Magister Educationis - MEd / In this mini-thesis, I explored the factors that affect grade 8 learners’ performance in reading in English.The study focused on reading as it was revealed by National Education Department and Western Cape Education Department that literacy and numeracy levels in schools in the Western Cape were poor. In addition, in March 1997, OBE was initiated in South Africa to develop a better educational system for all learners in schools and was perceived as a major step from the previous system (Botha, 2002). The system of OBE introduced the continuous assessment policies, which was a challenge for teachers already in the educational system. The study highlighted the theories of reading with particular emphasis on the evaluation of teaching of reading and assessment in the English classroom, learners’ home reading background and the influence of social practices and multiliteracies on learners’ reading proficiency. According to Alderson (2000) reading is perceived as a process of meaning- making with identification of different levels of meaning and understanding in and from text including reading skills. To elicit the factors that affect reading four variables were focused on during the study. The variables included reader, task, text and Social Practices and Multiliteracies variables, which interplayed in reading during tasks.In order to gather data the following data capturing methods were employed, firstly I highlighted the classroom observations to unpack the realities in classrooms for both the teacher and the learners. Then secondly I focused on the learners’ questionnaire to determine what happened during reading lessons and learners’ home reading practices. And thirdly I presented the teacher’s interview to highlight the reading strategies that she employed in class. Lastly I discussed the document analysis of grade 8 examination papers and classroom activities with a checklist. I discovered that the system of OBE put demands on teachers that they are not properly trained to do.Despite the fact that training was provided, it was too short and not clearly focused on interactive reading skills. When we consider the importance of multiliteracies, the teacher clearly draws on the learner’s home background by doing activities that make them feel that they are important. This teacher has the ability to successfully incorporate multimodal teaching methods in her class. The teacher also set time aside everyday to assess and mark the learners books, she then clarified issues that learners’ might encounter in the course of the reading lesson.However, there are some factors that could be addressed to improve reading abilities. The overcrowding and ghettoized condition of the class, did not promote morale within this environment. With the inception of OBE in-service training was provided, it was too short and not clearly focused on interactive reading skills. A further factor is learners’ use of Afrikaans during interactions with the teacher and each other,except for one learner who spoke English during the lesson.In conclusion, the evidence showed that the factors hat affect reading and therefore outcomes in education.

This article strives to investigate the importance of instructions when using an entertainment game for language learning, and evaluate how instructions affect learning outcome and motivation. To narrow down the case study only one game and language was chosen, namely the popular entertainment game ‘Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time’ (Sanzaru Games, 2013) in Dutch. Eighteen test subjects were split into three groups, one group got no prior instructions to playing, one got basic instructions and the last got thorough instructions. They then played part of the game to afterwards answer questions regarding motivation and take a language test containing words and phrases from the game. The study showed a significant increase in language learning correlated to the increase of instructions, meanwhile also presenting a significant result indicating that instructions might have a positive effect on motivation when using ‘Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time’ to teach language.

Les environnements virtuels sont des outils de plus en plus fréquemment utilisés dans le domaine de la formation sans que leur conception soit systématiquement guidée par des préconisations ergonomiques. Ce travail de thèse propose d’élaborer et d’évaluer des recommandations ergonomiques relatives au guidage de l’apprenant au cours de son apprentissage en EVAH (Environnement Virtuel pour l'Apprentissage Humain). Après avoir évalué l’utilité pour l’apprentissage d’un EVAH destiné à des techniciens de laboratoire, deux expériences ont été menées afin de déterminer un guidage optimal de l’apprenant lors de sa formation au lancement de tests de coagulation. La première expérience analysait l’impact d’une organisation hiérarchique d’instructions sonores sur l’apprentissage. La deuxième évaluait les modalités de présentation d’un guidage visuel et leurs conséquences sur l’acquisition de la procédure. Les résultats obtenus à l’issue de ces deux expériences ont permis de proposer des recommandations ergonomiques quant à la conception d’un guidage sonore et d’un guidage visuel de l’apprenant lors de l’acquisition d’une procédure. Enfin, ces recommandations ont été implémentées dans l’EVAH. Ainsi « amélioré », il a été confronté à l’environnement virtuel de référence dans le but d’évaluer l’efficacité des préconisations. Les résultats montrent que la prise en compte des recommandations ergonomiques proposées améliore les performances des apprenants. / Virtual environments are tools that are becoming more frequently used in the field of training, however their design is not systematically guided by ergonomic considerations. This thesis presents the development and evaluation of ergonomic recommendations to guide the learner during VET (Virtual Environment for Training) training. After evaluating the usefulness of STA-R Virtuel, a VET for laboratory technicians, two experiments were conducted to determine optimal ways of cueing the learner during their training in the execution of coagulation tests. The first experiment analyzed the impact on learning of a hierarchical organization of auditory instructions. The second evaluated different ways of presenting a visual guide and their impact on learned proficiency in the procedure. The results obtained at the end of these two experiments were then used to develop ergonomic recommendations for the design of auditory and visual cues to enhance learner performance. Finally, these recommendations were implemented in the VET. The improved version was compared with the reference virtual environment in order to assess the effectiveness of the recommendations. The results show that the inclusion of the proposed ergonomic recommendations improves the learners' performance.

