Using formative feedback to identify and support first year chemistry students with missing or misconceptions. A Practice Report

Students entering tertiary studies possess a diverse range of prior experiences in their academic preparation for tertiary chemistry so academics need tools to enable them to respond to issues in diversity in conceptual models possessed by entering students. Concept inventories can be used to provide formative feedback to help students identify concepts that they need to address to improve construction of subsequent understanding enabling their learning. Modular, formative learning activities that can be administered inside or outside of class in first year chemistry courses have been developed. These activities address key missing and mis-conceptions possessed by incoming student. Engagement in these learning activities by students and academics will help shift the culture of diagnostic and formative assessment within the tertiary context and address issues around the secondary/tertiary transition. This diagnostic/intervention framework is currently being trialed across five Australian tertiary institutions encompassing a large heterogeneous sample of students.

Researching 'what works' in early intervention and prevention of homelessness : From systematic reviews to collaborative inquiry

Mechanisms of intervention and the contexts they are used in interact in complex ways. This helps explain why we can’t overgeneralize about what works in respect of models of service designed to prevent or respond to homelessness. This said there are some key messages from the totality of evidence that has been accumulated to date. First homelessness would be a lot easier to prevent for first or subsequent episodes if adequate and appropriate (developmentally/ culturally) housing was available. Second (and often dependent on the first) timely support of a particular character ‘works’ both in a preventive sense and in periods when people experience ongoing challenges which may render them vulnerable to further homelessness. This paper reflects on some of the critical features of how we can generate and use evidence, and how these complement each other in important ways.

Design of a professional development programme for palliative care nurses (Part Two)

Yates et al (1996) provided a review of the literature on educational approaches to improving psychosocial care of terminally ill patients and their families and suggested that there was an urgent need for innovation in this area. A programme of professional development currently being offered to 181 palliative care nurses in Queensland, Australia, was also described. This paper presents research in progress evaluating this programme which involves use of a quasi-experimental pre-post test design. It also includes process and outcome measures to assess effectiveness in improving the participant's ability to provide psychosocial care to patients and families. Research examining the effectiveness of various educational programmes on care of the dying has offered equivocal results (Yates et al 1996). Degner and Gow (1988a) noted that the inconsistencies found in research into death education result from inadequate study designs, variations in the conceptualisation and measurement of the outcomes of the programmes and flaws in data analysis. Such studies have often lacked a theoretical basis, few have employed well-controlled experimental designs, and the programme outcomes have generally been limited to the participant's 'death anxiety', or other death attitudes which have been variously defined and measured. Whilst Degner and Gow (1988b) have reported that undergraduate nursing students who participated in a care of the dying educational programme demonstrated more 'approach caring' behaviours than a control group, the impact of education programmes on patient care has rarely been examined. Failure to link education to nursing practice and subsequent clinical outcomes has, however, been seen as a major limitation of nursing knowledge in this area (Degner et al 1991). This paper describes an approach to researching the effectiveness of professional development programmes for palliative care nurses.

Peer mentorship in clinical education : outcomes of a pilot programme for first year students

Identifying effective strategies for promoting learning in the clinical setting continues to pose challenges for nurse educators. The aim of the present paper is to examine the potential that peer mentorship may have in helping nursing students to improve clinical learning outcomes. An example of a peer mentorship programme for nursing students undertaking their first clinical practicum is described, and preliminary findings from an evaluation of this pilot programme are presented. The results suggest that peer mentorship may be of some benefit to students, particularly in relation to reducing anxiety and improving confidence with clinical practice experiences, and is therefore a strategy which is worthy of further investigation.

