Accreditation Criteria Research Articles

Accreditation of X Qualities Instead of Quality X: A Normative Analysis of Criteria of the German Higher Education Accreditation Regime

This article examines the normative roots of criteria used for the accreditation of study programs in German higher education based on the orders of worth framework by Boltanski and Thevenot (On justification. Economies of worth, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2006). From 1999 to 2017, the criteria have been subject to continuous efforts of legitimation, especially by the German Lander, which are in charge of public higher education in Germany. The empirical analysis shows that industrial (e.g., ‘standardization’), civic (e.g., ‘gender justice and equal opportunities’), and civic-industrial (e.g., ‘employability’) codings are the core of accreditation criteria. The normativity of these criteria constitutes accreditation as a technical arrangement running (a) a structural program (e.g., qualifications of academic teachers, modularization of study programs, and quality management) and (b) a political program (e.g., diversity of students and system of studies). Based on the empirical analysis, it is concluded that X does not stand for the accreditation of quality X. X stands for the accreditation of X qualities for specific normative purposes via the higher education accreditation regime.

Measuring Change as a Result of Participation in Educational Activities.

This article addresses how nurse planners and nursing professional development practitioners can meet educational design process criterion 7 in the American Nurses Credentialing Center primary accreditation criteria that also correspond with the Association for Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards of Practice standard 6. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(8):340-342.

Professional performance of natural sciences teachers in terms of school accreditation criteria

This study aims to identify the differences between means of professional performance criteria and school accreditation variables (academic qualifications- experience years- number of training courses- specialization). It is a complementary part of a thesis entitled “Developing Natural Sciences Teachers’ performance in Medina in terms of school accreditation criteria”. The sample included (171 teachers) from the secondary stage, Medina. It represents (28.12%) of study population. The sample was randomly selected from the governmental daytime schools and the researcher used the surveying descriptive method. The questionnaire included (163 items) distributed into four fields (lesson planning, explaining lessons, evaluating lessons and teacher professionalism), also it includes 19 criteria. To verify instrument reliability and validity, external validity test was performed in addition to perform formative validity (internal constancy). Also, stability test was executed and the total stability was (0.993). To process data, a number of statistical methods used such as; One-Way Anova and Cronbach Alpha. Furthermore, the study introduced a group results whereas the most outstanding are: there is no statistical differences between means of professional performance of teachers and school accreditation criteria in (lesson planning, explaining lessons, evaluating lessons and teacher professionalism) fields and criteria (academic qualification, experience years, training courses and specialization) whereas the significance values were (0.547), (0.089), (0.181) (0.613).

Несоответствия, выявляемые в процессе подтверждения компетентности (аккредитации) испытательных лабораторий

The analysis of inconsistencies identified in the process of confirming the competence of testing laboratories and compliance of their activities with the accreditation criteria and requirements of GOST ISO/IEC 17025-2009 is presented.
 To develop systematic proposals to ensure confidence in the results of tests performed by testing laboratories accredited in the national system, to improve their performance in order to recognize the results of their tests at the international level, it is necessary to classify nonconformities by the degree of their impact on the results of laboratory tests, to identify the facts of non-compliance with the established requirements for laboratory activities and possible causes of their occurrence

National Survey of Japanese Universities on Computing Education: Analysis of Departments Majored in Computing Discipline

We conducted the first national survey of computing education at Japanese universities in 2016. In this paper, we report the survey result of the computing education at a department or a course majored in the computing discipline. The survey covers various aspects including program organization, quality and quantity of educational achievement, students, teaching staff and computing environment. Thus the survey result is expected to be a good fundamental to develop realistic computing curricula and accreditation criteria in Japan. The estimated number of computing departments and students in Japan is about 300 and 28,000 respectively. 50% of the students belong to engineering faculties. Although 25% of the students are learning Computer Science, 50% of the students are learning computing domains other than those defined in CC2005. The information processing society of Japan (IPSJ) and the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) utilize the survey result to develop a new computing curriculum standard J17 and national policy of computing education respectively.

Strategies to Promote Learning and Engage Participants.

This article, the fifth part of the educational design series, addresses how nurse planners and nursing professional development practitioners can meet educational design process 5 in the American Nurses Credentialing Center primary accreditation criteria. This criterion corresponds with the Association for Nursing Professional Development's Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(5):197-199.

How are competency frameworks perceived and taught? : An exploratory study in the context of pharmacy education.

