Use of empowerment evaluation to determine a sustainability plan for a community-based preconception care program

Women With IMPACT (WWI) is a community-based preconception care educational intervention. WWI is being implemented by the Impacting Maternal and Prenatal Care Together (IMPACT) Collaborative and targets zip codes in Harris County, Texas at high risk for infant mortality, low birthweight, and preterm birth. WWI started March 2012 and continues through August 2013. Three workshop series are planned. This study was conducted with participants and facilitators from the first workshop series. This study aimed to 1) evaluate the WWI program using empowerment evaluation, 2) engage all WWI stakeholders in an empowerment evaluation so the method could be adopted as a participatory evaluation process for future IMPACT activities, and 3) develop recommendations for sustainability of the WWI intervention, based on empowerment evaluation findings and results from the pre/post program evaluation completed by WWI participants. Study participants included WWI participants and facilitators and IMPACT Collaborative Steering Committee members. WWI participants were female, 18-35 year-old, non-pregnant residents of zip codes at high risk of adverse birth outcomes. All other study participants were 18 years or older. A two-phased empowerment evaluation (EE) was utilized in this study. Sessions 1-4 were conducted independently of one another – 3 with participants at different sites and one with the facilitators. The fifth session included WWI participant and facilitator representatives, and IMPACT Steering Committee members. Session 5 built upon the work of the other sessions. Observation notes were recorded during each session. Thematic content analysis was conducted on all EE tables and observation notes. Mission statements drafted by each group focused on improvement of physical and mental health through behavior change and empowerment of all participants. The top 5 overall program components were: physical activity, nutrition, self-worth, in-class communication, and stress. Goals for program improvement were set by EE participants for each of these components. Through thematic content analysis of the tables and observation notes, social support emerged as an important theme of the program among all participant groups. Change to a healthy lifestyle emerged as an important theme in terms of program improvement. Two-phased EE provided an opportunity for all program stakeholders to provide feedback regarding important program components and provide suggestions for program improvement. EE, thematic content analysis, pre/post evaluation results, and inherent program knowledge were triangulated to make recommendations to sustain the program once the initial funding ends. ^

Planning, implementation, and evaluation of an HIV -screening program for pregnant women

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an HIV-screening program at a private health-care institution where the providers were trained to counsel pregnant women about the HIV-antibody test according to the latest recommendations made by the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) and the Texas legislature. A before-and-after study design was selected for the study. The participants were OB/GYN nurses who attended an educational program and the patients they counseled about the HIV test. Training improved the nurses' overall knowledge about the content of the program and nurses were more likely to offer the HIV test to all pregnant women regardless of their risk of infection. Still, contrary to what was predicted, the nurses did not give more information to increase the knowledge pregnant women had about HIV infection, transmission, and available treatments. Consequently, many women were not given the chance to correctly assess their risk during the counseling session and there was no evidence that knowledge would reduce the propensity of many women to deny being at risk for HIV. On the other hand, pregnant women who received prenatal care after the implementation of the HIV-screening program were more likely to be tested than women who received prenatal care before its implementation (96% vs. 48%); in turn, the likelihood that more high-risk women would be tested for HIV also increased (94% vs. 60%). There was no evidence that mandatory testing with right of refusal would deter women from being tested for HIV. When the moment comes for a woman to make her decision, other concerns are more important to her than whether the option to be tested is mandatory or not. The majority of pregnant women indicated that their main reasons for being tested were: (a) the recommendation of their health-care provider; and (b) concern about the risks to their babies. Recommending that all pregnant women be tested regardless of their risk of infection, together with making the HIV test readily available to all women, are probably the two best ways of increasing the patients' participation in an HIV-screening program for pregnant women. ^

Problèmes de lecture en langue étrangère : Evaluation de la compréhension de textes à partir des résumés en langue maternelle

