Implications For Quality Assurance Research Articles

Utilization of Digital Technologies in Doctoral Thesis Supervision at the University of Nairobi: Implications for Quality Assurance

The utilization of online digital technologies in higher education teaching and learning has gained impetus in the post-COVID-19 era. A number of higher educational institutions have invested in capacity-building programmes related to the utilization of online digital technologies for teaching and learning. However, the utilization of these technologies in doctoral supervision is hampered by challenges related to access to digital devices, internet connectivity and the general attitude among digital technology users. Furthermore, despite supervisors’ efforts to reinforce mentoring, the lack of in-person engagement between supervisors and students portends a greater challenge. Therefore, the study sought to determine the influence of doctoral students’ gender on their thesis progression, the relationship between the frequency of engaging supervisors and thesis progression, the preferred mode of supervisor engagement and the level of student utilization of digital technologies in their doctoral work. The study sampled 109 students from a population of 150 PhD students of the University of Nairobi. Data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews that were administered to doctoral students and their supervisors respectively. The results showed a weak negative correlation between student and supervisor engagement and their stage in theses writing. The study also established low utilization of digital technologies in doctoral thesis supervision. Nonetheless, the results showed that student-supervisor engagement has an impact on their progression and that a significant number of doctoral students were comfortable with engaging their supervisors through a combination of face-to-face/in-person and virtual/online sessions. The study recommends that universities should adopt a blended doctoral supervision model to leverage the strengths of both in-person and virtual student-supervisor engagement. Further, there is a need to train both students and supervisors in the use of digital tools to enhance their engagement

School Certification Assessment Process: Implications to Quality Assurance in the Basic Education System

The school certification assessment process plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality of education provided by educational institutions. However, this process is not without its challenges. This study explores some of the key challenges faced during school certification assessments and discusses some implications for quality assurance in a developing country. A survey research design using quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted with 40 junior high school faculty, staff, and administrators from four selected Education Service Contracting (ESC)-participating schools in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines. An e-survey questionnaire was used online through Google Forms. Findings revealed that the recertification process presents significant challenges for ESC-participating schools, and some did not achieve the certified status because they did not meet the Department of Education (DepEd) minimum standards and Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) certification requirements. In addition, there is a lack of government support and incentives for the schools. The study recommended specific ways to address the issues encountered. By addressing these challenges, we can enhance the effectiveness and credibility of the certification process, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes.

Digital growth mindset and academic performance of business students in China: the role of gender

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the impact of a digital growth mindset on the academic performance of business students in China as well as the role of gender in this relationship. The study provides feasible ways to foster such a mindset to ensure quality in business education.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a survey to examine the associations among digital growth mindset, gender and the academic performance of business students in China within the context of online learning. The authors collected data from 533 students who were enrolled in two online business courses at a Chinese university. The data were paired and analyzed through regression analysis.FindingsThe empirical results show that digital growth mindset has a positive influence on the academic performance of business students in China. The relationship is stronger for male business students than for their female counterparts.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to examine the concept of digital growth mindset and its significance in Chinese business education. Through the analysis of paired data on digital growth mindset and academic performance, this study makes theoretical contributions to the literature on growth mindset, gender differences and academic success. Additionally, it has practical implications for quality assurance in business education in developing countries by offering feasible approaches to cultivate a growth mindset among students.

Evolving from physical to electronic classrooms: Implications for quality assurance in a selected technical university

Evolving from physical to electronic classrooms: Implications for quality assurance in a selected technical university

How do students deal with forced digitalisation in teaching and learning? Implications for quality assurance

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate student subgroups’ responses to the coercive digitalisation of teaching and learning processes during the pandemic. Respective variance is discussed in terms of digital inequality and is interpreted as a need to individualise teaching and learning and quality assurance practices.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses data from surveys (N = 955) on student perceptions of the introduction of emergency digitalisation – an important aspect of higher education. The authors perform latent class analyses to identify student subgroups. The students were asked to rate digital learning processes and their overall learning experiences.FindingsThe identified student subgroups are proponents, pragmatics and sceptics of digitalised teaching and learning processes. These subgroups have different preferences with regard to teaching and learning modes of delivery, which implies the relevance of individualised educational services and respective quality assurance practices to reflections on improvement needs.Research limitations/implicationsThe data are from a single, typical German university; therefore, the scope of the results may be limited. However, this study enriches future research on the traits of student subgroups and students’ coping strategies in an ever-changing learning environment.Practical implicationsThe findings may help individualise universities’ counselling services to enhance overall teaching performance and quality assurance practices in a digitalised environment.Originality/valueThe findings provide insights into students’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on teaching and learning. This paper enriches the research on student heterogeneity and relates this to development needs of quality assurance practice.

