Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 368-378).

Music is both an art and a science involving emotional appreciation and intellectual understanding. When music performances are assessed, appropriate criteria should be used by examiners who appreciate the art and understand the science. This study examined the effects of training and experience on the judgements made by individuals who possessed an understanding of music performance (i.e. qualified musicians and music educators), from observations on videotape of three piano performances (by the same pianist). The thirty three participants were required to observe the videotape and complete a separate music performance assessment (MPA)sheet for each piece, and then rank the three pieces in order of preference. The MPA sheet contained (a) thirty three descriptive statements, under five headings, to which the examiner responded on a . six point Likert scale, and (b) a section for recording an overall impression mark, with provision for comment. There were four examiner categories: (1) untrained and inexperienced, (2) trained and inexperienced, (3) untrained and experienced, and (4) trained and experienced. The term 'experience' was applied to those participants who had previous involvement as examiners in any formal music performance assessment situation. The term 'trained' was applied to those participants who attended a short preparation course presented as part of the study. The responses of the four categories of examiner were tested for significant difference (.05 level) through the use of multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures. One of the performances (piece 1) was recorded digitally by computer (using MIDI and the 'Vision' program) which provided a printout of what occurred during the performance. A comparison of the subjective analysis of the 'Vision' printout results with the examiner responses for piece 1, revealed that there was a link between the judgements made by examiners and the actual performance by the pianist. Results of the study indicate that (a) experience and training effects the criteria used by music examiners in the assessment of music performances, (b) training influenced the examiner responses more than experience, (c) in the 'best' performance, the effects of examiner training and experience were negligible, and (d) in the area of 'global' and 'specific' assessment of music performance, all examiners divorced the two approaches, however judgements of the untrained examiners were more obvious in their disparity. The results of this study suggest that the training a music examiner receives prior to the performance assessment session may be more important in producing consistent and accurate reports than the amount of previous examining experience. The criteria used by the music examiner should be clearly presented with appropriate dimensions for the musical instrument on which the student performs.

The purpose of this study was to determine the core competencies needed by state Baldrige examiners, to identify best practices in examiner training programs provided by state Baldrige organizations, and to identify best practices for teaching core competencies. A Delphi panel ranked core competencies, best practices, and best practices for teaching core competencies using a Likert-style survey. Descriptive statistics and a formula for determining consensus quantified the results. The key findings of this study were that the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence continue to provide the core competencies for which examiners need to be trained to effectively evaluate and score applications and provide meaningful feedback to applicants. The best practices for teaching core competencies, however, vary according to the needs of each state organization and the expertise and teaching styles of the trainers in the various state organizations. Coaching was the one best practice upon which the panel agreed as being applicable to teaching most of the core competencies. A template for training examiners using the best practices for teaching core competencies was the outcome of this study. Recommendations include using this template to train examiners and using the actual teams, of which the examiners will be a part, for evaluating and scoring the applications from receipt of the application through the life of the application. It is recommended that the individual review of applications be eliminated. As examiners will work with the actual applications from the beginning of the process, it is recommended that the case study be eliminated as pre-work. It is also recommended that coaches work with the actual teams from the training session until the feedback report is written.

