Best Use Of Time Research Articles

Making time count: Traveler activity engagement on urban transit

In practice, travel time is assigned a cost and treated as a disutility to be minimized. There is a growing body of research supporting the hypothesis that travel time has some value of its own, and the proliferation of information and communication technology (ICT) may be contributing to that value. Travelers’ attitudes are confounded with their mode choice, and as telecommunications mediate travel behavior, analysts must recognize the interaction between time use and customer satisfaction for appropriate travel demand management. To that end, this paper presents results from jointly estimated models of travelers’ latent satisfaction and on-board activity engagement using Chicago transit rider data gathered in April 2010. The simple questionnaire and small sample corroborate the findings of past research indicating travel attitudes and activity engagement have potential to influence travelers’ value of time, and many transit riders consider transit a better use of time and/or money than driving. The findings affirm the need for a more holistic understanding of value of time for travel demand management and infrastructure valuation. As time use has an influence on users’ valuation of the transit mode, offering opportunities to conduct certain leisure activities could improve the perceived value of travel time.

Task Scheduling Algorithm based on Greedy Strategy in Cloud Computing

In view of Min-Min algorithm prefers scheduling small tasks and Max-Min algorithm prefers scheduling big tasks led to the problem of load imbalance in cloud computing, a new algorithm named Min-Max is proposed. Min-Max makes good use of time of greedy strategy, small tasks and big tasks are put together for scheduling in order to solve the problem of load imbalance. Experimental results show that the Min-Max improves the utilization rate of the entire system and saves 9% of the overall execution time compared with Min-Min. As compared to Max-Min, Min-Max improves the utilization rate of the entire system and the total completion time and average response time are saved by 7% and 9%, re- spectively.

Being unemployed in the age of social media

This article reports the results of a stratified sample survey of 2414 unemployed individuals in Germany regarding Internet usage, accompanied by a small sample of qualitative interviews and time-use diaries. The Internet serves as a structuring device for individuals during unemployment and helps such individuals maintain social contacts; it fills time with activities for the unemployed that are meaningful from a normative perspective and are perceived subjectively as a good use of time. The Internet enables degrees of interaction that would otherwise not be possible because of financial difficulties. The research suggests that expanded interaction on the Internet for the unemployed would likely be beneficial.

Perceptions of junior doctors and undergraduate medical students as anatomy teachers: Investigating distance along the near‐peer teaching spectrum

Near-peer teaching involves more experienced students acting as tutors and has been widely used in anatomy education. This approach has many advantages for the learner due to the social and cognitive congruence they share with the teacher, however, the influence of distance between the teacher and learner on these congruences has yet to be explored. The aim of this study was to compare the attitudes and perceptions of the student learner towards neuroanatomy review sessions taught by either a senior medical student or a junior doctor. The students were randomly assigned to an allocated tutor. All tutors used standardized material and had access to identical resources. The type of allocated tutor was swapped between the two teaching sessions and 99 student feedback forms were collected in total. The rating for the overall quality of the teaching session was not significantly different between the junior doctors and senior medical students (P = 0.11). However, criteria closely relating to social and cognitive congruence such as "enjoyment of the session," "delivery of the teaching," and "was it a good use of time" were all rated significantly higher for the senior medical students (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that small increases in distance along the near-peer teaching spectrum have an impact upon the student's perception of their learning experience. While all teachers were suitable role models it appears that junior doctors are too far removed from their own undergraduate experiences to share congruences with pre-clinical medical students.

Living in a Culture of Overwork

This ethnographic study of women business owners questions whether the flexibility their occupation affords is truly an advantage to balancing work and other aspects of life. Drawing on Weber’s ideal types of social action, our analysis suggests that flexibility favors work. Instrumental rationality is evidenced when the participants position their work patterns as a good use of time. We introduce the concept working lightly to show how they use affective and value rationalities as justifications for working during nonwork times (e.g., it’s a way to feel good in the long run). We also develop the concept of working lite, which is when they invoke traditional rationality by melding habits associated with relaxation and work tasks (e.g., working while watching television). Finally, we show how our findings extend the critique of flexibility in the work-life literature.

Stroke Rehabilitation in the United Kingdom

A Consensus Conference on Stroke in 1988 concluded that rehabilitation for stroke in the United Kingdom was poorly organised, was not based on evidence, and was associated with poor outcomes compared with similar health care systems. In addition, there were significant variations in the quality of services and outcome across different areas of the country. Efforts to improve care included increased investment into services and research, development of multidisciplinary national guidelines for all aspects of stroke care, and a regular national audit of stroke rehabilitation. The last 20 years have seen dramatic improvements in the development of a coherent policy for the management of stroke patients in the United Kingdom, underpinned by well-organised services within a framework of guidelines and performance review. However, further work is needed to increase the evidence base for the nature, duration, and effectiveness of complex rehabilitation interventions and to improve multidisciplinary interactions and communications with patients and their caregivers. Of the further work required, the leading priority is to increase therapy input to make the best use of time that patients spend in rehabilitation settings.

