A review of program evaluations in an Australian independent school: participants’ perspectives

This paper reports on ways in which one Australian independent school seeks to develop and sustain best practice and academic integrity in its programs through a system of ongoing program evaluation, involving a systematic, cyclical appraisal of the school’s suite of six faculties. A number of different evaluation methods have been and continue to be used, each developed to best suit the particular program under evaluation. In order to gain an understanding of the effectiveness of this process, we conducted a study into participants’ perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the four program evaluations undertaken between 2009 and 2011. Drawing on documentary analysis of the evaluation reports and analysis of questionnaire data from the study participants, a number of findings were generated. These findings are provided and discussed, together with suggestions about ways in which the conceptualisation and conduct of school program evaluations might be enhanced.

A systematic approach to chronic heart failure care : a consensus statement

The National Heart Foundation of Australia assembled an expert panel to provide guidance on policy and system changes to improve the quality of care for people with chronic heart failure (CHF). The recommendations have the potential to reduce emergency presentations, hospitalisations and premature death among patients with CHF. Best-practice management of CHF involves evidencebased, multidisciplinary, patient-centred care, which leads to better health outcomes. A CHF care model is required to achieve this. Although CHF management programs exist, ensuring access for everyone remains a challenge. This is particularly so for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, those from non-metropolitan areas and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Lack of data and inadequate identifi cation of people with CHF prevents effi cient patient monitoring, limiting information to improve or optimise care. This leads to ineff ectiveness in measuring outcomes and evaluating the CHF care provided. Expanding current cardiac registries to include patients with CHF and developing mechanisms to promote data linkage across care transitions are essential. As the prevalence of CHF rises, the demand for multidisciplinary workforce support will increase. Workforce planning should provide access to services outside of large cities, one of the main challenges it is currently facing. To enhance community-based management of CHF, general practitioners should be empowered to lead care. Incentive arrangements should favour provision of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and rural areas, and culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Ongoing research is vital to improving systems of care for people with CHF. Future research activity needs to ensure the translation of valuable knowledge and high quality evidence into practice.

Data Integration Protocol In Ten-steps (DIPIT) : a new standard for medical researchers

The exponential increase in data, computing power and the availability of readily accessible analytical software has allowed organisations around the world to leverage the benefits of integrating multiple heterogeneous data files for enterprise-level planning and decision making. Benefits from effective data integration to the health and medical research community include more trustworthy research, higher service quality, improved personnel efficiency, reduction of redundant tasks, facilitation of auditing and more timely, relevant and specific information. The costs of poor quality processes elevate the risk of erroneous outcomes, an erosion of confidence in the data and the organisations using these data. To date there are no documented set of standards for best practice integration of heterogeneous data files for research purposes. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to describe a set of clear protocol for data file integration (Data Integration Protocol In Ten-steps; DIPIT) translational to any field of research.

Property development

Other new features in this edition include: Fully updated discussion points and reflective summaries Examples of contemporary best practice based on international case studies covering the UK, USA and Australia New chapters on ‘Property ...

Applied econometrics and implications for energy economics research

Developments in applied econometrics, particularly with regard to unit root tests and cointegration tests, have motivated a rich empirical literature on energy economics over the last decade. This study reviews recent developments in time series econometrics applications in the energy economics literature. We first consider the literature on the integration properties of energy variables. We begin with a discussion of the implications of whether energy variables contain a unit root and proceed to examine how results differ according to the specific unit root or stationarity test employed. We then proceed to examine recent developments in the literature on cointegration, Granger causality and long-run estimates between (disaggregated) energy consumption and economic growth. We review both single country and panel studies and pay particular attention to studies which have expanded the literature through adding variables such as financial development and trade, in addition to energy consumption to the augmented production function, as well as studies which have extended the literature through examining disaggregated energy consumption by type. In each case we highlight best practice in the literature, point to limitations in the literature, including econometric modeling challenges, and suggest recommendations for future research. A key message of our survey is that the profession needs to guard against 'overload' of research in these areas as most applied studies are no longer adding anything more to what is already known. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling companion diagnostics in economic evaluations of targeted oncology therapies: systematic review and methodological checklist

The successful use of a targeted therapy is intrinsically linked to the ability of a companion diagnostic to correctly identify patients most likely to benefit from treatment. The aim of this study was to review the characteristics of companion diagnostics that are of importance for inclusion in an economic evaluation. Approaches for including these characteristics in model-based economic evaluations are compared with the intent to describe best practice methods. Five databases and government agency websites were searched to identify model-based economic evaluations comparing a companion diagnostic and subsequent treatment strategy to another alternative treatment strategy with model parameters for the sensitivity and specificity of the companion diagnostic (primary synthesis). Economic evaluations that limited model parameters for the companion diagnostic to only its cost were also identified (secondary synthesis). Quality was assessed using the Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument. 30 studies were included in the review (primary synthesis n = 12; secondary synthesis n = 18). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios may be lower when the only parameter for the companion diagnostic included in a model is the cost of testing. Incorporating the test's accuracy in addition to its cost may be a more appropriate methodological approach. Altering the prevalence of the genetic biomarker, specific population tested, type of test, test accuracy and timing/sequence of multiple tests can all impact overall model results. The impact of altering a test's threshold for positivity is unknown as it was not addressed in any of the included studies. Additional quality criteria as outlined in our methodological checklist should be considered due to the shortcomings of standard quality assessment tools in differentiating studies that incorporate important test-related characteristics and those that do not. There is a need to refine methods for incorporating the characteristics of companion diagnostics into model-based economic evaluations to ensure consistent and transparent reimbursement decisions are made.

