These results demonstrate the importance of contextual factors in determining affect and preference for simple risk-taking opportunities. They show that the meaning, utility, and weighting of even a very familiar monetary outcome such as $9 is not fixed, but depends greatly on these contextual factors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Knowledge utilization: Implications for evaluationNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 124 2009Sarah C. Blake Knowledge utilization is a field crossing many sectors, from agriculture, since the 1920s, to health care today. Evaluators have made long-standing contributions to understanding knowledge utilization. Different models or ways to think about knowledge utilization have evolved to reflect different perspectives, contexts, and stages of the process, from knowledge creation to the use of effectiveness results in policymaking. The rich interdisciplinary history of this field challenges evaluators to interrogate what knowledge (really) means within a policy or program,whether knowledge is being used more symbolically, rhetorically, or tactically, for example. Differences in program or policy effectiveness across different program sites might result from different types of knowledge use in those sites. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association. [source] Community-based organizations and state initiatives: The negotiation process of program evaluationNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 95 2002Bianca L. Guzmán Evaluators must operate in a multicontextual environment with multiple stakeholders. As the hierarchy of stakeholders becomes more complex, evaluators must react to and work within the ecological environment in which their evaluated programs are conducted. Recognizing the factors that influence the evaluation plan and knowing the best strategies in dealing with different authorizing environments can reduce the difficulty of negotiating with multiple stakeholders and increase the evaluation's validity. [source] Training and performance improvement professionals' perspectives on ethical challenges during evaluationPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 1 2010Seung Youn (Yonnie) Chyung EdD Ethical concerns are rising in the business world. With this in mind, training and performance improvement practitioners, especially during evaluation projects, should be aware of principles and codes of ethics, and their behaviors and decisions should reflect the standards recognized by members of the professional society. A study was conducted with 108 training and performance improvement practitioners to reveal the reasoning behind their judgments of ethically challenging evaluation situations and to understand their rationales through the lens of existing guiding principles. Participants read three scenarios and judged the ethicality of the evaluator's actions in each scenario. Results revealed that participants who were aware of both the International Society for Performance Improvement's Code of Ethics and American Evaluation Association's Guiding Principles for Evaluators were stricter in their judgments about the ethicality of one scenario than those who were not. This article discusses implications of the results and higher education's role in reinforcing an ethical culture and ethical practice by employees. [source] A More Explicit Grading Scale Decreases Grade Inflation in a Clinical ClerkshipACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007Christopher S. Weaver MD Objectives: The medical education literature contains few publications about the phenomenon of grade inflation. The authors' clinical clerkship grading scale suffered from apparent inflation relative to the recommended university distribution. The investigators hypothesized that a simple change of the shift grading cards, using explicit criteria, would decrease this grade inflation and aid to redistribute the shift evaluations. Methods: This was a before-and-after study examining medical student shift evaluation grades. Evaluators and students were blinded to the purpose of the card change and were unaware that a study was being conducted. Beginning June 1, 2005, the authors altered the shift evaluation cards from the previous four choices of honors, high pass, pass, or fail to five choices of upper 5%, upper 25%, expected, below expected, or far below expected, and explicit grading criteria were provided. No other interventions to alter the grade distribution occurred. Data were collected on all evaluations from June 1, 2004, to March 31, 2005 (before change), and compared with data on all evaluations from June 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006 (after change). Results: A total of 3,349 evaluations were analyzed: 1,612 before the card change and 1,737 after the change. The grade distribution before the card change was as follows: honors, 22.6%; high pass, 49.0%; pass, 28.4%; and fail, 0%. This compared with the following ratings after the card change: upper 5%, 9.8%; upper 25%, 41.2%; expected, 46.2%; below expected, 2.8%; and far below expected, 0% (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A