Shifting the Focus. Incorporating knowledge about Aboriginal engineering into main stream content

BACKGROUND OR CONTEXT The concept of 'Aboriginal engineering' has had little exposure in conventional engineering education programs, despite more than 40,000 years of active human engagement with the diverse Australian environment. The work reported in this paper began with the premise that Indigenous Student Support Through Indigenous Perspectives Embedded in Engineering Curricula (Goldfinch, et al 2013) would provide a clear and replicable means of encouraging Aboriginal teenagers to consider a career in engineering. Although that remains a key outcome of this OLT project, the direction taken by the research had led to additional insights and perspectives that have wide implications for engineering education more generally. There has only been passing reference to the achievements of Aboriginal engineering in current texts, and the very absence of such references was a prompt to explore further as our work developed. PURPOSE OR GOAL Project goals focused on curriculum-based change, including development of a model for inclusive teaching spaces, and study units employing key features of the model. As work progressed we found we needed to understand more about the principles and practices informing the development of pre-contact Aboriginal engineering strategies for sustaining life and society within the landscape of this often harsh continent. We also found ourselves being asked 'what engineering did Aboriginal cultures have?' Finding that there are no easy-to- access answers, we began researching the question, while continuing to engage with specific curriculum trials. APPROACH Stakeholders in the project had been identified as engineering educators, potential Aboriginal students and Aboriginal communities local to Universities involved in the project. We realised, early on, that at least one more group was involved - all the non-Aboriginal students in engineering classes. This realisation, coupled with recognition of the need to understand Aboriginal engineering as a set of viable, long term practices, altered the focus of our efforts. Rather than focusing primarily on finding ways to attract Aboriginal engineering students, the shift has been towards evolving ways of including knowledge about Aboriginal practices and principles in relevant engineering content. DISCUSSION This paper introduces the model resulting from the work of this project, explores its potential influence on engineering curriculum development and reports on implementation strategies. The model is a static representation of a dynamic and cyclic approach to engaging with Aboriginal engineering through contact with local communities in regard to building knowledge about the social beliefs underlying Aboriginal engineering principles and practices. Ways to engage engineering educators, students and the wider community are evolving through the continuing work of the project team and will be reported in more detail in the paper. RECOMMENDATIONS/IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSION While engineering may be considered by some to be agnostic in regard to culture and social issues, the work of this project is drawing attention to the importance of including such issues into curriculum materials at a number of levels of complexity. The paper will introduce and explore the central concepts of the research completed to date, as well as suggesting ways in which engineering educators can extend their knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal engineering principles in the context of their own specialisations.

Innovations in Knowledge and Learning for Competitive Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific

Competitive advantage in a knowledge economy is dependent on the ability to innovate and create new knowledge products and services, and to find innovative applications for them. Higher education institutions in Asia and the Pacific, modelled on industrial age thinking that demands excellence in routinized capacities, lack the ability to innovate and create new knowledge enterprises. The transition to a knowledge economy is affecting the purpose, content, pedagogy, and methodologies of higher education. Nontraditional stakeholders such as professional bodies, industry experts, think tanks, research institutes, and field experts/practitioners are now involved not only in planning but in providing higher education services. The traditional model of “knowledge versus skills” is no longer relevant. Higher education programs must consider lived experiences, contextual knowledge, and indigenous knowledge.

