Pluralistic Evaluation Research Articles

Research on Multiple Evaluation of English Teaching in Higher Vocational School-Enterprise Cooperation in the Era of Multimedia Informatization

Abstract With the progress of the information age, the evaluation of students in higher vocational colleges and universities is not single, and more and more colleges and universities pay more attention to the overall development of students and use diversified evaluation of students’ abilities. This paper constructs a multivariate evaluation model for English teaching in higher vocational school-enterprise cooperation based on deep learning networks and forest stochastic algorithms. By analyzing the application of convolutional neural networks in teaching quality evaluation, Sigmoid and Tanh functions are used to improve the efficiency of English teaching quality evaluation. The bagging method in integrated learning involves averaging the model prediction results of each subset to arrive at the final evaluation results. The multivariate evaluation model is utilized in English teaching evaluation to examine the impact of English teaching under multivariate evaluation. The results show that the evaluation accuracy of the pluralistic evaluation model for English teaching ideas, teaching objectives, teaching contents and teaching effects are 0.981, 0.893, 0.904, and 0.924, respectively, and the students’ liking degree of English is increased from 0.459 to 0.793 under the pluralistic evaluation, which is conducive to the improvement of the teaching effect of English in higher vocational colleges and universities, and provides a new reference for the teaching of English. Perspective.

Valuing beyond economics: A pluralistic evaluation framework for participatory policymaking

The sustainability challenges facing societies call for policies and governance systems that are attuned to the diversity of goods that support and enrich human life via ecological, technical and other kinds of systems, and to the plurality of values that people hold across diverse cultures and belief systems. A pluralistic evaluation framework (PEF) is here presented as a tool for considering diverse kinds of goodness as perceived by diverse stakeholders in the design and evaluation of policies or projects. It arises from considering a suite of aspects of meaning (biotic, economic, aesthetic, etc.) at each of three stages, namely: identifying relevant stakeholders, mapping real-world systems and assessing modes of valuing. This framework, drawing on the philosophical work of Herman Dooyeweerd and Dirk Vollenhoven, offers a joined-up, participatory approach to policymaking. We report pilot trials of the PEF with groups of policymakers at a series of workshops, demonstrating that it provides additional perspectives and unification of core issues and can be used in a wide range of areas of policymaking and project assessment. We also illustrate its potential application to a controversial environmental project and outline how a pluralistic evaluation framework can be used in tandem with existing frameworks.

Diversified Evaluation Method of Physical Education Teaching Effect based on Cloud Computing

By using the method of literature, this paper analyzes the development of physical education teaching evaluation, and focuses on the diversified trend of the development of physical education teaching evaluation. The pluralistic trend of PE teaching evaluation is mainly reflected in the following aspects: the pluralistic function of PE teaching evaluation, the pluralistic evaluation standard, the pluralistic evaluation content, the pluralistic evaluation subject, the pluralistic evaluation method and the pluralistic evaluation form. In view of the current situation of unified evaluation of school physical education curriculum, this paper puts forward the diversified evaluation method of physical education teaching effect based on cloud computing, and standardizes the evaluation index optimization evaluation algorithm, in order to better provide reference for the development of physical education teaching.

The 'PRICE' of Physical Activity Referral Schemes (PARS): Stakeholders' Recommendations for Delivering Quality Care to Patients.

Evidence-based strategies are needed to curb the growing cases of physical inactivity related morbidities. Delivering holistic care through collaborative shared decision making could boost the effectiveness of physical activity referral schemes (PARS) and foster the quality of care for patients with multimorbidity. A qualitative study involving semi-structured telephone interviews was utilised to gain insights from Australian PARS stakeholders (general practitioners, exercise physiologists, and patients). A pluralistic evaluation approach was employed to explore and integrate participants’ opinions and experiences of PARS and their recommendations were used to develop a model for quality care delivery in PARS initiatives. Five overarching themes: promote, relate, incentivise, communicate, and educate were identified as the ‘PRICE’ for developing effective and functional PARS programmes that foster quality patient care. It was evident that PARS programmes or policies aimed at optimising publicity, encouraging incentives, improving interdisciplinary information sharing and professional relationships between patients and healthcare professionals can transform healthcare delivery and provide top quality PARS care services to patients. Therefore, governments, healthcare systems, and PARS administrators can translate and leverage the insights from this study to optimise the delivery of high quality care to PARS patients.

Iran hospital accreditation standards: challenges and solutions.

