Proficiency Index Research Articles

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Cognitive Proficiency Index: alternate form reliability of the nine possible subtest tetrads

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) added a new interpretative level by assigning the ten standard subtests into one of two constructs, the General Ability Index or the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI). The CPI, inferred to be a non-intellective measure of information processing efficiency, is composed of the two Working Memory Index and the two Processing Speed Index subtests (DS, AR, CD, SS). However, each index has one supplemental subtest that can be used in place of a standard one, thereby creating nine possible CPI tetrads, except for senior adults 70−90. Measuring the equivalence reliability of the nine alternate CPI tetrads was the aim of this study. Using the WAIS-IV standardization data, it was shown that all nine CPI tetrads have exceptionally high subtest equivalence reliability (.90+). For neuropsychological research purposes, all nine CPI constructions can be considered interchangeable, alternate-form measures of composite information processing efficiency. However, more research is needed to establish their accuracy for individual assessment, as well as to measure the other important reliability and predictive construct validity characteristics of the nine CPI tetrads.

User Interface Modeling for Basic English Learning Applications using the Child-Centered Design Method

Interactive media convey information through videos or images that can move with computer control in their presentation. Interactive media have a positive effect on children's language development. A language is a tool that humans need to communicate with each other. With the development of technology, especially in communication, Indonesian people have begun to learn English which is used as a means of communication between nations around the world. According to the English Proficiency Index, Indonesia will be ranked 80th out of 112 countries in the world in 2021. This shows that Indonesia is included in the low ability group. One of the efforts to improve English language skills is to introduce basic material from an early age. Children aged 0-6 years quickly absorb and receive various information. This study aims to build a UI modeling of basic English learning applications according to the needs and criteria of kindergarten-age children, which was built using the Child-Centered Design method to analyze the tasks required by the user and evaluate the level of usability using the USE Questionnaire method with a Likert Scale of 1-5. The findings of this study provide user interface design recommendations for basic English learning applications and have a usability score of 88.75. These findings indicate that this application is easy to use and provides a positive experience in learning basic English for kindergarten-age children.

Accounting for Intraindividual Profiles in the Wechsler Intelligence Scales Improves the Prediction of School Performance.

IQ scores are often used to predict school performance. However, for children with learning disabilities, the predictive validity of IQ scores appears to be low. In the fourth and fifth versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC), new ancillary indices were introduced. The General Ability Index (GAI) is a broad measure of fluid reasoning with verbal, visual-spatial, and figural test items. By contrast, the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI) combines different executive functions known to be frequently affected in children with dyslexia, ADHD, or combined learning disorders. To date, there is little evidence to demonstrate that these measures improve the prediction of school performance beyond the Full-scale IQ (FSIQ). We therefore used lasso regression to explore the predictive validity of these measures for school grades. The analyzed samples were taken from the German standardization samples of the WISC-IV and the WISC-V. In most cases, the prediction of school performance was not considerably improved by taking the GAI or the CPI into account. However, when the individual discrepancy between the CPI and the GAI was high, the FSIQ lost its predictive validity in elementary school. In this subgroup of children, reading and writing skills were best predicted by the CPI, whereas math skills were limited by the lowest score (i.e., the minimum out of the CPI and the GAI).

Comparing the longitudinal development of phraseological complexity across oral and written tasks

AbstractThis study builds upon previous research investigating the construct validity of phraseological complexity as an index of L2 development and proficiency. Whereas previous studies have focused on cross-sectional comparisons of written productions across proficiency levels, the current study compares thelongitudinaldevelopment of phraseological complexity in writtenand oralproductions elicited over a 21-month period from learners of French. We also improve upon the state of the art by including L1 data to benchmark learner levels of phraseological complexity. Phraseological complexity, operationalized as the diversity (no. types) and sophistication (PMI) of adjectival modifiers (adjective + noun) and direct objects (verb + noun), was generally higher in learner writing as compared to speaking. Over the study period, the sophistication of phraseological units increased slightly but developmental patterns were found to differ between tasks, highlighting the importance of considering task characteristics when measuring phraseological complexity.

