Cost Of Course Research Articles

On including assessments in the calculation of teaching loads.

Next to courses and seminars, tests and assessments represent the main parameters with which to describe an academic study program independent of its curricular content. Thus, the quality of education depends not only on the quality of the courses taught and how they are interconnected, but also on the quality of testing and the feedback given to students regarding their performance. Course quality should be ensured through course evaluation. The economic cost of courses is calculated based on the required teaching load. The concept of teaching load stems from the time when program planning was instructor-centered. The main variable in the rules and regulations governing university study was the number of hours per week per semester (or number of course hours). But even in today's student-centered planning, which uses ECTS credits per module as the variable, teaching loads are still used to determine the number of staff necessary to offer an academic study program. Some universities also include the assessments in the evaluation. Yet the economic costs of testing are de facto ignored almost everywhere, and this does not bode well for the quality of the assessments. Much progress would be made to improve higher education if assessments counted as part of the teaching loads and the curricular norm values. This paper identifies which requirements must be considered in order to include assessments in teaching loads.

To eat or to learn? Wagering the price tag of learning: Zero cost textbook degree

The escalating costs that are associated with earning an undergraduate degree often force students to make difficult choices regarding whether they can afford the financial costs to remain in school. Our students encounter many economic challenges and hardships as they attempted to earn a degree. We believe that required textbook costs for courses should not hinder student learning or be the obstacle that prevents students from completing their courses and graduating. For many students, textbook affordability is a pressing retention need. If the choice that students need to make is deciding on whether they can afford to pay the rent, purchase food for the month, or buy a textbook, the probability of investing in a textbook is slim at best. Within the context of this paper, we discuss the challenges and opportunities that emerge in the California State University system, when moving from traditional high-priced textbooks to low or no cost Open Educational Resources for university course offerings that can reduce the financial burden on students and potentially increase retention to graduation rates.

927 An Analysis of the United Kingdom Education Courses for Aesthetic Practice

Abstract Aim The training of cosmetic and aesthetic practitioners has received national attention since the 2013 Keogh review of the regulations of cosmetic interventions. The 2015 HEE cosmetic guidelines recommended level 7 accreditation in Injectables for Aesthetic Medicine. The Royal College of Surgeons has now established the Cosmetic Surgery Certification Scheme and this analysis looks to identify the cost and availability of courses in the UK. Method A review of Google search results using the keywords “Botox”, “Filler”, “Course”, “Certification”, “Level 7”, “Training” and “Foundation” using Boolean operators. The costs of the courses, duration, accreditation, and availability of level 7 certification were extracted from the websites. Results A total of 36 courses were identified where a Foundation Course in both Botulinum Toxin and Dermal Fillers were provided. The lowest available cost was £780, a maximum cost of £4,500 and mean cost of £1,557. Mode course duration was 1 day, with a maximum duration of 4 days and mean of 1.4 days. 9 of the 36 providers offered level 7 accreditation. Conclusions The provision of education and training has significant implications for patient safety. The completion of foundation courses is often a requirement for insurance companies to provide coverage to practitioners, however, a wide variety of educational quality may account for complications which are experienced by patients. The lack of accreditation beyond CPD points was noted. These findings call for a unified educational approach to ensure, safe training of practitioners

Management of a case of acute bacterial cholangitis with septic shock in a surgical intensive care unit: A case report

Acute bacterial cholangitis is an emergency and needs prompt diagnosis and administration of appropriate therapy as soon as possible. The presentation of the condition may vary from case to case. As the mortality associated with this illness is huge, a thorough physical examination and high clinical suspicion may help in timely diagnosis and could be lifesaving. Our patient presented with sepsis and septic shock to the emergency department, on clinical examination, and point-of-care ultrasonography performed by a vigilant emergency team, and given high suspicion of cholangitis, the patient was redirected to surgical intensive care unit (SICU). In SICU, after initial resuscitation and stabilization, further diagnostic imaging studies were carried out and definitive interventional management was initiated by the multidisciplinary team of the hospital. The condition of the patient improved drastically on apt and targeted management. Hence, it is very important to rule out the possibility of acute cholangitis in patients presenting with septic shock with a suspected intra-abdominal source of infection. Acute bacterial cholangitis is a highly treatable condition with very encouraging outcomes on timely intervention and results in significantly reduced mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay, and treatment cost of course.

