Quality Criteria

It is difficult to put research findings into clinical practice by either guidelines or prescription feedback. To study the effect on the quality of prescribing by a combined intervention of providing individual feedback and deriving quality criteria using guideline recommendations in peer review groups. 199 general practitioners in 32 groups were randomised to participate in peer review meetings related to either asthma or urinary tract infections. The dispensing by the participating doctors of antiasthmatic drugs and antibiotics during the year before the intervention period provided the basis for prescription feedback. The intervention feedback was designed to describe the treatment given in relation to recommendations in the national guidelines. In each group the doctors agreed on quality criteria for their own treatment of the corresponding diseases based on these recommendations. Comparison of their prescription feedback with their own quality criteria gave each doctor the pro...

It is difficult to put research findings into clinical practice by either guidelines or prescription feedback. To study the effect on the quality of prescribing by a combined intervention of providing individual feedback and deriving quality criteria using guideline recommendations in peer review groups. 199 general practitioners in 32 groups were randomised to participate in peer review meetings related to either asthma or urinary tract infections. The dispensing by the participating doctors of antiasthmatic drugs and antibiotics during the year before the intervention period provided the basis for prescription feedback. The intervention feedback was designed to describe the treatment given in relation to recommendations in the national guidelines. In each group the doctors agreed on quality criteria for their own treatment of the corresponding diseases based on these recommendations. Comparison of their prescription feedback with their own quality criteria gave each doctor the pro...

In the present work, the effects of drying air temperature and pre-treatment on color changes and texture of Boletus edulis (Bull.: Fr.) mushrooms were investigated during convective drying. The drying experiments were conducted in a laboratory hot-air dryer at temperatures of 50, 60, and 70 °C under thermal (water or steam blanching) and chemical (solution of potassium metabisulfite or citric acid) treatments. Changes in color were evaluated by the CIELAB color system and the experimental color parameters (L* a* b*) were fitted to a first order kinetic model. Values of total color difference (ΔE*), hue angle (h*), and chroma (C*) were also calculated. The texture of dried mushrooms was measured by an Instron texture analyzer and expressed as hardness. The model fitted the experimental a* and b* values sufficiently. The results showed that during convective drying, lightness decreased slightly while yellowness and redness increased. Chemical pre-treatments did not influence the color of mushrooms positively while blanching caused intensive color deterioration. Moreover, the ΔE* value could contribute to the assessment of color change effectively. Hardness increased as drying proceeded and was found to be greater at higher temperatures. Mushrooms subjected to water or steam blanching were harder in texture. A temperature limit of 60°C is imposed for the dehydration of B. edulis mushrooms. Thermal treatment prior to drying is not recommended for B. edulis mushrooms when color and texture are desirable quality criteria.

In this special edited volume, the Editors and invited English Medium Instruction (EMI) researchers, from different parts of the world, outline the latest research methods in EMI. Providing academic instruction using English is rapidly growing in many countries where English is a second or foreign language and there is a growing interest in researching the effectiveness and affects of EMI across different educational levels. This volume includes chapters on everything from research into classroom interaction, teachers’ and students’ perceptions and motivation, to language challenges and strategies and the pedagogical implications of translanguaging in EMI classrooms. These specific topics were chosen to reflect different approaches to researching EMI. Each chapter focuses on a specific type of research methodology. It begins with an overview of the literature of the topic under discussion. Then an example study is provided to illustrate how this methodology can be used to investigate EMI. Each chapter identifies the process that the EMI researcher went through to conduct their research, key dilemmas they faced, and focuses particularly on the methodological issues they encountered. By exploring these issues, this volume hopes to inform theory (or the lack thereof) underlying research into the phenomenon of EMI. This volume is indispensable for EMI: tutors, curriculum developers, policymakers, teachers, as well as students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is particularly valuable for researchers from across the globe reading in the fields of applied linguistics, language education, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English Language Teaching (ELT), and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

The interest in assessment for learning (AfL) has resulted in a search for new modes of assessment that are better aligned to students’ learning how to learn. However, with the introduction of new assessment tools, also questions arose with respect to the quality of its measurement. On the one hand, the appropriateness of traditional, psychometric criteria is being questioned in the context of assessment for learning. On the other hand, it has been argued that new criteria need to be formulated to acknowledge the unique features of assessment for learning. The issue dealt with in this review is what quality criteria are specifically relevant to AfL. Studies using (peer) assessment for learning were evaluated with regard to use of quality criteria under two perspectives: their recognition of educational measurement criteria, as well as their consideration of student involvement in the assessment of learning. The selected studies were analyzed to determine what specific criteria were ...

The set of twelve design criteria for the quality of urban spaces (Jan Gehl Architects) serve as a tool for evaluating the plaine de Plainpalais, a newly rehabilitated 76 000 m2 public space in the city center of Geneva (Switzerland). The design criteria o er a way of looking at the environment based primarily on people and their human senses – not on a set of physical standards. The design criteria can be used to focus on problems, in the design process and to evaluate the quality of public spaces after a project. The purpose is also to understand whether the use of a set of quality criteria in the assessment of existing public spaces or as a checklist for ongoing projects can improve the quality of public spaces. The relevance of a universal and prede ned list of quality criteria is also assessed.

