Implementation of Distant Learning Portals based on CASE-technology METAS

The paper describes an approach to the development of software aimed at the creation of distant learning portals integrated with education support and educational institution management systems. The software being developed is based on CASE-technology METAS which is used for the creation of adaptive distributed information systems. This technology allows to dynamically adjust the portal’s structure and portal’s functionality enhancements.

Hallgatói vállalkozási tervek vizsgálata a GUESSS 2011-es felmése alapján (Assessing entrepreneurial intentions and plans among students based on GUESSS 2011 research)

A tanulmány azt vizsgálja, hogy milyen vállalkozást szeretnének indítani, honnan szerzik az ötletet és a társakat az egyetemi hallgatók, és milyen módon jelenik meg a vállalati felelősség. Betekintést ad az oktatott vállalkozáskurzusok elérhetőségébe, és a GUESSS adatbázisára építve értékeli a válaszokat. Jelen tanulmány csak a magyar adatok feldolgozását tartalmazza, egyes helyeken nemzetközi kitekintéssel. A szerző a cikk végén szemlélteti, hogyan térnek el vállalkozásindítást gátló tényezők Magyarországon a nemzetközi átlagtól a hallgatók körében. _____ The primary focus of the study, what kind of small business students intend to start, where the ideas come from, and how corporate responsibility present in student plans. It gives some figures about availability of entrepreneurial courses, and based on GUESS database it analyses results. This study is limited to the Hungarian results, with some international outlook. The author at the end of the article, shows how obstacles of start-up are differ from international average.

The effect of an enriched learning community on success and retention in chemistry courses

Since the mid-1990s, the United States has experienced a shortage of scientists and engineers, declining numbers of students choosing these fields as majors, and low student success and retention rates in these disciplines. Learning theorists, educational researchers, and practitioners believe that learning environments can be created so that an improvement in the numbers of students who complete courses successfully could be attained (Astin, 1993; Magolda & Terenzini, n.d.; O'Banion, 1997). Learning communities do this by providing high expectations, academic and social support, feedback during the entire educational process, and involvement with faculty, other students, and the institution (Ketcheson & Levine, 1999). ^ A program evaluation of an existing learning community of science, mathematics, and engineering majors was conducted to determine the extent to which the program met its goals and was effective from faculty and student perspectives. The program provided laptop computers, peer tutors, supplemental instruction with and without computer software, small class size, opportunities for contact with specialists in selected career fields, a resource library, and Peer-Led Team Learning. During the two years the project has existed, success, retention, and next-course continuation rates were higher than in traditional courses. Faculty and student interviews indicated there were many affective accomplishments as well. ^ Success and retention rates for one learning community class ( n = 27) and one traditional class (n = 61) in chemistry were collected and compared using Pearson chi square procedures ( p = .05). No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups. Data from an open-ended student survey about how specific elements of their course experiences contributed to success and persistence were analyzed by coding the responses and comparing the learning community and traditional classes. Substantial differences were found in their perceptions about the lecture, the lab, other supports used for the course, contact with other students, helping them reach their potential, and their recommendation about the course to others. Because of the limitation of small sample size, these differences are reported in descriptive terms. ^

Project POWER: Promoting Our Will Through Education and Research

Project POWER utilized participatory action research to critically examine issues facing students in an urban high school, setting the stage for the co-creation of spaces for student-teacher dialogue. The project culminated in a dialogue between the students and their future teachers at a university in Miami, Florida.

Ex Ante Cost Benefit Analyses of Community-Based DRR Interventions in the Caribbean

This report presents a study on the cost benefit analyses (CBA) and cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) of community-based disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions in the Caribbean. The DRR interventions, implemented by the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), Port of Spain, in three Caribbean countries, Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda, and Suriname, comprised the pilot phase of the Red Cross (RC) Project, Improving Climate Change Resilience of Caribbean Communities. This study is part of the endeavor by the DRR Program of Florida International University (FIU) and the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of the U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) to develop and foster DRR measures in the Latin American and Caribbean region since 2008.