The goal of this thesis is to identify the problems of group audits and approach to solving individual problems areas. This thesis describes the contents of group audit manuals, which are not publicly available, and contributes to the understanding of the processes by which a group of auditors shall proceed in their work.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between health literacy, preparedness for discharge, adherence to discharge instructions and difficulty coping after discharge among emergency department patients. Specific Aims: The Aims of this study were to: (1) describe the variability of health literacy of adult patients in an academic tertiary Emergency Department; (2) describe the relationship between health literacy, care transition, and perceived readiness for discharge on the patient’s adherence to discharge instructions and (3) explore whether health literacy, perceived preparation for discharge and care transition, predicts difficulty coping after discharge. Framework: Dr. Meleis’s Transitions Theory was used as a framework. Design: This is a prospective cohort study of adults treated and discharged from the ED. Results: Eighty five percent of the subjects completed the study (n = 132). Subjects satisfied with transition care (P = .025) and who felt more prepared for discharge (P = .035) had less difficulty coping. Subjects more satisfied with care transition were more likely to adhere to medication instructions (P = .029). The higher the satisfaction with discharge preparation, the less likely the subjects were to go to their follow-up appointment (P = 0.051). No associations were found with health literacy. Conclusion: Satisfaction with care transition during the discharge process and feeling well-prepared are related to less difficulty coping after discharge. Nurses have an opportunity to intervene and enhance the discharge experience. This may contribute to more positive outcomes after being seen in an emergency department.

Este projeto apresenta uma metodologia aplicada à análise da viabilidade de se otimizar código fonte C para o processador embarcado Nios II. Esta metodologia utiliza ferramentas de análise de código que traçam o perfil da aplicação, identificando suas partes críticas em relação ao tempo de execução, as quais são o gprof e o performance counter. Para otimizar o código para o processador Nios II, são utilizadas tanto instruções customizadas quanto uma ferramenta automática de aceleração de código, o compilador C2H. Como casos de estudo, foram escolhidos três algoritmos devido à sua importância no campo da robótica móvel, sendo eles o gaxpy, o EKF e o SIFT. A partir da aplicação da metodologia para se otimizar cada um dos casos, foi comparada a eficiência tanto das ferramentas de análise de código, quanto das ferramentas de otimização, bem como a validade da metodologia proposta / This project presents a methodology applied to analyze the viability of C source code optimization for the Nios II embedded processor. This methodology utilizes the gprof and performance counter source code analysis tools to profile the source code of an application, and identify its critical time consuming parts. The optimization of C source code for the Nios II processor was performed using custom instructions and an automatic source code acceleration tool, the C2H compiler. Three algorithms were chosen as study cases, based on their importance to mobile robotics. Those were the gaxpy, EKF and SIFT algorithms. After applying the presented methodology to optimize each study case, efficiency comparisons were made between the source code analysis tools, as well between the optimization tools, in order to validate the presented methodology