Improving psychosocial care: a professional development programme

Despite the numerous reports of difficulties experienced by health care providers in providing psychosocial care to terminally ill patients and their families, few studies have yet been undertaken to examine the effectiveness of different educational approaches to addressing these issues. The aim of this paper is to describe a programme of professional development for palliative care nurses, which is currently being offered to 181 registered nurses in Queensland, Australia. The programme is based on an action learning model and is designed to facilitate processes of reflection and peer consultation. In Part One of this paper, a review of this literature is presented to provide the background and rationale for the programme design. Details of the research programme developed to evaluate the programme will be presented in Part Two of this paper, which is to be published in the next issue of this Journal. Surveys of health professionals suggest that the demands of working with terminally ill patients are associated with a great deal of stress (Beaton and Degner 1990, Seale 1992, Vachon 1995), and emotional burden, as they are confronted with their patients' physical and emotional suffering over extended periods of time (Ullrich and Fitzgerald 1990). Key areas of concern (Lyons 1988, Bramwell 1989, Seale 1992, Copp and Dunn 1993, Wilkinson 1995) include: * Handling questions and conversations with dying patients. * Dealing with ethical and moral issues. * Handling emotions. * Giving hope. * Providing spiritual care and bereavement support. * Confronting team communication problems.

An investigation into painting's transformation and regeneration through post-photographic intervention in the digital archive

This PhD practice-led research inquiry sets out to examine and describe how the fluid interactions between memory and time can be rendered via the remediation of my painting and the construction of a digital image archive. My abstract digital art and handcrafted practice is informed by Deleuze and Guattari’s rhizomics of becoming. I aim to show that the technological mobility of my creative strategies produce new conditions of artistic possibility through the mobile principles of rhizomic interconnection, multiplicity and diversity. Subsequently through the ongoing modification of past painting I map how emergent forms and ideas open up new and incisive engagements with the experience of a ‘continual present’. The deployment of new media and cross media processes in my art also deterritorialises the modernist notion of painting as a static and two dimensional spatial object. Instead, it shows painting in a postmodern field of dynamic and transformative intermediality through digital formats of still and moving images that re-imagines the relationship between memory, time and creative practice.

Metabolic urinary profiling of alcohol hepatotoxicity and intervention effects of Yin Chen Hao Tang in rats using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry

This paper was designed to study metabonomic characters of the hepatotoxicity induced by alcohol and the intervention effects of Yin Chen Hao Tang (YCHT), a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula for treatment of jaundice and liver disorders in China. Urinary samples from control, alcohol- and YCHT-treated rats were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS) in positive ionization mode. The total ion chromatograms obtained from the control, alcohol- and YCHT-treated rats were easily distinguishable using a multivariate statistical analysis method such as the principal components analysis (PCA). The greatest difference in metabolic profiling was observed from alcohol-treated rats compared with the control and YCHT-treated rats. The positive ions m/z 664.3126 (9.00 min) was elevated in urine of alcohol-treated rats, whereas, ions m/z 155.3547 (10.96 min) and 708.2932 (9.01 min) were at a lower concentration compared with that in urine of control rats, however, these ions did not indicate a statistical difference between control rats and YCHT-treated rats. The ion m/z 664.3126 was found to correspond to ceramide (d18:1/25:0), providing further support for an involvement of the sphingomyelin signaling pathway in alcohol hepatotoxicity and the intervention effects of YCHT.

The next generation health intervention tool - Can smart phone applications help young people track and moderate alcohol use and potential harms?

Whilst alcohol is a common feature of many social gatherings, there are numerous immediate and long-term health and social harms associated with its abuse. Alcohol consumption is the world’s third largest risk factor for disease and disability with almost 4% of all deaths worldwide attributed to alcohol. Not surprisingly, alcohol use and binge drinking by young people is of particular concern with Australian data reporting that 39% of young people (18-19yrs) admitted drinking at least weekly and 32% drank to levels that put them at risk of alcohol-related harm. The growing market penetration and connectivity of smartphones may be an opportunities for innovation in promoting health-related self-management of substance use. However, little is known about how best to harness and optimise this technology for health-related intervention and behaviour change. This paper explores the utility and interface of smartphone technology as a health intervention tool to monitor and moderate alcohol use. A review of the psychological health applications of this technology will be presented along with the findings of a series of focus groups, surveys and behavioural field trials of several drink-monitoring applications. Qualitative and quantitative data will be presented on the perceptions, preferences and utility of the design, usability and functionality of smartphone apps to monitoring and moderate alcohol use. How these findings have shaped the development and evolution of the OnTrack app will be specifically discussed, along with future directions and applications of this technology in health intervention, prevention and promotion.

