Online Assessment Research Articles

Multi-expert ensemble ECG diagnostic algorithm using mutually exclusive–symbiotic correlation between 254 hierarchical multiple labels

Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are a cheap and convenient means of assessing heart health and provide an important basis for diagnosis and treatment by cardiologists. However, existing intelligent ECG diagnostic approaches can only detect up to several tens of ECG terms, which barely cover the most common arrhythmias. Thus, further diagnosis is required by cardiologists in clinical settings. This paper describes the development of a multi-expert ensemble learning model that can recognize 254 ECG terms. Based on data from 191,804 wearable 12-lead ECGs, mutually exclusive–symbiotic correlations between hierarchical multiple labels are applied at the loss level to improve the diagnostic performance of the model and make its predictions more reasonable while alleviating the difficulty of class imbalance. The model achieves an average area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.973 and 0.956 on offline and online test sets, respectively. We select 130 terms from the 254 available for clinical settings by considering the classification performance and clinical significance, providing real-time and comprehensive ancillary support for the public.

Conducting Online Fitness Assessments in Exercise Oncology

Conducting Online Fitness Assessments in Exercise Oncology

Ensuring Accuracy: Making the Case for Inter-rater Reliability in Hospital Acquired Infection Surveillance

Background: Infection preventionists (Ips) have self-reported surveillance as the most time-consuming job task (1,2). APIC’s MegaSurvey 2020 reported that 60% of Ips consider themselves proficient or expert within this competency domain (2). Accurate coding of health care acquired infections is critical to identifying epidemiologically significant events, using data to improve practice, and compliance with state and federal mandated CMS reporting (3,4). Validated case study scenarios were distributed to infection preventionists to better understand how experience level and time spent performing surveillance affects interrater reliability (IRR) in applying the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance definitions (5,6). Methods: Case study scenarios determined to have high item discrimination were added to an online test bank and distributed annually to Ips of varying experience levels and care settings as part of a mandatory training program (5). The test bank currently consists of forty-two validated questions. Each year, the participants receive approximately thirty questions, including twenty randomly selected from the test bank and ten beta scenarios under development. Only validated test bank scenarios are used to calculate the passing score of 85%. Participants are blinded to which questions are test bank scenarios versus beta scenarios. Additional information was gathered at the beginning of the test to determine CIC status, years of experience, and weekly hours spent doing surveillance. Data was analyzed for passing score on the first attempt for testing years 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Results: Thirty-six Ips passed the IRR test on the first attempt (33%). Of those who passed on the first attempt, twenty-nine (81%) were certified and twenty-two (61%) reported at least nine hours a week performing surveillance. Of the seventy-three Ips (67%) who did not pass on the first attempt, thirty were certified (41%) and sixty (82%) reported performing surveillance for 8 hours or less per week. Conclusion: The first-time pass rate for certified and non-certified Ips was 33%, markedly lower than the self-reported proficiency rate of 60%. The majority of Ips who passed on the first attempt were certified and spent at least nine hours per week performing surveillance. certified and non-certified Ips who did not regularly perform surveillance as part of their weekly job tasks were less likely to pass the test on the first attempt. Given the first-time pass rate among all participants is below optimal, establishing inter-rater reliability systems and ongoing surveillance education for Ips is crucial to ensure accuracy of publicly reported data.

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AS A FRAMEWORK FOR BIBLIOMETRIC RESEARCH ON THE LINKS BETWEEN WORKLOAD, CULTURE, AND DISCIPLINE IN THE WORKPLACE AND EFFICIENCY

Workload, organizational culture, work discipline, and job performance are some of the topics that this bibliometric review hopes to go into. The study finds trends, patterns, and gaps in the existing literature by using bibliometric analytic approaches. It utilizes co-citation and keyword analysis to uncover patterns of research collaboration and creates a publishing map according to year, author, journal, institution, and country. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can benefit from the analysis by better understanding the most recent breakthroughs and trends in organizational behavior, specifically related to employee performance. Furthermore, it addresses voids in the existing literature and pinpoints topics that require additional research. The results can help improve organizational policy initiatives and direct future research in the fields of human resource management and organizational behaviour. Job interview phrases and corporate culture were the subjects of an online poll that ran from 2019 through 2024. Beyond highlighting three ways these approaches could be enhanced to increase data quality, the research tries to demonstrate the benefits of online testing beyond its convenience. These recommendations for enhancing the quality of data can be applied to online organizational surveys and experiments.

