Self-assessment Process Research Articles

Rediseño de un sitio web como sistema de información mediante la arquitectura de información: en busca del fortalecimiento de la comunicación

It describes the actions developed in an investigation about the redesign of the School of Library and Information Science website at the University of Costa Rica through the use of information architecture and the information system approach, as a comprehensive, systematic and continuous process. It seeks to improve the dissemination of activities of the School and enhance communication with the students, faculty and staff. The research is part of an improvement project that arises from a number of weaknesses identified in the self-assessment process from 2007-2012. Finally, the degree of progress of the project and its impact at the organizational level is presented.

Capitalismo, cambios curriculares y formación profesional en Trabajo Social en Guatemala.

The role of higher education is of strategic importance given the need to link with society and its development. Furthermore the neoliberal capitalist process is progressively developing social inequalities. Given this reality and in response to it, and despite the time of crisis in public higher education, the teaching staff of the School of Social Work University Center (CUNOC) Western University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC) concludes a process of Self-Assessment and initiates actions of Career Enhancement. This activities include: strengthening research for understanding and addressing social issues, university outreach to civil society and the state, permanent pedagogical training of teachers, students participation in academic and administrative management, finding an effective and efficient academic and administrative structure, curriculum innovation model to enhance quality in training, teaching approaches which exceed verticality education, access to networks and information systems and links with national and international academic institutions, all with the purpose of qualitatively improving vocational training and Social Workers intervention; therefore try to respond to the social needs of the population in conditions of exclusion and poverty and the demands of the labor market as well as those of socio-political, cultural, economic and environmental context.

Autoevaluación institucional y dirección de centros inclusivos

La inclusión educativa se considera inherente a la eficacia escolar y ésta directamente asociada a la calidad de los docentes y de la función directiva. La autoevaluación institucional aparece como un proceso central de la dirección escolar para la inclusión socioeducativa en contextos de desventaja. Presentamos un proceso de autoevaluación colegiada desarrollado entre la universidad y los equipos directivos de escuelas públicas de una zona escolar con necesidades educativas preferentes para caracterizar y mejorar la función directiva en tales contextos. La metodología (investigación-acción) permite acceder a las condiciones del desempeño de la dirección desde aproximaciones participativas y autogestionadoras. La autoevaluación colegiada, función débilmente controlada por los equipos directivos, les permite centrarse, además, en otras funciones complejas de la dirección escolar como la coordinación interna de sus centros, la relación familia-escuela y las redes de colaboración intercentros y con la comunidad, profundizando así en los liderazgos pedagógico, distribuido y contextualizado.

La autoevaluación, un proceso fundamental para la formación del ser humano en el contexto de la paz y la convivencia

Este artículo en la primera parte se dedica a ahondar en la autoevaluación de personas, centrada en las mismas personas que son las únicas que tienes derecho en realidad de evaluarse a sí mismas, con el fin de superar sus propias limitaciones; en la segunda parte, se dedica a caracterizar la evaluación de procesos en el marco de la au- toevaluación en la gestión educativa. Se espera que con lo expuesto a continuación se tenga la clara diferencia entre evaluación de personas y evaluación de procesos para actuar en consecuencia con lo propuesto en las instituciones educativas que tienen como principio el bien común y el desarrollo humano. Es de resaltar que la autoevaluación de perso- nas es una estrategia fundamental para la evaluación de competencias filosóficas, que son relacionadas con la capacidad y la potencia como la oportunidad de ejercer poder para una transformación en un objeto o una disposición para llegar a ser algo (Sánchez y Arias, 2009, p. 67). Para finalizar, a quienes se encargan de dirigir y orientar los procesos de autoevaluación es fundamental recordarles que la comprensión de una autoevaluación planificada y cuyos resultados se utilicen para retroali- mentar a la persona y a la organización es el inicio y la continuación de la transformación para el mejoramiento.

Outcomes from a Digital Literacy Project

The Digital Literacy Project was launched in response to recognising that the use of technologies to enable dual campus collaborative teaching and learning required an improvement in the digital skills of staff. The project used a process of self-assessment and competency based training to address identified needs in workplace, educational and communication technology skills. On completion of the project, staff were surveyed and asked about their experiences of the self assessment and training processes. Staff indicated that while the needs self-assessment process was cumbersome, time-consuming and sometimes confusing, the training received was beneficial, but needed to be timely, personally relevant and easily accessible. As a result of this research, it is recommended that the self-assessment process be consolidated and that the Institute consider mechanisms to measure the overall effectiveness of ongoing training initiatives with respect to training delivery, embedding of new skills and Institutional Return on Investment.