Complexity, accuracy, and fluency in L2 writing across proficiency levels: A matter of L1 background?

While there have been studies that explored complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) as an index of language proficiency, studies that comprehensively examined the inter-variations in the CAF of different L1 backgrounds across proficiency levels remain very limited. Thus, we investigated how CAF measures in L2 writing differentiate proficiency levels in six Asian L1 backgrounds. We also examined how these measures vary from one L1 background to another. A total of 3606 argumentative essays from the International Corpus Network of Asian Learners of English (ICNALE) were analyzed for 18 CAF measures. Overall results confirmed that differences exist among these measures as an index of proficiency when different L1 backgrounds are compared. The findings also provided some evidence that L2 writers who belong to typologically similar languages exhibit striking similarities in several CAF measures compared to typologically dissimilar languages. Nonetheless, the data showed that MLC, CN/T, WCR, and W/Tx are the most consistent among CAF measures in differentiating proficiency levels in each of the different L1 backgrounds. Implications for L2 writing assessment and future studies are discussed. • Complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) were examined jointly as indices of proficiency. • A large sample ( N = 3606) of essays across seven L1 backgrounds were analyzed. • The findings suggest that CAF does not follow a rigid pattern of development. • CAF as an index of proficiency varies from one L1 background to another.

OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY INDEX IN EFL-COUNTRIES

The English Proficiency Index (EPI) ranking released by Education First (EF) shows that Indonesian EPI falls under Vietnam in 2016 and commits a decreasing trend since 2011. Besides, other EFL-countries, e.g., Belgium and Argentina, could reach the 11th and 19th world ranking in the same year. These phenomena showed that Indonesian had problems in improving English language proficiency. Therefore, this paper is aimed at; (1) pointing out the factors affecting EPI from social-cultural, legal and educational perspectives, (2) factors affected by EPI, and, (3) recommendations for improving EPI based on the other EFL-countries with high EPI.
 Keywords: English Language Proficiency Index (EPI), EFL-countries

English Language Proficiency in the Philippines: An Overview

The Philippines is considered one of the largest English-speaking nations in the world. In fact, English is one of the official languages in the Philippines. But throughout the years, a gradual deterioration in English language proficiency can be observed among Filipinos based on the EF English Proficiency Index, Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), and the average score of Filipino IELTS takers. This paper aims to discuss the different factors behind the descending Filipino English proficiency, such as learners’ motivation, parental involvement, learning environment, teaching strategies, comprehensive input, learners’ socio-economic status, and learners' age. Several articles have been reviewed and examined for the authors to come up with the following conclusions: 1) Continuous practice and usage of the English language could help us further cement our economy; 2) there is still a huge room for improvement in terms of grammar which could also help alleviate learners’ anxiousness, and 3) we still need to strike a balance in polishing the English language education and nurturing our local and cultural languages. This review will help the teachers in planning and implementing English classes to improve students' English proficiency, the educational institutions that aim to uplift the quality of English language teaching, and curriculum developers in constructing innovative English proficiency learning materials.

Performance of children with ASD on the WISC‐V ancillary index scales

AbstractAncillary index scales provide assessment professionals the opportunity to conduct a more comprehensive interpretation of a student's performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC‐V); however, little is known about the performance of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on these scales. The ASD special group population from the standardization sample of the WISC‐V and their demographically matched controls were included in the study (total n = 124; mean age = 11.5 years). The results of a discriminant analysis revealed that the Auditory Working Memory Index, the Cognitive Proficiency Index, and the Full‐Scale IQ were the best at discriminating among the different groups suggesting that the various groups perform differently on these indexes. School psychologists should calculate all ancillary index scales to obtain the most comprehensive understanding of the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of a child with ASD.

Advanced practice providers proficiency-based model of ultrasound training and practice in the ED.