Como resultado de nuestra experiencia docente en la Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación de la UNLP impartiendo cursos de lectocomprensión en Lengua extranjera (LE) y con el objetivo siempre presente de mejorar las prácticas didácticas para lograr el resultado esperado del lector autónomo en Francés, decidimos encarar el presente trabajo de investigación. La hipótesis de partida de nuestro análisis es que la verificación de la comprensión lectora en LE podría hacerse a partir de resúmenes en Lengua Materna (LM), y que habría una estrecha relación entre las estrategias lectoras utilizadas en LM y las que se utilizan en LE. A partir de esto nos planteamos una serie de preguntas organizadas alrededor de tres ejes según los componentes a los que apuntan: cognitivo, metodológico-estratégico y discursivo. Tomamos como base un corpus de resúmenes en LM de un texto en LE realizado por un grupo voluntario de alumnos de la Cátedra Capacitación en Idioma Francés I, creando con ellos un dispositivo de observación y análisis conjunto compuesto por: una Encuesta Previa al comienzo del curso con respuestas en LM, una Encuesta previa a la lectura del texto por resumir con respuestas en LM, y una Encuesta post resumen con respuestas en LM. El trabajo está estructurado en seis partes: Introducción, Problemática, Marco teórico, Metodología de recolección de datos, Análisis del corpus y Conclusiones y perspectivas. Creemos que el presente trabajo constituye una reflexión y un punto de partida para el análisis de uno de los problemas planteados por la didáctica de la lectocomprensión LE en la universidad: las estrategias lectoras de los estudiantes de LE y más particularmente en Francés Lengua Extranjera.

Method for the evaluation of social projects

This instrument was part of the research project "Research on Evaluation of Health and Education Plans and Programs in the Province of Buenos Aires", developed by the of Chair Preventive Psychology of the Psychology course of studies at the School of Humanities and Educational Sciences, National Univer- sity of La Plata (Argentina). The basis for proposing an assessment instrument is the need for a method enabling analysis, systematization of knowledge and the assignment of values distributed into scales and organized in general charts, on social programs. Its main concern is the analysis of health and education programs and projects, restricted to certain specific areas or regions, in search for theoretic trustworthi-ness, methodological accuracy as well as pragmatic operability. This is the result of four years of researching said programs at system, service and community levels.

Reading comprehension in nacional and internacional programs of educational assessment

El principal objetivo de este artículo es identificar distintos programas de evaluación educativa, tanto nacionales como internacionales, y describir sus características generales. Asimismo, analiza el modo en que se conceptualiza y evalúa la competencia lectora. Finalmente, este trabajo presenta los resultados que ha obtenido Argentina en esta área. Los programas analizados son: el Programa para la Evaluación Internacional de Alumnos (PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment) , el Segundo Estudio Regional Comparativo y Explicativo (SERCE) y, específicamente en nuestro país, el Operativo Nacional de Evaluación (ONE) y el Programa de Evaluación de la Calidad Educativa de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Estos diferentes estudios sitúan la importancia de la lectura comprensiva en tanto "competencia para la vida" necesaria para la realización de otros aprendizajes, para el logro de una participación activa en la sociedad y ligada a la posibilidad de proyectar un futuro mejor. Los informes muestran la existencia de diferencias entre los resultados de distintos países y al interior de los mismos. El desarrollo de competencias desiguales aparece como un desafío a nivel nacional e internacional, ya que constituye un importante indicador de la situación crítica en la que se encuentran un número significativo de niños y adolescentes.

Problèmes de lecture en langue étrangère : Evaluation de la compréhension de textes à partir des résumés en langue maternelle

Como resultado de nuestra experiencia docente en la Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación de la UNLP impartiendo cursos de lectocomprensión en Lengua extranjera (LE) y con el objetivo siempre presente de mejorar las prácticas didácticas para lograr el resultado esperado del lector autónomo en Francés, decidimos encarar el presente trabajo de investigación. La hipótesis de partida de nuestro análisis es que la verificación de la comprensión lectora en LE podría hacerse a partir de resúmenes en Lengua Materna (LM), y que habría una estrecha relación entre las estrategias lectoras utilizadas en LM y las que se utilizan en LE. A partir de esto nos planteamos una serie de preguntas organizadas alrededor de tres ejes según los componentes a los que apuntan: cognitivo, metodológico-estratégico y discursivo. Tomamos como base un corpus de resúmenes en LM de un texto en LE realizado por un grupo voluntario de alumnos de la Cátedra Capacitación en Idioma Francés I, creando con ellos un dispositivo de observación y análisis conjunto compuesto por: una Encuesta Previa al comienzo del curso con respuestas en LM, una Encuesta previa a la lectura del texto por resumir con respuestas en LM, y una Encuesta post resumen con respuestas en LM. El trabajo está estructurado en seis partes: Introducción, Problemática, Marco teórico, Metodología de recolección de datos, Análisis del corpus y Conclusiones y perspectivas. Creemos que el presente trabajo constituye una reflexión y un punto de partida para el análisis de uno de los problemas planteados por la didáctica de la lectocomprensión LE en la universidad: las estrategias lectoras de los estudiantes de LE y más particularmente en Francés Lengua Extranjera.