Development and Validation of the Maternal Drinking Motives Scale (M-DMS)

Background Alcohol use is a gendered behavior and motherhood is a life stage which may influence drinking motives. However, there are no drinking motive scales uniquely tailored to maternal populations. This work developed a new maternal drinking motives scale (M-DMS) and determined associations between the M-DMS and alcohol-related behavior. Methods An online observational survey (n = 534) and online test–retest survey (n = 164) were conducted with adult, UK mothers. From the observational study, data on drinking motives was extracted to determine M-DMS items and factor loading. This was split into two data sets for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Timeline Follow back data, taken from both surveys, were combined to determine the M-DMS’s predictive validity. Results Following a parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor model (positive reinforcement motives, negative reinforcement motives) was deemed the best fit. Probability functional analysis identified items with problematic responses. These were removed before confirmatory factor analysis (on the second dataset) demonstrated a good fit for the two-factor model. All factor loadings were significant and positive (βs > 0.56). Reliability of the two subscales was excellent: negative reinforcement (ωT = 0.95), positive reinforcement (ωT = 0.89). Test–retest reliability was good for both negative (ICC = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.80–0.88) and positive (ICC = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.71–0.82) subscales. Both subscales predicted AUDIT and quantity of alcohol consumption (ps < 0.001). Conclusion The first tailored Maternal Drinking Motives Scale (M-DMS) provides a more valid research tool for assessing psychological mechanisms of alcohol use in mothers.

Medical Students’ Perception Towards Online Assessment

Background: Universal College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Bhairahawa, Nepal conducted online assessment MCQ tests during covid-19 lock down period. This study was taken up to measure/assess the basic science MBBS students’ perception towards online assessment tests. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted by administering Google Forms questionnaire to basic scinces MBBS students of UCMS during the period the period of 2 October 2021 to 30 December 2021, using non-probability purposive sampling. General information profroma for socio-demography, and a questionnaire on the lines of Likert’s summated rating scale to assess the perception of MBBS basic science students towards online assessment was constructed. Simple frequency tables, cross tables, and mean tables have been used to analyze data. Characteristics of the sample were categorized using mean and standard deviation. Results: The overall mean and standard deviation for perception of online assessment tests were 3.17 and 0.65 respectively. The results indicate that MBBS students were satisfied with online assessment tests. Conclusion: Online assessment tests were well received by MBBS students. The online assessment tests enhance student learning by allowing immediate feedback. Online tests should be conducted in medical colleges on a regular basis.

Gambaran Tingkat Stres, Kecemasan, dan Depresi Mahasiswa dalam Persiapan Menghadapi Ujian Osce (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)

The competency test is an assessment of the abilities of Indonesian nurse graduates using written test methods via Computer Based Test (CBT) and Paper Based Test (PBT) as well as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) method. The results of researchers' interviews with D3 Nursing and Nursing students found that almost 86% experienced anxiety and stress. The aim of this research is to identify the level of stress, anxiety and depression of students when facing the OSCE. The research design uses a descriptive method, the sample is 85 people (56 D3 Nursing students, 26 Nursing students). Scale. Results of analysis of student stress levels were 31.76% normal, 17.65% mild, 21.18% moderate, 12.94% severe, and 16.47% very severe. Analysis of student anxiety levels 38.82% normal .12% mild, 24.71% moderate, 10.59% severe, and 11.76 very severe. Meanwhile, analysis of depression levels was 56.47% normal students, 15.29% mild, 11.76% moderate, 3.53. % by weight, and 12.94% by weight. The conclusion of this research is that the level of stress, anxiety and depression among students is mostly at normal levels, but there are still students at severe and very severe levels. It is recommended that educational institutions carry out stress, anxiety and depression management to eliminate negative influences as a relaxation effort that can change the situation to neutral.