Preventive Dentistry and Dental Education in Iran

The present study investigated the preventive orientation of the dental education system in Iran as reflected in the responses of dental school educators and dental students to a questionnaire survey. Two questionnaires, one for dental school educators and one for senior dental students, were designed and piloted. Of the 15 state dental schools in Iran, 7 were selected using a multi-stage sampling approach, and all the dental school educators and senior dental students in these schools were asked to voluntarily fill in the anonymous questionnaires. Totally, 291 educators (80%) and 270 students (82%) participated in the study. In addition to background information, both questionnaires requested information on knowledge of caries prevention, attitudes towards preventive dentistry and oral health behaviour of the respondents. The students' questionnaire also covered items concerning prevention-oriented practice, study motives, and career preferences. Contrary to knowledge and attitudes of the students, those of the educators' were positively associated with some of their academic and personal background characteristics. Women were more likely to report favourable oral self-care habits than men. The other determinants of oral health behaviour were educators' familiarity with the oral public health field, and students' attitudes towards prevention. A higher score on preventive practice among the students was associated with better oral self-care habits and positive attitudes towards prevention. Characteristics of the profession and social status and security were the top-ranked that motivated students to study dentistry, and students mainly preferred to enter postgraduate courses and private practice after graduation. To increase the orientation of Iran's health care system towards prevention, and to cope with current concepts of prevention, corresponding changes should be made in the dental education system. The results of this study support the revision of the dental curriculum by placing more emphasis on prevention-related topics and by integrating prevention-related concepts into all disciplines. Additionally, practicing dentists and dental educators should be provided with opportunities to attend continuing education courses and to conduct seminars and congresses on various aspects of preventive dentistry at home as well as abroad.

The status of entrepreneurship education in Australian universities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical overview of the current state of entrepreneurship education (EE) in Australia; placing emphasis on programs, curricula and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed a contextual review of the literature by delineating entrepreneurship education programs, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and EE learning and teaching. The review was enhanced by a systematic collection of data from higher education institutions web sites, depicting the prevailing situation of entrepreneurship programs, courses, subjects and their ecosystems. Findings A number of interesting findings emerged from this study. From a curricular perspective, Australian universities offer 584 subjects related to entrepreneurship. This includes dominance at undergraduate level, representing 24 minors/majors and specializations in entrepreneurship. In total, 135 entrepreneurship ecosystems were identified. Research limitations/implications This paper presents findings from university web sites and as such requires introspection to validate individual university offerings. Practical implications The study provides the status of EE in Australia, and may guide academic and policy decision makers to further develop entrepreneurship initiatives. Originality/value This paper provides the first analytical overview of EE in Australia and paves the way for further evaluation.

The effectiveness of the teach-back method on adherence and self-management in health education for people with chronic disease: A systematic review

- BACKGROUND Chronic diseases are increasing worldwide and have become a significant burden to those affected by those diseases. Disease-specific education programs have demonstrated improved outcomes, although people do forget information quickly or memorize it incorrectly. The teach-back method was introduced in an attempt to reinforce education to patients. To date, the evidence regarding the effectiveness of health education employing the teach-back method in improved care has not yet been reviewed systematically. - OBJECTIVES This systematic review examined the evidence on using the teach-back method in health education programs for improving adherence and self-management of people with chronic disease. - INCLUSION CRITERIA Types of participants: Adults aged 18 years and over with one or more than one chronic disease. Types of intervention: All types of interventions which included the teach-back method in an education program for people with chronic diseases. The comparator was chronic disease education programs that did not involve the teach-back method. Types of studies: Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, before-after studies and case-control studies. Types of outcomes: The outcomes of interest were adherence, self-management, disease-specific knowledge, readmission, knowledge retention, self-efficacy and quality of life. - SEARCH STRATEGY Searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, and Google Scholar databases. Search terms were combined by AND or OR in search strings. Reference lists of included articles were also searched for further potential references. - METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY Two reviewers conducted quality appraisal of papers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument. - DATA EXTRACTION Data were extracted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument data extraction instruments. - DATA SYNTHESIS There was significant heterogeneity in selected studies, hence a meta-analysis was not possible and the results were presented in narrative form. - RESULTS Of the 21 articles retrieved in full, 12 on the use of the teach-back method met the inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis. Four studies confirmed improved disease-specific knowledge in intervention participants. One study showed a statistically significant improvement in adherence to medication and diet among type 2 diabetics patients in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Two studies found statistically significant improvements in self-efficacy (p = 0.0026 and p < 0.001) in the intervention groups. One study examined quality of life in heart failure patients but the results did not improve from the intervention (p = 0.59). Five studies found a reduction in readmission rates and hospitalization but these were not always statistically significant. Two studies showed improvement in daily weighing among heart failure participants, and in adherence to diet, exercise and foot care among those with type 2 diabetes. - CONCLUSION Overall, the teach-back method showed positive effects in a wide range of health care outcomes although these were not always statistically significant. Studies in this systematic review revealed improved outcomes in disease-specific knowledge, adherence, self-efficacy and the inhaler technique. There was a positive but inconsistent trend also seen in improved self-care and reduction of hospital readmission rates. There was limited evidence on improvement in quality of life or disease related knowledge retention.