Video Review in Self-Assessment of Pharmacy Students’ Communication Skills

The objectives of this study were to develop a student self-assessment activity of a video-recorded counseling session and evaluate its impact on student self-perceptions of specific communication skills. This activity was incorporated into a core-communications course within the third professional year of a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. Student counseling sessions were video-recorded and released to students for self-assessment review. After watching their recorded counseling sessions, students completed an eight-question, paper-based survey which evaluated the impact of self-assessment on communication skill perceptions. Most students (95.6%) agreed or strongly agreed that their self-assessment process was valuable in developing their communication skills. The greatest change in assessment was associated with the use of eye contact (49.5%). Approximately 40% of students noted changes in perceptions for appropriate rate of speech (42.1%), voice volume (39.8%), and facial expressions (37.2%). Overall, self-assessment of video-recorded counseling sessions impacted students’ perceptions of both verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Aural Image in Practice

This multiple case study examined six adolescent band students engaged in self-directed practice. The students’ practice sessions were videotaped. Students provided verbal reports during their practice and again retrospectively while reviewing their video immediately after practice. Students were asked to discuss their choice of practice strategies, their self-assessment process, and their motivation. This study suggests that student use (and nonuse) of aural imagery seemed to affect practice in multiple ways relating to motivation, goal setting, strategy use, and self-assessment. The quality of aural image a student had of the music to be played seemed to be related to the student’s level of music literacy.

Autoevaluación y renovación de la acreditación de alta calidad del programa de Mercadeo y Publicidad de la Institución Universitaria Politécnico Grancolombiano

El presente artículo, resultado de investigación, pretende registrar el proceso de autoevaluación orientado a la renovación de la acreditación de alta calidad del programa de Mercadeo y Publicidad de la Institución Universitaria Politécnico Grancolombiano en concordancia con los lineamientos del Consejo Nacional de Acreditación. La metodología empleada y resultados del proceso de autoevaluación demostraron que el programa cumple con alto nivel de calidad, por lo cual, mediante Resolución 16036 del 10 de diciembre de 2012, el Gobierno, a través del Consejo Nacional de Acreditación otorga la renovación de acreditación de alta calidad articulando recomendaciones a partir de la evaluación externa y final. Dicho reconocimiento se convierte en un estímulo para el mejoramiento continuo del programa y de cada uno de los actores que lo representan.

Governance Practices and Performance in US Academic Medical Centers

Recognition of the complex nature of modern health care delivery has led to interest in investigating the ways in which various factors, including governance structures and practices, influence health care quality. In this study, the chief executive officers (CEOs) of US academic medical centers were surveyed to elicit their perceptions of board structures, activities, and attitudes reflecting 6 widely identified governance best practices; the relationship between use of these practices and organizational performance, based on the University HealthSystem Consortium's Quality & Accountability rankings, was assessed. High-performing hospitals showed greater use of all 6 practices, but the strongest evidence supported a focus on board member education and development, the rigorous use of performance measures to guide quality improvement, and systematic board self-assessment processes. All hospitals, even those with the highest quality ratings, had major gaps in their use of best practices for CEO and board assessments. These findings can serve as the basis for developing sound board improvement plans.

A goal orientation analysis of teachers’ motivations to participate in the school self-assessment processes of a quality assurance system in Chile

The current study examined the goal orientations that could be inferred from how teachers from six municipal schools in Chile described their understandings, emotions, and behaviors during their participation in the assessment phase of the School Management Quality Assurance System. Content analysis of focus group interview transcripts evidenced three school-level patterns of participation, associated with distinct goal orientations. Projective participation to judge the quality of the school’s practices was associated with a learning orientation (one school). Consultant participation to demonstrate competence to external inspectors was associated with a performance-approach orientation (one school). Simple participation to complete tasks imposed by administrators was associated with a performance-avoidance orientation (four schools). School-level differences highlighted teachers’ perceptions of the characteristics of their school’s culture associated with the adoption of these goal orientations. These included existing internal accountability practices, the social capital the school could leverage to implement self-assessment and use external feedback, and the existing structures for teacher participation in decision making. These factors may prove to be a useful guide for the development of induction strategies to support the use of school assessment in ways that foster, rather than diminish, teachers’ motivation.