Competency in the application of point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) has come to be an expected fundamental skill set for advanced practice providers (APPs) in the emergency department. Both American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants approve of and endorse POCUS use by APPs. However, clinical exposure to and practice of ultrasound in this setting is often variable and without structure. POCUS training must be evolved into a system where developed skills are compatible with clinical need and expectations of APPs. At our institution, we developed a formal, structured POCUS training program for emergency medicine (EM) APPs (including physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and evaluated its efficacy quantitatively by means of a proficiency index. This report examines the EM POCUS training most common to physician assistants and nurse practitioners before practicing at our institution and explores the components of our POCUS training program that have affected program development.

Performance, proficiency, and training need of para-vets in the four states of India

In constrained availability of veterinarians and paramount study on the effectiveness of para-veterinary services, assessing the ability of these personnel vis-à-vis role proficiency and performance from stakeholder's perspective could act as impetus in reforming the animal healthcare and animal husbandry extension delivery system in India. The present study was conducted in four districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan respectively. A total of 380 respondents were surveyed, comprising of 160 dairy farmers, 160 para-vets, and 60 veterinarians. Two indices namely, Role Performance Index and Role Proficiency Index were exclusively designed. Based upon the responses, the training need of para-vets were analyzed from the perspective of veterinarians. Accountability for reporting for vaccine failure to higher authority, on-spot health hazard reduction by consulting vets in the uncommon situation and, dissemination of new tools and techniques to farmers (eg. CMT toolkit) were found low by 93.12, 86.62, 91.25% para-vets respectively. Nearly half of para-vets rated their proficiency in the medium category on the role proficiency index, followed by 36.25% in the low category towards the assessed roles. Veterinarians perceived high training needs for quarantine measures (93.33%), fodder production and silage making (88.34%), latest trends in animal breeding, feeding and reproductive management (91.67%), awareness about principles of animal management and disease control (83.34%), sufficient information about rapid test kits (73.33%), and knowledge about new technologies in Animal Husbandry evolved by research institutions (86.67%). Paraveterinary services were most skillful in Hisar district, followed by Jaipur and Ahmadnagar district, and least proficient in Mathura district.

Characteristics of gaze tracking during movement analysis by therapists.

[Purpose] Visual assessment of the quality of movement is a common and important component of physiotherapy. The purpose of this study is to quantify the level of proficiency of therapists and to obtain a new index of proficiency by measuring the coordinates of the gaze tracking trajectories of therapists with years of experience. [Participants and Methods] Eighteen voluntary physiotherapists (1st year (n=4), 7th year (n=1), 9th year (n=4), 10th year (n=3), 11th year (n=4), 13th year (n=1), and 21st year (n=1)) were recruited for this study. [Results] Discriminant analysis according to the size of the deviation between the X-axis and Y-axis of the range of gaze tracking during movement analysis measured from each therapist showed that the percentage of classification accuracy in the 10th year or less was 72.2%. Cluster analysis showed that two clusters were formed. Thirteen therapists in Cluster 2 were in their 9th year or more. Eye tracking trajectories can be classified by the 10th year of experience as a therapist. [Conclusion] It was shown that full-fledged therapists with 10 years of experience also expanded the range of eye tracking. The trajectory in the Y-axis direction tends to be extended with their 9th year or more of experience. In this point, quantitative judgments of eye-tracking results can serve as indicators of proficiency. The eye movements are important as a tool to objectively measure skills from experience.

