There is a great deal of literature written on conflict mediation and Resident Assistant (RA) training. This literature not only helps to define what each area is, but it provides readers with the knowledge necessary to become skilled in mediation or to effectively design training programs to educate students employed to work in residence halls. However, there is little literature regarding how RAs are trained in conflict mediation. This study attempts to address this gap. The purpose of this study was to determine how RAs and professional staff at three public institutions perceive conflict mediation training provided to RAs. To answer the research questions posed in this study the researcher used a self-designed questionnaire. The design of this questionnaire specifically asked questions focusing on the conflict mediation training RAs receive, how often these skills are used, and how important these skills are as perceived by professional and student employees as well as by gender. One hundred seventy-nine responses representing a 31 percent response rate were used in this study. Twenty percent of the participants were professional residence life staff members. The other 80 percent were RAs. In addition, 34 percent of the participants were male and 67 percent of the participants were female. This study's findings illustrated five significant differences in perception among professionals and RAs as well as differences among male and female RAs. Professionals responsible for training RAs may wish to consider these differences as they design future training workshops. However, the study's findings also illustrated that there is an overwhelming, positive consensus in perception regarding RA training in conflict mediation. Not only are RAs trained in conflict mediation but they use and value these skills as well. In addition, these findings indicate that paraprofessional staffing models are successful. / Master of Arts

The department of computer science, across many schools in the US, have been seeing a constant increase in enrollments over the last decade. This particularly impacts class sizes of introductory courses, as they are usually listed as required prerequisites courses. The students in these courses typically have very little or zero prior experience with programming. In such course settings, it is not an exaggeration to state that most students in these courses spend more one-on-one time with the course teaching assistants than they do with their course instructors. This implies that the kind of individual attention provided by the TAs of such courses to their students has a very high impact on the students’ learning and the quality of the TAs would greatly impact the quality of the course and directly or indirectly also impact the student retention rate and their interest in computer science for their academic/industry careers. We wanted to take a closer look at what it is that these TAs do, and how they do it. We observed TAs from two introductory courses for almost about two semesters, and conducted a focus group meeting each with TAs and students enrolled in these course. We found that the TAs felt responsible for instilling an interest in computer science in the students, apart from helping them to learn by themselves. We also found that the students see teaching assistants as a very valuable resource, when it comes to actually applying the concepts that they learn in lecture. Our findings tells us that there is a gap between what the TAs think they need to give as help to the students and what the students tend to expect from their TAs. We also discuss the implications of our findings and possible future work. / Master of Science

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are responsible for the care of America's aging population. CNAs are paid a miniscule amount of money and are often ineligible for medical benefits through their employers. CNAs bathe, change, feed, and help toilet the residents of long-term care facilities. The stressful work and personal lives of CNAs leads to many problems such as high turnover rates, absenteeism, health problems, and elder abuse. In the United States, food insecurity is a concern for many of the uninsured working poor. The purpose of this study was to assess the overall perceived concerns, barriers, and solutions of CNAs in both their work and family environments, identify where nutrition and food security fits into the priorities of CNAs, and identify educational strategies to improve their health and overall quality of life. Twenty-nine CNAs participated in six focus groups across the state of Virginia. Triangulation techniques were used to compare both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (participatory activities and questionnaires) research. Participatory activities showed that the top home concern of CNAs was money management. CNAs ranked keeping their family healthy fourth (9.6%), and they ranked preparing fast easy meals eighth (1.7%). The top work concern of CNAs was time management. Staying healthy at work ranked fourth (12.9%), while packing a nutritious lunch was sixth (3.4%). The preferred methods of education for the participants were watching videotapes, attending classes at a central location, and having a mentor to help them with their problems. / Master of Science

This study investigates the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistants in reducing administrative burdens on public school teachers in the United States, where approximately $1.04 billion annually is allocated for teachers to perform non-teaching tasks. As AI technologies advance, their integration into educational settings presents an opportunity to automate 20-40% of administrative activities, reallocating up to 13 hours per week toward more impactful educational engagements. This shift could significantly mitigate teacher burnout, a significant factor in the profession’s high turnover rates. The introduction of the AI chatbot, “EL” (Education and Learning in Inclusive Environments), is posited as a transformative tool designed to assist with routine administrative tasks, potentially enhancing educational efficiency and allowing teachers to focus more on direct student interaction and pedagogical innovation. The quasi-experimental research design employed a T-test, Chi-Squared, and Cohen’s d to analyze the effects of AI assistant usage among pre-service teachers at the University of Central Florida. Through a pretest and post-test approach, the study assessed the effectiveness of EL in creating lesson plans that included accommodations and modifications. Additionally, the research examined the correlation between the frequency of AI assistant usage and the likelihood of pre-service teachers allowing their future students to use AI tools and pre-service teachers use of AI over four weeks. Preliminary results indicate a significant change in the attitudes and practices of pre-service teachers regarding AI, with notable improvements in their familiarity and ethical considerations of AI use in educational settings. The findings suggest that integrating AI assistants like “EL” can effectively support teachers and enhance student learning experiences, highlighting the necessity of including AI literacy in teacher education programs.