IntroductionFaculties of Pharmacy worldwide have to adapt their curriculum to accreditation criteria. The present study explored how the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada’s (AFPC’s) 2010 Educational Outcomes are perceived and taught at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (LDFP). These outcomes were adapted from the CanMeds Physician Competency Framework which describes both medical expert and non-expert roles.MethodsWe wondered if pharmacy would struggle, as medicine has, to integrate these roles into curricula in meaningful ways, given the absence of previous studies from Pharmacy. We conducted an exploratory interview study with 10 core faculty members in charge of courses where non-expert roles were taught. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis.ResultsFaculty members understood that the AFPC Outcomes are important for students, patients, and the profession of pharmacy, and some saw the roles as knowledge-based and teachable using content from academic disciplines. However, most saw them as skills taught informally or through clinical experience. They used the roles as a framing device to legitimize their course content and relied on informal role modelling to do most of the teaching. The few faculty members who taught content related to these roles had postgraduate education in a social science or humanities discipline.DiscussionSimilar to studies of Faculties of Medicine, our study highlights the difficulty of translating a role-based, competency framework into concrete, integrated curricula for students. Competency development should be explicitly embedded into the curriculum and cannot be left to individual instructors.

Asessment of adequacy of the monitoring method in the activity of a verification laboratory

Questions of assessing adequacy of a risk monitoring technique for a verification laboratory operation concerning the conformity to the accreditation criteria, and aimed at decision-making on advisability of a verification laboratory activities in the declared area of accreditation are considered.

DESIGN OF A CONSISTENT INTERDISCIPLINARY AND DUAL FACULTY CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

Abstract - One of the most effective and efficient ways for an engineering program to facilitate compliance with the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) accreditation criteria is through capstone design projects and courses, [1]. Currently, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Engineering has several capstone design courses; however, each is independently focused on its own respective discipline. The resulting educational experience for students, though rigorous and challenging, is maintained within the boundaries of the students’ engineering discipline, thereby neglecting to provide the opportunity for students to work with people from multiple disciplines and across different faculties. This style/mode of education, where students work in silos, arguably does not reflect real world engineering. Program representatives from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba agree that the capstones should be more reflective of real life situations. 
 For this paper, we were hoping to present the research results of a pilot interdisciplinary capstone that was to be launch in the winter of 2017. Unfortunately, the pilot course was not offered because of low student enrollment. So we decided to take an innovative and creative approach to the research. Since, at the University of Manitoba, the Dean of Engineering is also the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, rather than team with an outside industry focus group, we decided to develop a holistic course with the Faculty of Architecture. The Dean supports this strategy. Interdisciplinary courses are most important because they "…articulate the difference between educational problems and workplace problems" [2]. And allow "(students) persons from different disciplines to work collaboratively and are integrated to combine their knowledge to solve a problem"[3].
 This paper explores and explains how that Engineering/Architecture Multidiscipline Capstone and Dual Faculty course will be developed, touches on the early stages of its initiation and implementation, and outlines how the success of the new course will be evaluated.

Identifying and Resolving Conflicts of Interest for Individuals in a Position to Control Educational Content.

This article addresses how nurse planners and nursing professional development practitioners can meet Educational Design Process 3 in the American Nurses Credentialing Center Primary Accreditation criteria that also corresponds with the Association for Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards of Practice7. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(3):102-104.

COMPARING AND ALIGNING OUTCOMES OF TWO ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY DISCIPLINES IN ONTARIO

Abstract –The separate development of engineering and technology programs in Ontario has made transfer between these program types a complicated process. The process often requires assessment on a case-by-case basis and considers different aspects of knowledge, skills, and performance. This study was conducted to determine the level equivalency between two engineering and technology disciplines with the purpose of informing the development of transfer policy and comprehensive bridging programs in the province. Outcomes, content, and function of engineering and technology programs in Ontario were analyzed using a common framework in two disciplines: mechanical and electrical. Material from 7 engineering and 10 technology programs, including syllabi, learning outcomes, and reports was collected and analyzed, along with publically available information about programs. Slightly less than 40% of the courses in representative first year Mechanical and first and second year Electrical/Electronics Technology programs had equivalency to courses in engineering degree programs. The level of cognitive process expected for problemsolving outcomes is higher in the engineering programs than technology programs, and vice versa for outcomes related to hands-on skills. Overall, the analysis indicated sufficient alignment between engineering and technology programs to suggest transfer students may have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge of introductory level courses that are similar in content. Through hybrid bridging subjects and tests on prior knowledge, engineering programs can ensure incoming transfer students meet all CEAB accreditation criteria.