Difference in the cognitive profile of children with specific learning disabilities

Context: Specific learning disabilities (SLDs) is a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by normal intelligence, and marked difficulty in academics and scholastic performance, thereby expressing gross discrepancy in the ability and achievement. Children with SLD have a typical cognitive profile. Like among the normal children, variance in the distribution of the intelligence is also observed among the children with SLD. Aims: The present study intends to categorize the children with SLD based on the intelligence quotient (IQ) and compare it with the nonlearning disabled (NLD) and further explore the cognitive profile associated with the respective category of SLD children. Settings and Design: In the present study, three groups of children in the age range of 8 to 12 years studying in 3 to 7th standard were selected as the sample for the study. Subjects and Methods: Seventy-seven children with SLD and 24 NLD children were tested for their IQ using the Wechsler's Intelligence Scale for children-IV. Seventy-seven children with SLD were categorized into two groups based on their Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ). The results were statistically analyzed and compared. Statistical Analysis: Independent sample t-test was used for the statistical analysis. Results: It was found that 58.4% of children with SLD had the FSIQ below 90 and 41.6% of children with SLD represented with the FSIQ as above 90. Both the groups of SLD children were compared with the NLD group. The significant difference is observed in the cognitive proficiency index (CPI) and general ability index (GAI). The SLD children of FSIQ below 90 had deficits in the domain of CPI and GAI and the SLD children with FSIQ above 90 had deficits in the area of CPI alone. The GAI and CPI of these children were further analyzed to reveal that the SLD children with FSIQ above 90 had difficulty in the area of working memory. Conclusion: The SLD may be represented as two different categories based on the cognitive profile. One category of children with SLD has their problems and difficulties confined to the domain of the working memory, while the other category of children has difficulty in the area of both GAI and CPI indicating difficulty in perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

An Overview of the Structure of English Language Teaching Programs in the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Singapore, Norway, and Turkey: The Countries Ranking Among the Top Five in EF Proficiency Index

As English is widely accepted as a lingua franca in today's world, the importance of the language has been acknowledged globally in the present case. To rank the countries in terms of their English language proficiency, the EF Proficiency Index is prepared each year. In this study, five countries having the highest scores according to the Index (2021) were taken into account together with the English language curricula of the top five ranking EFL countries (Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Singapore, and Norway). The English language teaching programs of these countries were analysed and compared in terms of the starting age, language assessment, and course content, adding to the comparison list a low-ranking country, Turkey. The data elicited through document analysis propounded the idea that overall, the objectives of English language curricula in these five countries have many common features and similarities. On the other hand, developing positive attitudes towards learning English is emphasised in the Turkish EFL context, and four basic language skills are treated separately in different grades. While other countries give prominence to communicative competence and communication skills together with the cognitive side of the language learning process, the affective components of the language learning process are emphasised in Turkey. Contemporary formative assessment techniques are also recommended in this continuum.

Negotiating hegemonies in language policy: ideological synergies in media recontextualizations of audit culture

ABSTRACT One of the products of globalization in sociolinguistics is the emergence of transnational regimes in language policy, in which power is exercised across boundaries of traditional nation states. This paper engages with audit culture, a transnational policy mechanism which involves the continuous evaluation of nation states’ performance through the use of purportedly neutral, typically quantitative instruments. As achieving broader visibility in public discourse is a key part of how such evaluations enforce language policy regimes, the paper presents an analysis of how an audit instrument, the Education First English Proficiency Index, was recontextualized in media discourse in Thailand over a 6-year period. The findings highlight an apparent discontinuity, as much of the neoliberal rhetoric in the audit instrument was not taken up in Thai media. Rather, the recontextualization was selective, with elements of the audit texts being integrated into an already established language policy regime in Thailand, built on nationalism and developmentalism. These findings point to the need to consider how language policy mechanisms like audit culture can facilitate synergies between hegemonic ideologies, particularly when they are recontextualized across different scales.

Syntactic Complexity Measures as Indices of Language Proficiency in Writing: Focus on Heritage Learners of Russian

Abstract The concept of linguistic complexity, understood broadly as a range of basic and elaborate structures available and accessible to learners as evidenced in their production of speech and writing (Ortega, 2003), has featured prominently in second language development research since the inception of the field. The field of heritage language acquisition, however, has only recently begun to engage linguistic complexity as a comprehensive lens for studying heritage language development. The current study contributes to this fledgling area of research by investigating automatically extracted measures of syntactic complexity in the written language of heritage learners of Russian at various developmental levels. The analysis of 12 measures of syntactic complexity allows us to conclude that the majority of automatically extracted indices differentiate proficiency levels of heritage speakers in the study. The study results provide important insights into the nature of heritage language development and are readily applicable for assessment and pedagogical purposes.