Involving patients in checking the validity of the NHS shared record: a single practice pilot

To assess how involved patients wish to be in the compilation of their NHS core clinical record, and to assess the accuracy of general practitioner (GP) produced summaries. DESIGN, SETTING, METHOD AND PARTICIPANTS: In a Scottish urban practice of 6800 patients we compiled a core clinical summary based on historical paper and electronic records. We invited a 1 in 10 sample of our patients of all ages to request, view and check a copy of their core clinical record. We offered patients the chance to discuss and correct any inaccuracies in their core clinical summary by use of a response form, telephone or meeting. Out of 646 patients, 258 (40% of our sample) responded to the invitation to check their core clinical summary. Of those, 187 (72.5%) of these summaries were accurate according to patients. There were 89 inaccuracies reported by patients. Of these, 42 (47%) were of obvious clinical importance including wrongly entered diagnoses, or missing major morbidity such as an operation, or errors in repeat medication. There were 47 (53%) inaccuracies in lifestyle data (smoking, alcohol history or weight), or dates of illnesses. Only a minority of patients chose to view and offer comment on their core clinical summaries. The majority of summaries were deemed to be accurate but there was a worrying level of omission and inaccuracy, including medication. It might be a better use of time to support doctors and patients working together to construct and check summaries rather than on information technology (IT) and the complex ethical debate surrounding the core clinical Spine.

Ekologia rodziny w kontekście współczesnego społeczeństwa

The family is a basic and solid part of a social structure, but it is always set in historical and cultural contexts, therefore over the centuries the family has been undergoing constant evolution: the form of the family and its functions change. In post-modern societies family standards are being more frequently abandoned in favour of so called “post-family” family which takes form of cohabitation and alternative ways of living: living alone, mono parentalship and homosexual partnerships.&#x0D; Cohabitation means living together without a formal base. It is undertaken in order to ease a life together, facilitate economic functions of the partnership, accommodate lasting sexual relationship and bring up children. Cohabitation has an open structure, all can be discussed and depends on its members’ will. It doesn’t determine the sex or the number of its member, doesn’t require living together or having children, although it is not exclusive.&#x0D; The factors that lead to the abandonment of a traditional model of the family are: change of the women’s position in the social structure, equal rights, economic independence, separating sexual activity from reproduction, the impact of women movements and diminished meaning of the purpose of a marriage - reproduction. “Freedom from a child” allows to make a better use of time for self fulfilment. All these factors lead to individualization of life, the process of individualization changes the members of the society into self efficient atoms, individuals who reject social life and its limits and only look after themselves, focus on their own development and destiny though many can’t tackle the situation and lose.&#x0D; Ecology of the family, which is understood as the context for human development, comes with help to individuals lost in the era of the individualization of life. A known Werner- Wilson’s concept of ecology of the family includes inner- family relationships, relationships with other families, with a broader socio- cultural environment and natural environment- organic and non organic, in which the long lasting and dynamic process of human development occurs.

The approval matrix for academia

University life brings many delights and frustrations. Rating them turns out to be a better use of time than administrative tasks!

Equality and the freedom to choose the ‘what and when’ of schooling: students with special educational needs in timetable‐free settings

In the contemporary Swedish school the model student should be able to take responsibility for and carry out her/his schoolwork autonomously. Free choices in education have also increased, and equality in this context is no longer, as before, synonymous with the standardization of schooling. The abandoning of the national timetable for a trial period in a large number of Swedish schools was representative of these tendencies. Another guiding principle for policy‐makers is the formation of an inclusive school, where every student is able to experience participation and community, as well as having the chance to learn. This paper focuses on students with special educational needs in four schools that have abandoned the national timetable for a trial period of five years. Is the pedagogical process in these schools productive or counterproductive as regards the aim of creating truly inclusive educational environments? Which students are able to meet the required standards of self‐discipline, responsibility and autonomy, and which are not? Such questions relate, among other things, to students' ability to carry out schoolwork in the time allotted, make good use of time, etc. Special education teachers and students have been interviewed regarding these questions. The students were divided into groups according to whether or not, in the opinion of their teachers, they made good use of their time.