Outdoor Worker Sun Protection Project : a mixed methods intervention to improve sun safety among outdoor workers

Queensland, Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Outdoor workers are regularly exposed to high doses of ultraviolet radiation, and are at increased risk to develop non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers. In 2010, a health promotion intervention to improve sun protection among outdoor workers in Queensland commenced. The intervention employed a mixed methods approach and a participatory action research framework. Fourteen workplaces were recruited from building and construction, rural and farming, local government, and public sector organisations. Management and workers were engaged in cycles of assessment, reflection and discussion, planning, implementation and reassessing, over a 14-month intervention period. Overall, at least one workplace representative from each workplace (range 1-3) and in depth focus groups were held with a subset of workers (range 3-16) to assess sun safe behaviours pre and post intervention. Workers’ attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and willingness to engage in sun protection differed depending on workplace characteristics and support. A familiar theme among workers spoke of sun safety as being “common sense” and the “workers individual responsibility”. Often there was a discrepancy in the perceptions of the workers, compared to the view of workplace representatives and the workplaces position or policy on sun safety. In larger workplaces, especially Government Departments, workers were more aware and followed sun safe practices compared to smaller workplaces where sun safety was not a high priority. These results indicate that a workplace culture which places high values on safety and polices more broadly may also have a positive effect on sun safety among outdoor workers as well. In addition, the specific characteristics of the workplace and the outdoor work tasks influence workers willingness to engage in sun safety measures.

The clinical effectiveness of interventions to assist perioperative temperature management for women undergoing Cesarean Section : a systematic review

Background Women undergoing Cesarean Section (CS) are vulnerable to the adverse effects associated with perioperative core temperature drop, in part due to the tendency for CS to be performed under neuraxial anesthesia, blood and fluid loss, and vasodilation. Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia (IPH) is a common condition that affects patients undergoing surgery of all specialties and is detrimental to all age groups, including neonates. Previous systematic reviews on IPH prevention largely focus on either adult or all ages populations, and have mainly overlooked pregnant or CS patients as a distinct group. Not all recommendations made by systematic reviews targeting all adult patients may be transferable to CS patients. Alternative, effective methods for preventing or managing hypothermia in this group would be valuable. Objectives To synthesize the best available evidence in relation to preventing and/or treating hypothermia in mothers after CS surgery. Types of participants Adult patients over the age of 18 years, of any ethnic background, with or without co-morbidities, undergoing any mode of anesthesia for any type of CS (emergency or planned) at healthcare facilities who have received interventions to limit or manage perioperative core heat loss were included. Types of intervention(s) Active or passive warming methods versus usual care or placebo, that aim to limit or manage core heat loss as applied to women undergoing CS were included. Types of studies Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the inclusion criteria, with reduction of perioperative hypothermia a primary or secondary outcome were considered. Types of outcomes Primary outcome: maternal core temperature measured during the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative phases of care Secondary outcomes: newborn core temperature at birth, umbilical pH obtained immediately after birth, Apgar scores, length of Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) stay, maternal thermal comfort. Search strategy A comprehensive search was undertaken of the following databases from their inception until May 2012: ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, Dissertation and Theses PQDT (via ProQuest), Current Contents, CENTRAL, Mednar, OpenGrey, Clinical Trials. There were no language restrictions. Methodological quality Retrieved papers were assessed for methodological quality by two independent reviewers prior to inclusion using JBI software. Disagreements were resolved via consultation with the third reviewer. An assessment of quality of the included papers was also made in relation to five key quality factors. Data collection Two independent reviewers extracted data from the included papers using a previously piloted customized data extraction tool. Results 12 studies with a combined total of 719 participants were included. Three broad intervention groups were identified; intravenous (IV) fluid warming, warming devices, leg wrapping. IV fluid warming, whether administered intraoperatively or preoperatively, was found to be effective at maintaining maternal (but not neonatal) temperature and preventing shivering, but does not improve thermal comfort. The effectiveness of IV fluid warming on Apgar scores and umbilical pH remains unclear. Warming devices, including forced air warming and under body carbon polymer mattresses, were effective at preventing hypothermia and reduced shivering, however were most effective if applied preoperatively. The effectiveness of warming devices to improve thermal comfort remains unclear. Preoperative forced air warming appears to aid maintenance of neonatal temperature, while intraoperative forced air warming does not. Forced air warming was not effective at improving Apgar scores and the effects for umbilical pH remain unclear. Conclusions Intravenous fluid warming, by any method, improves maternal temperature and reduces shivering for women undergoing CS. Preoperative body warming devices also improve maternal temperature, in addition to reducing shivering.