simple change in shift evaluation cards to include more explicit grading criteria resulted in a significant change in grade distribution and greatly decreased grade inflation. [source] Assessment of executive function in preschool-aged childrenDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 3 2005Peter K. Isquith Abstract Assessment of the overarching self-regulatory mechanisms, or executive functions, in any age group is challenging, in part due to the complexity of this domain, in part due to their dynamic essence, and in part due to the inextricable links between these central processes and the associated domain-specific processes, such as language, motor function, and attention, over which they preside. While much progress has been made in clinical assessment approaches for measuring executive functions in adults and to some extent in adolescents and school-aged children, the toolkit for the preschool evaluator remains sparse. The past decade, however, has seen a substantial increase in attention to executive functions in very young children from a developmental neuropsychological perspective. With this has come a necessity for better, more specific, and more internally valid performance measures, many of which are now described in the experimental literature. Few such tasks, however, have adequately demonstrated psychometric properties for clinical application. We present two performance tasks designed to tap selective aspects of executive function in preschoolers that are emerging from the experimental laboratory and hold promise of appropriate reliability and validity for the clinical laboratory. Performance tests alone, however, are insufficient to develop a comprehensive picture of a child's executive functioning. Thus, we present a rating scale of preschoolers' executive function in the everyday context, and advocate a model of executive function assessment that incorporates both controlled performance tasks that target specific aspects of executive function and parent/teacher ratings that target more global aspects of self-regulation in the everyday context. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. MRDD Research Reviews 2005;11:209,215. [source] Melanoma with cartilaginous differentiation: Diagnostic challenge on fine-needle aspiration with emphasis on differential diagnosisDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Krisztina Z. Hanley M.D. Abstract Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a minimally invasive, fast, and accurate diagnostic method for the evaluation of patients with locally recurrent or distant metastases of malignant melanoma. In the vast majority of cases, the diagnosis is straightforward with the characteristic cytologic features well documented in the literature. Divergent differentiation (chondroid, neural, myofibroblastic, and osteocartilagenous) in a melanoma is rare and can potentially create diagnostic challenges if the evaluator is unaware of the same. We report a case of a 46-year-old female with a history of primary anal melanoma who presented with a groin mass. The FNA of the groin mass showed a neoplasm rich in chondroid matrix and raised the possibility of a second primary mesenchymal neoplasm rather than metastasis from the patient's known primary anal melanoma. A review of the histologic features of the anal melanoma showed divergent chondroid differentiation in the anal melanoma with the metastatic deposit in the groin exhibiting extensive chondroid differentiation. The differential diagnostic considerations are discussed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Assessment Validation in the Context of High-Stakes AssessmentEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2002Katherine Ryan Including the perspectives of stakeholder groups (e.g., teachers, parents) can improve the validity of high-stakes assessment interpretations and uses. How stakeholder groups view high-stakes assessments and their uses may differ significantly from state-level policy officials. The views of these stakeholders can contribute to identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the intended assessment interpretations and uses. This article proposes a process approach to validity that addresses assessment validation in the context of high-stakes assessment. The process approach includes a test evaluator or validator who considers the perspectives of five stakeholder groups at four different stages of assessment maturity in relationship to six aspects of construct validity. The tasks of the test evaluator and how stakeholders' views might be incorporated are illustrated at each stage of assessment maturity. How the test evaluator might make judgments about the merit of high-stakes assessment interpretations and uses is discussed. [source] Evaluation of Rural Development Requires Clarity on Expected Outcomes L'évaluation du développement rural demande à ce que les résultats attendus soient clairement identifiés Die Evaluation der Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums erfordert Klarheit hinsichtlich der erwarteten ErgebnisseEUROCHOICES, Issue 1 2010Richard