Using Problem-Based Learning as a Strategy for Cross-Discipline Emergency Preparedness Training

The rapid and effective response to a bioterrorist event requires the coordinated efforts of trained personnel from different agencies. This article describes the design and implementation of a 1-week cross-disciplinary course employing problem-based learning (PBL) for professionals with backgrounds in public health, fire/emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement, emergency management, and hospital administration. The curriculum provided opportunities for professionals from different disciplines to meet and learn the priorities and resources of partner agencies. In course evaluations, participants rated the training highly and found it applicable to their work and a good use of time and training resources. PBL techniques were successful in fostering cross-agency communication, thereby showing promise as an effective training method for meeting local and national emergency preparedness objectives.

Simulations, Sources, And The History Survey Course

How will the digital age change the nature of teaching and learning history?1 This is one of the most important questions facing historians today. In 1998 the American Historical Association (AHA) received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to begin addressing this question. The project has focused on the teaching of survey courses in two-year and four-year institutions.2 The results thus far, posted at the AHA's website and described by the leader of one of topic clusters (they exist for the History of Americas and World History), are an impressive collection of syllabi and digitized sources that address a number of topics. The projects are notable for two additional reasons as well.3 First, rather than use source material already on the Internet, many units rely on sources digitized by the faculty. Increasing digital literacy and understanding the process for digitizing sources is important, but this approach might not be the best use of time or resources to address issues of teaching and learning. Primary and secondary source material for just about any topic or period now can be retrieved from the Internet.4 Furthermore, primary sources exist in a variety of media: speeches, video clips, songs, photographs, paintings, and text documents. Secondly, by focusing on the use of technology, the AHA's project demonstrates that no necessary link exists between digitizing sources and developing innovative pedagogy that encourages active learning and historical thinking. The purpose of this article is to recommend classroom strategies and activities for the survey course that use digital resources and promote active learning.

The name game: acceptability, bonus information and group size

AbstractOur previous research demonstrated the effectiveness of the name game when learning the names of group members. In three experiments we conclude our study of the name game by demonstrating that it is very acceptable to participants and successful with larger groups. Experiment 1 compared the simple and elaborate name games. In the latter, participants learned a word provided by each person in addition to their full name. This ‘bonus’ information was very well learned without detriment to the name learning. Participants rated both versions of the name game as a good use of time and worth playing again although the elaborate name game was rated as more fun. Experiments 2 and 3 used the name game with groups of around 25, finding very good recall of full names. The role of retrieval in the effectiveness of the name game was again demonstrated to be essential. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

An analysis of parent/teacher relations in primary schools

This paper analyses the kind of contracts that parents have with teachers in Primary Schools. The interactions are sometimes surprising and questions are raised about the best use of time and the best or most appropriate means of communication. The complex relations between parents and teachers are related to the literature.

Smoking cessation knowledge and attitudes towards training in the UK 2nd year medical students

Smoking remains a major public health problem in the UK (Callum. Health Education Authority, 1995). Clinician-delivered advice has a small but beneficial effect on patients' smoking rates but the current level of delivery of smoking cessation intervention in real-world settings is not high (Russell et al. BMJ 1979;2:231–5). Previously identified barriers to providing smoking cessation support include insufficient knowledge about smoking and intervention strategies, suggesting that provider education may increase the rate of provision of advice. Increasingly attention has been directed towards medical students as future medical practitioners and potential agents in smoking cessation (Frye & Haponik. Am J Prev Med 1996;12:4). However, as smoking-related knowledge deficits have previously been identified in medical students (e.g., Crofton et al. Med Educ 1994;28:187–96), increased efforts need to be directed at the development of knowledge and skills at the undergraduate level of training if, on qualification, these individuals are to be effective in supporting patients in stopping smoking. Here we describe a teaching session on smoking cessation delivered to 2nd year medical students, University of Aberdeen, in their Respiratory block. This incorporated learning about smoking-related knowledge and, in reference to literature from primary care (Coleman & Wilson. BJGP 1996;46:87–91) and medical education (The New Tomorrow's Doctors GMC July 2002) how best to apply this knowledge in practice using doctor-patient communication skills. A two-hour workshop involving didactic presentation, small-group discussion and case studies which ran twice, with approximately 60 students each time. Written literature was provided on intervention strategies, including NRT and bupropion. Smoking knowledge before and after the workshop was assessed using a 10-Item Objective Knowledge Questionnaire. Qualitative information on the value of the workshop as a learning experience, a good use of time, etc, was collected post-teaching. Mean scores were analysed using non-parametric tests due to the binominal nature of the data. Coding categories were developed for the qualitative data and analysed using standard qualitative methods. Knowledge on five (out of 10) individual knowledge items was significantly higher post-teaching. Four themes emerged from the qualitative feedback from the students: new knowledge of the cycle of change and intervention strategies; communication skills; the training methods; developing the workshop. Positive smoking cessation knowledge changes can be achieved through teaching. Changes in knowledge and attitude towards the process of smoking cessation and mutual doctor-patient partnership were also observed from the qualitative data. Students are positive about such teaching but want it to involve patient contact. This intervention is seen as the first step in supporting medical undergraduates to develop the clinical knowledge and communication skills required to achieve competence in supporting patients to stop smoking.