Computer vision coaching microsurgical laboratory training: PRIME (Proficiency Index in Microsurgical Education) proof of concept

Computer vision (CV) feedback could be aimed as a constant tutor to guide ones proficiency during microsurgical practice in controlled environments. Five neurosurgeons with different levels of microsurgical expertise performed simulated vessel dissection and micro-suture in an ex vivo model for posterior computer analysis of recorded videos. A computer program called PRIME (Proficiency Index of Microsurgical Education) used in this research recognized color-labeled surgical instruments, from downloading videos into a platform, with a range of motion greater than 3mm, for objective evaluation of number of right and left hand movements. A proficiency index of 0 to 1 was pre-established in order to evaluate continuous training improvement. PRIME computer program captured all hand movements executed by participants, except for small tremors or inconsistencies that have a range of motion inferior to 3mm. Number of left and right hand movements were graphically expressed in order to guide more objective and efficacious training for each trainee, without requiring body sensors and cameras around the operating table. Participants with previous microsurgical experience showed improvement from 0.2 to 0.6 (p < 0.05), while novices had no improvement. Proficiency index set by CV was suggested, in a self-challenge and self-coaching manner. PRIME would offer the capability of constant laboratory microsurgical practice feedback under CV guidance, opening a new window for oriented training without a tutor or specific apparatus regarding all levels of microsurgical proficiency. Prospective, large data study is needed to confirm this hypothesis.

PENGEMBANGAN MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN 16 TENSES BAHASA INGGRIS BERBASIS ANDROID

Indonesia is ranked 74 out of 100 countries and is in the low category in the EF EPI 2020 (Education First English Proficiency Index). Grammar and tenses are the basic components in English. This study aims to design, create, and implement learning 16 English tenses for college students. The learning media will provide tables and explanations of 16 tenses in English, sentence examples and exercises in the form of quizzes equipped with pronunciation sentences to practice listening skills. The data collection methods used were interviews, questionnaires, documentation and literature. The application is made based on Android that can be downloaded on Google Play. Based on the results of 50 college students’ evaluation, it stated that in terms of material, 91,9% was easy to understand, while in terms of UI, 97.6% was interesting to use, and in terms of UX, 90,8% was easy to use. Based on the interview results of 3 English lecturers in this study, it can be concluded that 83,7% of the material is suitable for the college student level, while in terms of UI, 86.7% is Demandia, Vol. 06 No. 02 (September 2021) 278 interesting to use, and in terms of UX. 91.7% is easy and recommended to be used as a supporting media for learning English at STMIK STIKOM Indonesia.&#x0D; Keywords: Learning media, English Tenses, Android application

Randomized controlled trial of once-per-week intermittent fasting for health improvement: the WONDERFUL trial.