Recognition of prior learning: implications for quality assurance in higher education

PurposeA diverse range of initiatives in relation to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) have been introduced in higher education systems over the past 20 years. This paper aims to explore the implementation of RPL initiatives, in an Irish context, and the implications for quality assurance in higher education.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach is adopted, to provide an enhanced understanding of the impact of RPL initiatives. Data is presented from interviews with key stakeholders: six academics, six coordinators and six learners who availed of RPL.FindingsThe introduction of RPL requires higher education institutions to adopt new approaches to the design and delivery of their programmes and also to review and revise quality assurance frameworks. This paper presents key insights across five over-arching themes (ambitions and outcomes; caution and suspicion; in the classroom; assessment and examinations; and life after university).Originality/valueThe introduction of RPL evokes a mixed reaction from stakeholders, and there is a range of differing experiences, leading to differences in attitudes and unintended impacts. This study provides insights both at an individual and institutional levels using experiential learning theory.

Predictive Modeling of Rater Behavior: Implications for Quality Assurance in Essay Scoring

ABSTRACT We evaluate the feasibility of developing predictive models of rater behavior, that is, rater-specific models for predicting the scores produced by a rater under operational conditions. In the present study, the dependent variable is the score assigned to essays by a rater, and the predictors are linguistic attributes of the essays used by the e-rater® engine. Specifically, for each rater, the linear regression of rater scores on the linguistic attributes is obtained based on data from two consecutive time periods. The regression from each period was cross validated against data from the other period. Raters were characterized in terms of their level of predictability and the importance of the predictors. Results suggest that rater models capture stable individual differences among raters. To evaluate the feasibility of using rater models as a quality control mechanism, we evaluated the relationship between rater predictability and inter-rater agreement and performance on pre-scored essays. Finally, we conducted a simulation whereby raters are simulated to score exclusively as a function of essay length at different points during the scoring day. We concluded that predictive rater models merit further investigation as a means of quality controlling human scoring.

Chemometric studies of the effects of milk fat replacement with different proportions of vegetable oils in the formulation of fat-filled milk powders: Implications for quality assurance

Bovine milk lipids can be replaced with cheaper indigenous vegetable oils to produce milk alternatives with healthier saturated/unsaturated fat balance for those in areas where milk supply is poor or even absent. A wide range of vegetable oils can be used, but their impacts when blended with skimmed milk powder to formulate filled milk powder (FMP) are still unknown. We investigate the baseline variances in 12 types of FMP produced onsite with 3 proportions (10%, 20% and 30%) of 4 different vegetable oils (i.e., coconut, palm, soya-bean and sunflower) using fatty acid- and near infrared spectra profiles. Chemometric analyses revealed 8 significant overlapping clusters of FMP types but 100% classification efficiency was achieved. Sunflower oil, and particularly soya-bean FMP types had statistically the lowest indices of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity. This appears to be the first chemometrics study of FMP; the spectral analytical models used may be effective for product monitoring.

Re-reading of OraQuick HIV-1/2 rapid antibody test results: quality assurance implications for HIV self-testing programmes.

IntroductionScale‐up of HIV self‐testing (HIVST) will play a key role in meeting the United Nation's 90‐90‐90 targets. Delayed re‐reading of used HIVST devices has been used by early implementation studies to validate the performance of self‐test kits and to estimate HIV positivity among self‐testers. We investigated the stability of results on used devices under controlled conditions to assess its potential as a quality assurance approach for HIVST scale‐up.Methods444 OraQuick® HIV‐1/2 rapid antibody tests were conducted using commercial plasma from two HIV‐positive donors and HIV‐negative plasma (high‐reactive n = 148, weak‐reactive n = 148 and non‐reactive n = 148) and incubated them for six months under four conditions (combinations of high and low temperatures and humidity). Devices were re‐read daily for one week, weekly for one subsequent month and then once a month by independent readers unaware of the previous results. We used multistage transition models to investigate rates of change in device results, and between storage conditions.Results and discussionThere was a high incidence of device instability. Forty‐three (29%) of 148 initially non‐reactive results became false weak‐reactive results. These changes were observed across all incubation conditions, the earliest on Day 4 (n = 9 kits). No initially HIV‐reactive results changed to a non‐reactive result. There were no significant associations between storage conditions and hazard of results transition. We observed substantial statistical agreement between independent re‐readers over time (agreement range: 0.74 to 0.96).ConclusionsDelayed re‐reading of used OraQuick® HIV‐1/2 rapid antibody tests is not currently a valid methodological approach to quality assurance and monitoring as we observed a high incidence (29%) of true non‐reactive tests changing to false weak‐reactive and therefore its use may overestimate true HIV positivity.