No / There has been a significant rise in the number of applicants to nursing pre-registration courses at British universities. A large proportion of these will be healthcare assistants. This article aims to guide them through the process of applying for nurse training and preparing for a successful outcome at interview.

Nous nous intéressons au développement prouvé de composants formels pour un générateur de code pré-qualifié. Ce dernier produit un code séquentiel (C et Ada) pour des modèles d'entrée qui combinent les flots de données et de contrôle et qui présentent des possibilités d'exécution concurrente (Simulink/Stateflow et Scicos). Le développement prouvé permet de réduire le coût des tests et d'augmenter l'assurance des outils développés avec cette approche vis-à-vis de la qualification. Les phases de spécification, de développement et de vérification des outils développés sont effectuées avec l'assistant de preuve Coq. Ce dernier permet d'extraire le contenu calculatoire des composants en préservant les propriétés prouvées en Coq. Ce code extrait est ensuite intégré dans une chaîne complète de développement (chaîne de GeneAuto). Nous présentons un cadre formel, inspiré de l'analyse statique, qui s'appuie sur la sémantique abstraite et qui est instanciable sur plusieurs composants du générateur de code. Nous nous basons sur les ensembles partiellement ordonnés et sur le calcul de point fixe pour définir le cadre et effectuer les différentes analyses des composants du générateur de code. Ce cadre formel comporte toutes les preuves communes aux composants et indépendantes des analyses effectuées. Deux composants sont étudiés : l'ordonnanceur et le typeur des modèles d'entrée. / We are interested in the proved development of formal components for a pre-qualified code generator. This produces a sequential code (C and Ada) for input models that combine data and control flows, with potential concurrent execution (Simulink/Stateflow and Scicos). The proved development reduces test cost and increases insurance of components developed with this approach regarding the qualification. Phases of specification, development and verification of the developed components are done with the Coq proof assistant. This allows to extract the computational content of the components preserving the properties proved in Coq. The extracted code is then integrated into the complete development tool-chain (GeneAuto tool-chain). We present a formal framework, inspired from static analysis, based on the abstract semantics which is instantiable to several components of the code generator. We rely on partially ordered sets and fixed-point to define de formal framework and to perform the various analysis of components of the code generator. This formal framework includes all proofs common to the components and independent from the performed analyses. Two components are studied : the scheduler and the type checker of input models.

L’autodétermination est un droit universel qui repose sur le principe de normalisation (Nirje, 1972). Wehmeyer (1999) définit le concept d’autodétermination comme l’ensemble des habiletés et attitudes requises chez une personne, lui permettant d'agir directement sur sa vie en effectuant librement des choix non influencés par des agents externes. En accord avec ces idées, les politiques sociales de nombreux pays placent le concept d’autodétermination comme un élément central, permettant de guider toute démarche d’accompagnement des personnes en situation de handicap et notamment des personnes présentant une Déficience Intellectuelle (DI). Les recherches montrent que les personnes présentant une trisomie 21 présentent une autodétermination limitée, ainsi que des difficultés cognitives, motrices et de fonctionnement quotidien qui ne leur permettent pas de participer pleinement à leur vie et à leur communauté. Les technologies d’assistance, et en particulier les technologies de soutien à l’autodétermination, offrent des perspectives extrêmement prometteuses chez les personnes présentant une DI, notamment en ce qui concerne le développement personnel, les compétences, l'inclusion sociale ou encore la participation communautaire. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de cette thèse sont de : 1) mieux comprendre les difficultés d’autodétermination des personnes présentant une trisomie 21 ; 2) mieux comprendre les difficultés cognitives dans cette population ; et 3) concevoir et valider deux outils numériques de soutien à l’autodétermination. Les résultats des études présentées dans cette thèse montrent que l’autorégulation est la composante de l’autodétermination perçue comme étant la plus faible par les personnes présentant une trisomie 21, alors que l’autonomie comportementale et l’autoréalisation ne sont pas perçues comme étant problématiques. Ils montrent également que le niveau d’autodétermination est lié aux compétences langagières, mnésiques ainsi qu’aux capacités motrices. De plus, ces études mettent en avant des déficits de mémoire prospective et de prise de décision chez les adultes présentant une trisomie 21, en lien également avec les difficultés d’autodétermination et d’autorégulation. Enfin, les deux assistances numériques conçues et développées ont montré leur efficacité (amélioration de la richesse du projet de vie, pour l’un, et des habiletés domiciliaires, pour l’autre). Leur utilisation prolongée a été associée à des répercussions extrêmement positives sur le bien-être psychologique, l’inquiétude, l’autodétermination et l’estime de soi. / Self-determination is a universal right based on the principle of normalization (Nirje, 1972). Wehmeyer (1999) defines the concept of self-determination as the set of skills and attitudes required for individuals to act upon their lives by making free choices that are not influenced by unwanted external agents. In line with this concept, the social policies of many countries place self-determination as a central element in support for people with disabilities, especially people with intellectual disability (ID). Research shows that people with ID have self-determination, cognitive, motor, and daily functioning difficulties that do not allow them to fully participate in their lives and their communities. Assistive technologies, and in particular self-determination support technologies, offer extremely promising perspectives for people with ID, especially with regard to personal development, skills, social inclusion or community participation. In this context, the objectives of this thesis are: 1) to better understand the difficulties of self-determination of people with Down syndrome; 2) to better understand the cognitive difficulties in this population; and 3) to design, develop and validate two digital assistants for self-determination support. The results of the studies, presented in this thesis, show that self-regulation is the component of self-determination perceived as the weakest by people with Down syndrome, while autonomy and self-realization are not perceived as problematic. Furthermore, the level of self-determination is related to language, memory and motor skills. Prospective memory and decision-making abilities are deficient in adults with Down syndrome and are also related to elf-determination and self-regulation. Finally, the two digital assistants that we have designed and developed have shown their effectiveness: improvement of ideas and elements related to the life plan and home skills. Their prolonged use of these technologies has also been associated with extremely positive impact on psychological well-being, worry, self-determination and self-esteem