Universitary Evaluation. From the Program's Accreditation to the Institutional Evaluation

Abstract Evaluative practices at Argentine Universities have been realized in two ways: the first related to the accreditation of university programs and the second related to the evaluation of the universities as educational institutions. Bearing this in mind, this study presents an analysis of the concepts of evaluation, explicit and implicit in the processes, revealing the underlying logics. Also the procedures carried out by the institutions for implementing self-assessment processes and their relationships to the external evaluation are categorized focusing on the subjects and objects of evaluation in each case. A categorical discourse analysis is carried out, which is crossed with the documental study. The present work provides input for the strategic situational planning of the University, as a starting point to strenghten the evaluation process in the institutional context, thus enabling the articulation of practices, economy of effort and quality assurance of the assessment at the institutional level.

Continuing Improvement in Type 2 Diabetes Care Through Performance-Based Evaluations

The timely evidence-based care of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is imperative for achieving and maintaining glycemic control, reducing complications, and changing the paradigm of this epidemic. Based largely on results from earlier performance improvement (PI) activities, we conducted a continuing medical education (CME)-certified PI activity to foster improved adherence to guideline recommendations and current evidence for the care of patients with T2DM. Participants engaged in a 3-stage process of self-assessment, goal setting, and reassessment. A total of 64 clinicians completed the entire PI process, abstracting data from 1600 patient charts before and after a period of self-improvement. After the intervention, clinicians were more likely to assess patients for disease-related complications and provide counseling on proper nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation. Patients with A1C, blood pressure (BP), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values above goal (defined as A1C ≥7, BP ≥130/80 mm Hg, and LDL-C >100 g/dL) were more likely to receive treatment modifications compared with baseline clinician performance. Significant changes observed in patient outcomes included improved mean A1C values (baseline 7.5% vs postintervention 7.3%; P = .027), decreased likelihood of BP at or above 130/80 mm Hg (baseline 37% vs postintervention 30%; P < .001), and decreased likelihood of LDL-C above 100 g/dL (baseline 33% vs postintervention, 27%; P < .001). Significant changes in clinician performance of key quality measures were reported in patients with T2DM after a PI CME activity improved adherence to evidence-based recommendations of care.

La autoevaluación en la construcción de capacidades de mejora de la escuela como comunidad de aprendizaje profesional

The purpose of this article is to highlight how self-assessment processes must enroll in a process of collective capacity building at schools, as a critical factor for managing the improvement at school as Professional Learning Communities which focus on improvements in teacher quality and teaching, we are able to promote self-assessment as device of development. Without purposeful, focused, and sustained capacity building, the self-evaluation will be shallow at worst and at best uneven learning where any gains are likely to be short-lived. The self-evaluation within the context of Professional Learning Communities creates an infrastructure for creating a better professional practice and enhancing school wide capacity for sustainable improvement.

El portafolios formativo: Un recurso para la reflexión y auto-evaluación en la docencia

Se presentan resultados de una investigación cualitativa titulada “El portafolios como un recurso innovador para evaluar y mejorar la enseñanza universitaria”, que se realizó en una universidad pública ubicada en la Ciudad de México. El propósito central del texto es mostrar qué tipo de procesos de reflexión y autoevaluación generó en los docentes la construcción de su propio portafolios. Entre otras cuestiones, se menciona qué pasos se siguieron para el diseño del portafolios, y la forma en que se condujo un seminario taller que permitió llevar a la práctica la construcción del portafolios por cada uno de los participantes. Se definen los supuestos teóricos en que se fundamentó el trabajo y se exponen ciertos hallazgos, que tienen que ver con los procesos de reflexión que realizaron los docentes y que les permitieron autoevaluar su trabajo e implementar algunos cambios para su mejoría.

Client Self-Assessment in Community Aged Care

Self-assessment of support needs is a relatively new and under-researched phenomenon in domiciliary aged care. This article outlines the results of a comparative study focusing on whether a self-assessment approach assists clients to identify support needs and the degree to which self-assessed needs differ from an assessment conducted by community care professionals. A total of 48 older people and their case managers completed a needs assessment tool. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain older people’s views and preferences regarding the self-assessment process. The study suggests that while a co-assessment approach as outlined in this article has the potential to assist older people to gain a better understanding of their care needs as well as the assessment process and its ramifications, client self-assessment should be seen as part of a co-assessment process involving care professionals. Such a co-assessment process allows older people to gain a better understanding of their support needs and the wider community aged care context. The article suggests that a co-assessment process involving both clients and care professionals contains features that have the capacity to enhance domiciliary aged care.