Wakeford Summary Evaluation of Rural Development Requires Clarity on Expected Outcomes Without good evaluation, we deny ourselves the evidence that should influence choices of policy instrument in the future. Evaluation of rural development is complex. The crucial thing is to be absolutely clear about the outcome you want before starting the project. For a building, defining desired outcomes is not too difficult if the architect and partners in development work properly with the client from the start. Evaluation of whether society is achieving sustainable development is pretty near impossible, given so many competing views of what success might look like in terms of outcomes. Evaluation of rural development policy falls somewhere between these two extremes. The suspicion is that, despite Regulations agreed at Council level, the EU's 27 ,Rural Development' Ministers would not reveal much consensus about the desired outcomes of the EU's rural development policy. Ministers and officials may find it hard to bring themselves to do evaluation as it may show that their policies haven't delivered. Nevertheless, useful evaluation can take place. It has to face a series of technical issues, such as ,Should the evaluation be of individual programmes or combinations of programmes'. It also has to respect certain principles, such as the ,arms length' status of the evaluator. Sans une bonne évaluation, nous nous privons des informations qui devraient influencer les choix en matière d'instrument de politique pour l'avenir. L'évaluation du développement rural est complexe. Avant de démarrer un projet, il est crucial d'être absolument clair sur les résultats désirés. Définir les résultats désirés n'est pas tellement difficile pour une construction si les architectes et les partenaires du développement travaillent correctement avec le client dès le début. Évaluer si la société atteint un développement durable est pratiquement impossible du fait du grand nombre de vues contradictoires sur ce que pourrait constituer un succès en termes de résultats. L'évaluation de la politique de développement rural se situe quelque part entre ces extrêmes. On peut soupçonner qu'en dépit des règlements acceptés au niveau du Conseil, les ministres en charge du "développement rural" des pays de l'Union européenne à 27 n'atteindraient pas un grand niveau de consensus sur les résultats désirés de la politique de développement rural. Les ministres et les autorités pourraient trouver difficile de procéder à une évaluation car elle pourrait conduire à la conclusion que les politiques n'ont pas eu de succès. Il est pourtant possible de réaliser une évaluation utile. Elle devrait s'affronter à une série de questions techniques telles que "l'évaluation devrait-elle concerner des programmes individuels ou une combinaison de programmes". Elle devrait aussi respecter certains principes comme le statut "en retrait" de l'évaluateur. Ohne eine gute Evaluation verzichtet man bewusst auf Information, anhand derer zukünftige Politikmaßnahmen ausgewählt werden sollten. Die Evaluation der Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums ist kompliziert: Es kommt darauf an, das verlangte Ergebnis im Vorfeld ganz genau festzulegen. Beim Hausbau z.B. ist es nicht allzu schwierig, die gewünschten Ergebnisse zu definieren, wenn der Architekt und alle beteiligten Vertragspartner von Anfang an mit dem Bauherrn Hand in Hand arbeiten. Es ist dagegen nahezu unmöglich zu evaluieren, ob die Gesellschaft eine nachhaltige Entwicklung erreicht, wenn so viele widersprüchliche Vorstellungen hinsichtlich eines erfolgreichen Ergebnisses existieren. Die Evaluation der Politik des ländlichen Raums liegt irgendwo zwischen diesen beiden Extremen. Obwohl im Ministerrat Einigkeit über die entsprechenden Verordnungen erzielt wurde, würden die Minister für die "Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums" der EU27 vermutlich nicht in vielen Fragen, welche die gewünschten Ergebnisse der Politik zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums der EU betreffen, übereinstimmen. Minister und Beamte können sich möglicherweise nur schwer dazu motivieren, Evaluationen durchzuführen, da sich ihre Politikmaßnahmen eventuell nicht als erfolgreich herausstellen könnten. Dennoch kann eine nutzbringende Evaluation stattfinden. Sie steht einer Reihe von technischen Fragen gegenüber wie z.B. ,Sollte sich die Evaluation auf einzelne Programme oder auf eine Kombination von Programmen beziehen'. Sie muss ebenfalls auf gewissen Grundsätzen beruhen, wie z.B. der Unabhängigkeit des Evaluators. [source] PARTNER VIOLENCE AND RISK ASSESSMENT IN CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONSFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 4 2001William G. Austin How to integrate the problem of partner violence into a child custody evaluation is analyzed within a risk-assessment approach. The research literature on partner violence is reviewed to examine the issues of establishing a base rate for partner violence and its relative frequencies for both genders. Theoretical typologies of partner violence are reviewed and a new typology presented that is