Cluster randomised-control trial for an Australian child protection education program: Study protocol for the Learn to be safe with Emmy and friends™

Background Child maltreatment has severe short-and long-term consequences for children’s health, development, and wellbeing. Despite the provision of child protection education programs in many countries, few have been rigorously evaluated to determine their effectiveness. We describe the design of a multi-site gold standard evaluation of an Australian school-based child protection education program. The intervention has been developed by a not-for-profit agency and comprises 5 1-h sessions delivered to first grade students (aged 5–6 years) in their regular classrooms. It incorporates common attributes of effective programs identified in the literature, and aligns with the Australian education curriculum. Methods/Design A three-site cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of Learn to be safe with Emmy and friends™ will be conducted with children in approximately 72 first grade classrooms in 24 Queensland primary (elementary) schools from three state regions, over a period of 2 years. Entire schools will be randomised, using a computer generated list of random numbers, to intervention and wait-list control conditions, to prevent contamination effects across students and classes. Data will be collected at baseline (pre-assessment), immediately after the intervention (post-assessment), and at 6-, 12-, and 18-months (follow-up assessments). Outcome assessors will be blinded to group membership. Primary outcomes assessed are children’s knowledge of program concepts; intentions to use program knowledge, skills, and help-seeking strategies; actual use of program material in a simulated situation; and anxiety arising from program participation. Secondary outcomes include a parent discussion monitor, parent observations of their children’s use of program materials, satisfaction with the program, and parental stress. A process evaluation will be conducted concurrently to assess program performance. Discussion This RCT addresses shortcomings in previous studies and methodologically extends research in this area by randomising at school-level to prevent cross-learning between conditions; providing longer-term outcome assessment than any previous study; examining the degree to which parents/guardians discuss intervention content with children at home; assessing potential moderating/mediating effects of family and child demographic variables; testing an in-vivo measure to assess children’s ability to discriminate safe/unsafe situations and disclose to trusted adults; and testing enhancements to existing measures to establish greater internal consistency.

Quality Assurance and Assessment in Technical Education System: A Web Based Approach

Engineering education quality embraces the activities through which a technical institution satisfies itself that the quality of education it provides and standards it has set are appropriate and are being maintained. There is a need to develop a standardised approach to most aspects of quality assurance for engineering programmes which is sufficiently well defined to be accepted for all assessments.We have designed a Technical Educational Quality Assurance and Assessment (TEQ-AA) System, which makes use of the information on the web and analyzes the standards of the institution. With the standards as anchors for definition, the institution is clearer about its present in order to plan better for its future and enhancing the level of educational quality.The system has been tested and implemented on the technical educational Institutions in the Karnataka State which usually host their web pages for commercially advertising their technical education programs and their Institution objectives, policies, etc., for commercialization and for better reach-out to the students and faculty. This helps in assisting the students in selecting an institution for study and to assist in employment.