Examining Cost Measurements in Production and Delivery of Three Case Studies Using E-Learning for Applied Health Sciences: Cross-Case Synthesis.

BackgroundThe World Health Report (2006) by the World Health Organization conveys that a significant increase is needed in global health care resourcing to meet the current and future demand for health professionals. Electronic learning (e-Learning) presents a possible opportunity to change and optimize training by providing a scalable means for instruction, thus reducing the costs for training health professionals and providing patient education. Research literature often suggests that a benefit of e-Learning is its cost-effectiveness compared with face-to-face instruction, yet there is limited evidence with respect to the comparison of design and production costs with other forms of instruction or the establishment of standards pertaining to budgeting for these costs.ObjectiveTo determine the potential cost favorability of e-Learning in contrast to other forms of learning, there must first be an understanding of the components and elements for building an e-Learning course. Without first taking this step, studies lack the essential financial accounting rigor for course planning and have an inconsistent basis for comparison. This study aimed to (1) establish standard ingredients for the cost of e-Learning course production and (2) determine the variance instructional design has on the production costs of e-Learning courses.MethodsThis study made use of a cross-case method among 3 case studies using mixed methods, including horizontal budget variance calculation and qualitative interpretation of responses from course designers for budget variance using total quality management themes. The different implementation-specific aspects of these cases were used to establish common principles in the composition of budgets in the production and delivery of an applied health professional e-Learning course.ResultsA total of 2 case studies reported significant negative budget variances caused by issues surrounding underreporting of personnel costs, inaccurate resource task estimation, lack of contingency planning, challenges in third-party resource management, and the need to update health-related materials that became outdated during course production. The third study reported a positive budget variance because of the cost efficiency derived from previous implementation, the strong working relationship of the course project team, and the use of iterative project management methods.ConclusionsThis research suggests that the delivery costs of an e-Learning course could be underestimated or underreported and identifies factors that could be used to better control budgets. Through consistent management of factors affecting the cost of course production, further research could be undertaken using standard economic evaluation methods to evaluate the advantages of using e-Learning.

Analyzing the Ataturk Airport Services

Ever since we started air transportation, we have found new ways of traveling more safely everyday with technologies that push the limits of our imagination. Air transport has been connecting the continents with each other. Increased the volume of trade and made it easier to trade with the HUB concept. Airline companies are in the advertising competition while the safety of the flight is at the forefront. Each is more aimed at flying to the region and more often operating. At this point, the limits of competition have been so difficult that our lives have entered different levels of service, including low-cost and traditional. Low-cost airline companies aimed to reduce their costs by cutting some services in the airplane. such as the right to baggage being offered as a separate entitlement other than the ticket price. this service does not mean to cut off safety precautions regularly. Airlines continue to keep all security systems as strong as ever. The purpose of these discontinuities is to make as much of the costs of course as possible and to offer cheaper tickets to passengers. On the other hand, traditional airlines aim to keep passengers 'journeys as comfortable as possible by keeping passengers' services at a nearly luxurious level. Whichever is chosen depends on the needs of the traveller at the moment. Of course, it is no surprise that air travel in the world is so popular. Despite the fact that it is the most expensive transportation vehicle compared to land, sea and railway transportation, İt has always been the first preferred transportation facility by making the travel speed and the intercontinental passage very easy. This intensive preference certainly ensured the formation of HUB centers. HUB is a transfer center built on the world we mean. There are various transfer centers in the world. The most important feature for a HUB is the fact that it is the center of the transfer points. This ensures that the traveler or objects reach the point where they need to reach it strategically in the fastest and safest way without making too many transfers. When we examine in this context as a HUB HUB is a natural Ataturk Airport in Turkey. Ataturk Airport is located on an area of 11,776,961 m2. The terminal with a capacity of 27.5 million passengers per annum has an area of 330.500 m2, 62,500 m2 domestic lines terminal and 268,000 m2 international lines terminal. Ataturk Airport has three pists. Two concrete paved runways is 3000x45 meters. The other is 2600x60 meters and it is covered with Asphalt (Stone Mastic). The right of intention is owned by DHMİ (State Airports Authority) and the terminal operator is TAV Holding. Ataturk Airport is a 60-year-old city that serves the nearest million passengers and is an important hub. Ataturk Airport, shortly growing today, Europe is the fourth largest, the world's 13th airport has become. Ataturk Airport serves more than 160 passengers daily giving. Ataturk Airport has a great advantage due to its location which connects Asia and Europe. which Ataturk Airport is the 6th airport with the highest hub connection worldwide. Today, 128 airline companies from the Ataturk Airport make an entrance to and depart from Ataturk Airport with 276 destinations in 110 countries of the world. Among them airline companies internationally among the world's greatest; Lutfhansa, Air France, KLM and more. When we look at domestic airline companies, we see that HUB carrier is Turkish Airlines with a market share of 75%. Onur Air, Atlas Global and Pegasus Airlines are other stakeholders. When we look at low-cost airline companies that operate at Ataturk Airport, we can say that there are few at the level that can be tried compared to the traditional airlines and domestic airlines. We can see that the biggest traditional local airline company is Turkish Airlines. Pegasus Airlines is the local airline company that has taken the lead in terms of low-cost service. Market share for service type, the result is as follows; Traditional airline companies are the ones that make the most flights to Ataturk airport with a rate of 98.4%. Low cost carriers are operating at 0.9% at Ataturk Airport, including Onur Air and Pegasus Airlines.

ДИСТАНЦИОННОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В СТОМАТОЛОГИИ: ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ И ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКАЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ

Objective: Study of the possibilities of applying distant education technologies within the framework of the model of short-term (18-36-hour) advanced training courses in additional professional programs. Methods: As an example of the proposed model, the distant course «Burning questions of dentistry» was organized by medical universities – the Moscow State Medical-Stomatological University named after A.I. Evdokimov, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy, and Belgorod State National Research University. Questioning on the attitude of doctors to the application of distant education technologies was conducted among 138 dentists. Economic efficiency is calculated by the technique of E.N. Kulagina and I.I. Vvedenskaya, 1998. Results: The subjects of video lectures were agreed between the parties and included a wide range of questions on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of dental diseases. The text of lectures was accompanied by slides, which were demonstrated synchronously with the text of the lecture. At the end of the video lecture, the lecturer was asked questions from students for 10-15 minutes. In order to identify the possibility of reducing the economic costs of continuing professional education of physicians while maintaining a high quality of education, a comparative analysis of full-time, away and distant courses was conducted. The difference in the total cost of the courses depends on the travel expenses of studies in the full-time cycle, the teachers – in the tour cycle and the costs of equipment depreciation and payment for communication services – in the remote cycle. The costs of distant education directly depend on the number of students. Readiness for distant forms of education was expressed mainly by doctors who have experience in using informative communication technologies in their work and everyday life. The conducted sociological surveys revealed a preference for the use of tele-education technologies over the needs in teleconsultations. Conclusion: The main advantage of the short-term courses is the ability to quickly learn the latest technologies and methods of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation. The use of distant education technologies significantly reduces the cost of courses and allows organizing training on flexible schedule. Distant courses are highly informative and not inferior to traditional forms of education. The program of the course can use any telemedicine technologies and forms of organization of studies (video lectures, webinars, scientific and practical conferences, etc.). The questionnaire showed a predominantly positive attitude of doctors towards the use of distant education technologies. Keywords: Continuous medical education, distant educational technologies, dentistry, additional professional programs.

Using expert consensus to develop a simulation course for faculty members.

Effective learning from simulation-based training depends on expert facilitation by skilled faculty members, but there are few guidelines upon which to base simulation development. A collaborative approach was taken in the East of England to determine the agreed content of such a course. A modified Delphi method was used to determine consensus amongst the simulation-provider leads in the East of England on what should be the essential elements of a training course for faculty members. A questionnaire designed by a steering group was circulated to the consensus group, and their responses were used to modify subsequent questionnaires. There was enough agreement after two rounds not to require a third round. After two rounds there was high level of agreement that the educational content should include scenario design, creating a supportive learning environment, structured debriefing formats, human factors, educational feedback and communication. There was also agreement on preferred teaching methods, minimum qualification and continuing development for faculty members. There was moderate agreement on the prior experience required of faculty members, and no agreement on the costs of courses. Effective learning from simulation-based training depends upon expert facilitation by skilled faculty members By using a consensus method to determine the content and format of a simulation development course designed for faculty members, there is agreement in the East of England on what constitutes an educationally sound programme. This should provide assurance to both simulation providers and commissioners of education that despite the absence of guidelines, there is an agreed practice standard for simulation-based training in the region.