Sa1074 - Time-Course of Peri-Colonoscopy Serious Adverse GI and Nongi Events: Insights Regarding Causality and Implications for Quality Assurance

Sa1074 - Time-Course of Peri-Colonoscopy Serious Adverse GI and Nongi Events: Insights Regarding Causality and Implications for Quality Assurance

Challenges for Quality Assurance of Target Volume Delineation in Clinical Trials.

In recent years, new radiotherapy techniques have emerged that aim to improve treatment outcome and reduce toxicity. The standard method of evaluating such techniques is to conduct large scale multicenter clinical trials, often across continents. A major challenge for such trials is quality assurance to ensure consistency of treatment across all participating centers. Analyses from previous studies have shown that poor compliance and protocol violation have a significant adverse effect on treatment outcomes. The results of the clinical trials may, therefore, be confounded by poor quality radiotherapy. Target volume delineation (TVD) is one of the most critical steps in the radiotherapy process. Many studies have shown large inter-observer variations in contouring, both within and outside of clinical trials. High precision techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, image-guided brachytherapy, and stereotactic radiotherapy have steep dose gradients, and errors in contouring may lead to inadequate dose to the tumor and consequently, reduce the chance of cure. Similarly, variation in organ at risk delineation will make it difficult to evaluate dose response for toxicity. This article reviews the literature on TVD variability and its impact on dosimetry and clinical outcomes. The implications for quality assurance in clinical trials are discussed.

Politics of Programme Accreditation Practices in Nigerian Universities: Implications for Quality Assurance

Abstract Accreditation is carried out to ensure that universities meet acceptable standards of quality in its programme offerings. This paper, which examined politics of National Universities Commission programme accreditation practices used descriptive survey design. The research covered universities in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, Nigeria. Three research questions were raised to enhance the study. Purposive sampling technique was utilized to raise a sample of 85 current and former Heads of Departments for the study. A 21 - item instrument titled “Politics of Accreditation Practices Questionnaire (PAPQ)” was drawn, validated and tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha. The index of reliability was 0.84 which indicated the fitness of the instrument for use. Data derived from the instrument were analyzed using means and standard deviation. Findings indicated that politics has been part of programme accreditation practices. Aspects of politics of accreditation identified were: politics of funding, borrowed books to boost library stock, borrowed facilities, window dressing of facilities, among others. The major challenges to programme accreditation as identified by the respondents were inadequate funding, inadequate and obsolete facilities and too much paper documentation. Suggestions to remedy the challenges to accreditation included that adequate funds should be made available to universities and internal mechanism for quality assurance should be strengthened within the universities.

Re-evaluation of progenitor thresholds and expectations for haematopoietic recovery based on an analysis of 810 autologous transplants: Implications for quality assurance.

Haematological engraftment was assessed in 804 autologous transplants. Neutrophil recovery occurred in over 99% within 14d but platelet recovery was delayed beyond this time in 14·8%. Time to recovery was dependent on the progenitor cell dose infused. The minimum CD34+ cell threshold adopted in this study (2×106 /kg) was safe although recovery was faster with a dose >5×106 /kg. CD34+ cell doses of between 1 and 2×106 /kg were also acceptable if either the granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cell dose exceeded 2×105 /kg or this dose was due to splitting a higher yield harvest. Prompt neutrophil recovery affords important quality assurance for laboratory processing.

Post-thaw viability of cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) does not guarantee functional activity: important implications for quality assurance of stem cell transplant programmes.