Clinical Image Quality and Sensitivity in an Organized Mammography Screening Program

PurposeThe study sought to examine the association between clinical image quality of mammograms and screening sensitivity. MethodsFour radiologists evaluated the clinical image quality of 374 invasive screen-detected cancers and 356 invasive interval breast cancers for which quality evaluation of screening mammograms could be assessed from cancers diagnosed among participants in the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening Program in 2007. Quality evaluation was based on the Canadian Association of Radiologists accreditation criteria, which are similar to those of the American College of Radiology. The association between clinical quality and screening sensitivity was assessed by logistic regression. Adjusted sensitivity and adjusted sensitivity ratios were obtained through marginal standardization. No institutional review board approval was required. ResultsA proportion of 28% (206 of 730) of screening mammograms had lower overall quality for the majority of assessments. Positioning was the quality attribute that was the most frequently deficient. The 2-year screening sensitivity reached 68%. Sensitivity of screening was not statistically associated with the overall quality (ratio of 2-year sensitivity = 1.03; 95% confidence interval: 0.93-1.15) or with any quality attributes (positioning, exposure, compression, sharpness, artifacts, contrast). Results were similar for the 1-year sensitivity. ConclusionsAlthough not all mammograms in the Quebec screening program met the optimum quality required by the Canadian Association of Radiologists or American College of Radiology accreditation, the screening mammograms produced in this population-based organized screening program reached a high enough level of quality so that the remaining variation in quality is too little to impair screening sensitivity.

Toward Standards in Undergraduate Cybersecurity Education in 2018

There’s no consensus on what constitutes a solid undergraduate cybersecurity education. With the upcoming release of CSEC2017 curricular guidelines from the Joint Task Force of the ACM, IEEE Computer Society, AIS, and IFIP, along with the proposed undergraduate cybersecurity accreditation criteria from ABET, now’s the perfect time to reexamine the future landscape in this space.

Current issues in pancreatic surgery

To present own experience of pancreatic surgery and to analyze literature data for this issue. We have analyzed work of abdominal surgery department over the last 5 years. Moreover, MEDLINE and RSCI databases regarding surgical treatment of pancreatic diseases were assessed. There were 456 pancreatectomies. Postoperative complications arose in 176 (38.6%) patients, 11 patients died (2.4%). According to world data, mortality after pancreatectomy reaches 10%. Only creation of specialized centers is proven way to improve the outcomes. Current medical assistance for pancreatic disease may be only achieved in specialized centers with large number of various pancreatic procedures. The organization of such centers is required throughout the country and certain accreditation criteria should be developed for this purpose. Targeted routing of patients to specialized pancreatology centers will be able to reduce incidence of diagnostic, tactical and technical errors.

Compilation of Possible Activities Under the Research Consultancy and Extension Criteria of Accreditation of Higher Institute

Compilation of Possible Activities Under the Research Consultancy and Extension Criteria of Accreditation of Higher Institute

Analysis of Hygiene And Sanitation Practice Within Hospital Foodservice Employees. a Case Study in a Private Hospital in Yogyakarta

Hospitals are expected to provide service according to the accreditation committee standard. One of the accreditation criteria is Infection and Prevention Control, in which the hospital must minimalize infection risk from the provided facilities such as hospital food service. Analyzing food handlers hygiene and sanitian practice in PKU Muhammadiyah Gamping Hospital’s Food Service Unit. The research method is a qualitative method, and the design is a case study. Subjects of the research are 13 food handlers, one food service unit supervisor, one sanitation unit supervisor, one infection and prevention control unit, supervisor. Here we conducted a questionnaire to measure knowledge, an observation checklist to observe food handlers compliance and an in-depth interview for their perspective on hygiene and sanitation practice. Food handlers perspective in hygiene and sanitation practice, on knowledge wise 10 (76,92%) food handlers have good knowledge on hygiene and sanitation. 13 (100%) food handlers have a good practice and compliance on practicing food safety and hygiene and sanitation practice. The Conclusion and Advice there are some adversities such as neglection to wear personal protective types of equipment and some facilities need to be upgraded.

Alignment of Curriculum Elements at the Course Level : Two Useful Tools

The paper aims at highlighting the significance of alignment in teaching and learning (T&L) activities and processes. Focus is on alignment issues related to learning outcomes (LOs) and assessment at the course level of an undergraduate program in an outcome-based education (OBE) environment.Two tools commonly used at this level are focused on : the course plan (CP) and the course report (CR), the latter also assisting in providing feedback on the level of delivery and achievement of course LOs (CLOs). The general harmony of the contents of the tools with two academic accreditation criteria and standards is also considered. A number of mapping matrices and blueprints considered to be useful for aligning the various course level curriculum components are compiled to be included as part of the documents of the two tools.