Local solutions to local problems: A stormwater education collaborative

Currently completing its fifth year, the Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium (CWSEC) helps northeastern South Carolina communities meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II permit requirements for Minimum Control Measure 1 - Public Education and Outreach - and Minimum Control Measure 2 - Public Involvement. Coordinated by Coastal Carolina University, six regional organizations serve as core education providers to eight coastal localities including six towns and cities and two large counties. CWSEC recently finished a needs assessment to begin the process of strategizing for the second NPDES Phase II 5-year permit cycle in order to continue to develop and implement effective, results-oriented stormwater education and outreach programs to meet federal requirements and satisfy local environmental and economic needs. From its conception in May 2004, CWSEC set out to fulfill new federal Clean Water Act requirements associated with the NPDES Phase II Stormwater Program. Six small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) located within the Myrtle Beach Urbanized Area endorsed a coordinated approach to regional stormwater education, and participated in a needs assessment resulting in a Regional Stormwater Education Strategy and a Phased Education Work Plan. In 2005, CWSEC was formally established and the CWSEC’s Coordinator was hired. The Coordinator, who is also the Environmental Educator at Coastal Carolina University’s Waccamaw Watershed Academy, organizes six regional agencies who serve as core education providers for eight coastal communities. The six regional agencies working as core education providers to the member MS4s include Clemson Public Service and Carolina Clear Program, Coastal Carolina University’s Waccamaw Watershed Academy, Murrells Inlet 2020, North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s Coastal Training and Public Education Programs, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, and Winyah Rivers Foundation’s Waccamaw Riverkeeper®. CWSEC’s organizational structure results in a synergy among the education providers, achieving greater productivity than if each provider worked separately. The member small MS4s include City of Conway, City of North Myrtle Beach, City of Myrtle Beach, Georgetown County, Horry County, Town of Atlantic Beach, Town of Briarcliffe Acres, and Town of Surfside Beach. Each MS4 contributes a modest annual fee toward the salary of the Coordinator and operational costs. (PDF contains 3 pages)

Grants for Libraries

More and more libraries, museums and cultural institutions rely on fundraising and grant writing to sustain their services, special projects, or new initiatives Since most MLIS programs do not include grant project planning and proposal writing as part of their curriculum, librarians learn the process through trial and error, or continuing education classes. There are numerous books and websites that can assist the novice grant writer. We hope to provide beginners with basic information on the types of grants available, where to look for funding agencies, selected grant writing resources, and a few helpful grant writing hints to get you started. The presentation will be a three-person panel providing a short overview of the areas mentioned above, and discussion of sample grants submitted or received. The overview will be presented in Power Point format with an accompanying handout for each attendee.

Aplicabilidade da Norma Regulamentadora 32: visão dos trabalhadores de enfermagem de um hospital público do RJ

Pesquisa de natureza descritiva e abordagem quantitativa de dados sobre a Aplicabilidade da Norma Regulamentadora-32 (NR 32) do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego (MTE), visando mobilizar os trabalhadores de enfermagem para reduzir a exposição aos riscos inerentes do trabalho em estabelecimentos de saúde. Problema de pesquisa: Quais os fatores que interferem na implantação da Norma Regulamentadora-32 nas enfermarias de um Hospital Público Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, na visão dos trabalhadores de enfermagem? Teve como objetivo geral analisar os fatores que interferem na aplicabilidade da NR 32 pela enfermagem, em um hospital público do Rio de Janeiro. A população foi composta de 138 trabalhadores de enfermagem das enfermarias de clínica médica, cirúrgica e ortopédica. Utilizou-se para a coleta de dados um questionário estruturado com perguntas fechadas. Os dados foram coletados no período de 28 de janeiro a 14 de fevereiro de 2009, e analisados através do Programa Statical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versão 13 for Windows e Microsoft Office Excel 2003. Os resultados apontaram que os trabalhadores de enfermagem desse hospital estão, em sua maioria, na faixa etária de 30-49 anos, com pelo menos 1 ano de atuação no mesmo setor e formaram-se há 15 anos ou mais, além disso, 68,1% são estatutários. Constatou-se que há recomendações da NR-32 e precauções-padrão não são seguidas pelos participantes da pesquisa. Os fatores que interferem no cumprimento da atual legislação vão desde o desconhecimento dos riscos ocupacionais e comportamento dos trabalhadores, até a falta de uma ação efetiva de Educação Continuada e da Comissão de Controle de Infecção Hospitalar (CCIH). Destacaram-se, entre outros, o uso de adornos (51,8%); calçado aberto (48,9%); alimentação no posto de trabalho (46,3%); uso da pia para outras finalidades (44,9%), reencape ou desconexão manual de agulhas (36,4%); sair do local de trabalho com uniforme ou Equipamento de Proteção Individual - EPI (21%); limite de recipiente de descarte de perfurocortantes não respeitado (11,8%), falta de uso de EPI quando auxilia no exame com Raios-X (32,6%) e na manipulação de quimioterápicos (7,8%). A instituição não fornece uniformes nem calçados. Outros fatores institucionais foram a falta de equipamentos, a falta de um política de prevenção e promoção da saúde, inexistência de serviço de saúde ocupacional e instalações físicas inadequadas. Tal descumprimento expõe, de forma excessiva, os trabalhadores de enfermagem aos mais variados fatores de riscos ocupacionais, podendo refletir na sua saúde e no processo de trabalho. Recomenda-se um trabalho efetivo e integrado dos Programas de Educação Continuada e CCIH para esclarecimento dos trabalhadores de enfermagem, e implantação do Serviço de Saúde do Trabalhador. Sugere-se aos gestores expandirem este estudo para os demais setores das unidades hospitalares e outras instituições públicas de saúde para o conhecimento da situação de trabalho, bem como a criação de espaços de discussão para a busca de soluções dos problemas com a participação dos trabalhadores.

