Patient perspective workshop : moving towards OMERACT guidelines for choosing or developing instruments to measure patient-reported outcomes

The workshop Choosing or Developing Instruments held at the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 10 meeting was designed to help participants think about the underlying methods of instrument development. Conference pre-reading material and 3 brief introductory presentations elaborated the issues, and participants broke into discussion groups before reconvening to share insights, engage in a more general discussion of the issues, and vote on recommendations. Trade offs between using current imperfect measures and the long and complex process of developing new instruments were considered, together with the need for rigor in patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument development. The main considerations for PRO instrument development were listed and a research agenda for action produced. As part of the agenda for action, it is recommended that researchers and patient partners work together to tackle these issues, and that OMERACT bring forward proposals for acceptable instrument development protocols that would meet an enhanced “Truth” statement in the OMERACT Filter.

The advancing science by enhancing learning in the laboratory (ASELL) project : the first Australian multidisciplinary workshop

Most science educators and researchers will agree that the laboratory experience ranks as a major factor that influences students’ attitudes to their science courses. Consequently, good laboratory programs should play a major role in influencing student learning and performance. The laboratory program can be pivotal in defining a student's experience in the sciences, and if done poorly, can be a major contributing factor in causing disengagement from the subject area. The challenge remains to provide students with laboratory activities that are relevant, engaging and offer effective learning opportunities.

The Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory (ASELL) project has developed over the last 10 years with the aim of improving the quality of learning in undergraduate laboratories, providing a validated means of evaluating the laboratory experience of students and effective professional development for academic staff. After successful development in chemistry and trials using the developed principles in physics and biology, the project has now expanded to include those disciplines. This paper will discuss the activities of ASELL and provide a report about the first ASELL science workshop held at the University of Adelaide in April 2010, present some views of academic and student delegates, and make comparisons with other workshops.
Introduction

Workshop in Architecture and Vitality presentation

We will present the results of our workshop, 'Workshop in Architecture and Vitality', in which we have asked students to consider how to design an architectural structure that would increase vitality in a user. In this workshop, we have presented the texts and ideas of Richard Neutra, Wilhelm Reich, and Madeline Gins & Arakawa. Each of them have developed their own architectural structures which they believed would improve the health of a user, from psychological health to physical health and beyond into the possibility of creating architecture against death. Students have developed their own designs for spaces that would increase vitality, and build models of these designs.

Architecture and vitality workshop

The focus of this research was to explore spatiality through a range of different ways to inhabit, modify and imagine environments, and the production of vitality through architectural means. The specific task for my drawing and visual experiments consisted of drawing (architectural) spaces from dreams, drawing architectural spaces from memory and taking images of 1/100 scale model people in actual environments that suggest new and innovative architectural spaces that might prompt architectural designs.

Advanced vascular access workshop for dialysis nurses : a three-year review

There is increased awareness regarding the benefits of ultrasound for vascular access surveillance and guided cannulation in haemodialysis. However, finding time to train staff whilst working within the clinical setting is challenging. In 2009 a workshop was introduced in Victoria to provide a platform for nursing staff to learn advanced skills in surveillance and cannulation in a safe, supportive environment. The workshop covered topics such as: assessment and cannulation; surgical perspectives in vascular access; radiological perspectives in vascular access; surveillance and monitoring; cannulation competency package; antegrade/antegrade cannulation; and introduction to ultrasound plus five hours of practical sessions. Feedback from the workshop over the past three years has been positive, and staff have benefited from the both the theoretical and clinical components of the workshop. The success of this workshop highlights the demand for continuing education within the renal workforce.

Stone soup drawing exhibition and workshop

This series of drawings based on the folk tale of stone soup, axe soup and other tales of travel and engagement with a new community. I also conducted a community workshop in which people drew on paper prepared by myself in which memories and placeswere the focus. As the community drawings were produce I substituted them for the ones I had produced and left them with the festival committee as a gift to the community.