Traditionelle Krankenhaushierarchie und Ökonomisierungsdruck, aber auch Unkenntnis über berufsrechtliche Grundlagen des Arztberufs beeinflussen die Therapiefreiheit des einzelnen Arztes. Die gesetzlich und berufsständisch normierte ärztliche Tätigkeit als freier Beruf erfordert vom einzelnen Arzt, medizinische Entscheidungen nicht einfach zu befolgen, sondern seiner Qualifikation gemäß zu überprüfen. Das Weisungsrecht vorgesetzter Ärzte und die Pflicht nachgeordneter Ärzte, Weisungen zu befolgen, finden ihre Grenzen in den Rechtsnormen, die das Prinzip des freien Berufs setzt. Unkritisches Befolgen von Anweisungen kann auch für nachgeordnete Ärzte straf-, zivil- und berufsrechtliche Folgen haben. Die vorliegende Studie legt dar, in welcher Weise auch der Krankenhausarzt einen freien Beruf ausübt. Und weiter, welchen Stellenwert die Therapiefreiheit als Kern dieser Berufsfreiheit für die verschiedenen etablierten Hierarchiestufen des ärztlichen Dienstes hat. Dabei wird aufgezeigt, ob und inwiefern die traditionelle hierarchische Struktur des ärztlichen Dienstes in deutschen Krankenhäusern mit dem Berufsrecht vereinbar ist.

Background: Approximately 32% of all lymphoma patients experience immunocompromised severe avoidable side effects of nadir at home after discharge postchemotherapy. The certified oncology nurses employed at a large metropolitan hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, lack standardized discharge guidelines that include regulatory organizations’ recommendations to assist patients/families with at-home self-management of the avoidable side effects. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to utilize the institution’s existing postchemotherapy discharge protocol to assess certified oncology nurses’ knowledge of severe avoidable side effects of nadir; modify the existing healthcare institution’s postchemotherapy discharge protocol to reflect standardized practice for promoting clinical practice continuity by leading organizations; conduct multifaceted training seminars to disseminate the modified postchemotherapy discharge guideline; evaluate the oncology nurses’ knowledge of severe avoidable side effects of nadir postchemotherapy after modified guideline implementation; and collaborate with the intraprofessional team to determine if the modified postchemotherapy discharge guideline was feasible and acceptable for system wide hospital implementation. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework used was Benner’s model of nurse proficiency: expert nurses develop skills and understanding of patient care through a sound educational base and a multitude of experiences. Methods: The existing postchemotherapy discharge protocol was used to develop a developed standardized guideline incorporating regulatory organizations’ recommendations for severe avoidable side effects of nadir postchemotherapy for nursing discharge information and patients’ at-home management. Ten oncology registered nurses on a 16-bed oncology unit participated in two 10-question Likert scale questionnaires based on the existing guideline (pretest) and the modified guideline (posttest) before and after an educational intervention. A quantitative nonparametric descriptive design was used. The questionnaires were analyzed with a two-tailed paired t test, p = 0.05, CI = 95, SD = 12. Results: Nurses significantly improved from pretest to posttest—63% before receiving modified guideline education and 83% after receiving education (p < 0.005). Conclusion: A standardized guideline that included regulatory organizations’ recommendations for at-home management of severe avoidable side effects of nadir showed significant nurses’ improvement in knowledge and competency. The effectiveness of nurses disseminating discharge information was paramount when knowledge awareness and appropriate patient/family assessment were incorporated in the discharge instructions.

Organizations need to protect themselves from cyber threats and a variety of methods exist to mitigate these risks. Factors such as rapid digitalization, expedited by Covid-19, have only made cybersecurity threats a growing concern. Most research within the IS field has focused on technical methods to mitigate risk, leaving non-technical methods less explored. The aim of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of managers’, at different levels, perceived understanding, and influence to achieve cybersecurity readiness in order to identify barriers. Further, an objective was to develop possible strategies to mitigate identified risks associated with these barriers. To fulfill this aim, a case study was conducted at a municipality-owned organization who have taken the initiative to raise cybersecurity awareness. Six interviews were conducted with managers from both senior- and middle management, and cybersecurity governance documents were collected. In our findings, we identified three main themes with associated barriers to achieving cybersecurity readiness. These include barriers associated with (1) organizational and managerial factors, (2) pitfalls in communication, and (3) policy and instructions. The study contributes to an understanding of different barriers that managers at different levels might perceive and suggests possible strategies for mitigating the risks associated with said barriers.

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