Taking the sting out of darting : Risks, restraint drugs and procedures for the chemical restraint of Southern Hemisphere otariids

The need to manage otariid populations has necessitated the development of a wide range of capture methods. Chemical restraint by remote drug delivery (i.e., darting) is a highly selective method that can be used to facilitate otariid capture in a range of scenarios, when other methods may be impracticable. However, the risks associated with darting otariids are not widely known and guidelines necessary to promote and refine best practice do not exist. We review the risks associated with darting and in light of our findings, develop darting guidelines to help practitioners assess and minimize risks during capture, anesthesia and recovery. Published studies reveal that mortalities associated with darting predominantly result from complications during anesthetic maintenance (e.g., prolonged respiratory depression, apnea, or hyperthermia), rather than from complications during capture or recovery. In addition to monitoring vital signs and proper intervention, the risk of irreversible complications during anesthesia can be reduced by administering drug doses that are sufficient to enable the capture and masking of animals, after which anesthetic depth can be regulated using gas anesthesia.

Assessment might dictate the curriculum, but what dictates assessment?

Almost all tertiary educators make assessment choices, for example, when they create an assessment task, design a rubric, or write multiple-choice items. Educators potentially have access to a variety of evidence and materials regarding good assessment practice but may not choose to consult them or be successful in translating these into practice. In this article, we propose a new challenge for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: the need to study the disjunction between proposals for assessment “best practice” and assessment in practice by examining the assessment decision-making of teachers. We suggest that assessment decision-making involves almost all university teachers, occurs at multiple levels, and is influenced by expertise, trust, culture, and policy. Assessment may dictate the curriculum from the student’s perspective, and we argue that assessment decision-making dictates assessment.

Consensus guidelines for implementation of quality processes to prevent invasive fungal disease and enhanced surveillance measures during hospital building works, 2014

Healthcare-associated fungal outbreaks impose a substantial economic burden on the health system and typically result in high patient morbidity and mortality, particularly in the immunocompromised host. As the population at risk of invasive fungal infection continues to grow due to the increased burden of cancer and related factors, the need for hospitals to employ preventative measures has become increasingly important. These guidelines outline the standard quality processes hospitals need to accommodate into everyday practice and at times of healthcare-associated outbreak, including the role of antifungal stewardship programmes and best practice environmental sampling. Specific recommendations are also provided to help guide the planning and implementation of quality processes and enhanced surveillance before, during and after high-risk activities, such as hospital building works. Areas in which information is still lacking and further research is required are also highlighted.

A map of community-based obesity prevention initiatives in Australia following obesity funding 2009-2013.

Obesity is the single biggest public health threat to developed and developing economies. In concert with healthy public policy, multi-strategy, multi-level community-based initiatives appear promising in preventing obesity, with several countries trialling this approach. In Australia, multiple levels of government have funded and facilitated a range of community-based obesity prevention initiatives (CBI), heterogeneous in their funding, timing, target audience and structure. This paper aims to present a central repository of CBI operating in Australia during 2013, to facilitate knowledge exchange and shared opportunities for learning, and to guide professional development towards best practice for CBI practitioners.

Teamwork benefits in tertiary education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the development ofstudents’ skills in the context of team-based learning. Academics have heeded the call to incorporateteam learning activities into the curricula, yet little is known of student perception of teamworkand whether they view it as beneficial to them and their future professional career. Further, this studypresents an instructional framework to guide best practice in higher education practitioners withregard to the design of teamwork assessment.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a qualitative approach utilising 190 students’reflections to examine their perception of the benefits of teamwork and whether it will contribute totheir future professional work.Findings – Results indicate students perceive team-based assessment tasks require them to adopt adeep approach to learning together with a deep approach to study, as well as improving their skillsin the areas of collaboration, team unity and cultural diversity. Further, the study identified a bestpractice approach that higher education practitioners should adopt in teamwork assessment designgiving this study both national and international significance and aids fellow educators in theirpractices.Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, the results maylack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.Practical implications – The paper presents important implications for those involved in thedevelopment of assessment items where objectives include the development of team skills and qualitylearning outcomes. The findings are vital for unit and course planning and design generally, andassessment planning, design and processes, specifically, both nationally and internationally.Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study students’ perceptions of teamwork,whether they view it as beneficial to them and their future professional career, and presents a bestpractice approach for teamwork assessment design.