Standard quality assurance (QA) of cryopreserved peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) uses post-thaw viable CD34(+) cell counts. In 2013, concerns arose at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) about 8 patients with delayed engraftment following myeloablative chemotherapy with cryopreserved cell rescue, despite adequate post-thaw viable cell counts in all cases. Root cause analysis was undertaken; investigations suggested the freeze process itself was a contributing factor to suboptimal engraftment. Experiments were undertaken in which a single PBSC product was divided into three and cryopreserved in parallel using a control-rate freezer (CRF) or passive freezing method (-80°C freezer) at GOSH, or the same passive freezing at another laboratory. Viable CD34(+) counts were equivalent and adequate in each. Granulocyte-monocyte colony-forming unit assays demonstrated colonies from the products cryopreserved using passive freezing (both laboratories), but no colonies from products cryopreserved using the CRF. The CRF was shown to be operating within manufacturer's specifications with freeze-profile within acceptable limits. This experience has important implications for quality assurance for all transplant programmes, particularly those using cryopreserved products. The failure of post-thaw viable CD34(+) counts, the most widely used routine QA test available, to ensure PBSC function is of great concern and should prompt reassessment of protocols and QA procedures.

Quality assurance in MRI breast screening: comparing signal-to-noise ratio in dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging protocols

MRI has been extensively used in breast cancer staging, management and high risk screening. Detection sensitivity is paramount in breast screening, but variations of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as a function of position are often overlooked. We propose and demonstrate practical methods to assess spatial SNR variations in dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) breast examinations and apply those methods to different protocols and systems.Four different protocols in three different MRI systems (1.5 and 3.0 T) with receiver coils of different design were employed on oil-filled test objects with and without uniformity filters. Twenty 3D datasets were acquired with each protocol; each dataset was acquired in under 60 s, thus complying with current breast DCE guidelines. In addition to the standard SNR calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis, we propose other regional indices considering the mean and standard deviation of the signal over a small sub-region centred on each pixel. These regional indices include effects of the spatial variation of coil sensitivity and other structured artefacts.The proposed regional SNR indices demonstrate spatial variations in SNR as well as the presence of artefacts and sensitivity variations, which are otherwise difficult to quantify and might be overlooked in a clinical setting. Spatial variations in SNR depend on protocol choice and hardware characteristics. The use of uniformity filters was shown to lead to a rise of SNR values, altering the noise distribution. Correlation between noise in adjacent pixels was associated with data truncation along the phase encoding direction.Methods to characterise spatial SNR variations using regional information were demonstrated, with implications for quality assurance in breast screening and multi-centre trials.

Conceptual acrobatics: talking about assessment standards in the transparency era

Since their introduction in the 1990s, explicit standards documents have pervaded higher education assessment – success likely linked to their compatibility with constructive alignment and quality assurance regimes. Researchers, however, criticise that such documents are based on a misconception of standards as explicit and absolute, when in fact standards have tacit and contextual qualities that make it impossible to codify them fully. This article considers how practitioners conceive of standards. It identifies the range of concepts of standards, and looks at which were dominant or marginal in 24 external examiners’ responses to interview questions about their examining practice. The article identifies a significant gap between the theoretical positions asserted in the research literature and the conceptions held by experienced academics tasked with guaranteeing national standards. It considers implications for quality assurance and reflects on whether the dominance of transparency and accountability discourses leads academics to contort the way they talk about standards.

Content, Structure, and Usefulness of Juvenile Predisposition Psychological Evaluations

There is a dearth of research regarding the content and structure of juvenile predisposition psychological evaluations. Limited research suggests that key mental health domains are insufficiently represented and judges use evaluator recommendations regarding legal outcomes more often than clinical outcomes. Studies have not addressed whether content and/or structure of evaluations influence the use of evaluator recommendations by juvenile probation officers (JPOs). This study reviewed and rated the content and structure of juvenile predisposition psychological evaluations conducted in an East Coast state to identify evaluation characteristics that informed JPOs use of evaluation recommendations in disposition planning. Juvenile predisposition psychological evaluations (N = 150) were reviewed and coded on key variables (e.g., legal history, sociocultural factors, Forensic Mental Health Assessment-FMHA principles, use of empirically-supported tools). Multiple content areas including family history, drug and alcohol history, education history were included in the evaluations (ranging from 48 to 100 %); however, sufficient detail for content domains ranged from 10 to 76 %. Evaluator recommendations were incorporated in disposition plans 35 % of the time, regardless of evaluation content or sufficiency, with 70 % of accepted recommendations being mental health related. Although evaluations often included information covering multiple key content areas, there was significant variability in the amount of information provided. Inconsistent with prior research with judges, none of the variables of interest (presence and sufficiency of detail, well-justified and explained recommendations, adherence to FMHA principles) predicted use of evaluation recommendations by JPOs. Implications for quality assurance and training are discussed.