Abuso sexual infantil intrafamiliar: a subnotificação e os serviços de saúde

A pesquisa investigou aspectos referentes ao diagnóstico e à notificação de abuso sexual infantil intrafamiliar pelos serviços básicos de saúde do Município de Maringá-PR. O abuso sexual contra crianças é um problema de saúde pública, devido à alta incidência epidemiológica e às graves conseqüências dele decorrentes. Apesar de iniciativas municipais recentes para enfrentamento do problema, poucos são os casos denunciados oficialmente, o que dificulta o dimensionamento do problema e a criação de políticas adequadas. As instituições de saúde são espaços privilegiados para a detecção precoce e a notificação dos casos, porém é essencial que, na medida em que os profissionais de saúde consigam identificar a ocorrência da violência, sintam-se seguros para notificar. Dificuldades em relação à detecção, à notificação e ao funcionamento da rede de apoio às vítimas foram levantadas, possibilitando inferir pontos estratégicos para desenvolvimento de programas de capacitação necessários para o estabelecimento de ações de combate ao abuso sexual infantil. Os resultados apontam dificuldades importantes no que se refere ao diagnóstico precoce e insuficiente informação sobre o processo de notificação e de encaminhamento dos casos. Essas dificuldades podem ser minimizadas mediante a adoção de uma política de educação continuada, bem como do fortalecimento da rede de proteção à criança e ao denunciante.

Uma experiência de formação de professores em serviço: curso de atualização de professores de escolas de horário integral

Esta investigação tem como tema a proposta de formação de professores em serviço do Curso de Atualização de Professores de Escola de Horário Integral, realizado no segundo governo de Leonel Brizola, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro (1991 1994), durante o Segundo Programa Especial de Educação (II PEE). Este estudo objetivou analisar a proposta de formação de professores em serviço, focalizando este Curso como uma das iniciativas desta formação e, partindo dela identificar contribuições significativas, produzidas naquele tempo e espaço específico, que possam enriquecer e suscitar questões para os debates atuais sobre a formação continuada de professores. Ao empreender esta tarefa se julgou necessário delinear a trajetória do I E II PEE para melhor compreensão da evolução deste plano e de sua proposta de formação de professores, até a elaboração do Curso. Após a retomada do II PEE, frente à necessidade de reestruturação pedagógica dos Centros Integrados de Educação Pública (CIEPs) foi criado o Curso, em convênio com a UERJ. O ponto mais importante identificado nesta proposta de formação foi considerar a escola como lócus de formação continuada tendo como base o saber do professor neste processo. Aspecto como se pode constatar, de grande relevância atualmente nas discussões sobre a temática, mas que naquele momento foi uma inovação. Supõe-se que os resultados deste trabalho poderão contribuir para ampliar os debates em torno das questões voltadas para a formação continuada de professores, e ainda, ampliar os debates, bem oportunos, sobre criação de diferentes alternativas de escolas públicas de horário integral, com suas proposta de formação para atender a uma necessidade da sociedade contemporânea e fundamentar ações de gestores das políticas públicas de Educação.