In the UK examiners assign marks to A level examination scripts using extensive mark-schemes. Examiners work under strict time constraints, and must consider various sources, from script to mark-scheme to exemplar marked scripts. Essay subjects, such as History and English (two subjects which are associated with difficulty of marking), are likely to form a particular cognitive challenge for examiners, and their marking has not been extensively researched. Most examiners mark within accepted variations of reliability, as determined by Awarding Bodies’ monitoring systems. The question is, then, how they make these decisions, given the amount of information and the limited time available. The training process which is intended to bring the examiners’ decisions into line with the standard of the Principal Examiner also represents a lacuna in the literature. This study therefore sought to investigate examiners’ decision-making processes and the process of the training meeting. Five day-long standardising meetings (four examiners’ meetings and one senior examiners’ pre-standardising meeting), split between English and History, were recorded, transcribed and subjected to discourse analysis; three examiners, spread between the four units, provided additional Verbal Protocol Analysis data while undertaking live marking. A survey, which presented preliminary conclusions from that data and some extracts from examiners’ discourse, was used to collect further data from a larger sample of History and English A level examiners. The data are considered in relation to the theory of heuristics, which has been used to consider examining at other levels, or in other subjects, and with other question types. The data are also considered in the light of other theories, including those of expertise and construct-referenced assessment. The data demonstrate that decisions were not usually made in the rule-based way which is suggested as the ideal by the regulations, and which would be assumed from the mark-schemes and rubric issued by the exam boards. The mark-scheme did provide a guide to the foci which should, and can be seen to, attract examiners’ attention. However, a great deal of ‘professional judgement’ was also exercised, and examiners used a number of informal heuristics, and made relative judgements to reach a mark; comparison is established as a major mechanism of their decision-making. These behaviours do not necessarily lead to bias, however, and many were actually suggested during the training process. Some were suggested consciously by senior examiners, but some appeared to be unconsciously modelled during the training meeting. The theory of heuristics is seen to be widely applicable to the data; the choice of material and training mitigated the potential bias which heuristics could cause. A wide range of cognitive processes are demonstrated in the data, which were used to varying degrees by different examiners, at different times within and between scripts.

Thesis (M.S.)--California State University, Sacramento, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-71]).

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) are nurses that provide forensic examination and crisis intervention to victims of sexual assault. The training required to receive SANE certification ensures that SANE nurses are 1educated to provide thorough examinations and compassionate care to sexual assault victims. A SANE often works on a Sexual Assault Response/Resource Team (SART) which combines the efforts of law enforcement, detectives, victim advocates, and healthcare providers to provide a rapid response to the sexual assault victim. Proper evidence collection and a maintained chain of custody provide support for the conviction and if the evidence is obtained inaccurately the examination may be inadmissible in court. Even though SANEs can provide quality nursing care, many facilities lack trained SANEs to perform sexual assault examinations. Accurate data is crucial to support the need for facilities to implement a SANE program. This review and synthesis of literature examines the quality of forensic examinations performed by SANEs, conviction rates, and psychological well being of victims examined by SANEs. Research studies examined in this review suggest that SANE examinations are more complete and contribute to higher conviction rates then examinations performed by non-SANEs, however a combined SANE and SART intervention results in the highest level of victim participation. The research also suggests that the psychological well being of victims is improved with SANE intervention, however more evidence is needed

Crime scene examiners (CSEs) spend long hours at traumatic crime scenes, and interact closely with various elements of crime scenes. The topic has only recently attracted international research interest, and in the South African context the offering is meagre. The study set out to determine the profile of Southern Gauteng CSEs; to establish the scope of their tasks and responsibilities; to ascertain their trauma levels in relation to traumatic crime scenes and autopsies; to identify the specific coping strategies they use; to determine their context-specific experiences of job-related stress and trauma; and to ascertain the measure to which they experience contentedness within their workplace and their views on both briefing and debriefing. In pursuit of the objectives of the study, the research paradigm was rooted in positivism. Consequently, a quantitative approach was adopted and a cross-sectional design was employed. Through convenience sampling, 103 respondents were recruited from all eight Local Criminal Record Centres (LCRCs) in Southern Gauteng. The data gathering instrument was a paper-based, self-administered structured questionnaire, which included two standardised measuring instruments for trauma levels and coping strategies respectively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests indicated that non-parametric statistical procedures were required. Using the Mann Whitney U test, bivariate analysis allowed for testing the relationships between variables. The findings demonstrate that male CSEs outnumber female CSEs by approximately 3:1. CSEs attend violent crime scenes with striking regularity, but autopsies less frequently. Significant proportions of CSEs are routinely required to both take photographs of crime scenes and compile photo albums. A sizeable number of CSEs present with concerning levels of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomology. The coping strategy adopted by majority of respondents is acceptance. Although attended less frequently, crime scenes involving deceased children are experienced as very distressing. A large proportion of CSEs are hesitant to access debriefing services, for numerous reasons, despite feeling the need to talk to someone about their work. The trauma experienced by CSEs is unique compared with other policing units. Therefore, it is recommended that trauma interventions should be responsive to their needs. Lastly, the CSEs who have been diagnosed with mental health conditions seem to be at significant risk, and thus they should receive special attention in future interventions. Keywords: crime scene examiner, Local Criminal Record Centres, trauma, traumatic event, crime scene, traumatic crime scene, emotional stress, coping strategy, autopsy, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Southern Gauteng. / Dissertation (MA (Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Social Work and Criminology / MA (Criminology) / Restricted