Comparison of CDIO and Chinese Engineering Education Accreditation for Animation Specialty of TUST

A comparative study of the CDIO engineering education accreditation criteria and Chinese engineering education accreditation criteria (CEEAC) is presented in this paper. The CDIO syllabus has 4 parts, 17 categories, and 73 subdivision abilities and forms a core concept of “Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate” (CDIO). The CDIO criteria are more inclined to the abilities of students to solve practical needs of engineering problems. There are detailed descriptions and requirements of the ability in teaching, more emphasis on project-driven or problem driven teaching methods. The Chinese engineering education accreditation criteria (CEEAC, 2015 edition) do not have a core concept like “Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate”. CEEAC has 12 categories, requirements of ability achievement, for students. The candidates, specialties of universities, are allowed to define their own subdivision abilities and syllabuses according to their situation, which indicates that the CEEAC is more flexible and easier to be obtained for candidates. The requirements of graduation abilities are between the categories and subdivision abilities of CDIO.

EANM/EARL FDG-PET/CT accreditation - summary results from the first 200 accredited imaging systems

PurposeFrom 2010 until July 2016, the EANM Research Ltd. (EARL) FDG-PET/CT accreditation program has collected over 2500 phantom datasets from approximately 200 systems and 150 imaging sites worldwide. The objective of this study is to report the findings and impact of the accreditation program on the participating PET/CT systems.MethodsTo obtain and maintain EARL accredited status, sites were required to complete and submit two phantom scans - calibration quality control (CalQC), using a uniform cylindrical phantom and image quality control (IQQC), using a NEMA NU2–2007 body phantom. Average volumetric SUV bias and SUV recovery coefficients (RC) were calculated and the data evaluated on the basis of quality control (QC) type, approval status, PET/CT system manufacturer and submission order.ResultsSUV bias in 5% (n = 96) of all CalQC submissions (n = 1816) exceeded 10%. After corrective actions following EARL feedback, sites achieved 100% compliance within EARL specifications. 30% (n = 1381) of SUVmean and 23% (n = 1095) of SUVmax sphere recoveries from IQQC submissions failed to meet EARL accreditation criteria while after accreditation, failure rate decreased to 12% (n = 360) and 9% (n = 254), respectively. Most systems demonstrated longitudinal SUV bias reproducibility within ±5%, while RC values remained stable and generally within ±10% for the four largest and ±20% for the two smallest spheres.ConclusionsRegardless of manufacturer or model, all investigated systems are able to comply with the EARL specifications. Within the EARL accreditation program, gross PET/CT calibration errors are successfully identified and longitudinal variability in PET/CT performances reduced. The program demonstrates that a harmonising accreditation procedure is feasible and achievable.

Child care staffs’ perception on the evaluation-based accrediting system, post-maintenance, and improvement plan of day care centers for young children with special needs

본 연구의 목적은 장애아전문 어린이집 평가인증의 효과와 인증 후 사후관리 및 개선방안에 대한 종사자들의 인식을 확인하는 것이다. 이를 위해 장애아전문 어린이집 21곳의 원장, 교사, 치료사 등 종사자 163명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였고 그 중 37명과의 면담을 통해 추가적정보를 수집하였다. 연구 결과, 응답자들은 평가인증이 대체로 효과적이라고 인식하고 있었으나 교사의 복지향상에 있어서는 부정적이라는 인식을 가지고 있었다. 인증 후 사후유지관리를 위해 정기적으로 자체점검을 실시하고 있다고 답하였는데 교사의 업무부담, 인력 부족, 재정 부담으로 인해 어려움을 겪고 있는 것으로 확인되었다. 개선방안으로는 전문기관에 의한 장애아전문 어린이집을 위한 맞춤 교육의 필요성과 장애아전문 어린이집의 특성을 고려한 평가지표 마련을 언급하였다. 결론적으로 장애아전문 어린이집의 평가지표와 사후유지관리를 위한 지원책이 기관 유형별 차이를 반영하여 보다 현실적으로 조정되어야 함을 제안하였다.This study aimed to offer preliminary data on establishment of evaluation-based accrediting systems for day care centers of young children with special needs by figuring out the staffs’ perception on the effects of the evaluation-based accrediting system. For that purpose, a total of 163 copies of questionnaires was collected from directors, child care teachers, special education teachers, and therapists at 21 accredited day care centers for young children with special needs. In addition to the survey, personal interviews with 37 participants were conducted for additional suggestions and comments related to the questions. As a result, the participants reported that evaluation-based accrediting system has generally contributed to improve the quality of day care centers although it had negative aspects for teachers’ welfare. Also, the respondents answered that the accredited day care centers were generally maintained in a moderate or a higher level quality after the accreditation. However, it would be necessary for the government to provide manpower and financial supports since it was very difficult and demanding to educate and care young children with special needs. Therefore, it was suggested to provide opportunities of professional development for teachers about education for young children with special needs as well as to modify the accreditation criteria to substance and suited for day care service for young children with special needs. Further examinations and continuous modification works to improve the quality of evaluation-based accrediting system for day care centers for young children with special needs should be promised.