more suitable to the predictive task in the custody evaluation. A model of how the evaluator should approach partner violence is described, with an integration of a risk-assessment approach to child developmental outcomes as associated with custody and parenting time arrangements and a violence risk assessment of a perpetrator/parent. [source] On the ignition of fuel beds by firebrands,,FIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 1 2006Samuel L. Manzello Abstract An experimental apparatus has been built to investigate the ignition of fuel beds as a result of impact with burning firebrands. The apparatus allowed the ignition and deposition of both single and multiple firebrands onto the target fuel bed. The moisture content of the fuel beds used was varied, and the fuels considered were pine needle beds, shredded paper beds and crevices constructed of cedar shingles. Firebrands were simulated by machining wood (Pinus ponderosa) into small disks of uniform geometry and the size of the disks was varied. Firebrand simulation was necessary because it is difficult to capture and characterize firebrands from an actual burning object. The firebrand ignition apparatus was installed into the fire emulator/detector evaluator to investigate the influence of an air flow on the ignition propensity of fuel beds. The results of this study are presented and compared with relevant studies in the literature. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Research to practice: Effectiveness of controlled workplace interventions to reduce musculoskeletal disorders in the manufacturing environment,critical appraisal and meta-analysisHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 2 2008Setenay Tuncel Previous studies on the effectiveness of interventions in reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in manufacturing facilities had contradictory results, indicating a need for a quality assessment of these studies followed by a quantitative assessment of the overall effectiveness of the interventions. These assessments may also provide suggestions for practical implementations. The first objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of controlled workplace interventions to reduce the occurrence of MSD in the manufacturing environment by utilizing meta-analysis integrated with the study quality score. The second objective is to translate the research findings into practical guidelines. Two hypotheses were tested pertinent to the first objective: (1) Controlled workplace interventions are effective in reducing the occurrence of MSD in different body regions among manufacturing workers and (2) the study quality scores do not depend on the evaluator. The study quality was assessed for all articles, however, meta effect size (meta-OR) was calculated only for the articles that reported prevalence of low back disorders (LBDs), using the Mantel,Haenszel method. The effect of study quality was included into meta-OR. The chi-square test of independence was employed to test the second hypothesis. Seven articles were identified. Study quality was poor (0.39 out of 2) to moderate (0.97). Insignificant reduction in LBDs prevalence (meta-OR = 0.925; 95% CI: 0.566,1.512) was found. Integration of the study quality did not have a substantial effect on the meta-OR (meta-OR = 0.933; 95% CI: 0.571,1.525). Each evaluator's study quality scores were not independent from the agreed quality scores (p < 0.01). The results suggested that practitioners should consider scientific evidence during design and implementation of an intervention, especially in terms of study duration, confounders, outcome measures, and data analysis. The articles reviewed exhibited the following: (1) the statistical insignificance of the meta-OR; (2) the relatively low methodological quality of studies; and (3) the small number of studies included in the meta-OR. The extent of the generalizability of meta-OR for LBD to other body regions was also in question. Future research should consider the following: (1) the physical and nonphysical work environment should be assessed to determine the workplace-specific needs, and the intervention should be structured around these needs; (2) group comparability, participation rate, subject loss, and randomization of subjects should be taken into account; (3) exposure and outcome measurement methods should be reported, as well as blinding of the observers and subjects, when applicable, to ensure reliability and validity; and (4) data analysis should be conducted adjusting for covariates and confounders, different lengths of follow-up, and level of exposure. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Pathways to prevention: A training and technical assistance initiative to increase program capacity to address infant mental health issues in Early Head StartINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 2 2007Tammy L. Mann This article provides an overview of a training and consultation program aimed at enhancing the capacity of Early Head Start (EHS) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs to address infant mental health issues from a promotion, prevention, and treatment perspective. This program was implemented by the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHS NRC), operated by ZERO TO THREE. The EHS NRC is funded by the Head Start Bureau to provide a diverse array of training and technical assistance support services to Early Head Start programs throughout the country. In the fall of 2001, ZERO TO THREE was funded to design and implement the Pathways Initiative. While ZERO TO THREE was not funded to test the efficacy of the Pathways Initiative as a research intervention similar to other papers described in this special issue, we worked creatively to identify resources that allowed us to engage an external evaluator to look at both process and outcome measures. This paper describes the consultation program, evaluation activities, and key lessons learned. [source] Comparison of efficacy criteria across onychomycosis trials: need for standardizationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Aditya K. Gupta MD, FRCP(C) Background The last 10 years have seen a substantial increase in the number of studies reporting the efficacy of the various antifungal agents used to treat onychomycosis. Aim To examine the definitions of efficacy parameters reported in clinical studies on the treatment of onychomycosis and discuss the importance of standardized reporting. Methods We searched MEDLINE (1966,2001) for studies in which oral treatments, griseofulvin, ketoconazole, terbinafine (continuous and pulse), itraconazole (continuous and pulse), and fluconazole, were used to treat dermatophyte onychomycosis. Results Mycologic cure was predominantly defined as negative microscopy and culture. Unlike mycologic cure, clinical parameters (e.g. clinical response, clinical cure) were variably defined. Subjective terms, such as "cure" or "markedly improved," were used; although these terms appear to be explicit, what is considered to be "cured" or "markedly improved" by one evaluator may not be by another. Also, infected nails were clinically evaluated to determine the response to treatment. Studies measured the distance between the proximal nail fold and a notch in the nail plate, at the junction between the diseased and normal-appearing nail, or in some cases estimated the diseased nail plate involvement. Conclusions This review of the literature on systemic agents used to treat onychomycosis shows that standard and explicit definitions are required for the accurate comparison of the effectiveness of the various therapies. [source] Using spaced retrieval and Montessori-based activities in improving eating ability for residents with dementia,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2010Li-Chan Lin Abstract Objectives To construct a training protocol for spaced retrieval (SR) and to investigate the effectiveness of SR and Montessori-based activities in decreasing eating difficulty in older residents with dementia. Methods A single evaluator, blind, and randomized control trial was used. Eighty-five residents with dementia were chosen from three special care units for residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. To avoid any confounding of subjects, the three institutions were randomized into three groups: spaced retrieval, Montessori-based activities, and a control group. The invention consisted of three 30,40,min sessions per week, for 8 weeks. Results After receiving the intervention, the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) scores and assisted feeding scores for the SR and Montessori-based activity groups were significantly lower than that of the control group. However, the frequencies of physical assistance and verbal assistance for the Montessori-based activity group after intervention were significantly higher than that of the control group, which suggests that residents who received Montessori-based activity need more physical and verbal assistance during mealtimes. In terms of the effects of nutritional status after intervention, Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) in the SR group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Conclusion This study confirms the efficacy of SR and Montessori-based activities for eating difficulty and eating ability. A longitudinal study to follow the long-term effects of SR and Montessori-based activities on eating ability and nutritional status is recommended. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Diabetic persons with foot ulcers and their perceptions of hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 14 2009Hjelm Katarina Aim., To elucidate how diabetic patients with limb-threatening foot lesions perceive and evaluate content and organisation of treatment in a multi-place hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Background., To our knowledge there are no patients' evaluations of diabetes care in a high-technology area like the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The burden on persons with diabetic foot complications might be increased if adjuvant therapy with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) within a locked airtight vessel is given. Design., Explorative