Cultural competency training in physician assistant (PA) education may improve patient care outcomes and help reduce health disparities. Research suggests that incorporating cross-cultural communication techniques into healthcare delivery improves provider-patient relationships, patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, and health outcomes. While PA accreditation standards include mandatory elements regarding cultural competency training of PA students, there is little research on how PA students feel about the effectiveness of this training. This study focused on determining PA students’ perceived levels of preparedness to treat patients of culturally diverse backgrounds. Specifically, the study evaluated PA students’ knowledge, skills, encounters, attitudes, awareness, and abilities regarding cultural competence, as well as students’ evaluations of these components of their education. The study utilized an online cross-sectional questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative components to 239 PA student respondents across eight American professional preparation programs in higher education institutions. The survey used a modified version of the previously validated Self-Assessment of Perceived Level of Cultural Competence Questionnaire (SAPLCC). Descriptive statistics were measured using SPSS software (v. 24). Independent sample t-tests identified significant differences in subscale scores between race and academic year. Qualitative data were hand-coded for common themes. Overall, findings showed that PA students rated their attitudes, awareness, and abilities about cultural competence as significantly greater than their knowledge, skills, and encounters. Specific areas of identified weaknesses in cultural competency education included: knowledge regarding the cultural context of care; skills associated with managing cross-cultural clinical challenges; and encounters related to coping with aggressiveness and bias. Further analysis indicated that second-year students and non-Caucasian students reported higher personal ratings for levels of cultural competence. Qualitative data provided further insight into students’ levels of preparedness, indicating that most surveyed PA students felt well prepared (39%) or moderately prepared (46%), rather than those who did not feel at all prepared (15%). Students indicated that specific classes focusing on cultural topics, discussions about cultural issues, and clinical experiences were the most useful for promoting cross-cultural education. Future investigation might explore the effectiveness of standardized approaches to training, how student perceptions align with actual care outcomes, or examine how diversity within PA programs impacts students’ preparedness to provide cross-cultural care.

This study examined if physician assistants (PAs) are cost-beneficial to employers. In an era of cost accountability, questions arise about whether a visit to a PA for an episode of care differs from a visit to a physician, and if PAs erode their cost-effectiveness by the manner in which they manage patients. Four common acute medical conditions seen by PAs and physicians within a large health maintenance organization were identified to study. An episode approach was undertaken to identify all laboratory, imaging, medication and provider costs for these diagnoses. Over 12,700 medical office visits were analyzed and assigned to each type of provider and medical department. Patient variables included age, gender, and health status. A multivariate analysis identified significant cost differences in each cohort of patients. In every condition managed by PAs, the total cost of the visit was less than that of a physician in the same department. This was significant for episodes of shoulder tendinitis, otitis media, and urinary tract infections. In no instance were PAs statistically different from physicians in use of laboratory and imaging costs. In each instance the total cost of the episode was less when treated by a PA. Sometimes PAs ordered fewer laboratory tests than physicians. There were no differences in the rate of return visits for a diagnosis between physicians and PAs. Patient differences were held constant for age, gender, and health status. This study affirms that PAs are not only cost-effective from a labor standpoint but are also cost-beneficial to those who employ them. In most cases, they order resources for diagnosis and treatment in a manner similar to physicians for an episode of care, but the cost of an episode of an illness is more economical overall when the P A delivers the care. This study validates the federal policy of support for primary care P A education and suggests that PA employment should be expanded in many sectors of the health care system. These findings and the results of this cost-benefit model are evidence of its validity in predicting health care costs.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-76). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.