Bioanalytical laboratory automation development: why should we and how could we collaborate?

Bioanalytical laboratory automation development: why should we and how could we collaborate?

Medicine prices, availability, and affordability in the Shaanxi Province in China: implications for the future.

In 2009, China implemented the National Essential Medicines System (NEMS) to improve access to high-quality low-cost essential medicines. To measure the prices, availability and affordability of medicines in China following the implementation of the NEMS. 120 public hospitals and 120 private pharmacies in ten cities in Shaanxi Province, Western China. The standardized methodology developed by the World Health Organization and Health Action International was used to collect data on prices and availability of 49 medicines. Median price ratio; availability as a percentage; cost of course of treatment in days' wages of the lowest-paid government workers. In the public hospitals, originator brands (OBs) were procured at 8.89 times the international reference price, more than seven times higher than the lowest-priced generics (LPGs). Patients paid 11.83 and 1.69 times the international reference prices for OBs and generics respectively. A similar result was observed in the private pharmacies. The mean availabilities of OBs and LPGs were 7.1 and 20.0 % in the public hospitals, and 12.6 and 29.2 % in the private pharmacies. Treatment with OBs is therefore largely unaffordable, but the affordability of the LPGs is generally good. High prices and low availability of survey medicines were observed. The affordability of generics, but not OBs, is reasonable. Effective measures should be taken to reduce medicine prices and improve availability and affordability in Shaanxi Province.

A heuristic solution procedure for the dynamic lot sizing problem with remanufacturing and product recovery

Here we discuss the lot sizing problem of product returns and remanufacturing. Let us consider a forecast of demands and product returns over a finite planning horizon — the problem is to determine an optimal production plan. This consists of either manufacturing new products or remanufacturing returned units, and in this way meets both demands at minimum costs. The costs of course are the fixed set-up expenses associated with manufacturing and/or remanufacturing lots and also the inventory holding costs of stocks kept on hand.In addition to showing that a general instance of this problem is NP-Hard, we develop an alternative mixed-integer model formulation for this problem and contrast it to the formulation commonly used in the literature. We show that when integrality constraints are relaxed, our formulation obtains better bounds. Our formulation incorporates the fact that every optimal solution can be decomposed into a series of well-structured blocks with distinct patterns in the way in which set-ups for manufacturing and remanufacturing occur. We then construct a dynamic programming based heuristic that exploits the block structure of the optimal solution. We also propose some improvement schemes as well. Finally, our numerical testing shows that the heuristic performs very well as intended.

Debriefing after in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation—Does it work? A literature review

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the efficiency of BLS courses in an andalusian rural population, after a massive BLS training program (Plan Salvavidas). Materials and methods: From January 2003 to September 2009 we have trained 3493 persons in BLS. Four hours instructorled training courses were undertaken according to the Spanish National Plan of CPR (ERC supported). In 2010, we carried out a telephonic survey, asking pupils about out of hospital emergency (OHE) situations witnessed. Statistical analysis included bivariate and successive backward steps multivariate analysis. Results: We have called 3493 pupils of BLS courses. 1131 answered correctly our survey. Mean age was 26.7 years, 59%were women. OHE witness rate was 10.43% (118 pupils). Life support techniques were applied in 87.5% of cases, including: call EMS 49%, mouth to mouth 42%, chest compressions 49%, airway obstruction treatment 24%, recovery position 19%. Location ofOHEwere: public enclosures 27.3%, street 23.9%, home 20.5%, work place 13.6%, road 11.1%. The time delayed between BLS course date and first emergency witness was less than one year in 20.3% of cases, two years in 39.8% and higher in 39.9%. Ifwe assumea cost of course of 1000Euros for 20pupils. According to the rate of intervention of every 20 pupils trained 2.1 are going to attend an OHE. Therefore the cost for intervention is 476.2 Euros. Ifwe apply this cost to the interventions in thefirst twoyears after the course it rises up to 2.220 Euros. Conclusions: The results of the efficiency analysis revealed that the cost per intervention performed in our environment was not high. However, many people would have to be trained to produce a measurable impact on the overall statistics for interventions by witnesses.