study. Participants., Participants were included in the HODFU study, a prospective randomised double-blind study, designed to evaluate whether HBOT heals more chronic foot ulcers than placebo treatment with hyperbaric air. Six females and 13 males, aged 44,83 years (median 70), with diabetic foot ulcers, participated. Method., Focus-group interviews by an external evaluator. Results., Management was perceived as well-functioning with competent staff delivering quick treatment in a positive manner and in good co-operation. HBOT sessions, in groups, were described as unproblematic and pleasant, through sharing experiences with others, although time-consuming and tiring. Recognising the responsible physician and communication with other physicians in the health-care chain was perceived as problematic. Placebo treatment, when given, did not reveal any problems; many perceived HBOT as the last resort and respondents had a negative view of future health and expressed fears of new wounds and amputation. Conclusions and relevance to clinical practice., From patients' perspective HBOT in the delivered health-care model was perceived as well-functioning, taking into consideration both technical and relational aspects of care in this high-technology environment. Communication with the patient and between different care givers, with a consistent message given and information about who is responsible and to whom one should turn, wherever treated, is the most crucial aspect of the model. Future fears need to be recognised and group interaction can be encouraged to share the burden of disease. [source] Detection of Malingered PTSD: An Overview of Clinical, Psychometric, and Physiological Assessment: Where Do We Stand?JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 3 2007Ryan C. W. Hall M.D. ABSTRACT: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can be easily malingered for secondary gain. For this reason, it is important for physicians to understand the phenomenology of true PTSD and indicators that suggest an individual is malingering. This paper reviews the prevalence of PTSD for both the general population and for specific events, such as rape and terrorism, to familiarize evaluators with the frequency of its occurrence. The diagnostic criteria for PTSD, as well as potential ambiguities in the criteria, such as what constitutes an exposure to a traumatic event, are reviewed. Identified risk factors are reviewed as a potential way to help differentiate true cases of PTSD from malingered cases. The question of symptom overreporting as a feature of the disease versus a sign of malingering is discussed. We then examine how the clinician can use the clinical interview (e.g., SIRS, CAPS), psychometric testing, and the patient's physiological responses to detect malingering. Particular attention is paid to research on the MMPI and the subscales of infrequency (F), infrequency-psychopathology (Fp), and infrequency-posttraumatic stress disorder (Fptsd). Research and questions regarding the accuracy of self-report questionnaires, specifically the Mississippi Scale (MSS) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), are examined. Validity, usability, and cutoff values for other psychometric tests, checklists, and physiological tests are discussed. The review includes a case, which shows how an individual used symptom checklist information to malinger PTSD and the inconsistencies in his story that the evaluator detected. We conclude with a discussion regarding future diagnostic criteria and suggestions for research, including a systematic multifaceted approach to identify malingering. [source] Interior Design at a Crossroads: Embracing Specificity through Process, Research, and Knowledge,JOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, Issue 3 2008Tiiu Poldma Ph.D. Tiiu Poldma is Vice Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in the Faculty of Environmental Design, and associate professor at the School of Industrial Design at the University of Montreal. Tiiu Poldma received a BID at Ryerson in 1982 (Toronto), MA in Culture and Values in Education in 1999 and Doctor of Philosophy in 2003, both from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She teaches interior design studio and theory within the Bachelor of Interior Design program at the University of Montreal, and advanced research methodologies in the Masters of Science and Ph.D. programs at the Faculty of Environmental Design. She is currently the Director of the Research Group GRID(Group for Research in Illumination and Design) and heads up the Colour, Light and Form Lab (Laboratoire Forme*couleur*lumiere) at the faculty. She accredits design programs as a site evaluator for CIDAboth in Canada and the United States, and is also a member of the Editorial Board of Inderscience where she is the Regional Editor of the Journal of Design Research (JDR), and serves on the Editorial Board of Design/Science/Planning (Techne Press, Amsterdam). [source] Port wine stain treatment with a dual-wavelength Nd:Yag laser and cryogen spray cooling: A pilot study,LASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 2 2004an MD