Method for the evaluation of social projects

This instrument was part of the research project "Research on Evaluation of Health and Education Plans and Programs in the Province of Buenos Aires", developed by the of Chair Preventive Psychology of the Psychology course of studies at the School of Humanities and Educational Sciences, National Univer- sity of La Plata (Argentina). The basis for proposing an assessment instrument is the need for a method enabling analysis, systematization of knowledge and the assignment of values distributed into scales and organized in general charts, on social programs. Its main concern is the analysis of health and education programs and projects, restricted to certain specific areas or regions, in search for theoretic trustworthi-ness, methodological accuracy as well as pragmatic operability. This is the result of four years of researching said programs at system, service and community levels.

Reading comprehension in nacional and internacional programs of educational assessment

El principal objetivo de este artículo es identificar distintos programas de evaluación educativa, tanto nacionales como internacionales, y describir sus características generales. Asimismo, analiza el modo en que se conceptualiza y evalúa la competencia lectora. Finalmente, este trabajo presenta los resultados que ha obtenido Argentina en esta área. Los programas analizados son: el Programa para la Evaluación Internacional de Alumnos (PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment) , el Segundo Estudio Regional Comparativo y Explicativo (SERCE) y, específicamente en nuestro país, el Operativo Nacional de Evaluación (ONE) y el Programa de Evaluación de la Calidad Educativa de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Estos diferentes estudios sitúan la importancia de la lectura comprensiva en tanto "competencia para la vida" necesaria para la realización de otros aprendizajes, para el logro de una participación activa en la sociedad y ligada a la posibilidad de proyectar un futuro mejor. Los informes muestran la existencia de diferencias entre los resultados de distintos países y al interior de los mismos. El desarrollo de competencias desiguales aparece como un desafío a nivel nacional e internacional, ya que constituye un importante indicador de la situación crítica en la que se encuentran un número significativo de niños y adolescentes.

Method for the evaluation of social projects

This instrument was part of the research project "Research on Evaluation of Health and Education Plans and Programs in the Province of Buenos Aires", developed by the of Chair Preventive Psychology of the Psychology course of studies at the School of Humanities and Educational Sciences, National Univer- sity of La Plata (Argentina). The basis for proposing an assessment instrument is the need for a method enabling analysis, systematization of knowledge and the assignment of values distributed into scales and organized in general charts, on social programs. Its main concern is the analysis of health and education programs and projects, restricted to certain specific areas or regions, in search for theoretic trustworthi-ness, methodological accuracy as well as pragmatic operability. This is the result of four years of researching said programs at system, service and community levels.

Reading comprehension in nacional and internacional programs of educational assessment

El principal objetivo de este artículo es identificar distintos programas de evaluación educativa, tanto nacionales como internacionales, y describir sus características generales. Asimismo, analiza el modo en que se conceptualiza y evalúa la competencia lectora. Finalmente, este trabajo presenta los resultados que ha obtenido Argentina en esta área. Los programas analizados son: el Programa para la Evaluación Internacional de Alumnos (PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment) , el Segundo Estudio Regional Comparativo y Explicativo (SERCE) y, específicamente en nuestro país, el Operativo Nacional de Evaluación (ONE) y el Programa de Evaluación de la Calidad Educativa de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Estos diferentes estudios sitúan la importancia de la lectura comprensiva en tanto "competencia para la vida" necesaria para la realización de otros aprendizajes, para el logro de una participación activa en la sociedad y ligada a la posibilidad de proyectar un futuro mejor. Los informes muestran la existencia de diferencias entre los resultados de distintos países y al interior de los mismos. El desarrollo de competencias desiguales aparece como un desafío a nivel nacional e internacional, ya que constituye un importante indicador de la situación crítica en la que se encuentran un número significativo de niños y adolescentes.

Problèmes de lecture en langue étrangère : Evaluation de la compréhension de textes à partir des résumés en langue maternelle

Como resultado de nuestra experiencia docente en la Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación de la UNLP impartiendo cursos de lectocomprensión en Lengua extranjera (LE) y con el objetivo siempre presente de mejorar las prácticas didácticas para lograr el resultado esperado del lector autónomo en Francés, decidimos encarar el presente trabajo de investigación. La hipótesis de partida de nuestro análisis es que la verificación de la comprensión lectora en LE podría hacerse a partir de resúmenes en Lengua Materna (LM), y que habría una estrecha relación entre las estrategias lectoras utilizadas en LM y las que se utilizan en LE. A partir de esto nos planteamos una serie de preguntas organizadas alrededor de tres ejes según los componentes a los que apuntan: cognitivo, metodológico-estratégico y discursivo. Tomamos como base un corpus de resúmenes en LM de un texto en LE realizado por un grupo voluntario de alumnos de la Cátedra Capacitación en Idioma Francés I, creando con ellos un dispositivo de observación y análisis conjunto compuesto por: una Encuesta Previa al comienzo del curso con respuestas en LM, una Encuesta previa a la lectura del texto por resumir con respuestas en LM, y una Encuesta post resumen con respuestas en LM. El trabajo está estructurado en seis partes: Introducción, Problemática, Marco teórico, Metodología de recolección de datos, Análisis del corpus y Conclusiones y perspectivas. Creemos que el presente trabajo constituye una reflexión y un punto de partida para el análisis de uno de los problemas planteados por la didáctica de la lectocomprensión LE en la universidad: las estrategias lectoras de los estudiantes de LE y más particularmente en Francés Lengua Extranjera.