The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges of Iranian hospital accreditation standards and provide solutions. A qualitative research design was used in this study. Open and semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2018. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Public, private, semi-public, charity and military hospitals in Tehran, Iran. A pluralistic evaluation approach was employed and 151 participants including policy makers, hospital management and staff, accreditation surveyors and university professors participated in this study. Challenges of hospital accreditation standards were grouped into two groups: standards development process and standards content. Lack of an independent standards development committee, insufficient expertise of committee members, inconsistencies among the standards' constructs, inappropriate standard classification, ambiguity of standards, unmeasurable standards, vague and inflexible scoring system, and inability to use some standards were the main challenges of Iran hospital accreditation standards. Establishing a scientific committee consisting of representative from hospitals, health insurance companies, professional and scientific associations and universities for standard development, training the committee members, and utilizing hospital's feedback will help address these problems. Iran's hospital accreditation standards face challenges that prevent them from achieving their goals, that is, improving the quality, safety, effectiveness and efficiency of hospital services. Necessary measures should be taken to solve these problems.

Reflections on the Use of SSCI Papers in Evaluating Social Sciences Research in Chinese Universities

Purpose: This review demonstrates how to position Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) papers reasonably in order to promote the reform and development of the system for evaluating social sciences research (E-SSR) in China. Design/Approach/Methods: This review examines the contributions made by SSCI papers after such papers became a tool in the E-SSR system in Chinese universities, and the resultant issues. This review analyzes documents pertaining to the E-SSR systems of more than 50 world-class universities with consideration to the inherent characteristics and historical mission of social sciences research in China. The findings serve as the basis from which to examine the future trends in the reform of the E-SSR system in Chinese universities. Findings: The application of SSCI papers as an E-SSR tool is not common in world-class universities. To date, the reform of the E-SSR system in Chinese universities has involved: (i) establishing a pluralistic evaluation mechanism, with equal importance placed on SSCI papers and other research achievements; (ii) emphasizing the need for caution in using SSCI papers as an E-SSR tool and instituting distinct treatments for various disciplines; (iii) reducing the importance attached to journal language and ranking, while emphasizing innovation quality and practical contributions; and (iv) establishing China’s E-SSR standards in order to achieve an equilibrium between internationalization and localization. Originality/Value: This review argues that although SSCI papers constitute an indicator of E-SSR system, their importance must not be overstated. The main purpose of the E-SSR system is to facilitate the development of social sciences with a style and characteristics unique to China.

Research on evaluation system of pharmacology of traditional Chinese medicine base on the cultivation of autonomic learning ability

Cultivating students' autonomic learning ability is an important research area . It is very important to build a reasonable evaluation system in the process of cultivating students' autonomic learning ability. Based on the autonomic learning content and teaching methods of pharmacology of traditional Chinese medicine, this paper discusses the design and implementation strategies of pluralistic evaluation system including learning in the classroom, expands the learning out of the classroom, experimental operation and final examination, which emphasizes the combination of process evaluation and the participation of teachers and students. It is beneficial to stimulate students'self-learning motivation and improve their self-learning ability and learning effect. Key words: Autonomic learning; Pharmacology of traditional Chinese medicine; Evaluation system

Economic pluralism in the study of wage discrimination: a note

PurposeEconomic pluralism proposes that economists and social planners should consider alternative theories to establish a range of policy actions. Neoclassical, Feminist and Marxian theories evaluate well-grounded causes of wage discrimination. However, a reluctance to consider less-dominant theories among different schools of economic thought restricts analysis and proposed policies, resulting in a monism method. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors provide a brief review of the theoretical literature on wage discrimination. The significance of a pluralistic analysis is demonstrated by addressing correspondence test patterns of wage discrimination.FindingsIn considering Neoclassical, Feminist and Marxian theories, racist attitudes, uncertainties regarding minority workers’ productivity and power relations in lower-status sectors might generate discriminatory wages. Each cause deserves corresponding policy action.Research limitations/implicationsTime is needed to provide a pluralistic evaluation of wage discrimination. In addition, pluralism requires rigorous investigations to avoid incoherencies. Pluralism might be jeopardised if there is a limited desire to engage with less-dominant theoretical frameworks. Also, pluralism might be misled with rejection of dominant theories.Practical implicationsGiven pluralism, wage discrimination might be reduced by implementing equality campaigns, creating low-cost tests to predict workers’ productivity and abolishing power relations towards minority workers.Originality/valueLittle work has been on economic pluralism in the study of wage discrimination. The current study addresses the gap in the literature.