Mandatory continuing professional development in South Africa: Rehabilitation therapists' perspective

Aims: In 2007, Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) introduced mandatory continuing professional development (CPD), which enables therapists to acquire new knowledge and skills to improve patient care. To remain registered, therapists must meet CPD standards by formal HPCSA audits; however, latest figures revealed a compliance rate of 35% due to non-attendance of CPD activities. This study reviewed the experiences of therapists to identify barriers and obtain suggestions to improve attendance. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study used a questionnaire with closed and open questions to explore the aims from a sample of 138 rehabilitation therapists, comprising speech and language therapists (9%), occupational therapists (21%) and physiotherapists (70%), attending an ethics workshop. Results: Eighty five (62%) supported CPD and 97 (71%) supported compulsory ethics. Short 1 to 3 day courses, mini-congresses and journal club activities were the most frequently-attended events. Barriers to CPD were: time, cost of courses, cost of travel due to geographical distance, staff shortages, lack of employee support, and multi-disciplinary or inappropriate courses. Suggestions for improving attendance were: introducing state subsidised and corporate sponsorships, increased in-service journal club activities, tele- and video-conferences, on-line presentations, and profession-specific courses. Conclusion: Therapists support mandatory CPD, but stakeholders must take cognisance of the barriers and suggestions to improve CPD attendance and compliance.

Preference of education mode

PurposeThis study aims to examine why students choose to or choose not to take and their perspectives of online courses, by obtaining responses from both students who have and have not taken online classes.Design/methodology/approachA survey methodology is used, including both open‐ended qualitative questions as well as a quantitative question.FindingsSupport for past research was found through students indicating the importance of flexibility and convenience in online courses. Countering past research was the high level of consistency between the two populations’ perspectives of online courses. Two key distinctions were found between the populations: the amount of focus on the cost of courses by those choosing not to take online classes, and the awareness of the need of self‐motivation needed in online courses by those who had taken them.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was conducted at just one organization, so generalizability across institutions would need to be confirmed.Practical implicationsInstitutions need to be aware of what constitutes students’ choices and perspectives between the various methods of taking courses.Social implicationsStudents may need additional preparation and realistic expectations in order to increase the likelihood of being successful in an online course. Institutions also need to maintain the rigor of their online courses to maintain an overall positive social perception of online education.Originality/valueThis study made a distinction between perspectives of students having had an online course and those who had not, as well as a distinction between choice in selecting online courses and student perceptions of online courses. These perceptions were explored through both quantitative and qualitative responses.

Anticancer prescription appropriateness: The APA score—A new method to assess anticancer prescriptions in the clinical setting.

261 Background: Innovation is crucial in cancer care and access to innovation cannot be—only—economically ruled. We need new drugs, more effective and/or better tolerated to improve the care of our patients. In this context, we need new tools to evaluate the appropriateness of anticancer drugs prescriptions. In fact, the better the appropriateness, the better is the patient care, and the overall balance, including economically. Methods: A group of 9 pharmacists from university hospitals, general hospitals, and cancer centres joined under the umbrella of the European Fellowship for Pharmacists (EFP) association. The aim was to set up a common process in evaluating the appropriateness of anticancer drugs prescriptions (ADP), focusing on innovative drugs, but not only. Results: The backbone of our work was to put back the patient at the centre and not to focus on the costs as themselves. We defined a composite criterium called “value of an ADP” which included the costs of course in addition to several factors such as the existence of alternatives for a particular patient, the level of evidence from literature data, the existence of other indications, and several other items. First, a decision tree was elaborated, which allows systematic and standardized screening of ADP leading to early identification of ADP which do not necessitate thorough evaluation: prescription within the terms of either a market authorisation or a Temporary Therapeutic Protocol, or a Temporary Utilization Authorization (ATU), and not on a clinical trial. For the other prescriptions, an evaluation grid coupled to a score was set up. This APA Score (Anticancer Prescription Appropriateness) will allow to decide whether or not a ADP, in a particular clinical context and patient, should be judged as appropriate or not. Conclusions: At the time of this abstract: the evaluation grid has been discussed, modified, and validated with the participation of two clinical oncologists, specialized in Breast Cancer; the APA scoring is currently under testing by a team of methodologists and bio-mathematicians; and the grid and the APA Score will be tested in “real-life” within the departments of the people involved in the group by the end of 2011.