Lessons for regulating informal markets and implications for quality assurance – the case of migrant care workers in Austria

ABSTRACTThe rising number of private care arrangements in which live-in migrant care workers are engaged as a functional equivalent to family care calls for special attention by policy makers and formal long-term care providers on their implications for quality assurance and professional standards in the long-term care sector. Austria is one of the first countries in Europe where tangible legal measures have been taken to regulate this area under the heading of ‘24-hour care’, typically provided by middle-aged women. Reform measures went beyond policing and control mechanisms, including also incentives and tangible subsidies for all stakeholders. This paper contributes to a better understanding of their impact on the transition from informal to formal economy, focusing on quality assurance and working conditions. Based on empirical data and findings from semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders, a framework for the analysis of ‘illegal markets', based on Beckert and Wehinger's theory, is used to discuss potential implications in terms of valuation, competition and co-operation for policy in Austria, and to draw lessons for other countries. Results indicate that even after efforts to ‘legalise’ migrant care, the sector remains a ‘grey’ area within modern labour market legislation and quality management. This is due to the very nature of personal care, low professional status associated with care work and the reluctance of political stakeholders to regulate private household activities.

Repeat film analysis and its implications for quality assurance in dental radiology: An institutional case study.

Context:The goal of any radiologist is to produce the highest quality diagnostic radiographs, while keeping patient exposure as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).Aims:The aim of this study was to describe the reasons for radiograph rejections through a repeat film analysis in an Indian dental school.Settings and Design:An observational study conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal.Materials and Methods:During a 6-month study period, a total of 9,495 intra-oral radiographs and 2339 extraoral radiographs taken in the Radiology Department were subjected to repeat film analysis.Statistical Analysis Used:SPSS Version 16. Descriptive analysis used.Results:The results showed that the repeat rates were 7.1% and 5.86% for intraoral and extraoral radiographs, respectively. Among the causes for errors reported, positioning error (38.7%) was the most common, followed by improper angulations (26.1%), and improper film placement (11.2%) for intra-oral radiographs. The study found that the maximum frequency of repeats among extraoral radiographs was for panoramic radiographs (49%) followed by lateral cephalogram (33%), and paranasal sinus view (14%). It was also observed that repeat rate of intraoral radiographs was highest for internees (44.7%), and undergraduate students (28.2%).Conclusions:The study pointed to a need for more targeted interventions to achieve the goal of keeping patient exposure ALARA in a dental school setting.

Estimation of daily interfractional larynx residual setup error after isocentric alignment for head and neck radiotherapy: quality assurance implications for target volume and organs-at-risk margination using daily CT on- rails imaging.

Larynx may alternatively serve as a target or organs at risk (OAR) in head and neck cancer (HNC) image‐guided radiotherapy (IGRT). The objective of this study was to estimate IGRT parameters required for larynx positional error independent of isocentric alignment and suggest population‐based compensatory margins. Ten HNC patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) with daily CT on‐rails imaging were assessed. Seven landmark points were placed on each daily scan. Taking the most superior‐anterior point of the C5 vertebra as a reference isocenter for each scan, residual displacement vectors to the other six points were calculated postisocentric alignment. Subsequently, using the first scan as a reference, the magnitude of vector differences for all six points for all scans over the course of treatment was calculated. Residual systematic and random error and the necessary compensatory CTV‐to‐PTV and OAR‐to‐PRV margins were calculated, using both observational cohort data and a bootstrap‐resampled population estimator. The grand mean displacements for all anatomical points was 5.07 mm, with mean systematic error of 1.1 mm and mean random setup error of 2.63 mm, while bootstrapped POIs grand mean displacement was 5.09 mm, with mean systematic error of 1.23 mm and mean random setup error of 2.61 mm. Required margin for CTV‐PTV expansion was 4.6 mm for all cohort points, while the bootstrap estimator of the equivalent margin was 4.9 mm. The calculated OAR‐to‐PRV expansion for the observed residual setup error was 2.7 mm and bootstrap estimated expansion of 2.9 mm. We conclude that the interfractional larynx setup error is a significant source of RT setup/delivery error in HNC, both when the larynx is considered as a CTV or OAR. We estimate the need for a uniform expansion of 5 mm to compensate for setup error if the larynx is a target, or 3 mm if the larynx is an OAR, when using a nonlaryngeal bony isocenter.PACS numbers: 87.55.D‐, 87.55.Qr