Development of a logic model to support a network approach in delivering 24/7 children's palliative care: part one.

This research aimed to develop and evaluate a 24/7 symptom-management service for children with life-limiting conditions and a model for palliative care nursing. A combination of audit and qualitative and quantitative evaluation. A consultant nurse-led service (n=5 clinical nurse specialists) provided care and support to children and their families, which spanned a range of settings (home, hospital, hospice) supported by a managed clinical network of consultant paediatricians (n=4) with postgraduate expertise in palliative care. A pluralistic evaluation was conducted where the predefined service standards were audited and the predetermined service objectives were evaluated using daily diary data from the nursing team (micro), qualitative and quantitative survey data of stakeholders using the service (mezzo) and family assessment of children's palliative care (CPC) standards across the CPC network (macro).

'Being a conduit' between hospital and home: stakeholders' views and perceptions of a nurse-led Palliative Care Discharge Facilitator Service in an acute hospital setting.

To explore and critically examine stakeholders' views and perceptions concerning the nurse-led Palliative Care Discharge Service in an acute hospital setting and to inform sustainability, service development and future service configuration. The drive in policy and practice is to enable individuals to achieve their preferred place of care during their last days of life. However, most people in UK die in acute hospital settings against their wishes. To facilitate individuals' preferred place of care, a large acute hospital in northeast England implemented a pilot project to establish a nurse-led Macmillan Palliative Care Discharge Facilitator Service. A pluralistic evaluation design using qualitative methods was used to seek stakeholders' views and perceptions of this service. In total, 12 participants (five bereaved carers and seven health professionals) participated in the evaluation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with bereaved carers who used this service for their relatives. A focus group and an individual interview were undertaken with health professionals who had used the service since its inception. Individual interviews were also conducted with the Discharge Facilitator and service manager. Analysis of all data was guided by Framework Analysis. Four key themes emerged relating to the role of the Discharge Facilitator Service: achieving preferred place of care; the Discharge Facilitator as the 'conduit' between hospital and community settings; delays in hospital discharge and stakeholders' perceptions of the way forward for the service. The Discharge Facilitator Service acted as a reliable resource and support for facilitating the fast-tracking of end-of-life patients to their preferred place of care. Future planning for hospital-based palliative care discharge facilitating services need to consider incorporating strategies that include: increased profile of the service, expansion of service provision and the Discharge Facilitator's earlier involvement in the discharge process.

Capacity development for knowledge translation: evaluation of an experiential approach through secondment opportunities.

Experiential approaches to skills development using secondment models are shown to benefit healthcare organizations more generally, but little is known about the potential of this approach to develop capacity for knowledge translation (KT). To evaluate the success of KT capacity development secondments from the perspective of multiple stakeholders. A pluralistic evaluation design was used. Data were collected during 2011-2012 using focus group and individual interviews with 14 clinical and academic secondees, and five managers from host and seconding organizations to gain insight into participants' perceptions of the success of secondments and the criteria by which they judged success. Six After Action Reviews were undertaken with KT project teams to explore participants' perceptions of the contribution secondees made to KT projects. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with three healthcare managers on completion of projects to explore the impact of secondments on the organization, staff, and patients. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify criteria for success. The criteria provided a framework through which the overall success of secondments could be judged. Six criteria for judging the success of the secondments at individual, team, and organization level were identified: KT skills development, effective workload management, team working, achieving KT objectives, enhanced care delivery, and enhanced education delivery. Benefits to the individual, KT team, seconding, and host organizations were identified. Hosting teams should provide mentorship support to secondees, and be flexible to accommodate secondees' needs as team members. Ongoing support of managers from seconding organizations is needed to maximize the benefits to individual secondees and the organization. Experiential approaches to KT capacity development using secondments can benefit individual secondees, project teams, seconding, and host organizations.