AimsLow-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) predicts heart disease onset and may be reduced by intermittent fasting. Some studies, though, reported that fasting increased LDL-C; however, no study evaluated LDL-C as the primary endpoint. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of low-frequency intermittent fasting on LDL-C and other biomarkers.Methods and resultsAdults aged 21–70 years were enrolled who were not taking a statin, had modestly elevated LDL-C, had ≥1 metabolic syndrome feature or type 2 diabetes, and were not taking anti-diabetic medication (N = 103). Water-only 24-h fasting was performed twice weekly for 4 weeks and then once weekly for 22 weeks; controls ate ad libitum. The primary outcome was 26-week LDL-C change score. Secondary outcomes (requiring P ≤ 0.01) were 26-week changes in homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Metabolic Syndrome Score (MSS), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and MicroCog general cognitive proficiency index (GCPi). Intermittent fasting (n = 50) and control (n = 53) subjects were, respectively, aged 49.3 ± 12.0 and 47.0 ± 9.8 years, predominantly female (66.0% and 67.9%), and overweight (103 ± 24 and 100 ± 21 kg) and had modest LDL-C elevation (124 ± 19 and 128 ± 20 mg/dL). Drop-outs (n = 12 fasting, n = 20 control) provided an evaluable sample of n = 71 (n = 38 fasting, n = 33 control). Intermittent fasting did not change LDL-C (0.2 ± 16.7 mg/dL) vs. control (2.5 ± 19.4 mg/dL; P = 0.59), but it improved HOMA-IR (−0.75 ± 0.79 vs. −0.10 ± 1.06; P = 0.004) and MSS (−0.34 ± 4.72 vs. 0.31 ± 1.98, P = 0.006). BDNF (P = 0.58), GCPi (P = 0.17), and weight (−1.7 ± 4.7 kg vs. 0.2 ± 3.5 kg, P = 0.06) were unchanged.ConclusionsA low-frequency intermittent fasting regimen did not reduce LDL-C or improve cognitive function but significantly reduced both HOMA-IR and MSS.Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02770313.

Kabul Koşulları Önemli midir? Hollanda ve Türkiye'de İngilizce Öğretmenliği Programı Kabul Koşulları Kıyaslaması

Qualifications of language teachers affect their students' language development and proficiency. Turkish learners' low performance in international English proficiency indices requires an investigation of the qualifications of language teachers from a critical point of view. Without doubt, one of the crucial qualifications that language teachers need to possess is a high proficiency and competency in the target language. However, graduating from different programs in high schools, students are placed in English language teaching (ELT) programs with limited English proficiency. Considering the success of the Netherlands as the top country in international English proficiency indices, this study aims to find the admission requirements of the ELT programs in the Netherlands, to compare them with the ones in Turkey, and to suggest comprehensive admission requirements for ELT programs in Turkey. In this regard, a document analysis merging a detailed analysis of information regarding the admission requirements of the ELT programs in both countries and national and international statistics was conducted. Consequently, some recommendations regarding the likely changes to be made in the admission requirements to the ELT programs in Turkey are made.

Evaluation of a novel universal robotic surgery virtual reality simulation proficiency index that will allow comparisons of users across any virtual reality simulation curriculum.

Evaluate a universal proficiency metric for Robotic Surgery Virtual Reality (VR) simulation that will allow comparison of all users across any VR curriculum. Retrospective analysis of VR Simulation metrics. Two training institutions. Residents, fellows and practicing surgeons. Analysis of the Mimic robotic Virtual Reality (VR)-Simulation database of over 600,000 sessions was utilized to calculate Mean scores for each exercise. Those Mean scores were then normalized to 100. Subject's scores were also averaged and normalized to 100. We called this Index score the MScore Proficiency Index (MPI©). Scores above 100 were better than average; Less than 100 were worse than average. Seventeen thousand six hundred and forty eight sessions were analyzed (2017-2020) comparing 77 students (residents to practicing surgeons) working in 7 different curriculums. On average, each student spent 8h and 24min on simulation, attempted 26.5 different exercises, and became proficient in 20.6 exercises per user. The MPI© mean score for all participants in all curricula was an MPI© of 104.9 (SD: 15.5). Thirteen students were 1 standard deviation below the norm with an average MPI© of 80.15. This group averaged 9h 27min each on the simulator attempting 23.46 exercises but becoming proficient in only 10.38(47%) of them in 224 sessions. Twelve students were 1 standard deviation above the norm with an averageMPI© of 127.05. This group averaged 6h 31min each on the simulator attempting 29.08 exercises but becoming proficient in 27.5 (95%) of them in 196 sessions. A universal skill-based performance index (MPI©) was calculated and found to be a reliable tool that could be used to identify relative proficiency among students in different robotic surgery VR Simulation curriculums. An individual user's proficiency can be utilized to identify a student's progress in a given curriculum. Future studies of MPI© will determine if machine learning can provide timely personalized feedback to the user.