Abstract Background and Objectives We report on a pilot study of port wine stain (PWS) treatment with a prototype Nd:YAG/KTP laser system, emitting simultaneously at 1,064 and 532 nm, and equipped with a cryogen spray cooling (CSC) device. Study Design/Patients and Methods On 10 patients (4,36 years old, mean: 16.2 years) with skin types II-III, therapeutic efficacy of the dual-wavelength laser (KTP+) was compared with a standard KTP laser (532 nm only) at the same pulse duration (25 millisecond), spot diameter (3 mm), and CSC parameters. The fluences were selected in order to obtain the same immediate response with both laser systems. Blanching of each test segment was assessed 8 weeks post treatment by an independent evaluator and by the subjects, and graded on a 1,4 scale. Results Significant blanching of PWS was noted 8 weeks after a single therapeutic session with the KTP+ laser (mean: 532 nm radiant exposure: 8.2 J/cm2), very similar to that observed with KTP at 12.4 J/cm2. The evaluator noticed a slight brownish coloration in areas treated with the KTP+ laser. Isolated beam-sized atrophic scars were present in two patients where KTP+ (9 and 10 J/cm2) and KTP (14 J/cm2) lasers were used. Conclusions The addition of 1,064 nm radiation allowed a significant reduction of 532 nm radiant exposure with no loss of efficacy in PWS treatment. Lasers Surg. Med. 34:164,167, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Preparation and evaluation of vegetable oil derived biodiesel esters as lubricity additivesLUBRICATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2001X. Lang Abstract Various vegetable-oil derived esters using methyl, ethyl, butyl, and 2-propyl alcohols were prepared and tested as diesel fuel lubricity additives in a roller-on-cylinder lubricity evaluator. At1% additive treat rate, the canola methyl and 2-propyl esters, the best-performing esters, increased the lubricity number of a reference fuel by 60%. Statistical analyses indicated strong effects of fatty acids and alcohols on the wear, friction, and lubricity number of the fuel. While no single fatty acid was identifiably responsible for the wear reduction, certain non-linoleic compounds correlated with the wear data in a semi-log relationship. The low-temperature behaviour of the biodiesel was studied using differential scanning calorimetry. The major transitional peak temperature of the biodiesel esters changed with the melting points of their primary fatty acids, and decreased with the lengthening and branching of the tail alkyl groups. [source] Changing the Debate about "Success" in Conflict Resolution EffortsNEGOTIATION JOURNAL, Issue 2 2001Tamra Pearson D'Estrée This essay outlines a conceptual framework for discussing "success" in interactive conflict resolution and in conflict resolution efforts more generally. It first proposes reasons why evaluation is crucial for improving practice. An overview of the new framework and its development are then presented. This gives the reader a window into its construction and some of the challenges of evaluation in conflict intervention processes. Next, the uses of the framework are explained as well as how its use helps to change the debate about successful processes. Finally, this article discusses how the theoretician, practitioner, and researcher-evaluator can use this framework for their own purposes, and how evaluating processes based upon their goals helps to improve the theory, practice, and research of the field. [source] Using evaluation data to strike a balance between stakeholders and accountability systemsNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 117 2008Lisa N. T. Schmitt A district evaluator in a large Texas district examines new challenges arising since implementation of No Child Left Behind, relating to (1) navigating competing requirements in state and federal accountability systems; (2) evaluating effectiveness of sanctions districts are required to address; (3) using scientifically based research (SBR) to select effective programs and interventions; and (4) initiating SBR given high student mobility, inefficient data-management systems, and competing priorities of local schools. This chapter details these challenges for district-level evaluators and highlights how they can implement processes that strike a balance between supporting decision making and conducting rigorous evaluation. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Factors influencing the choice of methods in federal evaluation practiceNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 113 2007Eleanor Chelimsky A critical historical review of the tensions in American governance places the method choice debate in a broader perspective. This chapter reviews the factors that influence the evaluation questions posed to evaluators and, in turn, the methods choices that stem from it. Political and professional pressures on the evaluators also influence methods choice. Flexibility in methods is considered essential for the evaluator to design a study that considers both the context and the specifics of the question. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||