HERMENEUTIKOS METODO TAIKYMAS ŠIUOLAIKINIAME EDUKOLOGIJOS MOKSLE

Profesorė socialinių mokslų (edukologija) habilituota daktarė Šiaulių universiteto Edukacinių tyrimų mokslinio centro direktorė P. Višinskio g. 25–108, LT-76351 Šiauliai El. paštas: etmc@cr.su.ltEdukologijos magistras, Valstybinio Maskvos M. V. Lomonosovo universiteto doktorantas El. paštas: antanas.savickis@gmail.comHermeneutikos metodas nagrinėjamas remiantis bendrąja mokslo, kaip žmogaus veiklos, susiju­sios su socialinių ir humanitarinių mokslų kaita, tradicionalizmas vs šiuolaikiškumas paradigma. Remiantis tokia paradigma aiškinama, kad mokslas nėra kildinamas iš faktų, nes jis reiškia inter­pretacijas, turimų žinių taikymą naujiems tyrimo objektams. Straipsnyje pagrindžiama toji mokslo funkcija, kuri yra neatsiejama nuo sąmoningo vertybių ir prasmių kūrimo. Šiuolaikinės edukolo­gijos mokslas taip pat grindžiamas pažįstančiojo žmogaus ir pasaulio sąveika. Taip vienaip ar ki­taip humanizmo idėjoms atstovaujantiems socialiniam, humanitariniam ar net gamtos mokslui svarbus tampa ne tiek duomenų rinkimas ir stebėjimas, kiek teorinių modelių paieška, leidžianti atsižvelgiant į situaciją tinkamai paaiškinti ir interpretuoti tyrimo duomenis.

Qualitative Evaluation Processes in Arts Educational Projects

In this article we focus on evaluation processes through an arts education project evaluated using a pluralistic evaluation format. In the project artists worked in kindergartens and schools together with teachers. The essential concepts of pluralistic evaluation form the theoretical framework. The evaluation data included project documents, interviews and the final report of the whole project.The critical points of the project evaluation is building the criteria and making the values behind the evaluation visible and recognized. Good interaction, respect and mutual confidence between the actors make successful evaluation possible. The central questions were the relationship between practice and research and the significance of the value-bound nature of the evaluation processes.

The impact of practice development in an emergency department: a pluralistic evaluation

AbstractFollowing completion of a practice development (PD) project in a hospital emergency department (ED,) a pluralistic evaluation was undertaken to assess staff perspectives on the impacts of PD on the ED. Individual and focus group interviews were used to gather data, and thematic and integrative analyses of these were undertaken. The overall findings of the evaluation revealed that the participants consistently felt that PD was a valuable undertaking, was useful for engaging in processes of change and offered positive outcomes both for staff and for patients. The research results generate confidence in the methods of pluralistic evaluation to evaluate the impacts of PD. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

If ‘Something Works’ is the Answer, What is the Question?

The aims of the paper are to present the argument for pluralistic evaluation, by outlining and assessing the various measures that have been and might be used in the United Kingdom, and to question the value of relying on reconviction rates. Most evaluation studies of offender programmes in the community and in prison have been based on single measures, mostly the recidivism rate. Some studies have evaluated the effectiveness of particular programmes in terms of the costs or of changing the attitudes or addressing the needs and problems of offenders. However, no single measurement can reveal the full picture of the effectiveness of a particular correctional programme. This paper criticizes current evaluation-driven practice - only do things that can be measured and divert resources from delivery to fairly unimaginative evaluation. It concludes that commitment to pluralistic evaluation in principle is often compromised in practice.

Facilitating participation: a health action zone experience

Partnership working, engagement and participation of service recipients and providers are issues at the core of UK and international health and social care policies. Although always considered desirable, recent legislation makes this practice a legal imperative in England. However, the operationalization of the concepts pose a number of challenges. This paper draws on evaluative data to examine how these concepts were addressed within one of the largest health action zones (HAZ) in England. The research took a generative perspective and was intended to promote learning, deepen understanding, model actions and consequences, and to provide a guide to decision making. Three approaches of theories of change, pluralistic evaluation and soft systems methodology were combined in the research design. Data was collected through 39 individual tape-recorded interviews with people involved with HAZ at both strategic and operational levels. The findings allowed partnership and engagement activity to be categorized into two domains, those that led to entrenchment in old practices and those that facilitated engaging with a partnership and community involvement ethos. By making the facilitating and inhibiting variables more explicit, the potential for working to a partnership philosophy is enhanced.

Integration of overseas Registered Nurses: evaluation of an adaptation programme.