Community-based older adults' perceptions of factors that influence successful aging in place

The purpose of this study was to obtain an understanding of older adults' perceptions of independence and the factors that allow them to remain living independently in the community. A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 500 community-based older adults. One hundred seventy eight questionnaires were returned (36%). Respondents were asked questions related to independence, self-health rating, functional difficulties, and social supports. Most respondents indicated Mental Health (97%), Physical Health (97%), Control of choices (97%), and Social Support Systems (93%) contributed to maintaining independence in the community. Age, education, fewer chronic health conditions, and a higher self-health rating were found to be significant predictors of actual independence. Family members were identified as the primary source of assistance with advice on major life decisions and financial matters. Findings indicate age, education, health status and the social support of family and friends all play an important role for older adults to live independently in the community. Occupational therapy could be instrumental in extending the health, highest level of independent functioning, and the number of years older adults remain living in the community.

The emergence of a mass community-based ecotourism theme park : the case of Ejido Chacchoben, Quintana Roo, Mexico

In 1998, a dispute between a federal government agency and the local community of Chacchoben resulted in the emergence of a community-based ecotourism (CBE) enterprise to be fully owned and operated by the community in conjunction with a complex arrangement of agreements and partnerships with external actors. CBE is usually framed as a lower-impact, often small-scale alternative to mass tourism and as a conservation and development strategy that can hypothetically protect biologically diverse landscapes while improving the lives of marginalized peasant and indigenous communities through their participation. This case study analyzes the roles of common property land tenure and social capital and how the unique dilemma of a mass community-based ecotourism theme park emerged in Chacchoben. Findings indicate that local decisions and processes of development, conservation, and land use are affected by the complex interaction between local and external institutions and fluctuating levels of social capital.

An overview of top-down vs. bottom-up models for informal settlement upgrading in South Africa

The paper explores informal settlement upgrading approaches in South Africa and presents a review of top-down vs. bottom-up models, using experience and lessons learned from the Durban metropolitan area. Reflections on past upgrading efforts suggest that top-down policies in South Africa have not been successful to date. By contrast, participatory techniques, such as planning activism, can be used to enhance community empowerment and a sense of local ownership. This paper reveals that although the notion of ‘bottom-up’, participatory methods for community improvement is often discussed in international development discourses, the tools, processes and new knowledge needed to ensure a successful upgrade are under-utilised. Participation and collaboration can mean various things for informal housing upgrading and often the involvement of local communities is limited to providing feedback in already agreed development decisions from local authorities and construction companies. The paper concludes by suggesting directions for ‘co-producing’ knowledge with communities through participatory, action-research methods and integrating these insights into upgrading mechanisms and policies for housing and infrastructure provision. The cumulative impacts emerging from these approaches could aggregate into local, regional, and national environmental, social and economic benefits able to successfully transform urban areas and ensure self-reliance for local populations.

Life expectancy for community-based patients with heart failure from time of diagnosis

AIMS: Heart failure has been demonstrated in previous studies to have a dismal prognosis. However, the modern-day prognosis of patients with new onset heart failure diagnosed in the community managed within a disease management programme is not known. The purpose of this study is to report on prognosis of patients presenting with new onset heart failure in the community who are subsequently followed in a disease management program.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A review of patients referred to a rapid access heart failure diagnostic clinic between 2002 and 2012 was undertaken. Details of diagnosis, demographics, medical history, medications, investigations and mortality data were analysed. A total of 733 patients were seen in Rapid Access Clinic for potential new diagnosis of incident of heart failure. 38.9% (n=285) were diagnosed with heart failure, 40.7% (n=116) with HF-REF and 59.3% (n=169) with HF-PEF. There were 84 (29.5%) deaths in the group of patients diagnosed with heart failure; 41 deaths (35.3%) occurred in patients with HF-REF and 43 deaths (25.4%) occurred in patients with HF-PEF. In patients with heart failure, 52.4% (n=44) died from cardiovascular causes. 63.8% of HF patients were alive after 5 years resulting on average in a month per year loss of life expectancy over that period compared with aged matched simulated population.

CONCLUSIONS: In this community-based cohort, the prognosis of heart failure was better than reported in previous studies. This is likely due to the impact of prompt diagnosis, the improvement in therapies and care within a disease management structure.