Virtual Reality Simulation in Ear Microsurgery: A Pilot Study

Classically, teaching of otological micro procedures is achieved by cadaveric dissection of the temporal bones, achieved by attending expensive temporal bone dissection courses. The difficulty in acquiring cadaveric specimens and the cost of courses has led to the development of alternative techniques. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of using virtual reality temporal bone simulation in training otolaryngology residents for mastoidectomy procedures. Four senior residents were evaluated during six canal wall down mastoidectomy procedures. Three of these procedures were done conventionally. The other three procedures were preceded by virtual reality simulation 1day before the operation. In simulated cases, the residents scored higher on the global rating scale and task-based checklist, and were faster and more confident. Further, fewer instructions were required during the actual operation. This outcome is encouraging for the utilization of virtual reality simulation in otolaryngology residency training. Further studies should be performed on a larger number of simulators and surgical procedures to validate our results.

Key characteristics of the commercial Australian executive coach training industry

Objectives:To identify organisations who offer executive coach training and business coach training in Australia; assessment processes, cost and duration of courses; the delineation between coaching and counselling; marketing claims made; and the qualifications of the owners and trainers.Design:A qualitative process of emergent thematic coding using information from the internet.Methods:Broad categories and themes related to the aims of the study were documented, leading to the identification of a group of core categories and a process of comparison between organisations.Results:More than half the 16 Australian executive coach-training organisations identified offered more than one type of coach training. Four offered a coach franchise. The most common accrediting bodies were the International Coach Federation or the Australian Government Vocational Training Framework. Costs of courses ranged from AUS$3245 to AUS$14,795. Marketing claims included having longevity, being the best school, setting the standard, or having global recognition. Some trainers had no qualifications at all, but the majority of trainers’ qualifications were directly relevant to the field of coaching. The majority of coaching organisations did not make a clear distinction between these two issues. Average longevity of these organisations was 6.75 years.Conclusion:The Australian executive coach and business coach training industry continues to develop. We recommend that, in order to further professionalise executive coach training, all coach trainers should be properly qualified, issues related to identification of mental illness be incorporated into executive coach training, and organisations offering coach franchising provide clear and unambiguous information to prospective clients.

Physician Preferences and Attitudes Regarding Industry Support of CME Programs

The Association of Professors of Medicine (APM) is the national organization of departments of internal medicine at the US medical schools and numerous affiliated teaching hospitals as represented by chairs and appointed leaders. As the official sponsor of The American Journal of Medicine, the association invites authors to publish commentaries on issues concerning academic internal medicine.

Teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation to CEGEP students in Quebec — a pilot project

In order to increase CPR training in Quebec, we designed a pilot study to test out the efficacy of training CEGEP (junior college) students in CPR. We tried out four different methods of teaching CPR on students (Group A ‘control’, 4 h course, manikin to student ratio 1:4; Group B, 4 h course, manikin to student ratio 1:1; Group C, 2 h course, manikin to student ratio 1:1; Group D, video-assisted CPR instruction, manikin to student ratio 1:1). CPR skills were tested on a computerized manikin at the end of the initial course and again at the end of the semester in order to evaluate short and long-term retention of skills. There were no significant differences between the test groups and the control group in terms of compressions or ventilations at the beginning and end of the semester, however groups C and D performed significantly better primary surveys (Airway, Breathing, Circulation — ABC sequences) during the initial testing. The most common reasons reported by students for not taking CPR courses were the cost of courses (49.2%) and the inconvenience of courses (26.2%), similarly the two most common incentives which could get students to take CPR courses were; free courses (65.6%) and greater accessibility of courses (54.1%). Video-assisted CPR training appears to be feasible, enjoyable and as, if not more effective than traditional CPR courses. Instituting a mandatory video-assisted CPR program in the CEGEP system in Quebec and in high schools and colleges throughout the world, would be a cost-effective way to train massive amounts of young people in CPR.

Empirically Based Guidelines for Developing Teaching Materials on the Web

A recent study showed that Web-based materials enhanced teaching and learning in an introductory operations management course. Evidence gained from the study provides the basis for several guidelines concerning the early stages of implementing such a course. Faculty should understand why students visit the Website, time the availability of materials to match usage patterns, and provide information in appropriate detail and in an appropriate format. The Website facilitated students' note taking and studying, enhanced class discussion, and aided retention; it did not encourage students to miss class, as some faculty feared. Students tended to print out materials from the site, so that printing costs for courses were not reduced, just transferred from an academic department to the computer lab or the students. While traditional "chalk and talk" approaches will continue in the short term, students will increasingly see such an approach as outdated and find the Web their instructional medium of choice.