Does a functional activity programme improve function, quality of life, and falls for residents in long term care? Cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective To assess the effectiveness of an activity programme in improving function, quality of life, and falls in older people in residential care. Design Cluster randomised controlled trial with one year follow-up. Setting 41low level dependency residential carehomes in New Zealand. Participants 682 people aged 65 years or over. Interventions 330 residents were offered a goal setting and individualised activities of daily living activity programme by a gerontology nurse, reinforced by usual healthcare assistants; 352 residents received social visits. Main outcome measures Function (late life function and disability instruments, elderly mobility scale, FICSIT-4

International acclaim : the role(s) of the international film festival in supporting emerging women’s cinema

International Film Festivals act as important sites for the exhibition of contemporary world cinema. Film festivals represent an increasingly transnational film culture, where audiences, filmmakers, distributors, press, critics and academics come together from all over the world to discover new films, network with one another and debate about the past, present and future of cinema. This research project investigates the role that international film festivals play within the wider international film industry, with a specific focus on emerging women filmmakers. It therefore explores the arena of contemporary women.s cinema at its intersection with the international film festival industry. The significance and original contribution of the research is its intervention in the growing field of film festival studies through a specific investigation of how international film festivals support emerging women filmmakers. The positioning of the research at the intersection of feminist film theory and festival research within the broader context of transnational cinema allows the examination of each festival, the attending filmmakers and their films to be addressed within a more refined and nuanced lens. A core method for the thesis is the close textual analysis of particular emerging women filmmakers. films which are screened at the respective festivals. The research also utilises the qualitative research strategies of the case study and the interview to ¡°seek to understand the context or setting of the participants through visiting this context and gathering information personally¡± (Creswell 2003, 9). The textual analysis is used in dialogue with the interviews and the participant observational data gathering to provide a related context for understanding these films and their cultural meanings, both personally for the filmmaker and transnationally across the festival circuit. The focus of the case studies is the Brisbane International Film Festival, the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Toronto International Film Festival. These three festivals were chosen for their distinct geographical locations in the Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, as well as for their varying size and influence on the international film festival circuit. Specifically, I investigate the reasons behind why the organisers of a particular festival have chosen a certain woman.s film, how it is then packaged or displayed within the programme, and how all of this impacts on the filmmaker herself. The focus of my research is to investigate film festivals and their .real-life. applications and benefits for the filmmakers being supported, both through the exhibition of their films and through their attendance as festival guests. The research finds that the current generation of emerging women filmmakers has varying levels of experience and success at negotiating the international film festival circuit. Each of the three festivals examined include and promote the films of emerging women filmmakers through a range of strategies, such as specific programming strands dedicated to showcasing emerging talent, financial support through festival funds, providing visibility within the programme, exposure to international audiences and networking opportunities with industry professionals and other filmmakers. Furthermore, the films produced by the emerging women filmmakers revealed a strong focus on women.s perspectives and experiences, which were explored through the interweaving of particular aesthetic and cinematographic conventions.