Interpreting quality is conditioned by a myriad of factors, and going back to basics every now and then may help in asking the right questions. Moreover, the advancement of an applied science such as interpreting studies makes it indispensable to stop and check periodically whether the communication between research, training and professional practice is flowing properly. With this in mind, in the context of the Second International Conference on Interpreting Quality, held in 2011 in Almunecar, Spain, it was decided to open a forum to allow participants to share their ideas with a broader audience. The result is a collection of interesting contributions developed from a variety of methodological perspectives, dealing with topics ranging from interpreter training to professional practice and including both spoken and signed languages. From the perspective of interpreter training, the papers address topics such as the implementation of interpreting theory, ethics, mindfulness and the ...

As Internet shopping gradually moves from a novelty to a routine way of shopping, the quality of the Internet sites will play an important role in differentiating sites. Internet shopping sites must be of high quality to attract consumers and influence their shopping decisions. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a psychometrically rigorous instrument to measure

The goal of the dissertation is to reveal the factors that determine the quality of medical education and to develop a model for assessing the quality of higher education in medical schools.
Research tasks
1. To examine students’ expectations as participants in the learning process on factors that define the term "quality of the learning process" and their motivation for learning.
2. To develop specifications and criteria that define quality medical training.
3. To measure the significance of the factors that determine student satisfaction with medical education.
4. To develop a concise model to predict the likelihood of positive and negative assessment of training for operational research.
Materials and methods: A direct individual inquiry with 541 medical students at the beginning, middle, and end of their training was conducted, from October 2010 to November 2011. The response rate from surveyed students was 79.5%. The study was designed as an observational cross-sectional study for assessing the quality of education on the basis of questionnaires. The evaluation of individual elements of the training process was done using the five points Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, single and multiple logistic regression analysis with risk assessment (cross-sectional odds ratio), tests for normality of distribution, Fischer exact test to examine the significance of the association, and the non-parametric independent sample test of Man Witney were used. Raw data were entered and processed in IBM SPSS Statistics 19.
The dissertation contains a theoretical study of student opinion surveys of medical education and an in-depth empirical study of a complex analysis of the attitudes of medical students towards the quality of education. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to create three predictive models and derive relationships between factors of the quality of teaching and their dependents – assessment of the quality of education, average grade and lecture attendance. Quantitative estimates of significant relationships were also obtained. According to the student's assessment of the education, factor characteristics were defined that have predictive value for future evaluation and practical significance for determining the students’ definition and expectations of quality education.
The dissertation has theoretical, methodological, and applied contributions to enriching the knowledge of the quality of medical students’ academic training and revealing what determines their learning satisfaction. An original questionnaire to assess student opinion was developed and tested. The practice for assessing the quality of education in terms of content and technology tools was enriched. The dissertation has a scientific and management potential, opening roads to link research in this area and the management of higher medical schools, as well as generating reasonable rules to improve the quality of education. The practice of fundamental and operational research on medical education through the assessment of its quality was enriched.

The dissemination of good practices in MLE requires a more rigorous definition of their characteristics, including criteria and indicators to measure their quality. This article – after reflecting on the meaning and function of identifying good MLE practices – presents a systematic framework of 35 indicators for good MLE activities in Italian elementary schools. These indicators are grouped according to five general criteria of quality: adequacy of the teaching methods; competence and involvement of the actors; structuring and coherence of the activity's organization; awareness of the underlying MLE theories as well as their appropriateness; and originality of the project. The framework emerged from a four-level process, which is also presented in the article: Based on an initial review of features attributed to quality MLE in scientific and institutional literature, a preliminary draft of criteria was elaborated and submitted to scholars and experienced teachers, whose comments were sought in semi-structured interviews. This input fed into the final version of the framework, which may serve to support teacher trainings as well as the monitoring and (self-)evaluation of teachers' MLE work.

Many methods and criteria are available to assess aquatic ecosystems, and this review focuses on a set that demonstrates advancements from community analyses to methods spanning large spatial and temporal scales. Basic methods have been extended by incorporating taxa sensitivity to different forms of stress, adding measures linked to system function, synthesizing multiple faunal groups, integrating biological and physical attributes, spanning large spatial scales, and enabling simulations through time. These tools can be customized to meet the needs of a particular assessment and ecosystem. Two case studies are presented to show how new methods were applied at the ecosystem scale for achieving practical management goals. One case used an assessment of biotic structure to demonstrate how enhanced river flows can improve habitat conditions and restore a diverse fish fauna reflective of a healthy riverine ecosystem. In the second case, multitaxonomic integrity indicators were successful in distinguishing lake ecosystems that were disturbed, healthy, and in the process of restoration. Most methods strive to address the concept of biological integrity and assessment effectiveness often can be impeded by the lack of more specific ecosystem management objectives. Scientific and policy explorations are needed to define new ways for designating a healthy system so as to allow specification of precise quality criteria that will promote further development of ecosystem analysis tools.

... Field exposure at Tananger, south-west coast of Norway, NILU's test site, marine atmosphere, 5 years (July 1998–June 2003). Field exposure at Borregaard, Sarpsborg in eastern Norway, NILU's test site, industrial atmosphere, 5 years (July 1998–June 2003). ...