Clear-cut?: facilitating health librarians to use information research in practice.

In 1999, staff at the universities of Sheffield and Oxford commenced an unfunded project to examine whether it is feasible to apply critical appraisal to daily library practice. This aimed to establish whether barriers experienced when appraising medical literature (such as lack of clinical knowledge, poor knowledge of research methodology and little familiarity with statistical terms) might be reduced when appraising research within a librarian's own discipline. Innovative workshops were devised to equip health librarians with skills in interpreting and applying research. Critical Skills Training in Appraisal for Librarians (CRISTAL) used purpose-specific checklists based on the Users' Guides to the Medical Literature. Delivery was via half-day workshops, based on a format used by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Two pilot workshops in Sheffield and Oxford were evaluated using a brief post-workshop form. Participants recorded objectives in attending, their general understanding of research, and whether they had read the paper before the workshop. They were asked about the length, content and presentation of the workshop, the general format, organization and learning environment, whether it had been a good use of their time and whether they had enjoyed it. Findings must be interpreted with caution. The workshops were enjoyable and a good use of time. Although the scenario selected required no clinical knowledge, barriers remain regarding statistics and research methodology. Future workshops for librarians should include sessions on research design and statistics. Further developments will take forward these findings.

Living in the new age: using collaborative digital technology to deliver health care improvement.

States that finding an effective method for helping teams to make better use of time is critical to the delivery of the current policy agenda within the UK National Health Service (NHS). Details the introduction of a communication technology into the work of the NHS, piloted by the Learning Alliance, a virtual team of development staff providing support to over 100 organisations, which hopefully will help solve the problem of time wastage. Concludes that the key to successful technology supported collaboration depends not only on the technology, but also on the organisation's ability to adopt an entirely new way of working.

Managing Public Forests: Understanding the Role of Collaborative Planning

/ As federal land management agencies such as the USDA Forest Service increasingly choose to implement collaborative methods of public participation, research is needed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the technique, to identify barriers to effective implementation of collaborative processes, and to provide recommendations for increasing its effectiveness. This paper reports on the findings of two studies focused on the experiences of Forest Service employees and their external partners as they work to implement collaborative planning processes in national forest management. The studies show both similarities and differences between agency employees and their partners in terms of how they evaluate their collaborative experiences. The studies reveal that both Forest Service employees and external partners are supportive of collaborative planning and expect it to continue in the future, both see the trust and relationships built during the process as being its greatest benefit, and both see the Forest Service's organizational culture as the biggest barrier to effective collaborative efforts. The groups differed in terms of evaluating each other's motivation for participating in the process and in whether the process was a good use of time and resources, with external partners seeing it as too drawn out and expensive. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications and changes necessary to increase the effectiveness of collaborative efforts within the Forest Service and other federal land management agencies.KEY WORDS: Public land management; Collaborative planning; National forests; Public participation

An Introduction to Experimental Physics.

Part 1 Introduction: what experimental science is about strengths of the method problems in applying the method experimental skills experimental design collection of data analysis of data. Part 2 Writing about experiments: report with omissions complete report. Part 3 Design of experiments: steps along the way general discussion good use of time in experiments. Part 3 Design of experiments: steps along the way general discussion good use of time in experiments. Part 4 Measuring the experimental variables: characteristics of equipment units. Part 5 Analysis of data: single experimental variable two experimental variables combination of errors use of random numbers goodnes of fit. Part 6: Models.

Evidence-based consumer health information: developing teaching in critical appraisal skills.

To help people who give health information to the public develop the skills they need to make sense of evidence about effectiveness. Educational approach, preceded by careful planning with representatives of possible participants. SETTING AND STUDY OF PARTICIPANTS: Staff in consumer health information services and members of maternity self-help groups in the UK in summer 1995. Pairs of half-day workshops introducing participants to randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews and to their critical appraisal. The workshops were run participatively and had at their centre a critical appraisal session in small groups. Attendance at workshops, satisfaction and enjoyment of workshops; comments at a follow-on event. Four pairs of workshops were held (three for consumer health information services, one for maternity self-help groups), 54 people attended a pair of workshops and a further 34 attended individual workshops. The workshops were enjoyed and found to be a good use of time. It is feasible to introduce critical appraisal skills to people whose primary role is to give health information to the public. There is a need for comparative evaluation of different approaches.