Analisis Recruitment Online pada PT. Tri Jaya Teknik Karawang

In the current era of globalization, ever-developing computer and internet technology always makes everything easier, including the recruitment process. The aim of this research is to find out, analyze and explain how online and offline recruitment is analyzed. The research design used in this research is descriptive research with a descriptive qualitative approach, and observations in the company environment, by interviewing several people in the company according to the data requirements. This research was carried out at PT. Tri Jaya Teknik Karawang which is located on Jl. Alternative Krajan II Ds. Warung Bambu Kec. Karawang. Researchers used the IPO (Input Process Output) method, interviews were obtained from the company's HR department. Online recruitment analysis uses Google Drive to collect data files and online tests, then uses Zoomeet for Keywords : Interview,Online, Technology,Recruitment

DIGITAL PEDAGOGY IN ACTION: INVESTIGATING ICT TOOLS USAGE AND EXPERTISE AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

A teacher in the digital age must be competent in successfully integrating content, pedagogy, and technology in the teaching learning process. The COVID pandemic prepared us to be ready for new and transformative changes in the education system, be it online education, flipped classroom, blended learning, individualized learning, or computer-based adaptive testing. Against this background, the present cross-sectional study examines the use of ICT tools and expertise in using them by elementary school teachers. The sample consisted of 167 elementary school teachers selected randomly and rated their use and expertisein using various ICT tools. The study found that teachers were more proficient in using simple ICT tools and rarely or never used complex ICT tools. Variables such as teacher teaching experience, type of employment had no significant influence on usage and expertise. However, the use and expertise of using ICT tools among teachers working in urban schools is better than that of teachers working in rural schools. In addition, educational qualification was found to have a significant influence on the use and expertiseof using ICT tools. Furthermore, there was a significant positive and moderate correlation between use of ICT tools and expertise in using ICT tools, suggesting that there may be many other influencing factors.

Issues Regarding Online Teaching and Assessment Faced by Teachers during Covid-19

Issues Regarding Online Teaching and Assessment Faced by Teachers during Covid-19

Dynamic synergies in cable-driven exosuits for gait assistance

Exosuits for the lower limb have developed rapidly as an affordable, light, and more cost-effective alternative to the bulkier, traditional exoskeletons. The synergy-based approach aims at further emphasizing such advantages, providing even lighter and cheaper solutions, thanks to its reduction in actuators and the subsequent simplification of the actuation unit. In this paper, a design approach based on dynamic synergies is proposed to reduce the number of required actuators, thus decreasing the price and weight of walking-assistance exosuits. Also, in this work, we propose a methodology to calculate motor torque output and cable forces during assisted gait. Mechanical designs for the actuation unit are proposed along with experimental and computer-based testing and simulation. Lastly, actuation units with one and two motors are studied and compared, regarding control, mechanical complexity, and metabolic cost reduction. The results show that dynamic synergies can indeed contribute to the design of these assistive devices, with its own set of advantages and disadvantages when compared to the previously proposed postural synergies: while the latter led to a higher cumulative variance of the first principal component and the transmission system is simpler, control may be more unpredictable and forces upon the system, harder to estimate. With dynamic synergies, more related to muscle synergies, metabolic benefit on users may be more significant.