Transformer les pratiques professionnelles vis-à-vis des personnes prestataires de l’aide sociale : développement participatif et évaluation d’une formation continue en cabinet dentaire

L’objectif de la présente thèse est de générer des connaissances sur les contributions possibles d’une formation continue à l’évolution des perspectives et pratiques des professionnels de la santé buccodentaire. Prônant une approche centrée sur le patient, la formation vise à sensibiliser les professionnels à la pauvreté et à encourager des pratiques qui se veulent inclusives et qui tiennent compte du contexte social des patients. L’évaluation de la formation s’inscrit dans le contexte d’une recherche-action participative de développement d’outils éducatifs et de transfert des connaissances sur la pauvreté. Cette recherche-action aspire à contribuer à la lutte contre les iniquités sociales de santé et d’accès aux soins au Québec; elle reflète une préoccupation pour une plus grande justice sociale ainsi qu’une prise de position pour une santé publique critique fondée sur une « science des solutions » (Potvin, 2013). Quatre articles scientifiques, ancrés dans une philosophie constructiviste et dans les concepts et principes de l’apprentissage transformationnel (Mezirow, 1991), constituent le cœur de cette thèse. Le premier article présente une revue critique de la littérature portant sur l’enseignement de l’approche de soins centrés sur le patient. Prenant appui sur le concept d’une « épistémologie partagée », des principes éducatifs porteurs d’une transformation de perspective à l’égard de la relation professionnel-patient ont été identifiés et analysés. Le deuxième article de thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre du développement participatif d’outils de formation sur la pauvreté et illustre le processus de co-construction d’un scénario de court-métrage social réaliste portant sur la pauvreté et l’accès aux soins. L’article décrit et apporte une réflexion, notamment sur la dimension de co-formation entre les différents acteurs des milieux académique, professionnel et citoyen qui ont constitué le collectif À l’écoute les uns des autres. Nous y découvrons la force du croisement des savoirs pour générer des prises de conscience sur soi et sur ses préjugés. Les outils développés par le collectif ont été intégrés à une formation continue axée sur la réflexion critique et l’apprentissage transformationnel, et conçue pour être livrée en cabinet dentaire privé. Les deux derniers articles de thèse présentent les résultats d’une étude de cas instrumentale évaluative centrée sur cette formation continue et visant donc à répondre à l’objectif premier de cette thèse. Le premier consiste en une analyse des transformations de perspectives et d’action au sein d’une équipe de 15 professionnels dentaires ayant participé à la formation continue sur une période de trois mois. L’article décrit, entre autres, une plus grande ouverture, chez certains participants, sur les causes structurelles de la pauvreté et une plus grande sensibilité au vécu au quotidien des personnes prestataires de l’aide sociale. L’article comprend également une exploration des effets paradoxaux dans l’apprentissage, notamment le renforcement, chez certains, de perceptions négatives à l’égard des personnes prestataires de l’aide sociale. Le quatrième article fait état de barrières idéologiques contraignant la transformation des pratiques professionnelles : 1) l’identification à l’idéologie du marché privé comme véhicule d’organisation des soins; 2) l’attachement au concept d’égalité dans les pratiques, au détriment de l’équité; 3) la prédominance du modèle biomédical, contraignant l’adoption de pratiques centrées sur la personne et 4) la catégorisation sociale des personnes prestataires de l’aide sociale. L’analyse des perceptions, mais aussi de l’expérience vécue de ces barrières démontre comment des facteurs systémiques et sociaux influent sur le rapport entre professionnel dentaire et personne prestataire de l’aide sociale. Les conséquences pour la recherche, l’éducation dentaire, le transfert des connaissances, ainsi que pour la régulation professionnelle et les politiques de santé buccodentaire, sont examinées à partir de cette perspective.

Newham’s Every Child a Sports Person (NECaSP): A Summative Process Evaluation of a School-and-Community Based Intervention in East London, UK

Background: The NECaSP intervention aspires to increase sport and physical activity (PA) participation amongst young people in the UK. The aims of this paper are to report on a summative process evaluation of the NECaSP and make recommendations for future interventions. Methods: Seventeen schools provided data by students aged 11-13 (n=1,226), parents (n=192) and teachers (n= 14) via direct observation and questionnaires. Means, standard deviations and percentages were calculated for socio-demographic data. Qualitative data was analysed via directed content analysis and main themes identified. Results: Findings indicate further administrative, educational and financial support will help facilitate the success of the programme in improving PA outcomes for young people, and of other similar intervention programmes globally. Data highlighted the need to engage parents to increase likelihood of intervention success. Conclusions: One main strength of this study is the mixed-methods nature of the process evaluation. It is recommended that future school based interventions that bridge sports clubs and formal curriculum provision, should consider a more broad approach to the delivery of programmes throughout the academic year, school week and school day. Finally, changes in the school curriculum can be successful once all parties are involved (community, school, families).