Returns to migration : the role of educational attainment in rural Tanzania

Given the migration premium previously identified in an impact evaluation approach, this paper asks the question of why migration is not more prominent, given such high premium associated with it. Using long-term household panel data drawn from rural Tanzania, Kagera for the period 1991-2004, this study aims to answer this question by exploring the contribution of education in the migration premium. By separating migrants into those that moved out of original villages but remained within Kagera and those who left the region, this study finds that, in consumption, the return on investment in education is higher at both destinations. However, whilst the higher return on education fully explains the gains associated with migration within Kagera, it only partly explains those of external migration. These findings suggest that welfare opportunities are higher at the destination and that an individual's limited investment in education plays a major role in preventing short-distance migration from becoming a significant source of raising welfare, which is not the case for long-distance migration. While education plays a role, it appears that other mechanisms may prohibit rural agents from exploiting the arbitrage opportunity when they migrate to the destination at a great distance from the source.

Local relevancy evaluation in the accreditation bodies for engineering master's programs

Accreditation models in the international context mainly consider the evaluation of learning outcomes and the ability of programs (or higher education institutions) to achieve the educational objectives stated in their mission. However, it is not clear if these objectives and therefore their outcomes satisfy real national and regional needs, a critical point in engineering master's programs, especially in developing countries. The aim of this paper is to study the importance of the local relevancy evaluation of these programs and to analyze the main models of quality assurance and accreditation bodies of USA, Europe and Latin America, in order to ascertain whether the relevancy is evaluated or not. After a literature review, we found that in a free-market economic context and international education, the accreditation of master’s programs follows an international accreditation model, and doesn´t take in account in most cases criteria and indicators for local relevancy. It concludes that it is necessary both, international accreditation to ensure the effectiveness of the program (achievement of learning outcomes) and the national accreditation through which it could ensure local relevancy of programs, for which we are giving some indicators.

A model for evaluation of generic competences in engineering: application to the problem. Solving competence at the technical University of Madrid.

The competence evaluation promoted by the European High Education Area entails a very important methodological change that requires guiding support to help teachers carry out this new and complex task. In this regard, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM, by its Spanish acronym) has financed a series of coordinated projects with a two-fold objective: a) To develop a model for teaching and evaluating core competences that is useful and easily applicable to its different degrees, and b) to provide support to teachers by creating an area within the Website for Educational Innovation where they can search for information on the model corresponding to each core competence approved by UPM. Information available on each competence includes its definition, the formulation of indicators providing evidence on the level of acquisition, the recommended teaching and evaluation methodology, examples of evaluation rules for the different levels of competence acquisition, and descriptions of best practices. These best practices correspond to pilot tests applied to several of the academic subjects conducted at UPM in order to validate the model. This work describes the general procedure that was used and presents the model developed specifically for the problem-solving competence. Some of the pilot experiences are also summarised and their results analysed

A model for evaluation of generic competences in engineering: application to the problem-solving competence at UPM.

The competence evaluation promoted by the European High Education Area entails a very important methodological change that requires guiding support to help teachers carry out this new and complex task. In this regard, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM, by its Spanish acronym) has financed a series of coordinated projects with a two-fold objective: a) To develop a model for teaching and evaluating core competences that is useful and easily applicable to its different degrees, and b) to provide support to teachers by creating an area within the Website for Educational Innovation where they can search for information on the model corresponding to each core competence approved by UPM. Information available on each competence includes its definition, the formulation of indicators providing evidence on the level of acquisition, the recommended teaching and evaluation methodology, examples of evaluation rules for the different levels of competence acquisition, and descriptions of best practices. These best practices correspond to pilot tests applied to several of the academic subjects conducted at UPM in order to validate the model. This work describes the general procedure that was used and presents the model developed specifically for the problem-solving competence. Some of the pilot experiences are also summarised and their results analysed