Da mudança de modelo ao modelo de mudanças: um estudo sobre o curso introdutório do PSF

O Programa de Saúde da Família, criado em 1994, vem aumentando sua importância no cenário das políticas de saúde desde então. Em 2006, a política nacional de atenção básica adota suas diretrizes como eixo para sua própria estruturação. Este trabalho tem por objetivo estudar o processo de produção e disseminação do antagonismo PSF versus o modelo tradicional. Para tanto, foram entrevistados quatro profissionais que já atuaram como gestores do programa no município do Rio de Janeiro ou como integrantes de equipe de PSF em outras cidades do país. Os resultados das entrevistas foram analisados à luz da técnica da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Os resultados apontam uma clara intenção dos gestores de gerar uma mobilização entre os participantes do curso introdutório de PSF, no sentido de combater prováveis resistências que estes últimos deverão enfrentar nos seus cotidianos.

O Comandante Amaral Peixoto e a política educacional fluminense. Dos anos 1930 aos anos 1950

A presente tese busca analisar as políticas educacionais desenvolvidas durante o período de 1937 à 1945 e 1951 a 1954, período em o antigo estado do Rio de Janeiro esteve governado pelo Comandante Ernani do Amaral Peixoto, que foi interventor federal durante todo o período do Estado Novo e depois retornou ao governo do estado como governador eleito. Este longo período a frente do estado do Rio de Janeiro proporcionou o desenvolvimento de uma política educacional continuada.Para compreender a dimensão das suas ações em relação à política educacional torna-se imprescindível analisar a figura do Comandante Amaral Peixoto, a sua participação na política fluminense, a biografia e as redes de sociabilidade construídas por ele. Este estudo importa em refletir sobre suas escolhas e investimentos na área da educação, além de buscar entender que influências sofreu para implantar as medidas que politicamente fez valer no estado, principalmente no âmbito da educação. Investigo a política educacional desenvolvida no período citado frisando especialmente a política desenvolvida para a escola do trabalho, as escolas superiores, a educação especial, a educação de adultos, a educação rural (escolas típicas rurais e praianas) e a educação física, abordando ainda o desenvolvimento da cultura nas ações relacionadas às missões culturais fluminenses, ao cinema educativo e museus que estavam ligados a educação nesta época, evidencio também a questão pedagógica através da analise da verificação de rendimentos e dos programas escolares desenvolvidos pelo departamento de educação. O papel do professor fluminense no desenvolvimento das políticas educacionais foi discutido a partir da formação de professores e do papel do estado do Rio como referência modernizadora na educação, traçando o perfil do professor fluminense nas décadas de 1930, 1940 e 1950, examinando a formação inicial destes professores, a formação continuada que era oferecida a eles e as correntes pedagógicas que influenciaram este professor na sua formação

Scholarly research productivity is not related to higher three-year licensure pass rates for physical therapy academic programs.

BACKGROUND: In the domain of academia, the scholarship of research may include, but not limited to, peer-reviewed publications, presentations, or grant submissions. Programmatic research productivity is one of many measures of academic program reputation and ranking. Another measure or tool for quantifying learning success among physical therapists education programs in the USA is 100 % three year pass rates of graduates on the standardized National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). In this study, we endeavored to determine if there was an association between research productivity through artifacts and 100 % three year pass rates on the NPTE. METHODS: This observational study involved using pre-approved database exploration representing all accredited programs in the USA who graduated physical therapists during 2009, 2010 and 2011. Descriptive variables captured included raw research productivity artifacts such as peer reviewed publications and books, number of professional presentations, number of scholarly submissions, total grant dollars, and numbers of grants submitted. Descriptive statistics and comparisons (using chi square and t-tests) among program characteristics and research artifacts were calculated. Univariate logistic regression analyses, with appropriate control variables were used to determine associations between research artifacts and 100 % pass rates. RESULTS: Number of scholarly artifacts submitted, faculty with grants, and grant proposals submitted were significantly higher in programs with 100 % three year pass rates. However, after controlling for program characteristics such as grade point average, diversity percentage of cohort, public/private institution, and number of faculty, there were no significant associations between scholarly artifacts and 100 % three year pass rates. CONCLUSIONS: Factors outside of research artifacts are likely better predictors for passing the NPTE.