Magister Educationis - MEd / This study1 which followed immediately after a sub-dissertation entitled "An investigation into the problems and pitfalls inherent in the teaching and learning of Xhosa in the .Senior Secondary schools of Transkei" and which was part of the re~earcher's Bachelor of Education academic study programme, was designed to probe deeper into the problems discoverd earlier in the study mentioned above, and to further investigate the root causes of the high rate of failure in Xhosa which has become a source of worry to the Transkei Education Department today. To gather all the data needed during investigation, use of questions and intervi•ews was made. Questionnaires were sent to Std 10 pupils, Std 10 teachers, Std 10 External Examiners and libraries. Files of the Xhosa Subject Commit.tee, the Xhosa Action Committee, the Nguni and Sesotho Language Board and the Transkei Examinations Board were consulted with a view to extracting information that would reveal records pertaining to high failure rate in Xhosa. After observing for several years, as a teacher and examiner of Xhosa language, the performance of Std 10 pupils writing Xhosa, the researcher came tot.he conclusion that there was indeed high failure rate in Xhosa. The period 1981 to 1985 became the focus of his attention because it was the worst in the history of the Transkei Std 10 results in Xhosa. Records of the Transkei Examinations Board reflected that the mean average during that period was only 46'l. (See· Table 1.1). The poor results also became the source of worry to the Department of Education which took steps to remedy the situation by forming a special Committee known as the Xhosa Action Committee which was given the task of devising ways and means of improving the Std 10 Xhosa results as from 1985. The Department further sent out circulars to all schools in Transkei threatening to take disciplinary measures against Std 10 Xhosa teachers whose candidates had failed to .secure less than 50% aggregate in the external examinations.

Occupational stress is a major concern in Canadian society, and nurses have been identified as a high-risk population. In this study, levels of occupational stress (vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout) were examined in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) and Emergency nurses. Our objectives were: 1) to compare levels of occupational stress between groups, 2) examine the relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction, and 3) examine the relationship between job satisfaction, intention to leave, and absenteeism. Results showed no significant group differences on vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress, but significantly higher levels of burnout in Emergency nurses, and intention to leave one’s job significantly predicted job satisfaction in Emergency nurses. Although SANEs did not experience greater occupational stress, open-ended data indicated negative consequences to this work. However, both groups also spoke to the positive rewards of helping those in need. Implications for nursing practice are also discussed.

Occupational stress is a major concern in Canadian society, and nurses have been identified as a high-risk population. In this study, levels of occupational stress (vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout) were examined in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) and Emergency nurses. Our objectives were: 1) to compare levels of occupational stress between groups, 2) examine the relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction, and 3) examine the relationship between job satisfaction, intention to leave, and absenteeism. Results showed no significant group differences on vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress, but significantly higher levels of burnout in Emergency nurses, and intention to leave one’s job significantly predicted job satisfaction in Emergency nurses. Although SANEs did not experience greater occupational stress, open-ended data indicated negative consequences to this work. However, both groups also spoke to the positive rewards of helping those in need. Implications for nursing practice are also discussed.