Statistical comparisons of non-deterministic IR systems using two dimensional variance

Retrieval systems with non-deterministic output are widely used in information retrieval. Common examples include sampling, approximation algorithms, or interactive user input. The effectiveness of such systems differs not just for different topics, but also for different instances of the system. The inherent variance presents a dilemma - What is the best way to measure the effectiveness of a non-deterministic IR system? Existing approaches to IR evaluation do not consider this problem, or the potential impact on statistical significance. In this paper, we explore how such variance can affect system comparisons, and propose an evaluation framework and methodologies capable of doing this comparison. Using the context of distributed information retrieval as a case study for our investigation, we show that the approaches provide a consistent and reliable methodology to compare the effectiveness of a non-deterministic system with a deterministic or another non-deterministic system. In addition, we present a statistical best-practice that can be used to safely show how a non-deterministic IR system has equivalent effectiveness to another IR system, and how to avoid the common pitfall of misusing a lack of significance as a proof that two systems have equivalent effectiveness.

Carbon nexus: a strategic overview and research highlights

Carbon Nexus (www.carbonnexus.com.au) is a globally significant research facility at Deakin University focused on the manufacture and use of carbon fibre. Carbon Nexus represents a partnership between Deakin University and the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing (VCAMM) and houses two production lines capable of manufacturing industrially relevant quantities of aerospace grade carbon fibre. The facility enables scientists to conduct research into the chemical, mechanical and nano-scale characteristics of new carbon fibre materials produced on site. There is a strong focus on evaluating these new carbon fibre products in composite materials, particularly composites cured using out-of-autoclave techniques. This paper will present an overview of the vision for Carbon Nexus as well as the technical capabilities of both the laboratory scale single tow line and the larger pilot line capable of producing up to 50 tons of carbon fibre per year. Both lines are fully operational and able to convert a range of polymer precursors into carbon fibre. They are representative of world's best practice for carbon fibre manufacturing methods and well suited to conducting energy efficiency studies. Highlights from recent research projects will focus on the effect of the surface treatment and sizing of carbon fibre on fibre-matrix adhesion in composite materials. In addition to this, results from studies of the effect of varying processing parameters on the structure and properties of oxidised polyacrylonitrile and carbon fibre will also be presented.

Evaluation of a comprehensive interactive training system for investigative interviewers of children

This article reports on the evaluation of an interactive interviewer training system with a large, heterogeneous sample of investigative interviewers of children. The system, delivered predominantly through computer-assisted learning activities, focused on how to elicit important evidential details from child witnesses in a narrative format. Two studies are reported, each adopting a pre-versus posttraining design. Study 1 examined the effect of the training on trainees' (N = 92) performance, using mock interviews where an actor played the role of the child in a highly controlled manner. Study 2 examined the effect of the training on field interviews (N = 156) conducted prior to and after the training. Five measures were analyzed: (a) proportion of interviewer question types, (b) proportion of desirable interviewer behaviors, (c) adherence to the interview protocol, (d) interview length, and (e) the quality of evidential information sought. Overall, the findings provide clear support for the utility of the training system. Irrespective of the type of interview or measure, adherence to best-practice interviewing increased from pre- to posttraining, with some evidence supporting sustained performance 12 months after there had been no intervening training or supervision. The implication is that there is now an evidence-based alternative to the traditional classroom-based training system for investigative interviewers. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Board structure and survival of new economy IPO firms

Research Question/Issue: This study examines the relevance of currently accepted best practice recommendations regarding board structure on the survival likelihood of new economy initial public offering companies. We argue that industry context determines governance outcomes. Research Findings/Insights: We study 125 Australian new economy firms listed between 1994 and 2002. Each firm is tracked until the end of 2007 for monitoring their survival. We find that board independence is associated with an increase in the likelihood of corporate survival. We also find that the benefits of board independence increase at a decreasing rate. Theoretical/Academic Implications: The standard best practice recommendation of board independence stems from the monitoring role of directors and is based on agency theory. The results from our study suggest that the recommendation regarding board independence does not work well for new economy firms. While the agency theory based model implies a monotonic relation between board independence and performance, our research suggests that the relationship is nonlinear. This variation occurs because of increased monitoring costs faced by outsiders due to higher information asymmetry and complexity of new economy firms. Our empirical results suggest that inside directors play a complementary role to outsiders in mitigating firm failure. Practitioner/Policy Implications: Our research offers insights to policy makers who are interested in setting best practice standards regarding board structure. Our research suggests that firm/industry characteristics play a crucial role in determining the optimal board structure. In firms/industries where outsiders face significantly higher information processing costs, insiders can play a valuable complementary role to outsiders in enhancing the effectiveness of the board. Thus future hard or soft regulations related to board structure should consider industry context.