Validity and reliability of nutrition screening administered by nurses

Background: Nutrition screening is usually administered by nurses. However, most studies on nutrition screening tools have not used nurses to validate the tools. The 3-Minute Nutrition Screening (3-MinNS) assesses weight loss, dietary intake and muscle wastage, with the composite score of each used to determine risk of malnutrition. The aim of the study was to determine the validity and reliability of 3-MinNS administered by nurses, who are the intended assessors. Methods: In this cross sectional study, three ward-based nurses screened 121 patients aged 21 years and over using 3-MinNS in three wards within 24 hours of admission. A dietitian then assessed the patients’ nutritional status using Subjective Global Assessment within 48 hours of admission, whilst blinded to the results of the screening. To assess the reliability of 3-MinNS, 37 patients screened by the first nurse were re-screened by a second nurse within 24 hours, who was blinded to the results of the first nurse. The sensitivity, specificity and best cutoff score for 3-MinNS were determined using the Receiver Operator Characteristics Curve. Results: The best cutoff score to identify all patients at risk of malnutrition using 3-MinNS was three, with sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 88%. This cutoff point also identified all (100%) severely malnourished patients. There was strong correlation between 3-MinNS and SGA (r=0.78, p<0.001). The agreement between two nurses conducting the 3-MinNS tool was 78.3%. Conclusion: 3-Minute Nutrition Screening is a valid and reliable tool for nurses to identify patients at risk of malnutrition.

Development of school connectedness as a component of an injury prevention program for early adolescents

The current program of research addresses the need for multi-level programs to target the major increase in injury rates that occurs throughout adolescence. Specifically, it involves the investigation of school connectedness as a protective factor for adolescent injury, and the development of school connectedness as a component of an injury prevention program. To date, school-based risk taking and injury prevention has frequently been limited to addressing adolescents' knowledge and attitudes to risk behaviours, and has largely overlooked the importance of the wider school social context as a protective factor in adolescent development. Additionally, school connectedness has been primarily studied in terms of its impact on student achievement, wellbeing and risk taking behaviour, and research has not yet addressed possible links with injury. Further, school connectedness intervention programs have targeted risk taking behaviours without evaluating their potential impact on injury outcomes. This is the first reported research to develop strategies to increase school connectedness as part of a school-based injury prevention program. The research program was conceptualised as three distinct stages. The development of these research stages was informed by a comprehensive review of the literature on adolescent risk taking, injury and school-based prevention, as well as on school connectedness and its importance in adolescence. A review of the school connectedness literature indicated that students' connectedness is largely influenced by relationships within the school context including with teachers and other school staff, and is therefore a potentially modifiable factor that may be targeted in school-based programs. Overall, the literature shows school connectedness to be a key protective factor in adolescent development. This review established a foundation from which the current program of research was designed. The first stage of the research involved an empirical investigation of the relationship between adolescent risk taking-related injuries and school connectedness. Stage one incorporated two studies. The first involved the development of a measure of adolescent injury, the Extended Adolescent Injury Checklist (E-AIC), for use in the current research as well as in future school-based studies and program evaluation. The results of this study also highlighted the extent of the problem of risk-related injury in adolescence. The second study in Stage one examined the relationship between students' reports of school connectedness, risk taking behaviour and risk taking-related injuries on the E-AIC. The results of this study showed significant relationships between increased school connectedness and reduced reported engagement in transport and violence risk taking, and fewer associated injuries. This study therefore suggested the potential for school-based injury prevention programs to incorporate strategies targeting increased adolescent connectedness to school. The second stage of this research involved the compilation of an evidence base to inform the design of a school connectedness intervention. Stage two also incorporated two studies. The first study in Stage two involved a systematic review of programs that have targeted school connectedness for reduced risk taking and injury. The results of this study revealed that interventions targeting school connectedness can be effective in reducing adolescent risk taking behaviour, and also provided an evidence base for the design of the current school connectedness intervention. The second study in Stage two examined teachers' understanding and perceptions of school connectedness. This qualitative study indicated that teachers consider students' connectedness to be an important factor that relates to their risk taking behaviour; and also provided directions and content for the intervention design stage. The third stage of this research built upon the findings of each of the previous studies, and involved the design, implementation and evaluation of a school connectedness intervention as a component of an adolescent injury prevention program, Skills for Preventing Injury in Youth (SPIY). This connectedness intervention was designed as a professional development workshop for teachers of 13 to 14 year old adolescents, and was developed as a complementary component to the curriculum-based SPIY program. The SPIY connectedness component was implemented and evaluated using process and six-month impact evaluation methodologies. The results of this study revealed that teachers saw value in the program and made use of the strategies presented, and that program school students' self-reported violence risk behaviour was reduced at six-month follow-up. Despite these promising findings, the results of this study did not demonstrate a significant impact of the program on change in students' connectedness to school, relative to comparison schools. The positive impact on self-reported violence risk behaviour was however replicated in additional analyses comparing students participating in the connectedness version of SPIY with students participating in an earlier curriculumonly version of the program. This finding indicated that the connectedness component has additional benefits relating to reduction in violence risks, over and above a curriculum-only version of the program. This research was the first reported to address the relationship between school connectedness and adolescent injury outcomes, and to develop school connectedness as a component of an adolescent injury prevention program. Overall, the results of this program of research have demonstrated the importance of incorporating strategies targeting the wider school social context, including school connectedness, in adolescent injury prevention programs. This research has important implications for future research and practice in adolescent injury prevention.