Association of accelerometer measured sedentary behavior patterns with cognitive functions in sedentary office workers: Insights from SMART-STEP study

BACKGROUND: High levels of sedentary behavior in workplaces are currently recognized as an independent risk factor for cognitive dysfunction and poor mental health. However, sedentary patterns vary between workdays and non-workdays, which may influence cognitive functions. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to quantify and compare work and nonwork device-measured sedentary time (ST) and its association with cognitive function in Indian office workers. METHODS: In an ongoing randomized controlled trial (SMART-STEP), the baseline data of 136 full-time office workers, including accelerometer-measured sedentary patterns and cognitive functions, were analyzed. The ST was measured using a hip-worn accelerometer (Actigraph wGT3X-BT) for seven days, and executive functions were measured using computer-based tests. Linear regression models were employed to analyze the relationships between ST and executive function measures. RESULTS: The median daily ST of Indian office workers was 11.41 hours. The ST was greater on both workdays (11.43 hrs.) and non-workdays (11.14 hrs.) though different (F = 6.76, p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.032). Office workers accumulate more prolonged sitting bouts (+21.36 min) during work days than non-workdays. No associations between device-measured ST and executive functions were observed. CONCLUSION: Indian office workers exhibited high ST patterns, especially on workdays. Although lower than workdays, Indian office workers exhibited more ST patterns during non-workdays than did their Western counterparts. Culturally adaptable workplace and leisure time physical activity interventions are needed to address the high ST of Indian office workers.

Tahfidz Quran Online Assessment: Video Conference Based Talaqqi Assessment Model

Pendidikan tahfidz Al-Qur’an merupakan salah satu bidang yang memerlukan penilaian yang cermat dan terstruktur untuk memastikan efektivitas pembelajaran dan kemajuan siswa dalam menghafal Al-Qur’an. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi dan mengevaluasi efektivitas integrasi antara asesmen talaqi (keterampilan tartil dan tajwid) dengan teknologi konferensi video dalam konteks pendidikan tahfidz Al-Qur’an. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan studi kasus. Partisipan penelitian terdiri dari siswa tahfidz AlQur’an yang aktif. Data dikumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara, dan analisis dokumen. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa integrasi asesmen talaqi dengan teknologi video conference memiliki dampak positif pada pembelajaran tahfidz Al-Qur’an. Siswa menunjukkan peningkatan dalam keterampilan tartil dan tajwid serta kepercayaan diri mereka dalam membaca Al-Qur’an. Penggunaan teknologi video conference memfasilitasi interaksi langsung antara siswa dan pengajar, meningkatkan kualitas umpan balik, dan memungkinkan pembelajaran jarak jauh yang efektif. Temuan ini memberikan kontribusi bagi pengembangan pendidikan tahfidz Al-Qur’an dan memperluas pemahaman tentang penerapan teknologi dalam konteks pendidikan agama.

A deep learning method for locating fetal heart rate decelerations during labour using crowd-sourced data

Monitoring the heart rate of a fetus is the only method for continuously monitoring fetal well-being during labour. Decelerations in the fetal heart rate, usually corresponding with contractions, provide information regarding the ability of the fetus to cope with a reduced oxygen supply caused by contractions. For this reason, visual and computer-based assessments of fetal well-being depend upon the correct identification of decelerations. Agreement between clinical professionals when identifying these features is poor. Automated methods offer a more consistent alternative, but must perform at a level comparable to a trained human observer. Collecting data to train these systems can be difficult due to time restraints on experts in fetal medicine. In this study, we designed a website to crowd-source data from clinical professionals at their convenience. This data was combined with that from other publicly available sources to produce a dataset that was used to train a convolutional auto-encoder to locate decelerations. Crowd-sourcing was found to be an effective method for collecting data that was suitable to successfully train a deep learning model to locate decelerations. The model trained using this data provided a comparable level of accuracy to users of the website and other models used for the same purpose.