The growth in overseas nurse recruitment to address staff shortages in the United Kingdom (UK) has led to the proliferation of adaptation programmes for overseas nurses to gain appropriate experience and enable them register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This paper reports on selected findings from an independent evaluation of an adaptation programme for overseas Registered Nurses offered by a large acute National Health Service trust. This paper reports on a study to evaluate the programme with reference to its objectives, outcomes and overall success from the perspective of various stakeholders. A pluralistic evaluation research model was adopted to identify the criteria that stakeholders used to judge the success of an adaptation programme, and then to use these criteria to judge the programme in question. Data were collected by means of focus group and individual in-depth interviews with overseas nurses, ward managers, mentors, senior nurse managers and educators over a 12 month period and analysed by drawing on the principles of dimensional analysis. The criteria for success identified by the various stakeholders provided a framework through which the overall success of the initiative could be judged. Five meanings of success were identified: gaining professional registration; fitness for practice; reducing the nurse vacancy factor; equality of opportunity and promoting an organizational culture that values diversity. Key findings relating to each of these are presented. The ease with which nurses gained UK registration and integrated into the nursing workforce was influenced by the characteristics of the work environment, level of support, and organizational context. Industrialized nations recruiting from the global nursing market need to invest in providing appropriate support to enable overseas nurses to adapt to working in a different health care system and social and cultural context.

Pluralistic evaluation: a situational approach to service evaluation.

The increasing emphasis upon fiscal accountability within the British National Health Service has contributed to demand for evaluating the effectiveness of specific interventions and programmes of care. Whilst there is need for proficient measures of effectiveness, the achievement of this ideal is illusive. Issues of perspective, method and the social nature of healthcare contribute to the complexities of evaluation research. Presented with the task of evaluating the effectiveness of health services, academics and healthcare professionals are striving to seek responsive and adaptive methods of measuring success. This paper critically debates an approach to healthcare evaluation, which claims to respond to the dynamic and thorny issues that arise. Discussion clarifies whether a pluralistic approach to evaluation can measure success upon a criterion which represents the views of key stakeholders. This paper is underpinned by a review of the literature and reflects health, research and management opinions. Literature search methods follow the custom of electronic databases, bulletins boards and the British Library Classification Scheme. Keywords searched are healthcare evaluation, evaluation research, pluralistic evaluation, organizational and policy evaluation. The integration of policy perspectives and evaluation studies suggests that the pluralistic approach can formulate situational healthcare evaluation. However, there remains a likelihood of marginalizing the viewpoints of particular stakeholder groups. The role of the researcher is to co-ordinate reliable findings and safeguard against the bias associated with traditional professionally dominated methods of healthcare evaluation. Analysis suggests that pluralistic evaluation has the potential to develop a deep and real illustration of service provision and provide a basis upon which to develop recommendations.

A Study on Decision-making System under the Conflict Situation between Water Resources Development and Environmental Conservation

In case a water resources development would result in bad influences on basin environment in recent years, this development plan yields various stakeholders and conflicts. So, it has become important to make a decision based on not only design flood discharge or safety of water utilization but also consciousness of related stakeholders. However, the past approaches for evaluating stakeholders' consciousness, such as CVM, TCM, and Alternative-Matrix method, have some demerits when we answer questionnaires or make discussion. The purpose of this paper is to make pluralistic evaluation of effects to stakeholders. Moreover, the method suggested in this paper enables comparison between one stakeholder's effect and another's one. This method makes a trigger for constructive argument and consensus building by presenting the result to stakeholders. For this purpose, we take the following two steps.Firstly, the new approach for making the “satisfaction function” of a stakeholder is developed. This function means the degree of satisfaction corresponding to the stakeholder's criteria, and enables us to compare different criteria, such as flood control and environmental conservation. So-called “value function” resembles “satisfaction function”, but Keeney and Raiffa's conventional approach for making a “value function” has some problems about consistency between stakeholders. So, we propose the new approach for making “satisfaction function” by dividing a stakeholder to many groups who have different degree of necessity for improvement and evaluating each groups' degree of necessity.Secondly, this process is applied to the Yoshino River movable weir problem as a case study. In this case, we set two stakeholders, one is about flood control and another is about ecosystem. Then their satisfaction functions are constructed. Finally, we evaluate each group's satisfaction degree of each alternative with “factor-profile method”. The result shows the trade-off relationship between flood control and environmental conservation, and the groups that easily suffer from harm. In this way, the model and method proposed in this paper enables us to evaluate fairly the value of water resources development and environmental conservation, and to know the effects that alternatives have on stakeholders.

The use of pluralistic evaluation to explore people’s experiences of stroke services in the community

The use of pluralistic evaluation to explore people’s experiences of stroke services in the community