Get real : the development, implementation and evaluation of an intervention for primary aged children with High Functioning Autism

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder experience difficulty in communication and in understanding the social world which can have negative consequences for their relationships, in managing emotions, and generally dealing with the challenges of everyday life. This thesis examines the effectiveness of the Active and Reflective components of the Get REAL program through the assessment of the detailed coding of video-recorded observations and longitudinal quantitative analysis. The aim of Get REAL is to increase the social, emotional, and cognitive learning of children with High Functioning Autism (HFA). Get REAL is a group program designed specifically for use in inclusive primary school settings. The Get REAL program was designed in response to the mixed success of generalisation of learning to new contexts of existing social skills programs. The theoretical foundation of Get REAL is based upon pedagogical theory and learning theory to facilitate transfer of learning, combined with experiential, individualised, evaluative and organisational approaches. This thesis is by publication and consists of four refereed journal papers; 1 accepted for publication and 3 that are under review. Paper 1 describes the development and theoretical basis of the Get REAL program and provides detail of the program structure and learning cycle. The focus of Paper 1 reflects the first question of interest in the thesis which is about the extent to which learning derived from participation in the program can be generalised to other contexts. Participants are 16 children with HFA ranging in age from 8-13 years. Results provided support for the generalisability of learning from Get REAL to home and school evidenced by parent and teacher data collected pre and post participation in Get REAL. Following establishment of the generalisation of learning from Get REAL, Papers 2 and 3 focus on the Active and Reflective components of the program in order to examine how individual and group learning takes place. Participants (N = 12) in the program are video-taped during the Active and Reflective Sessions. Using identical coding protocols of video data, improvements in prosocial behaviour and diminishing of inappropriate behaviours were apparent with the exception of perspective taking. Data also revealed that 2 of the participants had atypical trajectories. An in-depth case study analysis was then conducted with these 2 participants in Paper 4. Data included reports from health care and education professionals within the school and externally (e.g., paediatrician) and identified the multi-faceted nature of care needed for children with comorbid diagnoses and extremely challenging family circumstances as a complex task to effect change. Results of this research support the effectiveness of the Get REAL program in promoting pro social behaviours such as improvements in engaging with others and emotional regulation, and in diminishing unwanted behaviours such as conduct problems. Further, the gains made by the participating children were found to be generalisable beyond Get REAL to home and other school settings. The research contained in the thesis adds to current knowledge about how learning can take place for children with HFA. Results show that an experiential learning framework with a focus on social cognition, together with explicit teaching, scaffolded with video feedback, are key ingredients for the generalisation of social learning to broader contexts.