Clustering-based mask recovery for image captioning

Region features play a huge role in image captioning. However, obtaining region features requires pre-training an object detector by using a large number of object detection datasets. It may be impossible for the end-to-end training. And if there is a large distribution difference between the object detection datasets and the image captioning datasets, the object detector may not be able to extract accurate region features. This makes it limited in application. In this paper, we propose a clustering-based mask recovery for image captioning. In the encoder, the pseudo-region features are obtained by clustering the grid features, which are extracted using Swin Transformer. Then we input the grid features together with the pseudo-region features into the decoder, and make the model to dynamically learns the weights of the two features in the decoding process to minimize the effect of errors caused by clustering. By using a clustering method to generate pseudo-region features for images, not only does the training process become end-to-end, but there is no need to introduce additional object detection datasets to train the object detector. In addition, the Transformer decoder has a misplaced problem in the decoding process. This means that the positional information used by the model when generating a word is not the same as the positional information used when it continues to use the word to reason. This may have some negative impact on the position encoding of the model. Therefore, we changed the original decoding method to mask recovery. Furthermore, a masked multi-head attention module with relative position is proposed in the decoder to integrate the information in the fusion features, and reconstruct the relative position relationship between words. We conduct experiments on MSCOCO 2014 dataset. The experiment results show that our model obtains 144.3% (single model) and 147.0% (ensemble of 4 models) CIDEr scores on ‘Karpathy’ offline test split, and 143.2% (c40) CIDEr scores on the official online test server.

Digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia for people with comorbid psychological distress: A large scale randomized controlled trial

Study objectivesTo examine if comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms (psychological distress) moderate intervention effect in participants receiving digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (dCBT-I) in a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT), compared to a patient education (PE) control condition. Further, we investigate if dCBT-I reduced levels of psychological distress for those with insomnia and comorbid psychological distress. Methods1721 participants with insomnia completed online assessments of sleep, fatigue and psychological distress, at baseline and at nine-week follow-up. Primary outcome was Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and secondary outcomes included self-reported sleep (diary), cognition, fatigue, and psychological distress. Participants with psychological distress (HADS>16) were separated from participants without psychological distress. Linear mixed models in SPSS were conducted to test the effects of the intervention. ResultsAt nine-week follow-up we found no difference in effect of the intervention between those who had comorbid psychological distress vs. those without psychological distress in terms of insomnia severity (p = 0.552) and fatigue (p = 0.744). Both groups had large effect size improvements on insomnia severity (p < 0.001=), small to medium (Cohen d < 0.08) improvements on fatigue (p < 0.01=) and sleep efficiency (p < 0.001), and small improvement on other sleep diary measures, compared to their respective control group. The psychological distress group showed a small, but statistically significant decrease in psychological distress (d = 0.2, p < 0.05) with dCBT-I compared to PE. ConclusiondCBT-I is a viable treatment for Insomnia also for those who have comorbid psychological distress.

Цифровой инновационный формат преподавания дисциплин лингвистического цикла в современном специализированном вузе

The article reconsiders the process of teaching linguistic disciplines in the digital environment in the format of contemporary higher philological education. The paper focuses on discussing technological teaching methods that can also be applied in another study field. Based on their own extensive experience in conducting and evaluating the quality of education based on various web-tools, the authors provide a detailed analysis of advanced teaching practices in online and mixed formats, offer authentic methods of instructing students, assessing these methods in terms of current innovations in the technological educational sphere. The authors managed to demonstrate the effects of introducing “digital pedagogy” into the educational process. The term “digital” describes various aspects of information storage and transmission, communication processes between a teacher and students. The methodological principles of teaching related to the development and adaptation of teaching processes to the digital world are systematized. The disciplines of the linguistic cycle are interpreted as an illustrative practical example for the implementation of the basic principles of digital pedagogy. Innovative formats have been identified that provide personalized higher education. It is traced which effective traditional methods can be complemented by technical innovations. The paper analyzes effective ways of conducting online and remote assessment of the learning process and new knowledge of students. The grounds for the rational correlation of distance and mixed education, universal motives and cultural differences in the requirements for these types of education are revealed. The advantages and problems of using social networks and other media for online learning are described. The paper explores how the design of a specific linguistic course can facilitate an online seminar. The importance of not only student-teacher communication in such conditions is emphasized, but also ways to encourage student-peer communication. The article examines the ways advanced technologies can be used to support and expand the teaching of linguistics, as well as the specifics of organizing practical study of linguistics in remote work with students.