Procesos de autoevaluación en la Escuela Interamericana de Bibliotecología de la Universidad de Antioquia, en clave de investigación

The article gives an account of the self-assessment process for the purposes of renewal of the High Quality Certificate carried out in 2011 as a research activity in the Inter-American School of Librarianship at the University of Antioquia, which might serve as a benchmark for other institutions involved in similar activities.

The relationships between soft-hard TQM factors and key business results

Purpose– This paper aims to advance in the knowledge of the EFQM model as a framework for implementing total quality management (TQM). To do so, the work identifies the soft-hard TQM factors in the EFQM model, investigates the relationships between these factors and analyses their influence on key business results.Design/methodology/approach– The methodology used is factorial analysis and structural equations – specifically the partial least squares technique. The sample is made up of 116 private firms. TQM is an integral management philosophy which is based on a set of social and technical factors that must be put into practice through a reference framework, such as the one in the EFQM model.Findings– The work empirically identifies three dimensions that correspond to the soft-hard TQM factors (management and human resources, strategic management of partnerships and resources and processes management). Furthermore, it shows how these dimensions make up a management system that has a significant effect on key business results.Research limitations/implications– The main limitations are to be found in the sample used – private firms from a specific geographical context.Practical implications– The research model facilitates the design of a management system for professionals and orientates them in its implementation and improvement with a view to influencing key results.Originality/value– The data have been obtained from the scores of the processes of self-assessment and external assessment followed by firms that were candidates for excellence awards. The work empirically identifies the social and technical factors implied in the EFQM model and their relationships. Moreover, it presents the effect on a type of result that has not been analysed very much: key results (economic, financial, innovation or processes improvement).

Moving toward Trauma-Informed Practice in Addiction Treatment: A Collaborative Model of Agency Assessment

Clients in substance abuse treatment need, in addition to evidence-based and sensitive treatment services in general, a system of care that takes into account the impact of trauma and violence in so many of their lives. In addition, services need to be delivered in a way that avoids triggering trauma memories or causing unintentional re-traumatization. To that end, this article describes an agency self-assessment process that combines a trauma-informed assessment, a NIATx process of “walking-through” and use of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement's Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, and a user-friendly format. The trauma-informed assessment is designed to address issues of safety of clients and staff members, reduction of re-traumatization, consistency in practice, and client empowerment. It brings a non-judgmental, collaborative approach to process and practice improvement. The article describes how the assessment process can be—and has been—used to develop an Action Plan, including trainings and the identification of “trauma champions”; i.e., staff who will continue to spread trauma-informed changes and new evidence-based practices throughout the agency. As we enter a period of healthcare reform, addressing trauma as an integral part of addiction treatment also allows us to better deal with the totality of our clients’ health problems.

The Hidden Curriculum

The authors describe a process of self-assessment attuned to equity and justice in the policies and practices that affect student diversity, namely, those associated with the selection of candidates. The disproportionate rate of rejection for applicants from underrepresented groups and the unsystematic process of applicant selection operated as hidden curriculum affecting the opportunities for the program to enhance meaningful relationships among diverse groups of students. The authors describe institutional and sociopolitical conditions, and individual actions reflecting a faculty’s will to policy. Faculty efforts supported and challenged systemic change to increase racial and ethnic diversity among aspiring educational administrators.

Schoolchild's Self-esteem as a Factor Influencing Motivation to Learn

One of the most important reasons influencing motivation of learning is self-esteem. Good results of learning for schoolchildren as well as for their nearest persons reveal the skills. Schoolchildren's self-assessment level correlates with their motivation to learn. That is why a positive assessment becomes a learning interests forming factor. The paper reveals the factors influencing a successful formation of teenagers self-esteem; educator's individual role in the process of education. Schoolchildren's self- esteem depends on teacher's working style and teaching methods. Self-assessment of schoolchildren in the process of learning is apparent, changing and developing. Teacher is an active and important agent in a schoolchild‘s self-assessment process; communicating with a child he evaluates progress, influences initiatives.