Development of Three Tier Online Test Diagnostic of Misconception for Topic Free Fall Motion

Purpose of the study: This study aimed to develop an online Three Tier Test Diagnostic of misconception in topic free fall motion. Methodology: This research is development research using a development model 4D by Thiagarajan (Define, Desain, Development, and Dissemination). However, the research is only limited to the Development stage because the research objectives have been achieved. The data collection instrument is a media expert validation questionnaire. The research data includes quantitative data in the form of expert validator evaluations and qualitative data in the form of comments and suggestions given by expert validators. Main Findings: The results showed that the product three tier online test diagnostic was feasible to use based on expert validation with a very feasible category. The resulting product has five item questions and consist of three tiers. The first tier is multiple choice questions, second is reason for answering question, and third tier is curiosity response index (CRI). Novelty/Originality of this study: The novelty of this research is uses an online test. This is expected to be able to support the effectiveness of further research by researchers.

Demystifying Classroom Assessment: Unleashing the Power of Technology Tools

Background: Technology is a tool for instruction, not a replacement for teachers. Teachers are crucial for our nation's future and are essential implementers and integrators of technology in classrooms. They are responsible for innovative use of technology, as it enhances efficiency and effectiveness in everyday life. ICT comprehensively combines computer and telecommunication technology. Aim: They are also commonly used for the certification of competence, to monitor educational standards, and to provide learners with feedback. The qualitative aspect of assessment and evaluation in the field of education has a cutting-edge relationship with students’ academics. Method: Teachers no doubt are saddled with many responsibilities which range from writing lesson plans and notes to instructional delivery and assessment. Hence there is a need for teachers to span to the innovation technology is offering by embracing technological-based assessment. This paper explored the roles of technology in bridging the gap between the paper-pencil assessment to technology-enhanced assessment and proffered strategies on how these assessment apps can be used in the classroom. The study revealed that there are free assessment applications teachers can use to grade students, thereby reducing their workloads. It was therefore recommended among others that training and seminars should be organised for teachers to enlighten them on technology-based assessment. Result and Discussions: Teachers need to take cognizance of the relevancy of the technological tools. It was further pointed out that while observing the relevance of the technology resources, there should be congruence between the tech tools and instructional curriculum. Other factors to be considered are the; appropriateness of the content and alignment with the learning goals. Teachers need to have clear-cut goals before selecting any technology for assessment. Among the common goals to be considered are; efficiency, cost, end-user proficiency, collaboration, and capacity. Conclusıon: Assessment is vital to the education process. Online assessment can help learners engage more effectively and flexibly in knowledge and can help teachers manage assessment more proficiently and efficiently.

‘Who knows what will come next to interrupt our assessments’: the adaptability of assessments across face-to-face and online instructional environments

Universities are increasingly facing disruptions from political crises, natural disasters and public health emergencies, prompting a shift to emergency online teaching. It is different to normal online teaching as students may lose access to campus, community/society or even hosting countries. This qualitative study investigated the adaptability of assessments when shifting entirely from face-to-face to emergent online modes. Data was collected from four disciplines at the macro level and 74 courses from eight disciplines at the micro level. Five design feature dimensions were identified as affecting assessment adaptability between two instructional environments: students’ resources access, student autonomy, measurement focus, external standard adherence and venues/contexts/equipment reliance. The results revealed an increasing use of asynchronous assessments and increased student control and responsibility in assessments. Three levels of changes were observed, including pedagogical changes from testing students’ memories to measuring students’ higher-level understanding. In addition to the challenges in assessment security reported in previous literature about shifts to online modes, this study identified new areas of challenges to assessment validity, fairness of assessments, teacher control, teachers’ and students’ assessment literacy and university infrastructure. A model on the adaptability of assessment is proposed, offering implications for online assessment.